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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
For supreme comfort, excellent build, and best-in-class noise isolation for air travel or immersive music and TV experiences, the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones excel, but may not be ideal for budget-conscious or exercise-intensive users due to their price and form factor. The JBL Live Flex 3, while less expensive and optimized for exercise with sweat and dustproof features, may not match the Bose's overall sound quality and noise canceling, and is less suited for calls, gaming, and TV. If budget is a concern, and you prioritize portability and use during exercise, JBL is a strong contender, otherwise, Bose offers a more robust feature set for everyday and specialized listening needs. 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 Ultra Headphones
- Excellent for gaming
- Excellent for TV and video
- Best in class for air travel
Advantages of the JBL Live Flex 3
- Very good for exercise
Key differences
Gaming
9.3
5.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for gaming, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is poor.
TV and Video
9.0
5.7
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for TV and video, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1
8.3
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is very good.
Battery
29.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has 29 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Flex 3 has 10 hours of battery life.
Cost
$429
$216
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has a price of $429 and the JBL Live Flex 3 costs $216.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Flex 3 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
8.3
8.0
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and JBL Live Flex 3 are both very good for music.
Phone Calls
5.3
5.2
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and JBL Live Flex 3 are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0
5.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones to be only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is poor.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and the JBL Live Flex 3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones | JBL Live Flex 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$429 | $216 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | June 1, 2024 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.3/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.3/10 | 5.5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.4/10 | 8.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 29 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5.3 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 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 | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7.4/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 255 Grams | 8.8 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones
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Dig into reviews and images
SoundGuys
Christian Thomas | January 2024
"The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a credible step up from previous Bose ANC headphones, and they're built to hang tough with the competition for years into the future. No waterproofing is a bit of a letdown, but these headphones have the technical chops to make most quite happy."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones 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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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
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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