SimplyAmplifying score: 7.6/10 · Confidence: Low · Based on 1 in-depth review(s) from 1 outlet, and 1 article(s) read in full
Launch price: $299 · Source: soundguys.com
First published 13 October 2026 · We update this page as new reviews come in
Reviewers’ own scores: SoundGuys 7/10
Early verdict: only a few in-depth reviews are out so far. We update this page as more reviews are published.
The verdict
This is an early verdict based on a single outlet, SoundGuys, which gave the earbuds 7/10. It praised battery life and comfort, saw better bass than the first generation, and found call quality in noisy places poor. Treat it as a first read until more reviews are available. It suits people who want open-ear earbuds for long wear and exercise more than for calls or loud listening.
Best for: Listeners who want comfortable open-ear earbuds for long sessions and exercise, mostly at moderate volume.
Skip it if: You take many calls in noisy or windy places, or you like to listen loudly.
Scores by category
| Category | Score | Confidence | Outlets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sound quality | 7.7/10 | Low | 1 |
| Comfort & fit | 8.8/10 | Low | 1 |
| Battery life | 8.5/10 | Low | 1 |
| Call quality | 4.7/10 | Low | 1 |
| App & connectivity | – | Too little evidence | 1 |
Not scored yet (no reviews covered it): Noise cancelling, Value.
What reviewers liked
- SoundGuys measured 13 hours 1 minute of battery life, against 9 hours rated and over 4 hours more than the first generation
- Stable during running and exercise, and comfortable for several hours
- Softer silicone joint than the first generation makes them easier to put on and take off
- Deeper bass than the first generation, with treble that isn’t shrill at comfortable volumes
What they didn’t
- Voice is muffled and hard to understand in noisy settings, and nearly inaudible in wind, in SoundGuys’ call samples
- Sound quality drops at higher volumes
- Immersive Audio and Auto Volume cut battery to about 5 hours
- Auto Volume often jumps to uncomfortably loud levels
- Only one outlet has reviewed them so far, so the picture is incomplete
In detail
Sound quality: 7.7/10
Only SoundGuys covers sound in the reviews we read, so this is an early view and it rests on listening impressions rather than measurements. It found bass deeper and more present than on the first-generation model, and treble that doesn’t turn shrill at comfortable volumes. The main drawback it noted is that the earbuds sound best at low volume, with quality diminishing as you turn them up. That is a clear but fairly minor trade-off for most listeners. With no second outlet or lab data, it’s hard to say how these results would hold up elsewhere.
Comfort & fit: 8.8/10
SoundGuys was positive here, and no other outlet disagreed. It found the silicone joint less stiff than on the first generation, so the earbuds are easier to put on and remove. They stayed stable during running and exercise, and could be worn for several hours before a break was needed. Because they hang lower on the ear, they also work with sunglasses. These are impressions rather than measured results, and they come from one reviewer. Fit varies between ears, so it’s worth checking return terms where you buy.
Battery life: 8.5/10
Battery is the strongest area in SoundGuys’ review, and it was tested. In its standardized test the earbuds lasted 13 hours 1 minute, against 9 hours rated, and over 4 hours longer than the first generation did in the same test. SoundGuys says the case holds 19.5 more hours, for 28.5 hours combined, and a ten-minute quick charge gives roughly 2 hours of playback. The catch is that Immersive Audio and Auto Volume bring playback down to about 5 hours from 9. Only one outlet has covered this so far.
Call quality: 4.7/10
Call quality is the clear weakness in what SoundGuys found. Its recorded samples were measured in office, street and windy conditions. In noisy environments the voice came through muffled and hard to understand, and in wind the samples were almost inaudible. The review did not describe how calls sound in quiet places, so we can’t say how they compare there. This is a single outlet’s testing, but it’s specific, and it’s worth weighing if you use earbuds for calls outdoors or in busy spaces.
App & connectivity: too little evidence to score
We don’t have enough evidence to score this category. SoundGuys is the only outlet to comment, and it focused on one thing: the app’s Auto Volume feature. It found that the feature often overcorrects, jumping unexpectedly to uncomfortably loud levels. It did not discuss codecs, multipoint pairing, latency or controls, so those remain unknown from the reviews we read. Until more outlets weigh in, treat app and connectivity performance as unverified, and consider leaving Auto Volume off.
Sources
- SoundGuys: The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) are the best clip-on earbuds I wouldn’t buy · Full review
- FoneArena: Bose Sport Open Earbuds and Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) announced · Launch news
How we put this together
We read the reviews and articles listed above and weigh each by how much it should count: in-depth, hands-on testing with measurements counts most; launch news and press-release rewrites count least; sponsored content is penalised. Category scores are our trust-weighted summary of what those sources found, set to the same 10-point scale reviewers use; the reviewers’ own scores, where published, are listed above. This page was compiled with AI assistance and checked against the source notes. All findings belong to the outlets credited above; follow the links to read their full reviews. How we score.
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