Customer Ratings & Reviews

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.

These are a very interesting pair of earbuds. I had trouble at first getting them to sync with my iPhone and the Bose app. It took a couple of tries and realized that I had to close the app and reopen it. That was a small hurdle that was easily overcome. Once they were paired, it came time to put them on and try them out. These actually clip to your ear instead of being inserted into your ear. At first I thought this was odd until I figured out how to wear them. Once on and sitting comfortably ion my ears their feel disappeared. It felt like nothing was there. A soft gripping sensation is all that is felt. While playing music I was very impressed at how rich the sound was without blocking anything heard around me. The TrueSpatial Tech is better than I have experienced. It does not matter where your phone is in relation to your enter head position, the sound always tracks your head movement. Turn your head to the right and you hear it mostly in the left ear, turn left and it is mostly in your right ear. The audio is immersive enough that you forget you have earbuds on. The setting for immersion are tailored to what you set them for and it doesn’t disappoint. Next I put on my favorite streaming service to check out the Cinema mode and found it to be very clear and crisp, especially for speech from the dialogue in movies. Again you felt immersed in the audio of the movie. During a phone call I noticed that the call clarity was very good. The most hard to understand person using the phones speaker earpiece became surprisingly clearer and crisp while using these. Something I was unclear about was the multipoint connectivity but once I connected the earbuds to my Mac and use to app on the phone to adjust the settings I understood this feature. I am not usually a big fan of open ear headphones, however I have found that these are not your average open ear design. Even though you cal still hear everything around you that does not detract from the listener experience. The sound is still clear without outside noises drowning out what you are listening to either music or a movie. Even at lower volumes they perform very well. Typical Bose technology went into these ear buds and it does exactly what is advertised. I highly recommend these and would recommend them to my friends.

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.

Bose Ultra Open2 Earbuds (2nd Gen) I love a clip-on open earbud! Bose did not disappoint with the Bose Ultra Open 2 (2nd Gen)! The Ultra Open2 earbuds are lightweight, non noise cancelling, and very comfortable to wear. They do not interfere with wearing of my eyeglasses or my earrings. I have worn the Ultra Open2 earbuds whilst working in my backyard garden here in the South where the temperatures are still in the upper 90's. No worries about sweating, because the Ultra Open2 earbuds are IPX4 water resistant! I've also worn the Ultra Open2 earbuds while sleeping. The battery life is up to 9 hrs or 5 hrs with Immersive Audio or Audio Volume. The sound is amazing! Three modes -Stereo, Immersion, and Cinema. My go to choice is Immersion Audio. There's modes within Immersion Audio- Still, Motion, and off. These functions can be turned on with a long click on the silver cap on either earbud. The call quality is unbeatable, even if you wear only one earbud. Each earbud has it's own microphone, and may be worn separately, however the earbuds work better together. A feature that is a must for me is the multi-connectivity function. I can connect the Ultra Open2 buds to my phone and tablet simultaneously. The Ultra Open2 earbuds have Google Connect which paired both devices trouble free. Once connected the Ultra Open2 earbuds can be found with Google Find. The Ultra Open2 earbuds (2 Gen) received several upgrades that include: Clearer call quality Enhanced sound performance Wireless charging More reliable Bluetooth connectivity Improved battery life (up to 9 hrs, 5 with Immersion Audio) New Premium metallic design Highly recommend!

