How do I reset the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen?

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen and Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are both premium earbuds, but they're built for different priorities. Here's how they actually compare.

The Price Situation

Bose costs $299. Samsung lists at $249 but goes on sale more often. If budget matters, Samsung has the edge.

Noise Cancellation: Bose Wins

This isn't close. Bose makes some of the best ANC on the market, and these earbuds continue that tradition. If blocking out the world is your main goal, get the Bose.

Samsung's noise cancellation is good, but it's not in the same league.

Sound Quality: Depends What You Like

Bose sounds warmer and more bass-forward. If you like that punchy, full sound (most people do), Bose delivers.

Samsung is more neutral and balanced. Audiophile types might prefer this, but it can sound less exciting to casual listeners.

Both let you tweak EQ in their apps. Samsung supports fancier codecs with Samsung phones.

Fit: Samsung is Smaller

The Bose earbuds are chunky. They have stability bands that help keep them in place, which is great for exercise, but they're just... big. If you have small ears, they might not fit comfortably.

Samsung went with a more traditional, slimmer design. Most people find them more comfortable for long listening sessions.

Battery Life: Samsung Wins

Samsung gets about 7 hours with ANC on; Bose gets 6 (or 4 with Immersive Audio). The Samsung case also holds more total charge.

Call Quality: Bose Wins

Bose put real effort into SpeechClarity for the 2nd Gen, and it shows. If you're on calls a lot, especially in noisy places, Bose handles it better.

Water Resistance: Samsung Wins

Samsung's IP57 rating beats Bose's IPX4. You could briefly submerge the Samsung earbuds accidentally; Bose are just splash-proof.

The Bottom Line

Get the Bose if: Noise cancellation and call quality are your priorities.

Get the Samsung if: You want smaller earbuds, longer battery, or have a Samsung phone.

Cinema Mode is Bose's attempt to make movies and TV shows sound like you're in an actual theater—even though you're wearing QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen.

What It Does

Regular earbuds give you stereo sound: left and right channels, music positioned between your ears. Cinema Mode processes that stereo signal to simulate sound coming from all around you, like a surround sound setup.

It's different from the regular Immersive Audio modes (Still and Motion), which are designed for music. Cinema Mode is specifically tuned for video content—dialogue, sound effects, and ambient audio.

When to Use It

Great for:

• Watching movies on your phone during flights
• Netflix binges on your tablet
• YouTube videos with good audio production
• Gaming on mobile

Probably skip it for:

• Music (use regular Immersive Audio instead)
• Podcasts (won't make much difference)
• Casual listening

How to Turn It On

Open the Bose app, find the Immersive Audio section, and select Cinema Mode. You can also set up a shortcut on your earbuds to switch modes without pulling out your phone.

The Battery Trade-Off

Like all Immersive Audio features, Cinema Mode uses extra battery—about 4 hours instead of 6. Worth it for a movie? Probably. For a quick YouTube video? Maybe leave it off.

2nd Gen Only

This is a hardware feature specific to the 2nd Gen. If you have the original QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, no firmware update will add this—you'd need the newer model.

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen have touch controls on both sides. Here's what you can actually do with them.

The Basic Moves

Tap once — Play/pause. Also answers or ends calls.

Tap twice — Skip to the next song.

Tap three times — Go back to the previous song.

Swipe up — Volume up.

Swipe down — Volume down.

Press and hold — Configurable, but by default cycles through listening modes (Quiet, Aware, Immersion).

Making Them Work Reliably

A few tips from experience:

• Tap the flat part — The touch-sensitive area is on the outside face where the Bose logo is, not the edge or tip.
• Be deliberate — Light, tentative taps don't always register. A firm tap works better.
• Keep them clean — Sweat and grime can mess with touch sensitivity.

Customizing What They Do

The Bose app lets you change what press-and-hold does for each earbud. You could set:

• Left earbud: Toggle voice assistant
• Right earbud: Cycle listening modes

Options include voice assistant, listening modes, Immersive Audio modes, play/pause, and skip track.

Turning Them Off Entirely

Accidentally triggering controls all the time? Disable touch controls completely through the app (Settings → Product Control → Toggle off).

You'll lose the convenience, but no more random pauses when adjusting your earbuds.

During Calls

Same basic controls work:

• Tap to answer/end
• Hold to reject incoming call
• Swipe for volume