Most earbud and headphone makers are starting to skip the annual update cycle. Sure, many of them release a new model regularly, but in terms of overhauling a previous product, the timelines are typically more extended. Bose has made an exception, choosing to reveal the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds ($299) alongside its new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones a year after their predecessor. The new earbuds bring a familiar design and the same outstanding active noise cancellation (ANC), but the company is also promising a big boost in sound quality with its new Immersive Audio tech. For the same price as the set they replace, the QC Ultra Earbuds deliver spatial audio without the requirement, or the headache, of having to stream specialized content.

Design

Bose made minimal changes to the design, retaining basically the same formula from the QuietComfort Earbuds II . One key difference is the touch panel on the outside, which is now silver instead of matching the earbuds (which were black, gray or white). It’s still plastic, but it’s just a different hue. Second, the company changed the “stability bands” or fit wings so they’re easier to properly install. That’s a welcome update since getting those securely in place was an issue on the QC Earbuds II.

With an almost entirely identical design from model to model, Bose didn’t reduce the size of the earbuds. This means they’re still quite large at a time when a lot of the competition continues to get smaller. However, the trade-off is the outer touch panel is larger than on tinier models from other companies. This translates to more reliable controls on the QC Ultra Earbuds and allows Bose to throw in a dedicated swipe gesture for volume adjustment, which is rare in this category.

Software and features

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

All of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ features are accessible from the Bose Music app. Here, the company gives you battery percentages for each bud and a volume control at the top of the main screen. Below, you can access controls to toggle listening modes (ANC, transparency and Immersive Audio), the EQ, detailed settings, earbud seal test and options to reconfigure the shortcut gesture.

Under Immersive Audio, the app lets you switch between off, Still and Motion modes. They’re pretty self-explanatory, but I will point out that the Motion setting keeps the sound in front of you when you’re moving so music, movies and other content doesn’t stay in a fixed place or seem like it’s coming from behind or your pocket when you leave your desk. And since Bose lets you reconfigure the long press action on the earbuds, you can choose to have one side cycle through Immersive Audio modes while the other is set to shuffle through ANC (Quiet), transparency (Aware) and Immersive.

Sound quality

Bose’s new Immersive Audio is a big leap for sound quality on the company’s earbuds. The QuietComfort Earbuds II and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds both sound good right out of the box. But with this Ultra model and its spatial audio tech, Bose finally has the sonic chops to compete with comparable products from Sony and Sennheiser. And the best part is that you don’t need specially created content or a specific streaming service to unlock it. Immersive Audio works with everything, no matter where you’re playing it from.

Like most implementations of spatial audio, Bose’s version takes the stock tuning and makes it louder. There’s more presence to the sound, and noticeably more volume, but there’s also more clarity and detail. The company says it achieves this with virtualization tech that seeks to eliminate the sensation that sound from earbuds is inside your head. Instead, it makes it seem like you’re sitting in the “acoustic sweet spot” with speakers placed in front of you. The result is not only the feeling that you’re not wearing the earbuds at all, but also extremely natural-sounding audio that’s immersive without having to be dimensional to have an impact.

I noticed the biggest difference between the stock tuning and Immersive Audio on acoustic-driven albums like Zach Bryan’s self-titled release, Gregory Alan Isakov’s Appaloosa Bones and Noah Kahan’s Stick Season. All three are able to harness the effect of Bose’s spatial sound to the point that sometimes it seems like Zach Bryan is sitting right in front of you picking his guitar. When it’s just strings and a voice, you can really hear what Bose has achieved, but it doesn’t just work for folksy country or singer/songwriter ballads. You can clearly hear the influence of Immersive Audio throughout a range of genres, including metal, hip-hop and electronic tunes. At first you notice it’s louder, but after the initial jolt, the amplified details like texture in distorted guitars and synths, as well as reverb on the drums and layered instruments, become more apparent.

Noise cancellation performance

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

The QuietComfort Earbuds II have been our top pick for pure ANC performance in our best wireless earbuds guide since their debut. Bose has a long history of stellar noise cancellation and it’s still at the top of the heap. With the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the company remains the best at blocking distractions, and these buds are especially good at reducing airplane noise to near silence during a flight. This new model struggles with voices, but that’s a pitfall of many earbuds and headphones. Still, when you encounter any kind of constant clamor, the QC Ultra Earbuds are likely your best choice if ANC effectiveness is top of mind.

Call quality

Bose says it made improvements with dynamic microphone mixing and adaptive filters. According to the company, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds can also prioritize which earbud is getting the least wind interference while picking from a number of noise filters to keep you sounding clear – all in real time. During my tests, voice quality wasn’t exactly pristine, but the earbuds did a great job of blocking background sounds to reduce distractions. Is it the best? No. Will it get the job done with minimal fuss? Absolutely.

