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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

Scored on 50 verified owner verdicts, from 1,151 comments read across 2 communities
TL;DR
Most owners are won over by the QC Ultra 2nd Gen's noise cancellation, calling it the best they've tried for flights, gyms, and noisy environments, paired with all-day comfort and rich, bass-forward sound. A meaningful minority runs into real reliability problems, though: unstable Bluetooth connections that drop or refuse to pair on certain Android phones, a faint static or "mosquito" hiss in the left bud, and call quality that comes through muffled or noisy for the person on the other end. A smaller but recurring group also reports physical breakage, like the eartip nozzle snapping off within a year, plus a companion app that fails to detect the buds or triggers random shutdowns. So while the core ANC and comfort experience earns strong loyalty, buyers should go in aware of a real minority hitting connectivity, durability, or software snags.

34% of 50 verified owners recommend the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

See the problems 26 owners report →

What 50 owners say
1,151 comments reviewed · scored on the 50 clearest verdicts
34%
Recommend
17 owners
14%
Neutral
7 owners
52%
Don't recommend
26 owners
Last 6 months:31% recommend(36 recent verdicts)→ holding steady vs older reviews
Source
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
34%
50
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiowner comments
45%
134
No clear verdictiSetup, tips & quirks
7

The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube is shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.

What owners like
  • Noise cancellation is best-in-class, making flights, gyms, vacuums, and noisy stores go nearly silent · 20 · 40%
  • Fit is extremely comfortable for all-day wear and the eartips/wings stay locked in during workouts · 6 · 12%
  • Sound quality is rich with punchy, deep bass that owners rate above AirPods Pro and similar Sony models · 6 · 12%
  • Mic and call quality feel clearly improved after the latest firmware update, with natural-sounding voice pickup · 4 · 8%
What owners flag
  • Bluetooth connectivity is unreliable: slow pairing, random disconnects, and buds that won't reconnect on phones like the Galaxy S25 and Z Flip7 · 9 · 18%
  • A faint static, hiss, or high-pitched "mosquito" sound shows up in the left earbud, especially with ANC on · 7 · 14%
  • Call and mic quality can be muffled or noisy, with people on the other end struggling to hear the caller clearly · 7 · 14%
  • Buds break down over time, including the silicone eartip nozzle/collar snapping off within a year of use · 5 · 10%
  • The Bose companion app is buggy, failing to detect the earbuds or causing them to shut down unexpectedly · 5 · 10%
Who it's for
A great fit if
  • Frequent flyers wanting best-in-class noise cancellation
  • Gym-goers needing a secure, comfortable all-day fit
  • Bass fans who like an immersive, punchy sound
  • Commuters silencing crowds, restaurants and offices
Look elsewhere if
  • People needing rock-solid Bluetooth after firmware updates
  • Listeners bothered by faint hiss they can't fully disable
  • Those who take frequent calls in noisy environments

Synthesized from what Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) owners say — not a spec sheet.

How buyers rate it elsewhere

Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.

Top quotes, sourced

1,151 reviewed · 184 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
YouTube— neutral

I loved my QC Ultra 1buds but their refusal to add find-my at this price is just

YouTube▲ recommend

I will be returning my AP3 and just sticking with the Bose gen 2.

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

I wish Bose would fix the microphone during calls most people tell me they hear excessive noise when I am on a call if I am in a noisy environment

YouTube▲ recommend

They’re my instant new favorite.

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

Its such a shame they didn't integrate Find My for iPhones and the Android equivalent

YouTube— neutral

I don't really see anything better. The sound of the 1st gen is fuller than this one, and the ANC is not really improved much

YouTube▲ recommend

These are great!

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

Really NOT happy with these little bastards

YouTube— neutral

The Bose has better audio for my aptx lossless phone

YouTube▲ recommend

These are hands down worth buying.

YouTube— neutral

I found these earphones brutal for coming loose in ear. Sound is great, but I could always hear lots of background sound because they kept coming loose.

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

Looks like it’s time for bose to get back in the lab!

YouTube— neutral

And I find the touch controls a bit TOO sensitive!

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

6 hours battery life is joke

YouTube▲ recommend

Currently my best and most favorite earbuds. I love it.

YouTube▲ recommend

Pretty impressed so far.

YouTube— neutral

Guess the bose are better for sound but the galaxy's have better features and battery life

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

as for the Bose it is a tough sell when their is the younger sibling, Skullcandy Method 360, at less than a 1/3 of the price

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

Rubbish. I had 3 previous one from bose absolutely waste of money. Noise reduction was okay, call quality was completely mess

YouTube▲ recommend

Been eyeing these earbuds for quite a while now. Finally pulled the trigger. My advice: BUY BUY BUY

YouTube— neutral

The bose is good, but I'm going to pass and just go with the technics az 100

YouTube— neutral

great sound, but terrible app and Bose is well aware of their poor quality

YouTube▲ recommend

Bose - better sound and more powerful, better fit, better NC

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING TO BUY SOMETHING FOR THE AMAZING ANC AND QUIET FEATURE JUST FOR IT TO TURN OFF

Showing 124 of 184

Common problems & things to know

Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.

Redditⓘ good to know

If I'm wearing my Qc2 earbuds and playing a podcast within a few metres of the tv/speaker, I can make out the sound reasonably clearly.

Redditⓘ good to know

the quiet comfort is very good at blocking out background "noise" but not necessarily conversations or voices

Redditⓘ good to know

The white noise seems to be lower, and 2. I did not hear the mosquito sound that my light blue ones had.

Redditⓘ good to know

I hear very faint white noise, but it's definitely less noticeable than on the Ultra first gen

Redditⓘ good to know

the noise cancellation is only better when on calls it seems to me

Redditⓘ good to know

I couldn't find a difference

Redditⓘ good to know

I haven’t noticed any hiss.