Bose has an animation in its companion Bose Connect app for iOS and Android that illustrates the preferred wearing position, but you can deviate from it if you find another position more comfortable. There’s also a basic three-band equalizer, along with a few preset EQ settings in the app, that let you tweak the sound profile a bit. I was fine with the default setting.

The biggest complaint users had about the first-gen model was that it didn’t play loud enough. The volume was just fine in relatively quiet environments, but because these are open buds that sit just outside your ear canals, when you encounter a lot of ambient noise, it competes with the audio you’re playing through the buds. Now volume isn’t a problem; they play loud enough to help cut through a lot of ambient noise.

I would bet that Bose could have had the previous model play louder, but at the risk of distorting when the drivers were pushed too hard. The key here is that the buds play louder but don’t distort at higher volumes (or at least distort minimally, on only a few tracks I tested). They sound cleaner and fuller than their predecessor, producing more bass. Like the originals, they have an open, airy sound (they are open earbuds, after all), but the sound is a little bigger, so the soundstage ends up sounding even more open. The Immersive Audio mode plays around with the soundstage a bit. I mainly turned it on while watching a video and setting it to Cinema mode, which slightly enhances the viewing experience.

The Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)’s sound matches up well against the AirPods 5’s sound. They sound tonally different, with the AirPods 5 coming across a little smoother, but the Bose buds sound a little more dynamic and bold to my ears and are the best-sounding clip-on earbuds I’ve tested to date (and they’re right up there with the best-sounding open earbuds I’ve tested, including the AirPods 5).

The AirPods 5 also feature top sound for open earbuds, though they have active noise canceling that’s surprisingly effective and is a big plus to have onboard, even if it isn’t nearly as good as the AirPods Pro 3’s noise canceling.

The one big advantage you get with these buds over the AirPods 5 is a more secure fit (the standard AirPods fit some ears quite well, but a certain percentage of users can’t get a really secure fit). That said, the base model of the AirPods 5 retails for $129 while these buds, as noted, list for $299, so the AirPods 5 are clearly a better value.

For sound, the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are a noticeable step up from the Shokz OpenDots 2 and Bose’s own Sport Open Buds, which are designed more like the OpenDots 2. The Sport Open Buds are slightly ahead of the Shokz OpenDots 2 in terms of sound, with superior bass performance and a slightly warmer, more pleasant sound. But the Ultra Open Buds offer richer sound overall than the Sport Open Buds and sound a little cleaner (the Sport Open Buds are a bit more prone to distortion at higher volumes). That said, I slightly preferred the fit of the lighter Sport Open Buds to that of the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen).

Voice-calling performance

The Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are equipped with Bluetooth 5.4, and each earbud has a standard microphone linked to a voice pickup unit sensor that detects the physical vibrations of your voice, according to Bose. The buds also use Bose’s SpeechClarity Technology, its AI voice-isolation engine “that enhances human dialogue and separates it from background noise.”

Bose earbuds have always tended to offer decent voice-calling performance, though they’ve never excelled in this area. The original Ultra Open Buds got a firmware upgrade that improved their voice-calling performance, but it still wasn’t great. And while these buds aren’t quite top-tier for voice calling, they have improved.

I tested the buds in noisy conditions on the streets of New York, and callers said that while they occasionally heard some background noise, they were mostly able to handle their noise-reduction duties during calls. My voice also sounded clear, though a tad recessed and muffled at times. I’d rate them an A-minus for voice calling, with the step-down Sport Open Buds also featuring the same microphone setup and AI voice-isolation engine.

While both models sound superior to Anker’s Soundcore AeroClip 2 buds ($170), which do distort a bit at higher volumes and just don’t sound as clean, the AeroClip 2 have remarkably good voice-calling performance, particularly for open earbuds. I tested the AeroClip 2 buds in the same spot on the street as Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), and callers said they couldn’t tell I was calling from outside (they thought I was at my desk). All of Anker’s headphones and earbuds, including the AeroClip 2 that are equipped with its new Thus chip have top-notch voice-calling performance.

As I said, the originals received a planned firmware update after they launched that improved voice-calling performance. Bose hasn’t mentioned anything about this new model getting a specific firmware update to boost voice-calling performance, but it says an upcoming firmware update will enable additional new features for both its new open earbuds, including Google Find Hub, Alexa Plus and shortcut support for Apple Music.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) final thoughts

I liked Bose’s original Ultra Open Earbuds, and this second-gen version is clearly better, with noticeably improved sound, upgraded voice-calling performance and battery life, along with a new, well-designed charging case that feels premium and has wireless charging. I noted the originals’ high price in my review when those buds came out two years ago, but I was a little more forgiving back then because they seemed fresh and innovative. Now, though, the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd-gen) have plenty of competition, including strong value models such as the Baseus XC1, which costs closer to $100 and even features Sound by Bose (Baseus’ MC2 may be the best clip-on earbuds deal at around $60).

While Bose’s Sport Open Earbuds don’t sound quite as good as this model or offer as good battery life (up to 7 hours instead of 9), they’re a little lighter and may fit some ears even better (I found them slightly more comfortable). They’re not that big a step down, but they cost $100 less.

In the end, the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) grew on me over the week I tested them. These are excellent clip-on earbuds that have the best sound in the category and good voice-calling performance. Despite all that praise, it’s probably best to wait till they go on sale — and they will — as clip-on earbuds just shouldn’t cost quite this much.

David Carnoy

Executive Editor / Reviews

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET’s Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He’s also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Kobo e-books and audiobooks.

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