Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Bose's 2026 earbud refresh pairs class-leading noise cancellation with the best call-mic clarity in true wireless — the pick for hybrid workers who live on calls.
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What we like
- Best-in-class mic clarity for calls in noisy rooms
- World-class active noise cancellation
- Smoother Aware Mode transitions than the first gen
- Bluetooth multipoint for phone-to-laptop switching
Could be better
- Only 6 hours per charge (4 with Immersive Audio)
- $299 is more than AirPods Pro 2 USB-C
- Immersive Audio is a gimmick for most desk users
Full Review
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are Bose’s 2026 refresh of its flagship buds, and the headline isn’t the sound — it’s the microphones. For anyone splitting time between a home desk and a noisy office, that’s the spec that actually matters.
Call Quality Is the Whole Pitch
Bose’s SpeechClarity mics now add AI background suppression, and the difference on a call is obvious. In a room with a fan running, a dishwasher, or open-plan office chatter, callers hear your voice cleanly while the noise drops out.
This is where Bose still beats the competition. AirPods Pro 2 USB-C handle quiet rooms fine but smear your voice once background noise climbs, and the Sony WF-1000XM6 sit in between. If your day is back-to-back meetings, the Bose mics are the reason to buy these over anything else.
Noise Cancellation and Sound
The ANC is still the best you can get in a true wireless bud. It flattens HVAC drone, keyboard clatter, and low office hum so completely that focus work becomes genuinely easier.
CustomTune calibrates to your ear canal on each insertion, and the new Aware Mode transitions are smoother — passthrough no longer pops in abruptly when someone walks up to your desk. Immersive Audio returns and sounds neat in demos, but it’s a battery drain you’ll likely leave off during work.
Battery and Daily Use
Six hours per charge is the weak spot. That covers a morning of calls, but heavy users will be docking the buds at lunch. Immersive Audio cuts it to four. The case adds three more charges and now supports wireless charging.
Multipoint Bluetooth is the quality-of-life win for hybrid workers — stay paired to your laptop for meetings and your phone for music, with automatic switching between them. IPX4 covers sweat and light rain for the commute.
Who Should Buy This
Buy these if you live on calls and work in noisy environments — the mic clarity and ANC are worth the premium. If you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem and calls are secondary, AirPods Pro 2 USB-C save you money. If you want the best raw sound and longer battery over call quality, look at the Sony WF-1000XM6 instead.