There is a lot going for these Bose headphones, I’m just not a fan. I will still score them very high because they are made solid, Bose reputation for great sound is present, and they are worth your hard earned money if they are something that works for you. I’ll start with why they’re just not for me. Been an Airpod fanboy for a decade, that said I hate the way my ear canal feels after a day of wearing them. The ghost feeling also that makes you feel like something is still there hours after, arghh. These bose ULTRA Open earbuds have a trade off in that department. Yes, they do not cause the ear canal pain/discomfort, or the ghosting, but for me they hurt the side of my ear where the bottom rolls around your ear to stay put. Wearing them all day long, I had discomfort on the side of my ear. I think the idea is great, but the design still needs to be tweaked more. If less invasive is the goal, they just have a little ways to go. The other issue I had was that because they’re not very far into your ear canal, the sound can be distant at times. If you push them in to test the sound gets more clear and loud. I missed that the first day I used them at work. On the same topic, if you work in a loud environment like a shop like I do, it’s even more annoying because the ambient noise comes through since your ear canal is open. I asked people around me if they could hear my music since it was more faint for me. I turned the volume all the way up and all of them said no. That is a good thing. I was worried it would disturb those around me. The charge right out of the box took 1 hour to full, and I’ve been using them for a week at work. Just now need to charge them. Battery life is outstanding. The Bluetooth quick selection (FastPair) between multiple connections works great. That’s my favorite part about these earbuds. I like the flat rubber bottom to the base, allows it to sit upright and not slide around. Ultimately, I think fans of this open earbud style will be happy, and there’s NO issues with sound quality, battery life or anything else that I can see. Bose name speaks for itself regarding sound quality and hasn’t disappointed me yet. I’ll continue to deal with the ear canal discomfort with my airpods until bose or another company finds a better solution for the ear lobe/side discomfort. Also I don’t want to lose volume level and gain ambient noise coming in. Still giving them 4 stars since they are premium earbuds and my preference is the only negative factor. Hope this review helps your decision. Yes I recommend them.

Bose keeps the unboxing simple, although that minimalism extends to the charging accessories. My package included no charging cable, so a USB-C cable and power source are yours to supply. The case also supports wireless charging. Otherwise, there’s little standing between opening the box and getting started. That simplicity carries through to pairing. My phone and computers connected easily, without needing the Bose app to begin listening. Volume adjustment was the one control that required a little investigation: press once, then press and hold, using the right earbud to raise the volume and the left to lower it. Straightforward once explained, but not something I discovered immediately. My current adjustment habits are admittedly hard to break for me here. The fit took longer to understand. Coming from conventional in-ear earbuds, I initially needed a mirror to confirm that these were sitting correctly. What felt almost loose turned out to be their normal position on my ears. Over the week, that uncertainty gave way to familiarity. I still noticed some movement on stairs and occasionally readjusted them; my ears stick out a bit, which may contribute. Seated at my desk, however, I could settle into listening and forget they were there. The sound made that adjustment worthwhile. These delivered a much fuller listening experience than I expected from speakers positioned outside the ear canal. At low to medium volume on my iPhone 16 Pro, they sounded excellent. Around 75% was my preferred upper limit; pushing them to maximum made the difference from in-ear listening more apparent. At comfortable levels, the experience reminded me a little of my living room speakers playing quietly. That comparison is about the ease of listening: satisfying sound, with the surrounding room still audible. There was less sense of putting on headphones and stepping away from everything else. Microphone performance has also been good in my use. For someone seeking a quality pair of headphones for their desk, the sound and call quality make a strong case. Being able to enjoy music, take calls, and remain aware of the immediate environment gives these a practical role in an ordinary workday. My favorite use, though, has been outside that routine: gaming on my home theater PC while my wife reads nearby. I can enjoy the game, hear her, and get up for a drink without losing track of the computer’s audio. We can spend an evening doing different things without my feeling sealed off behind a headset. After about a week, that has become their particular appeal for me. They provide enough sound to settle into what I’m doing while leaving room for the person beside me.

