Bose - Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) - Wireless Bluetooth Open Ear Earbuds with Immersive Audio and Wireless Charging - White Smoke

This is my first pair of open-ear headphones, and I’m honestly very impressed. The sound quality is excellent—everything sounds clear and crisp even at a relatively low volume. What I love most is how comfortable and secure they are. Traditional earbuds, even those with silicone tips, tend to fall out of my ears easily. These are incredibly easy to put on and stay in place very well. I can wear them a little higher or lower depending on what feels comfortable, and it doesn’t seem to affect the sound quality at all. I can wear them for hours without discomfort, and sometimes I actually forget I’m still wearing them! The battery life is also excellent. Sometimes I leave the charging case at home and go out wearing just one earbud, and I never worry about running out of battery. One night, I wore one for hours while listening to an audiobook, and it only used a little over 10% of the battery. Connecting to multiple Apple devices was a little tricky at first. I paired them with my iPhone first, and when I later connected them to my MacBook, it showed that they were connected but there was no sound. I removed the headphones from my MacBook and paired them again, and that fixed the issue. Since then, they’ve worked perfectly with both my phone and computer, and switching between the two has been smooth without having to set them up again. The only down side, you need to download the app to see the battery percentage. Not like Apple when you open the case it popup directly. So far, these are my favorite headphones I’ve ever owned. The combination of sound quality, comfort, secure fit, and long battery life makes them very easy to recommend.

This is my first time trying open-ear earbuds, and I am pleasantly surprised by how good the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) sound. I have used several premium in-ear earbuds and headphones over the years, and I always assumed an open-ear design would compromise quite a bit on sound quality, especially bass. After using these for music, calls, walking and biking, these completely changed my opinion on open-ear earbuds. Sound Quality What surprised me the most is the audio quality. Bose uses OpenAudio technology to direct the sound toward your ear without having the earbuds sitting inside the ear canal. I wasn't expecting this level of audio clarity from an open-ear design. The bass is amazing with crisp tones, clear vocals and good separation between different instruments. I tested several different music tracks and honestly didn't feel like I was sacrificing much compared to the traditional in-ear earbuds or headphones I normally use. Obviously, you don't get the complete isolation of an in-ear design, but that's really the whole point of these earbuds. The Bose Immersive Audio is another feature I really liked. It creates a wider soundstage and makes the audio feel like it's around you rather than coming directly from the earbuds. This was especially noticeable while listening to music and watching video content. Open-Ear Experience This is where these earbuds really stand out for me. Since nothing is sitting inside the ear canal, I can enjoy my music while still being aware of what's happening around me. I tested them during my walks and while biking. The music still sounded immersive and surrounding noises were not distracting, but I could hear traffic or someone talking to me when I needed to. I really like having that awareness outdoors instead of completely isolating myself from my surroundings. With traditional earbuds, I normally have to use a transparency mode or take one earbud out if someone starts talking to me. With these, I can simply leave them on and continue the conversation. That alone makes the open-ear design very useful for me. Call Quality Call quality was another pleasant surprise. Voice comes through very clearly, and during my testing, the person on the other side couldn't hear the background noise around me. Bose mentions its new SpeechClarity technology, which separates your voice from surrounding noise using two microphones. Whatever Bose is doing with the voice processing seems to work really well based on the calls I tested. This makes these useful beyond just music or outdoor activities. I can easily use them for calls while walking around without having to switch to another headset. Comfort and Fit The cuff-style design looked a little unusual when I first saw it, but I fell in love with the fit pretty quickly. The are very light and the flexible clasp firmly holds onto my ear without putting uncomfortable pressure on it. They are very comfortable to wear for extended periods since there is nothing sitting inside the ear canal. While walking and biking, they stayed firmly in place, and I wasn't worried about losing an earbud. That's one of the biggest things I look for in earbuds I use for outdoor activities. The design also gives them a very premium look and feel. Bose did a great job making the clasp feel secure without making it bulky or uncomfortable. They also have an IPX4 water-resistance rating, which makes them suitable for sweat, workouts and light exposure to rain. Battery and Connectivity Battery life has been very good so far. Bose rates the earbuds for up to 9 hours of listening time depending on the audio settings, which is more than enough for my normal daily use. The charging case supports wireless charging, which I find very convenient since I already have wireless chargers around the house. They also support Bluetooth 5.4 and multipoint connectivity, allowing the earbuds to stay connected to multiple devices. For someone like me who constantly switches between a phone and iPad, this is a great feature that I find very useful. Overall Impression I wasn't sure if open-ear earbuds were something I would like, but I fell in love with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) pretty quickly. The biggest surprise for me is how little I feel like I am sacrificing in sound quality to get the benefits of an open-ear design. The bass, crisp audio, immersive audio, excellent call quality and extremely comfortable fit make these much more than just earbuds for walking or biking. I can wear them for longer periods without having something sitting inside my ear, talk to someone without removing them, and still get the premium audio experience I am used to from my traditional earbuds and headphones. These have quickly become one of my favorite earbuds!

