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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Review

Perfect if you want to tune out the world at the touch of the button and get lost in the music
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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $299 List
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Manufacturer:   Bose
By Graham Faulknor, Genevave Bradshaw, and Clark Tate  ⋅  Sep 28, 2024
77
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#2 of 31
  • Sound Quality - 40% 8.5
  • User Experience - 20% 6.2
  • Noise Cancellation - 15% 9.5
  • Battery life - 15% 5.1
  • Call Quality - 10% 8.5

Our Verdict

Among the top-ranked earbuds we've tested, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra delivers the most captivating soundscape to date. Their best-in-class noise cancellation and immersive spatial audio mode work together to pull you into the music, allowing you to place instruments and vocals in space and time. While the sound profile — comprising bass, mid, and treble frequencies — is slightly less dramatic than the Bose QuietComfort II, it's still delightful. Crystalline treble tones sparkle above rich middle frequencies and a warm, resonant bassline. While these earbuds showcase every music genre marvelously, we especially love listening to bass-heavy songs like “Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid Cudi and “Therefore I Am” by Billie Eilish. Moreover, he treble tones in “Clair de Lune” by the London Philharmonic Orchestra sound spectacular. They're expensive, but we believe they're worthy of the investment. While it might be tempting to save money on an older Bose model, fight the urge. There are enough upgrades here to justify the extra cost.
REASONS TO BUY
Insane noise cancellation
Wildly immersive
Our favorite treble and bass
REASONS TO AVOID
Not the best fit
Shorter battery life
Connectivity issues

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Best Wired Earbud
Price $299 List
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Bottom Line The best option to block out the world and lose yourself in an immersive soundscapeThe latest and last from Jabra is a hit, with outstanding sound, impressive comfort, and an easy-to-use appGreat noise cancellation that lets you appreciate their excellent sound qualityLong lasting battery life, impressive water resistance, comfort, and great sound quality make these an easy choiceForgoing flash for a great fit and impressive sound at a great price, these wired earbuds are hard to argue with
Rating Categories Bose QuietComfort U... Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 Apple AirPods Pro 2 Jabra Elite 8 Active UliX Rider - 3.5mm
Sound Quality (40%)
8.5
8.3
7.6
7.3
8.0
User Experience (20%)
6.2
8.9
7.8
8.9
5.6
Noise Cancellation (15%)
9.5
8.6
7.7
5.6
2.5
Battery life (15%)
5.1
6.1
6.4
9.1
10.0
Call Quality (10%)
8.5
8.2
9.1
5.8
8.5
Specs Bose QuietComfort U... Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 Apple AirPods Pro 2 Jabra Elite 8 Active UliX Rider - 3.5mm
Active Noise Cancelling Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Earbud Location Tracking No Yes Yes Yes No
Measured Battery Life 6.2 hr 8.1 hr 8.5 hr 11.9 hr N/A
Waterproofing IPX4 IP57 IP54 IP68 N/A
Measured Weight 0.22 oz 0.20 oz 0.38 oz 0.18 oz 0.62 oz
Quick Charging 5 mins = 1 hr 5 min = 1hr 5 mins = 1 hr 5 mins = 1 hr N/A
Charges Per Case 5 3 4 3 N/A
Wired Charging Port USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C 3.5mm jack
Wireless Charging Option Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Claimed Battery Life 6 hrs 8.0 hrs 6 hrs 14 hrs N/A
Charging Carrying Case Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A
Transparency Mode Yes Yes No No No
Multipoint No Yes Two Apple devices simultaneously Yes No
In-ear Detection Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Multiple Ear Tips Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra buds are a significant improvement over previous Bose QuietComfort II. Their sound quality is extraordinary, especially in immersive mode, which transports you to center stage. It doesn't hurt that the active noise cancellation is incredibly effective, allowing the world to fall away. These aren't our top choice for active pursuits, but we haven't found better-sounding audio in a pair of wireless earbuds.

Performance Comparison


We tested every element of these earbuds to help you understand how they'll work for you.
Credit: Abriah Wofford and Natalie Kafader

Sound Quality


The QuietComfort Ultra earbuds offer exceptional sound quality. The bass, mid, and high frequencies are all outstanding and on par with the highest-rated competitors. The frequency mix is clean and balanced, sounding natural rather than overly engineered, helping these earbuds deliver a highly adaptable sound profile that beautifully showcases a diverse range of genres.


From country rock ("Do Me Wrong" by the Red Clay Strays) to Americana ("Dust" by Dylan LeBlanc) and classic pop ("Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" by Carole King), these earbuds consistently polish our favorite songs to a new level of shine. Atmospheric and emotive songs like “Wildfire” by Cautious Clay sound spectacular. As the guitar syncs with the tambourine at 0:09, the earbuds create a sonic environment that envelops you in the moment, and it's a good one.

