At the upper echelon of earbuds, you have a few options to choose from: Bose, Sony, and Apple. If you are an Apple user, go with AirPods Pro 3. If you value audio fidelity and like to control the nitty-gritty details, go with the Sony XM6 earbuds. If you value comfort, user-friendliness, and ANC, the 2nd Generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra are your best option. And currently, the latter of those is $50 off, bringing them to $249 (originally $299) on Amazon. (All five color options are on sale.)
I've had my 2nd Generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds for almost a year, and they're still my go-to earbuds. As much as I like the idea of being able to fine-tune every detail of my audio, something keeps pulling me towards their simplicity and user-friendliness of these earbuds, despite having so many options at my disposal as a tech reviewer.
The ANC is the best in the business, as it has been throughout the existence of the Bose QuietComfort line. The multiple microphones pick up ambient sound and adapt the ANC accordingly, making Transparency Mode quite impressive, while Immersive Mode brings out the details in anything you're listening to, and makes the lack of a full EQ more acceptable. The Bose companion app, meanwhile, is excellent, and regularly updated.
What do you think so far?
The main downside of these earbuds is the high price, but at $249, they actually become a great value when judged against the competition. If you're looking for simplicity, the best ANC you can buy, and comfort, you won't be disappointed with the 2nd Generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