Open ear audio is difficult to pull off for most but Bose has always challenged the status quo. My first smart glasses were by Bose and featured the technology. Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are fashionable, functional and a culmination of the renowned manufacturer’s research and development of the technology. Traditional/in-ear earbuds typically fit inside the ear canal to deliver sound. While this may provide a sense of isolation from the environment, my ears would typically hurt after a few hours of being plugged. Depending on the activity or my surrounding, I would typically wear only one to still be aware of my surroundings. Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) have managed to pull off a sense of immersion and isolation while allowing the user to maintain a sense of awareness. As packaged: • Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) • Safety Instructions and Regulatory Guide In my opinion, the extended comfort delivered by these earbuds boils down to their design. While in-ear earbuds attempt to wedge themselves inside the ear, the Bose Ultras wrap themselves around your earlobes. My initial fears of them falling off have yet to become reality as they are held on more securely than they feel; each earbud weighs about 0.013 lbs. I have walked and jogged with them without any hiccup. The robust construction of the earbuds involves two solid sections connected by a flexible Silicone material. One section houses each microphone along with the onboard speakers while the other with the drum/barrel design appears to contain the battery, charging contacts and the multifunctional button. Depending on the use, a single tap, double tap, long press or a combination will trigger a function. With an IPX4 rating for water resistance, sweat and the occasional rain splash should not be a bother. The earbuds are rated for up to nine hours and while I have not had them on straight for the duration, they fit my daily needs and I can go for days between charging the case based on feature use, of course. Wireless charging on the case also makes charging a breeze should you opt not to use a USB-C cable. As with similar earbuds, there is an inner LED inside the case for the earbud level and an outer one on the case which reports its own battery level. Connecting the earbuds are very easy. Thanks to Google’s Fast Pair, the process simply involves putting the earbuds in pairing mode and bringing them close to a compatible Android device. Google’s Find Hub also works with the earbuds and can help provide directions to locate them should they wind up misplaced. This is done by reporting their last known location. The earbuds are also able to maintain active connections with two devices at the same time. With other earbuds, unless the same brand, I had to constantly connect and disconnect to switch device. It is definitely handy as I have two smartphones from different manufacturers for my daily use. A cool feature to note is that the Bose app on the device not in active use can still be used to make changes to the earbuds as a result of the multi-point connection feature. While the initial connection establishes audio output, the Bose app provides the utmost functionality. Immersive audio is probably my favorite feature of the earbuds. Sound can only be described as originating from around you as opposed to the earbuds. To make things even more exciting, the Still setting appears to keep this immersive audio’s location static and this becomes apparent when you move your head from side to side. The Motion setting allows the sound source to follow your head movements. It is a technological feat and should be experienced to accurately comprehend the feature. The Bose app provides the ability to select a preferred setting and also allows the user to program each earbud button to cycle through them or the Modes; these are preset configurations of the immersive audio settings. There are three defaults with the option to create seven custom modes. In line with Bose’s renowned sound production, the audio output is stellar. It is truly amazing that deep bass along with high notes are perfectly reproduced with the open ear setup. There is an equalizer for further customization when needed although it appears this pertains to only media content and not phone calls. Immersive audio also appears to do the same. I have no doubt the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) will remain my go to earbuds for the near future. They are fun, functional, stylish and very comfortable to use. My pair are the white variation but there are three other colors to choose from (black, olive green and cherry chocolate.) In conclusion, my biggest takeaway is that the safety benefit of being aware of your surroundings while being immersed in rich and clear audio cannot be understated. I totally recommend.

