Review Verdict: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are the best TWS you can buy in the Philippines regardless of price if you are after top-notch wireless audio quality that’s straightforward to use.
Pros:
-Bright and warm overall soundstage
-Best spatial audio implementation on a pair of wireless earbuds
-Straightforward companion app and touch controls
Cons:
-Case lid is a bit flimsy
-Expensive
Aside from Sony, Bose is the brand of choice if you want quality wireless audio. Their QuietComfort Ultra headphones are arguably the best in the market, and the same can be said for its compact earbuds sibling. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are expensive, but you get what you pay for as far as audio quality is concerned.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Review: Design
Compared to most TWS earbuds, the case of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is larger than usual with its oblong-shaped design, You only get a Bose logo and an LED indicator in front, while the pairing button is in the back, It comes with a USB-C port for charging–but you don’t get wireless charging. To enjoy wireless charging, you’ll need to buy a separate case for it, which is not officially available in the Philippines as of writing this review.
While the charging case is large and has heft, the lid feels a bit flimsy–which is a slight annoyance considering that you’re paying close to Php 20k for the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. While the build is still solid, we prefer the hinge design used on the AirPods Pro, which uses metal to give it a satisfying open and close action.
The earbuds themselves are relatively large, but Bose opted to give a broad, flat surface to the stems, which makes touch controls much easier to use compared to other TWS earbuds. Aside from the included ear tips, you also get a set of stability bands to give you a better fit when wearing them. The stability bands help a lot especially when you are working out or out for a run.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Review: User Interface
While you can use the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds right after pairing them to your device, the Bose Music app gives you added customization options. The Bose Music app may not offer as many customization options as Sony’s Headphones Connect app, but Bose made sure to keep the essentials.
Some of the key customization options you have include tweaking the equalizer, managing connected devices, and managing shortcuts on the touch controls. Speaking of the latter, we like the broad and flat stems of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, as this allows both tap (for music playback) and swipe (for volume controls) gestures properly.
Together with the included stability bands, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are the most comfortable TWS we’ve tried. Despite being larger than average, we did not feel any discomfort wearing them for a prolonged period, and their overall design made them stable enough to not fall off our ears.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Review: Audio Quality
You get what you pay for with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ audio quality: they are not bass-heavy and offer a warm and bright soundstage. You can appreciate the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ excellent soundstage with lossless audio streaming on platforms like Apple Music. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have a broad dynamic range that lets you appreciate the finer details on every music track. They have one of the best audio quality on a pair of TWS earbuds, matching the likes of Sony’s WF-1000XM5.
Like its headphone sibling, the “Ultra” part in its branding refers to its support for spatial audio. Similar to the implementation on Sony’s WF-1000XM5 and Apple’s AirPods Pro, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ Immersive Audio utilizes head tracking through several sensors to deliver spatial audio. Using the feature on Apple Music, Bose’s implementation is as good as what we experienced from Sony and Apple, where our head movements add depth to the music we are listening to.
Do note, however, that the effectivity of spatial audio depends on the track. Some K-Pop tracks like G-IDLE’s I Do have a subtle effect with Immersive audio enabled, while optimized tracks like Dua Lipa’s Houdini and Jungkook’s Seven give you the full spatial audio experience.
We used the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds to watch a 2-hour documentary on Netflix and another hour for binging videos on YouTube, and the battery went down from 100% to 60% with ANC enabled. This translates to around 7 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, which should be enough if you are using the QuietComfort Ultra to drown noise while on a short-to-medium haul flight.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Review: Conclusions
If money is no object and you want something other than the WF-1000XM5, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are the best TWS earbuds you can buy in the Philippines. The premium price tag gives you the best audio quality and a straightforward and easy-to-learn interface that saves you from fiddling with too many options.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Review: Price
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are priced at Php 19,500.
