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Updated April 11, 2024·
If your priority is noise isolation and comfort, especially for air travel and focused music listening, the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones are superior, offering excellent noise cancellation and comfort. They also have a better build quality and integrated virtual surround sound, making them well-suited for TV and video. However, they're heavier and more expensive. The Sony Linkbuds are more affordable and feature a unique open-ring design which lets in ambient sound, ideal for outdoor activities where you need to stay aware of your surroundings. They're lighter and optimized for both Android and Apple devices but offer poor noise isolation and sound quality for immersive audio experiences. 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
Very good for music
Excellent for gaming
Excellent for TV and video
Best in class for air travel
Advantages of the Sony Linkbuds
Good for exercise
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
8.3/10
6.6/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is very good for music, while the Sony Linkbuds is only fair.
Gaming
9.3/10
5.5/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for gaming, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Phone Calls
5.3/10
6.8/10
The Sony Linkbuds is only fair for phone calls, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0/10
7.8/10
The Sony Linkbuds is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is only fair.
TV and Video
9.0/10
5.4/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for TV and video, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1/10
2.5/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for noise reduction, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Battery
29.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has 29 hours of battery life. The Sony Linkbuds has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$429
$178
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has a price of $429 and the Sony Linkbuds costs $178.
"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."
"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."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones or the Sony Linkbuds
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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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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.