Summary
There’s no reason to beat around the bush: theBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbudsare simply the best at noise cancellation—period. The music quality can be debated and maybe the fit or size isn’t right for everyone, but after trying nearly every pair of top-of-the-line wireless earbuds over the last several years, it’s easy to claim Bose is still in a league of its own when it comes to blocking unwanted noise.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are the ultimate wireless noise-canceling earbud experience. Bose Immersive Audio pushes the boundary of what it means to listen by taking what you’re hearing out of your head and placing it in front of you. It sounds so real it’s almost like you could reach out and touch it.
What’s New With the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds?
All-in-all, The QC Ultra Earbuds are a minor update to last year’sQuietComfort Earbuds 2(or II). It’s more of a revision that better aligns the Ultra Earbuds with the newUltra Headphones. The products are better in sync now, which should ultimately help consumers make purchasing decisions in the long run.
While I don’t recommend someone who bought the previous Earbuds 2 recently ditch them for the new Ultra Earbuds, but anyone who hasn’t purchased a new pair of earbuds in a while should be thrilled by the culmination of this product.
QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Design and Fit
I exclaimed the stability bands that circle the outer perimeter of the earbuds, but I found it difficult to see much of a difference between last year’s and the tweaked ones this year. As I went back and forth between the previous Earbuds 2 and the Ultra Earbuds, I could feel more of a change than I could actually see.
It’s a small tweak that made the stability bands a little less obvious in my ears, but they still sit snuggly. I had no problem with fit or comfort using last year’s model, but given a choice, I would probably choose the newer stability bands.
There are multiple size options in the box, but I stuck with the default size in the end. I didn’t notice any other differences in fit, and Bose doesn’t mention any other tweaks. Even the chunky case is the same.
Despite the bulky size of the Ultra Earbuds, they stayed put in my ears. The combination of shape and stability band gave them a secure feeling, so I never had to worry about them falling out, even while running. On top of being secure, they were just comfortable to wear for long periods of time. That gives them the upper hand when it comes to being useful for travel. My wife did try the earbuds on, and they were simply too big for her ears. So people with small ears are still out of luck for Bose’s best earbuds.
Sound and Call Quality: The Noise Has Been Canceled
For the last 12 months, I have been comparing every pair of premium earbuds to the QuietComfort Earbuds 2. Each time a company claimed unrivaled ANC, I would pit them directly against Bose’s earbuds, and every time, Bose’s offering would be the one to make my environment less noisy, rather than the other one.
The QC Ultra Earbuds have the same ANC performance as the previous model, so these are the best pair of ANC earbuds you can find. I used these in coffee shops, on the street, with simulated airplane noise, and elsewhere. In each instance, they blocked out the unwanted sounds better than other earbuds.
The flip side to blocking out noise is letting in sound when you need to hear it. Bose’s Aware mode is also one of the best around. I noticed almost no digital artifacts or compression in the audio through the earbuds. My surroundings had a natural sound, including still hearing the key presses on my keyboard.
Bose advertises better call quality thanks to changes in the microphones. I thought the recording of my voice sounded fine overall, but they didn’t block my surrounding noise as I thought they should. The background noise could be distracting for people you’re calling. Some examples of mic quality are below.
I used the QC Ultra Earbuds primarily to listen to music, but also to watch some shows. The songs I streamed all sounded deep and rich with a desirable fullness to them. The low end predictably thumped, like a lot of Bose products, while vocals were clear and easily discernable. Everything I listened to sounded excellent.
If turned on, Bose Immersive Audio makes any audio passing through the earbuds attempt to sound multi-dimensional and more spatial. I didn’t find the mode offensive, but I also didn’t find it really compelling.
I have appreciated Dolby Atmos in Apple Music because the format gives space and depth to songs mixed for it. Dolby Atmos Musiccanplay with unique spatial placements of instruments, but it’s more about giving artists a bigger box for their music to live and exist in. It’s probably less gimmicky than a lot of people realize.
Since Spotify doesn’t use Dolby Atmos tracks yet, I did think Bose Immersive Audio made streaming music from the streaming service sound a little better—less flat. I wouldn’t buy these earbuds for the Immersive Audio feature, however, and it’s debatable how much I’ll really use it in the future.
Immersive Audio does take more battery life to operate, so you’ll be looking at closer to four hours if you use it, instead of about six hours of standard listening time.
The Less Desirable Parts of These Earbuds
Even though these earbuds are some of the most comfortable with the best ANC, they aren’t perfect. The issues are considerable, but mostly, they’re workable to get all their benefits. These are a few areas I would love to see addressed next time around.
Price and Availability
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are available now for $299. The earbuds are available at various retailers in Black and White Smoke colors. you may find theMoonstone Bluecolor exclusively at Bose.com.
Should You Buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds?
The lack of wireless charging is a wild omission for $300 earbuds. Mediocre touch controls can also muddy the listening experience to some degree. Still, I reach for theQuietComfort Ultra Earbudson every trip I take. They nail the most important parts of earbuds—comfort, sound, and ANC.
Although I like the QC Ultra Earbuds the most for travel, I found them to be great for daily work, too. I have used them for running to great success as well. They are a versatile product. I’m waiting to see how these compare directly to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, as an over-the-ear option, but for a more compact pick, these take the cake.
