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Updated April 10, 2024·
If cost is a major factor for you, the Beats Studiobuds are more budget-friendly and offer very good overall sound quality for music and excellent performance for books and podcasts. They also have a fair level of noise isolation, which is decent for earbuds. They're sweatproof and have a good battery life, making them suitable for exercise. However, for an immersive experience, the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones, despite being pricier, provide superior sound quality, an excellent soundstage, and top-tier noise cancellation which is great for air travel. They also have superior comfort and build quality, making them ideal for long listening sessions. If you watch a lot of TV or play video games, Bose's low latency and virtual surround features provide a significant advantage. The Bose headphones also have better durability and come with an equalizer app for audio customization. Keep in mind, the Bose headphones are heavier and larger, which affects portability compared to the compact Studiobuds. 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 Studiobuds
Good for phone calls
Good for exercise
Excellent 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
Music
7.2/10
8.3/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is very good for music, while the Beats Studiobuds is good.
Gaming
5.2/10
9.3/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for gaming, while the Beats Studiobuds is poor.
Phone Calls
7.0/10
5.3/10
The Beats Studiobuds is good for phone calls, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.0/10
6.0/10
The Beats Studiobuds is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is only fair.
TV and Video
5.6/10
9.0/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for TV and video, while the Beats Studiobuds is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5/10
9.1/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for noise reduction, while the Beats Studiobuds is only fair.
Battery
6.0 Hours
29.0 Hours
The Beats Studiobuds has 6 hours of battery life. The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has 29 hours of battery life.
Cost
$80
$429
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Beats Studiobuds has a price of $80 and the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones costs $429.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones to have excellent build quality, while the Beats Studiobuds has very good build quality.
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How the Beats Studiobuds and the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones compare to other earbuds and headphones
"For less than the price of the AirPods, the Beats Studio Buds delivers a good fit, great sound, and active noise cancellation. This is also the first set of Apple-owned Beats earbuds to feature quick pairing with Android devices, albeit at the expense of some key features for Apple users."
"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 Beats Studiobuds or the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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