Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review

Bose built its reputation on airplane quiet, and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) carry that over to an earbud. The comparison table on Bose's earbuds page lists three modes, Quiet, Aware and Immersion, plus ActiveSense, which lets in surrounding sound when it gets loud, CustomTune calibration that tunes to your ear and Bose Immersive Audio for spatial listening. Fit is the real strength: Bose ships nine combinations of ear tips and stability bands, more than any other pair here, and a good seal is half of noise cancelling. Multipoint and voice control are included and the earbuds are rated IPX4. The weak spot is battery, listed at 6 hours, which is fine for a commute but short for a transatlantic flight without a top-up from the case. List price is $299, though Bose had it at $229 when we checked, which makes it far more competitive.

Who it is for

People who struggle to get a comfortable seal and want Bose's fit system with strong noise cancelling.

Price

$299 list price; $229 on sale at Bose when checked.

Current Price is: $229.00 Original Price is: $299.00
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 7, 2026.

Key features

• Quiet, Aware and Immersion listening modes with ActiveSense
• Bose CustomTune calibration and Bose Immersive Audio
• Nine combinations of eartips and stability bands
• Bluetooth multipoint and built-in voice control
• IPX4 water and dust resistance

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: The widest fit kit in this list, which helps the seal
• Strength: CustomTune adapts sound and cancelling to your ear
• Strength: Often discounted: $229 at Bose when we checked
• Weakness: Battery life of 6 hours per charge is the shortest among the flagships here
• Weakness: $299 list price is high
• Weakness: No high-resolution codec documented on the comparison page

Key facts

• List price: $299
• Battery: 6 hours
• Water resistance: IPX4
• Release year: 2025

Where it ranks

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) is No. 3 in our Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds verdict and No. 4 in Best Wireless Earbuds.