Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Mine work fine at the gym and for running

I run in mine fine all the time. There is 0 chance your hoodie is activating the side buttons so I'm just going to assume this is not a legit post. Sorry you wrote this book though.

I don't run so I can't really answer how they'd be for that specific case. I use them for my outdoor cycling needs (daily for about 45 minutes), and my gym needs (every other day for around an hour). For my needs, I use the Bose Quietcomfort-Ultra earbuds (I had the Bose QC2 before the Ultras which were essentially the same earbud with a few minor changes). They lock into my ears comfortably and do everything I need them to do.

For noise cancelling, I like my Bose QC Ultra earbuds. They are also very comfortable to wear and have sufficiently good sound quality (not the best, but good enough). But call quality is not that great. I personally am not a fan. I do not use them for taking calls unless necessary. One thing to keep in mind is that Apple being what Apple is, uses a higher bitrate when streaming AAC to apple-brand products. So even though the Bose has AptX-Adaptive, and Sony has LDAC - an iPhone will stream AAC.... but at half the bitrate you get using any other Apple (or their other internal brand, Beats) brand product (this is intentional to force you to stay within their ecosystem, of course). Fun side note - AptX is open-source and any phone company could use the software to build it into their phones, but they choose not to. I would say that Sony XM5 likely has better sound quality than the Bose Quietcomfort, but the Bose wins on better ANC and better styling (in my opinion), and better comfort (I have worn mine for four hours straight without any issue with comfort or battery life). Apple is..... apple - it has it's pros and cons. I avoid apple in general, but I get why people like them

They are not the best sound quality, but certainly good sound quality (better than most budget grade earbuds), and the ANC is best in class - Bose QC Ultra. But the ultra might be slightly out of your budget, in that case I'd be looking at the Bose QC Earbuds II (also called the QC2) - they are essentially identical to the Bose QC-Ultra. Now discontinued by Bose, you can still find them on eBay for around $150 new in box. Been using them for about four years working out in my gym, and cycling daily (45+ minutes on a bicycle outdoors). Only time I really worry about them falling out is if a dribble of sweat happens to work it's way into my ear - then the rubber gets slippery on the earbud. But it's simple to fix - dry everything off including earbud and ear, and it rarely happens (maybe once or twice a year I need to remove the earbud and dry it off)

I cycle daily outdoors for cardio and hit the gym 3x per week. I use Bose Quietcomfor2 earbuds (same exact design as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds). They've been used and abused daily for two years without issues - I've even biked through rainstorms without killing them!

Bose has been making noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds for decades - they also design noise cancelling headphones for aviation pilots. Needless to say, they have been perfecting their ANC algorithms for a LOT longer than other brands. If ANC is key, Bose Quietcomfort ultra is going to be at the top of the list - AS LONG AS you mix/match earbuds and wingtips to find the perfect 'fit' - it could take a few weeks before you get a nice tight seal in the ears. The Sony XM4 earbuds scored quite high on ANC compared to the Bose in real-world testing, but some firmware update from Sony effectively killed the battery life on the XM4 earbuds, and it seems the XM5 also have battery life issues. Jabra has gotten a fair amount of praise as a mid-priced quality earbud. HOWEVER earlier this year Jabra announced they were stepping out of the wireless earbud market - so there is no more hardware or software updates coming from Jabra, and no clue how they'll honor warranty claims if there is one. Sennheiser is really popular all around. The MTW4 are on sale for a good price and perform pretty well. However from my experience with the Momentum Sport earbuds, the ANC works well enough, but not the best I've handled.

bose qc ultra

Just got some static sometimes

Best anc bose

I have BoseQC ultra and sennhieser TW4, for sound quality I say TW4 but only slightly. I only grabbed them for music, I find the calls on TW4 or ordinary at best though. For sound I recommend TW4, if you take bulk calls I recommend Bose. It’s all personal preference at the end of the day though

I enjoy my TW4, I am liking the Bose QC ultra a little more now though

I see plenty raving about the demon pearl being the best on the market, I have BoseQC ultra and the M4, well my kids do and I borrow both. I can only see minor differences in either of those models. I am guessing and it’s only a guess that there would only be minor differences between all models

The Bose Ultra ear buds are absolutely amazing. Most times when I wear them, I say-dang, that sounds really awesome-like other high end headphones. But, I don't think it's the best choice for sports etc.

For sure Bose if it’s noise canceling you need most. Sound quality would go to technics out of those on this list.

Bose quietconfort ultra. No wuestion. I skate with them on and they never even moved and I barely noticed they are even in my ears. Best ANC also.

Yes those. Soooooo much better then the sports.

The best earbuds for working out have silicone tips. The ones without Ala airpods and galaxy buds 3 are not great at all. I use Bose QC Ultra AND Galaxy Buds3 Pro for the gym. Both are comfy and pretty secure. The Bose are better for ANC. Jabra Elite 10 & Elite 8 actives are also very good. Sennheiser Momentum Sport are fairly new and have the added advantage of little wingtips. They also come with a heart rate sensor built in. All the above do have silicone tips though. So without silicone tips u could something like Shokz or Bose Open buds (forget the exact name). Neither will have ANC and wont block out the rubbish background music that most gyms tend to blast out.

Unfortunately there are NO "one size fits all" and there are NO "best wireless earbuds" at rhe moment. Sound, ANC, fit & comfort are very much dependant on how they fit you. Eartips FROM Azla, Spinfit and Comply also enhance the experience with better grip and comfort. I've had all the buds on your list. I see Sonys mentioned a lot in this thread. They are awful imo. Very small footprint makes them loose in my ears. Terrible hybrid foam tips which are too small and have no grip. It's ANC gives a bad thudding body noise when ur exercising or when there's a loud noise near u. Turn anc off and it's gone. Call quality very average and poor in noise environments. They also have battery issues which u can read with a quick Google. Technics AZ80 have very good sound quality and decent battery life but they didn't stay in properly for me. ANC is average at best. The customisation and app is one of the best out there. Jabra Elite 10 are solid. Esp when paired with Azla eartips. Good anc, good sound good call quality. Bose QC Ultra have good sound, best in class anc but they also have a thudding noise when anc is on, although not as bad as the Sonys. Call quality is average and bad in noise environments. App control and connection and stability are not great. Sennheiser MTW4 are what I stuck with. Good sound (esp when personalised and tweaked), good comfortable fit for me, good anc, good battery. Call quality is average. Good app and customisation.

The Bose have great noise canceling but have very bloated bass. You can EQ the bass down to help balance the sound more. The spatial audio on the Bose ultras works pretty well. I'm on Android so not limited by the codecs like on Apple devices. It does seem the AirPods Pro 2 are probably your best bet since you are in the Apple ecosystem.

I find that my Bose QC Ultra buds are excellent for passthrough. I often just leave it on, and can listen to music with minimal distortion, and without disturbing others while still hearing everything happening around me. They are miles ahead of the Sony XM4 buds that I had before. However, I don't like auto switching, and can't speak to that.