Battery life

The new Immersive Audio tech will impact battery life, and Bose is upfront about that. The company says that with that spatial sound enabled, you can expect two hours less of playing time per charge. So instead of six hours with ANC, you’ll get around four, but that’s with noise cancellation and Immersive Audio turned on. During my tests, the QC Ultra Earbuds outperformed those estimates as the Bose Music app was still showing 30 percent left after four hours. What’s more, there are three additional charges in the case for a total of 16 to 24 hours of use.

The QuietComfort Earbuds II didn’t have wireless charging and the new model doesn’t either – at least not out of the box. If you want to top them up without a cable, you’ll have to buy a silicone cover for the charging case, which will cost an additional $50. Sure, it’s better than not offering wireless charging at all, but it would’ve been nice if the company had just built it into the product without requiring another component and an extra purchase.

The competition

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Bose’s main competition for full-featured, noise-canceling earbuds is Sony, which debuted its WF-1000XM5 model in July, improving upon what was already a stellar formula. Simply put, no other company packs in as many features as Sony, and it manages to keep top-notch sound quality and ANC performance while doing so. The M5 is more expensive than previous models at $300, but that’s on par with the QC Ultra Earbuds. Sony also didn’t improve battery life from the M4, which is eight hours, and some of those handy features still need fine tuning.

For the Apple faithful, the second-gen AirPods Pro are also worth considering. Apple’s earbuds are loaded with features that make them the perfect companion for the iPhone and its other devices. The company has consistently put out the most natural-sounding transparency mode and new tricks enabled by the H2 chip, like Adaptive Audio, have made the year-old model even better. Great sound quality and solid ANC performance are also part of the appeal.

Wrap-up

The QuietComfort Earbuds II were already the best true wireless model Bose had ever built, mostly due to their superior active noise cancellation. Add spatial audio that doesn’t require you to jump through any extra hoops to use and the QC Ultra Earbuds are immediately a worthwhile upgrade. Sure, there’s still work to be done on things like transparency mode, call quality and built-in wireless charging. But perhaps for the first time, Bose has a set of earbuds that can compete with the best sonically and not just purely on its noise-blocking merits.

Logitech is updating its line of desktop microphones and lighting today with the Yeti GX microphone, Yeti Orb microphone and the G Litra Beam LX light. The products mark a break from the Blue brand, which Logitech acquired in 2018, as it drops the old naming and incorporates more gamer-focused RGB lighting into the series.

The $150 Logitech G Yeti GX is the company’s latest take on a “premium, broadcast-style gaming microphone” somewhat reminiscent of the Yeti Blue X. The GX uses a supercardioid pickup pattern, which focuses on sound in front of the microphone while reducing ambient noises from the sides and behind. It includes RGB lighting, customizable with the company’s LightSync, which synchronizes color and lighting across devices. It also has a scroll wheel for one-handed volume control; pressing it activates Smart Audio Lock, which the company says prevents clipping and reduces background noise.

Logitech

The Yeti GX is a USB-C to USB-A plug-and-play mic and is compatible with the Blue Compass boom arm and a (not yet available) updated Logitech Compass arm the company teased.

Meanwhile, the $60 Logitech G Yeti Orb is a ball-shaped mic similar to the company’s Snowball Ice model. The company pitches it as an entry-level microphone (“designed for gamers new to streaming”); it’s built with a custom condenser capsule and uses a cardioid pickup pattern. Like the more expensive Yeti GX, the Orb is compatible with the company’s Blue Voice software, which can apply voice filters and let you tweak levels.

Logitech

Finally, the $150 Logitech G Litra Beam LX is a new desktop light similar to the company’s Litra Beam. The new model still includes TrueSoft adjustable LED lighting (ranging from “warm candlelight to cool blue”) for streaming / video calls but also adds RGB lighting to the mix in sticking with the day’s theme.

All three models are available for pre-order today from Logitech’s website and Amazon, which lists them as available as soon as September 21.

When Apple previews the upcoming version of iOS at WWDC, we expect to see all of the new features that will improve the iPhone. However, it’s not guaranteed that the company will take that opportunity to also update its popular wireless earbuds. But, alongside the arrival of iOS 17, a firmware update adds a few new features to the second-gen AirPods Pro, most of which will automatically adjust to your environment or activity so you don’t have to touch the earbuds or reach for your phone.

The headline addition is Adaptive Audio, a tool that automatically and “dynamically” blends transparency mode and active noise cancellation (ANC) based on your surroundings. Apple says it will change the noise control settings continuously throughout the day, making the proper adjustments as you move to different settings. Thanks to the H2 chip in the AirPods Pro, the earbuds use a combination of computational audio and machine learning algorithms that can discern between consistent and transitory noise. The technology inside of the earbuds also accounts for whether you're stationary or in motion, and if you’re listening to music or taking a call when making its automatic adjustments.

