I Bought the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) — Here's My Review

I had absolutely no plans to buy these.

But the other day, I lost my first-gen QC Ultra Earbuds and couldn’t find them anywhere. After about a year of use, I reluctantly gave in and bought the new ones.

It’s hard to feel happy about spending 40,000 yen on something I didn’t want to buy.

Still, I’ve become so dependent on these earbuds that I can’t even go outside without them. So really, not buying them wasn’t an option.

Anyway, they just arrived and I’ve given them a quick spin. Here’s a short comparison review against the first generation.

What’s Better

Let’s start with what’s clearly improved over the first-gen model.

More Balanced Sound

The 1st gen had that classic Bose bass-heavy sound — not bad, but definitely on the “boomy” side.

The 2nd gen feels a lot more balanced and easier on the ears. It even leans a bit toward that Sony sound profile.

Since I’m not the type to mess around with equalizers, this out-of-the-box improvement is a big win for me.

Immersive Audio Is Impressive

The big new feature — Immersive Audio — is seriously good.

With it turned off, the sound feels like it’s coming from the left and right sides as usual.

Turn it on, though, and it suddenly feels like it’s coming from speakers in front of you — a true spatial audio effect. Even with my untrained ears, the difference is obvious.

Nice New Color Option

I ordered from the official BOSE store. Black was sold out, so I went for “Deep Plum,” a rare color for BOSE.

On the website, it looked like a flashy pink, but in person it’s a much more subdued red-purple. I usually prefer calm, reddish tones — this one fits nicely.

Noise Cancelling Seems Stronger… Maybe?

I haven’t tested it outdoors yet, so I can’t say for sure. But it definitely doesn’t seem any weaker than before.

What’s Worse

Now for the not-so-great stuff.

Battery Life Is Worse

BOSE claims 6 hours of playback, but that feels… optimistic.

Worse still, with Immersive Audio turned on, the official claim drops to 4 hours. That’s pretty short.

It clearly drains battery fast. And honestly, switching Immersive Audio on and off all the time is annoying.

Not ideal.

So, yeah — do I feel like these are worth the 40,000 yen? Kind of.

But to be honest, the first-gen model offers way better value. You can still get it new for around 30,000 yen.

If you already own the first-gen, there’s no reason to upgrade.

I didn’t want to upgrade either.

Hopefully, I don’t lose these. I’ll be treating them with extra care this time.