I understand the desire to have access to music, podcasts, and phone calls while still being able to hear the surrounding environment, but until now - open air and bone conduction headphones have felt like a gimmick. But with their second generation of the Ultra Open Earbuds, Bose has nearly perfected the earbud. The cuff-style of these earbuds is wildly unique, but they sound truly incredible and they fit comfortably for hours. When not playing audio, you can hear your environment perfectly...as though you are not wearing earbuds at all - meaning that they can be worn all day...even when music is not playing. The camping force is gentle, but they manage to stay securely in place. They are FAR more secure than the majority of earbuds and both look & feel more comfortable than earbuds with fins or those which wrap all the way around the back of the ear. I find that I can wear them for 5 hours before I experience any discomfort. I can run, jump, lift weights, put on or remove a sweatshirt...all without any worry of the earbuds being knocked loose. Admittedly, the fit is odd and takes a lot of getting used to. It also doesn't help that the position which the earbuds dock into the case doesn't exactly match the direction that they go into your ears. When you lift them out of the case, it feels as though they must be rotated 180 degrees so that you can clamp them on above your lobes. I have been wearing them for weeks and I still fumble them awkwardly in my hands every time I put them on. It honestly would not surprise me if I was wearing them incorrectly...even after reading instructions and watching multiple tutorials online. The biggest drawback is the high price. For the launch price, you could purchase an excellent pair of over the ear headphones - such as the Sony XM4 - which feature stellar Active Noise Cancellation. The price also does not purchase any advanced features. There is no noise cancellation and no ability to increase the volume of the world around you, etc. Active Noise Cancelation doesn't work particularly well on open air earbuds, but for this price it would be nice to have the option. Additional features would help me justify the distractingly high cost. ...The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds do have an "Immersive Audio" mode that allows two options: Still or Motion. "Still" gives the illusion that you are listening to a live performance happening in a locked location. Imagine a band playing a song in front of you. When you turn your head to the left or right, the audio stays in the same location (where the band is physically located). But, after 5 seconds...the audio readjusts to your front. The "Motion" mode simply adjusts the audio so that it always sound as though it is directly in front of you while your head moves. The feature is immersive in that it feels like surround sound...but it is not a feature that justifies the high price of the earbuds. If you want earbuds that you can wear comfortably all day...these are an excellent choice. The audio quality is stellar, they have better bass than any other earbuds, the volume gets pleasantly loud, the controls are easy to use, phone calls work seamlessly, AI virtual assistants are easy to access via voice, the battery lasts all day, the case can charge wirelessly (or via USB-C), they are comfortable, stylish, and effortlessly stay securely in place. If you can stomach the price, these earbuds will not let you down.

I have had these new 2nd Gen Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for about a week now, and so far, I think they are great! I have tried a few different open-ear style headphones, and these are my favorite so far. Any audio, whether it be music, podcasts, audiobooks, or phone calls, sounds amazing through these earbuds. At first, the wrap-around ear fitment was a bit strange, but after the first time, it became really easy to replicate. The fit is so good. They are snug and secure, but you barely even notice them on your ears. I can wear them all day with no fatigue. They also survived the aggressive head-shake test and didn’t budge at all! They are surprisingly lightweight in the hand, but the sound quality is heavy. I also love the case the earbuds come with. The magnets are strong, and they almost seem to suck the earbuds right into place to charge them up. Another cool feature is that the case can be charged with either a USB-C cable or wirelessly. I have a combination wireless charger next to my bed that charges my phone and watch, plus it has a wireless charging pad that is perfect for placing the Bose case on at night. The case itself can be opened quietly, has a nice smooth feel, and even sports a rubber bottom. Battery life has been pretty good as well. I listened for hours without any issues before putting them back in the case and dropping the case onto my charging pad. Setup was easy. It’s like any other pair of headphones: set them up through Bluetooth, and you’re in. I do recommend downloading the Bose app to get all the features and settings out of the earbuds. You get different EQ settings, immersion modes, and each earbud has a shortcut button that can be mapped to different options. I have had a few different types of open earbuds, but in Bose fashion, these are by far the best-sounding open earbuds I have experienced. The depth of sound and clarity are amazing, while they still maintain that openness that allows you to stay aware of your surroundings. They are perfect for bike rides, going for a run, or even wearing them in the office where you still need to hear the people around you. One thing I have enjoyed the most is using them during work meetings while still being able to hear my family and kids in the house. That is exactly where this open-ear design shines. Don’t get me wrong, although these don’t have an ANC option, if you turn them up enough, your surroundings definitely get drowned out. At a reasonable volume, though, the balance is perfect. You can enjoy your audio while still knowing what is happening around you. The deep bass, crisp mids, and clear highs are seriously impressive for an open-ear design. So far, I am really enjoying the 2nd Gen Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, and they have become my go-to pair. I think Bose knocked it out of the park with these. I recommend them to anyone who wants a great set of earbuds that are lightweight, sound incredible, can be worn all day, are easy to use, look great, and still give you the ability to hear your surroundings. These earbuds deliver it all.