Bose is the Ultra: A Water Resistant Silicone-Ballear Open Earbuds for Any Audio Purpose

I have researched and discovered that many people don’t enjoy the feeling of earbuds being sealed off their ears. It’s the reason Apple’s standard hard plastic AirPods remain so popular. It is why companies such as Sony, and many others give you a one-size-fits-most product. It is one of the main reasons that bone conduction headphones exist.

You’ll pay a remarkably high price for that distinction, which puts the Ultra in a tight spot. The $300 price exceeds a versatile flagship, but their struggles in louder environments means they can’t be your everything earbuds. Like with many new products, I’ve had a few technical glitches out of the gate. Still, the inviting sound makes them worth a look for anyone seeking high-performance open-ear headphones.

The battery barrel sits behind your ear, and a Flexible Silicone Band connects it to the Ear Bud, which is located at the back of your ear. It’s not always obvious if you have the right fit when you get earbuds. You’ll find yourself checking a mirror (or your phone’s selfie camera) to see if the positioning is right. Bose told me that the sound can change slightly depending on where the Ultra Open Earbuds are positioned, but you want to shoot for the diagonal look seen in these review photos and the company’s press materials. Once they’re on, you control the buds by pressing the clicky round button at the top of each battery barrel, which feels natural in no time — and thankfully never jostles the earbuds loose. The earbuds are water resistant and rated IPX4 for sweat and rain resistance, so you won’t have to worry about sweaty people or rain.

The Bose music app has an option to make earbuds raise and lower their volume based on whether or not you are indoors. If you are in a noisy coffee shop, you will notice the volume increases a bit, and it will go down after you arrive home or sit down in the office. The setting does not try to drown out the environment and keeps your private soundtrack even keel with whatever else is happening. Call quality was generally good, but again, if you’re caught in a loud spot, it’s going to be difficult to hear whoever’s on the other side. This is not new to anyone who has used any of the open buds such as Sony’s LinkBuds, or Apple’s AirPods.

I can’t ding Bose for the lack of noise cancellation in an open-air product like this, but the absence of something as basic as wireless charging (unless you pay for an additional case) is frustrating. There’s no multipoint, a feature that’s becoming table stakes for flagship earbuds and one that would be handy on a product you’re supposed to wear all day. Bose needs to do better at accommodating people who juggle multiple devices. Multipoint will arrive via a software update later this year, and I will update this review when it does. You can assign the button to switch source to jump from one device to another, in the meantime.