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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Beats Solo 3 are more affordable and have a longer battery life, making them a good choice if you're on a budget but still want quality sound and wireless convenience. However, if comfort, call quality, and noise isolation are priorities for you, the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 are better despite being more expensive. The QuietComfort 45 also feature active noise cancelling, which greatly reduces background noise, making them ideal for travel and noisy environments. Remember, the Beats may work for light exercise whereas the more robust noise-canceling and comfort features of the Bose are beneficial for long periods of use and frequent travelers. 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 Beats Solo 3
- The Beats Solo 3 has no clear advantages over the Bose Quiet Comfort 45.
Advantages of the Bose Quiet Comfort 45
- Very good for phone calls
- Best in class for air travel
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Phone Calls
4.7
8.0
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is very good for phone calls, while the Beats Solo 3 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.8
9.3
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Beats Solo 3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
5.3
10.0
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is best in class for noise reduction, while the Beats Solo 3 is poor.
Battery
41.5 Hours
22.5 Hours
The Beats Solo 3 has 41.5 hours of battery life. The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 has 22.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$117
$260
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Beats Solo 3 has a price of $117 and the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 costs $260.
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Key similarities
Music
6.3
6.4
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and Beats Solo 3 are both only fair for music.
Gaming
5.3
5.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and Beats Solo 3 are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.6
5.8
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and Beats Solo 3 are both poor for TV and video.
Build Quality
8.0
8.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and Beats Solo 3 both have very good build quality.
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How the Beats Solo 3 and the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Beats Solo 3 | Bose Quiet Comfort 45 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$117 | $260 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Beats | Bose | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2016 | September 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 4.7/10 | 8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.3/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 5.9/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 41.5 Hours | 22.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 4.2 | 5.1 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 5.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 5.4/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 5.7/10 | 10/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 213.1 Grams | 235.8 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Beats Solo 3
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Lily Katz | May 2023
"The Beats Solo3 Wireless is an old set of headphones but still works reliably well with iPhones, due to W1 chip integration and AAC support. The Beats Solo3 Wireless holds up well today with just a few features showing its age."
Bose Quiet Comfort 45
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Dig into reviews and images
What HiFi?
What HiFi? | November 2022
"If you want a set of wireless over-ear headphones you can put on, deploy noise-cancelling on your commute or at your desk and largely extinguish the outside world for up to 24 hours, the Bose QC 45 has the edge over most of the competition at the price."
Get a great deal on the Beats Solo 3 or the Bose Quiet Comfort 45
About Beats
Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.
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
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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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.
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