Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Review: Flawed Perfection
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are Bose's latest flagship wireless headphones. They feature active noise cancellation with 360° audio, retailing for $300 a pop. In this full review, I will share my honest opinion of Bose's new high-end earbuds.
Good
- Excellent active noise cancellation
- Interesting 360° immersive sound
- Solid battery life and fast charging speed
- Adaptive aptX codec
- IPX4
- Useful application
Bad
- Large design
- Overpriced
- No multi-touch capability
- No wireless charging support
In a nutshell
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have been on sale since October 2023 for $299 a pop. However, you can find them for sale on Amazon for $249.
These are Bose's new top-of-the-range wireless headphones, replacing the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (review). Bose went on a journey to renew its entire audio catalog this year. For instance, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones replaced the outgoing Bose NCH 700 (review). I'm also looking forward to reviewing the Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones, which will replace the Bose QuietComfort 45.
- See nextpit's selection of the best wireless headphones with ANC
I think that these very expensive wireless headphones from Bose have the best active noise cancellation in the market. Bose's ANC is better than the Sony WF-1000XM5's (review). What about audio quality? Does the 360° "immersive" sound really work? Is the $300 price tag justified? We'll find out in this review.
Design
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are one of the largest wireless earbuds I've reviewed in recent times. The earbuds, the case, virtually everything is large and bulky. However, the design conveys an impression of quality worthy of its $300 asking price.
Pros:
- Very premium design.
- Solid-looking case.
- IPX4 certified.
- Comfortable to wear for long sessions.
Cons:
- Massive weight and form factor.
- Less-than-ideal fit due to weight.
- No wireless charging via the case.
- Earbuds are complicated to remove and store in the case.
In terms of its form factor, the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds reminded me a lot of my old Sony WF-1000XM3s. They're massive in stature where wireless headphones are concerned. Each earbud weighs 6.24 g, with the case tipping the scales at 59.8 g. At a glance, it looks 1.5 times bigger than the AirPods Pro 2's case (review).
Apart from the form factor which is too bulky for my taste, I found the design of the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds to be neat. The white color with beige and gold tones is visually sublime. The case also seems to be very solid, but storing the earbuds is a counter-intuitive affair. They're a pain to remove and placed back in.
The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds are IPX4 certified, which means they are sweat- and rain-resistant. Personally, I wouldn't consider them for more active sporting activities. Firstly, I don't work out am and more of a couch potato. However, they're simply too darn heavy! Their semi-in ear format means they don't fit in the ear canal well. Hence, without an optimal fit even with the included silicone wings, there is a high risk of losing them when you pound the pavement.
For the controls, Bose opted for an all-touch format on its Bose QC Ultra Earbuds. Unfortunately, the case does not support wireless charging. That's a real shame for a pair of $300 earbuds, and it's not the only hard-to-forgive shortcoming of the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds.
Audio quality
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds suffer from the same problem as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. In other words, Bose simply recycled the technical specifications of the previous model. As a result, we're left with a very classic Bose audio signature, with an (over)abundance of bass and peaks in the treble. The 360° "immersive" audio, however, is a nice surprise.
Pros:
- Big bass that goes "BOOM BOOM" in your ears.
- Adaptive aptX audio codec support.
- Great implementation of stereo scenes.
Cons:
- Same audio quality as the Bose QC Earbuds II.
- Same drivers as the Bose QC Earbuds II.
The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds feature the same 9.3 mm drivers as the Bose QC Earbuds II. While it is not a bad thing in itself, one wonders why a new model is released a year after the launch of the QCE II with the same innards, apart from a money-making endeavor that capitalizes on the FOMO among the brand's fans.
One of the few improvements made in the QC Ultra Earbuds is support for Qualcomm's adaptive aptX audio codec. This is one of the benefits of being Snapdragon Sound certified.
If you happen to come across a reviewer who claims that the sound is noticeably better on the QC Ultra Earbuds than on the QC Earbuds II, I suggest you invite them to perform a blind test. I'll bet my meager monthly salary that he or she won't be able to tell the difference.
