STACK #229 November 2023

TECH REVIEW

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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Battery life: 6 hours Case: 18 hours IP X4 Bluetooth: v5.3 ANC: Yes

of your head and allows you to move around within a virtual soundscape. While it’s difficult to describe in words, the experience is something special. Spatial audio is an additional feature that not all streaming services offer, and if they do, it can be locked behind a subscription fee. Bose’s solution to this? Design its own in-built spatial audio, so if your streaming platform doesn’t have it, or it comes at additional expense, it doesn’t matter. Anything you pipe through the buds will benefit from the three dimensional soundstage, without any format barriers. The QC Ultras have three options for Immersive Audio – Off, Still, and Motion. Off mode delivers the quality, balanced soundstage that Bose is renowned for, and the next step is where it gets interesting. Toggle on Still and the expansion of sound is immediately apparent. Along with the increase in space and volume, the audio quality has more clarity and detail, unlike anything we’ve experienced before in earbuds. Using digital trickery, the sound remains in front of you like you’re listening to speakers or a live band, even when you turn your head! The final mode, Motion, is our favourite. You get the impressive Immersive Audio experience,but the sound tracks with the movement of your head, so you’re never out of the zone. This is an awe-inspiring step forward in consumer audio, and the sound is simply superb. The battery life As always with ear gear, battery life is determined by how often the user implements ANC versus standard use, and the introduction of Immersive

When music is a passion, and you want top-shelf noise cancelling to match, there are only a few players in the game at that level, and one of those is Bose. Words Paul Jones R enowned for great sound and quality noise cancellation, the brand’s True Wireless QuietComfort IIs were the first experienced during a mind-blowing setup demo. From within the A PINNACLE IN SOUND STACK ’S BOSE QUIET COMFORT ULTRA EARBUDS REVIEW

Audio will undoubtedly impact that. Bose states there are six hours in the buds with an additional three charges in the case, but that will change according to the features you use and the duration.

app, you can adjust the noise cancelling and Immersive Audio modes, map shortcuts to the touch controls, and manually tweak the bass, mid and treble through the EQ. The noise cancelling

spearpoint in earbud excellence. That was until Bose unveiled the new kid in town, the Quiet Comfort Ultra earbuds, honing the tip of that spear to razor sharpness. The Look Aside from the metallic-looking plate on the stem, from a design perspective the Ultras are almost identical to the QCIIs. They still fit well and ship with a selection of tips and stability bands to cater to ear canals of all shapes and sizes. The metallic strip looks good on both the White Smoke and Black colourways, with good real estate for the touch controls. The set up Setup and pairing through the Bose Music app is simple, and each earbud individually calibrates the sound on application. The big talking point is the introduction of Bose’s version of spatial audio, known as Immersive Audio, which is

The call quality One of the better pairs of earbuds

we’ve tested for call quality, the QC Ultras performed well in eliminating distracting external noise during calls, isolating speech for loud and clear conversation. The verdict Once again, Bose has upped the game, leaving a new high water mark for the competition. The premium QuietComfort Ultras deliver excellent audio and industry-leading ANC. If you love your music, its accessible Immersive Audio modes are a differential worth investing in.

Bose has always aced ANC and the QC Ultras go straight to the top of the class, effectively blocking out street noise in a busy suburb when walking the dog, and, importantly, when you’re working from home, limiting the sound of battling children. The sound and that Immersive Audio… Spatial audio is the current buzzword everyone is talking about. In short, it takes the music out

38 NOVEMBER 2023

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