Having a good pair of earbuds can be a blessing, especially if you’re busy and prefer hands-free calling or enjoy listening to music on the go. Beats and Bose are renowned brands for producing quality earbuds and stand as market competitors. If you’re struggling to choose between Beats and Bose earbuds, this quick comparison can help you make an informed decision.
Beats Vs. Bose Earbuds: Which One Is Better?
There’s no straight answer to the question of which one is better. There are a lot of factors that count when deciding to choose a pair of earbuds. Let’s discuss each one in detail.
Comparing Sound Quality: Beats’ Bass vs. Bose’s Balance
For music lovers, sound quality is often the top consideration when choosing a pair of earbuds. While Beats focuses on a bass-heavy sound signature, Bose offers a more balanced audio profile. These earbuds focus more on delivering heavy bass and energetic, vibrant audio content. If you like listening to hip-hop or pop music, Beats is the one for you.
On the other hand, Bose earbuds have a more balanced audio signature, with decent deep bass, mids, and trebles delivery. If you prefer a neutral audio sound signature, Bose is the one for you as it covers audio content of all frequency ranges, which means it covers almost all music genres. In addition, it also offers an active noise cancellation technology, allowing users to stay focused on the audio content without any interruptions.
Design language:
Design and comfort are also important factors to consider when choosing between Beats and Bose earbuds. Beats have a sleek, modern look with an ergonomic design for extended usage. These earbuds often feature vibrant and diverse colors and distinctive branding, making them more suitable for younger audiences.
Conversely, Bose has a more timeless and elegant design with neutral color options to suit almost all age groups. Bose emphasizes a clean, minimalist aesthetic and prioritizes comfort and ergonomics, making their earbuds more comfortable for extended use compared to competitors.
Features:
When choosing between Beats and Bose, you must consider the features each earbud offers. Beats earbuds feature heavy bass, which may appeal to some users. In addition, many Beats models are designed especially for Apple users, so they come with an Apple Chip for seamless connectivity with Apple devices and connect easily to devices with the same Apple ID.
Additionally, many Beats models come with a companion app that features an equalizer for adjusting bass, mids, and treble, and some even offer water and sweat resistance.
In contrast, Bose earbuds offer a balanced audio signature that suits a wide range of preferences and feature excellent active noise cancellation technology. They offer easy touch controls for audio playback, call handling, and volume adjustment. Furthermore, most Bose earbuds support voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant for hands-free control.
The Bose earbuds are also suitable for outdoor use and sports, as most models come with water and sweat-resistance certifications. They also have a companion app to access the equalizer and adjust the audio as desired.
Price:
When choosing earbuds, it’s important to consider your budget and compare it with the features and audio quality to find a pair that fits your needs.
Beats entry-level earbuds start from $50 and go up to $150, whereas the high-end Beats earbuds could be found in a price range of $250-$300 at the maximum, which makes it a more economical option for many.
On the other hand, Bose earbuds are on the higher end of the price spectrum, with entry-level models ranging from $149-$299 and high-end models costing between $329 and $1095, which is significantly more than Beats.
Diversity of Products:
Bose offers a more diverse product line and has more earbud types and models than Beats.
Battery Life:
Battery life is another important factor when deciding on a brand for earbuds. Beats earbuds generally have a better battery life and playback time than Bose. On average, Beats earbuds offer a battery life of 15-20 hours, while Bose earbuds range from 5-12 hours.
If you’re often on the move and have limited time for charging, battery life could be a decisive factor in your choice.