I’ve had a few different pairs of open ear earbuds and headphones. Some were bone conducting, some were not. They all had decent sound, but not great. I wasn't sure how good the Bose open-ear headphones could actually sound, but these Bose Ultra Open Earbuds really surprised me. Better than all others I have owned. Comfort and Fit: Finding the perfect spot takes a second, but once I get them in the right position on my ears, they are pretty comfortable. They seem to stay on really well, too. I mostly use them for daily tasks like listening to music while I work, taking phone calls and even a couple conference calls. I haven't tried running or working out with them, but they feel very secure for walking, normal movement and wear. Easy to Use: These are incredibly easy to set up and use. Connecting them was an absolute breeze. On my Android phone, it took me right to the Bose app immediately after I easily connected them to Bluetooth. They were also very quick to add to my iPhone. The setup process was so intuitive that I completely skipped the tutorial and didn’t need to read any instructions at all. I did need a quick look for the actual controls. There is a lot you can do with just the two buttons. I figured out how to answer and hang up calls, pause and skip songs, increase and decrease volume, and more. Performance: The sound quality is what truly impressed me—it is much better than I expected from an open-ear set of headphones. I also used them for several phone calls and they worked very well. The microphone is solid, and I was told I could be heard clearly. I could hear the conversation clearly as well, though I did notice I needed to turn the volume up a bit for calls compared to when I was just listening to music. Overall: Overall, these are fantastic headphones that sound great and are incredibly user-friendly. My only minor gripe is with what comes in the box. The package contained only the case and the earbuds—no charging cable. I have plenty of cables around so it is fine, but for the premium price tag, you would really expect them to include a charging cable. That minor annoyance aside, I am very pleased with their performance and comfort. They are pricey compared to other open ear earbuds and others offer some extra features like noise cancellation (in open ear earbuds NC is crazy but it exists) but the Bose have superior sound quality. It really seems like I have earbuds in my ears based on the sound quality but the feel is open ear.

The Bose Ultra Open Gen 2 earbuds are a newer take on the "earbud" segment where instead of traditionally inserting the bud into your ear canal they instead wrap around the edge of your outer ear just above the lobe. I was really hesitant about how this would work but now that they have arrived let me say that this is truly fabulous. I would always tend to get irritation in my ear canal after wearing buds for more than an hour or so & being in the south I would also begin to sweat. Having the bud wrap around the outside of the ear alleviates any of the irritation I would normally have & my ear also staysd cooler & drier now, this is fantastic! With that said, there are still drawbacks which happens to be the only reason I did not give a 5 star rating. The one issue that I have is that I have thick ears which once the bud wraps around my ear leaves it farther from my canal than someone with skinnier ears and does not allow me to get the full volume effect. Don't get me wrong, the sound is still very good & has quality but I feel like I am only getting about 75% volume level. If I push my ears in slightly the volume increases significantly. I wish there was a way to extend the "wrapping length" for people that have wider or thicker ears. Other than this these are great earbuds and I would highly recommend but I worry that the price point is a bit high for most people.

Amazing sound quality, while still being able to hear whats going on around you. Clips on, stays on without having something down in your ear canal. Love them

Like the title says, these earbuds sound amazing and i love you can still be aware of surroundings. But if you plan to talk on the phone with them they are not worth it. Several people i have talked to on the phone complain about my audio. This is frustrating as theyre $300 not $30.

I now have the original Ultra Opens and now the newest Ultra Open Earbuds and the improvement is noticeable. Sound is much better and the battery life is a vast improvement, even when using the immersion setting. Very happy with the improvements.

Had trouble with the Apple AirPods effecting my ears....these sound amazing and don’t effect my ears...

The Good: - Surprisingly excellent sound: For an open-ear design, these sound remarkably rich and full. Music and movies have much more body than I expected, and they're easily among the best open-ear earbuds I've tested. - Excellent comfort: The clip-on design is extremely comfortable and secure for extended use. That said, fit matters—small to medium ears should be fine, while larger ears may struggle to find the ideal position, which directly impacts sound quality. - Great battery life: Easily gets me through extended listening without constantly thinking about the charging case. - Excellent app integration: The Bose app is polished and makes setup, EQ adjustments, updates, and device management straightforward. - Multipoint works well: Pairing through the app is quick and easy, and switching between multiple devices has been seamless. - Good call quality: Voices come through clearly, making these perfectly usable for calls in addition to music. - Built for activity: Sweat and water resistance make them a great choice for workouts, walking, and outdoor use. - Physical controls: I appreciate having an actual tactile button rather than relying entirely on touch controls. The Bad: - Missing a bit of dynamic punch: They sound excellent for open earbuds, but don't quite have the impact and dynamics of a good set of traditional in-ear headphones. Still, after using these for a bit you really don't miss much. - Volume controls take practice: The button itself is great, but adjusting volume isn't immediately intuitive and took some getting used to. Expensive: $299 is a lot for earbuds, even ones this well executed. Overall: These aren't noise-canceling earbuds, but that's really the point. They won't drown out a noisy gym, but for walking, running, or anywhere situational awareness matters, they're fantastic. Bose has managed to deliver genuinely impressive sound without isolating you from your surroundings, and for the right use case they're an easy 5 out of 5.

