Bose’s 2nd generation QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds bring enhanced ANC and more
Enhanced adaptive noise cancellation, improved voice pickup, wireless charging and more updates come to the new QC Ultra Earbuds.
American premium audio brand Bose has announced their new upcoming QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen). The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are Bose’s flagship in-ear range. The first generation was launched in September 2023 for $299, before a non-Ultra, budget-friendly model launched in September 2024 for $179. With a lot of the same features are the then one-year old higher end model, the less expensive model started treading on the toes of Bose’s Ultra model.
Now Bose are bringing a second generation of the Ultra Earbuds with a number of key improvements.
First up are improvements to noise cancellation. Adaptive noise cancellation adapts to the unique share of the listener’s ear and changing environment. With the help of new AI algorithms, there are also improvements to ActiveSense in Aware Mode and smoother changes in noise cancellation levels. The earbuds automatically adjust to filter sudden spikes of noise, such as a passing trains or siren.
When on phone calls, the other end should be able to hear you better in noisy environments. With eight microphones, dynamic mixing and adaptive filters, voice pickup and therefore call quality are improved thanks to a new AI-powered noise suppression system. Bose’s audio augmentation technology, developed for hearing aids, helps reduce background distractions, such as wind and office chatter while focusing in on the voice during calls, whether using one earbud or both.
The overall design of the second generation earbuds is largely the same, however there is one subtle change that prevents earwax buildup. New guards on the eartip make it easier to capture and remove wax, before it starts to impact fit and audio.
The case now supports wireless charging on top of USB-C. Simply line up the button the back of the case with a compatible charger. The battery life of the earbuds is the same as the previous model, with 6 hours of playback on a single charge, 4 hours with Immersive Audio enabled, and 3 additional charges in the case. Pop the earbuds back in the case for 20 minutes for up to 2 hours of playback (with Immersive Audio off).
The Bose app can be used to control and customize the earbuds, with features like Custom Modes, EQ adjustments, Bluetooth connections, earbud and case battery, shortcut customization, automatic firmware updates, and more. You can now also toggle off capacitive touch controls in the app, to help prevent accidental interruptions to your music.
A number of things about the second generation QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have been kept the same, such as the high quality audio and Bose’s CustomTune sound calibration technology, which personalizes audio to the wearer. Bluetooth 5.3 with support for multipoint is still present, which allows you to connect the earbuds to two devices simultaneously. Supported codecs include SBC, AAC and Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive for lossless audio and low-latency processing on Snapdragon Sound-certified devices. One touch pairing is also available on Android devices with support for Google Fast Pair.
The new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are coming later this summer for $299. They will be available in Black, White Smoke and a limitied edition Deep Plum color.
