While open-styled wireless earbuds aren’t exactly a new hardware territory, it should be said that more and more manufacturers are only starting to adopt the technology, and as a result we’ve begun seeing more big names hop on the open ear design trend. The latest of these brands is Bose, which just recently announced the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds – priced at £299, the earbuds are obviously positioned to compete with other premium wireless audio products. But what exactly do they come with? Let’s take a look.
External Design
Available in black and white colour variants, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds feature a style that at first glance doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary. Take a closer look however, and it becomes pretty apparent that the earbuds come with a hardware design that sets them apart from other Bose products. Both earbuds come with a physical button for easy control, in addition to the unique look and feel.
Owing to their premium price, Bose Ultra Open earbuds come with polished edges in addition to a metallic finish, as well as a minimalist form factor that’s not too painfully obvious but manages to look stylish. According to Bose, the earbuds were designed with comfort and stability in mind, as seen with the “flex arm” that serves as a connection between the earbud’s speakers and battery barrel. Additionally, the earbuds come with IPX4 rating, making them safe to use in case a bit of water or moisture gets in the way.
As for battery life, users can listen to their music with the earbuds for up to 7.5 hours of battery life on a single charge, with nearly 20 hours of playback with the charging case.
Sound Quality and Features
The Ultra Open earbuds also come with compatibility for the Bose Music app, which allows users to tweak specific sound profiles, settings, and even enable an “Auto Volume” feature that can automatically adjust your music playback volume based on your surroundings. Given their open ear design, they’re built to be worn so users can still hear their environment around them, which is ideal for scenarios where users might want to listen to their music in public spaces.
Bose says that the earbuds use a proprietary “OpenAudio” technology, which combines a powerful transducer with a tightly controlled acoustic structure that prevents sound leaks, ensuring that users can hear every bit of their media during playback. The earbuds also come with Bose’s Immersive Audio feature that the company describes as “virtually seating you right in the acoustic sweet spot as if it were playing beyond your earbuds on a stage in front of you.” In other words, the earbuds provide a three-dimensional listening experience which can work with any audio platform and device.
Lastly, the Ultra Open earbuds also come built in with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Technology and Qualcomm aptX Adaptive codec for lossless and low latency audio. The earbuds are available via Bose.co.uk, and through participating retailers.
