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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If noise isolation is a priority, especially for air travel or in noisy environments, the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 with active noise cancelling and a remarkable score in those aspects would be your best bet; you'll also appreciate their wireless functionality. However, you'll trade off some overall sound quality and soundstage which EPOS PC38X excels in, making it more suitable if you value audio fidelity for gaming, calls, and music since they have top marks for these uses. Bear in mind that the PC38X lack wireless capability and active noise cancelling and are less portable but are praised for their exceptional mic quality, which might be essential for clear communication. 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 Bose Quiet Comfort 45
- Best in class for air travel
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the EPOS PC38X
- Best in class for music
- Best in class for phone calls
- Best in class for gaming
- Excellent for TV and video
Key differences
Music
6.4
9.5
The EPOS PC38X is best in class for music, while the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is only fair.
Gaming
5.5
10.0
The EPOS PC38X is best in class for gaming, while the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is poor.
Phone Calls
8.0
10.0
The EPOS PC38X is best in class for phone calls, while the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is very good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.3
7.9
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the EPOS PC38X is good.
TV and Video
5.8
9.0
The EPOS PC38X is excellent for TV and video, while the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is poor.
Noise Reduction
10.0
2.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is best in class for noise reduction, while the EPOS PC38X is poor.
Battery
22.5 Hours
N/A
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 has 22.5 hours of battery life. The EPOS PC38X does not have a battery.
Cost
$260
$139
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 has a price of $260 and the EPOS PC38X costs $139.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and EPOS PC38X both have very good build quality.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and the EPOS PC38X compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose Quiet Comfort 45 | EPOS PC38X |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$260 | $139 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | EPOS | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | September 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.6/10 | 10/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.4/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 22.5 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.1 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 10/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 235.8 Grams | 249.4 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Boom | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
EPOS PC38X
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Dig into reviews and images
Everyday Listening
Ryan Soo | November 2021
"Lightweight and comfortable design, Mic arm with mute, Excellent tuning, Highly natural midrange voicing, Clean and separated bass, Solid soundstage dimensions. Combining all day comfort and integrated coms with a balanced and spacious sound from essentially any source, it is hard to deny the versatility and value provided by the PC38X."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 or the EPOS PC38X
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.
About EPOS
EPOS is a relatively new company with a very long heritage. Previously known as Sennheiser Communications, EPOS is the result of the joint venture between the German headphone manufacturer Sennheiser and the Danish Demant that sought to develop premium audio communication solutions. They specialize in two main product groups, enterprise communications and gaming communication headsets and processing devices.
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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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