A pint-sized digital camera will take their travel photos to the next level. There are quite a few that you can order overnight or same-day delivery, but if you’re really in a pinch, you can always go grab a good disposable camera to give them in the meantime—it’s the thought that counts, and we all know that there’s nothing like a grainy disposable snap, anyway. But if you are able to score a better digital camera, this one should do the trick—it has 4K video recording, built-in wifi and Bluetooth tech and so much more.
I don’t know about you, but for me, there’s something infinitely appealing about compact gadgets. I loved the iPhone Mini (RIP) and love (present-tense) the very much still-existent Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (not RIP). And don’t even get me started on tiny gaming handhelds like Panic’s Playdate. Seriously, take one look at that thing and tell me it’s not the cutest goddamn handheld you’ve ever seen. If I could, I’d pinch its Simpons-yellow cheeks.
But as much as I love compact gadgets, there’s something that loses me once portable Bluetooth speakers come into play. Maybe I’m just too much of an audio snob to fully enjoy a portability-focused speaker, but sometimes bigger is better in the audio space, and with speakers, that’s partly just a matter of physics. Bigger speakers move more air, which in turn equates to more bass, higher volume, and often, less distortion. Nevertheless, you’re not going to catch me walking around with a car-sized boombox any time soon, which means some level of compromise in the audio department is always inevitable.
But how much s appropriate at $129? Bose’s latest tiny Bluetooth speaker may have just answered my question.
Bose SoundLink Micro (2nd gen)
Bose’s tiny Bluetooth speaker has great sound and a much-improved battery life.
Great sound for a portable speaker
Much-improved battery life
Upgraded strap
IP67 water and dust resistance
Not easy to stand up
Strap can feel a bit useless
Sound is good but limited at times
SoundLink Micr-oh, damn, this thing sounds pretty good
Bose’s $129 SoundLink Micro (2nd gen) is maybe the first ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker that I’ve felt like I could use on a regular basis, and it’s thanks in large part (no pun intended) to its big emphasis on sound quality. Like the recent SoundLink Plus, which I reviewed this year, the SoundLink Micro sounds great, but does so in a form factor that’s about a third of the size, if not less.
Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to get anywhere near as much bass or volume from the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) as you will out of the SoundLink Plus, but you’ll still get a lot more than you might expect. I carried the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) around Washington Square Park in Manhattan and was pleasantly surprised by not only the volume, but also the quality of the sound it was putting out.
It’s not as loud as competitors like the recently released JBL Grip, the unofficial tall boy of Bluetooth speakers, but that’s more than okay in my book, because it sounds a heck of a lot nicer. I played a few different genres on the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen), including jazz/funk, ambient, and rock, and all three had the nuance you’d expect from Bose. Bass was punchy and natural, but not overpowering, which means you can still hear mid and high frequencies where vocals and guitars live.
This isn’t going to contend with bigger speakers in terms of sound quality, nor should you ever expect a speaker of this size to do so, but if you’re looking for audio that doesn’t suck, the SoundLink Micro (2nd gen) has it. There are inevitably moments where its limitations come into focus, particularly at higher volumes, or in the speaker’s handling of treble sometimes (in some songs I listened to, higher frequencies sounded almost a little too sharp and snappy), but its faults weren’t enough to change my overall impressions. This speaker sounds pretty good and even better next to competitors from JBL.
I’m not often in a position where I need to emphasize portability above all else (usually an average-sized speaker like Soundcore’s Boom 3i or one of JBL’s Charge line is small enough to fit into a bag), but if I were at a premium for space, the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) would easily be among my first picks for which speaker I grab before I go backpacking in the Carpathian Mountains or whatever; and believe or not, there’s more than one reason for that.
In the second-gen SoundLink Micro, Bose ups the durability, giving it an IP67 rating. That means it’s able to deal with dust but also withstand pretty much any water that you may encounter in a normal, non-biblical flood setting. To test that out, I have the SoundLink Micro, a little rinse in the sink after getting some dirt on it, and sure enough, it worked just fine afterwards. Bose says the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) is also more durable, though I don’t do any intensive drop testing, so on that front, you’ll have to take Bose’s word. Anecdotally, the speaker feels solid and sturdy enough to withstand some drops.
Mico improvements make for a macro upgrade
Another area in which Bose’s second-gen SoundLink Micro improves is battery life. I’ve not tested the first-gen version of this Bluetooth speaker, but from what I can tell, the battery life was, well… bad. Even by Bose’s official estimate, it’s only rated for 6 hours of audio playback, which is more than enough in the context of one sitting, but annoying when you consider that almost no one remembers to charge their Bluetooth speaker every day. Those 6 hours are going to be all used up before you know it.
This time around, Bose doubled the battery life, and based on my testing, its estimates are pretty accurate. After over an hour of listening at about 50% volume, the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen), which was at 60% when I started, didn’t budge. Obviously, battery life is contingent on lots of things, particularly the volume you’re playing music at, so your exact mileage may vary, but in my experience, Bose’s speakers seemed to hold up well. To be clear, 12 hours isn’t the longest battery life in the world, but it feels like a good amount for a speaker this size, especially when considering competitors like JBL’s Grip, which is also rated for 12 hours on a full charge.
Another notable tweak from the last generation is the velcro strap, which, this time around, is both removable and replaceable. There’s not much to say here, really. I strapped the SounLink Micro (2nd Gen) to the belt loop on my pants and walked around, which made me feel like a dork, but it didn’t fall off. Being able to remove and replace the band feels like a welcome change, given the fact that it’s just a piece of fabric. If it should get torn or tarnished in any way, you may want to swap it out.
One thing you will not get this time around is a microphone. Bose’s SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) does away with an integrated mic that could be used for talking via speakerphone, as well as activating a voice assistant. I guess it’s a bummer to lose a feature, but I’m not sure that will be a major drag for most people, since the vast majority of us aren’t itching to yell into a tiny Bluetooth speaker for calls (or, really, for any other reason.)
