Bose Is Selling Wired Earbuds Again for $99
Bose has released its first wired earbuds since 2015. The Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds can be preordered for $99 from Bose's online store. The Verge
The announcement was made on Sept. 28, according to contemporaneous reporting. Mashable They use a 4.2-foot cord that ends in USB-C, the small oval port now common on laptops and tablets. They support lossless audio, or full-quality sound, with very little delay. They come in black, white smoke, and limited-edition dewdrop mint. The Verge
Each earbud uses two microphones and Bose QuietControl technology to block outside noise. A button on the cord remote lets users choose Quiet Mode, Aware Mode, and ANC-off. The earbuds have an IPX4 rating, which means they can handle light splashes of water. The Verge
Bose maintains an official product page for the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds on bose.com. There, Bose describes the product as offering immersive sound, a comfortable fit, and power noise cancellation.
The wired earbuds sit alongside Bose's current over-ear and in-ear lines. On August 6, 2026, Bose announced the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) as the next generation of its noise cancelling headphones. Separately, Bose introduced the SoundTrue Ultra In-ear Headphones as its first noise-isolating headphones.
The broader context here is simple. Wireless took over for ten years because it lets people move around and take calls. A wired pair is like a lamp plugged into the wall. The connection is fixed. There is nothing to pair, no wireless clash to fix, and the delay is set by the cord itself rather than by Bluetooth compression deals and resending.
In my view, that is the practical opening Bose is addressing. A USB-C wired earbud with built-in noise blocking and a mode button fits cleanly into desk setups, lab benches, shared workstations, and thin clients where Bluetooth policy is locked down or inconsistent. Full-quality sound with little delay helps not only with music listening but with conferencing, monitoring, transcription review, and any task where lip sync drift or compression damage makes it harder to focus. IPX4 does not make these a sport product, but it removes one common failure concern for commute and travel use.
Looking at what this means for buyers, the $99 preorder price and the three-mode noise blocking lower the cost of keeping a wired option available. IT departments and individual engineers tend to pick what is predictable. Quiet Mode helps with focus work, Aware Mode helps with awareness in offices and labs, and ANC-off allows direct listening, all without adding another wireless device to set up, charge, and update. For users who already carry a USB-C laptop or tablet as a primary machine, the cable length and inline remote reduce friction rather than add it.
The tradeoff here is easy to understand. A fixed 4.2-foot cord limits movement by design, and USB-C-only means it only works directly with hosts that have that port. Those limits will decide whether this becomes a daily driver or a backup tool kept in a bag for specific hosts and locations. Either way, users have more choice than before, and choice helps because wireless ease and wired reliability solve different needs.
