Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

Bose's latest Ultra buds are the complete wireless package

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For its new generation flagship buds, Bose has promised better active noise cancelling, a broader feature-set and improvements to the sound tuning. Priced at £300, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are a decidedly premium pair of wireless earbuds.

If there was one area in which we weren't particularly keen for Bose to deviate too much from the original QuietComfort Ultra buds, it was build and comfort. The first-gen buds were comfortable and secure, qualities they were able to lord over some of their rivals. The QuietComfort line has always gone for slightly unconventional designs, with the established configuration of having an outer stem fitted to a more rounded central body feeding into a slender nozzle returning once again.

Unconventional it may be, but it's a formula we find just works perfectly. The new earbuds are well made and replicate the premium feel of their predecessors. We are particularly pleased to see the return of Bose's stability bands, the small ridges which tuck into the top part of your inner ear to aid with a more secure fit. And they work wonders. Soft enough to be comfortable yet firm enough to act as an anchor, they are a great concept that adds to the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)'s commuting and sporting credentials too.

Touch controls return, and once again it's a responsive and well-implemented system. You can customise the Bose buds to your liking via the app - whichever tasks we assign to the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), they are adept enough to react with sufficient sharpness to prevent us from becoming frustrated by the kind of lag which can mire the touch experience of less talented alternatives.

The choice of three ear-tip sizes is a bit miserly for a pair of premium wireless buds, although those stability bands will probably remove too many issues with fit.