Bose re-enters the premium earbuds game, promising small but mighty upgrades to its Ultra earbuds

It’s been almost two years since Bose released the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and headphones, introduced the Ultra moniker, and declared this line of headphones and earbuds its best products. The QC Ultra Earbuds are among our favorite noise-canceling earbuds, and now, Bose has announced the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

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The QC Ultra Earbuds debut with a list of refinements compared to their predecessors, including an updated AI algorithm for noise cancellation and voice pickup, wireless charging, and a refreshed design.

The first-gen QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have exceptional noise-canceling capabilities, thanks to four microphones in each earbud and AI-powered algorithms that analyze ambient noise and filter out unwanted sounds. According to Bose, the QC Ultra earbuds (2nd gen) have an updated algorithm that improves the earbuds’ noise-canceling performance, especially when ActiveSense is enabled.

Also: Why I travel with Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra instead of the Sony XM5 headphones

The ActiveSense feature is one of my favorites to use with my QC Ultra headphones, as it keeps you aware of your surroundings while quieting sudden loud noises in your environment. Bose says the updated algorithms make the sudden transition from transparency mode to active noise cancellation smoother, which should improve the user experience.

During our testing of the first-gen QC Ultra Earbuds, one significant drawback was that they struggled to pick up your voice when taking phone calls in noisy environments. Bose says the new AI-powered noise suppression technology, dynamic mixing, and adaptive filters will remedy this problem.

Bose’s flagship earbuds have a thicker bud-and-stem design, and the new second-generation earbuds feature an eartip guard that Bose says will prevent earwax buildup and make the buds’ tips easier to clean. Another small design change includes added customization, notably, allowing users to turn off capacitive touch controls. 

Also: Why these Bose headphones are still the best I’ve listened to – even though they’re a year old

Many features are the same on the first and second-generation QC Ultra Earbuds, including Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, Snapdragon aptX Adaptive and Bose SimpleSync compatibility, six hours of battery life, and support for Bose Immersive Audio.

Additionally, Bose isn’t increasing the price between the two generations, so the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen) will retail for $299. They’ll be available this summer in Black, White Smoke, and limited edition Deep Plum.