One other nice-to-have this time around is the switch from microUSB to USB-C, which is more a matter of timing than anything else, since the first-gen SoundLink Micro was released all the way back in 2017. There’s also more functionality with the Bose app that lets you do more granular stuff, like three-band EQ. That upgrade is augmented further by a new “shortcut” button on the speaker that can be programmed to do various things. By default, the button is used to link two Bose speakers so they can play at the same time, but it can also be programmed to play Spotify on your device with a single press. There’s also your typical array of buttons that let you skip tracks, play/pause, power off/on, and connect to Bluetooth.
If there’s one gripe I have with the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen), it’s the same one I have with most speakers of this size, which is that the ability to hitch it to things just doesn’t make a ton of sense for a front-firing device. Sure, you could strap the product to your bike or belt, but then your music is blaring rather than at you. That can feel a little silly, or obnoxious at worst, but it’s just a fact of any speaker meant to be used in this way. One thing I can nudge Bose for, though, is not having a way to stand the SoundLink Micro up. The JBL Grip, which I recently tested, can stand upright, making positioning the speaker so that it actually plays toward you much easier. I would’ve loved to see a kickstand or something similar here, but I guess precariously perching the speaker upright works well enough of the time.
Should you make a microtransaction?
Tiny Bluetooth speakers aren’t for everyone. They serve a specific type of person in a specific type of scenario. But if you’re looking for something very portable, Bose is holding that category down well. The latest SoundLink Micro costs $30 more than JBL’s Grip, but given the difference in sound quality and the parity on battery life, I think the Bose premium is worth it here. If you want something on the louder side, JBL still has the SoundLink beat, but Bose will be the better pick for most people.
You should never expect the world out of a Bluetooth speaker this size, but Bose has also proven that you can expect a solid package. Coupled with other quality of life improvements over the last generation, this is firmly the only SoundLink Micro speaker worth buying at this point, and one of the most appealing I’ve used so far.
The QuietComfort Ultra sit right near the top of our list of the best noise-canceling headphones, and for good reason. They sound great, with top-tier clarity and detail, and our reviewer Ryan Waniata was particularly impressed by the “fabulous instrumental separation” and the “wide and spacious soundstage.” The bass is a little boomy out of the box, but a quick tweak of the EQ can smooth that right out, and even if you prefer the big bass, it’s still clear and punchy. They sound just as good during phone calls, in case you really need to focus in while working or chatting.
The noise-canceling is the star here, and there are really only two companies that compete for the crown, Bose and Sony. Each company has flagship headsets that do a stellar job of keeping out plane engine noises, crying babies, and your chatty seat neighbor, with performance so close we have a dedicated guide comparing the two. There’s also a great transparency mode for when you need to stay a little more alert, but want to keep the music going.
There are some other features that we’re less enthusiastic about, like a spatial audio mode that tries to “spatialize” existing stereo tracks, which is a neat trick for some songs, but less so for more produced music or watching videos. There’s optional head-tracking as well that tries to keep sound coming from the same places as you turn around. They’re both a little gimmicky and don’t help with the QuietComfort Ultra’s already-middling 24 hours of battery life.
Even though Bose recently updated these extremely popular headphones, the newer version isn’t massively different from these. That means these are still a great deal, and one of our favorite noise-canceling headsets, despite being on the market for a few years. Its price compared to some of its biggest competitors was a downside, so the $100 discount makes a big difference if that was a deciding factor.
Bose took a different approach with its new products in 2025. Instead of entirely redesigning its QuietComfort Ultra lineup, the company unveiled upgraded second-generation models of the flagship-level earbuds and headphones. Like the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds that debuted earlier this year, the new Quiet Comfort Ultra headphones ($449) don’t offer a comprehensive overhaul. However, the changes provide enough performance improvements to further cement these as the best noise-canceling headphones that you can buy right now. Trust me, we’re much better off with this revamped version than we would be with a year (or longer) wait for something brand new with the 2023 model.
Bose/Engadget
The best noise-canceling headphones are even better with improved ANC, enhanced sound and more efficient power usage.
Bose debuted a few new features on the second-gen QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds in August that it carried over to these new headphones. First, the company improved its already stellar active noise cancelation (ANC) with tweaks to its ActiveSense technology. Specifically, the system can respond to sudden spikes in environmental noise by adapting more precisely. It’s not something you’ll notice all the time, but when you need it, you’ll be glad it’s there. Otherwise, the excellent ANC performance here is just as effective as it was on the previous model. More on that in a bit.
The immersive Cinema Mode that Bose added to the QC Ultra Earbuds is also available on these headphones. It’s a sound profile that enhances dialogue clarity while keeping the rest of the soundstage as wide and enveloping as possible. I like it best for movies and TV, as the name suggests, but per Bose’s suggestion I also tried it with podcasts and audiobooks. Cinema Mode is probably overkill for those types of content, unless you’re listening to shows or titles with lots of background effects.
One of the biggest changes on the second-gen QC Ultra Headphones is how Bose decided to handle power management. Most importantly, the company extended battery life in all use cases. With ANC on (and Immersive Audio off), you’ll get up to 30 hours of listening time. Turn off ANC and that jumps to 45 hours. When you decide to enable both ANC and Bose’s spatial Immersive Audio, you can expect up to 23 hours on a charge. Compared to those on the first-generation model, all of these numbers are up by at least five hours, which is a significant boost.
These headphones rotate flat and fold in for compact transport.
(Billy Steele for Engadget)
Like the previous QC Ultra Headphones, this model has an automatic disconnection feature after 10 minutes of standby . But the company went a step further on this version by adding a low-power mode that the headphones enter after 30 minutes of idle time. And if you want to disconnect them quickly, you can rotate the earcups and lay them on a flat surface. That’ll make them go into a deeper standby mode that Bose says can run “for months.” All of this means you can effectively turn the new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones on and off by putting them on and taking them off. If you’re using them regularly, you’ll never have to press the power button.
Sound-wise, the big upgrade on these headphones is the addition of lossless audio over USB-C. Like the AirPods Max, this model can be connected with a cable to your phone, tablet, laptop or desktop to stream or play higher-quality tunes from compatible services or your library. Bose says you can expect 16-bit 44.1kHz or 48kHz audio depending on your source. It’s yet another nice-to-have feature that’s becoming standard fare on premium wireless headphones.
What else is good about the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?
