Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen Review: Premium Sound and ANC for Runners

Introduction

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen sit at the top of the Bose earbud range, above the standard QuietComfort Earbuds, and they deliver the best sound quality and noise cancellation Bose offers in this format. This review focuses on how they perform for running, and whether they work as crossover earbuds for both sport and everyday lifestyle use.

At just under £300 or $300, they are firmly in premium territory. They are available in black, white, and plum, and Bose seems likely to expand the color range over time given how it has handled its other headphone lines.

Who These Earbuds Are For

These are earbuds for people who want flagship-level sound and noise cancellation first, and running capability second. If you love Bose products for travel, work, and general listening, and want to know whether the same pair can also carry you through marathon training, the answer here is yes, and better than expected.

If your priority is purely sports use on a tighter budget, there are alternatives worth considering, which we cover in the buying advice below.

Fit and Comfort on the Run

The buds are fairly large with a stem that hangs down outside the ear, and they are a bit bigger than the standard QuietComfort Earbuds. In the box you get three sizes of ear tip and three sizes of wing tip, which feels slightly stingy at this price.

That said, the fit has been excellent. Across long runs during marathon training, including efforts over 20 miles, the buds sat very securely with the largest wing tips and needed essentially no adjustment. That matters, because the touch controls can be triggered when you adjust the buds.

Comfort is also strong. Long sessions during and outside of runs, including very sweaty treadmill workouts and indoor bike rides, caused no irritation in the ear canal or around the top of the ear. For a large and reasonably heavy earbud, the fit is a genuine highlight.

The IPX4 rating is not fully waterproof, but sweat and rain resistance has historically been sufficient for running use, and nothing in testing suggests problems there.

Controls and Case

Touch controls on the outside of the stem are customizable and reliable enough for general use, sitting at a desk, or traveling. On the run they are less practical: sweaty fingers, rain, and hard efforts make precise touches difficult, and accidental triggers happen when you adjust the buds or anything near your head. A physical button would be welcome here.

The case is fairly large and substantial, which makes carrying it on a run awkward unless you use a running belt or shorts with good storage. It does support wireless charging, which is a useful option to have.

Sound Quality

Sound is very good, as you would expect from Bose’s flagship earbuds. The presentation is warm, powerful, and detailed, with a big soundscape and plenty of clarity even at high volume, with no distortion on busy tracks. It works particularly well for indie, guitar, and singer-songwriter material, which sounds lush and full, and it delivers the punch you want when you ramp up a running playlist during a hard workout.

App-based EQ customization is limited and makes only a modest difference, but the sound is excellent out of the box. There is also an immersive mode that can add depth and soundstage, most noticeable at a desk or while traveling. It drains the battery faster and is not something worth engaging with mid-run, since the standard sound is already great.

Noise Cancellation and Awareness Mode

Active noise cancellation is excellent and arguably an area where Bose leads the market. It filters out nearly everything when traveling or working, and it is particularly valuable indoors: on a treadmill or exercise bike, it lets you disappear into a bubble and just power through.

Outdoors, the awareness mode lets in a good amount of sound and is the sensible default for running. It is affected by wind, and because the buds are large and protrude from the ears, wind blast is noticeable on blustery days, in ANC mode as well. Some smaller earbuds filter wind noise better. With ANC outdoors, the thudding of your own footsteps can also be audible, especially with podcasts at lower volume, though music at higher volume masks it well.

You can set up custom sound modes in the partner app, including a running preset with your chosen level of noise cancellation. One quirk: you cannot turn immersive audio or transparency mode off entirely in these modes, which you can on other Bose buds, so battery drain stays elevated.

Battery Life and Charging

You get 6 hours of playback from the buds, dropping to 4 hours with immersive audio, plus 24 hours of total battery life including the case, which charges wirelessly.

This is not the best battery life available, and smaller earbuds, including Bose’s own QuietComfort Earbuds, go further. The always-on modes drain power quickly, which is part of the trade-off for the performance on offer. Quick charge gives 2 hours of playback from 20 minutes of charging, which can save the day in a pinch but is slower than the 5-minute top-ups some competitors offer. If your buds are dead just before a run, expect to wait a little.

Buying Advice

If you want Bose’s absolute best sound and noise cancellation and a fit that genuinely holds up on the run, these deliver, and they work beautifully as crossover earbuds for lifestyle and sport.

If you do not need the absolute best, the standard Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are the better value buy. They are significantly cheaper, frequently around £130 in sales, with a smaller and neater fit in the ear, a smaller case, slightly better battery life, and still very good sound and ANC, though the noise cancellation is a step behind.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are another smaller, more convenient option with a much more portable case and good sound and ANC, though not quite at the Bose level. They lack wings and can work loose for some runners, although third-party wings can solve that.

For a more dedicated sports design, the Beats PowerBeats Pro 2 offer an ear hook with a cast-iron reliable fit, physical button controls, and fun color options. They do not sound as good as the Bose and their ANC is clearly weaker, but they are excellent sports headphones with easier on-the-run controls.

Conclusion

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen excel in almost every key area except battery life. Fit, comfort, sound quality, and noise cancellation are all outstanding, and the awareness mode works well for running with only a mild wind caveat. As premium crossover earbuds that can handle marathon training as well as travel and desk use, they are hard to beat, provided the price and the battery compromise fit your priorities.