The whole idea is for this to happen without you really noticing. When there’s a change in your surroundings, Adaptive Audio gradually starts tweaking the blend of ANC and transparency. So if you enter a loud coffee shop or sit near a noisy A/C unit, AirPods Pro gently increases the level of noise cancellation to combat the clamor. The point is to smooth the transition, so the change in cancellation level doesn’t become a distraction itself.

Indeed, unless you’re really listening for the fluctuations or you encounter loud noise, you won’t notice them. It gradually increased ANC when I was washing dishes at the sink or grinding coffee to keep the audio where I could hear it clearly. But it also swung back to the transparency mode I previously had active when I ventured into a quieter spot. It works very well and it’s not jarring at all thanks to the gentle, but still quick, transition.

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Before, you could switch between transparency mode and ANC by pressing and holding the AirPods Pro stem. You could also reconfigure one of those to just turn noise control completely off. Apple will allow you to swap one of the options that are accessible on the earbuds with Adaptive Audio, but the company is keeping it to only two settings via the on-board controls. As you might expect, Adaptive Audio is accessible through the Control Center where the AirPods options have been re-organized. There’s a noise control section that expands to give you access to transparency, Adaptive Audio, ANC and off just below the volume slider.

The next new feature is Personalized Volume. This “​​uses machine learning to understand environmental conditions and listening preferences over time to automatically fine-tune the media experience,” according to Apple. It’s another layer of hands-off adjustment that AirPods Pro will do when you move from one place to the next. However, the “over time” part means I haven’t used it long enough to really notice a difference. After only a few days of testing, I can’t say I’ve encountered a time where the adjustment was obvious. Maybe the feature needs more time to learn my preferences or maybe Apple’s claims that you’ll barely notice the difference are true. Either way, I’m not comfortable weighing the merits just yet. Personalized Volume is enabled via the AirPods Pro settings menu, just above the option for Loud Sound Reduction.

A handy new tool that I can see quickly becoming popular is Conversation Awareness. When you start talking, this feature automatically lowers the volume or pauses, focuses on voices in front of you and reduces background noise. It’s similar to Sony’s Speak-to-Chat, only that it completely pauses media when it detects your voice. Here, Apple reduces volume when you're listening to music and pauses things like podcasts and audiobooks. The main issue with Sony’s version is it’s easily triggered by light coughs or clearing your throat. After a few days of testing, Conversation Awareness is less susceptible to false positives, unless you’re really hacking. And if you find you don’t like it, you can disable it entirely in the AirPod Pro settings.

I was skeptical at first, but I quickly got on board with Apple’s decision to reduce volume rather than stop a song completely. It’s certainly less jarring, and the feature returns to your previous volume about three seconds after it no longer senses your voice or the person you’re speaking to. I’m sure there are some users who’d prefer a complete pause for all media, those who don’t want to talk over something in the background. But this is meant for quick convos rather than extended chats, and for that reason I’m OK with Apple’s implementation.

The only issue currently with Conversation Awareness is volume reduces on podcasts first when you start talking and pauses a few seconds after. It’s a bit clunky, and I think it would be smoother to just gently decrease the volume to zero. Thankfully, it works outside of Apple Podcasts with apps like Pocket Casts so you don’t have to worry if you’re not 100 percent in Apple’s ecosystem.

All of the features so far are exclusive to the second-generation AirPods Pro with the H2 chip. However, Apple is making improvements to other models too. For both versions of the AirPods Pro, third-gen AirPods and the AirPods Max, Apple improved automatic switching between the company’s various devices. This means faster and more reliable changeover between listening to music on your Mac and taking a call on your iPhone, for example. This update also requires iPadOS 17 and/or macOS Sonoma, depending on your stable of devices, for you to notice the difference. I do not have an iPad or Mac running those yet, so I was unable to test Apple’s claims here.

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Apple also added a mute function to the most recent AirPods, both models of AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Simply press the stem or the Digital Crown on AirPods Max to mute or unmute yourself during calls. It’s straightforward, but it’s also a welcome update. You’ll see a banner and hear a chime every time you change the microphone state, so Apple will make it clear which setting you're on via two cues on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Developers working on video- and voice-calling apps will be able to implement this functionality as well through CallKit on iOS. So in addition to being able to press to mute with Phone and FaceTime, you will be able to do so on other popular apps like Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and WeChat. Apple says a Mute API will be available for macOS apps as well.

