Bluetooth: 5.3 (SBC, AAC)
Noise-cancelling: Yes
Wireless charging: Yes
Battery life: 8.5hrs (+21hrs from charging case)
Weight 8.5g (per earbud)
The QuietComfort Earbuds offer a lot of bang for your buck – they have a longer battery life than the Ultra, more equaliser options, voice controls and wireless charging. And all for a lower price. Unfortunately they can't keep pace with the Ultra in terms of performance, but for the money they're still well worth considering.
For
- Comfortable fit
- Good battery life
- Solid, musical sound
- Good noise cancelling ability…
Against
- …but not as good as the QC Ultras
- Chunky shape might not suit everyone
- No aptX support
- Call quality only okay
Bluetooth: 5.3 (SBC, AAC)
Noise-cancelling: Yes
Wireless charging: No
Battery life: 6hrs (+18hrs from charging case)
Weight: 6.2g (per earbud)
Thanks to their peerless noise cancellation and very good sound quality, the Ultra are some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy. True, they are outdone by their cheaper counterparts in terms of features, and the Bose Immersive Audio tech is a bit hit and miss, but in terms of performance, these come out tops. Their price is also falling by the day...
For
- Punchy, musical sound
- Solid, weighty bass
- Excellent ANC
- Comfortable
Against
- Immersive Audio slashes battery life
- No wireless charging
Eyeing up Bose’s new QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)? Not sure if it’s worth spending a bit more cash on the company’s flagship QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds? Fear not, for you’re in the right place. We’ve tested both pairs of Bose wireless earbuds and are pitting them against each other to help you decide which pair's performance and features are worthy of your ears.
Both Bose buds are five-star pairs, but they are quite different propositions and with different price tags. So which is right for you will depend on your needs and budget.
Which is where we come in. We've been reviewing wireless earbuds ever since they became a mainstream product about seven years ago, and our in-house team of expert reviewers has decades of experience testing audio products between them. We've tested budget buds and premium pairs, as well as nearly every iteration of Bose's wireless earbuds in the past few years, so we know what you should expect from a fresh pair of earbuds for their asking price.
So which of these two current Bose models is worth your hard-earned? That's what we're here to help you decide...
Price
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) are priced at £179 / $179 / AU$289, positioning them as a more affordable option compared to the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, which cost £300 / $299 / AU$450
On the face of it, this price difference is rather substantial, making the QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) a more attractive option for budget-conscious buyers. However, you might find that key differences and the more premium performance justify the Ultra's higher price tag.
Also, the Ultra have been on sale for a while now, and we have seen them dip as low as £209. So the price gulf between them might not be as vast as you think...
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)**
Design & comfort
The QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) represent a departure from the stem-style look of the Ultra model. Instead, they opt for a more rounded shape, which could appeal to those who prefer a less conspicuous look. The new design comes in three colour options: black, white, and a rather fetching chilled lilac.
Both models offer a choice of ear tips and stability bands to ensure a secure fit, which is crucial for both comfort and sound quality. And so they prove – both pairs are comfortable enough to wear for long listening sessions, and stay firmly in place.
In terms of durability, both earbuds feature an IPX4 rating, making them resistant to splashes and sweat – ideal for workouts or rainy days.
One notable difference between them is in the charging cases. The Ultra's case doesn't support wireless charging out of the box (requiring an additional case accessory to unlock this feature), while the QuietComfort Earbuds case includes wireless charging as standard.
**Winner: Draw**
Features
Both models are packed with features, but there are some key differences. The newer QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) introduce a rather novel Remote Selfie feature, allowing the earbuds to act as a remote shutter for your phone's camera. Whether or not there’s a high demand for such a feature we highly doubt, but we’re certainly not ones to stifle companies trying something new. The new QuietComfort Earbuds also support voice control via a "Hey Headphones" wake word, which will appeal to fans familiar with hands-free assistants.
The Ultra Earbuds, on the other hand, boast Bose's Immersive Audio technology, which aims to create a more spatial sound experience. This feature is notably lacking in its more affordable sibling (though it is slated to arrive sometime in 2025). The Immersive Audio feature has two modes – Still and Motion – with the latter incorporating head tracking, in a similar way to other implementations such as Apple Spatial Audio. We found the feature to be hit and miss during our testing of the Ultra model so we don't think it's going to be a huge loss if you opt for the cheaper pair.
Both pairs offer active noise-cancelling (ANC) – you can read how they compare in the relevant section below. And in terms of connectivity, both models support Bluetooth 5.3 and multipoint connectivity, allowing you to connect to two devices simultaneously.
Lastly, the QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) use a new companion app, which includes an upgraded 5-band EQ for more precise sound customisation. The Ultra Earbuds use the standard Bose Music app with a 3-band EQ, which, like the lack of wireless charging, is another feature that’s oddly missing from the more expensive product – though one which we hope can be added with a future software update.
