Save 45%: As of Nov. 2, grab the Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) headphones for just $199 at Amazon, Bose, and Best Buy. This $160 price dip marks a new record low for the headphones, which usually go for $359.
Going into my sixth year covering Black Friday at Mashable, I knew early headphones deals could be great during the holiday shopping season. I did not expect one of my favorite headphones launches of the year to get a nearly 50% discount over three weeks before the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Here's the situation: the second generation Bose QuietComfort headphones dropped in August as the brand's latest mid-range release (and a pretty impressive one, at that). These headphones saw a modest $40 markdown during October Prime Day, but Black Friday can be a popular time for brands to pull out the first major discount of a product's lifespan. That said, it's pretty unusual for a 45% markdown, which is exactly what the Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) headphones received at Amazon, Bose, and Best Buy.
To put this into context, these headphones are now $50 cheaper than the sale price of the other major new mid-range headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM4C. This is especially notable as the Sony headphones at full price are $60 cheaper than the Bose headphones at full price, which was a significant part of the reason I found the Sonys to have an edge over the Boses in my head to head testing of the two headphones.
They're also just $30 more than the previous generation of QuietComfort headphones' sale price, which have a slightly bulkier design, less plush ear cushioning, no spatial audio, and less sophisticated noise-cancelling tech.
All of this to say, if this was the price that popped up on Black Friday proper for these headphones, I'd be thrilled. The fact that it's here three weeks in advance is the biggest possible cherry on top. If you're shopping for a student, commuter, work from home warrior, or simply yourself this holiday season, these will be one of the best value headphones you can find, especially if you're looking for killer noise cancellation and some of the best comfort money can buy. The deal is limited to the mint, green, and taupe colorways, but if you can live with that, you'll make out like a bandit.
