Faisal Ghaffar 
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are the newer model of the Bose QuietComfortEarbuds 2 that were introduced last year. They boast a number of the same innovations and look a lot like last year’s model. There is some cosmetic enhancement, but it is not immediately noticeable.
Under the hood
While the appearance might not be too different, the Bose engineers have made several changes under the hood. The Ultra have a better microphone system, as it is able to filter out the wind noise in a much better way. Likewise, there are also improvements in the speaking voice when they are used for calls, particularly in noisy locations. Even with TV blasting a couple of feet away, they will do a decent job.
But, there is something more exciting that Bose has introduced in the new earbuds and this is called ‘immersive audio’, which is an extra-powerful way of enhancing audio. When you engage it, the innovation can do all kinds of magic on the music. Immersive audio is essentially AI’s first cousin and this allows it to analyze and tweak the elements of the digital sound stream.
Therefore, it is able to make component parts pop, separate and sizzle, which means your music will be able to enjoy extra vitality, clarity and three-dimensionality.
Battery consumption
Of course, it is understood that when you engage this feature on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, it will consume battery. The battery run time can reduce to 4 hours from 6 when you turn on this feature, but some might be able to squeeze more time. As far as the runtime with ANC enabled and disabled is concerned, it is not relevant here.
This is because the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds do not give you the option of turning on the ANC. The company has refined the active noise cancellation process, which makes it efficient, clean and neutral. Therefore, there are no such tradeoffs when it comes to audio performance.
Audio tech
Spatial and immersive audio technologies like Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos have generated a lot of hype in the music industry. As far as Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are concerned, the hardware plays the audio encoded with Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos easily, but the encoding will be ignored. If you want the same edgy effects, you will have to turn on Bose’s own immersive audio.
This solution allows services like Pandora and Spotify to join the spatial audio party, as they do not support Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos either. The new earbuds from Bose are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon QCC5181, which also allow the immersive audio to function smoothly.
The buds themselves and the charging case is similar to the previous model, but there is a slight change in the White Smoke color option.
The Verdict
If you do not have the last model, then the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are a good investment because they can deliver excellent and three-dimensional sound that many cannot offer.
