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These are the best ANC earbuds you can't buy in the US
17 hours ago

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are among the best noise canceling earbuds you can buy right now, that is, assuming you don’t live in the United States. While consumers in Canada, the UK, Germany, France, China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand can already purchase Bose’s latest flagship earbuds, Americans are left waiting until “later this summer.”
Why is that? Well, the reasons become clearer when you consider the current state of international trade.
What makes these earbuds special
Our testing revealed that the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) deliver exceptional active noise cancelation, reducing external noise by an average of 85%. That puts them on par with almost every pair of flagship earbuds, only surpassed in ANC performance by the Sony WF-1000XM5’s industry-leading 87% reduction. Still, the Bose earbuds offer a more comfortable fit for extended wear, which I think is a crucial advantage for frequent travelers.
The $299 earbuds maintain the same price as the first QC Ultra Earbuds despite incorporating several meaningful upgrades, including improved ANC algorithms, wireless charging, and enhanced microphone arrays. For a detailed breakdown of performance and features, you can read our full review here.

But what’s particularly noteworthy about these earbuds isn’t just their performance—it’s their staggered global availability. The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) launched for pre-order on June 12 in Canada and Europe, with general availability beginning June 26. They’re now rolling out to markets across Asia and Oceania.
The United States, however, remains conspicuously absent from this launch timeline. For a company founded in Massachusetts, launching everywhere but America first represents a significant departure from typical release strategies.
Reading between the lines
This timing isn’t occurring in a vacuum. As we detailed in our recent analysis of how tariffs are impacting the headphone industry, audio companies are grappling with new trade realities that affect everything from component sourcing to final product pricing.
The current regulatory environment has introduced complications that didn’t exist for the original QC Ultra Earbuds launch. Companies across the industry are adjusting their release strategies to navigate these challenges, with some prioritizing markets where they can maintain stable pricing and supply chains.
The good news is that Bose’s emphasis that pricing hasn’t increased despite the staggered release suggests the company is working to avoid passing tariff-related costs onto consumers. But doing so also requires careful timing of market entry.
What this means for US consumers

American buyers will need to wait until later this summer for official US availability. While importing from international retailers remains technically possible, it would involve additional shipping costs and potential customs fees that could push the total price well above the $299 MSRP.
For those unwilling to wait, the original QC Ultra Earbuds remain available for $299 at Amazon and offer nearly identical performance. The differences between generations are incremental rather than revolutionary, making the first-generation model a solid alternative at current pricing.
Other excellent ANC options available now in the US include the Sony WF-1000XM5 ($298 at Amazon) and the Apple AirPods Pro 2 ($189.99 at Amazon) for iOS users seeking seamless integration.
What would you do about the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)?
This whole Bose situation illustrates how global trade policies are creating unexpected ripple effects in consumer technology. When American companies find it strategically advantageous to launch products everywhere except America first, it signals how dramatically the landscape has shifted for international commerce.
For audio enthusiasts, this trend suggests that flagship product launches may become increasingly fragmented across regions, with availability depending as much on trade policy as product readiness.
