Wired earbuds are making a strong comeback for good reason. You don’t have to worry about charging the case, freak out about the buds dying from battery degradation over the years, or fear losing them in transit or dropping them by accident. Bose has realized how big the wired earbuds market is turning out to be over the last couple of years, and they’ve created a pair of ANC wired earbuds that’ll please music lovers like me.
Ever since the introduction of QC20 in the 2010s, the US-based audio brand has seen a lull of many years as far as tethered options go. Since true wireless earbuds first made their presence felt, wired earbuds have been sidelined for the sheer convenience of use. Now driven by the resurgence, as celebrities and Gen-Z endorse the novel idea, there is a renewed interest among audio fanatics for wired options. Bose has gone a level ahead with its new wired earbuds, as they offer what only a handful of trusted makers are offering – the ability to have active noise cancelling baked in.
Designer: Bose
Unlike the passive wired earbuds, these make more sense in audibly chaotic situations like on a flight, walking down a busy street, or noisy neighbours around the block. Simply called the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds (I just love that), they bring back the nostalgia with all the perks that come with tethered options like the in-line remote, and of course, the goodness of blocking out distracting noises with the QuietControl noise cancellation tech. Bose has chosen to go with the USB-C connectivity options, which makes logical sense for audiophiles who value high-quality audio.
Since we are talking Bose, the wearing comfort is top-notch with the three sizes of silicone eartips and a couple of stability wings. According to Bose, listeners can mix and match them to find the “fit that feels both comfortable and secure”. For taking calls, the inline remote has the usual three button controls – volume up, volume down, and the play/pause button in the middle. ANC comes courtesy of the two microphones on each bud, which constantly monitor the surroundings and provide adaptive noise cancelling. Like all TWS earbuds, the ANC can be toggled to Quiet Mode for full immersion, Aware Mode for being aware of the surroundings, and the ANC Off Mode to listen in the native state.
Sound quality is always on top of Bose’s priority list and these wired ANC earbuds are no different. They come with the proprietary Sound Design digital signal processing with support for lossless audio listening. The wired buds can output a fixed 24-bit/48kHz audio signal, which should sound crisp and layered. We also have to keep in mind the low-latency performance, which should make gaming and watching fast-paced action movies a whole lot better compared to TWS earbuds.
The only downside is the absence of a dedicated app control for the wired earbuds, which Bose should consider having, as they are a no-brainer. So, for now, the in-line mic handles all the controls. On the upside, you don’t have to worry about those distracting noises when the wire brushes against the clothing. The IPX4-rated earbuds are waterproof and dustproof against splashes and sweat, and come with a zippered carry case for easy carrying.
Arriving in three classy color options, the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds up for pre-order at $99 are worth the money. They are all set to ship on October 13, so you better pull the trigger before the stock runs dry, which I’m sure will be the case.
