Bose announced a new pair of earbuds this week, and the twist is that they're wired. In a market where practically every audio brand has spent the last decade pushing people toward wireless, Bose is betting that plenty of listeners actually want to go back to plugging in.
The company unveiled the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds on September 28, priced at $99. Preorders opened the same day through Bose's website and Best Buy, with shipping set to begin October 15. That's a notably lower price than Bose's recent wireless releases — for comparison, the brand's Ultra Open Earbuds go for $299, and the Sport Open Earbuds sit at $199.
Bose says the decision comes down to a shift in listening habits, particularly among younger buyers. Corded headphones have been quietly making a comeback, and the company wants a share of that. It's a fairly unusual move for a brand best known for its QuietComfort wireless lineup, but Bose hasn't always been a wireless-only company. Wired products used to be its bread and butter, long before Bluetooth took over.
There's a practical case for going wired, too. No batteries to charge, no app to install, no pairing process to fumble through. Plug the cable in, and audio starts instantly. For anyone who's ever had earbuds die mid-commute, that alone might be worth the trade-off.
The earbuds connect via a 4.2-foot USB-C cable, which means they'll work with just about any modern phone, tablet, or laptop. There's no headphone jack involved — power and audio both travel over USB-C, using the USB Audio Class 2 protocol. Playback is fixed at 24-bit/48kHz, and Bose is pitching support for lossless audio through that connection.
Despite having no battery to speak of, the earbuds still manage active noise cancellation. Each bud has two microphones dedicated to ANC, and Bose says there's a Quiet, Aware, and ANC Off mode built in, depending on how much of the outside world you want to let through. An in-line remote handles volume, playback, and calls, and there's a separate mic on the remote itself meant to pick up your voice more clearly — useful for calls, less useful for anyone who forgets it's dangling near their collar.
Photo: Bose / Product Photo
Build-wise, they're rated IPX4 for sweat and light rain, and they ship with a zippered carry case, three sizes of silicone eartips, and two sizes of stability wings for fit. Colors are Black, White Smoke, and a limited-edition Dewdrop Mint that a few outlets have already singled out as the one to watch.
This isn't Bose's only release this month. The company also put out the Sport Open Earbuds and the second-generation Ultra Open Earbuds earlier in September, both open-ear designs aimed at people who want to stay aware of their surroundings while exercising or commuting. Add the wired pair into the mix, and Bose is now covering a fairly wide spread — from $99 all the way up to $299 — depending on how someone wants to listen.
Tech outlets that got early hands-on time were generally positive, mostly because ANC on a wired product is genuinely rare right now. Most wired earbuds skip noise cancellation entirely since there's no easy way to power it without a battery. Bose's workaround — drawing power directly from the connected device — is the detail most coverage has focused on.
Whether this actually catches on is the real question. Wired audio has picked up some cultural momentum lately, especially among younger listeners who never fully bought into the wireless-only push, but that doesn't automatically mean a $99 pair of Bose earbuds will sell in big numbers. A lot will depend on how they actually sound and perform once reviewers get full units in hand rather than just a press briefing.
Shipping starts October 15, so it won't take long to find out. If Bose's bet pays off, don't be surprised if other headphone makers start dusting off their own wired lineups too.
