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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds offer excellent noise isolation and are better suited for air travel and exercise since they're wireless, sweatproof, and have active noise cancelling. They're more portable and comfortable but have a higher price tag. If call quality is important, their microphone isn't rated as well as the Koss Porta Pro, which offers better call and mic quality for a lower price. The Koss are open-back, hence they're not ideal for noisy environments but have a foldable design with good sound quality. Consider the Koss for gaming and TV with their superior low-latency performance. 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 Koss Porta Pro (with mic)
- Very good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
7.1
8.2
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is very good for music, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is good.
Gaming
5.6
8.2
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is very good for gaming, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is poor.
Phone Calls
6.6
6.1
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds and Koss Porta Pro (with mic) are both only fair for phone calls, though the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.5
6.8
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is best in class for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is only fair.
TV and Video
6.0
7.6
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is good for TV and video, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is only fair.
Noise Reduction
9.1
2.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is excellent for noise reduction, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is poor.
Battery
7.0 Hours
N/A
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds has 7 hours of battery life. The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) does not have a battery.
Cost
$199
$60
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds has a price of $199 and the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) costs $60.
Build Quality
8.9
6.0
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds has very good build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) has only fair build quality.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds and the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds | Koss Porta Pro (with mic) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$199 | $60 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | Koss | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2020 | January 1, 1984 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.1/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 6.7/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.6/10 | 8.2/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 6/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.8/10 | 4.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 7 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.1 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 18 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 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 | 5.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.9/10 | 6/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 8.5 Grams | 63.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | In-Line | |
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."
Koss Porta Pro (with mic)
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphones.com
Sebastian Taboada | February 2022
"It’s clear to see why these have been such a popular choice amongst listeners for nearly four decades. It’s a charming pair of headphones that delivers a truly enjoyable listening experience and one that I think punches well above its weight."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds or the Koss Porta Pro (with mic)
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 Koss
Koss is an American headphone manufacturer established in 1953. In 1958, they created the first set of stereophones, that is headphones with stereo sound, and in 1984 they released the world-famous Porta Pro, a set of on-ear headphones that has remained essentially unchanged for more than 30 years and that is still made, sold and loved by many audio enthusiasts around the world today.
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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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