Bose has unveiled its new flagship pair of wireless earbuds: the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).
Quite apart from being a mouthful of a name, Bose's new flagship buds aim to build upon the success of the five-star QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds predecessor, which were released in September 2023. They have since retained top spot as the best noise-cancelling earbuds we recommend.
Two years on, the new Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen promise the "same iconic performance", along with updates to its noise-cancelling abilities, voice call quality and wireless charging.
Let's start with the "enhanced" active noise cancellation (ANC) upgrades.
As before, the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) use Bose's proprietary and class-leading CustomTune sound calibration technology, which adapts the audio and noise-cancelling experience to the listener's ears and surroundings. In the 2nd Gen earbuds, an updated AI algorithm is layered on top of this existing technology, which aims to improve this "ActiveSense" experience when in Aware Mode.
Bose claims that "changes in noise cancellation levels are now smoother than before when the system is adjusting to filter out sudden spikes of noise, preventing audio content from being drowned out by the sound of a passing train or a nearby siren."
In our review of the first-gen Ultra Earbuds, we noted that the Aware mode was excellent at balancing the outside world with enough noise-cancelling effect, but that certain sudden noises were enhanced rather than being subdued. Let's hope this 2nd Gen's upgrades fix that problem.
For better voice call quality, a new AI-powered noise suppression system combined with the earbuds' eight microphones is set to deliver clearer voice calls.
Bose claims that the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) will be more effective at reducing background noises like wind or office chatter while keeping the speaker's voice clear and centred. This should work whether you're using one earbud or both.
The general design of the earbuds hasn't changed, but Bose has upgraded the eartips that come included in the box. They now have a guard to prevent wax build-up over time, and this also makes it easier to clean the eartips.
The next-gen Bose ANC earbuds also feature wireless charging out of the box.
Other elements of the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds remain the same as the previous generation, which is no bad thing. The earbuds run on Bluetooth 5.3, with multipoint connectivity available for seamless switching between two connected devices.
The standard AAC and SBC codecs are supported, alongside aptX Adaptive, which allows you to stream in 24-bit hi-res lossless and low latency from compatible sources. There's no sign of Auracast support, but Bose's divisive Immersive Audio mode returns.
This is Bose's take on spatial audio and we're not a huge fan of the effect, least of all because it slashes the battery life when activated. The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) has the same battery life as before: six hours on a single charge, with Immersive Audio slashing that number to just four.
You get three additional charges with the USB-C charging case, resulting in a 24-hour total of battery life. That's on par with the current (and older) Sony WF-1000XM5, although you do get longer total hours from Apple and Technics flagships.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are available in black and white smoke finishes alongside a limited edition deep plum.
Price? This is also unchanged from the predecessor, with the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) launching at £299 / $299 / AU$450.
You can pre-order them today, with full availability on 26th June in the UK, 7th July in Australia and 'later this summer' for the US.
New rivals at this premium flagship level include the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 (£299 / $319 / AU$549) and Technics EAH-AZ100 (£259 / $299 / AU$499), which push the performance boundaries further, although Bose remains the top choice when it comes to all-encompassing ANC, so we have high hopes for the new flagships.
While Bose states that all the enhancements in the 2nd Gen model aim to "elevate the listening experience", we are surprised that there aren't any more concrete sonic improvements mentioned, to the driver or otherwise. The sound quality between the two generations could be entirely unchanged.
We will confirm if that's the case when we get a sample in to review, and see how the new Bose flagship earbuds fare against their current competitors.
MORE:
Read our original Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review
Here is our wishlist for the upcoming Sony WF-1000XM6
Our guide to the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now
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