The noise-cancelling earbuds space is deeply competitive, and there really are no perfect products — in part because you’re trying to fit a lot of technology into a very small device. Along with many other components, an earbud has to contain the largest driver possible while still being acoustically tuned, several microphones for both voice calls and noise cancelling, a capacitive touch surface for controls, a computer chip to manage these systems, a Bluetooth chip to keep it synced with the other earbud and your phone, and a battery that lasts many hours on a charge. And, of course, it can’t be too big.

Playing with these trade-offs is a fundamental necessity, even as you move up the price ladder. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 had been my go-to recommendation as they offered solid noise-cancellation, top-tier sound quality, and a compact size. The problem, as I recently noted, is that they’ve been unreliable. Two pairs of mine failed for the same reasons.

Turning to Bose’s top-of-the-line $299 noise-cancelling earbuds, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, I wasn’t expecting perfection. And they aren’t perfect. But they’re pretty damn great.

Starting with the sound, it’s hardly neutral. But you’re not doing audio engineering on a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. This is a fun, lively sound that makes music a thrill to listen to. The treble is crisp, and the bass is deep and satisfying without being overwhelming. Put simply, these are as good as the best Bluetooth earbuds you can buy, and if you’ve been using AirPods Pro, this is a major improvement.

The noise-cancelling is also impressive. Bose is the only brand that brings over-ear headphone noise-cancelling quality to earbuds. Not only do they eliminate background hum, but they also cut out noise even when music isn’t playing. I walked into a Costa coffee shop to meet a friend and wondered if we would need to leave because it seemed eerily quiet. When I took out my earbuds, I realized it was actually quite loud. The earbuds had muted all that noise. It was truly mind-blowing. The only glitch I’ve found occurs in very loud environments with unpredictable, harsh sounds, like on London’s noisy Central line. The noise-cancelling occasionally flickers, creating an unpleasant popping sound, but this only happens in rare cases.

These earbuds come with all the modern features you’d expect, including IPX4 water resistance, multipoint connectivity, various Bluetooth codecs, and an “Immersive Audio” mode, which you should keep off. A few songs sound great with it, but most tracks get distorted, with a hollow, artificial quality. The only headphones I’ve found that do immersive audio well are the new $1,500 Bang & Olufsen H100s, and I use it on my Sonos Ace when watching TV.

Now for the downsides. First, a minor issue: Bose provides customizable wing and ear tips, but there should be more fit options, both in size and material. For me, the size 1 wings were too loose in my left ear, but the size 2 wings were a bit tight. Does this make them uncomfortable? No. I wore them for a six-hour train ride across Britain, and they not only cut out the train noise but were so comfortable that I forgot I was wearing them. However, the tightness means they apply a little more pressure than I’d like, especially when compared to the comfortable fit of the Sennheiser or Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds.

Another issue is the control system, which I found less reliable than those on other earbuds. The pill-shaped touch surface on the side allows you to swipe for volume control, which is fun, but it makes it harder to tap accurately in the middle for play, pause, and track changes. However, you can get used to it.

The biggest problem, though, is the case. While it’s nicely built, with a satisfying snap to close the lid, and stores a lot of battery, it’s significantly larger than competitors’ cases and doesn’t support wireless charging. You can buy a $49 silicon case cover that enables wireless charging, but it makes the case even bulkier. For a $300 pair of earbuds, this omission is frustrating.

Bose seems aware of these issues, as their lower-tier QuietComfort Earbuds have a smaller touch surface and a smaller case with wireless charging.

Would these issues stop me from buying them? Probably not. You can usually find them for about $220, and the sound quality and noise-cancelling make up for the compromises. However, I understand if these drawbacks are dealbreakers for you. I’m hoping Bose introduces a second-gen version next year that addresses these concerns — or at least offers an updated case.