I'm perplexed. I've read multiple reviews of people being impressed with the sound quality of these earbuds (I purchased the $300 Ultras). I had no problem with connectivity (a continual problem with my previous Sony WF1000's) nor the fit (very comfortable). But the sound quality is terrible at this price level. About equivalent to a $25 generic headphone. I tried all of their modes and EQ, and ran through the app several times. The app itself isn't horrible, but the UI/UX is not good. Way to busy, and not intuitive. I don't understand why anyone likes these earbuds, unless they are some sort of Giffen good where price determines opinion and desirability.

Been testing the buds 3 pro for the last couple of days and find them amazingly close to audiophile level sound quality, when using the right codecs - SSC UHQ, like on a Flip or Fold 6. Compared them to Bose QC Ultra earbuds with aptx adaptive at 24bit/96khz using the Creative W5 adapter, as also a wired IEM, the Noble audio XM1. Compared to the Bose the Buds 3 pro gives much more clarity and soundstage where the Bose has too much bass, it more V shaped to Buds 3 pro W. The Bose of course shines in comfort and noise cancelling, they are king, but the buds 3 pro are not far behind, and I can accept that compromise for the better sound quality on the new galaxy buds. I can use both for hours with little discomfort. I do have a issue with the noise cancelling 'pressure' that both generate, so I. Switch off noise cnacelling when not required for the increased sound quality. As noted in another thread, I did have to switch the ear tips for a larger size, for better isolation, fit and sound quality. No quality issues on my buds, so far.

I vote for Bose QC ultra. Only have experience with Bose and Airpods from your list. Among those two, Bose is far far superior in every way for my use. While ANC and comfort of Airpods are good, sound is terrible and not even as good as cheap $20 earbuds. Bose sounds great, good ANC, works with Android, iPhones, Mac, Windows and TV and they are super comfortable for longer periods of use in my ears .

Bose QC ultra is really good and they sound great too. Airpods pro 2 are good at this as well , but they sound terrible compared to Bose and as you are on Samsung phone , won’t make much sense anyway.

The Bose are quite good in my humble opinion.

QC Ultra are the best by far and nothing else is close. That being said they have had issues with quality over the years, sometimes disconnecting and having other weird glitches. My latest pair seem to be doing ok though.

i have tried bose quietcomfort ultra (im wearing them now) and airpods pro 2nd gen, after you wear bose for a whole day and the next day you switch back to airpods pro, you might doubt whether you turned on ANC. lol. About sony, I havent tried the one you said, but i have wh-1000xm4, this is not as good as bose qc, but maybe it's because of my big head lol. i guess its supposed to be better than earbuds but i felt the opposite.

but if you have an iphoen and do care about the overall experience - anc is not the most important factor, then maybe choose airpods pro. bose has some bluetoth connection problems and the case quality is definitely worse than airpods

Yes, [Bose’s QuietComfort Ultr or Sony’s WF-1000XM5](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProductsDiscussion/comments/1hzvkj5/best_noisecanceling_earbuds_for_sleeping_workout/) Both are solid picks for noise cancellation! Bose is super comfy with a more balanced sound, while Sony has great bass and customization. Both are good to go.

I've tried all the brands before (though not your exact models). Bose is going to have the best ANC if money is no object. Apple didn't have as good a seal or as comfortable, Sony didn't have as good anc, and sennheiser does not do good anc (though their sound is immaculate). Evrything else you can forget if you're not on a budget. Reviews that say Jabra or soundcore are as good for a lot cheaper are disingenuous - yes they can be decent on a budget, but they don't compare in terms of anc. I've tried jabra, soundcore, earfun, you name them.

They are pretty damn far behind. I've commented it elsewhere but no brand holds a candle in terms of anc to bose and Sony (and maybe Apple) earbuds. Other brands are good on a budget, but comparing them to the likes of bose is incredibly misleading. I've tried them all after reading reviews that say that they're comparable - they're not Edit: I was wrong about the Jabra. I tried it out Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 based on the comment below, and ANC is comparable (though slightly worse). I would recommend the Jabra over the Bose because of Bose's shitty software.

Bose has the best ANC. But if u want the overall best I say Jabra or Sennheiser. They are all top tier when it comes to ANC. The difference is pretty small between them.

Personally I would not care about the codecs, they still sound better than Bose, Airpods and XM5. When it comes to ANC they are not that far behind, and they lack the white noise you get from the Bose.

Best for the money, Elite 10. Best ANC, Bose.

Yes. Even if the difference in ANC can be rather small the Bose is the overall best.

I have these and the in ear ultras. They both offer a difference experience for different situations. I like them both for when I use them. I got the opens for when I’m out on my mountain bike so I have more awareness of my surroundings. My only negative is the price is too high when comparing to the in ear ultras. The in ear have ANC which requires more tech, the open should be cheaper than the in ear ultras IMO.

I have these and the in ear ultras. They both offer a difference experience for different situations. I like them both for when I use them. I got the opens for when I’m out on my mountain bike so I have more awareness of my surroundings. My only negative is the price is too high when comparing to the in ear ultras. The in ear have ANC which requires more tech, the open should be cheaper than the in ear ultras IMO.

I use the QC ultra with my MBP and P9P. Gestures, pause on removal, basically all the features work on both devices. You touch and hold to switch between your sound profiles which obviously works on both.

I just bought them as well. I've been using Bose for many years for my household entertainment, and was looking for a running set to replace my fading Aftershocks, which I love except the grind behind the back of my ear after a while, and on a plane you can't lean your head back without them pushing forward and you loose the sound. I see folks using pods all the time, and I thought Bose would have this down; so seeing the sale the need for work headphones with noise cancelling to focus and conference calls and running I picked them up. The Noise Cancelling is no contest Amazing! The surround sound or even awareness modes are also awesome, but while running they bounce in your ear just enough and the pick up the sound like a drum being beat in your ear. I haven't run far enough in them for them to start falling out, but every time you touch/brush/bump them to firm them in place, it F's with the settings, pause, volume, they're just not tech operating friendly. I'm torn between keeping them for work only and calls or returning and just getting something else. I don't need 3 different pairs of headphones/buds....

I have several Bose products, and have been using Bose for 10+ years. I used the Quiet Comfort headphones for running 5-10 miles. I purchase the QC Ultra Earbuds recently and have been severely disappointed in them for running: (1) The earbuds are extremely sensitive, and although I’ve turned off the touch controls, I am unable to prevent it from pausing my music or engaging voice control by my Hoodie lightly brushing against it. There is no feature to turn off all touch control. I’ve resorted to sticking electrical tape over $250+ earbuds… (2) I have tried a combination of the different sizes but yet my left earbud consistently falls out after I’ve run 1-2 miles. (3) Unable to connect my wife’s Quiet Comfort headphones and my QC Ultra earbuds to the same device. In the past we were able to watch Netflix together on flights, but now we are unable to make them both connect. This is due to the 2 different Apps being used. (4) Having a separate App for my QC Ultra Earbuds benefits Bose product development at the cost of terrible UX. I’m unable to connect my wife’s Quiet Comfort headphones to the Bose App and I’m unable to connect my QC Ultra Earbuds on the Bose Connect App. This seems extremely poorly designed. (5) Lastly, Bose support is product specific and requires using their chat feature with your product serial number. These CX agents have spent 2+ hours running me through unnecessary basic troubleshooting. Bose disabled their forums, and email account for product feedback. They clearly do not want to hear from customers concerning their products… Unfortunately, I will likely move over to Apple now, since their connectivity between products appears far superior to Bose. I’m very disappointed in Bose’s QC Ultra Earbud product.

