Bose SoundTrue Ultra Quick Review

Bose released a new addition of in-ear headphones and named it SoundTrue Ultra. This made us question if they indeed produce true sound. Read our quick review and find out.

The SoundTrue Ultra’s form factor is hugely reminiscent of their sports lineup due to the use of their StayHear Ultra tips. These extended flexible wings have been patterned to the contours of the human ear, so they stay firm and secured even when you move around. The in-ears come in two color variants — Charcoal and Frost.

Running along the cable, there’s an in-line microphone on one side and three physical buttons on the other, namely: volume up, volume down, and answer. They also double for music functionality with compatible devices, but we’ll get to those features in just a bit.

There’s a clip that attaches to your clothes to for easy cable management.

The package includes a soft travel pouch and inside it are replacement buds in different sizes. We like the addition of the pouch since not only does it make bringing the SoundTrue Ultra around easy, but it also protects them from external damages.

This specific model is made compatible with Apple devices such as select iPods, iPhones, and iPads. Using the SoundTrue Ultra, users can enjoy music functionality and control their tunes (skip, previous track, etc.) with the help of the physical buttons — all in addition to answering calls and controlling volume.

If you’re not using an iPhone or any of the devices mentioned previously, these specific in-ears will only serve as normal headphones and will still be compatible with any music device that supports the standard 3.5mm plug on the headphone capable. Although, do take note that there is a different variant catered to Android devices that will let you have those additional functions.

After letting its drivers breathe and settle by playing music for hours, we were ready to listen to how it reproduces music. We played a mixture of electronic/rock songs, and we could tell that the mids dominate the battlefield, but in a good way. This resulted to effectively hearing the important elements of a track like vocals and the main rhythm.

Bass kicks are solid and powerful, but not too much as to go overboard. The lows just give authoritative background kicks to support the ensemble. What we find lacking are the highs. We feel like tiny details such as strokes on the hi-hats isn’t quite there and the overall music reproduction would sound better if there’s more brightness to it.

Additionally, the SoundTrue Ultra could produce good volume and pretty powerful sound.

Thanks to its StayHear tips, the buds indeed don’t easily come off even when accidentally tugged. Listening to music for an extended period of time doesn’t put any strain in our ears and is pretty comfortable to use even when moving around every once in a while.

The Bose SoundTrue Ultra has an appealing design and its form factor ensures a secure fit. Sound reproduction is generally impressive and  could go pretty loud, too. We could say that it almost has the right to claim to have a true sound if not for the underwhelming highs.

Wearing it for long periods of time is comfortable and results in a satisfying music-listening experience.

One problem that could concern some users is that the light-colored variant that we reviewed easily catches dirt so those that want their in-ears to remain clean and presentable should always bring the travel pouch included in the package.

At Php7,500USD 128INR 10,835EUR 122CNY 931, the SoundTrue is pretty steep for a pair of earbuds. Although if you’re looking for a reliable device from a known brand, you should put this on your list.

Bose SoundTrue Ultra dimensions and weight:
SoundTrue Ultra headphones (including cable and StayHear tips):48-inch L (0.63 oz)
StayHear Ultra tips: 1.25 x 1 x 0.5 inches
Clothing clip: 1 x 0.25 x 0.5 inches
Case: 3.55 x 2.7 x 0.9 inches

What we liked about it: 

• Secure fit
• Comfortable to wear
• Powerful bass
• Solid mids
• Travel pouch

What we didn’t like:

• Highs are lacking
• Frost variant easily catches dirt
• Steep pricing