Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) Review
Let’s skip the marketing fluff and influencer clickbait of “I review earbuds for a living” (bah humbug). The truth is simple, what you buy depends on what you can afford and yes, a $50 pair of earbuds is a very different beast compared to a $500 pair. However, even the best brands can stumble and sometimes those shiny “next-gen” upgrades don’t quite hit the mark. Case in point, one of my all-time favourites remains Bose’s 2022 QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds and at $429 back in the day, they delivered pure audio bliss, with comfort and noise cancellation that still hold up beautifully today. They are perfect for walking, gaming, gymming or just chilling to the latest music or becoming immersed in a new streaming show, the Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds were simply great and I panicked a few years ago when I thought I lost them!
But now, I’ve found a new favourite. Just as Apollo, Saraswati, Raijin and Ihy were revered as gods of music across cultures, Bose has crowned a new deity in the audio world, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and OMG (pun intended), these earbuds are divine. With Bose’s CustomTune technology sculpting sound to your ears, world-class noise cancellation that silences the chaos and Immersive Audio that creates a spacious almost concert-like soundstage, they don’t just play music they elevate it to the heavens. Add in a secure fit, wireless charging, hours of listening comfort and you’ve got earbuds that feel less like a gadget and more like a gift from the sound gods themselves … ok I couldn’t help myself but wow, these earbuds are something else.
The design of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) embodies high‑end aesthetics, with five striking colours to choose from including Black, White, Deep Plum, Desert Gold (reviewed) and Midnight Violet, so you can match them to your own style. The Desert Gold edition pairs a sleek black body with a subtle shimmer of gold, proudly showcasing the Bose logo that look quite stylish. Compact and lightweight, each earbud measures just 2.99 × 1.25 × 2.49 cm, and together with the charging case (6.63 × 5.97 × 2.69 cm, 61 grams), they’re designed for portability without compromise.
Build quality is equally premium with a mix of PC‑ABS plastic, silicone and metal, plus an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance. The silicone eartips and stability bands ensure a secure, comfortable fit, while the hard‑shell case protects your investment on the go. Inside the box, Bose includes multiple eartip sizes, stability bands, and a 30.5 cm USB‑C cable for charging and the only other thing you need is your smartphone! Speaking of charging, the battery per earbud lasts up to 6 hours (4 hours with immersive audio) with the case providing three additional charges of up to 24-hours of listening. It takes up to 2 hours to charge totally flat earbuds and up to 3-hours for the case and best of all, it supports a 20-minute quick charge to deliver 2-hours of listening.
Highlights
- CRISP SOUND WITH IMPRESSIVE BASS
Balanced audio with depth and clarity - CUSTOMTUNE FOR PREMIUM SOUND
Personalised tuning for your unique ears - A FIT THAT WON’T QUIT
Secure silicone tips and stability bands - UP TO 6 HOURS
Reliable battery life with quick‑charge support - SPATIALISED BOSE IMMERSIVE AUDIO
Expansive, concert‑like soundstage - CLEARER CALLS THAN EVER
Enhanced microphones for voice clarity - WIRELESS CHARGING CASE
Compact, Qi‑compatible charging - CUSTOMISED WITH THE BOSE APP
Fine‑tune EQ, ANC and controls
Unboxing
Setting up the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) is refreshingly simple. The moment I opened the case, Google Fast Pair instantly detected the earbuds and paired them with my Pixel phone without fuss. To unlock the full experience, the Bose Music app is essential as it guides you through a quick tutorial (the immersive audio one is spectacular), including finding your best fit and showcases standout features like Immersive Audio plus checking for firmware updates and the important EQ settings.
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Wireless connectivity is rock‑solid, supporting A2DP Bluetooth audio streaming and HFP Bluetooth for calls, with a reliable range of up to 9 metres. Multipoint connectivity is another highlight, allowing you to pair multiple devices simultaneously and switch between them effortlessly, whether you’re moving from your phone to your laptop or tablet.
While Bose don’t publish the exact Hz ranges of their earbuds, the listening experience speaks for itself, bright highs, warm mids, and powerful bass all delivered with exceptional clarity. Music in particular shines, and when Immersive Audio is enabled it elevates playback into an entirely new dimension. This flagship spatial sound technology transforms ordinary stereo tracks into a wide, three‑dimensional soundstage, placing vocals and instruments around you rather than confining them inside your ears.
It works universally with any audio source, whether streaming, downloaded music or podcasts, without requiring special formats, and offers two distinct modes: Still Mode, which recreates the feel of listening to a stereo system when stationary and Motion Mode, which maintains a consistent soundstage while you move. In practice, it’s Bose’s direct answer to Apple’s Spatial Audio and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, but with the added advantage of being built directly into the earbuds themselves, delivering a spacious, concert‑like experience no matter what you’re playing.
Listening to Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl, Riven’s Visions of Tomorrow, Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend and composers John Murphy and David Fleming Superman (2025) soundtrack albums on these earbuds was like being inside a record studio due to the amazing clarity, especially with immersive audio and thanks Bose, I can no longer go back to listening to music without it – with this technology, you can have the option of it moving with you as you turn your head left to right or even following you, amazing.
Additionally, Ed Sheeran, Metallica, James Blunt and Olivia Rodrigo via my music streaming service again produced smooth clear and at times loud music. The bass feature of these earbuds is phenomenal that is not only appropriately loud at times but also no distortion. Additionally, there is noise cancellation that like previous Bose audio devices, blocks background very well (perfect for flights or to silence the chatter and noise around you) and there is also an aware mode that still plays the audio, however still allows you to hear the physical world around you.
The controls on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are straightforward and intuitive, ditching clunky buttons for smooth touch gestures that actually work. A single tap pauses or plays, double and triple taps skip tracks forward or back, and a quick swipe up or down adjusts the volume without fuss. Long presses toggle between noise‑cancelling and aware modes, while calls are easily answered or ended with a tap. Better still, the Bose Music app lets you customise shortcuts, whether you want instant battery status or to summon your voice assistant, so the earbuds feel tailored to your habits rather than forcing you into theirs. It’s a clean, responsive system that makes everyday use feel effortless.
Brilliant!
Final Thoughts?
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are excellent earbuds that produce exceptional clear audio without any distortion whatsoever. They are ideal for music, streaming and of course taking calls (or online meetings) with no issues there either. Whether you’re at the gym, chilling in the bedroom or listening to music on the way to work, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) deliver one of the best audio experiences I’ve heard in years. The only drawback is that on windy days, this can sometimes impact on the audio quality but this is a factor with most earbuds. Like I said at the start, Bose has crowned a new deity in the audio world, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and OMG (pun intended) and these earbuds are divine!
About the Author
Andrew Bistak When he's not trying to save the world, Andrew enjoys travel (although loathes turbulence), going to the movies, reading and being a dad to his two dogs (and now twins) with his wife.
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