Technologies
Bose Sound Comes to Baseus Inspire XP1 Earbuds and I’m Impressed
These new noise-canceling earbuds from value brand Baseus include Sound by Bose. They deliver surprisingly good performance for a little more than $100.
Our Experts
- Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
Pros
- Well-designed earbuds with comfortable, secure fit
- Good sound quality for the price with Sound by Bose
- Good noise cancellation
- Decent voice-calling performance
Cons
- Dolby spatial audio falls well short of Apple’s spatial audio with head-tracking
- No wireless charging
In the last year or so Bose has collaborated with a handful of affordable audio brands as it gradually expands its «Sound by Bose» initiative. Like the Bose-infused Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds, the Baseus Inspire XP1 ($110) reviewed here have very good sound and overall performance. These comfortable earbuds share some similarities with Bose’s $300 QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) for less than half the price, making them one of the best earbuds values around and a CNET Editors’ Choice winner.
Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025
Bose-like fit
It appears that Bose has not only helped engineer the Inspire XP1’s sound but their design, as they have similar eartips to the QuietComfort Ultras. Baesus leaves off the stability bands that help lock the buds into your ears, however: That’s an extra found on the Bose buds as well as the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC. Even without the bands, the Baseus buds fit my ears very well and I had no problem running with them (they’re IPX4 splash-proof). The eartips’ tight seal created good passive noise isolation and allowed for optimal sound quality and noise-canceling performance.
The Inspire XP1 have a couple of advantages over the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, which I also liked and sell for around the same price. The Inspire XP1 have a smaller case and the stems of the Baseus buds are narrower than the Skullcandy’s. They XP1’s have six microphones (three in each earbud) compared to the Method 360 ANC’s four microphones (two in each earbud).
Impressive sound for the price
Out of the box, the Inspire XP1 have a fairly balanced, though marginally V-shaped, sound profile with accentuated bass and treble and slightly recessed, albeit still warm and natural, midrange. Like Bose’s own headphones and earbuds, they’re designed to sound smooth with a variety of music genres and feature strong, punchy bass and relatively detailed sound along with a fairly wide sound stage. While the sound of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) is a step-up and has a little more depth and richness to it, the Inspire XP1’s sound isn’t far off the Bose’s pace for sound quality.
You can tweak the buds’ sound a bit in the Baseus companion app with either the preset equalizer settings or create a custom EQ setting, but I mainly stuck with the default Sound by Bose setting. Not surprisingly the Baesus sound pretty similar to the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC as well.
I compared the Baesus to the slightly less-expensive Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus ($80), which I also awarded a CNET Editors’ Choice and which also has a dual-driver design. The Earfun have a slight edge over the Baseus buds to my ear, with a little bit better treble clarity that makes them sound a tad richer, with greater overall depth. The Inspire XP1 are warmer-sounding and more forgiving. They don’t accentuate the flaws in poorly recorded tracks as much, so some folks might end up preferring their sound.
It’s also worth noting that the XP1’s are equipped Dolby spatial audio. Testing it with my iPhone 16 Pro using Apple Music and Spotify, I only noticed a small difference in sound quality when I turned it on in the app (you could argue it’s slightly better but I wasn’t sure about that). I also tested the buds with a Google Pixel 9 phone and felt the same way about the Dolby audio mode. Perhaps we’ll see some changes with a firmware upgrade. Typically, spatial audio modes open up the soundstage a bit.
How do the Inspire XP1’s features stack up?
The Inspire XP1 have a solid feature set. They’re equipped with Bluetooth 6.1, ear-detection sensors that pause your music when you take a bud out of your ear (and resume playback when you put it back in), a low-latency gaming mode that should also be turned on for video watching (to make sure the audio syncs well) and multipoint Bluetooth pairing that enables you to pair two devices simultaneously to the buds.
There’s no mention of Auracast broadcast audio, which the Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus support. This feature allows you to share your audio with other Auracast-enabled speakers and headphones and tap into public Auracast broadcasts. To be fair Auracast has yet to really take off, so I don’t consider its lack a major knock on the Baesus. They’re also missing wireless charging, which may be slightly more important to you, and which the EarFuns also support.
The Inspire XP1 handle the SBC and AAC audio codecs but not the so-called higher-resolution aptX Lossless or LDAC audio codes that the Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus support (many Android phones support the LDAC codec for Bluetooth streaming but fewer support aptX). I personally don’t think the lack of support for aptX or LDAC is a big deal as most people won’t be able to tell the difference between using AAC and those codecs, especially with this caliber of earbuds. But some people do care about audio codecs so I mention them.