Like most Bose over-ear headphones, the second-gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are supremely comfortable. Even for long periods of time, they never become a burden, and that’s thanks in large part to the soft, pillowy ear pads. I could easily wear these for an entire trans-Atlantic flight with minimal discomfort and I’ve been wearing them for entire workdays at home.
As I already mentioned, the ANC performance here is still top-tier. In fact, these QC Ultra Headphones will soon replace the first-gen model on our best noise-canceling headphones list. Both the Immersion (ANC + spatial audio) and Quiet (just ANC) modes provide robust noise blocking that surpasses those by Sony, Sennheiser and others. If you’re making your buying decision based solely on ANC performance, this is the best option. You’ll enjoy relief from constant ambient noise sources like fans and sound machines, plus the QC Ultra Headphones do a respectable job with human voices. Heck, I couldn’t even hear my dog barking at the imminent threat from falling leaves outside.
Lastly, Bose’s take on spatial audio is still quite good. The company calls it Immersive Audio and the feature doesn’t rely on specialized content like other headphones. Music sounds obviously fuller and slightly louder when the sound profile is active thanks to Bose’s method for upscaling stereo content. There’s also enhanced vocal clarity and elements like percussion and synths are less compressed than usual. The headphones lend a particularly airy feel to the tracks of Ruston Kelly’s Pale, Through the Window, an acoustic-driven collection of soulful, country-tinged tunes. His vocals float atop enveloping acoustic guitars and tight, punchy drums.
What’s not so good about the QC Ultra Headphones?
The Bose app gives you access to controls and customization.
(Billy Steele for Engadget)
The biggest issue with the second-gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones is the price. To be clear, the likes of Sony, Apple and others charge around the same amount for their top-of-the-line models, but $449 is still a significant investment. If that’s too steep for you, Bose has the highly capable QuietComfort Headphones in its arsenal for a slightly more palatable $359.
My other gripe is that the only real design change Bose made for the updated QC Ultra Headphones is that the metal headband yokes now have a gloss finish. Depending on your personal preference, this might be a dealbreaker for you. It’s least noticeable on the black and violet colorways, since these have a tone-on-tone look. After a few weeks with the bronze and tan Driftwood Sand hue, I’m not a fan of the more stylized aesthetic. It’s flashy, for sure, but it’s a tweak I could’ve done without.
Wrap-up
Similar to the second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds over the summer, Bose didn’t make huge upgrades for the updated version of the QC Ultra Headphones. But what you do get here is a decent improvement over its predecessor. The company devised an intuitive setup for power management and even addressed one of my main gripes with the original by adding support for lossless audio over USB-C. Plus, the extended battery life is significant in all sound modes, and not just by an hour or two here or there. To top it all off, the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones remain the best option for pure noise-blocking ability, and that’s not likely to change any time soon.
When it comes to cutting out annoying outside noise, there is no brand in history that has denatured more decibels than Bose. The pioneers of noise-canceling haven’t been without challengers in recent years, including Sony, Apple, and others, but Bose has maintained the crown for generation after generation. Perhaps no product showcases this iterative talent more than its latest earbuds, the QuietComfort Ultra 2.
There wasn’t anything wrong with the first pair. I liked their ergonomic fit, excellent noise reduction, and bold low end, not to mention their excellent microphones, angled toward your mouth in an homage to Apple’s popular AirPods Pro.
With the new QC Ultra 2, we get wireless charging, more customizable sound, better immersive audio, and improved noise reduction. As far as I’m concerned, if you’re a business traveler or someone who wants a compact pair of headphones that truly removes the sound of the world around you, these are—once again—the best you can buy.
Generation 2
Photograph: Parker Hall
I find it very hard to fault Bose for its rubber-stamped design approach; the previous pair were very comfortable and functioned extremely well. The slight changes that appear on the new model are welcome, and I’m not mad at the lack of physical changes.
You now get wireless charging in the clamshell case and a guard to prevent earwax buildup, and you can toggle the included touch controls in the app, which is very helpful when doing activities where you might brush your ear.
Places I don’t find improvements include the weight (the new buds are about a gram heavier but still perfectly fine in your ears) and battery life (the new buds have the same six hours with ANC on, 24 hours in the case as the old model). Bose has even opted for the same drivers in this new generation of buds, with slight tuning adjustments that I’ll get into in a bit.
Features Galore
Courtesy of Bose
If you’re new to the world of wireless earbuds or are coming from a more basic pair, the amount of customization that you can do with Bose’s latest buds can feel daunting. You can choose various “modern traditional” adjustments like EQ and noise canceling/transparency modes, but the buds also allow you to dial in two kinds of immersive 3D upscaling (one for staying in place, one for while you move around), among other wild and fantastical new settings that take advantage of modern processors and machine learning tech.
Bose announced a refresh of its QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds over the summer and now it’s back with an overhaul of its flagship noise-canceling headphones. The company has employed the second-generation moniker once again on the new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, but this time the list of updates is a bit more substantial. Bose says it made tweaks to audio performance, active noise cancellation (ANC), battery life, power efficiency and more. Surprisingly, the company managed to make its upgrades without raising the price.
The biggest changes for the QC Ultra Headphones come in the sound department. First, lossless audio is now available over wired USB-C connection. Bose says you can expect 16-bit/44.1kHz or 48kHz playback and the setup doubles as a low-latency option for desktop or mobile gaming. When it comes to Immersive Audio — Bose’s take on spatial audio that doesn’t require specialized content — the company has added a new Cinema mode.
By “spatializing and balancing background sound with other audio effects,” Bose says it creates a “movie-like experience” thanks to a wider soundstage that’s placed in front of the listener. As a result, dialogue clarity is enhanced, which makes Cinema mode an option for podcasts and audiobooks in addition to movies and TV shows. For general listening, the company provides deeper bass at high volume, more natural sounding treble and consistent clarity even when the content is loud. It also reduced the sound created by the ANC tech so that it’s less apparent in quieter environments.
Speaking of ANC, Bose made the same update here that it did on the QC Ultra Earbuds. In Aware or transparency mode, the headphones better handle sudden changes in environmental noise (like sirens) with smoother changes to noise-canceling levels. On the QC Ultra Headphones, you can now disable ANC completely or manually adjust it to suit your needs.
