Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) Review: The King of Clip-Ons Is Re-Crowned

When I first tried the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds in 2024, it was a minor revelation. Clip-style open earbuds were just coming onto the scene in the U.S., and this was the first pair I had ever wrapped around my ears. They were a strange form factor but comfortable, surprisingly nice to listen to, and, thanks to the ability to hear my surroundings, I didn’t feel like I was totally rolling the dice wearing them on bike rides.

Bose didn’t invent clip-style wireless earbuds (that distinction goes to Huawei), but it was the first to set the standard for how they should feel and sound for me, personally.

That was two years ago, though, and things change quickly in consumer tech. Since the Ultra Open Earbuds arrived, there have been tons of new clip-style earbuds from the likes of Shokz, Sony, CMF, and even Samsung. With those entrants, there’s been some strong competition—strong enough to knock Bose’s clip-ons off the top of my open-earbud pedestal.

At least for a while…

Bose is so back

What I like most about the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) is that Bose seems to have identified what people really wanted in a second generation, and then it just gave them that. The first thing that struck me was the sound.

While the first generation of Ultra Open Earbuds sounded pretty good, the second generation sounds legitimately great. Even without spatial audio, I get a lot more nuance across the frequency range, including bass, a frequency that can be hard for open wireless earbuds to muster. Listening to my typical test tracks like “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” by Steely Dan, I got a good spread across the frequency range. Vocals were present and bright; keys were right in the middle of the mix; rhythm guitars were audible and not overpowered. Bass, as I mentioned, was good. It wasn’t anywhere near what you’d get on a pair of in-ear wireless earbuds or over-the-ear headphones, but for a pair of clip-on wireless earbuds, I can’t complain.

Overall, there’s just more richness to the second generation of the Ultra Open Earbuds, and that extends to my other test songs like “Da Funk” from Daft Punk. Where the first generation might have struggled to translate the driving bass, the second generation did a decent job of making sure it was in the mix and not overpowered by the gritty lead synths and sampled midrange pops that punctuate the song.

Arguably just as important as the sound, though, is the fact that the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) get a great deal louder than their predecessor. Volume might not matter much for wireless earbuds with tips and wireless headphones, both of which usually have more than enough output for most people’s ears, but open wireless earbuds are different. Clip-ons are inherently competing with the sound around you, so it’s critical that they can get loud enough for situations where you need to overpower ambient noise.

Though I really liked Bose’s first-gen Ultra Open Earbuds, loudness wasn’t their strong suit. They were often easily drowned out in loud situations like riding the subway in New York or even sometimes walking down a noisy street. I’m happy to say that is not the case in this generation. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are some of the easiest to listen to on the New York subway of any clip-ons that I’ve tried.

I was even able to comfortably hear a podcast on my subway commute home, which is no small feat given the ambient noise versus the relatively low voices. Sure, I had to crank the volume up a bit, but the fact that I could hear everything well puts these clip-ons leagues above lots of competition. For most people, I suspect there will be plenty of volume for louder situations, and if you want to hear more of your surroundings, all you have to do is turn the volume down a bit.

In the sound department, Bose also added a Cinema mode to its Immersive Audio options, which is meant to widen the soundstage and give movies and podcasts more of a theater-like experience. As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I can’t see myself using this mode a lot. In my experience, it just makes podcasts sound a little more warped and less enjoyable to listen to, and the same goes for movies. The good news is, if you don’t want to use it, you can just completely ignore the setting.

A bit more refined

When it comes to clip-ons, comfort is almost equally as important as sound, and Bose pushes the needle here, too. The Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are redesigned a bit, and the fit feels a bit tighter (in a good way), and, to me, they look a little bit slimmer, though they’re pretty much the same size. I have no notes on comfort—I think they feel great in long periods of use—and I also like the new metal accent on the outside.

I would be more likely to use these while exercising because of the tighter fit, too. While I didn’t get a chance to use them on the treadmill, I did give them a bit of a vigorous shake test (sorry to my brain), and they stayed put. If you plan on using these for exercise, I would give you the go-ahead.

Bose is really mixing up the colors with some fun options this time around, too, though the fun ones are limited-edition. There are the usual white and black options, but there’s also sky pink, olive green, and the color you see here, which is cherry chocolate.

Other nice perks are the addition of wireless charging to the case, which also got a bit of a redesign. The new charging case can sit upright, since it has a flat bottom, and the charging port is on the side, which is a bit odd, but I can’t say it bothers me all that much.

Another area where Bose really focused is battery life. Bose says this generation gets nine hours on a single charge instead of seven. I put them to the test with an hour of listening at about 60% volume (you’re going to listen to clip-ons at higher volumes, typically), and the Bose app was still showing 100% charge since it only gives 10% increments, so it’s hard to say for sure, but it does feel like you’re getting a bit more juice.

Sometimes you get what you pay for

If there’s one thing I can knock Bose for here, it’s the hefty premium. Like the last generation, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) cost an eye-watering $299. That’s a lot for a pair of wireless earbuds in general, but it feels even more expensive for a pair of open wireless earbuds that you might not be using as your main pair all the time.

Still, these are great clip-ons. The sound is far better than the first generation, as is the volume. And with perks like a subtle redesign for fit, new fun colors, and more battery life, they feel like an appreciable upgrade. It’s clear that with this generation, Bose is back to being on top of the pile in the clip-on space.