When I tell folks in my life that I review headphones and earbuds for a living, I'm usually asked which I like the best. There's only one pair people have specifically asked me my opinion on by name: the Bose Ultra Open earbuds.

I get why — they are the earbuds, after all, that gave open earbuds their moment and kicked off a wave of releases from other brands. And to answer the question I've been asked many times: they're great, and one of the best options if you're looking for the best possible sound on open earbuds, combined with an excellent (and comfortable) design.

All this to say, I was intrigued to try the second-gen open earbuds for myself after their announcement in September. After a few weeks of wearing them regularly, I can confirm: Bose has done it again.

The second-generation Bose Ultra Open earbuds retail for $299, the same as the first-gen Ultra Opens (at least they were spared from any price increases). On the spec side, they come with:

Admittedly, open earbuds aren't exactly an audiophile's dream — in most cases, they struggle to achieve the full quality found on traditional earbuds or over-ear headphones. That said, the second-gen Bose open earbuds get about as close as you could hope.

I used them back-to-back with the first-gen open buds, and the difference was immediately noticeable. The thumping bass on Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" was resonant and punchy, whereas on the first-gen buds it fell crunchy and flat.

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