We recommend the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in our guide to best wireless headphones for those who just want the most powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) possible in a true wireless design. If you're considering picking up a pair, take note: A recent sale brought the headphones down to $249, which takes $50 off their usual price and matches the previous low we saw during the holiday season. The offer is available at several retailers, including Amazon, Walmart And Bose's own online storeand this is part of a broader framework wave of reductions on the company's Bluetooth headphones, earbuds, soundbars, and speakers.
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
This matches the best price we've seen for Bose's latest noise-cancelling wireless headphones.
Engadget senior reporter Billy Steele gave the QuietComfort Ultra headphones a score of 88 in his review last September. Again, the ANC performance is the big attraction here: the earbuds do a great job of reducing external sound across the board, and Bose's app lets you reduce the intensity of the ANC if that ever suits you. seems uncomfortable. (However, as with most noise-canceling headphones, vocals and other higher-pitched sounds will be a bit clearer than bass and mid tones.) The actual headphones are larger than most other pairs, but they're comfortable, with a soft sound. silicone tips that do not create too much pressure in the ear.
Bose's sound signature is a little bass-heavy, but not to the point of being sloppy, so it should especially please hip-hop and pop fans. If you want a little less low end, you can change the EQ curve via the Bose app. This model also comes with an optional spatial audio feature called “Immersive Audio”, which aims to give any song a bigger soundstage and greater sense of width. Some tracks will always fare better than others, but Steele found it offered impressive detail overall.
There are a few issues to keep in mind, however. QuietComfort Ultra earbuds do not have wireless charging by default; to add it you need to purchase a Protective cover for $49. They also cannot connect to two devices simultaneously. The built-in mic is fine for phone calls, but not good, and the six to seven hours of battery life are also quite decent. With Immersive Audio enabled, the latter gets closer to four hours. The Sony WF-1000XM5the first choice of our guide, offers a broader feature set and excellent ANC performance in its own right (although it may be less comfortable for those with smaller ears). Apple AirPods Promeanwhile, always include a a multitude of amenities for iPhone owners. Still, if you want a true wireless set focused on ANC and spatial audio, this is a decent discount.
In other Bose offerings, the over-ear version of the Ultra Comfort Quiet are also $50 off at $379. This pair offers Top-notch ANC too, but it is more difficult to justify when The Sony WH-1000XM5OUR favorite wireless headphones overall, is currently on sale for $50 less. The oldest QuietComfort II Headphones are also available for $199, although our review found the Ultra model's spatial audio tricks to be worth the upgrade.
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