Bose extended the battery life to 30 hours of ANC use or up to 45 hours with noise cancellation disabled. If you opt for that spatial Immersive Audio all the time, you can expect up to 24 hours of use now. If you run out of juice before you want to take a break, the QC Ultra Headphones can be charged during use via the USB-C port. To help you conserve battery power, the headphones will now enter a standby mode when you lay them flat or fold them into their case. And when the time comes to resume listening, improved wear detection automatically turns on the headphones when they’re placed on your head.
Lastly, you’ll notice that Bose opted for polished metal on the headband where the yokes used to have a flat finish. There are also two new colors: Driftwood Sand (tan) and Midnight Violet (purple).
The second-gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are available for preorder today from Bose in black, white, tan and violet color options. The price remains $449, same as the original version, and general availability is scheduled for October 2.
Wow, are we really here again? Already? It’s almost September, folks, and Gizmodo’s consumer tech team is firmly fixed on upcoming events like IFA 2025 in Berlin and Apple’s impending annual iPhone extravaganza (Meta Connect 2025 is mid-month, too!). That being said, there are still a lot of cool gadgets we reviewed in August that deserve one final look back before we dive face-first into a torrential run towards (gulps) CES 2026.
ICYMI (make sure it never happens again), I’m rounding up this month’s best gadgets, which include some wholly unexpected entrants from Lenovo, some not-so-unexpected Pixel 10 drops from Google, and the strongest pair of ANC wireless earbuds I’ve ever shoved in my ears. Bon appétit.
I know, a new Pixel, big whoop, right? In some ways, the eye roll may be deserved, since hardware upgrades weren’t a particularly big focus this year in the new Pixel lineup, but there’s a lot going on under the hood of the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro / 10 Pro XL that may have moved the needle in other ways.
One of those ways, as you may have guessed, is Gemini, which is in every nook and cranny of the new Pixel 10 phones. Some of that phone-focused AI is still finding a purpose, but as Gizmodo’s Senior Editor, Consumer Tech, Ray Wong, noted, there are glimmers of what could be the AI phone to beat. It may be a while until we all actually retrain ourselves to use said features (if we ever do), but on paper, automatically editing photos with AI or helpful, personalized suggestions in Google Maps via Gemini are a palpable shift in the smartphone experience. An additional telephoto camera in the regular Pixel 10 is nice, too, but it’s clear that Google is leaning fully into an AI-powered phone, whether you like it or not.
Okay, picture this: a laptop, but loooooong. Not just long, but rollable, with a screen that extends out like a space-age scroll. This is the type of out-there thinking I love to see in the gadget world. Maybe it’s not the most practical, but damn is it fun. Watching Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable is about as unique an experience as you’ll get in laptops—nay, gadgets in general—and that wild experience is buoyed by what is otherwise a solid machine with strong audio and a great feel.
It’s expensive, at $3,300, and battery life leaves something to be desired, but this is the future we’re talking about here. Long live the long laptop, even if it costs an arm and an oversized leg, and is technically totally unnecessary.
I had no expectations going into testing out Technics EAH-AZ100, but when I put those suckers in my ears, I knew that they were the hi-fi earbuds I’ve been waiting for. As with any hi-fi audio product, they’re expensive at $300, but when you start to hear nuances of songs you’ve heard 1,000 times before (even compressed music played on Spotify), you realize that all those extra pennies are worth it.
Luckily, the EAH-AZ100 also nails another major aspect of wireless earbuds: battery life. With 10 hours of life with active noise cancellation on, these wireless earbuds outlast midrange counterparts by a long margin, and that’s a good thing because once you put these earbuds in, you’re not going to want to take them out.
As long as we’re talking about premo audio, it’s worth mentioning Sony’s new Inzone H9 II. This gaming headset is the counterpart to Sony’s excellent WH-1000XM6 headphones in a lot of ways, delivering excellent sound quality and comfort. Sony also took steps to improve the mic quality over the last generation, which means clearer comms in high-stress games like Counter-Strike 2. Yes, this gaming headset is pricey at $350, but Sony made big strides gen-over-gen, even if the battery life (30 hours) and some of the preset EQ options are somewhat lacking.
If there are two things I love in gadgets and gaming, it’s modularity and nostalgia, and the 8BitDo Pro 3 has those in spades. If you weren’t immediately charmed by this controller’s GameCube-coded look, its many customization options might do the trick.
You can swap A,B,X,Y buttons with colored and gray versions and map everything to your liking. There’s also a USB-C dongle for low-latency gaming, in case you’re getting really serious. Anyone who’s scarred by controller drift will be happy to know that it uses an iteration of Hall effect joysticks that are pretty much immune to the wear and tear that causes drift in the first place. Unfortunately, you can’t wake your Switch 2 with this controller, or most third-party controllers right now, thanks to a shift in the protocol used by Nintendo, but if you’re looking for an all-around great experience for Nintendo or PC, the 8BitDo Pro 3 should be on your radar.
ANC isn’t always the most important aspect of earbuds, but sometimes it can be. And when noise cancellation is a priority (on a plane with a screaming baby), you’re going to want a pair of buds that does it right. Bose’s second-gen QuietComfort Ultra 2 are exactly that, and they improve year-over-year with support for wireless charging, better adaptive ANC, and the ability to see the battery life of your case via the Bose app, so you never have to be without a safeguard against annoying noise.
For $300, you won’t get comparable sound to the aforementioned Technics EAH-AZ100, but Bose still holds it down. Plus, there’s a great transparency mode for when you actually want to allow the world to engage with you.
To be honest, I can’t remember an Android phone that had people as flustered as Nothing’s Phone 3. First, there’s the look: a divisive cubist take on the Nothing aesthetic with an offset camera sensor that drives some people crazy. There’s also the price, which, at $800, had people philosophically unpacking what a flagship phone even is.
No matter where you sit on that spectrum—love it or hate it—Nothing’s Phone 3 made a statement, and even if features like the Glyph Matrix are a bit of a gimmick, it gave us something to talk about. If the metric was to make a phone that isn’t boring, I’d say Nothing succeeded—older chipset and less-than-flagship camera system be damned.
