Bose QC Ultra Earbuds vs Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Comparison

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds

The second generation brought upgraded microphones and processing for calls, one of the main complaints about the first model. The mics focus on your voice and reduce surrounding noise and wind before the signal reaches the phone. Unlike many business earbuds, they ship without a USB adapter for laptop calls.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

Six microphones with AI processing handle calls. Voice pickup is clear in quiet rooms and acceptable in offices. In wind or on busy streets, background noise and voice artefacts become noticeable. For short calls it is fine, but daily meeting users should choose a business earbud. Laptop calls use standard Bluetooth headset audio, which narrows the sound compared with music playback.

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds

Bose's ActiveSense ANC is among the strongest in any earbud. It removes engine drone and air-conditioning hum, and does better than most rivals with voices and office chatter. Aware mode lets sound in naturally, and ActiveSense reduces sudden loud noises while staying in Aware. That is useful on city streets.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

Adaptive ANC 2.0 measures the ear canal and surroundings to adjust cancellation. Transparency mode is also included. For under 100 dollars, ANC is impressive, cutting engines, fans and traffic well. It cannot match the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds on voices, but the gap is smaller than the price suggests. Getting a good seal with the right tip size matters most.

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds

Bose quotes about 6 hours of listening per charge, or about 4 hours with Immersive Audio, and the case adds roughly three more charges. That is enough for most flights and workdays, though Sony and Poly last longer per charge. Immersive Audio is the main battery drain, so switch it off on long trips and save it for films.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

Soundcore quotes up to 10 hours per charge, or 8 hours with ANC on, and up to 50 hours with the case. With LDAC, that falls to about 6 hours. That is excellent for the price and outlasts many premium earbuds. A full week of commuting is possible before charging the case.

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds

The buds are larger than most, and they use ear tips plus stability bands in three sizes to hold them in place. The water rating is IPX4, which covers sweat on a run and rain on the way to the station, but not a drop into water.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

The stem-style buds are light and rated IPX4 for sweat and splashes. Soundcore includes five tip sizes. The stems make them easy to remove and adjust, though the shape is less distinctive than pricier rivals. The case is compact with a sliding lid, which is easy to open with one hand.

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds

Bluetooth 5.3 brings two-device multipoint and Google Fast Pair, and aptX Adaptive kicks in on compatible Snapdragon phones. Switching from a laptop call to a phone call happens without re-pairing. Bose says the second generation has a more stable connection, especially in crowded places such as stations and airports. Bose offers no USB adapter and no meeting-platform certification for these buds.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

Bluetooth 5.3 supports multipoint, so the buds stay connected to a phone and a laptop at the same time. Multipoint is rare at this price and useful for hybrid workers who take calls on both devices. The Soundcore app handles EQ, ANC modes and firmware. Note that LDAC and multipoint cannot be used together on some firmware versions.

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds

CustomTune plays a chime when you put the buds in, measures your ear canal and adjusts EQ and ANC to match. Bose's Immersive Audio adds a spatial mode with Still and Motion settings. The tuning is warm and full, with strong bass and smooth highs. On Snapdragon Sound phones aptX Adaptive improves quality, while iPhones use AAC.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

Each bud uses an 11 mm custom driver, and the buds support LDAC Hi-Res Wireless Audio on compatible Android phones, plus SBC and AAC. Default tuning is bass heavy, which some will enjoy on a commute. The app's EQ presets and HearID personalisation calm the low end and bring vocals forward. iPhone users get AAC rather than LDAC; Apple's AirPods Pro 3 are the iPhone-native alternative.