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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize comfort, the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are superior, offering an over-ear design that is ideal for long listening sessions and high-quality noise isolation which is great for air travel. On the other hand, Sony Linkbuds are lighter, have an open ring earbud design, and are better suited if you prefer staying aware of your surroundings during use - useful during exercise. The Bose model has active noise cancelling for quiet enjoyment, a longer battery life for extended use, and is foldable for portability, but comes at a higher price. The Sony Linkbuds are more affordably priced, include sweatproof certification making them exercise-friendly, and feature an earbud size designed for subtlety, yet the sound quality may not match that of the Bose headphones. 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 Sony Linkbuds
- Good for exercise
Key differences
Phone Calls
8.0
6.8
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is very good for phone calls, while the Sony Linkbuds is only fair.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.3
7.8
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sony Linkbuds is good.
Noise Reduction
10.0
2.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 is best in class for noise reduction, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Battery
22.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 has 22.5 hours of battery life. The Sony Linkbuds has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$260
$178
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 has a price of $260 and the Sony Linkbuds costs $178.
Build Quality
8.5
9.3
The Sony Linkbuds has excellent build quality, while the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
6.4
6.6
The Sony Linkbuds and Bose Quiet Comfort 45 are both only fair for music.
Gaming
5.5
5.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and Sony Linkbuds are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.8
5.4
The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and Sony Linkbuds are both poor for TV and video.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 and the Sony Linkbuds compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose Quiet Comfort 45 | Sony Linkbuds |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$260 | $178 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | February 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.5/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.6/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.8/10 | 5.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.4/10 | 7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 22.5 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.1 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 17.5 | |
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 | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 235.8 Grams | 4.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
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."
Sony Linkbuds
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Sound Guys
Sam Moore | February 2022
"The Sony LinkBuds is definitely the most unique audio product to release so far in 2022, and it largely executes well on it's unoccluded design. However, it's hamstrung by all the same things as other unsealed earbuds."
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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 Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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Why trust us
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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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.
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