The Switch 2 is great, but it’s only as great as how long you can play it for, and the battery life leaves something to be desired. If you’re looking to extend your Switch 2 battery life on the go, then Genki’s Attack Vector case does just that. It’s only $50 and has an additional battery pack accessory that’s sold for $70. With the added energy pack, Gizmodo Staff Writer Kyle Barr was able to get 2.5 hours of additional juice while playing Cyberpunk 2077 in handheld mode—that effectively doubles the battery life when you have Genki’s charging case equipped.
This isn’t the case you want for protecting your Switch 2 against drops, since it’s on the thinner side, but if you’re looking for something lightweight that gives you a huge battery boost, you can’t go wrong.
Listen, I’m not a fan of smart locks personally. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve filled my home with janky internet-connected outlets and lights, but locking my door with a product like that just feels like a bridge too far. That being said, there is something about a palm-scanning smart lock that does feel objectively cool. Our smart home expert, Wes Davis, praised the TCL D2 Pro for its speed in reading and unlocking, its simple installation process, and its easily removable battery that can be charged via USB-C.
Wes also knocked off points for a buggy setup process and its lack of support for Apple Home and Matter, though, and obviously, if you’re in a cold-weather part of the world, you’re going to need to slide your glove off to get in or use the lock’s not-so-high-tech numpad. Warts and all, though, palm-based smart locks are some Jedi magic if I’ve ever seen it.
Bose announced its latest earbuds , but the won’t arrive until early September. Today, though, they’re available for preorder, and I’ve spent the last few weeks testing all the new features. This model is an overhaul of the noise-canceling earbuds the company alongside its take on spatial audio. Among the upgrades, Bose has improved the active noise cancellation (ANC) performance, enhanced call quality and added wireless charging to the case. Two years later, the QuietComfort Ultra is still for those primarily concerned with blocking distractions, and Bose’s tweaks make its best earbuds even better.
Bose/Engadget
The best noise-cancelling earbuds are further improved thanks to enhanced ANC and other upgrades.
What’s new on the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen)?
The new QC Ultra Earbuds are at their best in Quiet mode. This is Bose’s option for full noise cancellation without spatial audio (or Immersive Audio, as the company calls it). Here, there’s no doubt these are still the best noise-cancelling earbuds available right now. The first-gen version achieved the same feat, but Bose has gone a step further to enhance its ANC setup for this refresh.
Specifically, the company updated the algorithm for its ActiveSense technology in Aware (transpancy) Mode. Now the QC Ultra Earbuds offer smoother changes in ANC levels to combat sudden spikes in ambient noise. This means things like sirens should no longer drown out your music or podcast. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to trigger the retooled adaptive ANC with simulated police sirens from YouTube — the best option on my quiet cul-de-sac — but I’ll report back if I notice any oddities here.
Bose also upgraded call quality on the QC Ultra Earbuds. The company says a new AI-powered setup, known as SpeechClarity, works with “the earbuds’ eight microphones, dynamic mixing and adaptive filters” to focus on your voice. Bose explains that it uses audio augmentation tech that was originally developed for hearing aids here, which can reduce background noise like wind or the drone of an office. During my tests, the revised system silenced a noisy fan, rendering it completely absent from my recordings. However, overall voice quality suffers as you will sound a bit staticky when all the audio processing kicks in.
Thankfully, you no longer need an additional accessory for wireless charging on the QC Ultra Earbuds. With the first-gen model, you had to buy to enable cable-free recharging. Bose has now built all of that into the case for the second-gen set, a welcome upgrade that really should’ve been here from the start. When the original QC Ultra Earbuds debuted in 2023, wireless charging was certainly already the norm.
What’s still great about the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen)?
Billy Steele for Engadget
As I mentioned, the overall ANC performance of the QC Ultra Earbuds remains unmatched. If you’re looking to block out distractions, this is the best option that still offers great sound quality. Bose even manages to cancel out human voices better than most of its rivals, which can be a struggle for much of the competition.
Audio quality on these earbuds remains near the top of the heap. You won’t notice as much detail as or , but there’s great clarity here nonetheless. Bose says the tuning was “slightly refined” for improved bass response and smoother high frequencies. I noticed that tracks with deep bass, like Deftones’ “locked club,” are clearer at the low end. Meanwhile, treble-forward instruments in songs like Miles Davis’ “Green Haze” sound crisper and cleaner than before.
Despite their larger size, this year’s buds offer a surprisingly balanced and comfortable fit. Bose refreshed the ear tips for the QC Ultra Earbuds with a new guard to prevent wax build up. Touch controls are still reliable, and you can disable them entirely on this second-gen version.
What’s not so good about the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen)?
The biggest gripe I have with the overhaul of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is the lack of improvement to battery life. I was disappointed to see that a better runtime wasn’t part of the upgrades when I read the announcement in June, and I’m still not over it. On this model, you’ll get up to six hours of use with ANC turned on. Like before, if you listen with that spatial Immersive Audio enabled, that drops to four hours. A couple more hours would’ve been nice, enough to keep the QC Ultra Earbuds in place for a full work day without having to give them a lunch break in the case.
While the design doesn’t bother me too much, I know the look of the QC Ultra Earbuds isn’t for everyone. There is a bit of a mini Bluetooth headset vibe going on here, and the overall size of the buds are on the larger side when much of the competition is racing to be the smallest. Like I said, none of this impacts comfort or stability, and I’d bet many prospective buyers are willing to live with the aesthetic in exchange for the type of silence the QC Ultra Earbuds deliver.
Wrap-up
The upgrades on the second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds don’t make for a wildly new product, but they do provide enough for a notable improvement over the previous version. ANC and call performance are both enhanced, and though it’s late to the party, the addition of built-in wireless charging is a welcome change. Other updates, like the tuning tweaks and the ability to turn off touch controls, are quality-of-life changes that undoubtedly improve the overall experience. Bose has done all of this without changing the price from the 2023 model, which is a surprising choice in the current economic climate. Simply put, the QC Ultra Earbuds remain , and that’s not likely to change anytime soon.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen) are available in the US today, August 28. The general on-sale date is scheduled for September 10.
