Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds Review: A Bit Too Rich for My Tastes

Everyone wants in on the resurgence of wired earbuds and headphones, and that “everyone” now includes Bose. For $100, a hefty premium over Apple’s enduringly popular $20 EarPods, you can get wired buds with Bose branding on them for the first time in over a decade. Beyond that branding and the quality of audio it connotes, these wired earbuds have one thing that lots of other wired earbuds don’t. Whether you find Bose’s wired earbuds worth the relatively large sum of $100 will depend entirely on that one thing. Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds The Boise Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds have good sound and ANC, but $100 feels like a steep ask. ANC is legit Sound is solid Love the Dewdrop Mint colorway Really? $100? Wires are a bit bulky Calling is awful No app support because (duh) wired You better be an ANC aficionado If you haven’t guessed what the “one thing” is, you can just look at the official name of the earbuds—it’s ANC. While some wired earbuds have ANC, many don’t, which makes these stand out a bit. And what makes them stand out even more is the fact that the same company that makes the S-tier ANC in the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) has given these wired earbuds noise cancellation. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo With that lineage and reputation, the expectations for ANC are high, and I’d say, in my experience, that Bose mostly lives up to those lofty standards. I tested the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds out for a couple of weeks, using them frequently on the subway and on the streets of New York, and though they don’t quite rise to the level of Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)—the company’s flagship wireless earbuds—they do a better job cancelling out noise than a lot of other wireless earbuds in the same price tier. They blow the Nothing Ear 3a, which also have an MSRP of $99, right out of the water in that department. On the subway, I was still able to hear some noise, but not a ton. They did a good job of handling train chaos like screeching and chatter from people, and likewise on the sidewalk—I could hear cars a bit and light chatter, but mostly I was insulated from the cacophony of Union Square in New York. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo If ANC is a priority for you, Bose’s Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds will rise to the occasion and satisfy most. They might even be a step or two above the wireless earbuds you’re currently using, which may or may not cost more than Bose’s wired counterparts. And as an added perk, Bose doesn’t stop at noise-cancelling; it’s also given the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds transparency, or as Bose calls it, “Aware” mode, which uses on-device microphones to help you hear your surroundings while your ears are plugged up. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much given the fact that I didn’t think that the microphones in the in-line remote would work all that well, but it’s better than I expected—better than I expected but still not fantastic. If you’re expecting the same level of transparency as a pair of premium headphones or wireless earbuds, you’ll be disappointed, but it does allow me to hear a bit more of my surroundings—enough that I feel more comfortable in situations where I just want to be alert, like walking around a store or on a crowded subway platform. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo One thing that the in-line remote microphone is not good for, however, is calling. I’m not sure how else to say this, but calling on the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds sucks. The microphone picks up a ton of background noise, does a poor job of picking up my voice, and you can hear the in-line remote thumping against my chest as I walk. I asked the person I called to rate the experience, and they gave the call a 4/10, which feels almost generous. My suggestion is, if you have to take a call while wearing these earbuds, just take them out and use your phone. Sounds like 100 bucks I think the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds sound pretty good. I’m not disappointed by the quality, nor am I blown away, and if you asked me to compare them to a $20 pair of EarPods, I’m not sure I’d say that they give you $80 more in that department, though maybe $50 more. I listened to my usual test tracks like Steely Dan’s “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” and thought the soundstage was solid. It’s more of a balanced sound that leans towards bright. Vocals were clear, lead guitars were sparkly, and I got a good sample of keys and rhythm guitars in the midrange frequencies. There wasn’t a ton of bass to speak of, but there was enough for my liking. I didn’t notice distortion even at high volumes, though we’ll get into volume momentarily. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo On electronic tracks like Daft Punk’s “Da Funk,” the tepid low end was a bit more noticeable. Driving bass felt a little muted and hampered, while midrange and higher frequencies like synths and hi-hats jumped out. In most cases, this is where I would have gone in and tweaked the EQ myself to augment low-end frequencies or temper mids and highs, but these are wired earbuds and aren’t supported in the Bose app. For people who just keep the out-of-the-box EQ—which is most people—that’ll be fine, but for any sort of power user or audiophile, app support and the lack of EQ will be missed. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo Another thing that might be missed by some is the aforementioned volume. One of the most immediate things I noticed while testing the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds is that they are rather quiet by default. In fact, I often found myself having to jack up the sound to 80% or higher just to get some immersion on the subway while using ANC. Maybe your hearing is better than mine, but you should be prepared to walk around listening at high volumes if you buy these headphones. Pretty, but a little bulky There are some things I like about the design of the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds and some things I really don’t. I’m giving Bose points for the Dewdrop Mint colorway, which I also enjoy across its other products. It’s just more fun than regular black or white, even if it doesn’t jibe with whatever you’re wearing. I also like the wings on the eartips, which are the elongated silicone bits that stabilize the earbuds when they’re in your ears. They’re not necessary in most wireless earbuds, but in wired earbuds I find they’re important since they have a higher chance of getting jostled when they’re in your ears due to the fact that (duh) they’re wired. The wings definitely came in handy a few times when I accidentally tugged on the wire, and the earbuds stayed in. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo If there’s one thing I don’t particularly like, it’s the weight of the cable on the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds. I get why the cable is thick—it makes the earbuds more durable and less likely to get damaged or frayed—but it really makes them feel a bit heavy once they’re in my ears—more so than a pair of EarPods. Elsewhere, the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds are just fine. The in-line remote has a volume up and down button and a noise mode button in the middle that lets you switch between ANC and Aware with a long press and play/pause with a single press. The button presses feel good—no complaints. Ultimately, there’s not much to unpack with the design and hardware, but the last thing I would add is that these wired earbuds are IPX4 rated, which means they’re resistant to light water splashes and—as I found out the hard way—being thrown into the wash by accident. I wouldn’t recommend doing that, by the way, but I did give them a rinse, and they managed to live on after a thorough drying in rice overnight. The Bose premium feels a little taxing this time Bose’s first wired earbuds in over a decade are a solid entry. The ANC is good, as is the sound, but there are some things that aren’t that great, like calling, the weight, and the fact that you don’t get any app support by buying a pair of wired earbuds. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo While wired earbuds are often cheap, $100 may only feel truly cheap if you’re taking the Bose premium into account, and whether you find these earbuds worth the money will depend largely on how badly you want ANC. For me, personally, I like the ANC, but I don’t know if it’s worth paying so much for, especially when the inclusion of silicone ear tips already provides a pretty high degree of passive noise cancellation. This is a solid pair of wired earbuds, but I’m not sure they’re worth $100, especially in a world where wired audio products are meant to be the much more affordable option. Sony’s nostalgic Walkman headphones, the MDR-3R, for example, cost $60. If you’re going to pay the Bose premium, I think Bose’s QuietComfort earbuds and headphones are a better way to spend your money.