I tested the Nothing Ear (3) vs Bose QuietComfort earbuds — here's the winner

You don't need to spend over $200 to get good sound quality — just look at the Bose QuietComfort and the Nothing Ear (3). These earbuds cost $179 each, and during sales events, like Black Friday, you can get them for even cheaper. Both are excellent at delivering nuanced vocals and powerful bass, and both are good at blocking out external sounds with solid ANC.

I reviewed the QuietComfort back in 2025, and now in 2026, I've finishing reviewing the Ear (3). I awarded both pairs 4-star ratings in their respective reviews. This got me thinking, "Is one better than the other?" Chances are, you're probably going to go for the QuietComfort because Bose is a household name. But I don't think you should write Nothing off so quickly.

If you're on the hunt for a fantastic pair of earbuds but don't want to spend more than $180, I'm here to make that decision easier for you. I put the QuietComfort and the Ear (3) through their paces in this face off to find out which is best value for money. Spoiler alert: it's closer than you think.

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): Specs compared

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): Price

Both the Bose QuietComfort and the Nothing Ear (3) cost the same in the U.S. and in the U.K. You can grab the QuietComfort for $179 at Amazon U.S. / £179 at Argos U.K., and the Ear (3) for $179 / £179 at Amazon. Since the QuietComfort have been out for longer, you can often find them for $129 / £129 during sales events. The Ear (3) are yet to receive a substantial price drop.

The QuietComfort and the Ear (3) do more than enough to justify their individual price tags, as you'll soon see throughout this comparison, so we'll call this round a tie.

Winner: Tie

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): Design

The most noticeable difference between the Bose QuietComfort and the Nothing Ear (3) is the design, as they look vastly different from one another. The QuietComfort have a rounded design with rubber ‘stability bands’ that aid the earbuds' secure fit. Each bud weighs 0.29oz. An important thing to note is that the QuietComforts' look fairly bulky, even though they aren't that heavy. They protrude out of your ears, and while there isn't anything wrong with that, it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

The Ear (3), on the other hand, sport your classic drop-stem design — you know, the one you find on the likes of the Apple AirPods Pro 3. They look futuristic, keeping in line with the British brand's sci-fi design philosophy, and feature see-through plastic. They look very cool, and they're comfortable too, with each bud weighing just 0.18oz. As opposed to the QuietComfort, they look more inconspicuous as they don't bulge out.

Both pairs of earbuds are mighty comfortable, and I haven't experienced any discomfort wearing either of them. I asked my partner, who uses the QuietComforts as her daily drivers, to try the Ear (3) and she said she almost preferred them over Bose's offering.

Touch controls on both the QuietComfort and the Ear (3) are fairly straightforward but it's worth noting that while you can use voice commands on the former, they're a bit too sensitive to these, and will often trigger on their own. The Ear (3) don't suffer from this problem, winning them the crown in this round.

Winner: Nothing Ear (3)

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): Features & connectivity

Both the Bose QuietComfort and the Nothing Ear (3) are chock-full of features. They both feature multipoint connectivity so you can connect them to two devices simultaneously. Each pair utilizes Bluetooth 5.4 for seamless wireless connectivity, but here's the kicker. The QuietComforts support AAC and SBC codecs but there's no aptX or lossless support. The Ear (3), on the other hand, feature LDAC, if that's something that matters deeply to you.

Other similarities between the two include effective wear detection, Google Fast Pair, Find My features, and extremely detailed and user-friendly companion apps. In terms of waterproofing and dust protection, the Ear (3) are better because they're IP54-rated as opposed to the QuietComforts being only IPX4 rated, so the latter aren't protected against dust. By a narrow margin, the Ear (3) win this round once again.

Winner: Nothing Ear (3)

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): Sound quality

I'll be honest with you: I will never recommend you spending any amount of money on a pair of earbuds that doesn't make music sound like angels are singing. Thankfully, both the Bose QuietComfort and the Nothing Ear (3) warrant recommendations here as they're both outstanding. The QuietComforts have a frequency response range of 20Hz-20KHz while the Ear (3) have a range of 20Hz-40KHz — so both cover the entire spectrum of human hearing.

In terms of vocals and the upper ranges, both the QuietComforts and the Ear (3) are excellent, delivering nuanced sound packed with plenty of detail. For instance, on the QuietComforts, Mika's high notes in 'Grace Kelly' sound pleasant, controller and never so shrill that they pierce through the rest of the track. On the Ear (3), Emily Armstrong's breathy vocals and screams in 'IGYEIH' by Linkin Park sound layered and wide, with great instrumental and vocal separation.

