The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are a premium addition to Bose’s lineup, offering top-tier noise cancellation, immersive audio features, and a comfortable design. Here’s an in-depth look at their performance:
Sound Quality
The earbuds deliver a rich and full-bodied audio experience, characterized by a familiar richness and fullness. They sound a touch punchier and a little clearer in their delivery. While they may not be as transparent and insightful as some competitors, such as the Sony WF-1000XM5, they maintain a sense of musicality and entertainment.
Noise Cancellation
Bose continues to lead in active noise cancellation (ANC) technology. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds reduce ambient noise and are ideal for noisy environments like crowded streets or public transport. The ‘Aware’ mode impresses as it balances out your music with surrounding noise, allowing you to stay aware of your environment without compromising audio quality.
Comfort and Fit
The earbuds are designed for comfort, featuring improved stability bands extending over the earpieces’ top ridge to enhance fit. The box includes three pairs of stability bands and three ear tips, allowing users to find the perfect fit for extended listening sessions.
Features and Connectivity
The Bose Immersive Audio is a notable addition, the company’s spatial audio technology. This feature offers two modes: ‘Still’ for stationary listening with fixed audio positioning, and ‘Motion’ with head tracking that keeps the audio in front of you as you move. However, some users have reported mixed results, with occasional delays and phase issues during head movements.
The earbuds now support the AptX Adaptive codec, enhancing audio quality for compatible devices. However, they lack multipoint connectivity, meaning they cannot connect to multiple devices simultaneously. Additionally, the case does not support wireless charging out of the box; a separate silicone sleeve accessory is required for this functionality.
Battery Life
The earbuds offer up to six hours of playback on a single charge, which decreases to four hours when using Immersive Audio mode. The charging case provides additional charges, totaling between 12 and 18 hours of battery life, depending on usage. This performance is consistent with previous models, though some users may find the reduced battery life with Immersive Audio enabled to be a drawback.
Final Words
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds excel in noise cancellation and offer a rich audio experience with the addition of spatial audio features. While they come at a premium price and have some limitations, such as the lack of multipoint connectivity and native wireless charging, they remain a strong choice for those seeking high-quality wireless earbuds with advanced features.