A particularly eye-catching discount has reduced the price of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones to $329, a whole $100 less than their regular list price of $429. The fly in the ointment, so to speak, is that Lunar Blue is the colorway on discount, and it’s available via a large online retailer. If you’ve been biding your time for a major drop on Bose’s leading active noise canceling cans, then this is exactly the sort of deal that has a habit of selling out sharpish.
Why This Deal Is Worth It for Bose QC Ultra Buyers
$100 off is ~23% off, which is less common than the minor incremental decreases that we’re used to when purchasing premium ANC headphones outside of peak shopping periods.
Bose’s top models aren’t on sale for under triple-digit discounts quite as often, and when they are they tend to be in rarer colors or limited quantities. For anyone who values the noise canceling performance above all else, this price is competitive with many mid-cycle sales on competing flagships without skimping on the tech that makes these headphones worth having.
Class-Leading Noise Canceling in Real-World Use
With these headphones, the headline is noise suppression. QuietComfort Ultra has topped independent lab testing by SoundGuys as having among the most effective noise canceling—the spectral sound attenuation in truly quiet conditions was typically blocking up to 87% of background racket. In practical use, that means the rumble of an engine dissipating on a long-haul flight, office HVAC hum disappearing, and city commutes feeling significantly calmer. The Bose Music app allows you to set noise cancellation from 0 to 10, so you can decide how much of the world you want to let in.
Sound And Features That Live Up To The Badge
Outside of ANC, the tuning skews balanced and fun with clean mids for vocals and a satisfying low-end that doesn’t sound boomy. Bose’s Immersive Audio includes spatialized stereo, which flattens the soundstage further away from you in Still and Motion modes without turning your favorite tracks into mush. The app offers an EQ and presets for quick, tactile changes, while Bose’s CustomTune calibration calibrates playback based on how the headphones sit in your ears to deliver more accurate audio.
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 aids with connection stability and power efficiency, and multipoint pairing means you can maintain a connection to your phone and laptop simultaneously. Android fans with compatible phones receive support for Snapdragon Sound and aptX Adaptive, which reduces latency and provides better sound quality wirelessly than the more basic SBC (used on Android) and AAC codecs. Call quality is solid, too, with beamforming mics and effective wind and noise reduction to ensure your voice is still intelligible even in bustling environments.
Battery Life And Everyday Practicality For Daily Use
Bose calls the Ultra’s battery life at up to 24 hours, and we were seeing closer to 27 (per third-party standardized testing) with ANC turned on. That’s more than enough for a full workweek’s worth of listening or for a long flight plus layovers, particularly when you consider that quick top-ups via USB-C add multiple hours to the tally from just 15 minutes of charging. The headphones fold flat and into a small carrying case, are light on the head during long listening sessions, and offer an audio cable for when you want to use them wired.
How They Compare to the Competition at This Price
Competition is fierce in the stakes to be top of the line when it comes to wireless ANC over-ears, with models like Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and Apple’s AirPods Max are often mentioned among reviewers at outlets like Consumer Reports and Rtings for sound quality and intelligent features. The QuietComfort Ultra frequently beats rivals at straight noise canceling, and takes an even more neutral approach to sound than some bassy competitors. Sony’s app store is still excellent, and its headphones are frequently discounted, but at this sale price it’s a compelling deal for people on the go who value hush above all else.
Key Details to Know Before You Buy These Headphones
The $100-off deal is limited to the Lunar Blue finish only, while other colors usually stay at full retail. Make sure the listing is for a reputable retailer so you can be assured of warranty support, and check return windows (given that you’re on the fence about color). If you listen mainly on Android, check if your device is compatible with Snapdragon Sound for the best from aptX Adaptive. It’s not all bad news, however: iPhone users will still get very good ANC and sound over AAC, wired connection, and seamless multipoint and app-based controls.
If your goals revolve around bad traffic and noisy neighbors—top-notch noise canceling, all-day comfort, and a sophisticated sound profile that works for everything from podcasts to lossless libraries—you should grab the Bose QuietComfort Ultra at this discount. It’s not often that Bose’s flagship headphones go this deeply on sale, and when they do, they usually don’t stick around long.