I spent 24 hours with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds gen 2 — here's what I like and don't
So you can imagine just how excited I was when Bose announced it was launching a new version of the buds, with improvements across the board to make them even better. Well, I've now got them in my hands (ears), and I'm here to tell you all my discoveries in the 24-hour period that I've been testing.
One of the only things really lacking from the charging case before was wireless charging. Unlike the Sony WF-1000XM5 and the Apple AirPods Pro 2, you couldn't drop the first gen onto a wireless charging pad to juice them up. That was (emphasis on was) a shame.
It was a shame because that's no longer an issue — the generation 2 version can now be charged up with a wireless charger. It's good! It's great! And crucially, it works. Place it on a pad, and it'll charge up. Nice. It does lead me to something I wish was better though...
It's no secret that the battery life of the QuietComfort line of products isn't the best. It's likely because the always-on ANC and transparency modes suckle at the battery like a thirsty newborn, and it's left Bose headphones and earbuds with less battery than the competition.
Just like the first generation, the earbuds will only last 6 hours. That's only just enough and pales in comparison to the 8 hours you get on most of the competition. Some kind of battery improvement would have been nice, but alas, no such luck.
I knew that the ANC was still going to be excellent. No doubt in mind. Bose has never let me down, and it's unlikely to start now. There's the same great ANC on board the gen 2 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, although there are now some subtle improvements.
They still play their signature orchestral swell to listen to the inside of your ear and adjust ANC accordingly, but I've found it's worked slightly better with the new version. Transparency mode has seen some improvements, too, with some AI implementation.
My dad sounded clearer in "aware mode" in the new buds than he did in the old model, and the sound of the outside world didn't feel quite as synthetic. Nice.
I quite like the way that the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds gen 2 look. They're a chunkier bud than the likes of the WF-1000XM5, but that's not something that bothers me too much. What does bother me is that they look almost entirely identical to the old model.
The only thing that keeps them differentiated is the color. For the most eagle-eyed, there are now grilles inside the eartips to stop dirt and grime getting into the audio bits inside, but that's not noticeable when they're in your ears.
To be clear, the new white smoke color I've got here is nice. But I would have liked to see some more visual updates.
The original QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds were already pretty good for calling people. Voices are crisp and noise isolation is used to make sure there isn't anything getting in the way of hearing your call partner.
The call quality in gen 2 has stepped up from what I can tell. There's apparently a new AI-powered noise suppression system, which makes sure that you're easier to hear on the other end of the call. I'll be doing more testing in the next few months, but things are looking pretty good at the moment.
Usually, I'd have more to say, even after only 24 hours with the buds — but this time around I simply don't. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds gen 2 are very, very similar pair to the gen 1 buds. They sound the same, and offer the same feature set, too.
My verdict at the moment — if you're buying a pair of the QC Ultra buds now, don't. Wait for the Gen 2 to arrive and you'll get the benefits of the few updated features. If you're thinking of upgrading, perhaps hang about and wait for our tech reviewers to finalize our testing. Because at the moment, this feels like a limited update.
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