Expert Panel Sound Quality Ratings
ProductBassMid-RangeTreble
Best8.79.08.7
Bose QuietComfort Ultra8.88.58.9
Average6.77.16.8
Worst2.03.53.0

The bass frequencies are warm, resonant, and fully developed, present without overpowering the mix. They can sound slightly overemphasized on occasion, but it rarely detracts from the experience overall.

In “Money” by Cardi B, the sparse piano is punchy and prominent without ever booming or blowing out, which is common with less capable earbuds. The simple beat and bass maintain a powerful presence without ever challenging Cardi's voice for center stage.

Mid-tones have a full and rich timbre but are slightly less emphasized than the bass and treble ranges. The treble tones can dominate at times, but their rich and velvety characteristics elevate the music so beautifully that we rarely mind. Pieces like the celestial “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, sound revelatory as the piano transitions into the violin at the 1:05 mark.

Our Bruel and Kjaer 5128-B head simulator records the frequency coming in while specialized audio software, SoundCheck, crunches the data to produce the individualized frequency response curve for us to compare.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

These earbuds are also among the most powerful we've tested, maintaining exceptional sound quality at both low and high volumes. Even when you raise the levels, the high notes maintain a crystalline brilliance, and the sound quality holds across the board. Orchestral arrangements, hip-hop, and sparse singer-songwriter tracks all sound incredible, no matter your volume preference.

The only issue we noticed is that the levels can be inconsistent between tracks, which can be harsh when transitioning between songs. This issue may be more related to the production process than the earbuds since it's not a common occurrence.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - these earbuds bring you into the music in a way we've never...
These earbuds bring you into the music in a way we've never experienced. Their immersive setting, which makes the sound seem as though it's coming from beyond the earbuds, works wonderfully.
Credit: Natalie Kafader


Soundstage


An earbud's soundstage describes where the listener will perceive the music coming from in the space around them. We're used to hearing music coming at us from the front, which is the case with most live performances, or from all around us at a party or movie theater. The in-ear design of earbuds makes it hard for them to create a broad, expansive soundstage, which often results in a more internalized listening experience.

Soundstage Ratings
ProductSoundstage Rating
Best10.0
Bose QuietComfort Ultra10.0
Average7.4
Worst4.0

That may not matter much to you if you tend to multitask while wearing your headphones. If you're an avid gamer, or love to sit on the couch and let your favorite songs transport you, an expansive, surround-soundstage experience can make all the difference. If that's you, you've come to the right place, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra offers the most expansive, and therefore immersive, soundstage of any earbud we've reviewed — it's breathtaking.

The immersive audio feature on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra's enhances their soundstage.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

The crisp sound quality and multi-dimensional listening experience allow us to place each instrument and vocal riff in time and space. It makes the music feel vast, rich, and real.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - these compact earbuds contain multitudes, offering you a ticket to...
These compact earbuds contain multitudes, offering you a ticket to explore your sonic universe.
Credit: Abriah Wofford


Bose's much-hyped spatial audio feature enhances the sensation. It's a sound bath and the closest you can get to having a live concert experience at your fingertips. The music sounds like it's emanating from beyond your earbuds, placing you inside the sound studio with the band. The feature works better in these earbuds than in others with similar effects.

Expert audio listener Dave Berkman noted, “The vertical and horizontal frequency planes are enhanced and expanded, and the sound has a third dimension as well, giving the listener a live-like experience.


To compare our experiences to objective data, we brought in our Brüel & Kjaer Type 5128 head simulator to record the frequency response for the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds. Soundcheck then takes that information and calculates the curve to compared with our GearLab House Curve. The Bose mix closely mirrors our preferred curve, although with slightly more emphasis on bass and treble frequencies, indicative of our experts findings, but they provide a similar profile overall that reaffirms our stellar listening experience with these buds.

We love sitting down on the couch, putting these earbuds in, closing our eyes, and letting the music wash over us. Their engrossing nature whisks us away like nothing else.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

User Experience


The QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are a pleasure to use, offering a helpful app, a secure fit, and a reasonably comfortable feel. Over a dozen people tried these earbuds out to gauge their comfort and fit. The results were mostly positive. Our dedicated test team also wore each pair for an entire workday and in a number of commuting and recreational situations.

User Experience Ratings
ProductComfortStabilityCustomization
Best10.010.07.5
Average7.375.2
Bose QuietComfort Ultra6.06.06.5
Worst5.04.00.0

Comfort


These earbuds come with three silicone tip and stability band sizes to help you customize their fit. It's worth spending time sorting out which of the nine resulting configurations works best for you. The stability bands tuck into your external ear cartilage. They are soft and flexible, providing stability without causing pain or pressure points.