There’s a basic Find My Earbuds option that lets you know where the earbuds were last disconnected from your phone.
Good noise canceling, decent battery life
While their adaptive noise canceling isn’t up to the level of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen)’s superb ANC, it’s quite respectable (rated for with a -50 dB, it’s similar to the Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus’ ANC), especially for a set of earbuds in this price range. They also have a transparency mode that lets external sound into the earbuds if you want. It’s just fine, though it doesn’t sound as natural as the AirPods Pro 3’s transparency mode, which is the gold standard,
The Inspire XP1 are rated for up to 6 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels with noise canceling on, with an additional 29 hours in the charging case. Some earbuds offer an hour or two more of battery life on a single charge (the AirPods Pro 3 are rated for up to 7 hours of playback with noise canceling on, for the record). I used the the Inspire XP1 for 3 days without having to recharge them in the case and felt their battery life was perfectly fine.
B+ voice-calling performance
I was a little disappointed with the voice-calling performance of the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds, so I was eager to see if the Inspire XP1 did better in my tests on the noisy streets of New York. The answer is yes, though it’s more like a «B+» grade than a not top-tier «A.» Callers said the buds did a good job reducing background noise to a minimum, especially when I wasn’t talking. However, while they could hear me reasonably well, my voice warbled from time to time (as it became noisier around me), which made it harder to understand me if I was talking quickly and not enunciating my words. I could hear callers quite well on my end.
Other Baseus headphones and earbuds with Sound by Bose
The Inspire XP1 aren’t the only earbuds in Baseus new-for-2025 lineup with Sound by Bose. There’s also the Inspire XC1 open earbuds and the XH1 over-ear headphones, all of which cost around $110 when you factor in instant discount coupons on their product pages. I briefly tested both. While I think the XC1 are a good value compared to Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds and sound good for open earbuds, I prefer the Inspire XP1 and its traditional closed design. The over-ear XH1 also sound good and are a solid value overall, with decent noise canceling, but the headphones felt slightly too big for my head, so I was a little less enamored with them.
Motorola has also released some earbuds with Sound by Bose, including the Moto Buds Plus, which seem like dead ringers for the OnePlus Buds 3. I haven’t tried those, but Bose doesn’t seemed to have influenced their exterior design because they don’t have the Bose-like ear tips of the Baseus and Skullcandy buds.
Baseus Inspire XP1 final thoughts
The Inspire XP1 are well-designed and sound good for the price, with solid all-around performance, including good noise cancellation and decent voice-calling sound. The Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus feature slightly better sound for less, but I do like the design and fit of the Inspire XP1 buds a bit better; they look and feel a bit more premium (as does their case). As it stands, the Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus are probably the better value because you can get them for $30 less (or $40 less if you apply the code AP4PCNET at checkout on Amazon). But the Inspire XP1 are also near the top of my list of best budget earbuds and earn a CNET Editors’ Choice award.
Technologies
Artemis II Astronauts Name Moon Crater After Commander Reid Wiseman’s Late Wife
The emotional moment was streamed by NASA moments after the crew made history.
On Monday, after the crew aboard Artemis II made a historic feat by breaking Apollo 13’s distance record, they made the moment even more special by proposing to name one of the craters on the moon «Carroll,» in memory of Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife.
While contacting Mission Control, Mission Specialist and astronaut Jeremy Hansen stated that the «close-knit astronaut family» previously lost a loved one who was «the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie.»
«It’s a bright spot on the moon,» Hansen said while describing the crater during the emotional call. «And we would like to call it Carroll.»
After the request, you can see Wiseman embrace Hansen before the rest of the crew joins in for a group hug.
Carroll Wiseman died in 2020 at 46 years old from cancer. Wiseman’s NASA bio page states that Carroll «dedicated her life to helping others as a newborn intensive care unit Registered Nurse.»
Before the Artemis II mission, Wiseman posted a selfie with his two daughters on X with a caption that reads in part, «I love these two ladies, and I’m boarding that rocket a very proud father.»
Follow CNET’s coverage of the 10-day Artemis II mission as the Orion makes its way back to Earth.
Technologies
Artemis II Astronauts Are Using iPhones to Capture Stunning Space Images
After smartphones were cleared by NASA for space missions, the crew members of the Integrity spacecraft are beaming back lots of iPhone photos.
The four astronauts aboard the Integrity spacecraft now headed home from their historic arc around the moon really are like the rest of us: Sometimes they reach for their smartphones to snap photos.