Summary: Do in ear earbuds drive you crazy? The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) may be the solution. The Open-Ear, Clip-On design (think clip on earrings) are premium wireless earbuds that deliver sound outside your ear canal. If comfort with immersive audio is your thing, these might be the answer. Large improvement over Gen 1. Great for outdoor walking when you need to be aware of your surroundings. If you are looking for ANC, look elsewhere. Pros: - Sounds great out of the box, the Bose quality everyone expects amped up in Gen 2. Loved the base for earbuds. - Great fit, stays in place. Does not clog your ears. This is perhaps the major selling point. - Decent App makes it easy(ish) to set up, easy to use, and access to all the futures. - Decent build, robust. - Decent battery life, at least 5 hours with all the features, longer without. The case boosts that to over a day of continuous use. - Wireless charging. - Easy to use controls. - Rated IP5, you won’t want to shower with them, but they are fine for water drops and sweat. A Matter of Taste: - There is nothing subtle about the futuristic look. They will be noticed. But the metallic look means you will love how they look (I did) or ... maybe not. - Gen 1 was not great for phone calls, these are usable, but still not industry leading. Cons: - The open ear design does not support ANC (noise cancellation). Can’t blame Bose, it’s a matter of physics but this will be a deal breaker for some. More Words: More than any other earbud, if you have never tried the open ear design, you owe it to yourself to try them before buying. It’s a very different experience than in ear earbuds and that difference dictates a lot of does and does not do. You want the open ear design if in ear doesn’t fit well, constantly falls out, or you want to stay aware of your environment. For example, when running or walking. And that’s the both the major strength, and major weakness rolled up into one design choice. Several better in ear earbuds offer some sort of ‘pass-through’ feature where they use the built in microphones to digitally record what’s going on around you and insert it into what you hear. It works, but always sounds a tad artificial and that can be confusing. With the open ear, you hear the natural sounds. Which is great if you want to, not so if you don’t. Likewise, no noise cancellation with the open ear design. If those two features don’t put you off, then you may very well love the 2nd Gen Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. The first generation was reasonably well received by those that put a premium on comfort. But it wasn’t great for phone calls, your voice sounded strange. Gen 2 improves on that. Gen 2 also improves the overall sound stage, making it punchier for me. It adds more immersive modes that sound great for cinema. Battery life is still great, with the added convenience of wireless charging. If you liked Gen 1, this is a worthy upgrade. So let’s look at the price. It’s on the high side for earbuds and puts it into direct competition with other premium in ear products. If fit and comfort was NOT the issue, then it’s hard to beat in ear for ANC and isolation. I will not be using these on airline flights, for those my in ears will be the star. But in ears always make me nervous when walking about or driving. These will shine for that. Likewise, even in private areas I like to be aware of my surroundings lest someone sneaks up and pounces on me (if you have kids you know). So I can see these for using at home even. So yes, the sound justifies the price, but ONLY if fit is your first concern. And so the inevitable question, would you recommend these to a friend? I would list the pros and cons and let them decide. But if fit was an issue, my recommendation is an enthusiastic yes. A five star yes.

