Scored using Headphones Methodology v1.0
Headphones Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are evaluated mathematically under Frontumo Headphones Methodology v1.0 using verified laboratory benchmarks, technical specifications, and authentic consumer ratings with 0% commercial bias.
Explore Headphones Methodology v1.0

Bose QuietComfort 3 Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£310Form factor:on-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):yes

Bose QuietComfort 3 Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

7.0

Overall score

Score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

80%

7.0

Technical score

20%

7.0

User score

▲Better than 75% of headphones
7.0

Technical score

Technical score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

52%

8.3

Sound

20%

4.4

Features

10%

8.1

Design

8%

4.3

Connectivity

6%

6.8

Battery

4%

7.6

Calls & Controls

▲Better than 77% of headphones
7.0

User score

User score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

7.4

User ratings

30%

6.2

Number of reviews

Based on 332 buyer reviews from online shops.
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
▼Worse than 85% of headphones
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Best prices

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Best rankings

Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Bose QuietComfort 3

Technical score
Technical score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

52%

8.3

Sound

20%

4.4

Features

10%

8.1

Design

8%

4.3

Connectivity

6%

6.8

Battery

4%

7.6

Calls & Controls

7.0
User score
User score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

7.4

User ratings

30%

6.2

Number of reviews

Based on 332 buyer reviews from online shops.
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
7.0
Popularity
Popularity
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Popularity:
Bose QuietComfort 3 has a popularity score of 6.2 points, which is higher than that of 53.5% of products in this category.
6.2
Value for money
Value for money
7.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

60%

7.0

Overall score

40%

8.9

Price

7.6
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
yes
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
yes
This pair of headphones supports active noise cancellation. 72.6% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
dynamic
Driver size
40 mm
Driver size
40 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 40 mm, larger driver size than 28.6% of headphones and equal to 53.3% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Number of drivers
1
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
20 Hz
Lowest frequency
20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 20 Hz, higher lowest frequency than 50.8% of headphones and equal to 47.3% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
yes
Noise-canceling microphone
yes
This pair of headphones supports a noise-canceling microphone. 61.1% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
yes
Can be used as a headset
yes
This pair of headphones is headset-ready, 84.8% is not. 15.2% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
1
Number of microphones
1
This pair of headphones has 1 microphones, more microphones than 26.9% of headphones and equal to 50.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
yes
Boom microphone
yes
This pair of headphones includes a boom microphone. 86.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
?
Show more
Connectivity
wired
Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
Show more
Ambient sound mode
no
Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
yes
Voice assistant support
yes
This pair of headphones supports voice assistants. 39.2% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
2 hours
Charging time
2 hours
This pair of headphones needs 2 hours to charge, lower charging time than 47.8% of headphones and equal to 39% of headphones.
Quick charge
no
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
200 mAh
Battery capacity
200 mAh
This pair of headphones has a battery capacity of 200 mAh, lower battery capacity than 95.5% of headphones and equal to 0.5% of headphones.
Show more
Brand name
Bose
Form factor
on-ear
Weight
145 g
Weight
145 g
This pair of headphones weighs 145 g, lighter than 71.2% of headphones and equal to 0.2% of headphones.
Acoustic design
closed-back
Clamp force
?
Show more

