Skip to main content

Only one person will win these diamond-encrusted Bose earbuds

Diamond encrusted Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
Bose

It’s Bose’s 60th anniversary, so the company is celebrating with an appropriate creation: a set of diamond-encrusted Bose Ultra Open Earbuds valued at over $9,000. The blingy buds are one-of-a-kind and they aren’t for sale. Instead, Bose has decided to award them to one lucky person: the winner of its Diamond-Studded Giveaway contest.

Diamond encrusted Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
Bose

Is this an obvious marketing move to generate buzz for the audio brand? For sure, but it’s also a way to drive sales of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, Ultra Earbuds, and Ultra Open Earbuds in the new limited edition “Diamond Collection” product color.  Each Diamond Collection purchase on bose.com between August 26 and September 16 gets you one entry into the contest, up to a maximum of three entries per person.

Diamond Collection Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
Bose

Bose hasn’t said how many of each model has been created in the Diamond Collection color — only that they’ll be available “as supplies last.”

Recommended Videos

As over-the-top as a set of diamond-studded earbuds may be, the decision to give the Ultra Open Earbuds a more jewelry-like look makes sense. The Ultra Open Earbuds are designed to be worn all day, and their clip shape positions them on the side of the ear, where they already look like a type of earring, even in their less blingy versions. Thanks to their open design, you don’t need to remove them to have conversations.

Bose says that only one set of these Diamond Ultra Open Earbuds have been made and it has no plans to create and sell any others.

To craft them, Bose worked with an external jewelry designer, though it hasn’t indicated who that is. The earbuds use 1.77 carats of lab-grown diamonds – F/G color, VS quality – and 3 grams of 14-karat gold.  The total karat count for the case is 19.184, and it uses the same lab-grown diamonds with the same color and quality as the buds, with an additional 93 grams of 14k gold.

Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
1More’s budget-friendly ANC headphones get hi-res audio and more battery life
1More SonoFlow SE HQ31.

1More has just released its latest ultra-affordable set of noise-canceling headphones and, as we've become accustomed to, it's managed to pack even more features for the same price. The SonoFlow SE HQ31 cost $60 -- the same price as the SonoFlow SE HQ30 -- and add wired/wireless hi-res audio compatibility, spatial audio, a claimed up-to-90 hour battery life, better noise cancellation, and wired connection options. They comes in four different colors and you can buy them right now on Amazon.

The design has also undergone an evolution. Instead of the sharply defined edges of previous SonoFlow models, like the original version and the Pro HQ51, the HQ31 features rounded countours, making them look a little more like Soundcore's Life series of wireless headphones.

Read more
Are noise-canceling headphones really hurting kids’ hearing?
Kid lying on a bed wearing headphones while using a tablet.

On February 15, BBC News published an article that explored the possible link between the use of noise-canceling headphones and auditory processing disorder (APD) in young people. This will likely come as a shock to many parents who have come to think of these devices as helpful for their kids' concentration. Parents of neurodivergent children in particular, see noise-canceling headphones as a vital tool that helps their kids navigate environments that would otherwise be overwhelming.

The existence of a possible APD link also flies in the face of the advice parents are usually given around the use of headphones. Normally, the chief concern with headphones and earbuds is that kids will listen at unsafe volume levels, which could lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Read more
BlueAnt’s new headphones pump your workouts with extra bass
BlueAnt Pump X.

Australian audio company, BlueAnt -- the same brand that's been making Bluetooth accessories since 2003 -- has a new set of wireless noise-canceling headphones called Pump X, which are designed specifically for powering workouts. They come in three colors (black/gold, white/gold, or black/silver) and are available on Amazon for $170.

Over-ear headphones sound great, but they aren't always the best choice for workouts as the fully enclosed earcups tend to get hot. The Pump X partially solve for this problem by shipping with two sets of swappable ear cushions: a standard memory foam set and one that uses cooling gel.

Read more