Apple doesn’t typically offer such a robust update to AirPods alongside the annual iOS refresh. However, the additions of Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume and Conversation Awareness expand the toolset of the most recent AirPods Pro so that you spend even less time physically pressing buttons to interact with them. And you can decide whether or not you even want to use them at all. I’ll bet you will though, especially at times when your hands are full or you might’ve stepped away from your phone.

The new AirPods Pro features are now available in the iOS 17 public beta. If you're okay waiting, the official release of the AirPods Pro firmware update will be available later today.

When Sonos released its first portable speaker, the Move, four years ago, it was an anomaly. Previously, the company had looked down on Bluetooth as low-quality and unreliable, and all of the speakers it sold required a power outlet. The Move, on the other hand, used Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and had a 10-hour battery.

In 2023, these tricks have proliferated across the Sonos lineup. The more affordable Roam speaker brought the Move’s feature set to a much smaller device, while recent home speakers like the Era 100 and 300 both support Bluetooth, as well. As such, the recently-announced Move 2 doesn’t suggest a new direction for future Sonos products — it simply brings the company’s latest tech and design cues to an existing product.

And, as usual, it’s more expensive — at $449, it’s the same price as the Era 300, which is capable of spatial audio playback. It’s also more expensive than buying an Era 100 and a Roam. Given how Sonos has changed since the original Move, I’ve been trying to figure out what place — if any — the Move 2 has in the company’s lineup.

What hasn’t changed

At first glance, the Move 2 looks nearly identical to its predecessor. It’s a chunky and rather heavy speaker, weighing just over 6.5 pounds, and it’s noticeably bigger than the Era 100. That said, it’s identical in size and weight to the original Move, despite having redesigned internals. Given the speaker’s size and weight, I still see its potential use cases the same as four years ago: you can lug it around the house with the built-in handle and get loud, quality sound anywhere, or bring it outside to power a party in the backyard. But it’s clearly not a speaker you’ll take with you anywhere, like the tiny Roam, which you can tuck in a bag and mostly forget about.

As before, and like all other Sonos speakers, the Move 2 can stream audio over your Wi-Fi network from dozens of services through the Sonos app. If you have other speakers, you can stream the same music to all of them at once, or play different things on each. If you have two Move 2 speakers, you can set up a stereo pair. And for when there’s no Wi-Fi, the Move 2 has Bluetooth.

The Move 2 also has built-in microphones so you can command the speaker with either Alexa or Sonos’ own voice assistant. These also let the speaker automatically tune audio output to optimize sound quality. This auto Trueplay feature first arrived on the Move four years ago and is now available on many of the company’s products. In my experience, it definitely improves the speaker’s output, so I always turn it on. It’s particularly useful on a portable speaker that is constantly used in different spots.

Finally, the Move 2 is built to withstand the elements; its IP56 rating means it is dust- and water-resistant. You can’t actually drop it into a body of water (unlike the smaller Roam, which can survive a dip in the pool), but it’s just fine getting hosed down. It can also withstand a wide temperature range — Sonos said the first Move worked between 14 degrees F and up to 131 degrees F (-10 to 55 Celsius) and confirmed that the Move 2 has the same weather resistance as the original. That’s not something most people will need to worry about, but the Move 2 should survive a night outside in the winter if you forget to bring it in.

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

What’s new

While you’d be forgiven for mistaking the Move 2 for the original, there are some significant changes on the inside (and some subtle ones on the outside). The speaker’s top touch controls have been redesigned to match the layout Sonos introduced earlier this year with the Era 100 and 300. Flanking the play / pause button are track forward and back buttons. Previously, you had to double-tap the play button to skip songs, and this is definitely easier. The volume controls are now a slider, but you can also tap the left or right side of the volume area for little adjustments. Finally, there’s a button to mute the speaker’s microphones. And for extra security, there’s also a physical switch on the back of the speaker that cuts power to the mics entirely.

There’s also a USB-C port in the back that can be used for charging or, with the right dongle, as a line-in jack. I hooked the Move 2up to my turntable with no issues, same as I did with the Era 100 and 300. My slight annoyance at needing a dongle is more than tempered by having this option at all — a year ago, only the $550 Sonos Five speaker had line-in, and now it’s available on most of the music-focused speakers Sonos sells.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Oh yeah, and the Move 2 comes in olive green in addition to black and white!

Ultimately, there are two big changes that define the Move 2: an improved battery and all new speaker components. Sonos says that the Move 2 should last for “up to 24 hours” — and it seemed to blow past that in my testing. I had the speaker playing music over Wi-Fi for 22 hours and 50 minutes when I went to bed, and the speaker still had a whopping 46 percent of its battery left. When I checked in again 10 hours later, the battery was depleted, so it died sometime between those check-ins. But it’s safe to say you should get the 24 hours Sonos promises and more. That’s more than double the old Move, and more than sufficient for a speaker like this. I’m still testing the Move’s battery and will try and be awake when it dies next time so I can get a better handle on just how long it lasts.

