Bose officially released the new UltraOpen Earbuds today. Priced at $299, these earbuds have a very unique design that wraps around and secures around the outer ear rather than extending into the ear canal. A flexible, silicone-coated arm connects the "earbud" to a round battery barrel that sits behind the ear and houses a button that controls the music.
Bose designed these earbuds to be very stylish, and there isn't even the company's logo on the outer earbuds. Available in black or smoke white, the UltraOpen Earbuds feature Bose's OpenAudio technology, which directs sound toward your ears while minimizing noticeable sound leakage to others nearby. Continuous playback time is about 7.5 hours; the headphones don’t have any active noise cancellation, so
The UltraOpen Earbuds feature a completely open design, which means you can be fully aware of your surroundings at all times and hear everything going on around you, which is an important consideration for cyclists, runners, and other prospects. This isn't Bose's first attempt at open-back earbuds, but previous sports open-back earbuds didn't last long on the market. Now, the company is once again trying to rethink the design, making the UltraOpen Earbuds comfortable even when worn all day long.
Unfortunately, despite its hefty price tag, Bose's latest earbuds don't come with wireless charging or multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, two features that are increasingly common among high-end earbuds. However, like last year's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, they support Qualcomm's AptX Adaptive technology for higher wireless audio bitrates. Bose has also included its signature "Immersive Audio" mode, the company's proprietary spatial audio technology.
Bose's unconventional design works surprisingly well in practice. But high prices, a lack of software features, and a completely open nature that sometimes makes outsiders feel like listeners will limit their appeal to some consumers.