Bose updates QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds with AI noise reduction and wireless charging
The company is charging $299 for the new buds, and they'll launch later this summer
🎧 Bose has announced its new QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
🔇 The buds come with enhanced noise cancellation powered by AI
📐 The design of the buds has been improved to keep then cleaner over time
⚡️ You also get wireless charging and up to six hours of battery life
📅 The headphones launch later this summer for $299
After releasing the excellent QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds in 2023, Bose is back with a fresh pair featuring a few upgrades. The flagship QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) maintain a similar design to the original QC Ultra buds and all the same promises like high-quality audio, long battery life, and first-class noise cancellation. The new version enhances a few aspects of the experience, adding a new way to charge and improved noise reduction powered by AI.
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) feature Bose’s proprietary CustomTune sound calibration technology, which optimizes audio quality for each user. With the new generation, Bose is adding an updated AI algorithm that improves the headphones’ ability to adjust noise cancellation levels based on your environment, similar to other earbuds like the AirPods Pro.
Now, the buds will adjust noise cancellation levels more smoothly when there’s a sudden spike in noise like a siren or passing train. I’ll be curious to try this out in New York City’s subway stations.
AI is also used to improve microphone quality on the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen). It’s better at adjusting the sensitivity of the eight microphones on board to suppress background noise while elevating a speaker’s voice.
Bose is also adding wireless charging to the earbuds, which will make them far more convenient to recharge than a simple USB-C port does. You still get up to six hours of battery life (or four hours with Immersive Audio turned on) and up to 24 hours with the included case, while quick charging can supply two hours of listening time over 20 minutes.
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) design has also been tweaked. The eartips now come with a guard to avoid building up too much earwax over time. The touch sensors on the sides of the buds can also be turned off completely if you find yourself accidentally touching them.
Sound quality seems to be the same as the previous version, although we’ll need to test them to figure it out. Bose also still includes Bluetooth 5.3, Qualcomm aptX Adaptive, and Google Fast Pair support.
The new QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) will launch later this summer for $299. Bose will sell them in three different colors: Black, White Smoke, and a limited-edition Deep Plum.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.