That's expected since the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds have an audio signature that's found across all Bose products. Overboosted bass, slightly flat upper mids, and a few peaks in the treble. The idea is to compensate for the hyper-presence of bass to give the impression that the audio signature is balanced. However, if you were to look at the frequency response curve of the headphones, you'll see that the profile is anything but balanced.
Even so, the illusion worked quite well. Only on certain electro or Phonk tracks (yes, I've given in to the fashion) did I feel like I was being swept out of my eardrums with a wooden leg. Apart from the audio signature, I found the stereophonic scene very immersive and all-encompassing.
That's all you get when you listen to music with the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds in normal stereo mode. In 360° "immersive" mode, audio quality takes a beating, and I will explain further in this review.
Active noise reduction & 360° audio
The only real and almost new feature of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is the famous immersive sound. This is Bose's proposal for 360° audio. My point of view continues to be in the minority, but I found this function to be very interesting and not simply a gimmick. As far as active noise cancellation is concerned, Bose remains an industry leader.
Pros:
- 360° immersive sound is more than just a gimmick (even if not 100% effective).
- Excellent active noise cancellation.
Cons:
- Transparency mode lacks a natural feel.
- ANC and transparency intensity are not adjustable.
- No "simple" mode without any sound processing.
The immersive sound of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Having been exposed to Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, I am familiar with its immersive sound. However, I would like to share my findings with you here.
At Bose, 360° audio is known as "immersive audio". Bose offers two modes: Still and Motion. Still mode is designed for use when stationary, such as when you're at your desk or on your sofa. It adjusts the scene according to your head movements. Motion mode, on the other hand, was designed for those who are always on the move, adjusting the scene as you move around.
Each mode relies on head movement tracking albeit in a different manner. In Still mode, the music is always "projected" in front of you. The source of the sound does not move with you, and the headphones detect whether you turn your head to the right or left. To illustrate this, imagine someone singing right in front of you without moving. If you turn your head to the right, you'll have the impression of hearing the song more with your left ear, and vice versa.
This mode worked very well, especially when watching films or series. What's more, processing is carried out directly on the headphones, which is very practical. So there's no need for Dolby Atmos or 360 Reality Audio content.
On the other hand, I was disappointed by the Motion mode, which I didn't use much outside the scope of this review. In this mode, head tracking is set back to allow the headphones to follow your movements. Instead of having a "fixed" sound that doesn't move, the scene moves with you.
I found this mode to be too confusing. Clarity and precision were lost and I also noticed some latency problems. The difference in audio quality when switching between classic stereo mode and immersive mode is quite noticeable.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
It's the same as on the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. KTHXBAI!
On a more serious note, nothing has changed technically as far as ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) is concerned. The active noise cancellation of Bose headphones remains an excellent affair. It's surely the best on the market, even if I haven't made a direct comparison with the ANC capabilities of the Sony WF-1000XM5.
When you activate the "Quiet" listening mode, you get the impression of being in a bubble of absolute silence. Personally, I loved working in the office with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. I can't hear the unbearable noise from my mechanical keyboard that drives my colleagues mad. Even if their complaints of despair were ratcheted up a notch, I did not hear anything. Frequencies between the upper mids and highs are properly attenuated. This is not usually the case with most audio products.
I can ignore and avoid all social interaction on the move, and live out my status as a hermit with no permanent friends, while reading my paperback like an aesthete without any audio distraction.
A final word on the transparency mode. It works well but lacks a certain natural feel to it. Bose has a function that automatically attenuates sudden noises, such as a slamming door or a blaring alarm. This is useful for avoiding jump scares, since transparency normally amplifies ambient sounds.
In short, in my opinion, Bose's active noise cancellation is flawless. However, that was already the case with the previous model.
Features & application
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds work with the Bose Music companion app. The app is available for free for Android and iOS. It requires a Bose account to use, which is a slight inconvenience. What got me was the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds' biggest flaw: the absence of multipoint Bluetooth connectivity!!!!
Pros:
- Wear detection & auto-off mode.
- Touch-sensitive shortcuts on each earbud.
Cons:
- A Bose account is required to use the application.
