Bose hasn’t released a new pair of wired headphones since 2015. Now, after 11 years of focusing on Bluetooth, it is going back to cables. The new Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds are available to preorder for $99 and start shipping in mid-October. That timing fits a trend few would have predicted a few years ago: plugging in is popular again.
The numbers are real, if still modest. Wired headphone sales rose for the first time in five years, up 10 percent in the second half of 2025 and 20 percent in early 2026. Gen Z and younger listeners are leading the shift, helped by celebrities wearing wired earbuds in public. Some of the appeal is aesthetic, and some is practical. Wired earbuds need no charging, no pairing and no app, and they have none of the audio lag that affects Bluetooth when watching video or gaming.
Bose says it noticed the trend in an everyday way. Raza Haider, the company’s president of consumer audio, says he saw wired earbuds everywhere when dropping his teenager off at college. What stands out is how quickly Bose responded. Haider says the product went from idea to finished hardware in about eight to nine months, which is fast for the audio industry.
The earbuds use a USB-C cable rather than a 3.5mm jack, a practical choice now that headphone ports have largely disappeared from phones. The main selling point is Bose’s QuietControl noise cancellation, which is rare on wired earbuds. Apple’s USB-C EarPods and budget favourites like Final’s E500 don’t offer it, and enthusiast models like Sennheiser’s IE200 focus on sound quality rather than blocking outside noise. A three-button inline remote with a microphone handles playback, calls and noise cancelling modes. Early impressions praise the sound and the ANC but note that the remote is heavy enough to pull on the cable and tug at the buds.
In the box are three ear tip sizes, two sizes of stabilising wings and a carry case. Colour options are Black, White Smoke and a limited-edition Dewdrop Mint. At $99, they cost less than Bose’s wireless earbuds but more than most wired rivals, so noise cancelling has to justify the difference.
Bose describes the connection as analog audio over USB-C, and it hasn’t said which devices are supported. USB-C audio support varies between phones, tablets and laptops, so compatibility is worth checking before buying. Availability outside the US is also unconfirmed. The launch shows that Bose can respond to trends quickly, alongside higher-end projects like its Thom Browne edition of the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen). What’s less clear is whether wired audio’s comeback will outlast the trend that sparked it.
