Bose officially announced that it is launching a new pair of noise cancelling wired earbuds. Yes, wired earbuds.
The noise cancelling earbuds come at a time when wired audio accessories are making a comeback, gaining both traction and popularity among the current generation of listeners, so says Bose. The wired earbuds mark the first time in more than a decade that the brand has made its last wired buds.
Retro-Ish Embrace
Bose’s noise cancelling wired earbuds aren’t fully embracing the retro throwback, though. The earbuds are connected via USB-C instead of the usual 3.5mm connector, which is fair, given that virtually every mobile device is powered and connected through the universal port. This writer remembers when smartphones began ditching the 3.5mm medium and began leaning fully into Bluetooth connectivity. As of now, Sony is currently the only brand that retains the 3.5mm headphone jack in its Xperia lineup.
The Bose noise cancelling wired earbuds use USB Audio Class 2 (UAC2) protocol, with a fixed playback output fixed at 24-bit/48kHz. It also features three listening modes: Quiet Mode, Aware Mode, and ANC off Mode. All self-explanatory. Further, the length of the cable is 4.2ft or 128cm, giving one enough length to get it tangled into knots. Oh, and it’s also IPX4 rated for water resistance.
Embracing The Wired Life
The company isn’t technically wrong about the resurgence of wired audio devices. The revival can be traced back to last year, and more specifically to the second half of 2025. Reports indicate that sales of wired devices surged by 10% between July and December 2025, a trend that also corresponds to increased sales of CDs and Vinyl, both of which are experiencing a revival. And it’s all thanks to the current generation of teens and music listeners.
There are, of course, benefits to using wired audio peripherals over Bluetooth devices. For starters, you don’t have to worry about the wireless connection dropping or deal with audio lag. You also don’t have to worry about the battery life as they draw power directly from the source. Three words: plug and play.
The new Bose noise cancelling wired earbuds will be available starting 15 October and will retail at US$99 (~RM404). At the time of writing, Bose Malaysia has not indicated when or if the earbuds will be available locally.
(Source: Bose)
