Bose has become the latest company to jump back on the wired earbuds bandwagon, announcing new Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds. Notably, the earbuds will still feature Bose’s QuietControl active noise cancellation.

Bose says the new earbuds will connect to compatible devices with a 128cm USB-C cable and draw power from the source, mitigating the need for a dedicated, rechargeable battery, despite the inclusion of ANC.

ANC is delivered by two microphones on each earbud, which “continuously monitor, react to, and minimise surrounding sound”.

Three listening modes are available: ‘Quiet Mode’ is the full-fat ANC option, ‘Aware Mode’ lets surrounding sound in when listeners want to stay tuned-in to their surroundings, and ‘ANC Off Mode’ does precisely what it says on the tin.

Each earbud includes soft silicone eartips in small, medium and large sizes, alongside medium and large stability wings. Bose suggests that listeners “mix and match the components to find a fit that feels both comfortable and secure”.

Despite their retro inclinations, the wired earbuds feature Bose’s proprietary SoundDesign digital signal processing, which the company claims delivers “crisp, clear audio with support for lossless audio listening”. The earbuds can accept source input at any sample and bit rate, with playback output fixed at 24-bit/48kHz.

Bose claims that a wired connection enables low latency performance, “keeping sound in sync while watching videos, gaming, or creating content”.

In the absence of a dedicated app, sound controls for volume, playback, call functions and cycling ANC modes can be accessed via an in-line remote with “tactile physical buttons”.

A dedicated microphone on the back of the remote handles calls, and "minimises unwanted noise from contact with clothing”, allowing users to “speak naturally without holding the remote close to [their mouths]”.

The earbuds also have an IPX4 rating for water resistance and come with a zippered carry case.

According to Raza Haider, president of Bose Premium Consumer Audio: “Wired earbuds are experiencing a cultural renaissance, and when we decided to bring them back, we knew we had to make them even better than before. Technology has come a long way since our last wired earbuds, allowing us the opportunity to bring our latest advancements to the category and set a new standard for what wired earbuds can be.”

The Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds are now available to pre-order for MyBose customers at a price of £99 / $99 / AU$170, with general availability starting 15th October. Finishes include Black, White Smoke and limited edition Dewdrop Mint.

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Tribit has announced the launch of a new portable Bluetooth speaker, the StormBox Max, which the company says has been “designed to to deliver bigger, richer sound at home or on the go”.

The speaker packs 60W of total output power into its portable design, which measures 20.3 x 10.9 x 10.9 cm (hwd) and weighs 1.2kg.

Sound is delivered by a 30W woofer and four 7.5W silk-dome tweeters, which Tribit says create “powerful, room-filling audio”.

The StormBox Max supports Bluetooth 6.0 with a range of up to 45 metres for AAC and SBC codecs, as well as A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP protocols.

Two speakers can be connected using TWS pairing for separate left and right stereo channels, while those looking to party can turn to the speaker’s Auracast function, which enables 100+ compatible speakers to be connected for synchronised audio on larger scales.

For “everyday versatility”, the speaker also supports hands-free calling.

Users seeking a more personalised listening experience have the option to “take control of sound”, using Tribit’s XBass 2.0, which features a ±5-step knob for adjustable bass. An additional EQ button makes switching between the company’s ‘Signature’ and ‘Outdoor’ sound modes simple, while further customisation is available through the Tribit App.

Battery life shouldn’t cut your listening short – the StormBox Max can provide up to 20 hours of playback, while using default EQ settings at 50 per cent volume.

The speaker charges via USB-C, with a full charge taking four hours. An automatic power-off function switches the speaker off after 15 minutes without an audio input.

The USB-C connection can also be used as a 5V/1A charging output, so you can refuel your devices on the go.

Tribit has taken outdoor listening into consideration, too, with an IP68 dust ingress and waterproof rating, which “makes [the speaker] ideally suited to outdoor adventures”.

The StormBox Max is now available for £100 / $130.

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Delivering on the promises of its AI charter, French music streaming service Qobuz has announced that it will now display a tag alerting users when music has been identified as AI-generated.

Furthering the company's “human-centred” ethos, content detected as AI-generated will also be excluded from editorial selections, such as ‘Our Selections’, ‘New Releases’, ‘Qobuzissimes’, ‘Albums of the Week’, Qobuz’s playlists and algorithmic recommendations.

The company says that this latest action plays a key role in keeping the amount of AI streams via Qobuz "down its currently impressively low figure of 0.38 per cent".

This figure is lower than on other streaming services, such as Deezer, which say AI-generated streams constitute between one and three per cent of music consumed on the platform.

According to Georges Fornay, Deputy CEO of Qobuz: “Today, the challenge is no longer just detecting AI-generated music but enabling listeners to identify it clearly. At Qobuz, this transparency – which is our hallmark – comes with a core conviction: musical discovery must remain guided by human choices. Everyone should be able to know what they are listening to and make informed choices.”

Other major streaming platforms such as Tidal, Deezer, and Spotify already label AI-generated tracks, while Apple Music has pledged to roll out a 'Made With AI' label later this year.

Qobuz's latest crackdown is principally aimed at fraudulent AI streams, "with no human involvement". Outright removal of tracks will be "reserved for fraud", continuing the company's “longstanding commitment to fair compensation for artists”.

When fraudulent practices are detected, affected streams will be excluded from reporting and royalty payments, and the affected content will be removed from the platform’s catalogue.

And there appears to be a strong link between fraud and AI music.

According to the company, 60 per cent of the tracks currently identified as AI- generated have been deemed fraudulent by its detection systems. Furthermore, four million tracks have already been removed from the search engine due to being AI-generated with no listening activity.

What do you think? Should it be up to listeners to decide whether they want to embrace AI?

Let us know in the comments.

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