Sonos again included a charging “ring” that you can just place the Move 2 in to power it up. It’s an elegant solution that requires no fiddling with cables. At first, I considered that it might be good to have two of them around the house, but honestly the battery lasts so long that I didn’t find it necessary to set up two “home base” spots. And you can charge it via USB-C, too. It’s not as clean and aesthetically pleasing as using the charging ring, but useful in a pinch.

The new speaker components seem to be inspired by the Era 100. Like that speaker, there are two angled tweeters to provide a semblance of stereo sound, as well as one midwoofer. The original Move, on the other hand, had a single downward-firing tweeter and a midwoofer. Thanks to the two tweeters, the Move 2 is technically a stereo speaker — but as with the Era 100, it’s nothing like the stereo separation you get from a pair of speakers. The fact that there’s no left-right balance control in the app for the Move 2 indicates that there’s only so much true separation between the two channels here, a fact of life given how close together the two tweeters are.

My go-to track for testing these stereo capabilities is “Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service, and the ping-ponging electronic intro and hard-panned vocals that jump between the left and right channels still more or less sounded like they were coming from a single spot. There’s a little space between them, but it doesn’t sound all that different from playing the song through the mono Sonos One speaker.

That quibble aside, the two tweeters in the Move 2 provide improved clarity over the original. It’s a clear, well-balanced speaker that faithfully reproduces sound across all ranges of the spectrum. Bass is prominent but not overdone, and the high end is distinct and detailed, especially compared to the original Move, which could get muddier than I liked. The Move 2 replicated the intricate details in delicate albums like Daughter’s Stereo Mind Game and End, the latest from Explosions in the Sky, and dance floor tracks like Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” and Tove Lo’s “No One Dies From Love” had plenty of low end power.

It’s also a very loud speaker – inside the house, I never really needed to turn it above 50 percent, except when I simply wanted to hear what it could do. Going much above 70 percent gets downright startling. But as with the old Move, Sonos gave this speaker extra oomph for outdoor spaces where sound dissipates much easier.

The main issue with the Move 2 is that you still sacrifice sound quality for portability. The Move 2 costs $449, the same price as the Era 300. That speaker has four tweeters and two woofers and can play back audio in Dolby Atmos. The whole spatial audio experience can be hit-or-miss depending on the quality of the mix, but even without that, there’s no doubt in my mind that the Era 300 is a more capable speaker.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Another way you could spend that $449 would be to get an Era 100 ($249) and Roam ($179). That gets you an indoor speaker that sounds just as good as the Move 2 plus a portable speaker that’s much smaller and easier to take with you. To be clear, the Move 2 is far more powerful than the Roam, with better sound quality and the volume to fill a large outdoor space. The Roam, on the other hand, is for portable, personal use. It comes down to what you think you’ll need more: portability or power.

Despite my feelings that the Move 2 is somewhat of a niche device, a quick look at the market shows there are plenty of competing products with similar price points and features. Speakers like the JBL Boombox 3, Ultimate Ears Hyperboom and Bose Portable Smart Speaker all offer similar feature sets to the Move 2, and the Move 2’s vastly improved battery life means it should fare better than the earlier device in these comparisons.

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Wrap up

Due to its price and size, the Move 2 isn’t the ideal portable speaker for everyone. But that’s OK, because it does succeed as a speaker that you can rely on for high-quality and seriously loud audio. It’s well-suited to being your main speaker inside the house as well as something you can take to the porch or backyard to power a party. And while it won’t comfortably slip into a backpack, it should make a good road trip companion. I could definitely see tossing it in the car and bringing it on my summer vacation with me.

The battery and speaker upgrades make it a worthy improvement over its predecessor, as well, though I am disappointed to see Sonos raise the price yet again on one of its products. But if you’re looking for one speaker that can cover as many bases as possible, the Move 2 fits the bill — and it’ll be that much more useful if you have other Sonos products to pair it with.

Thanks to an August leak, Bose's new lineup of QuietComfort headphones aren't exactly a surprise — at least in terms of their appearance. However, the key feature of the headphones and earbuds wasn't tipped until now. Today, the company officially announced the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, both of which pack in Bose's stellar active noise cancellation (ANC) but also feature the addition of the company's new Immersive Audio.

