Bose launched its Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds, marking the company’s return to the wired headphone market after 11 years. Priced at $99, the USB-C earbuds feature active noise cancellation (ANC) and target a growing trend of younger consumers eschewing wireless models for plug-and-play connectivity.
The audio industry is seeing a surprising reversal in consumer habits. Wired headphones entered 2026 with a serious moment of growth, with sales climbing 10 percent in the latter half of 2025 and jumping another 20 percent at the start of 2026. This shift is largely driven by Gen Z and Gen A users, including celebrities who have begun sporting wired buds and writing songs about them. This trend is notably popular among the Gen Z and Gen A of New York City, as well as the teenage children of WIRED staffers.
Bose executives noticed the trend firsthand. Raza Haider, the company’s president of consumer audio, observed the prevalence of wired earbuds while dropping his teenager off at college last year. To capitalize on this cultural renaissance, Bose accelerated its production cycle, moving from the initial idea to the final product in roughly eight or nine months. Haider stated that this is much faster than most audio releases I’m familiar with,
explaining that Bose has been working toward enabling faster, more efficient production to accelerate new product launches, revisions, and collaborations.
USB-C Connectivity and QuietControl Technology
Unlike traditional headphones, these buds utilize a USB-C plug-and-play connection, meaning they require a powered USB-C port on a phone, tablet, or laptop to function. They do not feature a 3.5mm jack, making them incompatible with standard in-flight entertainment systems, as no powered USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter seems to exist for that purpose.
To manage sound, Bose implemented its QuietControl technology, which employs four microphones—two per earbud—to monitor and minimize environmental noise.
- Quiet Mode: Full active noise cancellation.
- Aware Mode: Allows surrounding sounds to enter.
- ANC Off Mode: provides straightforward wired listening without active noise cancellation.
Hardware Design and the $99 Price Point
At $99, these earbuds occupy a premium niche in the wired market. They are significantly more expensive than Apple’s $19 EarPods (USB-C) or Sony’s IER-EX15C USB-C buds, which retail for $28 on Amazon. Bose justifies this cost with a sturdier build, featuring an IPX4 splashproof rating and a thick 4.2-foot cord designed to reduce cord noise when rubbing against clothing and resist tangling.
The earbuds weigh 23 grams each and include stability wings—which Bose refers to as StayHear tips—to prevent the weight of the cable from pulling the buds out of the ear. These come with three sizes of eartips and two sizes of stability wings. They are available in three colors: black, white smoke, and a limited-edition dew drop mint.
Performance Trade-offs: ANC and Cable Tension
While the noise cancellation is effective for urban commutes, it does not reach the top-tier performance of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra (2nd Gen). Instead, the experience is closer to the step-down QuietComfort Earbuds ($150), with some high-frequency sounds and voices remaining audible.
The physical design introduces some friction. The inline control panel—which handles volume and playback—is described as heavy enough to weigh down the cable. This creates a tension on the earbuds in the ear that is absent in wireless models. The rubberized buttons allow users to double-tap the universal control button to advance a track forward, or tap and hold it down to toggle through noise canceling, ANC off and transparency modes.
While the cord is premium, it still tends to tangle when stored in the included soft pouch, a design reminiscent of the QuietComfort 20 buds first released in 2013.
Shipping and Availability
The Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds are currently available for preorder. Following the official launch, the products are scheduled to ship on October 15.
