Bose’s Wacky Open Earbuds won over my reluctant heart

After testing the Bose long-term, I began to unpack the niche use cases that even are best noise canceling earbuds can’t match.Dog walks are blissfully better, especially with any trace of wind that can blow your ears off.I was just rolling in one bud for those situations.Now I’m pulling back in our morning from the thought of settling for mono sound on a walk, even if the traffic sometimes stiffens the atmosphere.

I soon found other unique ways these buds fill the gap, from working in the office or kitchen while chatting with my wife to walking around the store or chatting with the neighbors about yard work.Why kill the tunes when you can have it all?

Bose has worked on additional ways to give its expensive buds a higher value factor. If you have a new Bose soundbar like the Smart Soundbar (8/10, WIRED recommends), open headphones can now double as personalized surround sound speakers, creating a sort of AR experience between the room’s soundbar and your head’s surround effects.

Perhaps my favorite (and dumbest) instance of the Ultra Open was on a recent Thanksgiving trip to my wife’s house. American football is a Thanksgiving staple in most households, but not theirs. There’s only one basement TV, no cable or antenna. and no one even happens to be interested.I had my headphones on and my phone to keep up with the games while maintaining a polite conversation came when I happened to watch Tim Allen’s Santa, chat with the family, and watch my alma mater win their first playoff game, all at the same time that’s it multitasking.

Ultra Open headphones aren’t always the right choice, and many times they are. I think everyone needs a good pair of noise-canceling buds, and many can’t justify a second pair, especially one at $300 list price is than many leading noise cancellers.

Still, I can’t deny the benefits of a good pair of open headphones, and these are the best I’ve found. I’m hooked.