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)**
Battery life
On paper, the QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) have a slight edge in battery life, offering up to 8.5 hours of playback on a single charge. The Ultra Earbuds, in our testing, managed six hours and 11 minutes.
Both models' cases provide additional charges, with the QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) offering a total of 29 hours, compared to the Ultra's 24 hours. As mentioned earlier, the QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) case supports wireless charging without needing an additional accessory.
It's worth noting that using features like Immersive Audio on the Ultra Earbuds can significantly reduce battery life, dropping it to around four hours per charge.
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)**
ANC quality
Bose is still the reigning champ when it comes to active noise cancellation (ANC). So how do its two pairs compare?
In our testing of the Ultra Earbuds, we found Bose’s formidable noise cancellation at work, effectively reducing the impact of noisy environments in a manner that few rivals can match. They work well when tasked with a number of different sounds to compete with, too. "They’re able to take the noisiest environments, whether it's the rumble of heavy machinery as you walk past a building site or the loud chatter and sound system of a crowded pub, and reduce their impact quite dramatically," we wrote in our review.
The Ultra allow you to preset different levels of noise-cancelling for different situations, and cycle through them. But the ANC on the QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) is less advanced – it's just on or off, though it does have the same Aware mode (which lets in some ambient sound) as the Ultra.
They do a good job of eliminating mid- and low-frequencies, but you really feel the lesser signal processing and lack of CustomTune calibration (which adjusts the ANC to your hearing profile). But the Ultra are just a cut above, especially higher up the frequency range: "The Ultra's ANC delivers a stronger sensation of things being cancelled, making background noise that bit quieter," we wrote in our review.
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds**
Sound quality
In our review, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds impressed us with their punchy, musical sound and solid bass response. They offer a rich, full-bodied presentation that we found engaging across various genres. We also noted their ability to deliver a good sense of openness and spaciousness, with clearly defined edges to drum thwacks and a real sense of dynamism.
The Ultra also support aptX Adaptive, which provides better audio quality when paired with compatible devices. The QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) lack support for this codec, which might be disappointing for those wanting to stream high-res quality over Bluetooth.
But this aside, they do sound very good indeed, full of drive and musicality. As we put it in our review: "They’re powerful and punchy performers that build an entertaining sound on the foundations of robust low frequencies, an expressive midrange and controlled highs."
The bass is rich and solid with great levels of insight. But they can't match their pricier siblings in terms of sound – the Ultra have "a greater sense of spaciousness and even greater detail and dynamic differentiation," we noted. Which is expected, given the higher price.
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds**
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) vs QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: verdict
Unsurprisingly, the Ultra are the more accomplished performers overall, especially when it comes to sound and ANC. But what is surprising is just how much the newer QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) offer for the price. They have a better battery life, more EQ options, voice controls and wireless charging – all features that the slightly older QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds lack. True, the more affordable pair lack Bose’s Immersive Audio feature, but it's far from a dealbreaker in our view.
The Ultra have the better sound quality and noise cancellation, though, so if you are after the ultimate performance, these comfy, reliable earuds are our recommendation – especially if you can find them on a good discount. But if you can't – or don't want to – stretch to the higher price, the QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) offer a lot of what makes the Ultra so great for a lot less money.
How we test
When testing wireless earbuds, we use them just as a buyer would, out and about during our commute and at home, and listen to a variety of music and genres. We spend weeks living with every pair we test to ensure every aspect is reviewed thoroughly, from their comfort and build quality to features and performance.
Comparative testing is a key part of how What Hi-Fi? tests and reviews headphones, so every pair of wireless earbuds is tested against the best-in-class in its category and price point. We listen to 100+ pairs each year for reviews and as part of our annual What Hi-Fi? Awards judging, and every team member wears wireless earbuds every day so we know what the average consumers' needs are.
With these Bose earbuds, we compared how secure the fit is and how comfortable they are to wear over time, as well as their perceived value at different price points. We checked if the claimed battery lives are accurate in real-world use, and spent time comparing all the features – from touch controls, spatial audio modes and call quality – to check which one performs better. As both models feature ANC, we used them in different real-world environments, from the office and at home to on the train and outside in windy conditions, to compare how good they are at silencing noise around you. We also try the various ANC modes where available, and test call quality with colleagues, too.
What Hi-Fi? always reviews as a team, meaning several members of the team will have tried and tested both earbuds, sharing their verdicts on design and sound quality. We spend weeks living with every wireless earbuds we test, and use a variety of music genres and streaming services/devices, so our verdicts are not confined to bias or just one person's tastes. We also adjust our expectations depending on the price, ensuring that the reader has a full picture of what can be expected for the current asking price and can make an informed decision using our reviews and buying advice.
