Bose currently sells four products carrying the QuietComfort name, and the earbuds pair is the one most buyers actually mean to compare: QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) versus QuietComfort Earbuds (2024). Per Bose's own product pages, the Ultra Earbuds add Bose's Immersive Audio spatial sound and CustomTune ear-fit personalization but run a shorter 4 to 6 hours per charge; the standard Earbuds skip Immersive Audio but last up to 8.5 hours per charge. Both use active and passive noise cancellation and carry the same IPX4 water resistance rating. We have not heard either pair, so this is a comparison of what Bose itself states, not a listening verdict.
Why the naming is genuinely confusing
Bose's current lineup includes two over-ear headphones and two in-ear earbuds, all sharing the "QuietComfort" name: QuietComfort Headphones (an over-ear model), QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Bose's flagship over-ear model), QuietComfort Earbuds (2024, in-ear), and QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen, in-ear). "Ultra" consistently marks Bose's higher-tier line within each format, over-ear or in-ear, rather than meaning anything else across the family. This article covers only the two in-ear models. If you are actually shopping for over-ear headphones, the naming pattern is the same, but the specs below do not apply to that pair.
Noise cancellation, as Bose describes it
Bose's own page for the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) describes noise cancellation built from "sophisticated proprietary electronics with microphones both inside and outside the earbuds" that "sense the sound in almost any environment and then measures, compares, and reacts… to produce an opposing cancellation signal," and Bose markets this as "our best in-ear noise cancelling."
Bose's page for the standard QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) describes "Adjustable Noise Cancelling" with Quiet, Aware and Off modes, stating the noise cancellation "consistently and effectively blocks out your surroundings." Bose does not publish a decibel figure for either model on the pages we reviewed, and per ANC Claims: What "Twice the Noise Cancellation" Can and Cannot Mean, even a published figure would only describe Bose's own lab conditions, not a number portable across brands.
Battery life is the clearest trade-off
This is where the two models genuinely diverge, and Bose states it plainly on both product pages. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) run up to 6 hours per charge with Immersive Audio off, or up to 4 hours with Immersive Audio on, with the case providing three additional full charges. The QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) run up to 8.5 hours per charge, with the case providing roughly 2.5 additional charges for up to 31.5 hours of total listening time.
If all-day battery life matters more to you than spatial audio, the standard Earbuds last noticeably longer per charge and per case cycle, according to Bose's own figures.
Sound technology: what Immersive Audio and CustomTune actually add
The Ultra Earbuds carry two features the standard Earbuds do not, per Bose's page: CustomTune, which Bose describes as personalizing "the audio playback you hear based on the unique physical properties of your ear," and Bose Immersive Audio, which Bose describes as making sound feel "spatialized, taken out of your head, and placed beyond your earbuds." The standard QuietComfort Earbuds page references "hi-fidelity audio" and a 5-band equalizer in the Bose app, without naming an equivalent spatial or ear-fit personalization feature. Neither Bose page states a driver size for either model, which is one more reason Driver Size and Driver Type: What "10mm Dynamic" Tells You treats that particular number as a poor stand-in for a real sound comparison anyway.
Whether spatial audio and ear-fit tuning are worth a shorter battery life and a higher position in Bose's lineup is a personal call, not something a spec sheet settles for you, and it is the same kind of trade-off covered generally in How to Choose Wireless Earbuds Without Trusting Anyone's Score.
What is the same between the two
Both models carry an IPX4 water-resistance rating, run Bluetooth 5.3, and support standard call profiles (A2DP, HFP) per Bose's pages. Both released within the past two years: the QuietComfort Earbuds in October 2024, and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) in the US in September 2025.
Weight
Bose's own listed component weights put the Ultra Earbuds' individual bud at roughly 0.016 lb with a 0.132 lb case, and the standard Earbuds' individual bud at roughly 0.024 lb with a 0.104 lb case. The standard Earbuds' individual bud is stated as heavier; its case is stated as lighter. Neither figure is large enough to be the deciding factor on its own for most people, but it is worth knowing before you assume "Ultra" means larger in every dimension.
Where the two sit relative to each other
Bose positions the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds as the higher tier of its in-ear lineup, with the standard QuietComfort Earbuds as the more affordable option carrying fewer premium features but longer battery life. If you are weighing this same kind of decision against a different brand's generation gap, Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WF-1000XM5: The Generation Gap on Paper reads a comparable higher-tier-versus-standard question for Sony's earbuds line. Neither this article nor Bose's own pages tell you which pair will sound better to you specifically; that judgment needs a listening session or an instrumented measurement rig, which is exactly the gap outlets like RTINGS and SoundGuys exist to fill.
Quick comparison
| QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) | QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery, per charge | Up to 8.5 hours | Up to 6 hours (4 hours with Immersive Audio on) |
| Case, total charges added | ~2.5 charges (31.5 hrs total) | 3 full charges |
| Noise cancellation | Adjustable: Quiet, Aware, Off | Active + passive combined, marketed as Bose's "best in-ear" |
| Spatial audio | Not listed | Bose Immersive Audio |
| Ear-fit personalization | Not listed | CustomTune |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, multipoint | 5.3, multipoint |
| Released | October 2024 | September 2025 (US) |
FAQ
What does "Ultra" mean in the Bose QuietComfort lineup?
It marks Bose's higher tier within a format, over-ear or in-ear, and it appears on both a headphone model and an earbud model. It does not indicate a shared generation or feature set between the over-ear and in-ear "Ultra" products.
Which Bose QuietComfort earbuds have the longer battery life?
The standard QuietComfort Earbuds (2024), rated up to 8.5 hours per charge by Bose, versus up to 6 hours (or 4 hours with Immersive Audio on) for the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).
Do both models have the same noise cancellation?
No. Bose describes the Ultra Earbuds' noise cancellation as its best in-ear implementation, combining active and passive electronics. The standard Earbuds use an adjustable system with Quiet, Aware and Off modes. Bose does not publish a directly comparable decibel figure for either.
Is Bose Immersive Audio worth the shorter battery life?
That depends on how much you value spatial sound versus all-day battery life. Bose's own figures show a real trade-off: the feature is exclusive to the Ultra Earbuds, and using it further reduces that model's already-shorter battery life.
Are the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds the same as the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?
No. They share the "Ultra" tier name but are different products in different formats, in-ear versus over-ear, with their own separate specifications. This article covers only the in-ear QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