You can turn off *some* of the controls within the Bose app. But you won’t be able to shut off the volume, next track, and voice control features

I got baited by this article by Bose: https://www.bose.com/stories/best-workout-headphones-for-a-new-year

Chill fan boy. Simple Google shows that it’s not just me: https://www.reddit.com/r/bose/s/0J2Ce8PjAy

Bose interns 😂

Lol . Mate ... I have MTW4 as well as Bose QC ultra. If you think that by replacing this with QC Ultra earbuds, you'll have a trouble free experience, boy have i got news for you !! BTW.. my MTW4 has been totally trouble free. My situation is also exactly the same as you, sent MTW3 for warranty replacement and got MTW4. This was jn may and till now there has been no issues.

Although I'd say Bose QC headphones are better than Momentum 4 headphones. Especially if ANC is important to the person

I have a 3 months old wf-1000xm5 and it's rock solid in battery performance actually. Other than that what you need to choose depends on your priority or budget. For best ANC it's Bose QC ultra earbuds. For sound quality it's a toss up between sennheiser MTW4 or technics eah-az80

Nobody knows what is good for you. You have to listen to them. Also it's useful to look into their measurements curve. I didn't listen to the Denon,Jabras and Nothing Ear. Sony are linear but will not amaze you with details and clarity. Same to Technics. Sennheisers sounds just wrong for me with no lows. Bose are ok but initial tuning is too bassy for me. It's like one just increased the bass with eq. I personally have Devialet Gemini 2. Very linear with slight increase of lows and trebles which is easily compensated. Amazing resolution, imaging, separations you name it. But again, just listen to them. I listened to Nobles, B&W, Bang and Olufsen and they did not suite my needs. But maybe they are for you.

It’s blasphemy to say Bose sounds better. It’s just bloated and muddy, especially their flagship QC Ultra earbuds that are just a buggy mess. But the B&W Pi8 do sound better, even the Denon Perl Pro. But Bose is the only one that competes with Sony in terms of ANC. The Momentum True Wireless 4 have ok ANC, the Perl Pro’s ANC is subpar (even at their $150 sale price), and the Pi8’s ANC is only slight better than that.

The Bose QC Ultra earbuds have the best ANC on the market. I don’t recommend them though. They’re terribly buggy (I went through 5 pairs across 3 different time periods and have given up) and have horrendous call quality for their prices. Stepping back just a smidge in ANC with the Sony WF-1000XM5 will give you an ask string better experience. Smaller earbuds with almost the same level of ANC, better sound quality, better call quality, a smaller charging case that has Qi charging, and a better app along with earbuds that have less bugs. My Bose earbuds would constantly cut out with my devices (make iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max, also S24 Ultra), the left side would usually not connect and require that the earbuds be reset (they need to be plugged into USB C power to do this), and the left earbud still has a mosquito-like buzzing. I owned the WF-1000XM5 at launch and they were solid. I sold them just to get the brew color Sony recently released and they’ve still been solid. It will take years before I trust Bose again.

The AirPods Pro 2 have the best mics between the three, but Sony’s are worlds better than Bose’s mics. They’re often downright unusable in some situations. Sony’s ANC is behind Bose’s due to its reliance on passive noise isolation. Use Sony’s hybrid foam/rubber ear tips and their ANC is on par with Bose’s, they just filter out different frequencies better. Sony’s ANC always did a better job for me with the lower frequencies (helped by the seal) while Bose did better with higher frequencies. I’d rather have no ANC than deal with Bose’s garbage, buggy earbuds though. Their app and firmware is so bad they contracted out to a different company for their latest $180 earbuds. They use a completely different app with more features and those earbuds have Qi charging. Why or how Bose couldn’t fit that in the QC Ultra’s abnormally large case is beyond me. Sony’s case takes up 1/2 the space and has it, Apple’s case is almost 60% smaller than Bose’s and has it.

If bass is your concern, the WF-1000XM5 offer a healthy amount of it and you can tune them how you want. They also have great ANC, second only to Bose. But I wouldn’t buy Bose true wireless earbuds. I don’t recommend them after years (and I do mean years) of constant exchanges that started with the QC earbuds 1, went through the QC earbuds 2, and stopped with the QC Earbuds Ultra when the pair they sent me had mosquito buzzing in the left ear and still experienced Bluetooth issues (mainly audible blips and connection interruptions). I will never buy Bose earbuds again. There’s also a difference between bass and mud, Bose focuses on mud.

I guess I offended someone (not you) with my anti-Bose comments. Seriously, fuck Bose’s true wireless earbuds. They spend more on ads than they do their products. They’re just a shadow of their former selves. When I had my Ultras, I had to put them in transparency mode to run or else the loud thudding would make music almost inaudible. Their mic quality is trash. One of the worst flagships true wireless pairs of earbuds on the market. I used to hate it when people said this but Bose stands for Buy Other Sound Equipment at this point.

That’s what I did with all my earbuds. It started with the QC earbuds 1 and I went through 5-6 pairs before asking for a refund. I purchased directly from Bose because they’ll often have items at reduced prices and still add military discounts on top. Then I did the same thing with the QC earbuds 2 until the Ultra launched and Bose replaced my 2 with the Ultra. They refused to give me a refund, so I just sold them at a loss on fleabay. But my Ultra had connectivity issues with random disconnects, a consistent mosquito buzzing noise in the left earbud that didn’t initially bother me but that’s all I heard after a while, and the cherry on top was switching audio sources from my smartphone to tablet require a factory reset, which meant putting the earbuds in their case and plugging that in. That’s when I was done, no more. Bose is also missing features in their earbuds that others have, like wireless charging. Bose would rather sell a $100 wireless charging case than put it in their obnoxiously large case (there’s plenty of room). They didn’t release the firmware for multipoint until recently, almost a whole year after they announced it. After listening to the Sony WF-1000XM5, Sennheiser Momentum 4 True Wireless, and even the Jabra Elite 10 (along with a slew of Chi-fi IEMs), I realized Bose focuses on muddy bass with their sound signature. It’s the Harmon curve greatly exaggerated, I hate it after hearing tighter, more controlled bass that still thumps along with highs that don’t pierce my ears. All this in a pair of $250+ earbuds? No thanks.

APP are neutral mediocre at best. I have all those and more, the Sony XM5 and Bose can sound better if you have a musical ear with some training. Bose Ultra Immersive mode is newbie to sound mode, they sound impressive for pop but do not stand up to critical listening. The Denon Perl Pro is actually the best sounding if you Can get the calibration correct. It’s not for beginners who think APP are the best you can get lol.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra are standout choices—amazing sound and noise-canceling. Excited to see everyone's experiences with these!

