Review Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen (2026)

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds second generation display a weight of 7.3 g per earbud, compared to 6.2 g for the Sony WF-1000XM6 and 5.3 g for the AirPods Pro 3. The charging case reaches 59 g, an acceptable but noticeable pocket format. The widened teardrop shape, characteristic of the Bose range, imposes a large contact surface with the ear canal and concha, which directly affects fit and fatigue over time.

After two hours of continuous wear, the editorial team noted notable intra-auricular pressure on narrow ear profiles. The supplied silicone tips come in three sizes (S, M, L) and two formats: standard tip and stabilizer tip with flexible fin. The silicone material is of intermediate hardness, neither as supple as Sony's optional memory foam tips nor as rigid as Apple's tips. Switching to size S resolved excessive pressure for two editorial team members out of five.

Fit in the ear relies on the combination of silicone tip and stabilization fin. During brisk walking and light jogging (8 km/h), the earbuds stayed in place without adjustment. Beyond 10 km/h or during sudden lateral movements, manual repositioning proved necessary once in three tests. Bose does not position this model as a sport earbud, and real-world conditions confirm this limit.

The case opens via a magnetic hinge with a crisp click. The outer surface is in slightly textured matte plastic, resistant to fingerprints. The absence of the rubberized coating present on the previous generation changes the grip but does not affect perceived solidity.

The codec chain depends directly on the source. On iPhone 15 Pro, the connection is established in AAC (bitrate capped at 256 kbps), with a measured latency of 145 ms on video playback via YouTube. On an Samsung Galaxy S25 compatible with aptX Adaptive, latency drops to 68 ms, which makes lip-sync acceptable for video and tolerable for casual mobile gaming. In fallback SBC (incompatible devices), latency rises to 220 ms, a value that rules out reactive gaming.

LC3 (Bluetooth LE Audio codec) is present in the specifications but its activation requires a source device compatible with LE Audio, still rare in 2026 outside certain recent Android smartphones. On the compatible devices tested, LC3 latency settled at 80 ms with a perceived bitrate slightly higher than AAC on sharp transients.

Multipoint on two simultaneous devices (Windows 11 PC + Android smartphone) behaved stably during user-initiated switches. However, automatic switches triggered by a notification on the secondary device caused two brief dropouts (0,5 to 1 s) across ten tested events. This behaviour is documented and known from the previous generation.

The signature of the QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen is characterised by present bass between 60 and 150 Hz with a slight perceived boost around 80 Hz, mids slightly recessed between 800 Hz and 2 kHz, and high frequencies overall controlled without marked sibilance above 8 kHz. Compared with the Harman 2018 target, the perceived curve comes closer than the first generation, especially in the 1-4 kHz range where the dip was more pronounced on the previous model.

This evolution is audible on male voices, more present and less veiled than before. Female voices and plucked string instruments retain a slight warm coloration that flatters long listening sessions but moves away from reference neutrality. Stereo image separation is clear on well-mixed recordings, with a moderately wide soundstage and no artificial widening in native stereo mode.

The Immersive Audio mode (binaural spatialisation with head tracking) perceptibly alters tonal balance: high frequencies gain presence (approximately +2 dB perceived between 6 and 10 kHz) and the soundstage widens beyond the ears on native stereo recordings. The effect is coherent on orchestras and wide electronic productions, yet introduces slight artificiality on intimate recordings or solo voices.

The equaliser in the Bose Music app offers five presets (Signature Bose, Balanced, Bass Boost, Midrange, Treble Boost) without access to a graphic or parametric equaliser. The Balanced preset brings the curve perceptibly closer to the Harman target on the mids, without however correcting the slight recession between 1 and 2 kHz. Users accustomed to the 10-band equaliser in the Sony Headphones Connect app will find this offering limited.

The passive attenuation of the QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen is estimated at 22 dB thanks to the silicone seal, a value measured by subjective comparison with a calibrated reference earplug. Active ANC adds significant attenuation on low frequencies: in an airplane cabin (background noise centered around 100-200 Hz), the total perceived reduction reaches 35 to 38 dB, which places these earbuds in the upper segment of wireless models.

In open-space environments (background noise between 55 and 65 dB SPL, voices and keyboards dominant between 300 Hz and 3 kHz), ANC effectively reduces low frequencies but lets through some nearby voices. Attenuation on the 500 Hz to 2 kHz range is estimated at 18 to 22 dB, sufficient for focused work but insufficient to mask a conversation less than two meters away.

Fixed ANC mode (permanent maximum level) offers slightly superior attenuation in deep low frequencies (below 80 Hz) compared with adaptive mode, at the cost of a slight perceptible hiss in complete silence. This hiss, centered around 2-4 kHz, is audible in a quiet room below 30 dB SPL ambient, but disappears as soon as background noise exceeds 40 dB.

