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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 excels in comfort, built-in controls, and active noise cancelling, offering a versatile option that is great for air travel, use during exercise, and calls and meetings with an integrated mic. With a wireless option and a battery life of over 22 hours, they're adaptable for on-the-go use and are significantly less costly than the Focal Elex. However, the Focal Elex, despite being more expensive, delivers superior overall sound quality, soundstage, and imaging, making them ideal for an immersive music and TV/video experience, particularly in a quiet environment as they do not feature active noise cancellation. The Elex's open enclosure design provides a more natural sound but is less portable and not suited for noisy environments or exercise. 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
- Very good for phone calls
- Best in class for air travel
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Focal Elex
- Good for music
- Very good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
6.4
7.7
The Focal Elex is good for music, while the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is only fair.
Gaming
5.5
6.9
The Focal Elex is only fair for gaming, while the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is poor.
Phone Calls
8.0
4.3
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is very good for phone calls, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.3
7.1
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Focal Elex is good.
TV and Video
5.8
8.3
The Focal Elex is very good 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 Focal Elex is poor.
Battery
22.5 Hours
N/A
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 has 22.5 hours of battery life. The Focal Elex does not have a battery.
Cost
$260
$749
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 has a price of $260 and the Focal Elex costs $749.
Build Quality
8.5
9.0
The Focal Elex has excellent build quality, while the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 has very good build quality.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and the Focal Elex compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose Quiet Comfort 45 | Focal Elex |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$260 | $749 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | Focal | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | December 1, 2017 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8/10 | 4.4/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.6/10 | 6.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.4/10 | 4.3/10 | |
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 | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 235.8 Grams | 450 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
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."
Focal Elex
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Dig into reviews and images
Golden Sound
Golden Sound | October 2021
"The Focal Elex are an excellent pair of headphones for the money and a great all-rounder that will suit many tastes. They’re an easy recommendation for anyone looking for something comfortable, well built, that looks good, and will work with just about any genre."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 or the Focal Elex
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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