How much do you value quiet? I’m not trying to get profound here—this is a gadget review, not a self-help seminar—but it’s a question worth asking. Personally, I find quiet to be pretty important. Nothing says loving myself like putting on a pair of earbuds and telling the entirety of New York City to kindly, f**k off. And for that peace of mind, you have a lot of earbuds at your disposal. Any pair worth its weight in plastic will have the option for ANC nowadays. But just because they all have it doesn’t mean every pair of ANC buds is created equal. To the contrary, my friends, there are levels to this shit.
If you’re like Bose and you put “quiet” in the name of your earbuds, one should expect a high degree of noise cancellation—even more so for a gen-2 product. And folks, I’m here to tell you (not quietly) that’s exactly what the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) bring to the table.
I tested these puppies in some of the worst conditions you can imagine (the chaotic NYC subway), and I can say, without a doubt, if I want to block the maximum amount of noise with earbuds, these will be the ones I reach for. Bose doesn’t provide exact dB numbers on how much cancellation its newest QuietComfort Ultra earbuds block out, but anecdotally it feels like a lot.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2
Bose’s second-gen QuietComfort Ultra 2 earbuds still have class-leading ANC.
Pros
Amazing ANC
Cool design
Sensitive touch controls
Cons
Sound is good but not mind-blowing
Middling battery life
Heavy Bose premium
The noise cancelation
On the subway, I felt extremely insulated from train noise and voices, which is incredible if you’re trying to zone out on your commute to work or avoid any unwanted conversations. I also tested them at a busy coffee shop with lots of chatter and music playing, and they blocked out all of that racket adeptly when I started playing music.
Even when I wasn’t playing music, just sitting with the earbuds in my ears, it silenced most of the ambient noise. These might be the only earbuds I want on my next flight. Bose says it went back to the lab and adjusted its ActiveSense technology, which enables adaptive ANC in the QuietComfort Ultra 2 to make transitions in noise-cancellation levels “smoother.”
While I haven’t had a chance to use the QuietComfort Ultra gen-1, I can say that I didn’t find the second-gen version to be choppy in their ANC adjustments when I had adaptive ANC activated.
If you actually do want to hear something, the QuietComfort Ultra 2 also have excellent transparency. By tapping and holding the side of the right earbud, you can switch from “Quiet” to “Aware” mode, which turns off ANC and allows you to hear your surroundings.
I wouldn’t normally do this, for politeness’ sake, but I tested Bose’s second-gen QuietComfort Ultra buds’ transparency mode by having some conversations with them in, including an exchange at a pharmacy. Even with my ears plugged up, I didn’t miss a beat. I still hate having my ears blocked when I talk to people, since I can hear my voice reverberate in my own head (yuck), but if you need to have a conversation quickly and don’t want to pop the buds out, you can at least hear other people easily.
Another highlight you might notice while switching between modes is that the touch controls on the outside of the buds are very sensitive. That might be annoying in some cases, like if you accidentally brush your bud while fixing your hair or taking off a hat, but I actually think this is a perk.
I’ve used a lot of underwhelming touch controls in my day, and these are not among them. Personally, I’d rather have touch controls be oversensitive than under. I’d prefer to have a few accidental miscues than have to aggressively tap on the buds to get them to do what I want. The good news is, if you disagree, you can now turn off the touch controls completely in the Bose app to avoid the miscues altogether.
Sound-wise, the QuietComfort Ultra hold their own. It was hard switching between the QuietComfort Ultra 2 and the Technics EAH-AZ100 that I happened to be testing at the same time, since the latter are some of the best-sounding earbuds I’ve ever used, but I still think these earbuds will appease most sound-wise. I listened to the same record that I used for testing the aforementioned Technics buds (Geese’s “3D Country”), and while they didn’t have the same dynamic range or clarity as the Technics, they kept pace with other “Pro” earbuds I’ve used in the past, like Google’s Pixel Buds Pro.
Mids and highs were represented satisfactorily. I would say they even manage to push the envelope in the bass department, which was a lot bassier, for lack of a better word, than I was expecting. If you don’t like the out-of-the-box tuning, you can switch things up in the Bose app with custom and preset EQ.
The design
One thing that may be divisive among the general public is the look of the buds. They’re chunky, I’m not going to lie, but I like the design, especially in the white color that I got the buds in, which reminds me of a muted PlayStation 1.
Despite how big the buds are, I didn’t find the weight to be annoying, and Bose did a good job with balancing the size with making them look sleek, mixing the matte-ish plastic of the case with a shiny, smooth plastic on the buds. There’s a smooth metal strip along the stem with some Bose branding. Just like the SoundLink Plus, Bose’s newest Bluetooth speaker that I also recently tested, I find the QuietComfort Ultra 2 to be an appealing blend of minimalism and creativity.
Feature-wise, these buds are stacked. If you want 3D audio, you can switch the buds to “Immersion” mode which which tracks audio to your head movements, there’s an ear tip fit test in the Bose app, custom EQ, and one cool feature in this generation is that you can now see the case’s battery levels in your app, so you know when you need to charge it up. I say once again, you need to stop sleeping on your earbuds’ companion app—there’s a lot there to love.
Speaking of battery, Bose says the QuietComfort Ultra 2 get up to 6 hours of battery with ANC on, but that figure drops (naturally) to 4 hours if you have Immersive audio activated. That case holds 24 hours of juice, so about three full charges. That’s not the best battery life in the world, but it’s average.
The fact is, Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra 2 do one thing really well, and that’s block out noise. In some cases, only having one great feature could be considered a flaw, especially for earbuds that cost $299, but ANC is one of the main reasons why people buy wireless earbuds in the first place, so Bose seems to have focused its energy in the right direction.
While these earbuds aren’t giving you the same level of hi-fi sounds as some other similarly priced earbuds on the market, they reward you in dividends when your neighbor is having a raucous party, once again.
The company has always had premium prices, but in certain categories the products haven’t always matched the brand’s prestige: 2010s attempts at noise-canceling earbuds were bulky, sounded middling, and had poor battery life; and it also sold a line of too-expensive Bluetooth speakers with screens that nobody needed.