- Equalizer could have been more precise.
- No multipoint Bluetooth connectivity!
That's the sound I'm making right now, as I restrain myself with all my might from writing a 20,000-word article cursing Bose for not including multipoint Bluetooth connectivity in its $300 QC Ultra Earbuds. Three frickin' Benjamins! That is a difficult pill for me to swallow.
This means you cannot use the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds with two devices simultaneously. You have to disconnect from your smartphone to connect the earbuds to your PC, for example. This is very easy to do via the Bose Music app, but it's an unforgivable flaw in my eyes.
As for the rest, the Bose Music application provides access to a wide range of functions. Wear detection and an automatic sleep mode are excellent features to be enabled when you remove the headphones. The three-band equalizer is also included, accompanied by a number of presets.
You can also assign a touch shortcut to each earbud. The tactile gesture is a long press. You can choose between three shortcuts per earbud:
- Change listening mode (noise cancellation/ transparency/ immersive sound).
- Change immersive mode (still/motion/off).
- Activate voice assistant.
Battery life & charging performance
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have a claimed battery life of 6 hours without immersive sound and 4 hours with immersive sound activated. That's a decent battery life, in the upper mid-range of the market. However, the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds does not offer wireless charging.
Pros:
- Decent battery life of 6 hours with ANC enabled.
- 3 full recharges with the case.
- Relatively fast charging via the case (1 hour).
Cons:
- No wireless charging supported.
You can't disable active noise cancellation on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. By default, in stereo mode, ANC is always on.
I think the 6 hours of battery life as claimed by Bose is just about right. Competitors' battery life generally falls between 4 and 6 hours, but without active noise cancellation enabled.
In actual use, I've always been able to achieve 6 hours with the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds, sometimes even a little more. What's more, the case can recharge the earbuds up to three times on a full charge.
Once again, Bose made an incomprehensible decision by omitting fast charging. This is a "normal" function in 2023, even on $100 earbuds like the Nothing Ear (1) (review).
We can take comfort in the fact that charging via the box is rather quick. It takes 1 hour for the headphones to go from 0 to 100% battery. To recharge the box itself, via USB-C, do spare 3 hours for it.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds technical specifications
| Technical specifications | |
|---|---|
| Product | |
| Image |  |
| Design | Semi-intra | weight: 6.24 g (per earphone), 59.8 g (housing) | port detection | touch controls |
| Audio | 9.3 mm drivers |
| Frequency response | Not specified |
| ANC |
|
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | codecs SBC, AAC, aptX adaptive | No multipoint Bluetooth connectivity |
| Battery life |
|
| Price | $299.00 |
Final verdict
Do I recommend the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds for $300? Absolutely not! They don't offer enough improvements over last year's Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II.
It has the same audio quality, the same active noise cancellation, and the same battery life as the previous model. Even the design is very similar.
And at $300 a pop, the absence of multipoint Bluetooth connectivity is an unforgivable faux pas. This is even more grating since Bose already promised last year that the Bose QC Earbuds II would receive this function via an update. We are now at the end of 2023, and the promised update is nowhere to be seen. Frankly, it's not likely to arrive any time soon, since Bose will be giving priority to the new model, the QC Ultra Earbuds, when it comes to software maintenance.
The absence of wireless charging is also hard to justify in my eyes. However, after taking everything into consideration, it should not be a real deal-breaker.
The fact remains that the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds are a pair of very good wireless headphones. Audio quality isn't up to Sony's level, but if you're listening to streaming MP3s, that doesn't have much impact. Active noise cancellation remains beyond reproach with Bose really remaining untouched in this category.
360° audio is fun to experience. It's not as good as the spatial audio of the AirPods Pro 2, but that's to be expected since Bose doesn't have as much control over the software as Apple. The arrival of the Bluetooth LE Audio codec and multichannel support should change things.
With multipoint Bluetooth connectivity and wireless charging included, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds could have earned a 5/5 rating from us despite their price. I awarded them 4/5, which is still a very good score. However, I'd advise you to wait for a price drop and an update that brings multipoint Bluetooth connectivity if you're going to buy them.
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