We walk a fine line between sound quality and comfort when listening to music and staying alert. Some people want the music by their ear but not in their ear canal. There are solutions to this, you can wear one earbud, keep the active noise canceling off, or keep the volume low. A rather new category is the open earbuds approach. Today we’re taking a look at the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, a pair of headphones that don’t block your ear canal, allowing you to hear the environment around you.
Design
As you can see from these earbuds, they have a wraparound design since they hang off your ear. The cylinder has most of the weight, as expected, since that’s where the battery is, while the other side clips to the inside front of your ear. It’s connected by this flexible band, known as the “flex joint,” to help you clip and unclip the earbuds. The top of the cylinder has the only physical button on the earbuds. The bottom of the cylinder has three tiny charging prongs, which help when remembering how to place them back in their charging case. They’re IPX4-rated. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are powered by Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite, which includes aptX Adaptive support.
Bose Ultra Open Sound and Experience
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Fit and Feel
There is a bit of a learning curve when putting the Ultra Open earbuds on. You don’t feel the “seal” of placing an earbud at your ear canal. Once you feel the earbud is secure on your ear, you barely feel it. If you’re used to wearing glasses or earrings, it’s a similar feeling. You kind of forget the earbuds are there.
Considering that there is no noise isolation and no active noise cancelation, the quality was not only loud enough but clear. I wore them like clasp earrings for several hours and forgot that I had them on. It was great to take calls and listen to music without it blocking out the office noise around me. There were times that I would flick it off by mistake when adjusting my hair.
Bose tries to compensate for the lack of consistency open earbuds bring with a feature called Bose’s Immersive Audio. Depending on what you’re doing and how you’re moving, you can adjust the Immersive Audio settings to your liking. You can leave it “Still,” where the audio stays in place, or you can have it in “Motion,” where the audio moves with you as you turn your head.
Auto Volume: Adjust the volume automatically based on your surroundings. Living in New York, it’s nice to get around with some music in the background and staying aware. I got used to it after a while. It’s safe to say that there were times, that the New York noise drowned out my calls easily. No one is surprised there, New York is tough to beat when it comes to loud noise. But when sitting in an office or just out for a quick lunch, I started to rely on my Bose Ultra Open earbuds for taking calls.
Battery
The Open earbuds last about seven hours from a full single charge, which takes about an hour. The Ultra Open earbuds have a small charging case, as with most true wireless earbuds. The charging case can give you up to 19 more hours of playback.
Bose App
You can always connect via Bluetooth, but the Bose app has more settings. It’s available for iPhone and Android. When connected to a device, the Bose app will tell you what device it is connected to. You can pair the Ultra Open earbuds to multiple devices, but they won’t be connected simultaneously. You can switch between them in the app.
The Bose app allows you to access the EQ, Audio modes (stereo and immersion), and voice assistants.
Verdict
The Bose Ultra Open earbuds deliver exactly what you expect them to. You get good enough sound without drowning out the environment around you, and that’s okay. You’re prioritizing awareness over sound volume and quality. Bose does a great job of delivering clear sound. The price point isn’t surprising considering the brand, but it might be too much for those exploring this small category. At $299, you’d have to be dedicated to it, but it does do the job very well.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Review
$299
Pros
- Flexible yet sturdy design
- Good Fit
Cons
- Expensive