Bose QuietComfort 3 vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • Active noise cancellation
    Active noise cancellation (ANC)
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports active noise cancellation, the average pair of headphones does not. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
  • Clear call microphone
    Noise-canceling microphone
    yes
    This pair of headphones offers a clear call microphone, while the average pair of headphones does not. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
  • 33.5% lower weight
    Weight
    145 g
    This pair of headphones is lighter than the average pair of headphones (145 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    145 g vs 218 g
  • AptX Lossless support
    aptX Lossless
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports aptX Lossless, the average pair of headphones does not. 4.8% of headphones support aptX Lossless.
  • Foldable design
    Foldable
    yes
    This pair of headphones has a foldable design, the average pair of headphones does not. 48.3% of headphones are foldable.
  • Wind noise reduction
    Wind noise reduction
    yes
    This pair of headphones reduces wind noise, the average pair of headphones does not. 34.3% of headphones support wind noise reduction.
  • Sidetone support
    Sidetone
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports sidetone, the average pair of headphones does not. 25.3% of headphones support sidetone.
  • NFC pairing
    NFC pairing
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports NFC pairing, the average pair of headphones does not. 11.7% of headphones support NFC pairing.
  • 33.5% lower weight
    Weight
    145 g
    This pair of headphones is lighter than the average pair of headphones (145 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    145 g vs 218 g
  • Foldable design
    Foldable
    yes
    This pair of headphones has a foldable design, the average pair of headphones does not. 48.3% of headphones are foldable.
  • Active noise cancellation
    Active noise cancellation (ANC)
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports active noise cancellation, the average pair of headphones does not. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
  • 3 dB/mW higher sensitivity
    Sensitivity
    105 dB/mW
    This pair of headphones has a higher sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (105 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    105 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • Removable battery
    Removable battery
    yes
    This pair of headphones has a removable battery, the average pair of headphones does not. 7.8% of headphones have a removable battery.
  • Rechargeable battery
    Has a rechargeable battery
    yes
    This pair of headphones has a rechargeable battery, the average pair of headphones does not. 47.9% of headphones have a rechargeable battery.
  • AptX Lossless support
    aptX Lossless
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports aptX Lossless, the average pair of headphones does not. 4.8% of headphones support aptX Lossless.
  • NFC pairing
    NFC pairing
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports NFC pairing, the average pair of headphones does not. 11.7% of headphones support NFC pairing.
  • Clear call microphone
    Noise-canceling microphone
    yes
    This pair of headphones offers a clear call microphone, while the average pair of headphones does not. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
  • Wind noise reduction
    Wind noise reduction
    yes
    This pair of headphones reduces wind noise, the average pair of headphones does not. 34.3% of headphones support wind noise reduction.
  • Sidetone support
    Sidetone
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports sidetone, the average pair of headphones does not. 25.3% of headphones support sidetone.
  • Boom microphone included
    Boom microphone
    yes
    This pair of headphones includes a boom microphone, the average pair of headphones does not. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
  • 2 Hz weaker bass extension
    Lowest frequency
    20 Hz
    This pair of headphones has a higher lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (20 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    20 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 10 mm tighter earcup height
    Earcup inner height
    50 mm
    This pair of headphones has tighter earcup height than the average pair of headphones (50 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    50 mm vs 60 mm
  • 65.5% lower battery capacity
    Battery capacity
    200 mAh
    This pair of headphones has a lower battery capacity than the average pair of headphones (200 mAh vs 580 mAh). The average headphones have a battery capacity of 580 mAh.
    200 mAh vs 580 mAh
  • 3.44x more expensive
    Bose QuietComfort 3 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£310 vs £90).
    £310 vs £90
  • 13.6% lower user score
    User score
    7.0/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
    Score distribution
    ▼▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Bose QuietComfort 3
    the average pair of headphones
    Bose QuietComfort 3 has a lower user score than the average pair of headphones (7.04 vs 8.000).
    7.04 vs 8
  • 10 older release date
    Release date
    2006
    This pair of headphones was released earlier than the average pair of headphones (2006 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    June 2006
    2006 vs 2016
  • 3.44x more expensive
    Bose QuietComfort 3 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£310 vs £90).
    £310 vs £90
  • 13.6% lower user score
    User score
    7.0/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
    Score distribution
    ▼▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Bose QuietComfort 3
    the average pair of headphones
    Bose QuietComfort 3 has a lower user score than the average pair of headphones (7.04 vs 8.000).
    7.04 vs 8
  • 10 mm tighter earcup height
    Earcup inner height
    50 mm
    This pair of headphones has tighter earcup height than the average pair of headphones (50 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    50 mm vs 60 mm
  • 2 Hz weaker bass extension
    Lowest frequency
    20 Hz
    This pair of headphones has a higher lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (20 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    20 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 65.5% lower battery capacity
    Battery capacity
    200 mAh
    This pair of headphones has a lower battery capacity than the average pair of headphones (200 mAh vs 580 mAh). The average headphones have a battery capacity of 580 mAh.
    200 mAh vs 580 mAh
  • 10 older release date
    Release date
    2006
    This pair of headphones was released earlier than the average pair of headphones (2006 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    June 2006
    2006 vs 2016

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

R
reviewed.com
14/07/2011
Summary of the review
T
tomsguide.com
15/05/2014
Summary of the review
A
arstechnica.com
19/11/2006
Summary of the review
C
cnet.com
22/10/2006
Summary of the review
A
av-magazin.de
date unknown
Summary of the review
H
hifitest.de
14/10/2009
Summary of the review
I
i-fidelity.net
date unknown
Summary of the review
A
avguide.ch
12/03/2007
Summary of the review
C
connect.de
12/02/2008
Summary of the review
M
maclife.de
01/10/2009
Summary of the review
L
lesnumeriques.com
23/12/2013
Summary of the review

Third-party reviews

Based on 332 buyer reviews from online shops.
Reviews last updated: June 2026 · How we calculate this

What we like about Bose QuietComfort 3

  • Excellent active noise cancellation, especially for low-frequency engine rumbles during travel
  • Incredibly lightweight and comfortable for long-term wear due to soft ear cushions
  • Compact, on-ear design that is less bulky than previous over-ear models like the QC2
  • Includes a high-quality rechargeable lithium-ion battery and compact travel case
  • Attractive, premium build quality that feels well-manufactured

What we don't like about Bose QuietComfort 3

  • Headphones do not work at all without battery power (no passive mode)
  • High retail price compared to the overall audio performance
  • On-ear design can lead to sound leakage and less effective physical isolation than over-ear models
  • Audio quality is good but lacks the detail and high-end accuracy expected by audiophiles
  • Faux-leather material on ear pads and headband is prone to peeling and disintegrating over time

Verdict

The Bose QuietComfort 3 (QC3) is a compact, on-ear wired headset featuring proprietary Acoustic Noise Cancelling technology designed to electronically identify and significantly reduce ambient sound. Weighing approximately 145 grams, these headphones offer a lightweight, padded design for extended travel comfort and include a rechargeable lithium-ion battery providing approximately 20 to 25 hours of use per charge. Key pros include high-performing noise reduction tailored for engine rumbles, balanced audio with clear lifelike sound, and a space-saving fold-flat design for portability. Notable cons include the requirement of battery power for any audio playback, a proprietary battery that must be charged externally, and potential long-term durability issues with the pleather ear pads.

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