For the Artemis II mission, iPhone 17 Pro Max phones have been used to capture photos inside the capsule of the astronauts pondering the views of Earth and working on mission objectives. (Technically, NASA refers to them as PCDs – personal computing devices.)
Smartphones were cleared for use in space for the first time in February. In a post on X, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote, «We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world.»
Early in the mission, Commander Reid Wiseman snapped a pair of photos looking out the window with Earth behind him. Mission specialist Christina Koch and her dynamic curls in zero-gravity also captured a pensive view looking out over the planet. All three were made using the front camera — because wouldn’t you want to grab a selfie if you were in space?
The iPhone 17 Pro’s rear cameras are pulling their own weight during the mission, too. During the live broadcast as the crew approached the moon, Wiseman took a photo of the moon’s surface using the iPhone’s telephoto camera at 8x zoom. He turned the screen toward one of the video cameras mounted inside the spacecraft, creating an image of the moon’s surface alone against the darkness of the unlit cabin, with the iPhone’s signature rounded edges and Dynamic Island cutout at the top.
The main photo workhorses on this trip are a Nikon D5 DSLR and a Nikon Z9. The D5 is a model that has been used on several space excursions, and the Z9 is onboard as an experimental camera.
For NASA missions, every piece of equipment must be tested and certified, which is why the previously-approved D5 has a secure spot. Cameras must be resistent to space environmental factors like radiation, and safe if they’re floating around the capsule. However, the iPhones in space now are off-the-shelf models, according to a report by Jackie Watties of CNN.
The moon flyby was especially photo-intensive, with astronauts switching places several times so that two were always at windows with cameras and relating what they could see with their eyes. This photo of mission specialist and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen taking images using one of the Nikon cameras shows how some windows have camera shrouds attached. The shroud ensures that light from the interior isn’t reflected in the glass.
In a particularly relatable photo, Hansen is also using the front-facing camera of a white iPhone 17 Pro — as a portable mirror while he shaves. As the (modified) saying goes, the best selfie screen is the one you have with you.
The iPhone 17 Pro isn’t the first Apple product to go into space. Crew members have taken iPods, iPads and AirPods on missions since the Space Shuttle era. The Mac Portable even went up on a shuttle (and revealed that its trackball in zero-G isn’t the best option).
An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Technologies
Hades 2, the Award-Winning Sequel, Joins Xbox Game Pass in April
Game Pass Premium subscribers are getting a handful of games, including the remastered Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.
Hades 2 was selected as one of CNET’s best games of 2025, but don’t take our word for it. The game won Best Action Game at the 2025 Game of the Year awards, Best Game on Steam Deck at the Steam Awards and a bevy of other accolades after its release. If you haven’t had the chance to play this stellar sequel yet, you can on Xbox Game Pass starting on April 14.
Xbox Game Pass, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers a wide selection of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC or mobile device for as little as $10 a month. And with a subscription to the higher-tiered Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month), you can access hundreds of games, including Day One releases, each month.
Here are the games Microsoft plans to bring to Game Pass in April. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in March, including Cyberpunk 2077.
DayZ
Coming to PC on April 8, joining Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential and PC Game Pass.
This online multiplayer survival game is coming to PC. An unknown virus has turned the population of the post-Soviet country of Chernarus into zombies, and you’re one of the last few survivors. You’ll have to scavenge for supplies among the ruins while fighting off zombies and other survivors alike. But how far will you go to save yourself?
Endless Legend 2 (Game preview)
New to Game Pass Premium on April 8. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Lead your faction to build a great empire that can crush your enemies in this fantasy strategy game. You can play as warriors descended from the stars, cursed knights or hive-minded beasts, but each faction has its strengths, weaknesses and unique philosophies that can influence the rest of the game. And fending off enemies is just one challenge in this game. You’ll have to adapt to the changing environment as well. Will you expand as the tides reveal new treasures, or focus on improving your defenses?
FBC: Firebreak
New to Game Pass Premium on April 8. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
The Federal Bureau of Control is under attack from otherworldly forces, and it’s up to you and your versatile unit to restore order. You’ll fight chaotic entities, leeches and a monster made of sticky notes using guns, grenades and other supernatural weapons. You can play this first-person shooter game on your own or take on the chaos of the FBC with friends in three-player co-op.
Planet Coaster 2
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 9.
This might not be the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon, but it’s close enough. You’ll build your own roller coasters and water slides, manage your amusement park and create unforgettable experiences for your guests. It’s unclear if you can launch your coasters off the rails into waiting crowds. Will report back later.
