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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're on a budget and need something for casual music listening and calls, Apple Earpods are a solid choice; they're more affordable and offer good overall sound and microphone quality. However, they lack noise isolation and aren't suitable for exercise or air travel as they don't stay secure and let in ambient noise. Conversely, the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones are significantly more expensive, but they deliver excellent noise cancellation which is ideal for air travel and noisy environments. They're also more comfortable for long sessions and offer superior sound quality, making them suitable for immersive music, gaming, and TV experiences. The Bose also supports advanced codecs for better sound quality and has more features like a foldable design and app customization, but the Apple Earpods are lighter and more portable for everyday carry. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple Earpods
Very good for phone calls
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones
Very good for music
Excellent for gaming
Excellent for TV and video
Best in class for air travel
Key differences
Gaming
8.3/10
9.3/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for gaming, while the Apple Earpods is very good.
Phone Calls
8.0/10
5.3/10
The Apple Earpods is very good for phone calls, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.4/10
6.0/10
The Apple Earpods is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is only fair.
TV and Video
7.4/10
9.0/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for TV and video, while the Apple Earpods is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
9.1/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for noise reduction, while the Apple Earpods is poor.
Battery
N/A
29.0 Hours
The Apple Earpods does not have a battery. The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has 29 hours of battery life.
Cost
$20
$429
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Apple Earpods has a price of $20 and the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones costs $429.
Build Quality
7.6/10
9.0/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has excellent build quality, while the Apple Earpods has good build quality.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones to be very good for music, while the Apple Earpods is good.
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How the Apple Earpods and the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones compare to other earbuds and headphones
"Apple’s wired buds sound just fine for the price, and their handy inline controls and clear microphone give them an edge on wireless earbuds that are much more expensive. Plus, you never have to worry about running out of battery — or worse, a stray earbud going missing."
"The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a credible step up from previous Bose ANC headphones, and they're built to hang tough with the competition for years into the future. No waterproofing is a bit of a letdown, but these headphones have the technical chops to make most quite happy."
Get a great deal on the Apple Earpods or the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones
About Apple
Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.
About Bose
Bose is an American audio equipment manufacturer based out of Framingham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 by Amar Bose with the goal of creating a speaker system that could accurately recreate the sound of a concert hall, Bose has become one of the most prominent players in the modern consumer audio market due to the premium feel of their products and their wide brand recognition.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.