Noise-Canceling Showdown! AirPods Pro 2 vs Bose QC Earbuds II

Two of the best noise-canceling buds go head-to-head in a series of real-world tests to see which is the noise-canceling king.
Find these noise-canceling earbuds here:
Airpods Pro 2: cnet.co/3xpU61t
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: cnet.co/3Sb3Whe
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00:00 Intro
00:18 Test Controllers
00:45 The point of Noise-Canceling
01:05 Spoken Word Test
02:58 Park Environment Test
03:58 Busy Street Environment Test
05:02 Underground Environment Test
05:50 And The Winner Is...

[@PhoggHawk]

I've owned both. They are very similar in performance, and both sound great. I possibly prefer the sound of the Airpods a little bit due to the quicker transient response of the bass. It just sounds a little bit tighter and punchier, but the Bose bass is deep and rich. You can't go wrong with either of them. The transparency mode and ANC are very close, but there's maybe a slight hiss that remains with the Bose when no music is playing, which I find annoying. I often use ANC for total silence for sleep. Airpods are far more comfortable with side sleeping too. Bose sticks out too far from your ears and they hurt a little bit. They also start flexing the driver in your ear if the mics are muffled by a pillow, so it sounds like a rhythmic thumping. However, I am an Android user and Bose is the clear winner if you use that platform. The wings also make it very secure in my ear, while Airpods tend to slip out. If not trying to sleep on your side, and just listening to audio, both products are equally comfortable to me and well designed. Bose will work better for those, including myself, who have larger ear canals. I tend to get a better seal with them. I like the charging case better for Airpods. It's better built and feels more solid. It's also smaller and charges wirelessly. I hate that the Bose for $300 doesn't charge wirelessly! But, if you are iOS, get Airpods Pro 2. If you are Android, get the Bose QC Buds II. But try to find them on sale.

[@beansandsound]

Have you tried both near on construction site? I want to know which one has a better anc. Thank you.

[@VarunShukla]

Really fun way to fade out colours to depict noise cancellation. Great work. Wish the video was longer as it was very engaging. But you covered everything, so.. well done

[@clairereilly]

Jide you're such an awesome editor and loved watching you have fun with this vid!

[@OliviaHopeMorgaine-gc1pw]

Thanks! After viewing several KZbin videos on this topic, your's was by far the most helpful.

[@siquanwu3131]

I have the Bose, my wife has the AirPod pro 2, ANC, Bose wins, sound Bose wins, battery life Apple wins, user friendly (pairing) Apple wins, comfort, depends on individual, I feel Bose is better, my boss also likes Bose, but my wife, her sisters and my cousin, all like Apple better.

[@thetattooedguy1413]

I need great ANC , decent battery and COMFORT!! I have the AirPod Pro 2 and they are decent, however after wearing them for several hours they hurt my ears something awful. I work in a warehouse and need the anc all day for a 10 hour shift. I’m really thinking about picking up the BOSE. Any thoughts??

[@siquanwu3131]

@@thetattooedguy1413 Bose is comfortable, but I don’t think anything on the market at the moment provides ten hour’s battery life in one charge.

[@thetattooedguy1413]

@@siquanwu3131 No I know that lol 😂! I just need good ANC and comfort

[@thetattooedguy1413]

@@siquanwu3131 I always charge my AirPods on my breaks and they last the day that way even with ANC on the whole time. It just destroys my ears

[@siquanwu3131]

@@thetattooedguy1413 fair enough, if you charge them at your break then both AirPods and QCE II should be sufficient for your work day. What I mean is that if you don’t put them back in the case for charge, then neither provides more than 6 hours continuous battery life.

[@sicebim1]

Great approach to testing the earbuds. Really, really want the Bose but for the lack of multi-point, just can't pull the trigger and spend that much money on them. Waiting to see what the Sony WF-1000XM5 will do.

[@airliners6430]

This guy was great. Do more with him!

[@manis7170]

good review, was looking to get some new ear buds and hadn't thought about bose.

[@bo55ola]

really enjoyed that! please do more content.

[@miikalammela9333]

How about dealing with strong wind noise? Would be easy to test by riding a bike at around 25 km/h speed. Many earbuds’ ANC-mics are ”disturbed” by wind… often so much that it’s unbearable to listen to the harsh sounds caused by the ANC… and you end up turning off the ANC. I for one would like to have the ”city noise” dampened while cycling, I can still drive safely. So: are these earbuds able to keep the wind noise tolerable while cycling? And thanks to anyone who can share positive experiences of ANC earbuds that can be silent in the wind!

