Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2020), Triple Black review

This assessment is for the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds sold from 2020 through 2023, specifically the Triple Black U.S. product page, not the later QuietComfort Earbuds (2024), Earbuds II or Ultra line. It is a document-based review, not a hands-on fit, ANC, call or battery test. Bose's support record identifies the 2020 generation and its included package, while the launch release and later software note add useful runtime and firmware context.

A sealed, tip-based ANC design

Bose describes StayHear Max tips that create a soft seal and pair that passive fit with microphone-based active noise cancellation. The launch material describes 11 levels of noise control, from awareness to full cancellation. A 2021 firmware 2.0.7 announcement later adds the QUIET and AWARE naming, ActiveSense, app-defined modes, Spotify Tap and EQ; a used set should be checked for installed firmware and continued app access rather than assumed to be up to date. The package listing for this 2020 model says medium tips are fitted, with small and large replacements. It does not list the later 2024 Fit Kit's stability bands, so don't buy replacements or judge the box from a newer Bose QuietComfort page.

The seal is a mechanical feature, not a promise about your ear. Bose's fit instructions tell listeners to try tip sizes and reposition the flexible wing; the available documentation cannot say whether a particular shape will be comfortable, secure, or equally effective at cancelling sound for an individual. The large oval housings and tip wings are also a different design from Bose's 2024 QuietComfort Earbuds. Compare the exact model year and included pieces when looking at a resale listing.

Battery claims need careful reading

Bose's launch announcement says up to six hours of listening on a full earbud charge, with up to twelve additional hours from the case, for an 18-hour combined claim. These are maximum claims, not continuous playback from one charge and not a guarantee for an aged battery. The release does not tie the six-hour figure to a measured ANC-on setting, volume, or a named codec. For that reason this review does not present it as an ANC-runtime figure or as a match for a stated minimum of ANC hours. A numeric ANC requirement should be treated as unverified for this model, not as zero and not as six.

The 2020 case accepts USB-C charging and Bose says it can also be placed on a Qi-certified wireless charging pad; the pad is not listed in the package. The included 12-inch cable is USB-C to USB-A. The wireless feature is useful only if the complete, correct case is in the listing. A photograph of earbuds without the case cannot establish Qi support or battery condition.

Stored connections are not multipoint

The 2020 product uses Bluetooth 5.1. Bose's owner guide says it can store up to seven devices but connect and play audio from only one at a time. A later firmware update makes switching among remembered devices easier; it does not say the earbuds maintain simultaneous connections. This review therefore keeps multipoint false. Bose's reviewed specification lists Bluetooth profiles but does not name an audio codec, so SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 remain unknown rather than borrowed from a later Bose model.

Keep the water rating on the correct component

Bose gives the earbuds an IPX4 rating and says the case interior can tolerate moisture left on the buds, but cautions against exposing the outside of the case to water. That is not a waterproof rating for the charging case, permission to submerge the earbuds, or a reason to put damp buds straight into storage. Dry the earbuds before charging and inspect the actual used case for corrosion, residue, a damaged seal or a loose USB-C port.

What distinguishes it from the 2024 QuietComfort Earbuds

The older 2020 QuietComfort Earbuds and the later everyday QuietComfort model are separate products despite their similar names. Bose's 2024 generation lists two-device multipoint, a newer QCE app and a different package with tip-and-band sizes; the 2020 manual documents one connected source at a time and its support sheet names the Bose Music app. The 2020 sources give six hours of general listening, but do not specify ANC-mode runtime; the 2024 model has its own 8.5-hour launch/guide claim and a separate current specification that says nine. Neither generation's published maximum should be taken as the capacity of a second-hand unit. These differences matter more than a marketplace title that says only “Bose QC earbuds.”

Checks for an earlier listing

Bose's support specifications say this generation was sold from 2020 to 2023 and list Black, Sandstone, Soapstone and Stone Blue. The exact Black Bose page identifies the Triple Black product but also contains a later-generation package panel; the support sheet and 2020 manual are the evidence used here for box contents, not that inconsistent panel. Confirm that a listing is the 2020 generation, that both buds and the Qi-capable USB-C case are included, and that its return terms cover battery or pairing problems. Ask the seller to demonstrate each bud charging independently, case input and Qi charging if that matters, firmware/app recognition, and a real ANC session. Those checks are purchase advice, not tests performed for this review. Bose's six-hour launch maximum does not predict what an older battery will deliver today.

Primary references: Bose's September 2020 launch announcement, 2020 QuietComfort product specifications, the 2020 owner guide, Bose's 2021 firmware announcement and the Triple Black U.S. product page.

Finish references: 2020 QuietComfort Earbuds

Bose's specifications and 2021 announcement name Sandstone, Soapstone and Stone Blue alongside Triple Black. These finish-only variants share the same documented functional assessment; the images below identify finish, not package contents or a distinct performance version.