Premium Sound, Premium ANC: My Expert Take on the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2

As a certified earbud and headphone expert (I’ve been testing audio gear for over six years), it’s very hard to convince me that a new generation of already decent earbuds is worth my money. I tried the original Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra a few years ago, enjoying the noise cancellation features and industry-standard sound quality, but nothing convinced me enough to fully purchase them. I’m not ashamed to say I’m a huge AirPods Pro lover, and I’ve used the 2nd gens of the AirPods Pro almost daily for the past two years.

I can now finally say, though, that the AirPods Pro 2 have finally been usurped for me in terms of sound quality, by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

$299.00 $249.00 from Amazon $249.00 from Bose $216.31 from Walmart

Out of the Box — Small Form Factor, but a Little Chunky

Unboxing the Bose earbuds, I was a little taken aback by how weighty the case was. It definitely felt heavier than most other earbud cases, and the earbuds themselves were quite bulbous. Luckily, the buds themselves are pretty light, despite their slightly bulky head. All of that said, design is a very small factor for me when it comes to a decent pair of earbuds; sure, the case weighs more than its competitors’, but it will still fit neatly in my clutch. The earbuds felt fine for long hours of wear, too — I wore them for three hours straight and didn’t feel them weigh me down or hurt the sides of my ears.

All in all, yes, a smaller case and a sleeker design may benefit Bose in their next iteration of the buds, but it’s really not a dealbreaker.

Fit: Comfortable, but These Buds Are Surprisingly Sensitive

Like I said, the buds feel great on. They come with three customizable eartips, and stay put in your ear even through light workouts (they’re only IPX4 rated, so I’d refrain from using them on long runs or in bad weather).

Once you do start to sweat, though, you’ll be quick to notice one thing: The larger surface area of the touch controls makes these earbuds surprisingly susceptible to inadvertent touches. Every time I went to adjust the fit of these earbuds as they slipped out of my ear due to sweat, songs would pause or skip, or noise cancellation modes would change. This was annoying, so much so that at one point, I had to disable the touch controls through the app. This took away the convenience but gave me my sanity back, as I kept getting frustrated when the buds misbehaved while I was adjusting their fit.

Sound & Noise Cancellation — Probably the Best on the Market

Now to the good stuff: The ANC on these headphones is perhaps the best I’ve ever heard. The presets the earbuds come with are Aware, Immersion, and Quiet, with the ANC becoming stronger with each mode. That said, if you use the app, you can choose between 11 different ANC levels, giving you full customization over how much background noise you really want to let in. All you need to do is build your custom mode and tweak it as you see fit. I absolutely love the Immersion mode; it truly feels like a private concert in my head, and music sounds three-dimensional, following me around even as I move my head.One big thing to note, the earbuds are powered by Snapdragon. This means lower latency, a strong wireless connection, and richer music over Bluetooth.

I usually use the same three songs to test sound quality: Rapture by Alok, Remembering Sunday by All Time Low, and Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande. The best way I can describe bass and heavy beats on these buds is smooth and calculated. Bass booms but doesn’t overwhelm my eardrums, and while the music feels full-bodied and three-dimensional, it doesn’t take away from the vocals of the songs. Highs and mids shine particularly well, with each pitch sounding clear and concise. It’s quite a pleasant listening experience, with your mind asking for more music consistently without feeling overwhelmed by heavy beats, tempos, or tones. My favorite way to describe them: Music sounds like butter on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

The other place where these headphones shine is the noise cancellation, as mentioned before. Forget sirens and airplane drones, the Quiet mode on these earbuds quite literally tones vibrations down till they’re nothing but an afterthought. Even with my music paused, I could almost (key word almost) tune out chatter and traffic noise around me. With the music on, I could literally not hear children playing or traffic noise — a big boon because I constantly work out of cafes. The Aware mode was great too, as I could have a full conversation with my music still bumping in my ears. These modes are a significant improvement over the last gen, and definitely some of the best noise cancellation in the industry. I can finally tune out my morning rides to Port Authority with these.

As for call quality, it’s pretty decent, but nothing to write home about. You can hear the person on the other end, and they can hear you fine, too. It’s not the clearest audio quality, but it works when you’re in a pinch.

Battery Life: Decent

These Bose buds come with a six-hour charge, and the wireless charging case holds an additional 18 hours for a total of 24 hours of battery life. This is average with the industry, though you may need to spring for a recharge for longer days at your work desk. There are also quick charging features, with 20 minutes of charge giving you about two hours of listening time.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

$299.00 $249.00 from Amazon $249.00 from Bose $216.31 from Walmart

Verdict

As far as new earbuds go, Bose has definitely stepped up their game and introduced something game-changing to the market — especially in terms of sound and noise cancellation. While these buds are on the heavier side and feature an unremarkable battery life, they’re still my go-to earbuds at the moment, specifically for the fact that they actually completely tune out my surroundings. They’re easy to set up, come with a highly customizable app (which even lets you adjust EQ), and feel great on. If you’re looking for a pair of earbuds to fully tune out your surroundings, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are it.