[@shukailin8233]

I have had experience on this matter. I own a Bose, and I ride road bike. So from my experience, if I’m going at 25 kmh, you can hear the wind cutting, but it’s not uncomfortable or anything, unlike the previous generation. However, if you speed up a little bit more to around 30 or 35 and up, then it will start getting uncomfortable. The wind cutting noise will becoming unbearable. If you want to wear it while riding at a high speed, I recommend putting on some ear cover, that will help. I hope this helps

[@Dan-oj4iq]

I'm still wearing the Bose QC original ginormous buds. They are great all around and probably can do everything the QC 2 buds do, except the latest one bud listening feature. But the QC 1 buds do look ridiculous.

[@wbev_thai1666]

I have always been a Bose user with noise cancelling and I have the original Bose qc’s , but a year ago I switched from Samsung and moved over to apple with everything, so I bought the new AirPod pros on release and I love them, even though the Bose are probably better, I just love how easy all my Apple devices connect to each other

[@TheOMAR617]

I work at a tech store so all the AirPods ,boss all headphones,when the package gets ripped we throw them away and yes I throw them away😅 so yes that’s the reason I like all my apple products because of the connection,even the new beats aren’t that great,I’ll stick with my AirPods Pro 1,they still great lol

[@orlandodrivewaycleaning4274]

Is the noise cancellation BETTER than the older version which I have now?

[@Nostalgic_Lewis]

As someone with both, for me noise cancellation isn’t even close, where I work has 30 machines all making loud ambient sound and my AirPods barley block out an AC, let alone my Bose blocking out my whole job 😂

[@rolandoinzunza2099]

I’d like to know what NC in ear buds performed best on a plane.

[@teslacybertruck750]

I really like that noise cancelling effect you used, it was fire 🔥🔥🔥

[@Mikeyp1054]

Great video mate from a fellow Londoner. My bose's arrive tomorrow or Friday. Yes they're a bigger bud than some but smaller ones I've found don't match for sound quality and I hate those tube type apple ones they look hideous. Good job man

[@FloorManiac]

Great vid, but I have a suggestion. I liked the test where the man was speaking and getting closer. For those of us who are surrounded by screaming children, it may be a good to do that same test, but with high pitched voices. Not that im a neglectful parent.....

[@ITzKaix]

which ones will block out the engine noise best from a plane whilst travelling?

[@GreenTacoma44]

the exact video i was looking for

[@alliehamilton-calhoun162]

I love my Bose. I spend hours outside in my garden during the summer. When I'm wearing my QC earbuds, I can't hear the neighbor's air conditioner clanking right next to me or his lawn mower. Best headphones I've ever had & well worth the price.

[@jahmazon4665]

How much did you pay then?

[@matthewlucas3008]

I own both. Airpod2 and Bose QC2 and 1. The Bose QCII wins in every category. Honestly best purchase all year. If you love full body, rich, bold, detailed sound you will love the QCII. If you are really not into music much Apple is good. So, here ( or hear! ) is a honest review on the QCII Sound 10, build quality 10, Looks 10 ( doesn't look like smurf hairdryers ), battery 10, case 10 ( size is perfect, charges for 24 hours use so no need for wireless IMHO ), Comfort 10, ANC 10 ( they invented ANC!! ), APP and UI 10 ( even switch seamlessly to iMac to iPhone) Bottom line it's like comparing Apples to Bose.. for audio, you just can't.

[@niko1even]

They're okay in terms of sound, those QC Buds II that is. I daily drive them, but I still prefer my wired FiiO FD5 in ear monitors for long listening sessions at home. They do have decent soundstage but they're pretty average for everything else. But I'm just comparing them to something that's of a much bigger caliber, so it's unfair. Once you EQ the sound to your taste, it's a pretty enjoyable sound.

[@martinlanders6135]

"smurf hairdryers" 😂🤣🤣 I've always loved the convenience of the AirPods in how easily a call switched to them when I take them out of the case and pop them in. How does the Bose compare in that area? I have a pair of Bose 700's that I use for music which I love!!

[@robertjackson1860]

Stop the lying audiophiles rate the AirPods as having better overall sound than the Bose headphones….more base doesn’t equal good..and they are nearly as seamless as the AirPods

[@andszym10]

thank you for fantastic answer... in my opinion also bose blowes away concerning sound stage and anc. how about transparency mode? i own qc1 and those are not so perfect. in this subject in my opinion airpods do best job. are the qc2s improved in this case? thank you for answering. greets

[@matthewlucas3008]

@@andszym10 transparency more is ok. Not great. I think Bose put 100% more emphasis on the amazing, sound quality and less emphasis on transparency mode, or even the wireless charging feature, which you really don’t need as the case charge is 26 or something hours. What you can do however, in the custom settings is adjust the sound transparency mode, so the auto mute feature doesn’t overtake the ambient sound outside so essentially you would have three modes, quiet mode, noise, canceling mode and regular . also the audio quality on the mic for phone calls I have found to be rather good especially if I’m using it inside of my car with the windows closed but in windy situation, it’s OK not amazing. So bottom line if you want amazing sound quality, I recommend Bose.. if you’re more of a feature person that needs more ability for transparency, talking on the phone, wireless charging, the Apple would be better. But most certainly the later generation Apple EarPods, not the first generation.