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds are on another level when it comes to sound, noise cancellation and bass that hits. They help me stay laser focused puts me in another world by myself. Some of the best ear buds I have ever encountered. Very great fit for any kinds of music whether it’s rap, rock, electronic, pop, country. Lovely for exercise, work and relaxation from the world. Must own.

I have these, and the Sony xm4s buds. The Sony's noise cancelling is head and shoulders better than the Bose. It's not even remotely close. I'd say the Bose are maybe a touch more comfortable, but the Sony's sound better (probably because there is so much isolation you can appreciate the actual sound output much better).

Bose QC ultra or Denon Perl Pro. The Denon's fit better with the larger wings tips but the ANC on the Bose is top notch and the fit is still pretty good.

Never had an issue with mine and while the ANC on the Bose is better, it’s very good on the DPP. Drown out the gym music which is all I need. But any device can have issues. Just my experience.

The cracking on the Bose were fixed in the last firmware update they put out. As for the Denon’s, yea they’re big but once they’re in, they don’t stick out. For me they really lock in which is great.

I would say change the batteries of the Sony, it’s not too hard. Can buy the batteries off aliexpress. Other than that, AirPod pro 2 or Bose QC ultra are fantastic

Can’t say I did. But I ended up having to sell them as I was allergic. Bose customer service are fantastic so you should hit them up with your issue.

The Bose ANC is awful compared to Sony. I own both QC ultra and XM5 and work in a very high noise environment and the XM5s make the QC ultras look like a pair of $40 earbuds 

The Ultras ANC is literally garbage. Idk where you use these buds but must be in a quiet environment. Take them out in an environment with constant noise and pitch changes. You’ll be begging for the XM5s. Sony literally destroyed Bose on all aspects but most people use ANC in quiet environments. I work in a very high noise environment and my XM5s are the best at blocking all levels of noise. The Bose are best at blocking low frequencies but can’t handle frequent changes while the Sonys hold a more constant and more solid ANC

Only part I agree on is the ultras suck. But Sony takes the cake in literally aspect over Bose. I own the QC2s, QC ultras and the xm5s and the xm5s make Bose look like a child’s earbud for $10

Bose QC Ultra earbuds have way superior ANC compared to my APP2’s.

I just swapped my older bose ear buds for the new quiet ultra 2, the noise canceling isn't great. Very unhappy with them. The old pair was amazing.

I bought the Bose and JBL ones people have been suggesting here. The Bose indeed has better noise cancelling, but I ended up returning it and staying with the JBL one because the app is much better, the ear fit is much better, and the case is significantly smaller, while the noise cancelling is _almost_ as good.

The QC Ultra shouldn’t even be mentioned. I bought two of them last week as a gift to my wife and sent them back. Bose tried to save way too much money on them. The ANC has a very high level of continuous background noise with music on pause. It’s even hearable in low volume stuff. Also. The left earbuds of all of them have these static sounds and interference constantly. It’s so bad it’s insane Bose dares to ask this much for them. Internet is FILLED with people with these issues having gotten 3 replacements all with the same issues. Unless they fix them, don’t go near them. The sound is good though. But for the rest they suck. If you want constant noise and insanely annoying static and interference go for it. My AirPods Pro 2 are WAY better (just not in the sound department. I hope Apple updates that in a next iteration). I am even thinking to buy my wife AirPods Pro to use on her android just for how good they are. ANC is super quiet, sound is good. No strange noises. No connectivity issues. Only haven’t tried Sonys. If my wife likes them I will get her those.

bose qc ultra? best anc and its new update increase signifficantly stability. Or Mtw 4 senheiser, Az80 technics, Diavalet Gemini 2. Lastly, B&O Beoplay Ex😱

I have Google Buds Bose QC Ultra a d B+O EX The EX blows the others away for sound, battery life awful and next to no ANC, these are my got to at home , crap app Ultra is a superb fit and great all rounder Pixel buds for when I dont care if I lose them so on the beach

So I own the xm5s the Bose QC ultra and just picked up the pi8 this evening. When I first put them on I thought something was broken because there was so much treble the high pitch sound hurt my ears. I changed up the eq but the bass on the pi8 is nowhere near as hard hitting as the other 2. Yes the bass is more clear on the pi8 but it doesn't give that sensation that I get from sitting in a car with a sub like the xm5 and the Bose QC ultra I use comply foam tips on all the ear buds for comparison

I like the sound of the QC ultra and xm5 better then the pi8 I have since returned them and purchased the beoplay ex hopefully they are more to my taste. I just can't see how the Gemini 2 are worth 750 dollars for something that will eventually be garbage unless they're repairable (changing out the batteries) My first set on Sony's I changed the batteries in them 3 times and kept them for 4 years.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but they are expensive. A cheap option is the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. I also have ADHD and I would like it to be accepted in my environment to simply put on headphones when I'm overloaded but since that's not the case I resort to the old "I have to go to the bathroom" trick lol. Cheer up!

bose for sure for noise cancellation

I have both AirPods Pro 2 and Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra. The ANC is very slightly better on the Bose than the Airpods. I also have ADHD and Autism and so cutting down on the volume of speech is more important to me than the lower frequencies of plane engines. The Bose are better at this than the AirPods. On top of that, they sound good too!

I have the Bose QC Ultra for when I'm mowing the lawn, or doing anything that has a lot of noise. But for daily out and about ill use the Airpods 4 ANC. Just so comfortable to use

Sony XM4s as XM5s hinge breaks faster And Bose Quietcomfort ultra Easy

OK. I hate apple. My kids begged for phones when we got them phones, and part of that is needing to monitor their usage, which requires an apple device. I didn't really want a tablet at that time and I needed a phone so I got an phone 14pm. So. I loved my android phone and me husband's 25 is pretty darn slick. I tried a bunch of earphones/buds. I have a pair of pro 2s and they are the best of the bunch with the 14pm. If I had a Samsung there's a few gas are pretty good but none. The bose were super comfortable. I do like his Samsung buds, although they are a few gens old now so I'm not going to speak to their noise canceling. I get weirdness from most noise canceling tech. The pro 2 does not make me nauseous, or dizzy. I do get some vertigo if I remove one from my head, but it usually is short lived. So I'd definitely go with the airpods.

Everyone has their opinion on the “best” noise canceling headphones. I read reviews from consumers and companies that dive into specific areas. You need an over the ear headphones. Earbuds won’t block external noise coming in through the area around your ears. Kinda like how Shox OpenRun work. They work off of bone conduction. The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra set up is fantastic for noise and great tunes. I use AirPod Pros at work for noise reduction and a few calls running heavy equipment. Like around 100db sort of noise.

On a pure ANC level, the Bose ultra buds cancel out the most amount of noise But you should go for the AirPods Pro 2 as they sound better, and have better eco system integration with Apple devices.

I chose the Ultra for the ANC, my primary requirement. Independent tests online show its ANC is much better than the QC, so I went with that. The Apple was tempting but too far out of my budget. In my own testing, the ANC is excellent, and the sound is great for music, atmospheric and a real life sensation for movies (like they’re in the room with me), and terrible for ebooks.