Bose says Immersive Audio makes spatial sound "accessible to all." That's because the company's take on the listening format doesn't require specialized content. The QC Ultra devices rely on virtualization and can work with any streaming service to put you in the "acoustic sweet spot,' using a combination of onboard components and new digital signal processing. Immersive Audio has two modes, Still and Motion, that are designed for use when you're sitting or moving. Motion utilizes head tracking to keep the sound in front of you at all times. And of course, you can opt to turn Immersive Audio off completely for just the stock Bose sound.

In a brief demo with the spatial audio tech on the QC Ultra Headphones, I was impressed with what Bose is able to do without dedicated immersive content. I experienced both Still and Motion modes in a tightly controlled demo with a live band and with a small selection of songs on a connected phone. There is a big difference in Immersive Audio and the standard Bose tuning and I'll bet most people will keep it active during movies and music. Sometimes you don't notice a major improvement with spatial sound, but with Bose's tech, everything was more dimensional and punchier with more clarity and detail. What's more, the company's robust ANC is as effective as ever, silencing simulated street noise without me ever noticing it. 

The company is debuting a new design on the QC Ultra Headphones, one that has elements of both previous QuietComfort models and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. The biggest change is to the headband where the company has replaced some of the placed with metal for a more premium look. This addresses a key criticism we've had of Bose products in the past, but it does so without adding unnecessary heft that sacrifices comfort.

Another big change is the new volume control. In the past, Bose opted for physical buttons, but here there's a capacitive touch strip that you swipe to adjust volume levels. It's right on the edge of the earcup, easily accessible with your thumb. There's still a physical multi-function button for playback control, changing listening modes and answering calls. The 3.5mm audio jack remains for wired listening and the QC Ultra Headphones charge via USB-C (there's no audio over USB-C though).

That new Immersive Audio tech does impact battery life. Bose says you can expect up 18 hours of use with it and ANC active. If you disable it, that figure jumps to 24 hours — still with active noise cancellation turned on. The company also says you can expect upgrades to call quality as the QC Ultra Headphones can pick out your voice from 360 degrees of ambient noise. The mics also help with improved ANC overall, as well as Aware Mode with ActiveSense for tuning into your surroundings.

When it comes to the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, Immersive Audio is once again the headline feature. However, Bose says it also improved call quality with dynamic microphone mixing and adaptive filters. The company explains that the setup works in real time to prioritize which earbud is getting the least wind noise while also selecting from a number of noise filters to keep you sounding your best.

The design of the QC Ultra Earbuds has also been slightly refreshed, with a dash of silver on the outside touch panel. Bose also redesigned the stability band (or fit wing) to wrap around the underside of each earbud. That component also locks in place now, so you'll know they're properly installed. Once again, Immersive Audio affects battery life as the QC Ultra Earbuds will last up to four hours with it on. The company says you can expect two more hours of use with that spatial sound disabled. Bose will also offer an optional wireless charging case cover with these new earbuds, but it will cost you can extra $49.

Bose is also replacing the QuietComfort 45 headphones with new QuietComfort Headphones. Here, you get that classic QC design, Bose's powerful ANC, up to 24 hours of battery life and Bluetooth multi-point connectivity. These headphones, as well as both Ultra models, support Bose SimpleSync that allows you to pair them with select soundbars and speakers "for a personal listening experience."

All three new models are available for pre-order today. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are $429 and the QuietComort Ultra Earbuds are $299. Both will ship in early October. The QuietComfort Headphones will be available on September 21 for $349.

Last year Devialet, the French luxury audio company known for mighty speakers with even mightier price tags, launched its first pair of earbuds. Gemini carried many of the usual Devialet features, including good design, excellent sound and noise cancellation. But it also had some quirks around fit, weird audio modes and a bulky charging case that turned off plenty of reviewers. It’s those pain points that the company is addressing with its second-generation edition, the Gemini II.

The first and most welcome change is to the charging case, which was awkward and bulky last time out. Now, it’s a lot smaller, and uses the same pocket-friendly lozenge design you’ll find with pretty much every other pair of good TWS earbuds. Inside, the company has added a new custom driver and designed a new Active Wind Reduction mode to help screen out more unwanted sound. And to resolve the issues around fit, the buds are smaller and have been redesigned to better “fit any ear.”

You’ll also spot plenty of quality-of-life improvements like wireless charging and Bluetooth 5.2. But there has been a few spec-drops compared to the last version, with promised battery life falling from 24 hours on the first model to 22 hours here. The per-charge life has also dropped, with the Gemini II pledging five hours on a single charge, down from the six on the original.

This is Devialet, of course, which means you can pick up the standard version from today in black or white, each model costing $450. But you can also get an Opéra de Paris edition, which adds a 24-carat PVD gold plating onto the white case and earbuds, priced at $650. That way, when you’re strutting down the Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, everyone will know how classy you are.