Comparing Different Models: Bose Vs. Beats Earbuds
Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds Truly Wireless Vs. Beats Fit Pro True Wireless
| Feature | Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds Truly Wireless | Beats Fit Pro True Wireless |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $212 | $199 |
| Noise Cancellation | Active Noise Cancellation | No (Passive Noise Isolation) |
| Battery Life (earbuds) | 6 hours | 6 hours |
| Battery Life (with case) | 18 hours | 24 hours |
| Sound Quality | Well-balanced and clear audio signature | Heavy bass |
| Voice Assistants | Yes (Multiple) | Yes (Siri, Google Assistant) |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C |
| Touch Control | Yes | Yes |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 (sweat and splash-resistant) | IPX4 (sweat and splash-resistant) |
| Companion App | Yes (Bose Music App) | Yes (Beats App) |
| Equalizer | Yes (App) | Yes (App) |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.2 |
Looking at the comparison above, Bose has a better and more balanced sound signature with noise cancellation, making it suitable for more people. In addition, it does support different Voice assistants for hand-free control and has a USB-C charging port for fast charging. Furthermore, you can use it outdoors or during exercise, too, as they are sweat and weather-resistant, and also have a companion app to adjust the Equalizer settings as required.
However, Bose is a more expensive option, so if you prefer a balanced audio signature and all the features above and have the budget, Bose would be perfect for you.
On the other hand, Beats is a more affordable option with longer battery life, sweat and splash-resistance for outdoor and sports use, USB-C for faster charging, and comes with a companion app to adjust the equalizer. However, the sound signature is more towards a heavy bass delivery. So, if you like or prefer hip-hop or heavy-metal music, this is the one for you.
Beats Studio Buds Vs. Bose Sports Buds
| Feature | Bose Sports Buds | Beats Studio Buds |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $208 | $149 |
| Noise Cancellation | Active Noise Cancellation | No (Passive Noise Isolation) |
| Battery Life (earbuds) | 5 hours | 8 hours |
| Battery Life (with case) | 10 hours | 16 hours |
| Sound Quality | Well-balanced and clear audio signature | Heavy bass |
| Voice Assistants | Yes (Multiple) | Yes (Siri, Google Assistant) |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C |
| Touch Control | Yes | Yes |
| Extra Earbuds Tip | Yes | No |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 (Sweat and splash-resistant) | IPX4 (sweat and splash-resistant) |
| Companion App | Yes (Bose Music App) | Yes (Beats App) |
| Equalizer | Yes (App) | Yes (App) |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| In/On Ear sensors | Yes | No |
Among these two earbuds, Bose earbuds are better to provide balanced audio, feature Bluetooth 5.1 for better connectivity, are water resistant, have In/On ear sensors, and have an equalizer to adjust the bass, mids, and trebles.
However, Bose earbuds are a bit expensive, whereas the Beats studio seems like a more affordable option with similar features, a better version of Bluetooth, i.e., 5.2, and extended battery life which is ideal for people on the go.
Bose Sport Earbuds Vs. Beats Powerbeats Pro
| Feature | Bose Sport Earbuds | Beats Powerbeats Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $208 | $217 |
| Noise Cancellation | Active Noise Cancellation | No |
| Battery Life (earbuds) | 5 hours | 9 hours |
| Battery Life (with case) | 10 hours | 20 hours |
| Sound Quality | Well-balanced and clear audio signature | Heavy bass |
| Voice Assistants | Yes (Multiple) | Yes (Siri, Google Assistant) |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-A |
| Touch Control | Yes | Yes |
| Extra Earbuds Tip | Yes | No |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 (Sweat and splash-resistant) | IPX4 (Sweat and splash-resistant) |
| Companion App | Yes (Bose Music App) | Yes (Beats App) |
| Equalizer | Yes (App) | Yes (App) |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.0 |
| In/On Ear sensors | Yes | No |
Final Words
Ultimately, the choice of earbuds depends on your personal preferences, budget, required features, and how you plan to use them. In most cases, Bose is a better option for its well-balanced sound signature, quality, comfort, active noise cancellation, and sweat and weather resistance.
However, some may prefer Beats for its longer battery life, more affordable pricing, and bass-heavy sound. Before making a purchase, it’s advisable to list the features you want in your earbuds. This will help you make an informed decision.
I’m Shaun Conroy, an audiophile & founder of HiFi Audios. Holding a Bachelor’s in Sound Engineering, I bring deep expertise in audio devices and offer insights & recommendations to fellow enthusiasts.
