Bose is a well-known brand in the world of audio products and Ultra Open Earbuds is the new addition to their portfolio.
The design of the earbuds is exciting as it’s not the regular one that fits into your ear canal, but rather stays outside, so basically – Open earbuds. The two main parts of construction are connected to one other with a flexible “bridge” and this helps them clamp to your ear without any pain, discomfort or irritation. The used materials are good, and I like the idea of having a physical button to control the multimedia and volume, on each earbud.
The packaging is ok, but nothing fancy, you will find the earbuds, the type-c to type-a charging cable and some paperwork in the box. I feel like I expected more from the packaging keeping in mind the price tag.
The Bose Ultra Open comes with a plastic case, that matches the color of the earbuds themselves. To be absolutely honest, I am a bit disappointed with the build quality and overall feel of the case. The plastic feels a bit cheap, you can easily see where the mold connects, so it basically has an edge. Despite that, the case holds enough battery in it and features a Type-C port for charging (cable is provided in the package).
The sound is something very subjective and some people may like it, some may not. You must know that the open earbuds sound quite different and the profile is not like the good-ol’ in-ear earphones. The sound here mostly lacks bass in high volume but keeps the high frequency and mids relatively present. The idea of such a design is for the user to be aware of his surroundings. I really enjoyed the sound quality these earbuds provide, even though the bass is low, even for my understanding (I love a bit more bassy earbuds).
From the test that I conducted, the best music to listen to on these is Pop – no matter if you are going for Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars or some Running playlist on Spotify, most of your audio “needs” would be satisfied. The loudness is also enough and no matter that the headphones are “open”, the sound does not leak into the surrounding area.
The variety of Bluetooth codecs allows you to use it with many different devices, but I don’t see an LDAC or APTX one here, and of course, the Noise Cancelling is “off the table” as these will allow you to hear what’s going on around you all the time.
Phone calls are also possible as the Bose Ultra Open features built-in mics, but don’t expect incredible quality if you are outside – they will do the job, but don’t expect the finest mics here.
Who are these made for?
My suggestion is that the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are mainly for sports people who enjoy running in the city, in the park, or just want to be aware of their surroundings. The fact that the earbuds clamp to your ear makes them very comfortable, without the feeling of them falling off. If you are someone who listens to a lot of podcasts or audiobooks while walking to your workplace – the Bose Ultra Open is the way to go.
Keep in mind that if you are very used to in-ear earbuds, these will sound a bit dull and hollow at first, but just give them some time and you will get used to the sound.
Aaand… these are not made for the bass heads – just saying 😊
The connection between the earbuds and the device you want to use is very intuitive and easy – no hustle at all, no headaches. I tested them mostly with my iPhone and the connection was stable all time, and I haven’t noticed any distortion, disconnection, or other lag/ drops. The Bose application is essential if you want to tweak the sound to your preference or for example to try some of the “immersion” built-in settings. As an entry-level audiophile, I prefer the simple stereo sound setting, but if you want, you can play with the other ones too. From the EQ to the shortcut’s settings, everything can be found in the app, and I have to give 10/10 for it – it’s very intuitive, simple, clean, and easy to work with.
From my perspective, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are one of the best, if not even the best open earbuds that you can go for. Of course, there’s a quite steep price point that you should consider and I see how people can be bothered by it, because of the mid-quality case that is provided and the not-so-special packaging. Every other aspect of the product is top-notch – The sound is great for such a design, the IPX4 rating is essential for sports, the multipoint connectivity allows you to use them with many devices at once and the 7 hours of playback time is rather impressive for such earbuds.