[@fpk1]

great video, thanks!

[@craigmerkey8518]

I really like this approach! Having an assortment of in ear and over the ear headphones I do prefer the Bose sound. Bose has a few decades head start to perfect the product! One thing I do not prefer the Bose size or fit. The Apple in ear buds fit very well.

[@Nostalgic_Lewis]

It make me happy that Bose are “better” I have both and comfort wise they are similar except the Bose stay in my ear wayyyy longer without needing adjusted

[@Imbr3x871]

Are the Bose good with running???

[@dragonpr4068]

En check the audioTechnica 2gen full over the ear headset .or a newer version please, thanks.

[@jeetu360]

I think efforts must be placed on removing the background noise during a phone call rather than listening to music

[@bolajibadmus175]

Wanted to get the Bose but each earbud didn’t work separately until the recent update. This should have been out of the box and made me go with AirPods Pro 2. AirPods Pro 2are better for calls and cheaper.

[@cassiecat7038]

I’m in the Apple ecosystem so tried the airpods pro 2; they hurt my ears and i hated the sound. Noise cancellation was laughable and it’s supposed to be 2x better than the first generation? Sent back and got the Bose. Super impressed with the fit, sound (amazing) and especially that powerful NC. Even though some features aren’t there like multi point pairing, the most important features are excellent, to me.

[@thetattooedguy1413]

Thank you for this!!! I have the AirPod Pro 2 and they make my ears HURT something awful. I work in a warehouse ( 10 hour shifts ) and need ANC, I also need comfort. The AirPods just aren’t a winner for me. I am going to pick up the BOSE. Hopefully they will be what I need!

[@robertjackson1860]

Stop lying apples sound is far better and rated higher with audio files..and are the second best noise cancellation Bluetooths out..also cost significantly less …Bose sound however is laughable compared to apples are even others bluetooths

[@robertjackson1860]

Your ears are just terrible ur just one of those base heavy users who mixes base with quality sound 💀

[@robertjackson1860]

Bose headphones arnt even worth it in my opinion there’s other better options overall including the AirPods

[@thetattooedguy1413]

@@robertjackson1860 I actually HAVE BOTH - for music and ANC BOSE are 100% better. As far as making calls and talking AirPods are better.

[@karstenc]

Bruh, the blue and the pop of orange in your attire is DOPE.

[@stormense]

Lisen to pod on low volym with traffic around you?

[@Tech_Publica]

I would have loved to see how they stack up in a gym environment with a music background and people talking and making noise with weights...

[@thedecmyster1]

The Bose QC2's are brilliant I love them, the ANC is brilliant and they fit much better than the AirPods Pro

[@James-xg5rh]

I bought both to test and it’s super hard to tell which is better with the “crying baby test”. If anything I think AirPods are slightly better. And being $100 cheaper now and better apple pairing I think they’re the winner. Plus the AirPods are way louder watching videos on a ipad than the Bose for some reason.

[@Abram_Isaac]

Which one has more bass??

[@cobyabbygayle]

Nice job. I love my Airpods Pro's

[@Scientist_Salarian]

I’m a massive fan of the Airpods Pro. Difference in ANC is barely noticeable, but the adaptive transparency mode of the Airpods is what makes them a clear winner above all others. The loudness filter is truly incredible, as is the weightless feeling in transparency mode.

[@MercSLRFan]

Why is my man Drew reviewing earphones when there is a new Type-R out?!

[@garlokun]

nice Video

[@MrDanina08]

Sound good in bose but giving hissing sound when voice messaging thru whatsapp. Bose service center could able to rectify this.

[@jongreene4859]

Looks like the performance of the two earbuds is really close. The real winner here is your production! Well performed and top production techniques. If you're not professions, you should be.

[@rocksinger45]

As much as I would like to stay inside the Apple eco system the Airpods are useless to me because I have hairy ears that will not let me keep the AirPods in my ears canal once the hair grows back ~ Although I keep my ears tidy I'm afraid of losing them where as the Bose have an anchored solid fit ~ Great review ~

[@chgofirefighter]

I have both but I prefer the Bose IMO they sound better and perform better. But the ease of use and network connectivity goes to the AirPods

[@powerofmagicart]

Nice

[@jaywhite1141]

Im getting AirPods Pro 2 in July

[@beastinfection638]

why dont you just get them now?

