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- The all-new Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds cost AUD$169.95 and connect over USB-C, with no internal battery, Bluetooth pairing or app required.
- They combine Bose QuietControl ANC with Quiet, Aware and ANC-Off modes, plus USB Audio Class 2 playback fixed at 24-bit/48kHz and low-latency wired audio.
- Black and White Smoke versions will be available from 15 October, while the limited-edition Dewdrop Mint colourway arrives on 21 October.
Bose is betting we’re ready to plug a cable back into our devices to listen to music with a pair of new AUD$169.95 Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds that connect over USB-C. No Bluetooth pairing, no app, and no internal battery to run dry in the middle of your favourite playlist on the way home after a night out. Just plug them into a compatible phone, tablet or computer and the connected device powers everything, including Bose’s QuietControl active noise cancellation.
There was a time when a pair of wired earbuds looked like the coolest thing in the world. The cable bounced across your chest as you walked, ran, or danced, with your MP3 player or iPod sitting in your pocket or rocking out in your other hand. Just one cable keeping it all together. That is, if you could untangle it all before hitting play.
Wireless headphones and earbuds alike may have solved cable snags, pocket knots and the inconvenience of being physically tethered to your device. But Bose isn’t relying on nostalgia alone. Instead, they’ve noticed a resurgence in wired listening, asking listeners to decide whether flat batteries and missing charging cases are enough of a reason to plug in and listen. Of course, they’ve got plenty of competitors on the wireless aisle, including the AUD$219 Apple AirPods 5, which include ANC as standard, and are only about fifty dollars more.
1/7Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds – Key Specs
- Connection: USB-C
- Power: Drawn from the connected USB-C device; no internal battery
- Audio: USB Audio Class 2, with playback fixed at 24-bit/48kHz
- Noise cancellation: Bose QuietControl with Quiet, Aware and ANC-Off modes
- Controls: In-line remote for volume, playback, calls and noise cancellation
- Cable length: 130cm
- Fit: Small, medium and large eartips; medium and large stability wings
- Water resistance: IPX4
- Colours: Black, White Smoke, limited-edition Dewdrop Mint
- Price: AUD$169.95
1/4These Aren’t the Wired Earbuds You Remember
“Technology has come a long way since our last wired earbuds,” says Raza Haider, president of Bose Premium Consumer Audio, highlighting what he calls “a cultural renaissance” for wired listening that pushed the brand to bring them back.
That means no Bluetooth, no charging required. Just you, your earbuds and a cable connecting it all together via USB-C. Sorry, Jack, but your 3.5mm won’t cut it here.
These aren’t like passive wired earbuds of the past. The Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds draw power directly from the connected device, and Bose says non-USB adaptors won’t work because the earbuds require USB power to function.
QuietControl uses four microphones across the two buds and gives you Quiet, Aware and ANC-Off modes, all controlled through physical buttons on the in-line remote.
There’s also Bose SoundDesign digital signal processing and USB Audio Class 2 support, with playback fixed at 24-bit/48kHz. For Bose, the direct connection, or wired listening, is all about providing a low-latency option for video, gaming and content creation, too.
How all of that sounds in real life, including the noise cancellation, we’ll have to wait until we have a listen ourselves, but Bose’s hardware already does considerably more than an old pair of earbuds with a USB-C plug slapped on the end.
Speaking of the cable, it’s 130cm long and includes an in-line microphone and controls for volume, playback, calls and noise cancellation. Bose also includes three eartip sizes, two stability-wing sizes for better ear fit, IPX4 water resistance for everyday sweat and splashes, and a zipped carry case giving that cable somewhere to live when it isn’t hanging from your ears or tying itself up in your pocket.
1/4Are Wired Earbuds Actually Back?
There is some evidence coming out of the US that suggests Bose is onto something with that “cultural renaissance” line. Circana says wired headphone sales returned to growth in 2025 after five consecutive years of decline, rising 3 per cent across the year and 10 per cent between July and December, with revenue climbing another 20 per cent during the first six weeks of 2026.
But if we look at the average selling price of wired headphones, it was about USD$13 in 2025, compared with the average price of Bluetooth models at USD$99. With the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds going for AUD$169.95, it’s clear they’re not out here chasing the cheap end of that comeback.
Then there’s the Apple in the room. Their USB-C wired EarPods cost AUD$29, making this wired pair of Bose earbuds almost six times as expensive. At the wireless end of Cupertino, AirPods 5 start at AUD$219 with ANC already included, while AirPods 5 with a Wireless Charging Case cost AUD$249.
Now obviously, these are two very different types of headphones, so it’s not exactly a straight spec-for-spec comparison. But it still raises the obvious buyer’s decision: wires or no wires.
The AirPods 5 use an open-ear design, while Bose’s earbuds use in-ear silicone tips, similar to the more premium AirPods Pro 3. For AUD$49.05 more than the Bose pair, you can get AirPods 5. Step up again, and the AUD$249 AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case also adds on-stem volume control, a Find My case speaker and an extra hour of ANC listening. Stick with Bose, and you never have to charge the earbuds, pair them over Bluetooth or wonder which device they’ve decided to connect to.
But power still has to come from somewhere. With the Bose earbuds, it comes from your phone, tablet or computer. And no amount of active noise cancellation will stop a cable from getting caught on a backpack strap.
1/4Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds Australian Price and Release Date
The Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds are priced at AUD$169.95, with pre-orders open now through Bose Australia and select retailers. The Black and White Smoke versions will be available from 15 October, while the limited-edition Dewdrop Mint colourway arrives on 21 October.
For AUD$169.95, Bose is asking more than I’d personally pay to put the cable back. But if charging cases and Bluetooth menus annoy you more than cable tangles, these offer a surprisingly modern way to plug in and listen like the old days. Everyone else can probably stay wireless.
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