Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds may go down as some of the most important wireless earbuds of their time.
They're not the best-sounding buds you can buy for £299 / $299 /AU$449, nor are they the most feature-laden, but given the market's trajectory over the past few years, it's hard to ignore their substatantial influence.
Since the Ultra Open Earbuds launched in early 2024, various brands, including Huawei, JBL, Shokz and Sennheiser, have tried to emulate their off-ear design, all to varying degrees of success and acclaim.
Bose wasn't the first brand to make an open pair of earbuds, but it was one of the first to show that the concept could really have legs, with the US brand's original effort standing tall as one of the best of its type we've ever tested.
With their blend of unobtrusive comfort and surprisingly satisfying sound quality, Bose's trailblazers remain the finest exemplar of what the rapidly expanding open market can be. Having lived with the Bose Ultra Open, I know just what they're capable of.
Bose has recently announced a sequel, the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), and in my book, that's cause for celebration. Despite their imperfections, I've always been in the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds' corner, with a second-gen sequel representing the ideal opportunity to rectify the quirks and missteps of the fantastic yet flawed first-gen buds.
Second time's a charm
Before we get to that, we need to understand what makes Bose's original open effort so impressive, and to do that, we must understand what they were designed to do in the first place.
The thing is, not everyone likes the feel of a traditional pair of wireless earbuds, especially when it comes to having a foam or silicone tip burrowing into their ear canal.
For some users, they can become uncomfortable over time, while for others, they can fall out or cause discomfort during exercise. In-ears also tend to isolate you from the outside world, so for those of us who spend time running on busy roads, dodging traffic and pedestrians as we go, the idea of a more aware alternative is appealing.
Just the other day, I stepped out into what I thought was a quiet country lane during a quick 5K, only to jump like a stabbed rat back onto the verge upon realising that a pick-up truck the size of a tank had been there the entire time. With open buds, such risks are negated by virtue of having more environmental noise filtering into your ears, keeping you more attuned to your surroundings as a result.
For runners, gymgoers and ordinary wearers with sore ears, the Ultra Open Earbuds solved most of their problems, providing a comfortable 'clip-on' fit that rarely became wearing or unstable no matter where we went or what we were doing.
They sounded good, too, with a far meatier and more detailed signature than almost any open pair before or since. They were, in essence, the most viable alternative to the established in-ear configuration that we'd yet heard.
Open to improvements
Despite their clear virtues, the Ultra Open Earbuds were not, and indeed are not, without their quirks and quibbles.
For starters, they're still a sonically compromised pair of earbuds. Despite Bose's best efforts, sound quality is always going to suffer if you don't have a sealed fit, and while the Ultra Open Earbuds exhibit a musical, entertaining sound with a good sense of timing and decent cohesion, they're not the clearest or most insightful performers you'll find at this kind of money.
Speaking of money, Bose's trailblazers were simply far too expensive at launch. When they arrived in 2024, the buds would set you back £299 / $299 / AU$449, meaning that they were essentially going up against not only Bose's own QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (£300 / $299 / AU$450) but Sony's flagship WF-1000XM5 (£259 / $299 / AU$419) and the staggeringly popular AirPods Pro 2 (£249 / $249 / AU$399). That's a premium price tag for earbuds without noise cancelling or class-leading sound.
Thankfully, it looks as though at least one of my rather specific prayers has been answered. While writing about my experiences with Bose's open hopefuls at the time, I wrote that, "While I still support the open concept, I don't think its comfort benefits make up for the inevitable sonic sacrifices it incurs. Drop it down by £100 / $100 / AU$150? That's a different story."
And wouldn't you know it? That's exactly what Bose has done. The Ultra Open Earbuds are set to launch at a far more reasonable £180 / $199 / AU$350, with discounts that are almost exactly in keeping with my own requests. Does Bose religiously read my articles? Do I influence corporate policy? If so, can we get a sequel to the SoundLink Max Bluetooth speaker, please, and maybe a branded T-shirt while you're at it?
Money aside, any sonic improvements to the second-gen open buds are always gladly received. Lower-end frequencies are always going to be compromised when you don't have a proper seal, but any improvements to the quality of the bass from the sequel would be more than welcome.
There's power and weight to the original Ultra Open Earbuds, but as I wrote at the time, there's a hollowness that put me in mind of a "bucket being hit at the bottom of a well". Filling in those textures with more richness and authenticity would really complement the excellent sonic foundation Bose has already built.
Bose has teased “improved sound and call quality" for its sophomore effort, with the second-generation earbuds also using newly engineered drivers to deliver “deeper bass and higher volume” than their predecessors. Someone at Bose has definitely been reading my letters to Santa...
Great sound and a comfortable, easygoing fit, all for a much lower price? I'm listening.
Do you know why I like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds so much? Competent innovation. Bose tried to do something different with its trailblazing buds, but rather than simply relying on the open gimmick to shift units, they doubled down on a decidedly premium product that, while somewhat overpriced, had the quality to back up its innovation.
It isn't just the fact that the Ultra Open Earbuds are different – it's that they're genuinely good at what they do. Not perfect, but a very admirable first effort.
While many rivals have tried to emulate its success, Bose's effort remains the best of its type that we've heard over the past five-or-so years. The Ultra Open Earbuds are the most viable alternative to traditional in-ear alternatives, and now that Bose has dropped the price and is teasing serious sonic upgrades, the sequel could well prove to be a five-star success.
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