This is my review of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds that I am using both at work and at home, so I have had a chance to give them a good workout. There is a LOT to love here, starting with how amazingly comfortable these are. I have tried earbuds in the past from multiple companies, and while some fit my ears better than others, nothing I have tried were comfortable and/or secure enough for all day wear. The Ultra Open Earbuds are unlike anything I have tried before, they attach onto your ear with a springy, silicone rubber clip that you can barely feel, yet they are snug fitting and do not move, even when I tried to shake them off like I was a wet dog, heh. Next, we need to talk about the sound, the most important feature for any earbuds or headphones in my opinion. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds really shine here, with crystal clear sound and very nice base that doesn't distort, even at high volume. At low to mid volume, you can hear ambient sound around you, and for me, that is a huge positive in a working environment. Coworkers can get my attention without having to tap me on the shoulder if I am on a call or listening to music, which is usually necessary if I am wearing noise cancelling headphones, which was what I used before getting these. These are not noise cancelling, but that is an intentional design feature here. So if noise cancelling is a requirement, these aren't for you. Another thing to point out is that at higher volume, other people can hear some of the sound. Even at full blast it's not what I would call loud, but I asked my worker in the cubicle across from me if he could hear what I was listening to and he said "yes, I can definitely hear that you're listening to music, but nothing specific." When I was on a call though, he said he couldn't hear the other person, so I don't think eavesdropping would be an issue, if you were on a sensitive call. When I first used them at work during a Teams meeting, I asked my coworkers on the call about the quality and volume of my voice compared to the headphones I previously wore, and they said they couldn't tell a difference one way or the other, and that I sounded good. I have to say, that is quite the complement considering I had been using flagship, over the ear headphones costing hundreds of dollars more than these Bose Ultra Open Earbuds previously. The earbuds come with a case which is how you charge them, and I have to tell you, that charge lasts a LONG time. A full day at the office with several meetings and a few hours of listening to music, and at the end of the day I still had 50% battery life. Another hour or so of use that night and letting them charge overnight, and they were ready for the next day. These are rated for up to 9 hours of continuous use, and that doesn't feel like an exaggeration. The final thing that I found really helpful on these earbuds is the connectivity. You can connect 2 devices at once, so at work, being connected to both my laptop computer and phone was great, I didn't have to disconnect and reconnect. Second of all was the distance, I could walk around the cubicles to the printer, a good 15 feet away, and not lose connection. I didn't test the water resistance on these (IPX4, so fine for sweat and splashes, but not swimming or otherwise immersing them), but wanted to at least give this feature a mention. As far as constructive criticism, the QR code on the front of the box did not work for initial setup; however by the time you read this, it may be fixed. I got these early for review. And then, because of their very nature, these aren't as loud as my over-the-ear headphones, and I do wish these Bose could "go up to eleven" as they say in Spinal Tap, heh. Of course, that would come with a cost in terms of battery life and most likely sound quality, and I'm not saying these are hard to hear by any stretch. Overall, I am extremely enthusiastic about these 2nd generation Ultra Open Earbuds. I read and watched reviews of the first generation buds, and it appears Bose has listened to and addressed concerns. The battery life is longer than the first generation, and they have enhanced the sound quality and volume. They even look great! An easy 5/5 stars to give here, you're gonna love them!