Tiny Bookshop
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 10.
I have long dreamed of opening my own bookshop, and until I come into a lot of money, this game will have to do. You can stock your bookshop with different genres and items for sale, set up shop in scenic locations — like near a lighthouse — and get to know the locals in this cozy management game.
Football Manager 26 (PC and console)
New to Game Pass Premium on April 13. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Get ready for a more immersive matchday experience in the latest installment of the Football Manager franchise. You can build a star-studded squad with new transfer tools, and this entry features official Premier League licenses and women’s football for the first time in the series’ history.
Hades 2
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 14.
Following the events of the original game, the Titan of Time Chronos has returned and laid waste to the Underworld and Earth. As the immortal princess Melinoe, you’re tasked with stopping the titan and restoring the mythic world. Each time you venture out, you’ll learn more about the world around you and discover the true cause of all the destruction and pain.
Replaced
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 14.
Can AI ever be human? I’m not talking about ChatGPT or Gemini, but REACH, an AI trapped in a human’s body, in this narrative platformer game. You’ll explore an alternate 1980s America that’s scarred from nuclear catastrophe as you try to uncover the secrets of the Phoenix Corps, the same group that created you. It’s a cyberpunk Frankenstein with plenty of exploration and fluid action sequences.
The Thaumaturge
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 14.
By definition, a thaumaturge is a miracle worker or magician, and in this roleplaying game, you’re a master of mystical arts that allow you to peer into the hearts and minds of others. After the death of your father, you returned to an alternate 1900s Warsaw to investigate his death, fight supernatural forces and uncover the truth.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
New to Game Pass Premium on April 16. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
A fanatical cult is trying to open gates to the demonic realm of Oblivion, and it’s up to you to stop them and seal the gates forever in the remastered version of this open-world RPG. You can rediscover the world of Cyrodiil (or experience it for the first time in updated glory), encounter unique characters and save the land.
EA Sports NHL 26
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on April 16.
As the NHL regular season winds down, the playoffs and the fight for the Stanley Cup are heating up. And with the latest installment in this EA Sports franchise, you can ensure your favorite team brings home the cup. This entry in the series introduces new gameplay mechanics, such as Ice Q 2.0 and a goalie crease control system, to add additional challenges. So if you want to see the Florida Panthers win the cup back-to-back, or you want to make absolutely sure that never happens, this game is for you.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 17.
Modern Warfare redefined the Call of Duty series when it was released almost 20 years ago, and the rebooted version of the classic game drops you right back to where it started. You’ll control CIA and SAS special forces as they attempt to stop rebels from the fictional Republic of Urzikstan. And if the campaign’s not enough, you can hone your skills in the immersive, fast-paced multiplayer.
Little Rocket Lab
New to Game Pass Premium on April 21. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Your family’s dream project has been to build a rocket, and you’re going to fulfill their dream in this cozy, machine-building RPG. But first, you have to build clever contraptions, convert local resources and become the heart of your community before you can complete your ultimate rocket-building task.
Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato
New to Game Pass Premium on April 21. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Miho goes to the pantry to grab a potato for his grandmother’s soup when he lands in a fantastical land. Now he has to find his way back home by following in the footsteps of a mysterious traveler from long ago. You’ll meet quirky characters, gather exotic ingredients and take in vibrant environments in this world of magical realism inspired by Latin America.
Vampire Crawlers
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 21.
From the creators of the indie darling Vampire Survivors comes this turn-based, deck-building, roguelite game. You’ll explore dungeons that might look familiar to Vampire Survivors veterans, fight monsters and build chaotic, broken decks along the way. So be tactical in your choices or blast away every chance you get!
Kiln
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 23.
Kiln is about creating beautiful pottery filled with artistry and wonder… and smashing it all to pieces in the arena. This online, multiplayer party brawler pits you against others to see which pottery design can withstand the heat and which can dish out a beating.
Two games come to Game Pass Essential subscribers on April 8
Game Pass Essential costs $10 a month and offers access to a relatively small library of games compared to Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. While Microsoft doesn’t regularly add many games to Essential’s library, it’s adding these two on April 8.
Games leaving the service on April 15
While Microsoft is adding the above games to Game Pass, it is also removing five games from the service on April 15, including GTA 5. That means you still have a little time left to complete your main campaign and any sidequests before you’ll have to buy these games separately.
- Ashen
- Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
- Grand Theft Auto V
- My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery
- Terra Invicta (Game Preview)
For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you.
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