On high frequencies (above 2 kHz), ANC shows its usual limitations in the segment: sharp and impulsive sounds (shouts, horns, station announcements) pass through partially. This limitation is common to all models in the 2026 segment, including the Sony WF-1000XM6 and the AirPods Pro 3.

The transparency mode of the QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen reproduces the environment with controlled coloration on mid frequencies (voices, urban ambiance). Human voices nearby (less than two meters) are rendered naturally, without the metallic effect or nasal resonance observed on some competitors at this price. The perceived bandwidth of the transparency mode adequately covers the 200 Hz to 8 kHz range.

On loud and impulsive sounds (horn within five meters, jackhammer), slight digital saturation is perceptible, resulting in brief clipping of the reproduced signal. This phenomenon is common to transparency systems using MEMS microphones and does not represent a specific flaw of Bose, but it is present and audible.

The switch from ANC to transparency, triggered by a double tap on the touch surface, occurs in 0,3 to 0,5 second, a delay short enough for interaction at a checkout or ticket counter. The reverse switch (transparency to ANC) takes slightly longer (0,6 to 0,8 s) due to the stabilization time of the active filters.

Mute Zone conducted test calls in three distinct environments, with interlocutor-side evaluation on a simplified MOS scale (1 to 5):

• Quiet interior (office, 35 dB SPL): intelligibility rated 4,2/5. The voice is clean, slightly compressed on consonant attacks, without perceptible processing artifacts.
• Street with moderate traffic (68 dB SPL, wind 15 km/h): intelligibility rated 3,6/5. Background noise processing is effective on the low frequencies of traffic, but wind introduces audible modulation artifacts on the interlocutor side beyond 20 km/h.
• Public transport (subway, 78 dB SPL): intelligibility rated 3,3/5. Residual background noise is perceptible but the voice remains intelligible. Aggressive noise suppression causes slight robotic distortion on fricative consonants (s, f, ch).

These results place the QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen in the upper average of the segment for indoor calls, and average for noisy environments. The Sony WF-1000XM6 achieves slightly higher scores outdoors in windy conditions thanks to dedicated wind processing.

The Mute Zone measurement protocol for battery life: volume set to 70 % of maximum, ANC activated in adaptive mode, aptX Adaptive codec on Android source, continuous playlist without pause. Under these conditions, the editorial team measured 5 h 40 min of battery life per earbud, 20 minutes below the manufacturer announcement of 6 h. The gap is consistent with the manufacturer measurement conditions (volume 50 %, ANC activated, codec unspecified).

With ANC deactivated, same volume and same source, battery life reaches 7 h 15 min, a gain of 1 h 35 min. This delta confirms that ANC consumes approximately 22 % of total battery capacity in this scenario. The charging case provides two additional full charges, bringing total battery life to approximately 22 h 30 min with ANC activated.

Fast charging is supported: 15 minutes in the case restores about 2 h of listening with ANC activated, a useful value for rushed departures. Full charging of the case via USB-C takes 1 h 50 min from 0 %. Wireless Qi charging is absent from this model, a notable limitation compared with the Sony WF-1000XM6 which includes it.

The Bose Music application (iOS and Android) offers the following functions on this model:

• Selection of the listening mode (adaptive ANC, fixed ANC, transparency, disabled)
• Five equalization presets (without graphic or parametric access)
• Customization of touch gestures (short press, long press, double) on each earbud
• Management of the Immersive Audio mode and head tracking
• Over-the-air firmware update
• Multipoint management (activation, deactivation, list of paired devices)

The missing functions are significant for a demanding user: no multi-band graphic equalizer, no sound profiles by source or by application, no configurable automatic wear detection (the function exists but is not adjustable), and no game mode with explicit latency optimization. The Sony Headphones Connect application offers a 10-band equalizer, profiles by source and a configurable DSEE Extreme mode, which represents a clear functional advantage for the user who wishes to finely customize their signature.

The table above calls for a reading by usage profile rather than a global ranking. Three scenarios emerge:

• Frequent traveler (plane, long-distance train): the Sony WF-1000XM6 takes the advantage on battery life (7 h 10 versus 5 h 40) and maximum attenuation in low frequencies. The Bose remain competitive on adaptive ANC reactivity and comfort during extended wear for ears that tolerate their size.
• Remote working with frequent calls: the AirPods Pro 3 stand out in the Apple ecosystem through their native integration (optimized AAC latency, instant Handoff). The Bose offer better call quality in calm indoor settings than the AirPods on an Android source, thanks to aptX Adaptive.
• Demanding Android user focused on sound: the Bose and Sony are close, but Sony's 10-band equalizer and wireless charging tip the scales in favor of the WF-1000XM6 for those who prioritize sound customization. The Bose retain an advantage on transparency mode reactivity and the naturalness of environmental restitution.