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We recently had the opportunity to test the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds* for you.
The headphones offer a completely new wearing experience compared to in-ear models and are more stylish than many other wireless headphones on the market.
Despite many advantages, the headphones also have some small weaknesses that we don’t want to leave unmentioned.
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Good headphones not only have to have top sound, but above all they should also be comfortable. In-ear headphones in particular often no longer do this after wearing them for a long time, because even the best headphones can press in your ears at some point. Open-ear headphones can then be a good alternative – and the cuff-shaped Bose Ultra Open Earbuds promise not only comfort, but also an immersive sound experience.
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What we like
Decent sound including strong bass Stylish look Inclusive design – can also be worn with some hearing aids Secure fit
What we don’t like
Sometimes the synchronization is weak when the head moves. No noise canceling (not possible due to the location in the earcups). No multipoint Bluetooth connections possible (yet). TECHNICAL DATAIncluded2 Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Carrying case with charging function USB-C cable (A to C) (30 cm) Quick start guideDimensions/WeightEarbuds: 1,9 cm x 1,7 cm x 2,7 cm (HxBxT)Transportetui mit Ladefunktion: 4,2 cm x 6,5 cm x 2,6 cm (HxBxT)USB-Kabel: 30,5 cmmaterialsEarbuds: flexible silicone, plastic, metallic finish, sweat and water resistant (IPX4) Carrying case: hard plasticbattery packBattery life: up to 7.5 hours according to the manufacturerBattery charging time for the earbuds: up to 1 hourCharging time for the transport case with charging function: up to 3 hoursQuick charge function: 10 minutes for 2 hours playback timeCharging method: USB-CBattery type (Earbud): Lithium-ion batteryBattery type (transport case ): Lithium-ion batterymicrophone4 microphones (2 on each earbud)BluetoothRange: up to 9 metersBluetooth version: 5.3
Good sound – with small limitations
Thanks to the OpenAudio technology developed by Bose, the Ultra Open Earbuds offer high-quality sound that sounds natural and full in many everyday situations with too much background noise. We particularly liked the fact that there is almost no sound loss. This means that you won’t disturb other people with your music on the train or in the office – an unbeatable advantage over cheaper open-ear headphones.
Particularly exciting: The sound can follow you thanks to the “Immersive Audio” function, so it actually sounds as if you were naturally perceiving music or speech in the room. This is especially useful when you are moving. Alternatively, you can turn off the effect while sitting or choose the “still” mode.
But: From time to time there are also synchronization errors. We noticed that this often happens when we turn our heads. Then amplified sound can be heard in both ears for a short time before both play back in sync at normal volume. This glitch, which can become annoying over time, could certainly be fixed soon with a software update. Whether this also applies to the somewhat distorted sound that occurs at high volume remains to be seen. What is pleasant is that there is almost no background noise when worn – unlike, for example, the Airpods Pro from Apple.
Read too
The AirPods Pro 2 in the test: Are the 300 euro headphones worth buying?
While you can make some sound settings in the accompanying app, both earbuds offer an intuitive control element with their round button on the back of the headphones. You can use it to control playback, answer calls and switch immersion mode.
High wearing comfort
Bose
For the test, we used the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds continuously over several days while working and in everyday life – for calls, while jogging, listening to music and podcasts, cleaning up and even falling asleep. What was positive was that the headphones are light, comfortable and do not press even after long periods of use. And even one tester with a hearing aid liked the over-ears because they hang on the earlobe and therefore do not block the ear canal.
We would have suspected that the clip-on design could cause problems, especially when doing sports, but the headphones didn’t go away even when sprinting or jumping rope – although you have to be careful not to accidentally pull the headphones off when pushing back longer hair. It is also practical that the Open Earbuds are waterproof and sweatproof with IPX4. So they are protected against splash water, but you shouldn’t swim with them.
Bose
Battery life
In stereo mode, the earbuds offer up to 7.5 hours of playback time and 48 hours of standby time. Depending on how long you listen to audio content per day or carry the earbuds around in standby mode, the battery life will of course vary. If the battery is empty, a ten-minute charge in the case was enough for another two hours of playback in the test.
Multipoint is yet to be introduced
With Apple’s Airpods, you can easily switch from MacBook to iPhone without having to connect your headphones to the respective device. This multipoint function, where you can connect the headphones to multiple devices, is not yet available for the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. However, the company has promised: “Over the course of the year we will be rolling out Bluetooth Multipoint via a software update. This function allows the Open Earbuds to be connected to two source devices at the same time. Set up your earbuds with the Bose Music app to receive software updates.”
Tipp: You can also use the Bose Music app to assign your own shortcuts to the buttons on each earbud, and later also change the audio source. With the implementation of the multipoint feature, you can switch back and forth between previously connected Bluetooth source devices by simply pressing and holding the earbud button without having to remove the earbuds.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: Are they worth buying?
Bose is known for its warm bass sound and the company has managed to bring this into the Open Ears – within the framework of the design and wearing style. However, if you want particularly strong sound, in-ear or over-ear is probably still the better choice for you. These also usually offer noise canceling, so you can turn off ambient noise if necessary.
With the open-ear model from Bose, however, you always have full transparency and the ear canal remains free. Therefore, the headphones are ideal for you if you don’t want to be too shielded while jogging or in everyday life. However, for the price of just under 350.00 euros (RRP), they are not exactly a bargain.
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