Then, after its physical storefronts were not having the billboard-like effect Bose wanted, the brand, just prior to Snyder joining, decided to dramatically pivot—a word that can so often be replaced with “panic”—to a strategy that focused on online sales and bolstering exhibits in existing storefronts such as Best Buy in the United States.
This seismic shift meant that every single Bose store in the US, Europe, Australia, and Japan shuttered, resulting in 119 store closures and hundreds of layoffs worldwide. So far, under Snyder’s stewardship, that swerve toward online and in-store retail has, according to the company, worked out—but it could have gone the other way.
Brands like Nike that have pivoted away from brand-owned retail stores have seen sales dives, but the key difference lies in Bose’s decision to lean into retail partners. By bolstering exhibits in places such as Best Buy and other stores, as well as leaning into sales on Amazon and other online retailers besides its own website, Bose has been able to maintain a broad reach while also not keeping retail overhead in-house. According to Snyder, this slimmed-down approach has been effective in righting Bose’s fortunes, especially when paired with excellent new products.
Audio Exclusive
In being a tech company that entirely focuses on audio products, Snyder says that the secret sauce at Bose is research. Engineers are constantly looking for innovation in materials, acoustics, design, production, and more. When asked about recent innovations in solid-state driver technology, for example, she isn’t shy about its prodigious market research.
“What’s interesting about Bose is we have been an audio company for 60 years,” says Synder. “We know we’re going to be in competitive markets. We’ve always been in competitive markets, whether that’s headphones, or in the home, or in the car. What makes us different is we’re all about audio. You can be assured we experiment with everything. When we believe something’s ready, we bring it forward. We’re always looking for technology that can change the game.”
This is particularly evident when it comes to noise canceling, which was pioneered by the brand for aviators—a market Snyder says Bose is proud to remain dominant in—rather than folks in the main cabin of the plane.
Using the Pros
By investigating what pilots needed to operate safely and comfortably in the cockpit, and constantly asking them for improvements and ideas, Bose was able to develop and trickle down what remain the best noise-canceling algorithms WIRED has ever tested. That makes sense, given that latest generation of Bose Quietcomfort over-ears and earbuds offer genuine professional-grade aerospace technology.
Snyder says the brand uses professionals, or semi-professinals in the case of its PA gear for small-venue musicians, not only to improve its products but also to market to folks who are interested in higher-end audio. “They’re a professional musician. They have a great ear. They know what great sound sounds like. Those products create a sort of halo.”
A welcome surprise from Bose, the new QuietComfort Earbuds dip into a more affordable price range without sacrificing quality or features. They’re comfortable, last up to 8.5 hours per charge, and have Bose’s signature clean sound and top-tier active noise cancellation. They come with three pairs of ear tips and stability bands to ensure a great fit.
As you read this, imagine me to be sitting somewhere on a beach in New Jersey (hold your horrified gasps) surrounded by friends and a Bose Soundlink Max speaker blaring my favorite tracks. I’m always on aux, dear reader, as I’m sure you can imagine. My Spotify playlists are highly sought after by a specific group of people (my friends).
And yes, it’s also worth mentioning that it’s a holiday weekend. For those of us in the good ole United States of America, it’s the Fourth of July during a very terrifying election year. So, in order not to think about the current state of our country, we must listen to music. And lots of it. Doctor’s orders.
So that’s where the good new comes in: each week, there’s a whole set of new songs released. Especially during the summer, because artists know you’re looking to stream. And patiently, as I wait for Harry Styles to drop new music (it’s been two years, H), I have this weekly segment where I round up the best new music released.
I comb through press releases, Spotify curated playlists, and the charts to find the next big songs that will get you and your friends dancing.
If new music sounds like something you need right now, let’s get listening!
Lana Del Rey x Quavo – “Tough”
Welcome back, rapper Lana Del Rey. After being spotted hanging out with Quavo in Atlanta and performing the song at her sold-out Fenway Park show, the friend duo are here with “Tough.” It’s highly anticipated for a reason- combining Lana’s earthy, crooning voice with Quavo’s ability to craft a hit rap song.
With two seasoned veterans, it’s hard to go wrong…and Lana Del Rey is the ultimate risk-taker when it comes to music. Expect a sonic shift, but the same voices you know and love. It’s both country and rap bundled into one song that makes perfect sense.
Good Neighbors – “Daisies”
Good Neighbors deserves all of the hype they’ve been receiving so far. “Daisies” is the perfect dose of summertime in one song…and how perfect, as it’s about falling back in love with yourself. It feels just like that- with the synths, the vocals, the instrumental breaks envelop your senses, sending you into sunshine and a field somewhere.
After the mega-hit “Home” and follow up single, “Keep It Up,” “Daisies” proves Good Neighbors is on the right track. This new era of indie pop is just what we needed right now.
Eminem, BabyTron, Big Sean- “Tobey”
Shady’s officially back- with new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe De Grace) on the horizon, he releases “Tobey” alongside Big Sean and BabyTron. It’s high energy, and even though industry giants like Eminem have been around for over a decade, “Tobey” feels fresh.
And, of course, Eminem waits to come in at the very end and close out the song with fire verse after fire verse. It’s a fun sneak peek into what comes next in the final era of Slim Shady.
Louis The Child, Laszewo, Pluko- “Slow”
Louis The Child is a name synonymous with summer hits. Just in time for your days spent lounging on the beach and hanging with your friends, this song begs for a relationship to slow down. It’s about taking things slow, and showcases the collaborators sounds perfectly.
“It flowed like water,” Louis The Child say. “It’s a song about wanting to dive straight into a relationship, about feeling all the right emotions and not wanting to hold back or take things slow.”
Felix Jaehn, Sophie Ellis-Bextor- “Ready For Your Love”
Two icons: Felix Jaehn and Sophie Ellis-Bextor (yes, of “Murder On The Dancefloor”) are here with “Ready For Your Love.” It’s entrancing- an ethereal beat mixed with Ellis-Bextor’s lilting voice that floats over the house track. It makes you want to dance, it’s perfect for the electronic house renaissance we’re having this summer.
I can hear this playing in New York City clubs for the foreseeable future…and it’ll be well-deserved. “Ready For Your Love” is an instant hint.
