Wired headphones have become increasingly popular in the last couple of years, so much so that Bose is bringing back wired earbuds for the first time in 11 years.
The company's new earbuds have the apt name Bose Noise Canceling Wired Earbuds. These Bluetooth-free earbuds ditched the battery but still come with active noise canceling.
Each earbud features two microphones to enable the noise canceling with multiple modes that can be moved through using a button on the inline remote in the wire. The controller also has a microphone for phone calls and should pick up your voice without holding it close to your mouth.
As for connecting to your devices, there's no 3.5mm headphone jack. Instead, Bose's wired earbuds use a USB-C connector at the end of the 4.2-foot cable.
The rising popularity of wires
Wired headphones have become more popular in 2026 for a variety of seemingly sociological and perhaps psychological reasons.
A Circana study from February 2026 found that wired headphone sales surged in the back half of 2025, increasing by 20% in the first month and a half of 2026 alone. "The trend in wired headphones could be an instance of consumers trading down to a lower cost and lower spec alternative," Ben Arnold noted.
Notably, wired headphones are cheaper than wireless versions, likely thanks to a reduction in needed components like a battery or Bluetooth module. On the price front, a study from Coherent Market Insights projects that premium wired headphones will make up more than 50% of headphone sales this year due to better sound quality, zero latency and reliability.
Meanwhile, a sudden influx of celebrities wearing wired earbuds and a desire for analog experiences as a way to push back against AI are considerations for the growing popularity of wired earbuds.
As a longtime member of the Cult of the Wire, sometimes you just get tired of having to charge every device you own.
Price and availability
You can pre-order the buds today for $99 in black, white smoke and a "limited edition" dewdrop mint. They should start shipping by October 15 per the press release, though the Bose store says October 13.
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