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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize comfort, sound quality, and effective noise-cancellation for air travel or focused listening sessions, the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones are superior, though at a premium price. They're also more suitable for TV and gaming due to higher sound performance. On the other hand, the Soundcore Life Q20 is a budget-friendly option with fair overall sound quality and good noise isolation, making them a decent choice if you're cost-conscious and need headphones for less critical listening. However, the Soundcore's lower comfort and sound scores suggest a compromise in comparison to the Bose. Both models support wireless and wired connections and have a closed enclosure for noise isolation, but they lack low latency features for gaming or real-time applications. 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 Soundcore Life Q20
- The Soundcore Life Q20 has no clear advantages over the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones.
Key differences
Music
8.3
7.0
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is very good for music, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is good.
Gaming
9.3
5.2
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for gaming, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0
4.7
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
TV and Video
9.0
5.3
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for TV and video, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
Cost
$429
$60
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has a price of $429 and the Soundcore Life Q20 costs $60.
Build Quality
9.0
8.0
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has excellent build quality, while the Soundcore Life Q20 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.3
4.9
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and Soundcore Life Q20 are both poor for phone calls.
Noise Reduction
9.1
8.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones to be excellent for noise reduction, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is very good.
Battery
29.0 Hours
32.3 Hours
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has 29 hours of battery life. The Soundcore Life Q20 has 32.3 hours of battery life.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and the Soundcore Life Q20 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones | Soundcore Life Q20 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$429 | $60 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | Soundcore | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | November 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.3/10 | 7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 4.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.3/10 | 5.2/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.4/10 | 5.3/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 29 Hours | 32.3 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | 1.8 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | No | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 255 Grams | 258.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
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."
Soundcore Life Q20
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Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | January 2022
"As far as headphones that cost under $100 go, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 is a really solid option. Like any good tool, it does the job well without much guff, and it’s affordable to boot. Sure: it’s not going toe to toe with any of the higher-end models of ANC headphones out there—but the headphones do well enough for commuters that it’s a good stand-in if you were never planning on spending a bunch of money anyway."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones or the Soundcore Life Q20
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 Soundcore
Soundcore is a sub-brand belonging to Anker Innovations. Starting in 2014, initially marketing wireless, Bluetooth, speakers, Anker now offers an array of, budget-friendly, wireless earbuds and headphones that directly compete, especially in the Active Noise Canceling field, with other brands several times as expensive.
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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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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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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.
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