While everyone on our team found a good combination, these earbuds are large, and our ears do get tired of them. Several testers prefer not to wear them for more than an hour at a time. Others don't mind them.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - these earbuds are large and less comfortable than some, but we don't...
These earbuds are large and less comfortable than some, but we don't hesitate to wear them for an hour or more at a time.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Stability


The Bose are secure enough for everyday activities while working and commuting. They rarely fall out, and almost passed our headstand test, but rolled free after a few moments of inversion. Given their high price, we're cautious about wearing them for active, sweaty pursuits that involve a lot of bobbing and weaving, like a run.

While these earbuds aren't the most stable we've tested, they stay in place well enough for relatively stable activities like riding on a bike path. We don't love wearing them in traffic though.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

With an IPX4 rating, the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds can handle sweat and light rain, so you can wear them for more active pursuits if you'd like. But our favorite activity while wearing these earbuds is, well, nothing. Lying down on the floor of a dark room, cocooned in pillows and blankets, maybe with a few candles flickering, and lost in the music — it's bliss.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - three different options can help you find the most comfortable and...
Three different options can help you find the most comfortable and stable fit for your ear, although we never felt “locked in” enough for vigorous activity.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Customization


A standout feature of the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds is their adaptive Bluetooth connectivity, which aims for “lossless” transfer rates. Achieving them preserves the original sound quality of your music across the air gap, resulting in high-fidelity audio.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - pairing the earbuds with your phone for the first time is simple...
Pairing the earbuds with your phone for the first time is simple, though it's often smoother with Android devices than with iPhones.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

If you have a phone that's capable of transferring lossless data and a good Bluetooth connection, these earbuds can achieve that goal. If you don't, they'll use the AptX Adaptive codec to give you the best experience available. Bose markets this system as Snapdragon Sound and it works with compatible Android devices.

The straightforward app lets you quickly switch between modes, including immersive audio, giving you a more surround-sound experience.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

The Bose app lets you customize your experience by providing manual EQ adjustments and a variety of listening modes, including active noise cancellation, immersive audio, and an “aware” mode that allows environmental sounds to break through. The app is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, though some users find it trickier to pair with iPhones.

We love the customization settings provided in the app, which allows you to adjust your sound profile, change between a myriad of modes for different activities, and more.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

A CustomTune feature auto-adjusts the sound profile and noise cancellation particulars based on your ear shape, and an ear fit test ensures the earbuds are properly sealed for optimal performance. Touch controls let you skip tracks, cycle through settings, adjust volume levels, or pause and play your music.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - touch controls keep basic functions at your fingertips.
Touch controls keep basic functions at your fingertips.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Connectivity


The QuietComfort Ultras did not have the best performance in terms of connectivity. In-house, we experienced some problems pairing the earbuds with our devices, particularly when using iPhones. The problem was less noticeable when using the Ultras with an Android device. We performed an analysis of data from 1-star Amazon user reviews to investigate connectivity issues further. Unfortunately, we found that the Ultras had one of the highest complaint rates in the group of tested earbuds, at 3.79%.

Reported Connectivity Issues
ProductPercent Cited
Worst3.83
Bose QuietComfort Ultra3.79
Average1.3
Best0.1
We kept track of all 1-star Amazon user reviews where users cited connectivity issues and used that number to find the issue rate as a percentage of the total number of Amazon user reviews. The chart above shows the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds have a relatively high rate of problems. This data is accurate as of 7/23/24.

Noise Cancellation


To quote one tester, “Woooooaaaahhhhh! The noise blocking is crazy good!” The rest agree. The active noise cancellation (ANC) in these earbuds is stunning. They block out distractions so effectively that we can melt into our music like never before. They also help us improve our focus and productivity at work, even when plagued by noisy distractions.


Unlike its predecessor, the Bose QuietComfort II, these earbuds support Bose's CustomTune technology, which automatically adjusts the ANC based on the shape of your ear. It seems to work well. They easily block ambient chatter and reduce the hum of AC units splendidly.

Like all good noise-canceling earbuds, the Bose earbuds are quite effective at blocking out low-pitched and consistent sounds, like the hum of an airplane or the rumble and rattle of a bus engine. What sets them apart, is how well they cancel out higher frequencies.

The Bose earbuds do a wonderful job of canceling both low and high-frequency sounds, making them a top choice for relaxing or concentrating in loud environments.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

In our ANC testing, we could barely detect the clattering of cups in the cafe recording above. The Bose earbuds also do an excellent job of softening lower-pitched background conversations, creating a barrier between you and the most annoying sounds in a coffee shop.