Listening to 'No Chances' by Twenty One Pilots first on the QuietComforts and then on the Ear (3) revealed practically no differences. The mid- and sub-bass was textured and I could feel a steady, vibrating pressure in my ear canal through both earbuds. It also felt like I was engulfed by the driving bassline, which made for a thoroughly immersive listening experience.

While the Ear (3) and the QuietComforts are mostly on equal footing when it comes to sound quality, the Ear (3) have a tendency to make the treble sound a tad harsh at times. It isn't surprising as the Ear (3) utilize a 'V' equalizer curve so the treble can sound overzealous when this happens. In 070 Shake's 'Skin and Bones,' the "chkkk" sound of the hi-hats and cymbals pierced through the track. Though not unpleasant, it wasn't particularly enjoyable.

This is never the case on the QuietComforts. The QuietComforts' sound profile is well-balanced and refined throughout the frequency range. The winner is, therefore, clear. Sorry, Nothing.

Winner: Bose QuietComfort

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): ANC

When it comes to active noise cancellation (ANC), there's a clear winner, and I don't think you need me to spell it out, but I'll do it anyway. The Bose QuietComfort win, easily. Look, Bose is the king of ANC and it's something we've all known for a while now. Whether I'm indoors or on a busy street outdoors, the QuietComforts block out 90% of sounds, so I can go about my day in peace.

This isn't to say the Nothing Ear (3)'s ANC is bad. It's very good, actually. Indoors, at least. With the Ear (3) in my ears, I can't hear the sound of my very loud mechanical keyboard, the kettle boiling or the doorbell ringing. This is also the case with the QuietComforts. Both pairs of earbuds create excellent seals to ensure no noise makes it through.

But the reason the QuietComforts win is because the Ear (3) aren't as effective outdoors. When I wear them outside, I can still hear cars whizzing past me, and the sound of the bus rattling. With the QuietComforts? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. The ANC is so good on the QuietComforts that it makes you feel lonely.

Winner: Bose QuietComfort

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): Call quality

When it comes to call quality, both the Bose QuietComfort and the Nothing Ear (3) are excellent, as both ensure that your voice is heard loudly and clearly on the other end. Having tested both back-to-back on a call with my partner, she said that she could hear me properly through both.

But the Ear (3) have an ace up their sleeve. Their charging case features a ‘Super Mic’ dual-microphone system which you can use by holding the 'Talk' button on the case (when the earbuds are in your ears). You can then hold up the case to your mouth and speak into it, and the 'Super Mic' will cancel out 95dB of noise so that only you can be heard. In my testing, this worked exceptionally well, as my partner said she couldn't hear the public's chatter or the cars going past me.

However, is it actually an advantage? Because the QuietComfort, without their own 'Super Mic' feature, effectively cancel out ambient noise so that only you can be heard. The mic on the QuietComforts' is just as good if not better than the 'Super Mic' on the Ear (3), so we'll call this round a draw.

Winner: Tie

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): Battery life

I'm not exaggerating when I say the Nothing Ear (3)'s battery life is disappointing because that's exactly what it is: subpar and underwhelming. And the Bose QuietComforts have them easily beat. With ANC enabled in my testing, the Ear (3) died after 5 hours, and they're officially rated for 5.5 with an additional 16.5 hours from the charging case.

The QuietComforts, on the other hand, comfortably lasted me nearly 9 hours, and they're officially rated for 8.5 with an additional two and a half charges from the case. The QuietComforts are far more reliable, and though Bose doesn't specify how long they can last with ANC off, we can safely assume it's a long time — the Ear (3) can last 10 hours with an additional 28 hours from the case when ANC is disabled.

Winner: Bose QuietComfort

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): Verdict

There's no denying that the Nothing Ear (3) are extremely competent earbuds. I've absolutely loved testing them and I've been using them ever since I reviewed them. But are they better than the Bose QuietComfort, the undisputed kings of mid-range ANC? By a tight margin, yes.

The QuietComforts win in the sound quality, ANC and battery life departments, while they're tied with the Ear (3) in the price and call quality rounds. While the Ear (3) win in the design, features and connectivity departments, when it comes down to it, the QuietComforts simply offer more bang for your buck.

Most people care the most about sound quality and ANC, and if you're one of those folks, then the QuietComforts are easily the way to go. Still not convinced? Check out my full Bose QuietComfort review and Nothing Ear (3) review for the detail breakdown.

Bose QuietComfort vs Nothing Ear (3): Ratings scorecard

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