Baseus has built a reputation for affordable, practical gadgets, but their new Inspire series, announced at IFA 2025 in Berlin, marks a different kind of play. In collaboration with Bose, the company is bringing “Sound by Bose” branding to a fresh lineup of headphones and earbuds.
The Inspire family launches with three products — the XC1 open-ear clip-ons, the XH1 over-ear headphones, and the XP1 true wireless earbuds — each aiming to carve out a different space in comfort, sound, and usability, all without breaking the bank.
Baseus Inspire XC1 – Open-Ear True Wireless Earbuds
This is the standout of the lineup for me. The XC1 uses an ear clip design where a flexible silicone hook hugs the outside of your ear and the drivers rest next to your ear canal. At only 5.5 grams each, they feel weightless, and the Air Cushion 3.0 memory-silicone material makes them comfortable enough to forget you’re wearing them the entire day. They don’t block your hearing, which makes it freeing to stay aware of your surroundings while still enjoying music or calls.
Sound is fuller than you’d expect from an open-ear set, with a hybrid driver system combining a 10.8mm dynamic woofer and a Knowles armature tweeter. LDAC and Hi-Res support add a bit more polish, and the four-mic ENC system cuts wind noise up to 25 km/h. The buds will stay relatively secure through most activities with only the occasional readjustment. They’re very unlikely to fly off. I love that there’s no left/right assignment—the buds are interchangeable and the case accepts them in any slot.
At $129, they’re not cheap, but considering they’re about the same as the Moto Buds Loop (also “Sound by Bose”) they offer a nice savings. If you don’t need isolation, these are one of the most comfortable and enjoyable all-day options I’ve tried.
Baseus Inspire XH1 – Over-Ear Noise-Cancelling Headphones
The XH1 looks every bit like a premium over-ear headphone with plush earcups, a padded headband, and a foldable design for portability. On the head they feel excellent, but in the hand they show their limits: the plastic build doesn’t have the sturdiness of the flagships they’re clearly chasing.
They come tuned with Sound by Bose, Hi-Res certification, LDAC, and Dolby Spatial Audio, and promise adaptive ANC up to -48 dB. Playback stretches to 100 hours without ANC or 65 with it, and a 10-minute quick charge adds another 12 hours. In practice, they’re very comfortable for long listening, though the hinge feels delicate and clamping force is on the looser side. At the smallest setting with a slightly larger-than-average-head, I still had them slip off laying on a gym bench. The sound profile is balanced with good bass, but the ambient mode is artificial-sounding and ANC is subtle. What I do like: the four dedicated control buttons, which are becoming rare, and personalization through the app. What I don’t: the lack of auto-pause, which feels like a miss at this level. These are comfortable travel headphones that look the part, and while the $149.99 price undercuts flagship ANC models, the build and features don’t quite reach the same level of refinement.
Baseus Inspire XP1 – Noise-Cancelling True Wireless Earbuds
The XP1 is the most conventional of the three: a stemless in-ear design with umbrella-shaped silicone tips that give a secure and cushioned fit. The rounded charging case with its overbite lid adds a little personality, but the look is otherwise simple and understated.
They promise the full spec sheet: Sound by Bose tuning, -50 dB adaptive ANC, Dolby Spatial Audio, and a six-mic ENC array for calls. Battery life runs eight hours per charge and about 45 with the case, with a quick 10-minute top-up giving two and a half hours. In practice, they’re balanced and comfortable, with ANC that is fine but not class-leading. They do everything you’d expect and do it reliably, but they don’t break out from a crowded field.
The XP1 ends up as the safe, dependable pick: the earbuds you can trust to work well without surprising you. Coming in at $129, they’re not unfairly priced for what they deliver, though they face stiff competition in a crowded true wireless market. These could be a strong buy once they eventually go on sale.
App Experience
The Baseus app is simple and functional. You get button customization, EQ presets with a customizer, LDAC for Android, a low-latency mode, and spatial audio toggles. The spatial implementation felt underwhelming across all three products, but otherwise the app provides the essentials cleanly.
Final Thoughts
The Inspire series is an interesting move for Baseus and a clever way to let people wear a Bose logo at a lower price. All three models are more expensive than typical Baseus gear, but still much more affordable than Bose’s own line.
The XC1 open-ear clip-ons are in my opinion, the most compelling, with comfort and freedom in a form factor that’s hard not to beat. The XH1 over-ears look premium and feel great to wear, but don’t have the durability or ANC strength of the true heavyweights. The XP1 true wireless are the dependable everyday option, competent in all areas. To my ears, the headphones sound sufficiently enjoyable, and I tested pre-production units.
Overall, for the price, the Inspire lineup offers different strengths depending on what you value: open-air freedom, cushioned over-ear comfort, or a straightforward everyday earbud. If nothing else, it’s the most affordable way to slip a Bose badge into your daily routine.