The chart is based on our lab measurements of noise cancellation. You can see the huge amount of decibel (dB) background noise the Ultra is able to cancel, across a sweep of frequencies from deep bass to high treble.

SoundCheck charted the results of the test in the chart above. It displays how many decibels the earbuds are able to cancel in each frequency range. It also charted how many decibels they physically block, a feature known as noise isolation.

The results are interesting. Usually, earbuds block most high frequency waves physically and rely on active noise cancellation to deal with the lower registers. These earbuds perform exceptionally across the spectrum, blocking over 20 decibels in nearly every frequency range, with peaks up to 40 decibels. The performance crowns them king of noise cancellation.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - these earbud's excellent noise cancellation makes them an extremely...
These earbud's excellent noise cancellation makes them an extremely portable balm for our noisy world. Here's your ticket to calmer, quieter days.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Battery Life


The one area where these earbuds fall slightly short is battery life. During our tests we played music at 75% volume until they died. These earbuds lasted around six hours, which is a bit less than average overall. What is impressive, is that the case offers five full recharges before you need to find a wall outlet. If you need a quick refill, five minutes of charge time grants you another hour of listening time.


While the six hours and ten minutes we tested is less than average for the test, it exceeds the manufacturer's claims of six hours flat. Keep in mind that we test battery life with the ANC feature turned off since it drains more power. Since the ANC function is so good, we use it often, further reducing playtime.

If you don't need your earbuds every hour of the day and maintain solid charging routines, this battery life may work for you.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - the app makes it easy to monitor your battery life.
The app makes it easy to monitor your battery life.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Call Quality


Calls with the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are clear, whether you're navigating busy streets or chatting at your desk. To add rigor to our real-world tests, we conducted a series of tests with our audio simulator. We played recordings of both a female and male voice through the speaker positioned on the front of the Bruel and Kjaer 5128-B head simulator and recorded the output with the earbuds. You can hear the results below.

Call Quality Ratings
ProductSubwayOfficeBaseline
Best9.09.09.5
Bose QuietComfort Ultra8.09.09.0
Average6.77.98.2
Worst2.05.07.0

These earbuds performed well overall, but they aren't the top performer in the most difficult call quality test — the Subway.

It's hard to hear phone calls with most earbuds in the Subway. But, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are pleasantly clear compared to most in this highly disruptive environment.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

We challenged the earbuds by mimicking a Subway, complete with loudspeaker announcements and screeching trains in the background. Like most earbuds, they struggled a bit with some sounds bleeding through but were heavily dulled in comparison to other earbuds. The voice recording is clear, with the man's voice very easy to understand, but you have to concentrate a little more to comprehend the woman.

These earbuds fared quite well in a phone call test with office noise in the background.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

We repeated this process with typical office sounds playing in the background. You can still hear a little bit of the chatter, hum, and clacking keyboards, but you can clearly hear both voices, too.

In ideal circumstances, these earbuds transmit phone calls very clearly.

In a quiet room, the call is clear and easy to understand. We did notice an amplification in the woman's voice that isn't present with other high-quality options, but it didn't obscure communication.

Should You Buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?


If you're looking for earbuds that sound great, are capable of quieting the world, and offer an incredibly immersive experience, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra are worthy of serious consideration. While they don't boast the longest battery life or the best voice isolation for phone calls, the high quality audio and ease of use make them a standout choice. There are less expensive and more comfortable choices, but if you want the most captivating earbuds on the market, these buds are for you.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - three stability bands and three ear tip sizes give you nine options...
Three stability bands and three ear tip sizes give you nine options to customize your fit.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

What Other Earbuds Should You Consider?


Both the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds and the Apple AirPods Pro 2 offer top-of-the-line sound quality and innovative features. Either pair is an excellent choice, but you can only unlock the full benefits of the AirPods with Apple products. The Bose buds work with Android and Apple devices, although they can be tricky to pair with iPhones and only offer adaptable connectivity (and potentially lossless transfer rates) with Android devices. So, your decision largely depends on which tech ecosystem you're committed to. Feature-wise, the Bose earbuds provide superior noise cancellation and surround-sound audio quality. The AirPods excel in phone call clarity and have a slightly longer battery life. If you don't need impeccable, immersive soundscapes and are fine with comfortable, great sounding earbuds that can handle the rigor of a workout, we highly recommend the Jabra Elite 10 or Jabra Elite 8 Active.

bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds - our testers tend to relax into a cheerful grin when entering the...
Our testers tend to relax into a cheerful grin when entering the sonic wonderland that these earbuds create.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Graham Faulknor, Genevave Bradshaw, and Clark Tate