Amazon recently repriced the Bose Ultra Open earbuds at the $199 price point, down from a list price of $299. Indeed, that’s a 33% discount on one of the most unique open-ear designs on the market and ties for the lowest price we’ve seen tracked by popular price-monitoring services.
Why this Bose Ultra Open earbuds deal stands out
It isn’t often that Bose’s latest form factor comes in this cheaply, below $200. The Ultra Open version came out at a premium: they aren’t traditional in-ears; sitting as an ear cuff along the outer ear, they keep the canal open for situational awareness. This discount is aimed at runners, cyclists and commuters who need to keep an ear out for traffic and conversation, and it makes a niche product much easier to justify.
And they do so at a price point that puts them within striking distance of rival models, which are likely to be cheaper than the new generation while maintaining some of Bose’s signature tuning and industrial design. You are in effect getting flagship build quality and all the spatial audio features for midrange money, less than paying full freight.
What Differentiates the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
But instead of sealing it, each bud sits atop the outer edge of your cartilage and beams its sound toward the canal below. Bose calls the underlying concept OpenAudio, and it uses a directional driver system to focus audio at you but not at people nearby. And the company has described a dipole-inspired design promising less sound spill — handy if you’re at the office or on a quiet train and don’t want to annoy anyone.
And since they don’t block the ear, you get see-through listening by design — no passthrough mode required. Sweat- and weather-resistant, supportive for activity and secure without ear tips. Multipoint pairing using the Bose Music app means you can be connected to both a phone and a laptop at once, and on-ear controls take care of volume, playback and calls with no fuss.
Sound Quality And Spatial Juxtapositions
Open earbuds occupy a tricky space: They need to overcome ambient noise without having to crank the volume. Bose relies on carefully tuned drivers to produce rich mids and highs, together with more low-end kick than you’ll usually find in open-backed models. The Ultra Open’s comfort and clarity were also noted by reviewers at publications such as Rtings and Wired — particularly at conversational levels, where many open-ear sets sound thin.
There’s also Bose Immersive Audio, a spatial processing mode that adds width and sense of where audio is coming from to music and videos. It’s not a cheesy “reverb” effect. Think of it as subtle psychoacoustic cues that make the soundstage sound larger but keep the focus on vocals. Like any spatial mode, there might be purists who would rather turn it off (especially on acoustic tracks), but it can breathe life into pop, podcasts and streaming shows.
Open earbuds versus bone conduction headphones
Some people confuse open earbuds for bone-conduction headsets. The latter rattle the cheekbones and free up your ears, but may struggle with bass and endurance during long listening sessions. They rely on air conduction — conventional drivers pointed at your ears — so tonal balance is closer to standard earbuds while keeping you mindful of the world around you. Safety organizations like the National Safety Council advise that urban runners and walkers should keep their ears open toward traffic while exercising; the Ultra Open is very much in line with this kind of recommendation.
How the current Amazon price compares to rivals
At $199, the Ultra Open is on par with the Shokz OpenFit (which I usually see around $159–$179) and anything open that Sony makes, like LinkBuds or Float Run. Bose’s build quality, fit system and spatial processing help justify the cost, particularly to listeners who want something with richer tonal balance without jamming plastic in their ear canal. Price trackers like Camelcamelcamel and Keepa have $199 as the record-low price for this model, which tends to float around MSRP.
Who should consider buying during this limited sale
Whether you work out in the open air, often bounce from meeting to meeting or find that in-ear tips just don’t work for you, now is the time to give an open design a try without paying full price. The cuff-style fit is secure during workouts; the open sound keeps you mindful on city streets, and the compact storage case makes them easy to stow between sessions. Commuters who need to hear announcements — and even parents who want to stay on top of things at home — will also find the design convenient.
As with any deal, availability and color options can change quickly on Amazon. If you spot it at $199, you should give it a look pretty much immediately — deals on Bose headphones at this magnitude have had histories of being very short-lived. For those who’ve been intrigued by open earbuds but waiting for the right volume, here it is.