Bose is selling wired earbuds again. The company’s new Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds use USB C, cost US$99 and combine a physical cable with active noise cancellation.
Bose announced the earbuds on 28 September 2026 and says shipping begins on 15 October. They are its first new wired earbuds in more than a decade.
Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds at a glance
- Price: US$99.
- Connection: USB C.
- Noise cancellation: Bose QuietControl active noise cancellation.
- Listening modes: Quiet, Aware and ANC Off.
- Battery: none.
- Audio output: up to 24 bit, 48kHz playback.
- Water resistance: IPX4.
- Colours: Black, White Smoke and limited edition Dewdrop Mint.
- Shipping: from 15 October 2026 in the United States.
How can wired earbuds have noise cancellation?
Active noise cancellation needs power, but the Bose earbuds do not need their own battery. They draw power from the USB C device they are connected to.
Four microphones, two in each earbud, monitor surrounding noise. Bose’s QuietControl system then creates the counter signal used to reduce unwanted sound.
That means the earbuds can offer active noise cancellation without charging a case or worrying about an ageing earbud battery.
Why USB C instead of a 3.5mm plug?
The USB C connection lets Bose process the audio digitally and power the noise cancellation electronics directly from the phone, tablet or computer.
Bose says the earbuds use USB Audio Class 2 and accept a range of source formats, with playback fixed at 24 bit and 48kHz.
The direct connection also avoids Bluetooth compression and latency, which can matter for video editing, gaming and other situations where audio delay is noticeable.
No Bluetooth and no app
These are intentionally simple. There is no Bluetooth pairing and no Bose app requirement.
You plug them into a compatible USB C port and use the three button inline remote for volume, playback, calls and switching between noise cancellation modes.
That simplicity is part of the product’s appeal, but it also means people who want wireless freedom or app based sound customisation should look elsewhere.
The three noise control modes
Quiet Mode uses the full active noise cancellation system to reduce outside sound.
Aware Mode lets more environmental sound through, which is useful when walking or when you need to hear announcements.
ANC Off keeps the connection wired but turns active noise cancellation off.
Fit and water resistance
Bose includes three ear tip sizes and two sizes of stability wings. That creates nine possible combinations for fit.
The earbuds have an IPX4 rating, which means they are designed to handle sweat and light splashes rather than full immersion.
Why are wired earbuds coming back?
Wireless earbuds won because they are convenient, but they also created new annoyances: batteries that degrade, charging cases that get lost and Bluetooth connections that can occasionally misbehave.
Wired listening has started to regain interest among people who want something they can plug in immediately and keep using for years without thinking about battery health.
Bose is leaning directly into that trend. Its launch material describes wired listening as having a cultural comeback rather than presenting the cable as a technical limitation.
What are the tradeoffs?
The obvious one is the cable. You are physically connected to the device, and phones without USB C will need a different solution.
The earbuds also do not offer Bluetooth multipoint, spatial audio, a charging case or the app features found on Bose’s more expensive wireless models.
At US$99, the question is whether you value active noise cancellation and no battery enough to pay more than you would for basic wired earbuds.
Who should consider them?
They make the most sense for people who use USB C phones, tablets or laptops and want reliable noise cancellation without owning another battery powered accessory.
They may also suit travellers, editors and gamers who prefer a direct low latency connection.
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What we verified
Price, shipping date, connection type, listening modes, audio format, colours and water resistance above come from Bose’s current product and launch pages. We have not independently tested the sound quality or noise cancellation.