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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If superior sound quality and a wide soundstage are your priority, and you'll be using them mostly at home, the Sennheiser HD800S would be an excellent choice; however, they're pricier and not suitable for use during exercise or travel due to their open-back design and lack of portability. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are more versatile, offering great sound quality, active noise cancelling, and are sweatproof, making them better for exercise and travel. They also have a built-in microphone for calls, and their portable design with a longer battery life caters well to on-the-go use, all for a lower price point. 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 QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD800S
- Best in class for music
- Best in class for TV and video
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
8.6
9.9
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for music, while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is very good.
Gaming
8.8
7.5
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is very good for gaming, while the Sennheiser HD800S is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0
8.1
The Sennheiser HD800S is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is only fair.
TV and Video
8.1
9.7
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for TV and video, while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is very good.
Noise Reduction
8.9
2.5
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD800S is poor.
Battery
6.5 Hours
N/A
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD800S does not have a battery.
Cost
$249
$1,380
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds has a price of $249 and the Sennheiser HD800S costs $1,380.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.1
5.0
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Sennheiser HD800S are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Sennheiser HD800S both have excellent build quality.
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How the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and the Sennheiser HD800S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds | Sennheiser HD800S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$249 | $1,380 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | December 1, 2015 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.7/10 | 10/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.8/10 | 7.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.2/10 | 9.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8.4/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 6.5 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 21 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.9/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.2/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 7.7 Grams | 371.9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Shopping
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
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Dig into reviews and images
Soundguys
Christian Thomas | October 2023
"Bose put the time in to fix the major issues with the previous earbuds, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are very befitting of its price point. While you might be tempted to save a few bucks and go with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II on sale, fight the urge. There are enough upgrades here to justify the newer model."
Sennheiser HD800S
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | March 2023
"The cans offer stellar sound quality, comfort, and good maintenance options—so they're an easy recommendation if you have the cash and the need for the last headphones you'll buy for years."
Get a great deal on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or the Sennheiser HD800S
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 Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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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
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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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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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