Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen Review: The ANC Benchmark

The strongest claim in this test is also the simplest: at the time of testing, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen delivered the best noise cancelling of any in-ear tested — a field of 112. Next to them, in the testers' words, even Apple's top product, the AirPods Pro 3, makes the outside world seem loud. The overall verdict lands at "very good" (1.4), currently 20th of 112 with a "expensive" (4.0) price assessment — a ranking that says less about any weakness than about how brutally the wider scoring weighs sound balance and price against that ANC crown.

The sealing starts before the electronics do. An additional silicone rim around each bud — with several spare sizes in the box — locks the fit and closes the ear unusually well. Engage the active cancelling on top and the result is genuinely, unusually quiet. In the standardised stress test simulating jet-engine volume, only some high-frequency residue made it through; everything else vanished. The noise-cancelling sub-score is a perfect 1.0, and the test's flat conclusion is that these set a new benchmark for in-ears — ahead of every rival at the time of testing, Apple's included.

The signature is unmistakably Bose: the highlight is a punchy, rich bass, with clear highs and mids stepping forward around it. What the testers missed was a little balance — out of the box the tuning leans on its extremes. The practical fix is in Bose's app: a three-band equaliser, and the panel's specific recommendation is to pull the highs and the bass down slightly, which lets the mids emerge and settles the whole presentation into something noticeably more even-handed. Tuned that way, the buds outplay a large share of the competition.

The earbuds themselves feel properly premium and sit extremely comfortably and securely — the silicone rim doing double duty for both grip and seal. The charging case is the one place the price shows less: its lid feels almost hollow and creaks slightly when squeezed. A strong magnet compensates, holding the buds firmly in place even with the lid open.

Measured stamina puts them in the solid middle of the class: 6:58 hours from the buds alone — and a near-identical 6:59 hours with cancelling active, so ANC costs effectively nothing. The case stretches the total to 34:23 hours (33:49 with ANC). Fifteen minutes in the case buys roughly 2.5 hours of playback (2:41 measured without ANC), and a full charge of buds and case takes just over two hours — including wirelessly, since the case supports Qi charging.

Bluetooth 5.3 with a range rated a perfect very good (1.0), multipoint for two devices, aptX support, IPX4 sweat and splash resistance, wear detection with auto-pause, and touch controls covering play/pause and track skipping. At 74 g all-in they travel lightly. The one omission: no battery LED on the buds themselves.

The ranking is dynamic — at launch in October 2025 these debuted at 13th of 109 on a 1.3; by August 2026 a deepening field had shifted them to 20th of 112 at 1.4, while the ANC crown stayed put. At our 1 August 2026 check, Amazon UK's buybox carried the 2nd Gen new at £237.99, with a second colourway at £279.99 alongside.

If silencing the world is the priority, no in-ear tested does it better — that is the headline, the differentiator and the reason to pay. Around it sits a very good rather than flawless product: bass-forward sound that wants a minute of equaliser attention, a case that feels cheaper than the buds it charges, and mid-field stamina. As the in-ear sibling of the field's second-best over-ear, it gives the QuietComfort Ultra family a rare double: the strongest cancelling in both form factors.

Are the Bose Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen better than the AirPods Pro 3 at noise cancelling? In this test, clearly yes — they took the best-ANC result of all 112 in-ears, and the testers' own comparison was that next to them the outside world seems loud even through Apple's flagship. Our AirPods Pro 3 review covers what Apple does better elsewhere.

Earbuds or the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen? Same family, same strength, different form: the earbuds hold the in-ear ANC crown, while the over-ear Ultra 2nd Gen sits 2nd of 57 in its own field with freely adjustable cancelling and far longer battery life. Pocketability decides it.

How long does the battery last? A measured 6:58 hours from the buds — effectively identical with ANC on — and 34:23 hours including the case, which recharges fully (wirelessly too) in just over two hours; 15 minutes inside it restores about 2.5 hours.

Are they worth the price? The price verdict is "expensive" (4.0) at £237.99, and the sound asks for a little equaliser work — but if best-in-class cancelling is the requirement, nothing else in the tested field meets it.