A couple of years ago, when he heard that the ear buds I’d received with my iPod Classic had finally given up the ghost, my brother-in-law gave me his old Bose SoundTrue in-ear headphones. I tend to use a thing until far beyond its natural life cycle, so while I’d been coaxing every last decibel out of my standard-issue Apple headphones, I hadn’t been aware of certain advances in ear bud technology, such as soft, silicone tips with specialized “wings” that hook in the folds of the ear to keep the buds comfortably in place. Ahhh…

I probably would have run these bad Bose into the ground if they hadn’t met their untimely demise at the teeth of two adorable dogs named Disco and Queen. While visiting my friend Mika, the headphones fell out of my purse in proximity to her playful pups, and when we left to run a short errand, those dear buds found my ear buds. Sigh.

Having previously had a great experience with the Bose Wave CD player—which held up so well that I sold it on eBay years later for nearly the price I paid for it—I decided to splurge and replace the obliterated buds with an identical pair, but somehow ended up with the SoundTrue Ultra version instead.

Folks, these headphones have been life-changing. Bose took their silicone tips to the next level with a noise-isolating design that instantly blocks virtually all external sound. One reviewer called these StayHear Ultra tips the headphones’ “secret sauce.” The ear buds don’t contain noise-cancelling technology, but it’s hardly necessary when the tips do such a great job of making you feel like you’re the only one—or thing—in the room.

This effect can have some drawbacks, though. Every sound you make, from heavy breathing and coughing to talking and humming along, becomes magnified within your own head, similar to when you plug your ears with your fingers. I also wouldn’t recommend wearing these headphones while driving or jogging, as they may prevent you from hearing critical sounds. But if you want to listen to music, audiobooks, or meditation recordings without distraction, these are a high-quality, comfortable, and effective option that is more affordable than the noise-cancelling variety.

I particularly enjoy using them when listening to binaural/brainwave entrainment tracks, which can quickly put me in a deeply relaxed state when I don’t have to deal with extraneous aural interference. And while I’m still holding out for a Hearo in certain circumstances, my SoundTrue Ultra ear buds make exceptional earplugs when I want instant relief, since the external sound-blocking effect is both effortless and immediate. Kirsti and I just returned from a swoon-worthy trip to Savannah and Charleston, and even the roar of the jet engines on our flights was no match for my Bose buds.

Some of the mixed reviews at Amazon indicate that high-fidelity enthusiasts might not enjoy these ear buds, but I used to work for an audiophile label and I’m very happy with these headphones. In fact, I’m prepared to buy anything Bose makes—just as soon as my SoundTrue Ultras buy the farm…or get torn apart by one of the animals.

Stuff Worthy Of Our Notice™ in this post:

Bose SoundTrue Ultra In-Ear Headphones

 

Since I came late to the game, Bose is already phasing out the SoundTrue Ultra in favor of its SoundSport in-ear headphones with standard StayHear tips and the the more pricey QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones with StayHear+ tips (equivalent to the Ultra), but that means you can currently find great deals on remaining pairs of SoundTrue Ultra ear buds online while supplies last, so get a move on to get your groove on.