Victrola has introduced two new premium turntables: the Hi-Res Carbon and Hi-Res Onyx. Both products have built-in Qualcomm audio hardware that will allow for wireless vinyl record play to any Bluetooth or aptX-enabled speakers or headphones. This hardware upgrade is a major shift away from Victrola’s previous lineup which was only compatible with Sonos speakers.

The turntables support Bluetooth 5.4 and Bluetooth LE and feature Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive audio technologies. The Hi-Res models will still feature RCA outputs for self-powered wired speakers for the more traditional crowd.

Victrola’s Hi-Res Carbon and Hi-Res Onyx models are priced at $599 and $399, respectively, and are available today. Each runs $200 cheaper than their respective Sonos-compatible counterpart.

The latest Apple AirPods Pro are back on sale for $199 at Amazon and Walmart. This is a deal we've seen for much of the past several months, but it's still $50 less than the cost of buying from Apple directly. Typically, this is as low as we see the wireless earphones drop at major retailers.

We gave the AirPods Pro a review score of 88 last September, and we currently list them as the "best for iOS" pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide. They continue to be the best true wireless model Apple sells, with a slightly bassy sound that plays well with most kinds of audio, effective active noise cancellation (ANC) and a top-notch transparency mode that blends outside noise with your music. Like all AirPods, they also come with a host of Apple-friendly features: fast pairing, automatic switching between active Apple devices, Find My tracking, spatial audio, audio sharing with other AirPods and Beats users, hands-free Siri and so on.

The six-hour battery life could be longer, there are better options for call quality and many of the other picks in our buying guide come with a richer feature set. There's no way to manually adjust the EQ or ANC strength, for instance. If you want a pair for working out, the Beats Fit Pro offer many of the same Apple-centric perks in a more gym-friendly design. Nevertheless, if you solely use Apple devices, there's still plenty to like here.

There is a caveat, though: Bloomberg reports that Apple will likely update the AirPods Pro with a new USB-C charging case as part of its iPhone event on September 12. (The current AirPods Pro case uses Lightning.) The new iPhones should switch to USB-C too, so if you'd prefer the updated port, it's worth waiting. That said, no other changes to the actual AirPods Pro hardware are expected, and the USB-C model may cost more than this discounted price to start. The earphones will receive new features later this year, but those'll be software-based, with iOS 17 adding a new "Adaptive Audio" mode and faster device switching, among other upgrades.

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It's been almost exactly four years since Sonos first introduce the Move, the company's first portable speaker. The Move was a solid speaker when it was first introduced, but in the years that have passed, things like its lower-than-average battery life have made it harder to recommend. But even with the summer quickly fading, Sonos has a new portable speaker for powering autumn days outside, the Move 2. On the surface, the Move offers the same formula as the original. It's a relatively large, loud speaker that you can lug around with you; it's also quite durable, able to withstand drops, bumps, extreme temperatures, rain and snow. 

But unsurprisingly, Sonos has taken some inspiration from the recent Era 100 and Era 300 speakers here for some improvements. The new top panel touch controls are the same as you'll find on those speakers. There's a volume slider as well as dedicated forward and back buttons. It also has a USB-C line-in jack, so you can connect the Move 2 to a turntable or other audio equipment. 

Perhaps most importantly, its internal speaker design is similar to that of the Era 100, with two angled tweeters providing stereo sound, unlike the mono, single-tweeter design of the original Move. In my testing of the Era 100, I didn't find that the two tweeters really give you a stereo experience like you'll get with multiple speakers, but it's still a definite improvement. 

Sonos

The other most significant change is that Sonos has more than doubled the quoted battery life on the Move 2, from about 11 hours to more than 24 hours. That's a huge jump and should be enough to silence those who were unhappy with the original Move's rather pedestrian longevity. 

Oh, and there's a new color this time, olive green. I wish that it also came in the lovely blue and orange shades you can get the smaller Sonos Roam in, but alas. 

Like the original Move, this new speaker supports audio over Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi for when you're away from your network. It's also a quick way to let friends play music over the speaker, and there's a Bluetooth sharing feature that pipes audio the Move receives over Bluetooth to the rest of your Sonos speakers. Of course, you can also group and share audio across other Sonos devices using the traditional multi-room audio controls, as well. 

The Move 2 has microphones built in for automatic speaker tuning using the company's Trueplay software — this adjusts the sound quality based on where you place the speaker. The microphones also work with the Sonos voice assistant as well as Amazon Alexa, and there's a physical mute switch on the back that disconnects power to the mics entirely. And if you get two Move 2 speakers, you can pair them together in stereo. That should make for a potent audio setup, though you'll need to re-pair the speakers if you take one on the go and remove it from your Wi-Fi network. 

