Bose helped write the book on noise reduction when it entered the market in the 1970s. Lately, the brand has been on a tear, aiming to create the pinnacle of sonic solitude. THE QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 are Bose’s latest and greatest creation, offering some of the best better noise cancellation we have already tested.
Just as importantly, they’re currently on sale for $50 off. Now, that might not seem like a huge discount on a $450 pair of headphones, but it’s the lowest price we’ve seen on these headphones outside of a major shopping holiday. So if you missed your chance during Black Friday but have a spring break trip to Mexico or Hawaii on the calendar, this is your best bet.
The best noise-canceling headphones are on sale
I have wondered in recent years whether the best noise cancelers necessary another power upgrade. Previous efforts like The Sony WH-1000XM5, Apple AirPods Maxand that of Bose CalmComfort 45 provide enough silence that my own wife will scare me when she comes up behind me.
Then I had a child.
Bose’s aptly named QuietComfort Ultra not only does a fantastic job of suppressing the many squeaks, screams, and adorable pre-nap protests my baby does. Now that my wife and I have transformed my solo office into a shared space, I can go about my business with near-total sound freedom, even when she’s on a noisy Zoom call.
During testing, we found Sony’s latest WH-1000XM6 offered a slight improvement in noise canceling performance over the latest Bose, partly due to their fast response time when attacking unwanted sounds. But the two were within a whisker of each other when tested across all frequencies. I prefer the Bose pair for traveling, due to their plusher design that lets me listen to a full cross-country flight in luxurious comfort.
Upgrades to the latest generation, like the ability to quickly sleep and wake them, make these headphones surprisingly more intuitive to use every day. The new built-in USB-C audio interface lets you listen to lossless audio directly from supported devices, a nice touch now that Spotify has joined Apple Music and other services with lossless audio support.
Speaking of audio, the QC Ultra Gen 2’s performance is impressive, delivering crisp, clear details and dialogue, with a lively touch that brings extra excitement to instruments like percussion or snappy guitar sounds. It’s a nice overall presentation. I’m not a huge fan of the new spatial audio mode (what Bose calls Cinema mode), but it’s always nice to have options.
These headphones often hover between full price and that $50 discount, so if you’ve been waiting for the drop, now’s the time to buy. If you deal with daily distractions like me, whether at home or in a busy office, you’ll appreciate the latest level of sonic solitude that Bose’s best noise cancelers can offer.
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