# Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) Review: Better Sound, Same Open-Ear Tradeoffs

Bose’s upgraded clip-on earbuds deliver fuller audio, a more comfortable fit, and useful everyday refinements, but their premium positioning is difficult to justify for everyone.

- Canonical: https://reviewblip.com/reviews/bose-ultra-open-earbuds-2nd-gen-review/
- Published: 2026-10-22T13:57:58.781Z
- Updated: 2026-10-22T13:57:58.781Z
- Author: ReviewBlip
- Category: Headphones
- Type: Review. No hands-on testing claimed.

![Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) official product photo](https://reviewblip.com/editorial-images/7accf9c282abea51dfa5cf9ad774865740752e1e3b12155caab11f61bae6f46b)

Image credit: Bose official product image

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are built for people who want music and podcasts without losing awareness of what is happening around them. Unlike traditional in-ear earbuds, they leave the ear canal unobstructed, making them appealing for walks, office use, and activities where hearing nearby voices or traffic matters. This second-generation model improves the original’s most obvious weaknesses, particularly volume and bass, but its open design still imposes limits no driver upgrade can erase.

The cuff-shaped construction remains distinctive. A small acoustic pod sits near the ear canal, while a battery cylinder rests behind the ear, connected by a flexible silicone bridge that clips around the outer edge. That bridge is softer and easier to position than before, and the revised fit feels secure without demanding a tight seal. Extended wear is a strong point, including for people who wear glasses, although comfort will still depend on individual ears.

Physical buttons on the rear cylinders manage playback, calls, volume, and customizable shortcuts. They are easier to locate by touch than tiny touch-sensitive surfaces, particularly while moving. An IPX4 rating covers sweat and splashes, not immersion. The redesigned charging case stands upright and adds Qi wireless charging alongside USB-C, correcting an inconvenient omission from the original.

Sound is where the upgrade makes its strongest argument. New drivers produce more substantial bass, clearer separation, and significantly greater usable volume than the first generation. Vocals remain intelligible, instruments have better presence, and bass-heavy tracks no longer feel as hollow. For clip-on earbuds, the presentation is impressively full, especially at moderate listening levels.

Still, these cannot reproduce the low-end impact of sealed earbuds. Deep sub-bass lacks physical weight, and the absence of isolation means surrounding noise competes directly with playback. The extra headroom helps on busy streets and public transportation, but louder surroundings can still overwhelm quieter details. Raising the volume to compensate is not always a sensible solution. Some sound is also audible to nearby people in very quiet spaces.

Bose’s Immersive Audio offers stationary and head-tracked spatial playback, while the new Cinema Mode aims to widen the presentation without losing dialogue. It can make video sound more expansive, but the processing is divisive: some material gains scale while other content sounds unnatural. Conventional stereo remains the more dependable setting.

The companion app includes a three-band equalizer, Spotify Tap, and Auto Volume, which adjusts output in response to surrounding sound. That last feature deserves caution because it can overreact and push playback louder than expected. Call microphones are improved, with clear speech reported in busy street use, although controlled recordings suggest background-noise processing can also muffle voices, especially in wind.

Bluetooth 5.4 supports SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive on compatible devices, along with multipoint connections for switching between a phone and laptop. Bose rates standard playback at up to nine hours per charge, dropping to roughly five hours with Immersive Audio. The case supplies additional charges, making everyday battery endurance a practical advantage.

The Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are among the most persuasive options for listeners committed to the clip-on format. Their comfort, richer sound, and convenience upgrades make the original harder to recommend. But anyone prioritizing isolation, powerful sub-bass, dependable calls in wind, or maximum value should look elsewhere. These are excellent open-ear specialists, not universal replacements for conventional earbuds.