[@6th.replicant577]

If the AirPods’ ANC is better on the Tube, that would be the clincher for me, along with the wireless charging, 3D sound - and cheaper price. *BUT* Bose has a 2-year warranty, Apple’s is 1 year. Hmm…

[@ricohinds1139]

Just get the bloody Bose lol

[@KrishnaSingh-rg4qk]

I have both

[@Abram_Isaac]

Which one you think is better??

[@kevinchao89]

Agreed that Bose is better in short burst usage, but the ANC is too much after a couple of hours, where one will get bad headache. I wish this were not the case, as I did love the quality, but couldn't stand having my brain smashed-in...

[@briansotto2251]

I have airpods and bose. The sound quality and ANC of the bose is way better than aipods. I’ve been using it for a year now.

[@Tyler-sv4sw]

These ear buds are amazing

[@Segala_Macam_Umpan_Mancing]

greeting from Indonesia 🇮🇩

[@Jonathan_Em8]

love the arsenal badge

[@s.mabidhossaintoky6681]

Everything was fine but your music should be off when you are doing testing.

[@Miracles895]

AirPod Pro 2 vs Sony mk004

[@a.b.darveshmohideen7381]

Bose QC earbuds 2 is having a hissing noise when I tried to send voice messages through WhatsApp. AirPods is much better and no hissing sound

[@MzwandileHarmans]

I wouldn’t be like noise cancellation to be aggressive for my safety

[@MVK_GS]

Was a Galaxy Buds Pro user. Bose wins in my case every time.

[@nskbhatia1]

The Bose is the one to go with.

[@chandlerchhem2128]

AirPods Pro version 1 is still holding up. I think Bose still has a hiss sound during transparency.

[@chemjam92]

Good video. Unfortunately both of these buds are overpriced and not my style. I can never get buds to stay in my ears. Usually use over the ear headphones.

[@Rebotxd1]

This bose are crazy

[@abezraw3520]

ppl want much much clear and heavy sound then Bose AirPod surprise me with noicecancelation

[@laki2445]

I'm gonna bay the airpod pro 2❤

[@kevind2760]

You lost me at 40 seconds. You don't set both volume controls at 65%. You set them at equally VOLUME and that must be done by ear or better yet, and SPL meter.

[@jideakin]

You must be fun at parties…

[@user-ls4od6kv1l]

Goood 👍

[@stevenmoore820]

Always buy Bose period

[@ANONYMOUS-bv3sy]

depends. if you’re in apple ecosystem then its highly recommended to go for airpods 2nd gen. if you’re a non apple user then vice versa

[@user-jb5ew6dc8e]

ممتاز جدا 👍❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@S.Alonzo]

Wait wait hold up CNET Pause on the earbuds for a second. Who is the handsome reviewer. Damn he's sexy! 😍😍 I think I need to review him. Lol back to the earbuds. I love my Bose ear buds. I'm biased to Bose because I also have two of their sound bars. Their products are amazing! Their customer service is phenomenal! And their CEO is amazing. She helped me resolve an issue with repairing one of my soundbars a few months ago. I would recommend their products to anyone.

[@ricardo126]

Agree with you testing and results, however this Noise-Canceling feature is turning more off a "Mute everything and get me out of the world" feature, I own the AirPods Pro2 and I DO appretiate I can hear or at least notice some talking next to me, could be they are actually talking to me o just aware that there is some one next to me, as a father that works most of the time at home I also appretiate that some sounds like a crying child or a barking dog are still able to slightly get thru, being aware of your surroundings are always a good thing, Im pretty sure that this products could improve the ANCs capabilities with a firmware update, letting the user choose what gets in and what dont like a profile for home, office and outside walk , child aware,etc would be great!

[@benjaminleisure1744]

The Bose QC 2’s are customizable through the Bose app. Basically you get to pick exactly what percentage of ANC you want and pair it to a profile like ‘Gym’ or ‘Home’ and then you can just cycle through the ANC profiles by long-pressing the bud (shortcut feature). Just figured out how to it yesterday. Really handy. As a father that uses them at home also, I completely get where you’re coming from and have a ‘Home’ profile set up.

