Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen (Black)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen (Black)

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen (Black) are Bose’s flagship true wireless earbuds, built around one priority: the strongest noise cancelling Bose has put in an earbud. The second generation keeps the CustomTune personalisation and Immersive Audio of the original and adds a wireless charging case, improved call quality with AI-based background noise suppression, refined ActiveSense adaptive cancelling and a Cinema Mode for video. Finished in Black, they are aimed at frequent flyers, commuters and office workers who want quiet on demand in a pocketable form.

Where these earbuds differ from most rivals is that the sound and the cancelling are measured against your own ears. Every time you put them in, CustomTune technology analyses the shape of your ear canal and adapts both the audio and the noise cancellation to it, so the seal, the bass response and the cancelling you get are calibrated to you rather than to an average ear. That personal calibration, paired with Bose’s stability band fit system, is why the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds hold their performance through a full working day of wear.

Key features

• World-class noise cancellation: Adjustable active noise cancelling with CustomTune calibration and ActiveSense, which smooths sudden loud sounds even in Aware Mode.
• Bose Immersive Audio: Spatial audio that places sound in front of you rather than inside your head, with Still and Motion listening options for seated and moving use.
• Cinema Mode: A video-focused mode that spatialises audio and balances dialogue, background sound and effects for a theatre-like presentation in earbuds.
• Up to 6 hours per charge: Up to 6 hours of listening in Quiet or Aware Mode, up to 4 hours with Immersive Audio, and up to three additional full charges from the case.
• Wireless charging case: The case charges over USB-C or wirelessly, and a 20-minute quick charge returns around 2 hours of playback.
• Clear calls with AI noise suppression: A built-in microphone system with noise rejection and AI-based background suppression focuses on your voice in wind and crowd noise.
• Nine fit combinations: Three pairs of eartips and three pairs of stability bands combine for a secure, comfortable seal, checked with the earbud seal test in the Bose app.
• Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint: Connect two devices at once and move between phone and laptop without re-pairing, with aptX Adaptive audio on Snapdragon Sound devices.

Listening modes for every situation

Three core modes cover most of the day. Quiet Mode applies full noise cancelling for flights, trains and focused work. Aware Mode passes the outside world through, with ActiveSense automatically softening harsh spikes such as a passing siren or a dropped tray so awareness never becomes discomfort. Immersion Mode combines full cancelling with Immersive Audio for music and film, and the Bose app lets you build custom modes with your own cancelling level, up to ten steps of adjustment, and save them alongside the presets. An adjustable equaliser in the app shapes bass, midrange and treble to taste.

Fit, calls and daily use

The fit system is a large part of why these earbuds cancel so well. Soft silicone eartips seal the canal while umbrella-shaped stability bands lock gently in the ear’s ridges, and with nine combinations most listeners find a pairing that stays secure without deep insertion or pressure. The earbuds carry an IPX4 rating against sweat and splashes, so workouts and wet-weather commutes are covered, and either earbud can be used on its own for calls or listening. On calls, the microphone array and AI-based suppression work together to lift your voice out of wind and background chatter, an area Bose specifically improved for this second generation.

Battery and charging

A single charge provides up to 6 hours of playback, or up to 4 hours with Immersive Audio switched on. The wireless charging case holds up to three additional full charges, taking total listening to around 24 hours, and its battery level is now reported in the Bose app. Charging is via USB-C or any compatible wireless charging pad, and when time is short a 20-minute charge gives roughly 2 hours of listening. Automatic on and off sensing in the case helps preserve charge between uses.

In Black, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen are the discreet, classic version of Bose’s most capable earbud: class-leading quiet, personalised sound and a fit designed to disappear, in the finish that goes with everything.