Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Are Now $100 Off.
Open-back headphones are gaining popularity, likely because active noise-cancelling technology has become so advanced that people have forgotten what the world around them sounds like and no longer want to tune it out. The Ultra Open Earbuds are Bose’s attempt to ride the wave of tech trends, and they’re a pretty good option, earning an 8/10 rating from our colleagues at CNET . And at the current price of $199.99 (originally $299.99), they’re also a great deal. It’s the lowest price they’ve ever reached, according to price tracking tools , and they’re available in seven different colors.
Open-back headphones aren’t for everyone, especially audiophiles. They share the same drawbacks as bone conduction headphones : they let in noise, and bass and some midrange frequencies can be weak. But this tradeoff can be worth it if you want to stay aware of your surroundings, and these headphones will certainly let you hear if a cyclist is about to pass you when you’re running on a bike path.
The Bose Ultra Open headphones aren’t waterproof, but they are water-resistant; they have an IPX4 rating , meaning they can withstand splashes but can’t be submerged. The charging case uses a USB-C cable, but you can purchase a wireless charging case (sold separately) for an additional $50 if you don’t want to rely on a cable. Either way, you’ll get about 7.5 hours of battery life from the headphones with Immersive Audio disabled, and about two full charges from the case, for a total of about 27 hours.
While these headphones don’t support multipoint connectivity, they do offer the ability to simultaneously pair two devices and switch between them with the press of a button on the earbud—a kind of controlled multipoint connection. They’re compatible with Bluetooth 5.3 and support AAC, AptX Adaptive, and SBC codecs , so Android users will experience higher-quality sound than Apple users. Both users can adjust the equalizer in the app and utilize features that you can read more about in the CNET review, which has an 8/10 rating .