Hi, - No hissing - Stable in the ear - Bass and treble can easily be adjusted in the app - Music has been great so far, I listen to pop and rock

I loved the QuietComfort back in the day but they are the same now, right? Micro USB to charge, outdated Bluetooth version, same price as before? That’s just insulting to technologically minded people. Give us a spec bump, add USB C and I’d get those. Otherwise, I prefer the Quiet Comfort Ultras. Airpods Pro 2 are…earbuds, right? You are asking about the difference between over-ear earphones vs earbuds? The AirPods Pro are frankly one of the best inventions that have come along in my lifetime, but you can’t compare them to over ear headphones.

All of my problems were fixed by tweaking the settings I wanted. Then just... uninstalling the app completely. No popping sounds/disconnections. Sound distortions, and whatnot. But, I still have an issue with the white noise coming out of the bose qc ultras than the sony wf-1000xm4s (previous pair before battery drain issues forced me to return them)

I'm disappointed at the amount of white noise I'm hearing. It's annoying, when you are in a naturally quiet room, bose punches out non existent white noise

I have both, I would tell you to get the AirPods Pro 2, they are more versatile, you can use them at the gym, for going out, at home... they are more comfortable as they are earphones. I always use AirPods Pro 2 for the gym and to leave the house and at home I only use Bose QC Ultra. As for the sound, Bose will have more bass and the AirPods will have more treble. trust me, get the earphones also because they don’t keep you as hot as the Bose ones (also think about summer) and they clearly cost half the price ahahaha

I just brought the Bose quiet, comfort ultra, and they are the best headphones I’ve ever owned so much so that I sold my AirPods Pro because in ear earbuds no longer work for me. They caused too much pain with my allergy ears so I would go for the ultras. The sound quality is awesome. The noise canceling is just fine and they’re the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever owned. Hope this helps.

I have the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds and the Apple Airpods Pro 2 (for my wife). Fit: Both are comfortable. But I'd say Ultra is better because after using it for a while, I sometimes forgot I was wearing the earbuds. Apple is deeper into the ear canal so you'll always feel it, however they are light -- no big deal. ANC: Ultra blows Apple out of water. No contest there. When my range hood is on high, Ultra blocks everything but there's still quite a bit from Apple. Sound quality: I'd say the Apple sounds more balanced out of box. Bose is heavier on the bass, which I don't prefer. However, I use the wavelet app on Android to EQ it back to a balanced profile. When doing so there isn't too much difference. Connectivity: I noticed the Bose would occasionally turn off in one of the ear as well. It's annoying but doesn't happen very often. There is sometimes the statics and electronics noise from the left bud, personally I'm okay with it. Personally I'd pick Bose Ultra. But hey you can buy both of them :) As for Bose QC -- they are not comfortable for me so I tried and returned them. Edit: grammar

The new Bose Ultras are great. And Shokz bone conduction ones.

1 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds best earphone i can recommend this

My Bose Ultra QC are great.

Bose qc ultra are garbage Don't listen to this guy. The app is trash. The mic picks up background noise more than it does your own voice and there's a wind tunnel effect. Totally trash. Specially in Canada, 300+ for garbage

For me the Bose quiet comfort ultras, they also have astonishingly low bass the only issue is that they’re kind of glitchy. ANC is world class too.

Have the same and agree 100%.

Bose Ultras for their noise cancelling. Sound is pretty okay. Noise cancelling is amazing.

Bose quietcomfort ultra for stability, anc, and good overall.

Thanks for the review. I have the bose quietcomfort ultra, like anc and fit but bored with the sounds (also sony wf-1000xm4). I guess I would be blown away by the Denon and the bw pi8.

You have Elite 10s and the call quality is bad? I'm getting the same complaints about my Bose QC Ultras. Just walking around my house it sounds like I'm in a wind tunnel. Did you settle on anything? I'm tempted to go with airpods despite not having an iphone

terrible bluetooth connectivity in my experience

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

I haven’t had this issue. And sound quality has always been good. Battery life is good not great though.

Bose qc ultra if you want bass, clarity and ANC. It’s boosted but a fun sound signature

I upgraded to the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds after my experience with the Beats Studio Buds left me disappointed. During my workouts, they’ve stayed secure and delivered clear sound with excellent noise cancellation, which helps me focus at the gym. The battery life has held up well too, making them a solid option for someone who values quality.

I got the Bose and it feels a bit scary walking around outside with them on.

I'm just trying to say they block a lot of noise and sound in general. I've used many low-mid range ones before and the difference is jarring.

I have the Bose QC Ultra and Pixel Buds Pro 2. My wife has the air pods pro. Bose are definitely the best. Air pods are by far the worst. The pixel buds are probably the most comfortable though.

I absolutely love using the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones! The noise cancellation is on another level—it completely blocks out distractions, whether I’m working, traveling, or just relaxing at home. The sound quality is crystal clear, with rich bass and detailed highs that make every song feel immersive. Plus, they’re so comfortable I can wear them for hours without any discomfort. These headphones are a game-changer for anyone who values great audio and peace of mind!

I have the Bose. They are great.

I have them all! The xm5s are formidable on all spectrums (I use them without anc in the gym because the passive insulation is excellent!) The AirPods are very good but the sound is much worse. The Jabra are comfortable, good active isolation and much better sound over the AirPod Pro 2. The momentum is excellent in sound quality, the ANC is equivalent to the Jabra. The Bose are excellent in anc but their really low end. If I had to give you an ultimate choice, if you listen to a lot of music and quality and reduction are important to you, Sony is the best placed. They are part of my daily and my favorite pair for listening to music with the Denon Perl Pro.

I've had the Sony XM5 for a little over a year. If ANC is what you're looking for, the Sony's are very overrated. It's terrible. I have quite a few other gripes about them as well. I had the XM4s before and IMO, they were better earbuds overall. From your list, I would go with the Bose Quiet Comfort. In my quest to replace my XM5s I'm currently trying out the Technics AZ80s and Bowers and Wilkins Pi8. If ANC is what you're after, I definitely look into the Technics as well. Noise cancellation is pretty fantastic. They don't touch B&W from a sound quality perspective, but ANC is great.

I Vote for the **Bose QuietComfort Ultra**. The best Noise canceling in my opinion

The noise cancelation and sound are good but literally every other aspect is horrible and I would highly recommend not buying a pair. They don't fit in the case right I suppose and will randomly get connected to your phone or whatever even after you put them in the case correctly and close cover. They will randomly get loose, even on a table without moving them, reconnect, then be dead when you want to use them, or interrupt the connection your phone has with something else like a speaker or car. Often times they won't start when you place in ear, the fit is finicky and comes loose, touch controls are horrible with no option to turn them off in app, only change what touches do what. I threw out the 300 dollar pair I got 8 months ago just yesterday and am currently shopping for a new pair. I am rage typing just thinking about them so sorry for run on sentences

Best Sound Sennheiser, no doubt. Best anc Bose

I have a dedicated Plantronics headset for voice calls. So far, used both Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless and Bose QC Ultra, both are quite bad for voice calls.

