Bose QuietComfort 20 vs Jaybird X3

These headphones are ideal for long flights. In addition to having overall impressive noise-cancelling (-33dB across all frequencies on some tests), these headphones excel when you need to cancel out low frequencies like jet engine sounds (-45dB).

The headphones stay comfortably in your ear. They don't always offer a complete seal but surprisingly, this doesn't affect noise cancellation or reduce comfort. Also included are 3 sizes of eartips to help better fit your ear. Note that these tips have a unique design so you won't be able to use aftermarket tips.

These headphones have a 2.5 ft cord that's split chest high with a control module near the jack. It does a good job of not getting too tangled.

The pouch will make it much easier to bring the headphones and its accessories on the go.

You can disable active noise canceling at a press of a button. Aware Mode can be quickly accessed from the remote, which will disable active noise-cancelling and open up the microphones to allow you to hear your surroundings better.

LEDs on the control module will let you know when this mode is turned on.

These QC20 has a lithium-ion battery that promises to work for 500 charge cycles without diminished returns. After that it will still work, but won't last as long.

Note that the battery is non-replaceable so when it finally does stop working, you will need to buy a new pair of headphones.

These headphones come in 2 flavors:

• QC20 that includes a 1-button remote intended for Android users
• QC20i that includes a 3-button remote intended for iOS users

Exposure to splashes of rain or sweat won't easily damage these earphones.

The highs are crisp, airy and forward so detail presentation is very good. Bass is fast and controlled instead of boomy, so it does not muddy up the overall sound. The mids sound natural and do not get lost in the mix.
This sound signature works well with a wide range of genres and rock, pop, hip-hop and EDM will definitely sound great with these headphones.

The X3 comes with wing tips that you can attach to the earpieces. The tips enhance the grip of the headphones in the ear, and will help keep them secure even while you are running

The in-line remote will allow you to control music playback, adjust volume as well as answer/end calls.

Integrated into the remote is a microphone, so you do not need to pull out your phone should a call come in. Mic quality is pretty decent, and your voice should be easy to understand on the other line.

You get standard silicone ear tips in different sizes, along with a carrying case, different sized wing tips, premium Comply foam ear tips in different sizes, cable management clips as well as the charging cradle with micro-USB cable.

The older X2 model had bigger and heavier earpieces which made them prone to falling off, and also made it difficult to use the earphones with a helmet or a hat. The X3’s earpieces have been redesigned to be smaller, while the internal batteries have been moved from the earpiece to the remote. This helps keep the X3 in-place inside the ears and at the same time makes these earphones easier to fit under a hat or helmet.

The X3 gets around 8 hours of playback time from a full charge. This battery life is much more consistent compared to the previous model which had spotty battery life.

Signal quality is pretty stable with minimal distortion or drops, even if you are on the move.