AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Which wireless earbuds win?

The budget wireless earbuds market is more popular than ever. Even luxury earbuds makers like Apple and Bose have gotten in on the action, offering low-cost alternatives to their flagship models.

As a cheaper alternative to the award-winning AirPods Pro 2, Apple launched two versions of the AirPods 4, one with active noise cancellation, which has outperformed expectations to become an industry favorite. Meanwhile, Bose went back to the beginning and upgraded its critically acclaimed QuietComfort Earbuds with modern specs, stronger ANC, and a brand-new look.

You’re looking at two excellent low-cost options, but only one is considered the better buy. Scroll down to find out which one it is.

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Specs compared

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Price & availability

Pricing is the same for both entries: $179. Currently, the AirPods 4 are on sale for as low as $148 on Amazon. There are no discounts or promotions for the QC Earbuds.

If this MSRP is too steep, we recommend looking at some of the best cheap wireless earbuds under $100. Two selections that come to mind are the $99 Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC and OnePlus Buds 3, which boast a plethora of features and premium sound technologies.

You can buy the AirPods 4 and QC Earbuds on their respective brand websites or at popular online retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy.

Winner: Tie

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Design

The 2024 QC Earbuds are much smaller than the first-gen QC Earbuds. They provide pleasant comfort and take up far less ear real estate. Bose’s stability bands form a tight fit to ensure the buds don’t fall out. Each colorway is attractive. Furthermore, the charging case is about 60% smaller than the previous version. Only the buds are IPX4 sweat and water-resistant.

The AirPods 4 look no different than the AirPods 3. Each bud has the same fragile plastic frame with slim stem, force feed sensor, and mic grilles.

Apple made the charging case smaller and added a built-in speaker with Find My integration. This feature is only available on the AirPods 4 with ANC.

Comfort and fit haven’t changed: The open-ear design feels nice, but it doesn’t provide much stability. Both the buds and charging case have IP54 dust/water protection.

Winner: Bose QC Earbuds

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Controls

Nothing beats Apple’s true wireless control scheme. The AirPods 4 adopt the AirPods Pro 2’s multi-functional setup, which includes flawless “Hey Siri” voice assistance, spot-on wear detection, and tactile-precise force sensors.

Everything works exceptionally well across Apple’s ecosystem of products. Android users can’t use Siri or their native assistant (e.g., Bixby, Google Assistant), but they can manually activate functions via single/multi-press gestures.

Bose improved its controls to enhance usability on the QC Earbuds. Touch gestures and voice assistance (Google Assistant, Siri) are responsive. The mic array demonstrates remarkable speech recognition. There’s a new Voice Control setting that lets you assign specific voice-enabled commands, plus a Take Picture function to verbally access your phone’s camera, but both are very buggy.

Winner: Apple AirPods 4

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Sound quality

It's a tough call, but sound is more engaging and engrossing on the QC Earbuds. Bose’s 10mm dynamic drivers pump out crisp, warm sonics. Music has a nice thump to it, especially when indulging in contemporary genres (e.g., Alternative, EDM, Hip-Hop). Bass is punchy, while mids and highs remain steady for well-balanced frequency range. There’s an equalizer in the Bose QCE app to tweak sound to your liking, and it works very well.

It’s also worth mentioning that the QC Earbuds use Bose’s Low Latency mode that minimizes lag to prevent lip-syncing issues when watching videos on your phone. That said, we would have liked some hi-res codec support (e.g., aptX Adaptive, LDAC), too.

A dynamic range amplifier, high-excursion driver, and Apple’s H2 chipset work together to produce rich bass and wide frequency range on the AirPods 4. The open-ear design doesn’t allow for full audio consumption, but what you hear is still impressive. Adaptive EQ properly adjusts sound to your environment and Personalized Spatial Audio successfully creates an immersive 3D soundscape that enlivens movies and music performances.

Winner: Bose QC Earbuds

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Active noise cancelling performance

Do the QC Earbuds match the QC Ultra Earbuds' class-leading noise reduction? No, but they’re engineered to outperform many of the best noise-cancelling earbuds. Quiet Mode blocks out 90% of unwanted fracas and silences most sounds across the frequency spectrum. Aware mode is perfect for hearing conversations and surroundings clearly.

Noise cancellation on the AirPods 4 is better than anyone could have anticipated. Their open-ear design naturally lets in external sounds, but turning on ANC mode helps suppress some background interference. You’re still going to hear mid- and high-frequency noises when listening to music indoors or outdoors. Transparency Mode is terrific for increasing situational awareness.

Apple’s other listening modes come part of the package as well: Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Headphone Accommodations, Live Listen, and Personalized Volume.

Overall, though, Bose has the edge here in ANC.

Winner: Bose QC Earbuds

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Special features

Features are more abundant on the AirPods 4. Several have already been mentioned: Adaptive EQ, Find My, “Hey Siri,” spatial audio, and the numerous listening modes (e.g., ANC, Conversation Awareness).

Other notable features include automatic switching, audio sharing, head gestures, and direct pairing via charging case (double tap the front LED). Want a whole guide? Here’s a list of 10 hidden AirPods 4 features you should be using.

The QC Earbuds have their own set of unique tricks. Previously discussed features like EQ, Noise Control (Aware/Quiet), and Voice Control extend functionality across multiple verticals. Then come practical features like battery prediction, Fast Mute for calls, multipoint pairing to two devices simultaneously, and Low Latency Audio. This is sufficient for the price, but not best-in-class.

Winner: Apple AirPods 4

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Call quality

Call quality was disappointing on Bose’s two previous flagship models: the QC Earbuds 2 and QC Ultra Earbuds. However, the QC Earbuds have the company trending upward. Voices sound loud and clear on both ends, and ANC performs well for distraction-free voice and video chats.

The AirPods 4 are a serviceable calling headset. Vocal clarity is solid, but mostly when talking in quiet settings. Apple’s open-ear design lets in a lot of ambient noise. Turning on ANC doesn’t help much. Point to Bose.

Winner: Bose QC Earbuds

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Battery life

The QC Earbuds have the longest battery life of any Bose wireless earbuds. A full charge is rated at 8.5 hours. It’s really 7.5 hours with ANC off and 7 hours with ANC on. You get an extra 31.5 hours from the charging case.

Would you believe the AirPods 4 have less playtime than the AirPods 3? It’s true. A full charge generates 5 hours of usage. ANC use drops it down to 4 hours. Facetiming and spatial audio can suck up another 1 to 2 hours. The charging case maxes out at 30 hours.

Wireless charging is available on both models, along with quick charging, though the AirPods 4 power up at a faster rate. A 5-minute quick charge gives Apple’s buds 1 hour of playtime, whereas Bose’s buds net you 3 hours on a 20-minute charge.

Winner: Bose QC Earbuds

AirPods 4 vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Verdict

It’s clear why the QC Earbuds come out on top. Sure, the AirPods 4 are a noteworthy pickup for budget-conscious shoppers who want Apple’s upscaled wireless audio performance at an attainable price. Sound is some of the best in the series and the inclusion of ANC provides enough noise blockage to hear Apple Music tracks peacefully, depending on your environment. Most of the AirPods Pro’s bells and whistles are accounted for as well. It’s just unfortunate that the AirPods 4’s battery life is a category worst.

But that just doesn't beat the near-flagship ANC that crushes most competitors across all price points and superior audio, call quality, and playtimes. The redesign is sleek and keeps these buds locked onto your ears. Buggy smart controls and no hi-res streaming dock a few points, but the QC Earbuds are the closest you’ll get to enjoying Bose’s wireless audio experience without overspending.

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