Ear ye, ear ye
MANILA, Philippines — I’m walking through a Bose showroom in IKEA, and there’s a DJ bopping around behind his deck to his beats, which are bouncing everywhere in the bright store, where customers are sampling the new Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds II — but I can’t hear him at all. Instead, it’s Pink Floyd immersion in my True Wireless Earphones (“Animals,” 2018 remix) with Personalized Noise Cancellation & Sound.
Bose and Eleksis VP of Business Development and Operations Willie So wanted this launch to be “experiential,” and we see what he means. He’s there with his dad, Eleksis CEO Wilson So; James Deakin is also in-store, digging the sounds. I switch to Massive Attack vs. Mad Professor’s dubby “No Protection” remix album on my phone, and the deep bass and crisp, bottomless snare hits reverberate warmly in my ears.
“Sound is power,” Bose likes to remind us.
The QuietComfort Earbuds II by Bose are a reminder of what that power feels like.
First, there’s the sound that’s shaped to your ears. When inserted, the QuietComfort Earbuds (somehow, miraculously) bounce a gentle audio signal inside your ear canal to “map out” the ideal EQ settings for your particular listening experience. Smart, eh?
Then, the earbuds come with customized ear tips: three soft tips (small, medium, large) and three pairs of stability bands (also small, medium, large) to ensure this is not a “one-size-fits-all” listening party. Engineered to fit your personal ear shape, the customized tips (silicone, not plastic) ensure all-day comfort and a secure fit.
Next, there’s the noise-cancelling experience. Hold your finger down on the left earbud, and a voice offers “Quiet” and “Aware” modes featuring ActiveSense technology. These next-generation wireless earbuds personalize the sound performance to your ears, so you can enjoy the world’s best noise cancellation and uninterrupted, immersive listening wherever you are.
The simple touch controls allow clear calls and effortless Bluetooth 5.3 pairing. The design is sweat- and weather-resistant. And the noise cancellation? Kind of amazing. This is a two-layered event, and we soon get another experiential test: we’re led into the soundproof listening room to sample the earbuds, facing an LED screen paired to a Bose Smart Soundbar 900 and Bass Module 700. We listen to a gentle pop song in our earbuds as the screen shows us heading down a railroad track, the loud clamor of an approaching train rattling the room with volume; we tap the “Quiet” setting on our earbuds, and 90 percent of the clatter seems to disappear; we’re hearing that soft pop song, cutting through again with clear treble tones enveloped in warm bass.
“The main part of this launch is more experiential,” adds Willie. “I wanted no program at all, I wanted people to come in and experience the product for themselves, and to judge for themselves.”
So our judgment is that the Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds II are an advance on previous technology, engineered with pioneering Bose CustomTune technology; they feature better fitting options for your ears; better charging durations (listen for up to six hours on a single charge). Bose feels (rightly) that when noise cancellation and sound performance are tailored to you, your music is more engaging, allowing you to feel a deeper connection to whatever you’re listening to.
They’re great on the go, too. After showroom testing, I had a few others in mind. While watching a blockbuster movie on a small phone is not ideal, the QuietComfort II earbuds turn it into a home-theater experience: tuning into the latest Marvel or Netflix flick on your phone captures a virtual cinema experience in your hand (well, more precisely, in your ears), with immersive bass, clear higher tones, and a surrounding experience.
What Bose seems to offer, compared with other earbuds, is a warm, cushiony, responsive bass performance that allows other higher amplitudes to dance above it all, separately, like a little mini concerto. It’s what sound enthusiasts are looking for in a vinyl listening experience — clarity. Not just “roundness,” but multi-leveled and -layered clarity.
The earbuds fit great out of the box — they pair easily by tapping the Bluetooth button at the back of the case, and the Bose app offers more EQ control options — but do experiment with the ear tips supplied in your Fit Kit. There is a sweet spot, and Bose design ensures it.
Phone calls are clear and natural-sounding. Two noise-rejecting microphones in each earbud focus on the sound of your voice and filter out ambient noise and wind. Easy touch controls allow you to adjust your preferred level of noise cancellation, volume, and track playing. The charging case holds three additional six-hour charges for a total of up to 24 hours of listening time (quick charge is two hours with a 20-minute charge). They feature an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance (you won’t even notice they’re in while doing daily walking or running), and the colors are Triple Black and Soapstone.
Perfect sound. Every audiophile’s dream. Whoever heard of such a thing? You know who.
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Check out the new Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II at the Bose store nearest you.
