Bose Quietcomfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) Review: Still A Noise-canceling Powerhouse

Bose announced its latest earbuds in June, but nan QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen) ($299) won’t get until early September. Today, though, they’re disposable for preorder, and I’ve spent nan past fewer weeks testing each nan caller features. This exemplary is an overhaul of nan noise-canceling earbuds nan institution debuted successful 2023 alongside its return connected spatial audio. Among nan upgrades, Bose has improved nan progressive sound cancellation (ANC) performance, enhanced telephone value and added wireless charging to nan case. Two years later, nan QuietComfort Ultra is still the champion option for those chiefly concerned pinch blocking distractions, and Bose’s tweaks make its champion earbuds moreover better.

What’s caller connected nan QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen)?

The caller QC Ultra Earbuds are astatine their champion successful Quiet mode. This is Bose’s action for afloat sound cancellation without spatial audio (or Immersive Audio, arsenic nan institution calls it). Here, there’s nary uncertainty these are still nan champion noise-cancelling earbuds disposable correct now. The first-gen type achieved nan aforesaid feat, but Bose has gone a measurement further to heighten its ANC setup for this refresh.

Specifically, nan institution updated nan algorithm for its ActiveSense exertion successful Aware (transpancy) Mode. Now nan QC Ultra Earbuds connection smoother changes successful ANC levels to combat abrupt spikes successful ambient noise. This intends things for illustration sirens should nary longer drown retired your euphony aliases podcast. Unfortunately, I wasn’t capable to trigger nan retooled adaptive ANC pinch simulated constabulary sirens from YouTube — nan champion action connected my quiet cul-de-sac — but I’ll study backmost if I announcement immoderate oddities here.

Bose besides upgraded telephone value connected nan QC Ultra Earbuds. The institution says a caller AI-powered setup, known arsenic SpeechClarity, useful pinch “the earbuds’ 8 microphones, move mixing and adaptive filters” to attraction connected your voice. Bose explains that it uses audio augmentation tech that was primitively developed for proceeding immunodeficiency here, which tin trim inheritance sound for illustration upwind aliases nan drone of an office. During my tests, nan revised strategy silenced a noisy fan, rendering it wholly absent from my recordings. However, wide sound value suffers arsenic you will sound a spot staticky erstwhile each nan audio processing kicks in.

Thankfully, you nary longer request an further accessory for wireless charging connected nan QC Ultra Earbuds. With nan first-gen model, you had to bargain a abstracted cover to alteration cable-free recharging. Bose has now built each of that into nan lawsuit for nan second-gen set, a invited upgrade that really should’ve been present from nan start. When nan original QC Ultra Earbuds debuted successful 2023, wireless charging was surely already nan norm.

What’s still awesome astir nan QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen)?

As I mentioned, nan wide ANC capacity of nan QC Ultra Earbuds remains unmatched. If you’re looking to artifact retired distractions, this is nan champion action that still offers awesome sound quality. Bose moreover manages to cancel retired quality voices amended than astir of its rivals, which tin beryllium a struggle for overmuch of nan competition.

Audio value connected these earbuds remains adjacent nan apical of nan heap. You won’t announcement arsenic overmuch item arsenic Noble Audio’s FoKus Rex5 aliases Technics’ AZ100, but there’s awesome clarity present nonetheless. Bose says nan tuning was “slightly refined” for improved bass consequence and smoother precocious frequencies. I noticed that tracks pinch heavy bass, for illustration Deftones’ “locked club,” are clearer astatine nan debased end. Meanwhile, treble-forward instruments successful songs for illustration Miles Davis’ “Green Haze” sound crisper and cleaner than before.

Despite their larger size, this year’s buds connection a amazingly balanced and comfortable fit. Bose refreshed nan receptor tips for nan QC Ultra Earbuds pinch a caller defender to forestall wax build up. Touch controls are still reliable, and you tin disable them wholly connected this second-gen version.

What’s not truthful bully astir nan QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen)?

The biggest gripe I person pinch nan overhaul of nan QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is nan deficiency of betterment to artillery life. I was disappointed to spot that a amended runtime wasn’t portion of nan upgrades erstwhile I publication nan announcement successful June, and I’m still not complete it. On this model, you’ll get up to six hours of usage pinch ANC turned on. Like before, if you perceive pinch that spatial Immersive Audio enabled, that drops to 4 hours. A mates much hours would’ve been nice, capable to support nan QC Ultra Earbuds successful spot for a afloat activity time without having to springiness them a luncheon break successful nan case.

While nan creation doesn’t fuss maine excessively much, I cognize nan look of nan QC Ultra Earbuds isn’t for everyone. There is simply a spot of a mini Bluetooth headset vibe going connected here, and nan wide size of nan buds are connected nan larger broadside erstwhile overmuch of nan title is racing to beryllium nan smallest. Like I said, nary of this impacts comfortableness aliases stability, and I’d stake galore prospective buyers are consenting to unrecorded pinch nan artistic successful speech for nan type of soundlessness nan QC Ultra Earbuds deliver.

Wrap-up

The upgrades connected nan second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds don’t make for a wildly caller product, but they do supply capable for a notable betterment complete nan erstwhile version. ANC and telephone capacity are some enhanced, and though it’s precocious to nan party, nan summation of built-in wireless charging is simply a invited change. Other updates, for illustration nan tuning tweaks and nan expertise to move disconnected touch controls, are quality-of-life changes that undoubtedly amended nan wide experience. Bose has done each of this without changing nan value from nan 2023 model, which is simply a astonishing prime successful nan existent economical climate. Simply put, nan QC Ultra Earbuds stay the champion action for wireless noise-cancelling earbuds, and that’s not apt to alteration anytime soon.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen) are disposable for preorder successful nan US today, August 28. The wide on-sale day is scheduled for September 10.