The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless are the next generation of the QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless. They're premium, wireless in-ear headphones that feature industry-leading active noise cancelling (ANC) technology, making them an excellent choice for those who want to block out external sounds so they can focus on their tunes. Released less than a year after their predecessor, these buds utilize the same sleek design but add Immersive Audio, a new virtual soundstage feature developed by Bose that aims to bring the kind of spatial audio features seen in the Apple AirPods Pro 2 to the QuietComfort lineup.
Our Verdict
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are impressive for sports and fitness use. They have a lightweight design that forms a stable fit in your ears, thanks to the variety of stability fins and ear tips provided. They're also IPX4 certified against splashes of water, and their ANC can be adapted to incorporate more ambient noise, which is great for runners who like to stay aware of their surroundings.
- IPX4 certified against splash damage.
- Comfortable fit and lightweight design.
Ear tips can easily tear.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are great for commuting and travel. They're comfortable and portable, and you can supplement their seven-hour battery life with extra charges from the included case if you're in a pinch. As expected, the ANC performance is excellent and isolates well against everything from low engine rumble to high-frequency sounds like office chatter and fridge hum. You can also customize the ANC performance via the app and create presets for your needs.
- Excellent noise isolation performance.
- IPX4 certified against splash damage.
- Comfortable fit and lightweight design.
- Easy-to-use, intuitive control scheme.
Ear tips can easily tear.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are good for office use. They're comfortable enough to wear all day, and their ANC does an excellent job of shielding you from background chit-chat and other distracting noises. That said, their seven-hour continuous battery life won't be enough to get you through a long day at the office without recharging from the case. Their microphone is adequate overall and should perform just fine in most office environments (in the absence of loud, sustained noise like construction).
- Excellent noise isolation performance.
- Comfortable fit and lightweight design.
- Case doesn't support wireless charging.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are Bluetooth headphones not designed for wireless gaming. Their latency via SBC is quite high and can cause lip-sync issues. That said, they also support aptX Adaptive, which can adjust its performance to help lower latency if you're gaming.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are Bluetooth-only headphones, and you can't use them wired.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have satisfactory audio reproduction accuracy. Their warm sound profile suits many genres, from bass-heavy techno to vintage jazz, and if you like a little more sparkle, you can always add it via EQ in the companion app. That said, some large peaks and dips in the treble region mean vocals can sound both harsh and veiled at the same time, while a mediocre group delay performance means very low sounds like 808 kick drums can feel a bit flabby. Still, their left and right drivers are incredibly well-matched, so sounds are accurately located in the stereo field.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds have amazing noise isolation. They do an excellent job blocking out every day sounds like rumbly train engines or chatty coworkers. They also don't leak very much audio, so you won't disturb those around you.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have an adequate microphone system. The mic does an okay job of capturing your voice and adequately separates it from most noise around you. In overwhelmingly loud environments, noise like subway arrivals can mask your voice.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have an incredible frequency response consistency performance. As long as you take the time to achieve a good fit, with the right set of ear tips, you won't need to worry about any deviations in audio delivery. As a result, our frequency response measurements are indicative of what most people will experience.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Oct 01, 2025:
We've updated Controls, Build Quality, Noise Isolation, Recording Quality, Noise Handling, Battery, and App Support as a result of retests with firmware 4.9.30. This also resulted in minor scoring changes for the Office Work and Microphone usages.
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Updated Apr 29, 2025:
We've updated the Noise Isolation box to mention the Technics EAH-AZ100.
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Updated Apr 25, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
- Updated Apr 25, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds come in three standard color variations: 'Black,' 'White Smoke,' and 'Moonstone Blue.' We tested the 'White Smoke' variant; you can see our model's label here. At an additional cost, you can get a custom color version with engravings through ColorWare's website, and apart from the color, they're the same model. If you encounter another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless are the next generation of the QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless. Their class-leading ANC performance has set them apart from other popular wireless earbuds like the Apple AirPods Pro 2, and they now have their own version of Apple's Spatial Audio feature called Immersive Audio. Their noise isolation performance is similar to their predecessor, and the two share a somewhat aligned sound profile. If you're in the market for in-ears to accompany you on your commutes, the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless also have an amazing noise isolation performance but have a longer battery life.
If you're looking for more recommendations, check out our picks for the best noise cancelling headphones, the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds, and the best AirPods alternatives.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless and the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are both premium wireless in-ears with similar strengths. Choosing between them is a matter of personal preference. Both buds are great for commuting and travel as they have a comfortable fit, decent battery life, and excellent overall ANC performance. You can also tweak the sound profiles of both buds to your liking via their EQ. However, the Sony headphones are slightly better for those who prioritize taking phone calls due to their superior noise-handling performance.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless are a newer version of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless, and are quite similar. Both have an excellent noise isolation performance and a somewhat bass-heavy sound profile out of the box. The Ultra are equipped with Immersive Audio, which can help improve their soundstage performance compared to other in-ears.
Owners of Android devices will have greater access to the full functionality of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless, thanks to their Android/iOS app, than the Apple AirPods Pro 3. Both are comfortable and stable wearing, but the Bose include EQ presets and a three-band EQ with adaptive EQ (called CustomTune). Their ANC is strong, but not quite as strong as the Apple's. They have an IPX4 rating, but the Apple have a more durable IP57 rating. The Apple also have a more advanced spatial audio feature, which can play Dolby Atmos mixes. Extra features include live translation, heart monitors, and the ability to use the buds as either hearing aids or hearing protection (region-dependent). Plus, their battery lasts longer over continuous use.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless have much in common, like their similar battery lives. Both earbuds support aptX Adaptive, including aptX Adaptive (Low Latency). The Sennheiser sound is less excited in the highs and they also have dust resistance with an IP54 rating, instead of just water resistance on the Bose's IPX4 rating. However, they're not as comfortable as the Bose, which reduce more low-pitched noise. And only the Bose earbuds include virtual surround sound, even if it's just a simulated DSP.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
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