My Favorite Amazon Buy of the Day: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
If you’re looking for the best headphones at the best price, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra top the list thanks to their active noise cancellation (ANC), and they also outperform the competition in other key categories. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra (in black, deep plum, or moon blue) is currently priced at $279 (originally $429), a record low, according to price tracking tools . Other colors are also discounted, but not as significantly—for example, the “white smoke” model is available for $299.
Few other brands can match the Bose QuietComfort Ultra line when it comes to active noise cancellation (ANC). In addition to the headphone model, they also make some of the best in-ear headphones with ANC , and both use the same technology. A PCMag review, which earned an “Excellent” rating, details how these headphones excel at canceling low-frequency noise, as well as low and mid-range frequencies.
Despite all this praise, they’re not perfect: some high-frequency sounds still filter through the active noise-canceling technology (though this is typical of all headphones with ANC). However, these headphones performed better in terms of ANC than their two main competitors at the time of their release— the Apple AirPods Max and the Sony WH-1000XM5 . Of course, the new Sony WH-1000XM6 feature new ANC technology that outperforms the QuietComfort Ultra, but you’ll have to pay extra for it.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones were released in the fall of 2023, with many reviewers praising their overall quality but complaining about the nearly $500 price tag. At the current reduced price, they offer the best value if you value high-quality active noise cancellation. Another notable feature of the headphones is their Transparency mode, designed to enhance the perception of ambient sound (cars, bicycles, or people around you) while wearing them.
A full charge of the headphones provides approximately 24 hours of use, or approximately 18 hours with active noise cancellation enabled. The companion app features a well-designed, customizable equalizer.