I've been lucky enough to get my hands on many earbuds and headphones as part of my job at TechRadar, but there's only one pair that's in my ears every day – the Apple AirPods Pro 2. Whether I'm in the gym or at my desk, I have no issues using them for hours, they sound great and work seamlessly with my IOS devices.
That was until I got to try the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and I've been trying to delude myself into making the switch ever since. My sister's been doing her best to convince me in a bid for my hand-me-downs, but this Amazon deal has finally got me reaching for my card.
While these buds are down from AU$449.95 to just AU$314.10, it's AU$1.10 more than the lowest price we've seen. I'm happy to pay an extra dollar for the blue colourway, but White and Black are both only AU$323.96 if they're your style.
We think these are the best noise-cancelling earbuds money can buy, and that is priority number one when it comes to my listening. In our Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds review, we found their head-tracked immersive audio, superior codec support and industry-leading noise cancellation incredibly impressive. For a AU$450 pair of buds, we thought their price was fair so snagging them for more than 30% off is a darn good deal.
I can't overstate how much I love my AirPods Pro 2, and before using these Bose QuietComfort Ultra buds I had my doubts about how good they could be. I mean, are any earbuds really worth AU$450 when there are so many awesome more budget friendly options? However, the detailed sound and world-blocking ANC of the QC Ultra buds didn't take long to demonstrate their impact on my listening, and I was sold – not quite enough to grab them at their RRP, though.
AirPods Pro 2 are still natural partners for iPhones and other iOS devices because of how seamlessly they integrate. However, these Bose buds don't discriminate when it comes to connecting to devices. This is especially true in regards to their Immersive Audio feature, which gives extra space to music from any audio source – much like the AirPods Spatial Audio, but with any music service, not just Apple Music. ,We thought we'd hit the jackpot back in February when they dropped AU$80, so you're reaping the rewards if you've held off this long. We doubt this price will last long, and while Amazon's second Prime Day – Prime Big Deal Days sale – is coming in October, there's no guarantee they drop low again.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Review: Sound Quality and Noise Cancellation
The charging case is quite bulky; It's larger than my JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds and my roommate's AirPods (2nd Gen), but has a sleek finish and has a nice, reassuring weight to it. Scuffs and scratches are also very visible on the White Smoke case that the earbuds came in, so I'd recommend picking up the Black or Moonstone Blue colorways if you want your accessories to look pristine.
As far as audio performance goes, the QC Ultra earbuds deliver impeccable noise cancellation -- the best I've tried yet -- and robust sound. With the strong ANC, I was able to dig into my work by listening to my morning classical playlist and blocking out the noisy office chatter around me. When the parade outside my bedroom window grew so loud I couldn't sleep, I put these earbuds in my ear to dim it down (and it worked). By far, these are the best noise-canceling earbuds I've tried yet.
More spherical than circular, the shape of the ear tip suctioned well to my ear, and I never had trouble with it falling out as I moved around. I appreciated that the touch controls on either ear were incredibly receptive, as other earbuds I've tried have had difficulty mastering capacitive touch controls.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: Immersion Audio and Sound Modes
One feature I especially enjoyed while listening to the QC Ultra earbuds was the different sound modes you can access through the Bose Music companion app. These buds don't just come with a Quiet mode and an Aware mode. You can cycle through six audio modes: Quiet, Aware, Immersion, Commute, Run, and Work. In the app or by lightly pressing your left earbud, you can take advantage of pre-set modes that turn on or off specific audio modes based on your daily activities, like a commute, run, or work.
Because I want to be aware of my surroundings during my subway commutes, I especially enjoyed the commute mode on the app. It offers some noise cancellation, so I can properly hear and appreciate my music but blends it with a distinct level of sound awareness.
Immersive Audio is Bose's take on spatial audio, and the new feature is something that sets the QC Ultra apart from previous generations of QuietComfort earbuds. Immersive Audio creates a thoroughly fun listening experience by adding an airy, multidimensional sound to whatever you're listening to.
You can choose between “Still” for sitting or standing in place or “Motion,” which keeps the feature working properly while you walk around. It's a cool feature and adds an extra layer of engagement to any workout or physical activity you perform with the earbuds on.
While listening to Dua Lipa's Swan Song, I toggled between Immersive Audio and Aware mode to hear the distinction between the different filters. Amusingly, I found that every aspect of the song was more spacious and immersive with Immersive Audio turned on.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: Battery Life and Connectivity
Though the immersive audio is a great feature, it can also be a battery drainer. By design, earbuds have a shorter battery life than larger headphones and speakers, as the internal electrical components can only handle so much with such little room. If you're cross-shopping, the QC Ultra earbuds' six-hour battery life is shorter than Sony's latest flagship earbuds, the WF-1000XM5, despite both earbuds being the same price.
Another issue I've seen users on Reddit raise is Bose's connectivity problems. There was one week when my earbuds would sound staticky and randomly disconnect from my in-range phone, but Bose has fixed this problem with updates, as I haven't experienced connectivity issues in months with these earbuds. So if you're on the fence about buying these because of Bose's notorious connectivity problems, rest assured that there isn't as many problems with the QuietComfort Ultra.
With the Immersive Audio feature turned on, the QC Ultra earbuds' six-hour battery life quickly dropped to four hours, barely enough to get me through a workday. It's not a big problem if you go through one to two-hour listening sessions at a time, of course.
One issue I have with the QC Ultra earbuds is that despite being equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, they're a pair of premium earbuds without Bluetooth multipoint connectivity. Without multipoint, you can't seamlessly switch the buds' audio output between two devices, like your smartphone and your laptop.
Bose's accompanying QC Ultra over-ear headphones are equipped with Bluetooth multipoint, and the company says the feature is on the way for the earbuds. Still, for $299, I'd expect it to be available right out of the box.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: Verdict
It's clear to me that Bose made noise-canceling and sound quality a priority with the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds. For a pair of earbuds, the sound quality is top-notch, and the noise-canceling easily shields me from the loudness of car horns, train rides, and the many other sounds of New York City. I would recommend these earbuds to anyone who cares a lot about immaculate sound quality and the best noise canceling you can get.
If you are looking for a pair of headphones that can keep up with your audio demands, the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are the way to go, especially if you've been on the fence about the older, similarly-priced QuietComfort II buds.
