Easy fix for Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Broken Case

Headphone Rant

I have been frustrated with earbuds since mobile phone manufactures dropped the 1/8" inch headphone jack - I think this trend started with the iPhone 7 in 2016. After playing around with headphones with proprietary connectors and adapters for almost a decade, I decided to buy wireless ear buds in April 2024. I chose the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. I haven’t been impressed - mostly due to frustration when they refuse to pair with my phone (my Sony portable speaker is flawless in this regard). My wife/kids seem to do better with various Anker soundcore models. But… the noise cancelling on these Bose earbuds is awesome for sharing a small space, walking in loud urban areas, and traveling on public transit. I had planned to use them until they stop working altogether.

Headphones Dropped

But - a couple of weeks ago, I dropped the earbud case on a hardwood floor, and the case lid broke. I see others reporting similar experiences on Reddit - this is not a device designed klutzes.

Kudos to Bose, they do sell a replacement case, and it is much less expensive (at $130 CAD) than the earbuds at $380 CAD. But given my experience with them, at that price, I’d likely just replace them with a cheaper set of earbuds.

Solution

My case did still charge the earbuds. I could keep the case closed with a rubber band, or just keep the case at home for charging, and figure out another way to carry the earbuds around. Looking at the break, I didn’t think I could glue it together. I considered trying to design and 3D-print a new lid, but after watching a tear-down video, I didn’t think I had the skill to take apart the case without damaging it.

My wife suggested I look at protective cases. I needed something that would latch shut, so I landed with the Olytop for New Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (2022) / Ultra (2023) Case Cover with Lock Clip for $20 CAD. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay close attention to the photos of the back of this case, and there was no hinge!

I decided to keep the case, and make my own hinge. I took a scrap piece of leather (I cut up an old wallet), and placed it, friction-fit, between the Bose case and the protective case.

I’ve been using this for about a week. The fixed case:

• latches shut
• closes securely
• opens
• click-to-pair button still works
• charges the ear buds
• protects the earbuds while not in use

It’s probably more shock resistant than the original case - I expect this would survive a similar fall. The leather has held in place - the friction fit has been sufficient, I didn’t need to use any glue. This fix has extended the life of these earbuds.