Sound is great, don’t have any of the issues in this thread but I do get thumping when running every stride…anyone had that issue and solved? Am returning if I can’t figure it out

I wear for walking - the fit, NC and sound are excellent, and I don’t bother with the App given previous issues. Only downside is that the wet English weather means I need to stick the hood up on my waterproof, and that does routinely turn off the buds I’m sorry to say.

The earbuds for me are perfectly fine for me as I don’t run with a hoodie and connection is great for me. Great pair of earbuds in my opinion

I had mine in twice for repairs and replaced once, one bud started chirping within 45 minutes of first use and then it would totally die after a few weeks/months. I got my money back.

Works fine for me in gym and while running. Don't have long hair or wear a hoodie though. I am saddened by no multipoint/multi device connection. Must be for the next versions/model (coming soon?). I do find changing between devices awkward Vs other earbuds/brands. I've tried jabra elite 10s, Sony wx1000 and jabra fit.ok but still slid out. Sony's just wouldn't stay in and hurt. Bose for me has always been the best fit with their wing tip models. Still have the wired qc20s which are now my backup pair. ANC is still the best and, for me, the fit is still the best. Clearly though.... Everyone has different ears. Perhaps looking at after market eartips might help. I appreciate one really shouldn't have to after spending 2-300usd or more on a product but if you want a good fit then I'd suggest exploring that if the generic ones don't work.

Agreed. Have these and for wireless earbuds they have incredibly good ANC.

I have tried the latest AirPods Pro 2, the Bose QuietComfort 2, and the Sony WF-1000XM4, and now I have just bought the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. I have an Android phone and move a lot when listening, like cycling and working physically. The Sony headphones did not fit properly, and I lost one pair, so I bought a new one. They have good sound, but the noise cancelling is not overwhelming. However, what bothered me the most were the buds, which disintegrated, were difficult to clean, and did not fit very well in my ear. Maybe the ..5 are better? The Airpods fit very well in my ear. I like the desing and the way they glide into the case which is nice and smal. The noise canceling is as good as the from the Bose quietcomfort 2. Sound is good but still I like the sound of the Bose better. I liked my Bose 2 but the microfone stopped to work after 2 years of almost daily use in all weather. The only draw back was the quality during calls with noise around. Finally the Bose ultra. Which I think are amazing right now. They fit very well in my ears. I read a lot of reviews on them and I was not sure if they would fill my needs sound wise. On the other hand most of them were are year old. I updated the Bose earbuds at once. The sound is like always Bose, which I like best. The noise canceling is very, very good for being earbuds. Of course not yet as good as the Bose headphones but quite close. There was a lot of critic around the immersive sound. I listen a lot to audiobooks and it makes a big difference. I love the way they become more kind of a tale told in a room. Also for music it gives a feeling of space. I have tested the voice quality during calls, which is good, including moderate noise that worked very well. However, I have not tested it with heavy machine noise yet. So for me the Bose quietcomfort ultra were a good choice without major drawbacks beside the price.

Great question. I mostly listen to Prog Metal, Metal, and rock music. I tried the Bose quietcomfort ultra. While they sounded great, I had many issues with it. The worst one was a loud thumping noise while running because of the ANC and you can't turn the thing off. Before this I had the Samsung buds which were great but call quality wasn't good. I read many reviews, watched many YouTube videos and finally settled on the Jabra.

I'm TOTALLY with you. Like, exactly. The left feels fine, the right hurts my ear canal. I've played with changing the tips and still, ouch. I own many earbuds (I've got a bit of a problem) and these hurt the worst. Just this morning I tried changing the tips again because I WANT to love these. But right now, my Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra, Bose Quiet Comfort 2, JBL Tour Pro 3, OnePlus, Sony, Google, Nothing... ALL feel so much better. I'm going to start googling third party tips now, if I find a winner, I'll let you know and I'd appreciate it if you did the same. I really want these to work as they are supposed to be my best "sounding" earbuds.

The best noise cancellation is the Bose qc ultra, sexond would be the Sony xm5.

I'm surprised, no one mentioned the Yamaha E7B, they have their own warm sound, and no fatiguing highs like Sony or Bose Trust me, I'm saying this with experience, most industrial consumer grade earphones have this high-mids combo which can be fatiguing, but at least the Yamaha try to tone it down for a bit for warmer sound, warm but a bit on the neutral end. The Bose QC ultra are really good but when you push it to limits they sound harsh and can distort and sound unatural on tracks with lots of treble. I always tend to reduce the volume of QC ultra through app to 1 bar less than full and 2 bars less on my device's volume button.

I’m using Bose quiet comfort ultra earbuds and they’re good.

I’ve tried every high end wireless anc earbud. Bose QC ultra are soo good even compared to the Sony xm5 earbuds especially after being a long time Sony user since the

I have had all of them except the Sony buds. The Samsung buds and Apple AirPods are very much alike, buy the ones that fits your ecosystem the best. However I would not recommend the Bose buds, a lot of people have reported a summing noise in the left(?) bud (dont sure if it was the left or right). When I bought my Bose buds ultra I had the same summing noise. Quality control issues most likely.

There's no such thing as "best" - there is only the best for each particular person. Everyone likes different things, so this is really a useless question. You get a bunch of replies that say a certain brand or model which tells you nothing. I have both Sony WF-1000XM5 and AirPods Pro 2nd gen. I use them both almost every day for different reasons. Neither is "better" than the other which is why I keep both of them. I have also listened to Bose QC Ultra and for the couple minutes I played with them, I thought they sounded good and that the ANC was excellent (was in a loud pub). I want to get those for myself and spend more time with them. I prefer the sound of my Sony XM5's over all three, but I did not like them at all until I switched to silicone tips. At the same time, the Sony's are not great for running or excercise for me because I hear "thump thump thump" in my ears from my feet, but I do not get this with the AirPods for example. So many different elements to consider, which makes it hard to choose. It is almost as if learning more makes it even harder.

Sony wf-/1000xm5 have weak bass. Bose is better with quiet comfort series

I bought the 4's and within weeks, one of them would drain within an hour. Returned them & reordered. 11 months of average use & well, RIP to the battery. I feel dumb not knowing the battery could be replaced but I'm over Sony right now however, happy to know, thanks! I'm so happy with Bose Ultra which I should've ordered in the first place.

I’ve had experience with a few of these, and I can give you some insights based on your priorities. Here’s what I think, in terms of sound quality, Sony and Sennheiser are usually considered the best, with crisp highs and deep bass. For ANC, Sony and Bose are top-notch, but the Technics and Jabra also do well. Call quality is solid across all, but I’d give an edge to the AirPods Pro and Sony for clear, noise-canceling calls. Would love to hear what you decide!

Bose for the ANC. Might want to try the B&O EX, they sound amazing!

I have the AZ80 and Bose QC Ultra, the latter is way more comfortable so the answer is not that simple. 

Hey I know it's late bit do you get a static noise or mosquito like noise in you're qc ultras?

