Bose Unveils New, More Affordable QuietComfort Earbuds for $179

We weren’t expecting new Bose earbuds this year, but it makes sense that the company is rolling out new, more affordable QuietComfort Earbuds ($179) for folks priced out of its $299 flagship QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. The new QC Earbuds, as Bose calls them, are available now in black, white smoke, and chilled lilac.

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I haven’t tried the new buds yet, but their shape reminds me a bit of Bose’s old Sports Wireless Earbuds, which didn’t have active noise canceling while these do (they also have a transparency or “aware” mode, as Bose calls it). It’s unclear how good the noise canceling is compared to the QC Ultra Earbuds noise canceling, but Bose says the buds deliver “a best-in-class noise canceling experience that the brand is known for,” so hopefully it’s of similar quality.

Bose earbuds tend to be a little larger than a lot of earbuds on the market, but they typically offer a comfortable, secure fit, with three sizes of ear tips and stability bands (essentially sport fins) to choose from.  

The QC Earbuds probably don’t sound quite as good the QC Ultra Earbuds (Bose says they offer a “high-quality listening experience”). Though they don’t have spatialized audio, they do have some interesting voice-control features, including the ability to snap a selfie using a voice command through the buds. Bose says the earbuds have three microphones in each bud and customizable touch controls. 

Battery life is rated for up to 8.5 hours (I suspect that’s with noise canceling off, but I need to confirm that). And the buds have an IPX4 rating, which means they’re splash-proof. There’s also a low-latency gaming mode for music and movies. And finally, the earbuds have their own Bose QC Earbuds app for tweaking the sound (it has a five-band equalizer) and for customizing settings and the touch controls.

I’ll have a full review once I get my hands on a review sample.