An S upgrade more than an Ultra one

I have reviewed almost all the major wireless earbuds released in the last couple of years, and if you ask me for the best one that money can buy, I’d give you a three-way tie between Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 (best transparency mode and seamless connection with the most used phone in the world), Sony’s XM5 (tremendous acoustics in a sleek, stemless design), and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 (absolute best-in-class active noise cancelation).

And so when Bose announced it was launching an “Ultra” version of it best earbuds, I was excited. “Ultra” is a big word to throw around in the mobile space, with Apple, Xiaomi, and Samsung each having Ultra products that are clearly better than anything else in the company’s portfolio.

But the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds don’t live up to those lofty standards. They’re just a slightly improved version of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, with the only upgrades being the addition of spatial audio, Qualcomm’s AptX Bluetooth support, and new microphone placement, which supposedly improves phone calls. Otherwise, these QC Ultra buds sound the same and look the same as the QC Earbuds 2.

This means these new QC Ultra Earbuds are still absolutely one of the best set of earbuds on the market, and that world-beating ANC is still here, but the improvements are so minor, it isn’t enough to break the three-way tie in my book. If you already own the Bose QC Earbuds 2 from last year, you do not need to upgrade. This feels more like Bose’s “Earbuds 2S” than “Ultra.”

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Still one of the best

Uncanny noise cancelation

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds bring proprietary spatial audio and improved microphones over the already excellent QuietComfort Earbuds 2. Expect the absolute best active noise cancelation with these earbuds and full and lively audio too.

IP rating

IPX4

Supported codecs

SBC, AAC

Charging

USB-C

Driver size

9.4mm

Spatial Audio

Yes

Earbuds battery life

Six hours with ANC on

Charging case battery life

18 additional hours

Pros

• Still the best noise cancelation of any earbuds
• Great audio quality after tuning
• Stability rings provide more secure fit

Cons

• It’s barely an upgrade over the existing QC Earbuds 2
• New Spatial Audio is just all right? Apple’s is far better
• The earbuds and case are bulkier than rivals

About this review: This review was written after two weeks testing a pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds purchased by XDA.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: Pricing and availability

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are available now at retailers around the world. In the U.S., the retail price is $299 and can be purchased on Amazon, Best Buy, or directly from Bose. The earbuds come in two colors: black or white.

Hardware and design

Virtually identical to last year’s model

If you’ve seen last year’s Bose QC Earbuds 2, then you’ve seen the Ultra Earbuds. Overall dimensions and shapes are identical. The only visible new addition is a metallic finish on the outside of the earbuds. Battery life, audio performance, the effectiveness of the active noise cancelation, are all exactly the same.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (left) and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 (right)

But again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the Bose QC Earbuds 2 were so, so good. You can expect the same six-hour battery life on a single charge with ANC on, you can expect the ANC to still mute just about everything around you, and the extra stability ring (silicon tip at the top of the earbuds that sits behind the concha, the upper fold of the ear) provides a more secure fit. These are the earbuds I’d be most confident to wear when running or jumping around.

The earbuds are still a bit chunky looking compared to Sony’s or Apple’s earbuds, and the case is still larger than usual (and it’s not like it houses more battery — it’s just an additional three charges, meaning 18 hours).

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (left) and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 (right)

Each bud houses a 9.3mm driver, with four microphones (two on outside, two on inside) and a touch-sensitive panel on each stalk. The panels support taps, swipes and long-presses, and you can customize the left and right buds to trigger different actions, so you have option to set up to six actions.

The case lid did get a minor improvement: The hinge feels sturdier, with a bit more resistance when opening the case. Taking the buds out of the case is easier than on Apple’s AirPods in my opinion due to the larger case giving more room for my fingers.

The earbuds go into our ears a bit differently than other earbuds like the AirPods Pro. The silicon eartips are oval shaped, and Bose suggests we first stick the earbuds in our ear canal with the stems facing down, and then twist the earbuds 90 degrees upwards until the stems are facing forward. The stability ring sits behind my concha and keeps the earbuds in place. I find this fit very comfortable and, as mentioned earlier, secure. The stems are chunky looking but do not stick out too much from side view. Still, I prefer the more discreet stemless design of the Sony XM5 earbuds.

The earbuds are rated IPX4 meaning they can be sustain splashes of water, but cannot be fully submerged. The case has no IP rating and also lacks wireless charging. The case can be topped up only via USB-C.

Software and performance

Spatial audio works, but is annoyingly placed

The Bose buds support Android’s Fast Pair, so simply opening the lid near an Android phone will bring a pop-up window asking if you want to pair. Of course the earbuds works directly this way, but I’d recommend downloading Bose’s companion app to make some tweaks to the touch controls and also the EQ. Like the Bose QC Earbuds 2, I find the default audio profile a bit flat. With a few tweaks, however, the earbuds pumped out full lively audio that I really enjoy. I listen to a lot of ’90s alternative rock and hip hop, and the Bose’s particularly high range of frequency for deep bass and strong treble fit both genres. Audio quality does sound almost exactly the same as the Bose QC Earbuds 2.

The new Spatial Audio feature is named “Immersion Mode” by Bose, and it works mostly well. With it turned on, you can move your head and feel the music shift as if it’s coming from a real world source. I find the effect more realistic and stronger in the AirPods Pro 2, but Bose’s take isn’t bad at all.

I have one major complaint about this new spatial audio: Bose has made it one of the default listening modes, along with “Quiet” (ANC on) and “Aware” (Transparency, with ANC off). With the last pair of Bose buds (and with almost every other earbuds), the touch panel allows quick switch between ANC and transparency mode, meaning I can quickly shut off or let in outside sound with touch. Bose adding spatial audio in there as a third mode means I can no longer immediately switch from ANC to transparency mode: I have to go from ANC to “Immersion,” then to transparency mode. I wear earbuds with ANC on most of the time, and when someone tries to speak to me, I quickly switch over to transparency mode. What used to take one touch gesture and about a second of waiting not takes two touch gestures and about 2.5 seconds of waiting.

Battery life is good. I got the advertised six hours of playtime when using on a flight. These earbuds also supposedly have improved microphones for voice calls but a couple of test calls with the other party saw no meaningful difference. Overall, these earbuds perform almost just like the Bose QC Earbuds 2 did, which is not a bad thing. I loved those earbuds, and I love these too.

Should you buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds?

You should buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds if:

• You want the absolute best active noise cancelation from earbuds (and you don’t already own the Bose QC Earbuds 2)
• You want spatial audio in your Bose earbuds
• You wear earbuds for exercise and want a more secure fit

You should not buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds if:

• You already own the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2
• You want earbuds that take full advantage of Apple’s ecosystem
• You want earbuds that come in a sleeker package with a smaller case

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are awesome, but they’re very, very similar to the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2. I suppose this does not affect consumers looking to upgrade to premium earbuds from something lower tier or several years old. But I still can’t help but roll my eyes when companies release a faster-than-usual update to a previous generation product and do not bring meaningful changes. This is compounded by the Ultra branding, which implied a big upgrade that just isn’t there.

But you can see from my review score that I have not let personal feelings get in the way of evaluating this set of buds. If you want the best wireless earbuds money can buy, these should absolutely be among the top of your list of candidates. However, if the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 go on discount, and the money saved is remotely meaningful to you, you should just get those. And if you want something more affordable, I think wireless earbuds in the $150 range, like the Nothing Ear 2, are good enough for most people.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Still one of the best

Uncanny noise cancelation

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds bring proprietary spatial audio and improved microphones over the already excellent QuietComfort Earbuds 2. Expect the absolute best active noise cancelation with these earbuds and full and lively audio too.