Glad you're cause of death wasnt bose qc ultra earbuds. I hit them up as well and they offered to replace them. But i think ima sell them instead. I just tweaked with the XM5 buds and im blown away with the audio now I switched to LDAC, turned on lossless, and dolby atmos audio, along with spatial on apple music and prioritized audio quality and it's christmas in my head. I'm never cheating on sony again.

just snagged the bose qc ultras and they're awesome

We own AirPod Pro, Beats Fit Pro, Bose QC2 and QC Ultra, and I've tried many more. QC2 and QC Ultra are the same for ANC and the best. AirPods and Beats are the same (Apple now owns Beats) but because of the wings the Beats ANC works better IMO and is 2nd place.

i have AZ80 and just bought the Bose QC Ultra buds on sale. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Earbuds/comments/1d01oti/review\_bose\_qc\_ultra\_tldr\_not\_good/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Earbuds/comments/1d01oti/review_bose_qc_ultra_tldr_not_good/) That's my review stacking them against AZ80, Momentum 4 headphones and others. If literally all you care about is ANC, get the bose. They sound good, they're comfy, and the ANC is like shutting an airlock door. There's NOTHING else like them. Total silence. except for electronic beeps. they go right through, no idea why. But they will piss you off, because the app sucks balls, you can't customize anything... yeah. read the review.

Yes these!! I’ve found their noise canceling to be far more superior than anything else.

Agree completely. The noise cancellation with the Bose QC Ultra simply cannot be beat (within the earpods class). But with the CONSTANT FU\*\*ING connectivity issues with your smartphone, I cannot recommend them. Outstanding performance when it works, but the (very) frequent problems with not working at all renders them a shitty set of pods in my eyes.

With music playing 100%

I use them on the Tube (very loud) and don't hear a thing with music on, is bliss.

The first version of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds were amazing in terms of comfort, fit, and noise cancelling and just lacked modern features like One Ear listening (only allow you to close the case and listen with the right earbuds). I have mine from 2-3 years ago and they're still kicking (albeit they're definitely worn in). I just got the QC Ultra Earbuds and they're riddled with hissing, beeping, and crackling issues. If you're gonna rock these earbuds without music at all, skip these. I hear the issue is the same on the QC II earbuds.

Yep, no longer buying bose noise cancelling until they fix this.

When it comes to earbuds, nothing comes close to the Bose QC Ultra's ANC. Except the older QC2: I never had a chance to compare the two side by side but I owned both on separate occasions and felt the ANC was roughly equivalent. The Sony XM5 ANC isn't in the same league, despite what a lot of people say. It's among the best *non-Bose* ANC, but the Bose is miles ahead of that pack. The Technics AZ80 ANC isn't even close, though they are truly excellent earbuds in most characteristics, their ANC is only so-so for a premium set of earbuds. That said, I haven't tried the Comply foam eartips that another commenter suggested. I'm interested in trying those, because improving the AZ80's ANC would make them nearly perfect. But even with improved ANC, I can't imagine they come close to the Bose. I don't have experience with noise cancelling headphones, but I'd be willing to bet Bose is in the lead there too. If I were to guess, I'd assume that your best option is whatever the latest premium Bose over-ear headphone is, and your second best option is the QC Ultra earbuds. But you may want to research the headphone side of things because I'm just extrapolating. For the record, I'm not a Bose fanboy. In fact I don't particularly love my QC Ultras. They do sound good, and if they were my only set of earbuds I wouldn't have much to complain about, but I have other sets that I like much more overall and wear much more often. But if I want the strongest noise cancelling, I reach for the Bose without a second's hesitation.

Nothing compares to the ANC in Bose earbuds. As for the Pi8, I find their ANC to be pretty average. It will be a big step down from the Bose ANC. Pretty much every earbud will be a big step down in ANC from Bose. I find the best ANC *after Bose* to be on the Devialet Gemini 2, Sennheiser MTW4, Sony XM5, and Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 if the oval eartips are a good fit for your ears. All of these have better ANC than the Pi8. The Pi8 ANC is functional but it's nothing special.

On just noise canceling I’d go Bose or XM5. However my Technics AZ80 with comply foam beat both of those.

The Bose earbuds work better than the headphones for me as my glasses prevent a perfect seal.

Sorry, I just saw this. The AZ80’s with comply foam and ANC on will block more noise and sound better than the XM5’s or Bose.

So disappointed with the ultras. When I run with them on I get popping sounds and they suck for phone calls. Loved the sound but fuck for the price they can’t fix that shit. Trying out the sennheiser sports now. A bit quiet and hear a whooshing sound but way better for phone calls.

lol yeah I don’t understand how any running review article rates them as one of the best. So disappointing and I’ve read on here that many users sent them back and got new pairs more than once and it was the same issues. Suck cause the sound is mint but can’t pay that price tag and have issues like that, sorry.

Bose QC ultra. They do everything you want them to.

Bose ultra has good bass. Before i had the denon perl pro the bass on that thing was insane the best i’ve ever heard i loved them so much. Unfortunately i send them back because the mids & treble were lacking no matter what i did with eq.

The bose are pretty punchy. The devialet Gemini IIs have better, deeper more rumbly bass than the bose.

Bose QC ultra for me. I’ve always wanted to try the Technics AZ80 but Bose is doing well for me so I haven’t had the need to spend money on the Technics

I just got the Bose quiet comfort ultra earbuds and they’re my favorite so far

QC Ultra are top teir

I use Bose Quiet Comfort ear buds. They have noise canceling and seem to work well. Battery life can be a concern. Mine are good for about 6 to 8 hours of use before needing recharge. The case also includes a battery so they will charge in the case without plugging in.

Bose Quietcomfort earphones since 2021. I've used them consistently from Monday to Friday on zoom meetings and for listening to music outside. Still rocking and will change them when they no longer work

I got the same model as earbuds. They claim to be multi point bluetooth. Multi bluetooth means that you can listen to two devices simultaneously. When asked why I wasn't able to, they said,'You can switch from one device to another. That is multi bluetooth'. That is just bluetooth. Fake labeling 🏷 . I have had other products by them. They do have multi bluetooth, simultaneously sound. Don't understand why they decided to go down hill now.

I’ve tried so hard over the years to enjoy air pods. I’ve had every model hoping they’d just stay in my damn ears. Any sort of exercise and they’d fall right out. So using these from a fit standpoint I am beyond over the moon. The ability to actually go for a run and not have any worry is incredible. Sound- when I popped these in for the first time and heard the sound I was shocked how good they sound. Audio bug- yeah I have the same thing as you. I’ll be like scrolling twitter or Reddit and each post with auto play will give me that weird buzzing noise like you describe. This is my only knock on the product besides the price. Edit: forgot the design. Them being “clips” instead of going around the top of your ear like the Shokz ones is a huge plus for me. They actually look good on your ear(imo)

I’m with you. Everyone keeps talking about how all these other open ears are comfortable - but I wear glasses and anything with ear hooks actually bothers my ears. I pretty much leave these in my ears all day and feel no discomfort. Reality is I forget they are in. My ears get irritated when I have something in the canal. Since these are open I have no irritation. But as everyone else says - it’s $350 all in if you want wireless charging. That is a hard pill to swallow. That being said the comfort of these is worth the price for me - but it won’t be for everyone.

