Sony WF 1000XM4
See price on AmazonOverall Score 8.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2
See price on AmazonOverall Score 7.8 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Sony WF 1000XM4 | Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IPX4 | IPX4 |
weight | 7.1g | 12.5g | |
has no wires or cables | ✓ | ✓ | |
wingtips included | ✗ | ✓ | |
sweat resistance | ✓ | ✓ | |
has stereo speakers | ✓ | ✓ | |
SOUND QUALITY | has active noise cancellation (noise control) | ✓ | ✓ |
has passive noise reduction | ✓ | ✓ | |
driver unit size | 6mm | 9.3mm | |
lowest frequency | 20Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 40,000Hz | 20,000Hz | |
sound pressure level | 105dB/mW | ✗ | |
POWER | battery life | 8hours | 6hours |
battery life of charging case | 16hours | 18hours | |
charge time | 1.5hours | 2hours | |
has wireless charging | ✓ | ✗ | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5.2 | v5.3 | |
maximum bluetooth range | 10meters | 10meters | |
has aac | ✓ | ✓ | |
has ldac | ✓ | ✗ | |
has aptx adaptive | ✗ | ✓ | |
has aptx hd | ✓ | ✗ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 4only | 8only |
has a noise-canceling microphone | ✓ | ✓ | |
EXTRAS | has ambient sound mode | ✓ | ✓ |
has in/on-ear detection | ✓ | ✓ | |
has find earbuds feature | ✓ | ✓ | |
supports fast charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
multipoint count | 2only | 2only | |
has a mute function | ✓ | ✓ | |
control panel placed on a device | ✓ | ✓ | |
has voice prompts | ✓ | ✓ | |
travel bag is included | ✓ | ✓ | |
See price on Amazon | See price on Amazon |
Ingress protection ratings refer to the rank of protection offered by an enclosure, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value refers to protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (water).
Scoring IPX4, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2's rating for solids indicates that no data available to specify a protection rating, and the second value of 4 means that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes. Compared to the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, Sony WF 1000XM4 have a rating of IPX4 meaning that
we are not yet certain of their rating with solids (dust)
and that of liquids is that,
they both have the same rating against liquids
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have a weight of 12.5g . We take in account a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.
The Sony WF 1000XM4, at 7.1g are lighter than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 with a difference -5.4g True wireless devices have no wires connecting any part of the device together, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are true wireless for this case since they have no wires. This is an important distinction since wireless earbuds have wires linking the two earbuds . Sony WF 1000XM4 also is true wireless because it has no cables linking the two earbuds together. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 come with wingtips, these are reserved for earbuds for workouts and come as an optional add-on to the separate silicone ear tip for a better fit.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are resistant to sweat Sony WF 1000XM4's resistance to sweat makes both devices fit for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have stereo speakers, what this means is that Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2's speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience. Both Sony WF 1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have stereo speakers ANC uses more advanced technology to actively cancel noise. ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and then generates a mirror signal to cancel it out.
Simply put, it's like taking +1 (noise) and producing -1 (counter sound by the device) to make 0 resulting in a reduced level of noise.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have ANC enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background sounds. The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have Active Noise Cancellation making both devices ideal for flights and rush hour travels.
Each work with different noise cancellation types, pick the setting that suits your travel or that enhances your relaxation time. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 stay well in place, creating a sound covering that tones down your environment sounds while preventing the device sound from leaking out . Both Sony WF 1000XM4, and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have passive noise reduction which implies that both reduce ambient noise instead of actively using ANC to cancel it out. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have a unit size of 9.3mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, therefor producing better bass.
A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the device, its size corellates with the sound produced by the earbuds. Sony WF 1000XM4 driver unit is 6mm in diameter,
which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 by 3.3mm
, a common assumption that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so yes, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not imply that they deliver better quality sound.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it. Sony WF 1000XM4's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that both devices produce equal bass Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well an audio component makes high recognizable frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it. Sony WF 1000XM4's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this implies that Sony WF 1000XM4 produce a clearer and crispier treble than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2's battery life is 6 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge.
A device's battery life is commonly given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings. Sony WF 1000XM4's battery life is more than that of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 by 2 hours . Every time you recharge your device, they get a little less playing time. The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.
This is given by the manufacturer, and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2's case has a charge of 18 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before having to recharge the case itself. Sony WF 1000XM4's charging case has a battery life of 16 hours, less than that of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 by 2 hours It takes 2 hours to fully charge the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2's battery.
It is highly adivsable to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds for the first time. Sony WF 1000XM4 takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery, less than that of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 by 0.5 hours The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the earbuds has a low battery. The battery indicator lights display the charging state of your earbuds and case.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you to tell the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 support USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable. Sony WF 1000XM4 too support USB TYPE-C.
This USB-C plug comes along with most current laptops, phones, and tablets. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have Bluetooth version of 5.3, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves. Sony WF 1000XM4 has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, older than that of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth. Sony WF 1000XM4 have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 support AAC, a codec used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps.
Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.
Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 will work fine with your iPad. If you intend on using these with Android you need to pay even closer attention to codec support for if they only have AAC they won't provide the best audio quality possible, ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 support AAC as well. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves higher sound quality than MP3 encoders at the same bit rate. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm.
It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps). Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have 8 microphones. The Sony WF 1000XM4 microphones are 4, less than that of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 by 4 . More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out background sounds. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are made to reduce background sounds from the desired sound.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 too use a noise-canceling microphone. This is useful in noisy areas. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound to still be heard even when wearing them The Sony WF 1000XM4 support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a run but still want to hear traffic.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears so that the music is paused. The Sony WF 1000XM4 too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears improving your listening experience. When lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have a find earbuds feature.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have the find earbuds feature. You can use the earbuds app on your smartphone to play an alarm from your device to help you find them. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 support fast charging.
Commonly, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to reduce the time it takes to fully charge the earbuds. Sony WF 1000XM4 support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery is filling up much faster.
For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in thirty minutes. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 support multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 support multipoint count of 2, equal to that of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 . Bluetooth multipoint is useful because you can be on one call and not miss notifications coming from another device. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have a mute function, they support the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. The Sony WF 1000XM4 too support the mute function.
The mute function means that you are in position turn off the device's microphone, but still hear the other party's voice. With the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device. Sony WF 1000XM4 also have a control panel on them.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 support voice prompts. Automatically receive information through audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection. The Sony WF 1000XM4 too support voice prompts meaning the earbuds notifies you if the battery is running low, and you need to recharge them.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 come with their own special pouch. Carrying earbuds without a case, or placing them in your bag without a cover may easily put them at risk of getting damaged. Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a travel bag included, which offers safe transportation.