Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) Review

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are built around one headline promise: silence. Bose calls this its best in-ear noise cancelling yet, and Expert Reviews goes further, naming them the best wireless earbuds available for blocking out the world. If your top priority is shutting out commutes, flights or open-plan offices, that reputation alone puts these on your shortlist.

This is, however, an evolutionary update rather than a reinvention. The second generation adds a wireless charging case, better call quality, an improved Aware Mode and new options in the Bose app, but no notable audio upgrades. It's aimed squarely at buyers who want the strongest ANC in earbud form and are happy to pay for refinements. Owners of the first-gen model, or anyone shopping on value, have less reason to bite.

Judged on its own, this is an easy pair of earbuds to recommend for its core strength. Judged against its predecessor, the case is weaker. Expert Reviews rates the noise cancellation as only marginally better than the first-gen QC Ultra Earbuds. The 2nd Gen launched at £300 in the UK, the same as the original's launch price, while that original can now be found for under £200. That gap is the crux of our verdict.

• Noise cancelling: Still the reason to buy. Being widely regarded as the best in class is a meaningful differentiator.
• Quality-of-life upgrades: Wireless charging is a genuine convenience at this price. Clearer calls, helped by Bose's SpeechClarity feature, plus a better Aware Mode make these more practical day to day.
• Features: CustomTune personalised sound, Bose Immersive Audio and app customisation round out a premium package, though we can't judge how they perform from the information available.
• Battery: Up to six hours per charge is considered average. A roughly three-hour case recharge isn't quick either.
• Sound: With no notable audio changes from the first gen, there's no new reason to upgrade on sound alone.

Our assessment rests on available specs and third-party claims rather than our own hands-on testing, so we can't speak to fit, comfort or sound quality in detail. On balance, these are excellent noise-cancelling earbuds that deserve a strong score. The marginal improvement over a much cheaper predecessor stops them from being a must-buy. If you need wireless charging and the latest refinements, go for the 2nd Gen. If you mainly want Bose's noise cancelling, the discounted first-gen model is the smarter buy.