Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review: A new way to listen
Paul Jones
STACK Editor-in-Chief
And now for something different. So different, in fact, it might take a while to get your head – or, in this case, your ears – around.
At a glance
Comfortable for all-day wear
Lightweight
Immersive Audio
Rated IPX4
Multi-purpose
Good sound
Natural aware mode
Bose is renowned for leading the way in consumer tech innovation, and that’s exactly what the audio company has done here with the introduction of Ultra Open Earbuds.
True in-ear wireless earbuds are an excellent alternative for those who find over-ear headphones inconvenient to wear. Perfect for a workout or the daily commute, they are the perfect travel companions, with a compact design for stowing in a small bag or your pocket.
However, not everyone is down with wearing traditional in-ear earbuds. Ears come in various shapes and sizes, so a good fit is not always guaranteed despite interchangeable ear tips. Discomfort is another issue some users experience, especially when wearing earbuds for a long time. And that’s where the Ultra Open Earbuds concept will flourish.
What are Ultra Open Earbuds?
These earbuds are a unique design and will fit all ears – but in a completely different way. An L-shaped bud holds the drivers, and a short flexible band attaches this to a barrel that contains all the important electronics. The barrel has a touch button on the end.
The L-shaped speaker hooks into the ear while the barrel rolls out around the back and snaps shut behind the ear to hold the earbud in place. It doesn’t matter what size your ear is – the flexible band will fit any shape. The optimum angle is 45° and can slide up and down slightly to ensure a comfortable fit. Visually, they look like sonic earrings.
How do they work?
The speaker sits outside your ear and pipes music directly into the ear canal. The good news? There’s very little sound leakage to annoy folk around you.
As a concept, think of them as earbuds in constant aware/transparency mode, except you don’t have to keep fiddling with an earbud or app to initiate it. There’s nothing more irritating than constantly tapping an earbud to pause play when someone at work or in the gym is trying to talk to you.
There’s none of that with the Ultra Open Earbuds – when you get the volume levels right, you’re always in the moment, even when you’ve got Metallica’s Enter Sandman screaming in your ears. This also works well for walkers or runners who need to stay aware of their surroundings.
Are they touch control?
Not in the conventional sense of employing a touchpad. The Ultra Opens use a physical button sited on top of the barrel. From here, play/pause, track skip/back, and volume can be controlled by incorporating both the left and right buttons.
Shortcuts can also be mapped to the buttons through the Bose Music companion app. The Ultra Open Earbuds are also voice control enabled.
Are they comfortable?
We’ve never had an issue with earbuds and discomfort, but we use over-ear headphones throughout the long day at work. Bose is obviously keen to push the comfort angle here, and with good reason. We’ve had them on for up to seven hours non-stop and barely noticed them.
In fact, after five minutes of wear, we completely forgot we had them on until a call came in. It’s worth noting on this point that you’ll need to be careful when taking off tight-fitting upper clothing like a t-shirt or a jumper – the buds can be so unnoticeable while being worn if you’re not listening to music at the time, and they can pop out with the clothes.
It’s hard to understate how much of a game-changer they are for users wanting to keep them in all day, without trying them. You’ll want to keep them in, too – they do look very cool.
Can you take calls with them?
Yep, and it’s dead easy, too. When you have an incoming call, pressing the button on top will automatically answer it. A double press will hang up.
How do they sound?
Far better than they probably should, given the uniqueness of the design. While you won’t get comparable sound quality to a set of over-ears or traditional earbuds, the Ultra Open Earbuds are close. The sound quality is very good.
We find that the Bose balanced sound signature straight out of the box works for us: there’s enough depth in the bass not to be overpowering, the mids are crystal clear, and the highs are crisp without distortion. And that’s the case here.
However, there is a basic EQ in the Bose Music app if you want to pump up the bass for a workout or tweak the mid and treble to suit your sound. You will have to lift the volume in particularly noisy environments though like train stations and busy cities.
They also incorporate Bose’s version of spatial sound, the recently introduced Immersive Audio. These can be mapped to the button on the barrel, activating a deeper dimension of audio representation. The 'Still' mode puts the sound in front of you in two invisible speakers.
A second mode, 'Motion', retains the spatial audio and shifts the entire soundstage with head movement, so you’re never out of the party. We defaulted to the Motion setting to get the best out of music playback and switched Immersive Audio off entirely for podcasts.
How long will the battery last?
Bose claim 7.5 hours of playtime, with that reduced to 4.5 with Immersive Audio on, and that came close to our observations. There’s 19.5 hours in the charging case, ready to go. And talking of the case, it’s slimmer than the Quiet Comfort Ultra one and slips nicely into a jeans pocket.
Are they waterproof?
The Open Ultras are rated IPX4, which can handle workout sweat and light showers if you get caught out on a run.
Any good for exercise?
These haven’t been designed specifically with sports in mind, but we wore them during an online PT session and pounded the pavement on a 5km run without any issues at all.
What’s in the Bose Music app?
From within the app you can map shortcuts to the earbuds and access the Immersive Audio settings that sit at Off, Still, and Motion. While the sound quality out of the box is well-balanced, an EQ tab allows the bass and treble to be tweaked to suit personal preferences.
Summing it up
It's a bold play from Bose but a good one. Not everyone can enjoy the portability and convenience of earbuds, and that’s the area where the Ultra Open Earbuds will thrive.
It’s impossible to describe the comfort factor here without trying them; it’s a game changer. You can wear these all day – and beyond – without any fatigue. They’re simple to set up and use – you can be up and running in seconds.
And despite sitting outside the ear canal, the sound quality remains excellent, with the additional bonus of being in the moment with your surroundings while remaining immersed in your music. They are like nothing we’ve seen or worn before.
Are they for me?
These are certainly pitched at the dynamic early tech adopter who is keen to stay ahead of the pack in trends and innovation, but the design will have universal appeal. The Ultra Open Earbuds are sharp; they look good, feel good, are practical to wear and deliver on the audio stakes. What’s not to like?
Specs:
Bluetooth: v5.3 | Colours: Black or White Smoke | Battery life: 7.5 hours standard play, 4.5 hours w/ Immersive Audio activated | Battery life (case): 19.5 hours | Charging: USB-C | IP rating: IPX4 | App: Yes, Bose Music
^Discounts apply to previous ticketed/advertised price prior to the discount offer. As we negotiate, products will likely have been sold below ticketed/advertised price prior to the discount offer. Prices may differ at airport stores.