When I first put on this 2nd generation open earbuds from Bose, I was pleasantly surprised. I went with an average expectation, but what I experienced was just great. Kudos to Bose. Open earbuds are now getting more and more popular. I can attest that in recent times, with trying to work while listening to music and at the same time keeping aware of my surroundings, I reach for something with a bit more transparency. With my beloved closed-back Bluetooth headphones, I am forced to take them off (or turn on transparency) from time to time whenever I feel like I need some environmental information. This is more relevant while working from home where the pets, the door, and especially the children need to be kept an ear out for. I tried moving to open-back headphones, but even though I prize them for the sound quality, the wired connection etc. make them not the most practical, so I reserve them more for my quieter listening sessions. The next obvious choice is using an open-style earbud or a bone conduction. And even though I have a number of them that I have been using for this convenience, I have always felt that they are not up to the mark in terms of the sonic experience. Either they are a bit awkward to wear, or they are a bit too quiet where I had been fidgeting with the volume control, or in most cases the back of the bass is quite startling. When I got the 2nd generation model of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, I was thinking more about the comfort due to the “ear ring” style and the corresponding small dimensions, rather than anything else. But from the start I was impressed with the sound these small things produce. It's clear overall, from the low to the high end of the frequency spectrum. These are not claiming to be superb in sound reproduction, but out of the box tuning makes sound very natural and “full”. These are the first open earbuds which gave me an impression that I’m hearing sound from speakers, even with no spatial/surround sound options enabled. In my last weeks of almost everyday testing, I have been listening to my regular foray of Spotify music, which has a mix of rock, metal and instrumental music, as well as a lot of podcasts. And barely I had the itch to get a better headphone. Rather it helped me make my playlists much richer which I usually use for my “quiet” sessions where I bust out my dac/amp/open headphones or my monitor speakers. In essence, these Ultra Open Earbuds made a very good balance between convenience, comfort, and experience. The earlobe ring design is something I am still getting used to - I still see some gazes when I am out and about. One thing I noticed is that the location of the earbud makes the comfort level go up or down. Some positions made my earlobes hurt after 30 minutes or so, while in other positions I had no trouble toting them around for hours and hours. The sound, especially the perceived volume, also changes based on the location. But after getting to a sweet spot, it just disappears - I sometimes forget that they are still in my ears. Battery life is good, with the charge case topping off the buds while not in use. I like the fact that the case has a flat bottom - this is a minor thing but which I miss in my other earbuds that have a round case. USB-C and wireless charging rounds it off. The Bose app is easy to use, has a streamlined design, and most of the time connects to the earbuds pretty easily. There have been some times when I had to restart the app so that it detects the earbuds, but most of the time I rarely use this. There are options to do some EQs to tune the sound to make it more aligned with my liking. The unique options are the Modes and the associated Immersive Audio option. The Immersive Audio provides Still and Motion options when enabled, and these add depth and headtracking based spatial audio, which I felt was implemented really well. Especially the panning of the source when I turned my head around almost felt as if I’m listening from a stationary speaker. There are other spatial audio implementations out there, but this one felt the most realistic and usable to me. The Modes let you quickly set some builtin tuning aligned with content, and the associated immersive audio setting can be saved as well to your liking. Overall the app is very helpful. In terms of controls, the earbuds have a physical button each, and they respond to various commands. I like the fact there’s a shortcut that can be assigned to the left earbud to do some specific task from a list. Customization is always a good thing, and I wish all of the button actions could be adjusted freely. Connection is via Bluetooth 5.4, and using my Android smartphone I was using aptX adaptive codec. I believe non-Android devices are limited to SBC and AAC, so YMMV. It supports multipoint connectivity, and switching between devices was quite easy and seamless. Overall, I am very impressed with my experience with the Ultra Open Earbuds 2. It has become my daily driver - unless I need ANC, I’m reaching out for these almost instinctively. It is not a cheap product, but still I highly recommend checking these out.

These are my first open earbuds, and I'll admit I didn't know how to wear them at first. I had to look at a few pictures online to figure it out. Once I did, I found them very comfortable and unobtrusive, and they still deliver the sound we've all come to expect from Bose. After pairing them with my phone, I'd call the Bose app a must. It shows the charge level of each earbud and of the compact charging case. Right away, it walks you through a demo of the Immersive Audio settings (Still and Motion), so you hear what these earbuds can do from the start. The app also holds all the settings: Modes: Choose Stereo, Immersion, or Cinema. Immersive Audio: Set it to Off, Still, or Motion. Shortcuts: Customize what pressing and holding the button on each earbud barrel does. My favorite is setting the right earbud to open Siri. Tips: Animated pictures of each function to show how to answer calls and control audio. Equalizer: Drag the curve to set your own sound, or tap a preset for Bass or Treble. Once you've tinkered with the settings, it's time to play your favorite music, and the Bose sound is amazing. These aren't noise-canceling, but Immersive Audio pulls you into the music anyway. Battery life is about 5 hours with Immersive Audio on, or 9 hours with it off. If traditional earbuds aren't for you, give these open earbuds a try. I promise you won't give up any sound quality.