Unfortunately, Sonos is bumping up the price of its gear again — the Move 2 costs $449, up from the $399 it asked for the original model. For that price, Sonos is also including the handy ring-shaped wireless charger that lets you easily pick up the Move 2 and get going. Yes, there are a number of improvements here, but Sonos can't go on raising the prices of its products every time it releases a new model, can it? We haven't had a chance to hear the Move 2 yet, so it's too soon to say whether it'll be worth the cash, but hopefully the improvements here merit the price premium. The Move 2 goes on sale on September 20. 

It’s been a little while since Ultimate Ears (UE) released an entirely new speaker model and this one slots right into the existing lineup between the Megaboom and the Hyperboom. Continuing with the whimsical hyperbole, this latest model is called the Epicboom and it’s available starting today at the company’s website for $350. Now that it’s here, it seems obvious a speaker was missing from the UE lineup. It pumps out a bit more volume than the Megaboom, but is still more portable than the larger Hyperboom party speaker.

The UE Epicboom is like a double-wide Megaboom in size and shape, and it still provides 360-degree sound. It does seem that the two 1.5-inch mid-high transducers are on the rounded sides with passive radiators along the front and back. This enhances the surround sound vibes if you’re listening to it head-on. Inside, the Epicboom packs a 4.6-inch woofer for a more rounded bass experience down to 50Hz, at least. And just like the Hyperboom, it has an adaptive EQ that supposedly helps provide the best audio output possible for your space.

There’s an outdoor mode available, which seems to drop the low end down a bit in favor of the mid to high end output so it can be heard more clearly at greater distances. The speaker has Bluetooth 5.2 and in keeping with tradition, the speaker claims up to 180 feet in range (in the best line-of-sight conditions possible I assume). The Epicboom definitely has a robust range and worked throughout my apartment without the sound dipping out, which is commendable.

As usual, the speaker is fully waterproof with an IP67 rating. Go ahead and plop it in the pool if you like. It’s a rugged box of beats that will fit into a backpack although it will take up a good deal of space at 6.3 x 4.6 x 9.4-inches and 4.36 pounds. You shouldn’t have to worry about battery life much either, since it's rated for up to 17 hours and there's an LED battery indicator just above the +/- buttons. Unlike the Boom and Megaboom, there’s no charging dock accessory for the Epicboom. It has a single USB-C charging port along the back and no aux inputs.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

The speaker is slightly chunky and unless you’ve got big mitts, the rounded edges makes it a little bit difficult to grab and hold by hand. There is a carrying strap of course, and if you hate having a loose loop dangling about your device, you’re in luck. This flattened strap uses a small magnet to help keep it in place along the back. It's heavy nylon (like seat belts) and although it has a loop, it takes some fiddling to pull it apart. I found myself just grabbing the strap as it is to haul it around.

NFC, a long lost Ultimate Ears feature, has returned with the Epicboom. It works for users with Android 8.0 or later, but sadly there's no support for iOS. The speaker has multipoint connectivity allowing you to pair up to eight devices and this can help speed up the process immensely. It also helps to future proof the speaker, as aging devices can sometimes be difficult to pair with and NFC is a great backup plan.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

You can use the PartyUp feature in the Boom app (which gets an update today) to play music on the Epicboom plus any other Hyperboom, Megaboom and Boom models nearby. There are also a variety of pre-set EQs including Signature, Bass Boost, Game/Cinema, Podcast/Vocal, and a new Deep Relaxation mode. I didn't get a chance to test the new app experience yet, so I can't provide any more details in that regard.

If you’re an Ultimate Ears fan and want to upgrade your output, but still have a speaker that’s relatively easy to bring along when you’re out and about, the Epicboom could be right for you. It seems to have a more spacious sound than the Megaboom models and its audio output definitely covers some ground for a device this size. It’s not quite the powerhouse party output of the Hyperboom, but it's a decent upgrade from the Megaboom 3. People in the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions can order the $350 UE Epicboom starting today on the company's website and other retailers will begin selling the product on September 22nd. 

Product Specifications

• Size: 6.3 inch (L) x 4.6 inch (W) x 9.4 inch (H)

• Weight: 4.36 lbs / 1.98 kg

• Bluetooth version: 5.2 

• Bluetooth range: 180 ft / 55 meters

• Battery life: Up to 17 hours

• Charge time: < 3 hours (with 5V/0.5A or more than 0.5A adapter)

• Drivers: Two 1.5-inch active mid-high frequency transducers and one 4.6-inch woofer

• Maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL): 94 dBC(normal) and 95 dBC (outdoor)

• Frequency range: 50Hz to 20kHz

• Rating: IP67 

• Sustainability factors: 100% post-consumer polyester fabric mesh, 59% post-consumer recycled plastic