After I got my hands on an early review sample of Bose’s new $99 Noise Canceling Wired Earbuds a few weeks ago, I posted a review and described them as possibly the best USB-C wired earbuds out there at the moment, tagging them with a CNET Editors’ Choice award. That review proved popular with CNET readers, and our unboxing of the buds on Instagram was viewed over 500,000 times. The buds quickly sold out at launch, and Bose has had trouble keeping them in stock.

While you still can’t get the buds in the white smoke color, you can now order the dewdrop mint and black versions, though the shipping dates have been slipping. Whether Bose anticipated that the buds would be so popular, I don’t know. But wired headphones have had a resurgence in the marketplace as a certain cohort of consumers, many on the younger end of the age spectrum, are eschewing wireless buds for wired ones that cost a lot less, offer plug-and-play connectivity via USB-C and, as such, don’t need to be charged.

Sure, the Noise Canceling Wired Earbuds are pricier than most USB-C wired buds, which tend to cost $30 or less, including Apple’s $19 EarPods (USB-C). But they have a premium design, excellent sound, decent noise canceling and reasonably good voice-calling performance. They’re also Bose’s most affordable earbuds. You can read my full review here.

David Carnoy

Executive Editor / Reviews

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Kobo e-books and audiobooks. See full bio