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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize noise isolation and comfort for long listening sessions, such as during air travel, and you prefer earbuds that excel in music and book or podcast listening, the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds are suitable as they offer excellent noise cancellation and are very comfortable. However, they may not be the best for exercise due to the large earbud size, and they have a shorter battery life without wireless charging. On the other hand, if you prefer earbuds with a longer battery life, wireless charging, a higher durability rating, and enhanced app features like a Smart Charging Case with touch display, the JBL Live Flex 3 would be a better choice, especially for use during exercise with their sweatproof certification. They also support LDAC for high-resolution audio, but they don't excel in sound quality for calls or watching TV/videos and are not as comfortable for air travel as the Bose. 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 Earbuds
- Very good for air travel
- Best in class for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Live Flex 3
- Very good for music
- Very good for exercise
Key differences
Music
7.1
8.0
The JBL Live Flex 3 is very good for music, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is good.
Phone Calls
6.6
5.2
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is only fair for phone calls, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.5
5.9
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is best in class for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1
8.3
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is very good.
Battery
7.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds has 7 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Flex 3 has 10 hours of battery life.
Cost
$199
$216
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds has a price of $199 and the JBL Live Flex 3 costs $216.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.6
5.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds and JBL Live Flex 3 are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
6.0
5.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds to be only fair for TV and video, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is poor.
Build Quality
8.9
8.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds and JBL Live Flex 3 both have very good build quality.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds and the JBL Live Flex 3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds | JBL Live Flex 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$199 | $216 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2020 | June 1, 2024 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.1/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 6.7/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.6/10 | 5.5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 6/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 7 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.1 | 5.3 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 18 | 40 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
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 | 8.9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 8.5 Grams | 8.8 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Lily Katz | March 2023
"The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds is a great do-it-all option for anyone, so long as you can afford it. This is a great alternative to the Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4. You can choose the degree of noise canceling, and enjoy premium features like automatic ear-detection. These earbuds merit an IPX4 rating, making them a fine workout companion."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds or the JBL Live Flex 3
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 JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
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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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