Bose Ultra Open Earbuds 2nd Gen

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are the best open-ear earbuds we've tested, with improved bass, TrueSpatial head tracking, and 9-hour battery life. At $299 USD, they're pricey but justified if you need to stay aware of your surroundings. The open-ear design means sound quality can't match sealed buds, and commute performance is the weakest area. If you want to hear the world while listening, these are the ones to beat.

The sound quality is the headline here, and Bose deserves credit for pushing open-ear audio further than most. The updated drivers deliver more bass than you'd expect from something that doesn't seal your ear canal. It's not going to rattle your skull like a good pair of in-ears, but it's fuller and more present than the first gen. The TrueSpatial tech with head tracking adds a 3D element that's genuinely fun for movies and certain music. Cinema Mode is a nice touch for watching content on your phone, giving you a wider, more theater-like soundstage without needing a soundbar or headphones.

Battery life lands at 9 hours on the earbuds with Immersive Audio off, dropping to 5 hours with it on. The case adds another 19.5 hours, and the quick charge gives you 2 hours from a 10-minute top-up. That's solid for this category, sitting around the 73rd percentile for battery in our rankings. Connectivity is a real strength here, hitting the 88th percentile with Bluetooth 5.4 and multipoint support. You can be paired to your laptop and phone at the same time, which is the kind of thing that quietly makes your life easier. The mic quality is decent at the 68th percentile, with noise cancellation for calls and SpeechClarity tech that helps your voice cut through background noise.

The Technics EAH-AZ100 is the most direct competitor in terms of audio quality and premium positioning. Technics brings a more traditional in-ear design with better noise isolation and arguably more refined sound, but you lose the open-ear awareness that Bose offers. The Sony WF-1000XM6 is another strong alternative, with class-leading noise cancellation and excellent sound, but again, it's a sealed design. If you want to block out the world, Sony and Technics are better choices. If you want to stay connected to your surroundings, Bose wins by default because that's the entire point.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation is worth mentioning because of ecosystem lock-in. If you're deep in the Apple world, the AirPods Pro offer seamless integration, solid transparency mode, and good sound. But they're still in-ear buds with tips, and the transparency mode is a simulation of openness rather than actual physical openness. The Soundcore P31i and EarFun Air Pro 4+ are budget alternatives that undercut Bose significantly on price, but they don't match the build quality, connectivity, or spatial audio features. You get what you pay for, mostly.

At $299 USD, these are expensive for open-ear earbuds. Most of the category sits well below that, and you can find decent options for half the price. But Bose is positioning these as a premium lifestyle product, not a budget fitness accessory. The metallic bevel cap, the wireless charging, the head tracking, the multipoint connectivity. You're paying for polish and ecosystem integration as much as raw audio performance.

Whether that's worth it depends on how much you value the open-ear form factor. If you're comparing these to sealed earbuds at the same price, like the AirPods Pro 3rd Generation or Sony WF-1000XM6, you're going to notice the gap in sound isolation and bass depth. But that's not the right comparison. These are for people who specifically want to hear their environment. In that niche, Bose is charging a premium for the best execution we've seen. The CAD 379 and MXN 11,010 prices track similarly in their respective markets, so the value proposition holds across currencies.

Bose has been chasing the open-ear thing for a while now, and the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) feel like the version where they finally nailed the formula. These are cuffed earbuds that wrap around the outside of your ear instead of plugging into your ear canal. You get music, podcasts, and calls while still hearing the world around you. That's the whole pitch, and for a lot of people, it's exactly what they want. Runners, cyclists, office workers who need to hear their name called, parents who can't fully tune out. The list is longer than you'd think.

At $299 USD, these sit at the premium end of the open-ear category. You're paying for Bose's name, sure, but also for some genuinely interesting tech. TrueSpatial audio with head tracking, a new Cinema Mode for mobile video, updated drivers that promise deeper bass, and wireless charging. The first gen Ultra Open Earbuds were good but had some rough edges. This second gen is Bose saying "we heard you" and then actually doing something about it.

Our database puts these at 58.9 out of 100 overall, which sounds mediocre until you look at the context. Open-ear earbuds always score lower on raw audio metrics because they're not trying to seal you off from the world. They're playing a different game. The question isn't whether these beat the AirPods Pro on noise isolation. It's whether they're the best at what they're actually designed to do. And on that front, Bose is making a strong case.

If you're looking for noise cancellation or maximum audio immersion, these are not for you. The open-ear design means you'll hear everything around you, which is the point, but it also means you'll never get the deep, isolated sound of a good pair of sealed earbuds. Commute performance is the weakest area at 48.6 out of 100, so if you spend a lot of time on trains, buses, or planes, you'll want something with active noise cancellation. Look at the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation instead.

Also skip these if you're on a budget. At $299 USD, they're a premium purchase, and there are solid open-ear options for less. The Soundcore P31i and EarFun Air Pro 4+ won't match the Bose polish or spatial audio features, but they'll get you 80% of the way there for a fraction of the price. If you're not sure you'll love the open-ear form factor, start cheaper and upgrade later.

If you're a runner, cyclist, or anyone who needs to stay aware of their surroundings while listening to audio, these are the best open-ear earbuds we've tested. The comfort is genuinely impressive, with the flexible joint and silicone material making them easy to forget you're wearing. The 9-hour battery life means you can get through a full workday or a long training session without reaching for the case. And the sound quality, while not matching sealed buds, is the best we've heard from an open-ear design.

For office workers who need to hear colleagues but want private audio, these are also a strong pick. The multipoint connectivity means you can be on a call from your laptop and switch to your phone without missing a beat. The mic quality is good enough for calls, and the SpeechClarity tech helps in noisy environments. If you're looking for maximum audio immersion or noise cancellation, look elsewhere. But if you want to unmute your world while keeping your tunes, Bose has delivered.