If there's any kind of headphone that has exploded in popularity in the last two years, it's open earbuds that don't block your ear canal, so you can hear your music your surroundings.
We've seen plenty of such options, like the Shokz OpenFit and Nothing Ear Open, and perhaps the most popular pair is the expensive Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
With a second-gen Bose recently unveiled, their $299 price tag is once again in question. But having reviewed countless open earbuds, you're paying for something you don't expect.
Here come new Ultras, and a cheaper option too
Meet the new Bose Buds
Bose recently unveiled the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), an advanced model of the original pair, with design and audio refinements as well as improved spatial audio.
I'm a fan of how Bose has rethought the size and shape of the charging case, so it's no longer quite such a boulder in your pocket that tips over on a surface.
The upgrade also includes longer battery life, higher volume, and improved bass performance. Those are solid enhancements, especially for open earbuds.
The Bose retain the same price point as the initial pair, at $299, and are set to go on sale in October (the link below is for the original pair). They're joined by a more affordable pair, the Sport Open Earbuds, which don't have the full suite of features.
Let's talk about Bose's price point
An ultra price for some Ultra buds
I imagine many potential buyers will balk at the $300 price point of the Ultra Open Earbuds, especially with many rival clip-style buds costing $100 or less, and most going for under $150.
At that price, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) cost more than the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro or AirPods Pro 3, and only a little less than the Sony WF-1000XM6.
I can't name a single other pair of open earbuds that comes anywhere close. You're paying premium in-ear bud prices for open earbuds. And what do you get?
Bose has some of the best audio in the open-ear world, which is a major get. Since these buds don't block your ear canal, audio quality can often suffer, but not in the Bose.
Anyone who's used a Bose product will know the company also offers useful features, like its spatial audio, and you get access to these in the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen).
But it's hard to argue that these little enhancements justify the price. Most reviewers' favorite Ultra Open features, like the solid fit and light weight, are common features of this form factor.
But there's something else, something less obvious, you get for the price. Having tested dozens of open earbuds, especially clip-style ones like the Ultra, there's something the specs list misses.
The problem with cheap earbuds, even open-ears
The longevity problem
When you buy cheap earbuds, you're not compromising sound quality, feature set, or battery life. Instead, it's the buds' ability to work over a long period of time.
I've reviewed hundreds of earbuds, most of them being budget ones. These gadgets often work well initially, but they don't survive the months or years you'd hope.
I've tested so many pairs that would start falling apart after a certain amount of use, or would lose battery capacity at a rapid rate.
The most common budget-bud problem comes from the case, however. Many pairs I've tested will, after a few months, fail to charge from the case.
This will often be due to damage to the charging pins in the case; initially, readjusting the buds or shaking the case will fix it, but over time, you get to the point where the buds won't charge.
I've had this problem countless times, always with budget headphones, and open earbuds aren't exempt from the problem. Only a week ago, a pair I'd tested broke for this reason.
Open earbuds might be susceptible to the problem.
Since they're largely designed for fitness use, they can easily get sweaty. If they're not sweatproof, they can get damaged this way, but it can also block the charging connector and stop them from powering on.
Still, not all budget earbuds are prone to these issues, and I've used plenty that never faltered. But it's impossible to tell. However, I've never had premium buds break like this.
Pay a high price, but buy peace of mind
Knowing that cheap tech is prone to breaking makes it easier to pay a high price for expensive earbuds like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen).
Sure, you're paying more upfront, but you know your tech will last. An alternative might cost $100 now, but if you're paying another $100 every few months, the Bose would be the cheaper option.
That's the cheap-tech tax, and it's not limited to earbuds. It's one of the unfortunate truths about ultra-budget smartphones: you often don't get what you pay for.
- Up to 7.5 hours (buds); additional 19.5 hours in case