2 days ago
Bose's latest earbuds go straight for the AirPods Pro throne
A refined approach to noise cancellation and sound personalization
Clearer calls, even with just one earbud
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Subtle hardware improvements and long-requested features
Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint support
Qualcomm aptX Adaptive , SBC support
, SBC support Google Fast Pair
Available in Black, White Smoke, and Deep Plum
Qualcomm aptX Adaptive is a premium Bluetooth codec developed by Qualcomm. It automatically scales audio bitrate (from 279kbps to 420kbps) based on your wireless environment, prioritizing either quality or latency depending on what you're doing (like gaming vs music).
With Apple's
With Apple's AirPods Pro 3 and Sony's next-gen buds still unannounced, Bose might just enjoy a head start in the race for best premium wireless earbuds of 2025. Whether the noise cancellation and call upgrades end up being impactful upgrades remains to be seen, but the unchanged price tag is a promising start.
The earbuds are set to launch later this summer for $299, the same price as their the core strengths of the QuietComfort Ultra line remain—namely, Bose's renowned comfort, audio quality, and noise cancellation—this new model builds on that foundation with smarter features. The 2nd-gen earbuds use an updated AI-powered algorithm layered onto Bose's CustomTune sound calibration tech, enabling more nuanced noise control, especially in Aware to the upgrade, changes in environmental noise—like a passing subway train or sudden city chatter—are now handled more smoothly, preserving your music or podcast without jarring has also put considerable effort into improving voice pickup. The new buds feature eight microphones, dynamic audio mixing, and adaptive filters that can now suppress wind, crowd noise, or general background clamor more effectively. Whether you're using one bud or both, Bose says callers will hear your voice front and center—tech originally developed for Bose's hearing aids is now helping make that happen audio, Bose is finally checking off some long-requested quality-of-life features. The earbuds now support wireless charging by default, and a new wax guard helps prevent earwax from creeping inside the buds. Capacitive touch controls can now be disabled in the companion app for those who found them too life remains unchanged at up to 6 hours from the buds, with the case offering three extra full charges. A quick 20-minute top-up provides about 2 hours of listening specs in a nutshell:
