The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds use OpenAudio. That’s proprietary Bose technology that allows audio played a short distance from your ear canal to be rich, deep, and private — without sealing your ear. Each earbud uses a tiny dipole transducer system engineered for loud-and-clear personal audio that stays at the ear — instead of going everywhere else. These work differently from similarly designed bone conduction headphones, which deliver music via a tight fit on the head and send vibrations to your inner ear instead of through the eardrum — which can be uncomfortable and deliver subpar sound.