Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Bose has announced the second generation of QuietComfort earbuds.
- The Quiet Comfort Earbuds II will introduce a number of improvements and new features, such as CustomTune.
- The earbuds are available for pre-order today and will launch on September 15 for $299.
It’s been two years since Bose released its QuietComfort Earbuds. While they offer a decent listening experience, it’s time for Bose to come up with an upgrade that can compete with today’s earbuds. Enter the QuietComfort Earbuds II.
Today Bose officially announced the next generation of its true wireless noise canceling earbuds. The new earbuds offer a number of improvements over the previous generation, such as the size. According to Bose, these earbuds are one-third the size of the original and weigh less than a quarter of an ounce.
The earbuds also include a Fit Kit that comes with interchangeable stability bands and two-piece eartips. There are three individually sized earbuds and three individually sized stability bands to mix and match for nine different combinations.
As for features, noise cancellation returns and is reportedly further enhanced by a new feature called CustomTune. Bose describes CustomTune as sound calibration technology that tunes both audio and noise canceling performance for the wearer by measuring the user’s ear canal for its acoustic response. This sounds similar to the technology Sony uses to improve audio and noise cancellation in its headphones.
Another new feature is Aware Mode, a feature that lets you hear your surroundings as if you weren’t wearing earbuds at all. Aware Mode works in tandem with a feature called ActiveSense which Bose explains: “When loud disturbances happen in close proximity, ActiveSense responds with just the right level of noise cancellation — tailored specifically to your ear — to reduce noise as it happens, and only for as long as it takes.”
Other improvements include a switch from Bluetooth 5.1 to Bluetooth 5.3 and six hours of battery life.
Bose says the QuietComfort Earbuds II will launch on September 15 for $299, but pre-orders are available today. However, you can only order the triple black color for now. The other shade Bose calls Soapstone will be available later this year.
The QuietComfort Earbuds II seem to make many of the adjustments Bose needed to better position itself to compete with Sony’s WF-1000XM4 and Apple’s recently announced AirPods Pro (2nd generation). However, will Bose’s efforts pay off? We’ll just have to wait.