We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
Washington-Dulles airport, red-eye to Berlin, time to kill and batteries to fill. Plenty of regrets but only two USB-C cables: one for a laptop and another for a 3-in-1 charging pad. Time was that would force a hard choice, because time was that the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth earbuds didn’t charge wirelessly. Drop the new QC Ultra Gen. 2 case on the Qi pad, however, and it blinks to life, no awkward adapters or extra plugs required. And the phone sips energy simultaneously. It’s a little win that brings a big grin, and it’s one of many in a subtly upgraded travel essential.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Pushback, taxi, takeoff. Engines gather speed, cabin hum stiffens, and Gen. 2 serenity settles in. Bose active noise cancellation has always brought that blackout, but this sequel leans harder into the mids, carving fatigue-causing congestion—roar, rattle, the annoying row behind. And AI-juiced adaptive algorithms do it with more grace and less invasive inversion. Pressurized hiccups stifled, you just feel the dBs drop and your shoulders relax. Switching to the original QC Ultra, the difference is small but felt. Bring back that extra notch of next-gen. sigh-level quiet, please. A few hours of sleep across the Atlantic is worth $299.
The QC Ultra Gen. 2 earbuds maintain their familiar shell with a lighter faceplate, and the stability bands are a secret handshake that signals confidence. Twist, tuck, less fiddle, faster seal. Set and mostly forget. More comfortable than the neck pillow. Max Richter for the long haul, waking up hot spot free for another win.
Gen. 1 is on the left in each image, Gen. 2 on the right …
Keflavík connection, 6:25 a.m., dodging a Samsonite stampede to get coffee that tastes like desperate resolve. Sweat from the brisk gate jog? IPX4 says carry on dragging that carry-on. A quick reseat without triggering ghost taps and Moderat motivation digs deep. The driver hasn’t changed, but the tuning has.
Top end is smoothed from “glassy” to “glossy.” Kicks grip harder, cymbals shimmer longer, hi-hats brake faster. The change from Gen. 1 to Gen. 2 isn’t turning on more stadium lights or reorienting the stage, but it’s moving you to a row with better sightlines. Sound by Bose is still center-weighted; it’s just punchier, clearer, tidier at the edges. It’s the kind of refinement you notice over a whole playlist, not a single chorus.
Berlin. S-Bahn. Transients start sharper, decay hangs longer—both noticeable through multiple stops. That’s the headspace Quiet mode buys you. And Aware mode feels less open window and more focused optics, allowing in street announcements without sting. Toggle through the app or long-press muscle memory.
Taking a call on the street to finalize the next trip, and there are no “huh? … what’s that?” loops, despite weaving around cars and people in line for a currywurst. AI-assisted “SpeechClarity” mic processing collapses background clatter down to whisper wallpaper. Shuffling to a less chaotic cafe to take a video call on the laptop confirms Multipoint swap works: two devices, one pair of buds, no drama. As for Bluetooth 5.3 connections, AAC keeps iPhones rolling and aptX Adaptive rides shotgun for Androids, while SBC sits quietly in the back.
Days later, return leg. BER > KEF > IAD, a second A/B in the name of [popular] science. Parked securely, Gen. 2 still trims a whisker more runway rumble and frequency friction. Back-to-back tracks confirm the vibe: Gen. 1 is a hush machine, Gen. 2 just adds that extra bit of convenience, that quality-of-life polish.
Operational notes from 23C: Immersive mode adds some seasoning to spatial audio tracks and YouTube videos, but it’s ultimately a garnish on the ANC entree and will cost you battery life. Which still tops out at six hours, 24 with the case.
Touchdown, D.C. Both cases scuffed, both pairs proven. If you’ve got QC Ultra Gen. 1 earbuds still humming, you don’t have to upgrade. But if you’re looking to make long days and longer miles feel more bearable, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen. 2 is that boring kind of better you don’t see but you definitely notice.
[If over-ear personal audio is more your jam, Bose has announced that a refresh of the flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones coming Oct. 2 will add the AI-assisted improvements of the Gen. 2 earbuds, as well as lossless audio over USB-C and a newly optimized, spatialized Cinema mode.]
More deals, reviews, and buying guides