KATSEYE- “Debut”
Ahead of their debut EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), KATSEYE is here with “Debut”- a symphony of powerful vocals from this brand new girl group. KATSEYE has already proven they’ve got what it takes to be the next big thing in the industry, and “Debut” solidifies they are taking stardom in stride.
Their vocal diversity makes “Debut” an exciting listen- starting strong and building throughout its entirety. Definitely not the last time we’re going to hear from this group, but a promising beginning nonetheless.
For years, any time someone asked what brand of headphones they should buy for a flight, the answer was a simple one syllable: Bose. The company’s QuietComfort line had long been synonymous with drowning out plane noise on long flights. But over the last several years, the question has become an increasingly difficult one, as companies like Apple and Sony have shot to the top of the category.
Back in mid-September, the company planted its flag in the sand once again. The well-loved QuietComfort line was getting a shakeup, with three new entries: the $299 QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, $349 QuietComfort Headphones and the $429 QuietComfort Ultra headphones. The latter (which, as the headline suggests, is our focus today) replaces the $379 (now $279) Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.
As naming conventions go, it’s certainly simpler and more streamlined. At least you know where the Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones stand relative to the QuietComfort Headphones (they’re, you know, more ultra). You’ve probably already balked at the price tag, as any reasonable, non-independently wealthy person would. The premium headphone race may have heated up, but it’s not making the products any cheaper. We’re eyewateringly close to hitting half-a-grand here.
Are any noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphone worth $429? That’s a question I certainly can’t answer for everyone. What I can say is that if any are, these are them. Bose has created some of the most comfortable and best sounding headphones I’ve ever tested, coupled with best in class noise cancelation. These things are, indeed, the real deal.
Image Credits: Brian Heater
Thankfully, Bose managed to deliver the pair before a cross country flight earlier this week. Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to me to double check the size of the auxiliary jack. What can I say, it’s been a while since I’ve actually worn a pair of Bose headphones on a flight (thank Sony for that), so I’d forgotten that the headphones themselves sport a 2.5mm port, rather than the more standard 3.5mm. When all else fails, just go whatever they ship you in the box.
So, no seatback entertainment through the new QuietComfort for me this trip. That’s fine, there’s was nothing good on anyway. As for the rest of the flight, you’re not going to beat these things in terms of comfort — they’re lightweight and well-padded with a soft lining. The active noise canceling also did an excellent job eliminating the plane white noise and even a bit of the shrieking child toward the back. Not fully on that last bit, however – the technology just isn’t there yet.
The ANC is good enough, however, that I had to actively switch to “aware” mode when using the headphones during a podcast. With it activated, it was honestly too difficult to hear myself speaking, which threw me off (apologies to the interviewee on that one).
Pricing aside, there is one notable complaint. The battery life isn’t on-par with other over-ear pairs, like Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and the Beats Studio 3. It got me through the aforementioned cross country flight, and should get you through a day no problem, but be forewarned that it’s the one place where the Ultras fall short of the competition.
LOS ANGELES, July 21, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– Today, Kevin LaRosa, aerial coordinator and camera pilot for “Top Gun: Maverick,” announced he will be a pilot ambassador for Bose aviation headsets.
“The opportunity to work with Bose Aviation is a dream come true. I’ve always found their products to be the best in the industry, and I use their headsets to help me communicate during mission-critical moments and in my day-to-day flying. This is a natural next step for me, and I look forward to continuing to wear their headset and supporting Bose at key aviation events in the coming year,” said Kevin LaRosa.
Kevin LaRosa’s recent film and TV credits include Iron Man, The Avengers, Transformers 5, The Gray Man, CBS’s SWAT, Top Gun: Maverick, and the upcoming Sony film Devotion.
“Kevin’s recent work in Top Gun: Maverick caught our attention, and his resume of other aerial coordination duties speaks for itself. We look forward to sharing more of Kevin’s unique flying experiences with our pilot customers, so we’re excited to explore this relationship together,” said Sean Siff, Senior Marketing Manager for Bose Aviation.
Kevin LaRosa will be speaking at the upcoming 2022 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh convention in the Bose booth on Thursday, July 28, at noon local time.
Kevin LaRosa II is a third-generation pilot and second-generation aerial coordinator, and stunt pilot. From Iron Man to The Avengers and Transformers 5, LaRosa has piloted on an extraordinary list of film credits. He started logging flight time at the early age of 14 and accumulated his ratings as quickly as he could. By the time he was 18, Kevin was a commercially rated helicopter and multi-engine fixed-wing pilot, logging time in everything from King Airs to Hueys.
Today, he is an accomplished ATP-rated pilot in a multitude of fixed wing and rotorcraft and works heavily in the motion picture and television industries worldwide, coordinating and directing film sequences in the air and on the ground. LaRosa is a member of SAG and the Motion Picture Pilots Association, and his latest work can be seen in Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick, which premiered to global audiences May 27, 2022. For more info, visitwww.kevinlarosa.com.
About Bose Aviation:
Recognized as a leader in aviation headsets for pilots, Bose Corporation has been engineering and manufacturing high-performance communication headsets for pilots for more than 30 years. Through Bose’s current aviation headset lineup — the A20 and the ProFlight Series 2 — pilots operating in nearly any aircraft environment can experience an unparalleled combination of comfort, clarity, and noise cancellation. Additionally, Bose aviation headsets are TSO-certified and have been tested beyond the toughest conditions that most pilots will ever experience to ensure long-term product durability and reliability. Learn more about Bose Aviation by visiting boseaviation.com as well as Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
About Bose Corporation:
Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Dr. Amar G. Bose, then a professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Today, the company is driven by its founding principles, investing in long-term research to develop new technologies with real customer benefits. Bose innovations have spanned decades and industries, creating and transforming categories in audio and beyond. Bose products for the home, in the car, on the go and in public spaces have become iconic, changing the way people listen to music. Bose Corporation is privately held. The company’s spirit of invention, passion for excellence, and commitment to extraordinary experiences can be found around the world — everywhere Bose does business.
PR Contact: Jennifer@presspassla.com
Source: Kevin LaRosa, aerial coordinator/stunt pilot
