ANC, sound, wearing comfort top: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 are ideal travel companions

The second generation of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds impresses with excellent active noise cancellation, great sound, and exceptional comfort. Unlike their predecessors, the Bluetooth earbuds also offer inductive charging.

Together with the German company Sennheiser, the US manufacturer Bose is one of the pioneers of active noise cancellation, in which an opposing signal (anti-noise) ideally neutralizes a disruptive sound wave. The principle is called Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). In 1986, both companies first introduced headphones designed to make the work of airline pilots easier. Fourteen years later, Bose launched the QuietComfort 1, the first commercial ANC headphones, which continue to this day.

The US company has only been offering wireless Bluetooth earbuds since fall 2020, but like Sennheiser, they are among the top manufacturers. The latest product is the second generation of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. Not much has changed from their predecessors, but the few improvements make the difference between the trailing and the leading group.

Safe but comfortable seat, good control

The design of the earbuds, which each weigh 7.7 grams and are IPX4 splash-proof, has remained the same. There was no reason for any changes. The combination of suspended cushions twisted into the ear cups with additional retaining fins ensures an optimal, secure, yet extremely comfortable fit.

Bose only includes three different sizes of silicone ear tips, which is usually sufficient to ensure a tight seal in the ear canal. You can test whether this is the case in the app. There's one small innovation here: The ear tips now have mesh inserts to protect the earbuds from earwax.

The control, exclusively via touch surfaces on the outside of the earbuds, has also remained unchanged. It works perfectly with taps and swipes, but if it gets annoying, you can disable it—that's new. The only changes you can make are the so-called shortcuts, which you activate by holding a finger on the left or right side. These can include switching between ANC, transparency mode, and immersive audio.

Excellent noise cancellation

The impressive active noise cancellation is, as with its predecessors, exceptionally effective. It adapts to both the environment and the wearer's individual anatomy. This doesn't always work perfectly—some ear shapes are simply too specific, but the earbuds seriously impressed ntv.de. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 are among the few earbuds that can almost compete with ANC over-the-ear headphones.

Not only do they almost completely absorb consistent background noise, but clattering keyboards and voices are also barely noticeable; even construction site noise is significantly dampened, and the earbuds have no problems with wind. The typical background noise of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 is also higher than that of many top competitors, but even with very quiet music, it's completely inaudible.

Custom modes, faster ActiveSense

You can't adjust the ANC in the basic settings. However, you can create your own modes in the app, where you can adjust the active noise cancellation to ten levels. You can also enhance ANC with immersive audio. This means the earbuds can add a spatial sound to normal stereo tracks. You can also use head tracking, which makes the music source appear to stay in place when you turn your head. The surround sound usually sounds good, especially with videos. However, it can sometimes sound too unnatural, especially with older songs.

Bose has made a small but important change to Transparency Mode. When ActiveSense is activated, very loud noises like sirens are now muffled with almost no delay. Otherwise, the effect is quite natural, except for a slight background noise; you can hear your surroundings almost as if you weren't wearing earbuds. What's missing is that you can't amplify voices to compensate for hearing impairments. Furthermore, there's no setting that pauses the music when Transparency Mode is activated.

Improved call quality, great sound

Bose has also improved noise cancellation during phone calls. Your own voice is clearly highlighted and sounds pleasant. The person you're talking to will barely notice your surroundings, unless you're trying to make a call at a busy intersection during rush hour. Not new, but worth mentioning: The earbuds can automatically answer phone calls if desired.

According to Bose, the sound hasn't been tinkered with. No problem, because the earphones sound excellent. It shines with powerful, but anything but heavy-handed bass. They can pack a decent punch, but are also content with a distinct, yet understated presence when appropriate. They also allow the broad, precisely differentiated mids to do their work confidently. The highs are clear and deliver plenty of subtlety without ever being harsh.

It's fun, and the Ultra Earbuds 2 deliver in every style of music. If you're not satisfied with that, there's an equalizer available in the app. With four preset modes and only three manual tracks, it's a bit limited compared to what Sony, Sennheiser, or Technics, among others, offer. Their features are also significantly more comprehensive.

Poor Bluetooth features, good endurance

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 feature Bluetooth 5.3, but don't support Auracast, which should be a given for new, high-end headphones and earbuds these days. The only higher-resolution codec supported is aptX Adaptive. iPhone users won't mind this, as even the current Pro models only offer AAC.

The battery life is good; the earbuds last around six hours at normal volume. However, with immersive audio enabled, the battery life drops to about four hours. Empty earbuds can be fully charged in just under an hour, and 20 minutes are enough for around two hours of listening time. The case offers reserves for up to 18 hours and is fully charged in three hours. You can see the current status in the app, which is also a welcome new feature. More importantly, however, the case can now also be charged wirelessly.

Conclusion

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 are excellent Bluetooth earbuds. Their sound is fantastic, and they're at the top of their game when it comes to active noise cancellation. Because they're also very comfortable and can be worn for hours without discomfort, they're excellent travel companions. The improvements keep the earbuds in the top tier overall, but many top competitors have even more to offer—especially in the apps.

Bose currently wants just under 300 euros for the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2. If you're considering them but want to save money, you can opt for the predecessors, which are now 100 euros cheaper and almost as good.