Bose is taking its trendy open earbuds to the next level with two improved new models
The New Bose Sport Open and the second-gen Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are up for pre-order today and set for a quick October 1 release.
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This is a rather unconventional promotional image for the new Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen). | Image by Bose
When wireless audio industry veteran Bose unveiled its first-ever open earbuds all the way back in 2021, everyone kind of viewed that as a quirky experiment unlikely to break into the mainstream. Half a decade later, however, open-ear designs were essentially named the market's next big thing in a global sales report that unsurprisingly ranked Apple as the world's top vendor.
Of course, Apple doesn't sell open-ear AirPods... yet, but Bose is certainly looking to strike while the iron is hot, announcing two such products this week to take on the popular Shokz OpenDots One and OpenFit 2+ and carry on the legacy of the 2021-released Bose Sport Open and 2024's Ultra Open.
The New Bose Sport Open earbuds look nothing like their ancestor
- Bose OpenAudio technology for premium sound;
- SpeechClarity technology for crystal clear calls;
- Flexible cuffed band;
- Soft, silicone finish;
- Two microphones;
- IP54 water and dust resistance;
- Up to 7 hours of battery life (29 hours with charging case);
- Wireless charging;
- Bluetooth 5.4;
- Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity;
- Google Fast Pair;
- Black, White, and Eucalyptus Green color options.
These look like an excellent pair of wireless earbuds for gym use. | Image by Bose
Naturally, the main focus here is all-day comfort and stability rather than style, but who says you can't have the best of both worlds... for $199? That's 100 bucks lower than the original list price of the super-premium 2024-released Bose Ultra Open buds, which means certain compromises are to be expected in the overall audio quality department.
But you do still get proprietary Bose OpenAudio tech that promises a "rich and private sound experience" without violating your ears, as well as an excellent IP54 water and dust resistance rating and pretty awesome battery life with or without the wireless charging case factored in. What more could you possibly want from a relatively affordable pair of open earbuds?
The Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are obviously even better than the first edition
- OpenAudio and TrueSpatial technologies for premium sound;
- SpeechClarity tech for crystal clear voice calls;
- Cinema Mode;
- Sleek metallic finish;
- Two microphones;
- IPX4 water resistance;
- Up to 9 hours of battery life (28.5 hours with charging case);
- Wireless charging;
- Bluetooth 5.4;
- Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity;
- Google Fast Pair;
- Black, White, Olive Green, and Cherry Chocolate color options.
What's new in that spec sheet above? Quite a few things, actually, starting with a cutting-edge Bose TrueSpatial technology that takes the already impressive OpenAudio experience to a whole new level of immersion, especially in a Cinema Mode created with high-quality video content in mind.
At first glance, the upgraded Bose Ultra Open Earbuds look an awful lot like their predecessor. | Image by Bose
The battery life is also improved from 7 hours on the first-gen Bose Ultra Open Earbuds to 9 hours now without any radical cosmetic changes being noticeable at a first glance, and speaking of that, the Ultra Open (2nd Gen) are of course both prettier and sturdier than their low-cost new cousin.
What kind of earbuds do you prefer?
3 Votes
At their core, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) and the New Bose Sport Open Earbuds use the same design principle, snubbing the traditional bone conduction method to deliver sound through the air near your ear rather than bone vibrations, which should result in "fuller, more natural sound with a comfortable, pressure-free fit." The downside? Noise cancellation is simply not physically possible. The upside? You can remain in touch with your surroundings while not sacrificing (much) in terms of audio quality when listening to your favorite tunes in the office, at the gym, or at school (not during classes, though).
What should you buy?
If you ask me, the first-gen Bose Ultra Open Earbuds while they're marked down by a cool $100 from their $299 list price. $299, mind you, is how much the Ultra Open (2nd Gen) cost, and with their commercial debut scheduled for October 1, it might be a while until we'll see that price point discounted by 50 bucks (let alone $100).
The reimagined Bose Sport Open Earbuds are also set for an October 1 release at the same price tag that the original Ultra Open currently go for, so you're definitely faced with a tough (but sweet) buying decision right now. And that's before you consider all the great "conventional" earbuds options from brands like Apple, Samsung, and Beats that you can currently get for less than $300 or even less than $200.
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