It's smart to try to get some of your holiday shopping done early this year and Amazon's making it a bit easier to do so for those looking for solid headphones and earbuds to gift. The online retailer has a big Bose sale going on right now that knocks up to 29 percent off a bunch of the company's audio devices. Key among them are the Bose QuietComfort earbuds, which are down to a record low of $199.
Shop Bose sale at AmazonBuy QuietComfort earbuds at Amazon – $199
The QuietComfort earbuds give our favorite Sony pairs a run for their money, and we consider them to be the best option if you want to truly block out all surrounding noises. These buds shine in the ANC department with 11 levels of noise cancellation that you can choose from in its companion app, three of which you can assign to onboard controls for easy access. They block out the world better than all other true wireless earbuds we've tested — only Sony's WF-1000XM3 (and the newer XM4) even come close. Sound quality is also great and battery life is good at roughly seven hours. Our biggest complaints about the QuietComfort earbuds are that they are quite large (but not too heavy) and they have limited customizations and touch control options.
A couple of other Bose buds are on sale, too, including the Sport Open earbuds for $179. In many ways, these are the opposite of the QuietComfort earbuds. They have an open, over-ear design that's supposed to let in outside noise so you can be more aware of what's going on around you. They're also comfortable since they don't stick directly inside your ear canal. Since they're quite niche, you probably know already if you, or someone you love, is the type of person who would love these earbuds.
Buy Sport Open earbuds at Amazon – $179Buy QuietComfort 35 II at Amazon – $250Buy QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset at Amazon – $279
Unfortunately the new Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are not included in this sale, but the QC 35 II and their gaming-headset equivalent are. The QC 35 II are down to $250, which isn't a record low but still a decent $50 discount. They're Bose's hallmark headphones for noise cancellation that came out in 2017 and they have excellent ANC and sound quality along with a comfortable design. Last year, the company turned the QC 35 II into a gaming headset by essentially giving you a detachable boom mic and PC controller to use with the cans. That one is down to a record low of $279 in this sale.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.