Bose SoundTrue Ultra Review

Fit

4.0 Great

Proper fit that doesn’t fall out is achieved with wing hooks that you attach to your ear lobes. It works well and doesn’t leave irritated ears afterward.

You get 3 sizes of winged hooks (ear wings) so you change them for the best fitting ones.

Running or working out with these earbuds isn’t going to be a problem. The buds stay in and don’t create discomfort.

These earbuds aren’t active noise cancelling like Bose headphones are famous for, but offer good passive noise isolation.

In fact, this model has slightly different, improved ear tips that offer a better seal than before. Now you don’t have to crank up the volume to the max to hear the music.

Don’t expect top-notch isolation either, Bose uses their own ear tips that don’t go so deep into the ear, thus can’t really compare to proper in-ear monitors, like Shure SE215 for example.

If your running in a really loud gym and want good noise isolation get some other earbuds, otherwise these are good for indoor or outside running and exercising.

Comfort

5.0 Perfect

Just like the SoundTrue model before them, these are very comfortable earbuds. While the proprietary Bose ear tips might not be that good at noise isolation, they are very good at comfort.

After a while you’ll get so used to these you’ll forget you’re wearing them.

Comfort is top-notch and makes Bose SoundTrue Ultra one of the most comfortable earbuds on the market right now.

Durability (Sweat-resistance)

4.0 Great

The SoundTrue Ultra model has become more durable than the predecessor. They’ve added some moisture and sweat protection which makes these perfect for running and other sports.

The casing is plastic, but this helps with keeping the weight down and thus improving comfort. The materials are high quality, as you’d expect from a premium product like this, though they could add the L plug and/or detachable cables to improve survivability.

Check the best workout headphones.

Controls

3.0 Good

You can get 2 versions of SoundTrue Ultra, one for iOS and the other one for Android devices. Both versions feature in-line controls and microphone for making calls that works very well.

The mic has better than average sound clarity and making calls is simple.

Sound

3.5 Almost Great

Sound quality is where Bose is usually most criticized by audiophiles and most complimented by people who like their sound signature.

The emphasized bass is still here, but this time it’s more controlled than before. It’s a more balanced sound.

This means bassheads won’t like this new model because it has less beat, but audiophiles and those looking for more balance will like it. See best bass earbuds for alternatives.

The middle and high ranges aren’t as overpowered as before.

Sound quality is also good for bass light music, but if you like the deep, thumping bass (basshead bass) of your dubstep or rock songs you should probably look at some other headphones.

It all depends on your music taste.

Microphonics isn’t an issue and no sound is created when rubbing the wires.

Overall, if you’re looking for well-built and very comfortable earbuds for running that have strong bass (but not too much) and you don’t mind paying a higher price, Bose SoundTrue Ultra are one of the best running headphones you can get.

More guides:

• Best waterproof Bluetooth headphones
• Best noise cancelling earbuds

Specifications

Matija Ferjan

Enthusiastically writing about headphones and audio technology since 2015.
Tested and tried hundreds of headphones. A true nitpicker, always looking for the “best-value-for-money” headphones.
Today, he’s mostly dealing with back-end content production and technical issues.