[@jawadbakhshi31]

Sounds- Bose. Everything else apple wins. That’s all I’m gonna say. Use Bose at your own risk. I have both I like my Bose but I know my apple is always there not far away ready to be used when this Bose breaks. Apple never break

[@tonosama516]

Great showdown! Both earbuds are good choices. You state the point of noise canceling being to reduce background or ambient noise, and not voices, but you seem to forget that in your first test. The spoken word test is flawed. If you’re on the subway, bus or plane, and you’re vibin’ with closed eyes, you want to hear important announcements or when someone next to you needs to move past. If you’re on the street and there is sudden danger out of your view, you really want to hear warnings. Apple wins the first challenge. You should’ve done a transparency mode test.

[@Knabhi9]

Bose is and will be king . Air pods is not at all riable . Mine stopped working in just 1.5 year only and I cannot do anything but to buy new one . Yes it will be Bose

[@Chiefsfan12]

This is straight cap, i have airpods and the ANC is terrible, i can ear talking like transparency is on

[@jcre2000]

Ive never seen a test like this made in an airport, that’s the ultimate test

[@martinzendejas8423]

I’ve used the pods pro 2 at the airports and even with no music playing they are very quiet. I did notice that a lot of anc earbuds have issue with wind getting in when walking outside. With music playing it all goes away

[@rajneekant444]

🙏🙏

[@SAU1254]

Well I own AirPods Pro 2 as well as Bose , yes Bose is much superior, but wait a minute I even own Bose 700 as well as AirPods Max, but AirPods Max is way better than anyone

[@dragonpr4068]

Space A40 from Anker Soundcore Best !!

[@kumarsaurabh6256]

Which one of these will cancel the noise of my wife shouting on the kids?

[@AadarshSrivastava]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Oladapo13]

Great Video Jide! Easy to understand and a very fair test.

[@fiddlix]

The one and only problem I have with the Bose buds is there is no multipoint connection. I am heavily vested in the Apple ecosystem and no multipoint is a showstopper for me.

[@wf2v]

What is that?

[@fiddlix]

@@wf2v google is your friend.

[@morpheus2480]

The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) can quickly switch between Apple devices logged into the same iCloud account, but there's no true multipoint here.- Google

[@cassiecat7038]

I’m in the apple ecosystem too but sound quality and anc are far more important so i sent back the airpods 2 and got the Bose. There’s really no comparison.

[@meety89]

Bose got it on lock

[@kodre]

Hello, what's is the track your playing?

[@Nunya.Bidness]

I Want All or Nothing by Sir Wryter

[@kevind2760]

THIS VIDEO IS WORTHLESS IF THE VOLUME IS NOT LEVEL MATCHED!!!! And you cannot do that by setting them both at "65%".

[@alungfishing]

👍👍👍👌✋

[@pamela_g]

✌✌

[@WarlordMoA]

Would like to see and hear the base.

[@WarlordMoA]

Bass.

[@karlthompson693]

No mic test ? Which mic sounds better to the caller on the other line ? This was a waste of time

[@DesmondNgBC]

I thought you would have tested how clearly your audience can hear you in a noisy environment in a Zoom call

[@jonahthewhale]

Android user. So apple fails again.

[@brobiv2452]

AirPods Pro is best

[@KL-xv5gj]

Very good video on demonstrating the ANC differences of the 2 leading ANC earbuds

[@James.Buchanan]

Great video!

[@TheScorbor]

I got the airpods pro at half price last month, couldn't be happier. The ANC is truely amazing.

[@vantrilockproductions8252]

How did you get it for half price??

[@emilsecker7881]

@@vantrilockproductions8252 a good sale I guess

[@TheScorbor]

@@vantrilockproductions8252 eli247, dont know if they still do it

[@MrEddyedr]

It got way better with an update

[@jackharwood4341]

I have Bose quite comfort headphones and on the tube all noise is completely drowned out

[@darwinvin1]

Bose has terrible customer service

[@alejandronopasanada5302]

I picked up the Gen 1 AirPods Pro. I didn’t want them because I was super dissatisfied with my gen 1 regulars. However, I lost one of my beats doing an outside workout. I got them on a whim picking up an Apple Watch and they happened to be on sale. SIMPLY AMAZING! I’ve heard the gen 2s are better. I don’t know how but yeah, get them! I really do take them every where because they have a mic that listens for sounds on the outside while my program is loud. Then, I can also turn that off and noise cancellation on, completely blocking the outside. Like I’m about to do to make breakfast for my dog, then I’ll simply squeeze to go back so I can walk her and listen for cars whilst listening to Micheal Jackson. Judge me!

[@sublime3stan332]

#1

[@M4NA5]

Sony XM4s clear

[@KL-xv5gj]

I have XM4, but its ANC not as good as Bose and Apple’s

[@scharelbrown9027]

Bose are good