Bose is stepping back into the wired world with the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds at $99. Preorders open Monday via the company's website and Best Buy, and the earbuds hit shelves on Oct. 15. Color choices include white, black and a limited edition mint green.
Alongside the buds, you get a simple carrying pouch, three sizes of silicone tips, and medium and large stability fins for a snugger fit.
The cable runs 4.2 feet and houses playback and volume buttons plus an inline mic for calls. With most smartphones having moved on from the 3.5 mm jack, Bose's new pair - like many current wired models - plugs in over USB-C. Power comes straight from the device, so there is no battery to charge.
The buds are rated IPX4, meaning they tolerate perspiration, light rainfall, and small splashes, although they aren't designed to be submerged.
Active noise canceling is still uncommon in wired earbuds, and some models that offer it have garnered lukewarm buyer feedback saying the effect is hard to notice. Bose, long known for noise control tech, put four microphones in this set - two on each side - to listen for and tamp down outside noise.
In hands-on use so far, the hush is not as strong as Bose's $299 second-generation QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or Sony Group Corp.'s $330 WF-1000XM6. That said, these corded buds can still dial down the racket of a Manhattan subway ride or a packed coffee shop. Sound quality punches above the $99 tag and is a clear upgrade over Apple's $19 EarPods, which were last refreshed in 2023. Wired listening also unlocks fully lossless audio from services like Spotify and Apple Music, and cuts lag to near zero when watching videos or gaming on a phone or a handheld like the Nintendo Switch 2 that works over USB-C.
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Bose had no wired headphones listed online ahead of this launch, and it scrapped its prior corded noise-canceling earbuds back in 2022. Since then, all-things-wired has found new life with younger shoppers chasing a simple, retro vibe. Cheap standbys like Apple's $19 EarPods have ridden that wave.
There is also a practical angle: many creators lean on wired sets because their mics often deliver clearer recordings for social videos than wireless buds. Earlier in September, Bose announced two wraparound, cuff-style earbuds, including a model pitched to gym-goers. And in the months ahead, the privately held company plans to shift its emphasis back to portable speakers - one of its cornerstone categories - according to Raza Haider, who leads premium consumer audio at Bose. As Haider put it, "Wired earbuds are experiencing a cultural renaissance," adding, "Technology has come a long way since our last wired earbuds, allowing us the opportunity to bring our latest advancements to the category and set a new standard for what wired earbuds should be."
If you have been eyeing wired for the reliability, lower latency and lower price, this gives you another legit option without going all in on high-end wireless gear.
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