Agreed. I use mine for working. There was a building site next door to me, plus noisy neighbours on the other side, and these are the only thing that have ensured peace and quiet and sanity. I've tried a few ear buds models and nothing compares with the Bose for noise cancelling

I have both the Bose QC and Apple AirPods and I find Bose to be better with noise cancelling. Literally blocks out the noise whereas with Apple, I can still hear street noise even with noise reduction at the highest level

Do not buy the bose. I bought mine a month ago and I'm stuck with them. Yes they are great sound, yes they have superior ANC but they are completely ruined by the over sensitive touch that will stop and start your music when you don't want it to and you cannot turn off.

If anc is a big priority then definitely Bose, the anc is way better. There are videos on YouTube and articles that compare anc, sound quality, and test things like bass and treble. I recommend looking into those if you can’t choose

I gave the QC Bose a try recently, and they've held up well during my gym sessions. The sound quality and secure fit really made a difference compared to my previous pair that started crackling.

Bose ANC is top notch. A must go to if you care about Noise canceling the most.

So, like the title says, this will be a review of the Bose QC Ultra Open earbuds. Sound - As a fanatic of openears, the sound in this is obviously not as good as ones that go into your ear canal. However, I am someone who needs the open experience as I just do not like in ears. That being said, the sound on these is fantastic. There is a clarity here that I find tough to find even in in-ears. These are truly top tier in the sound department. Comfort - A lot of people rave about the comfort of these, however BE AWARE if you have bigger ears, you will feel a pinching sensation on your ear that got quite uncomfortable after about 2.5 hours of listening. If you can make the fit work, I am sure they're comfortable however I frankly hated that pinching sensation. The style is neat and more low-key, but on my end, I just couldn't get to liking these in the comfort area. Connection - This area is a weird one. They were very tough to connect, and took some troubleshooting. Luckily I only had issues the first time, and no static noise like on the normal Bose Ultra in-ears. One area that annoyed me was there is a white hissing noise that occurs every now and again, that almost kinda sounds like they are trying to find a signal. Switching from music to youtube also for whatever reason would cause an audio glitch. Connection wise, not great. Case - No issues, honestly felt better built than the Ultra in-ears. However I did notice I dont believe there is a way to see your battery percentage for the case. Not a huge issue but one to note. Features - They don't leak sound much at all, and that is literally about it. You do not get multi-pairing (this is subject to change as Bose says it is coming soon). You also get immersive audio which is good with some songs, however undeniably gimmicky. It really drowns out certain songs. It also drains the battery like 30% faster. Personally didn't find any use in it except for action movies maybe. No wireless charge, instead you have to buy a specific case from Bose for wireless charging if you want that feature. Price - Boy, this is a doozy. This can be summed up in one sentence. These are not, by any means worth $300 + tax. They just aren't. Some people will buy these and love them, however if you are considering, PLEASE note that there are much better options that are cheaper. The fact that these are the same price as their flagship is kind of insane and honestly a terrible marketing strategy. These should be $150-$200 openears. In their current state without wireless charging and multi-point, you could realistically drop $50 off that price. As a fan of openears, these are frankly a cash grab by Bose. Rating - 3/10, simply due to the sound. EDIT: Forgot to add, they have snapdragon sound. You need to have a specific phone that supports it, but if you do, then that is something to consider as well.

Just return them if you can, this current iteration just isn't worth it.

Simple: everything else sucks and is over priced.

Mic is not good but I got these to listen to music so calls don't matter to me.....

what about the mic.... mine is useless on Phone calls. I will have to send em back as this has to be deal breaker on 300£ pair of buds. Audio is good for open ear IMHO and I use em for listening to audiobooks and pod casts so not bothered by the lack of bass.

I ended up getting them from a friend of a friend of a friend employee discount. Great for outside running. Not worth full price. Kinda cool/ different sound. You’re right about calls being rough! Thanks!!

From being a consumer the last half a decade, they're at the bottom when it comes to mic/call quality. I don't think it's ever been their strong suit, as that's an important feature for me.

If you are thinking about using them without playing music just for mere noice isolation keep in mind that most anc earbuds produce more or less slight white noice. I use anc earbuds for meditation as a dad of toddlers and that white noice is a dealbreaker for me. Bose qc earbuds II/ultra have the most of this white noise I ever experienced, while having undeniably the most effective anc on the market these days. I can recommend the Sony linkbuds s for the best balance between effective noice isolation and the least white noice from it. The xm5 also don’t have a lot of white noice, but the foam tips are pretty uncomfortable to wear. If that doesn’t bother you, I’d recommend these too.

That’s very subjective, but I always end up with my AirPods Pro 2, the whole package is just too compelling at least when you are in the apple eco system. They are like amongst the top three best anc earbuds and everything else is so fluid and reliable while the sound is solid but nothing special. My second most used earbuds are the Sony linkbuds s, which I prefer over the xm5 due to the better comfort, at least in my ears. The Bose qc (II,ultra, gen 2) are supposed to have market leading anc, but as far as I tested them, the connection wasn’t reliable enough and there was too much white noise for my taste. And the cases are too bulky for me to carry them always in my pocket - I don’t use what I don’t have at hand anytime. I wish there was something more exciting than the AirPods, but nothing could beat them for me for longer than a week so far. I don’t have tested many over ears, I own the xm4 and the Bose quiet comfort 45. Both are supposed to be great last generation anc headphones but I don’t get more anc out of them than with my AirPods. Since these are way more convenient, I usually don’t come up using overears. When I sit down in order to listen to music concentrated I use my sennheisers or betweens and so on, but that happens very rarely. 99% of the time I use my AirPods especially while commuting, when reliability is key and I want to make sure that a during a long day out of the house my earbuds won’t let me down.

Best ANC: Bose Personal favorites: Sony Linkbuds S (awesome multiple ANC options, and the mic turns on when you start talking) Second place: Jaybird Vista 2's. Waterproof as hell. Great ANC. Best fit.

Bose QC if u want ANC or Bose AE2 if you want good sound. if you’re on the budget end try checking out Baseus head phones they do make ANC versions. Overall most suitable for Apple devices is prolly Apple headphones(ie:AirPods AirPodsPro ) wait for a revised Airpods Maxes if u really want them

Bose QC earbuds are really good, blocks out all the noise from the outside. I power wash/ use an impact/ saw/ vacumn and I hear zero noise.

Bose sadly has trash reliability with there wireless earbud, they get red white Lite of death anywhere within the first 4 years. I had 2 pairs of new qc ultra buds, the old qc earbuds 2, the QC earbuds 1 and the first true wireless earbuds before any of them had NC Sound sport free. All of them except the Soundsport free and my current pair of ultras got the same issue where at first I could just Reset then but at some point it just doesn't fix it anymore and Bose support offers you little money off on your overpriced ear buds. I use Sony xm5 headphones and after the 3th pair having these issues now I'll be sticking with song as their anc is Equal if not better and they also sound amazing.