Amazon has cut the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) to $339 in Black, White Smoke and Midnight Violet, $110 below the $449 Bose charges for them in its own store. That makes Bose's flagship the rare premium headphone that is actually cheaper on November 14 than it was on November 8.
Its rivals are a different story. Sony's WH-1000XM6 sits at the same $378 it cost in early October, and Sennheiser, Google and Sony's own earbuds cost more than they did a few weeks ago. With Amazon's Black Friday Week starting on November 19, the useful question is which of these prices is worth acting on.
Premium headphone and earbud prices at Amazon before Black Friday Week
All rows are sold and shipped by Amazon. Prices are as of November 14, and the earlier price is the last one recorded for the same listing or model.
| Product | Amazon price | List price | Earlier Amazon price | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), Black, White Smoke, Midnight Violet | $339.00 | $449.00 | $359.00 on Nov 8 (Black, third-party seller) | Down $20, and $110 under Bose |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), Olive Green | $388.99 | $449.00 | Not recorded | Smaller cut on one colour |
| Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), Black | $279.00 | $359.00 | $258.99 on Nov 10 | Up $20.01 |
| Sony WH-1000XM6, all five colours | $378.00 | $459.99 | $378.00 on Oct 5 | Unchanged |
| Sony WH-1000XM5, Smoky Pink | $198.00 | $399.99 | $198.00 on Oct 5 (Black) | Standing price, older model |
| Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, White | $210.99 | $299.99 | $199.95 on Nov 10 (Black) | Up $11.04 |
| Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds, Black | $298.00 | $329.99 | $258.00 on Oct 5 | Up $40 |
| Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, Hazel | $210.99 | $229.00 | $179.99 on Oct 19 | Up $31 |
Why the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) at $339 is the deal to act on
These are Bose's top noise-cancelling headphones, and the $339 price is a genuine move. On November 8, during Bose's own sale, the Black pair cost $359 from a third-party seller on Amazon. By November 10, the Driftwood Sand version was back at the full $449.
Bose has not followed Amazon all the way down. Its store still asks $449 for every colour, with an extra $90 off in the cart for the Black pair only, which brings it to $359. Amazon's White Smoke and Midnight Violet pairs are $339 as well, while Olive Green costs $388.99.
According to Bose, you get up to 30 hours per charge, a USB-C cable for wired lossless listening at up to 48kHz, and a new Cinema Mode alongside the Quiet, Aware and Immersive Audio settings. That is where the decision lies. The cheaper QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) cost $279 in Black, up from $258.99 on November 10, and are rated for up to 24 hours. The $60 gap now buys six more hours and Bose's newest listening modes.
Sony WH-1000XM6 or WH-1000XM5: is either worth buying before Black Friday?
The Sony WH-1000XM6 cost $378 in all five colours, $81.99 under the $459.99 list price. That is the same price the WH-1000XM6 first dropped to in October, when Sony's own store charged $379.99. Six weeks without a move means there is no early discount to grab, and nothing guarantees a deeper one during the sale.
The older WH-1000XM5 in Smoky Pink costs $198, about half its $399.99 list price and $180 less than the XM6. Do not mistake it for a new cut, since the Black pair has sold for $198 since early October. The Black and Midnight Blue listings are down to one or two units, so Smoky Pink, sold by Amazon, is the easier pair to get.
Sennheiser Momentum 4, Pixel Buds Pro 2 and WF-1000XM6 cost more than before
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless in White cost $210.99, sold by Amazon, against a $299.99 list price. Sennheiser's own price could not be confirmed, so treat that anchor with care. The Black pair sold for $199.95 on November 10 and now costs $228.85 from a third-party seller. The listing promises a 60-hour battery, the longest of the over-ear pairs here.
Earbuds have moved the wrong way. The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 in Hazel cost $210.99, up from $179.99 on October 19. Sony's WF-1000XM6 earbuds cost $298, $40 more than on October 5. Neither price is a reason to buy early.
Should you buy premium headphones now or wait for November 19?
Amazon says its Black Friday Week runs from November 19 to 30, with Black Friday itself on November 27. For the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), waiting has a real risk. Bose ended its early November sale on November 8 as scheduled, and Amazon's price on the cheaper QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) has already climbed $20 since November 10.
Buying early also costs little if the price falls again. Under Amazon's holiday return rules, items bought from November 1 to December 31 can go back until January 31, 2027. For the Sony, Sennheiser and Google models, there is no cut to act on yet, so waiting for November 19 costs nothing. Prices were checked on November 14 and can change at any time.
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