Less than half the price of the AirPods Max - Bose QC45 $80 off at Amazon

Bose QC45
(Image credit: Future/ iMore)

Sometimes the best noise canceling headphone deals appear out of nowhere, with no warning, rhyme, or reason - and this Bose QC45 deal on Amazon is one of those. There is no big event to celebrate, no massive international sale for another three weeks, and no Bose anniversary, there is only a deal. And it's a monster too - at the moment, you can save $80 off Bose's range-topping QC45s, making the excellent noise canceling headphones only $249. That's their lowest price ever and makes them an even more compelling option against the competition - as well as being less than half the price of the AirPods Max.

Bose QC45 lowest price ever

Bose QC45 |$329now $249 at Amazon

Bose QC45 | $329 now $249 at Amazon

The QC45s might not be one of the prettiest sets of noise-canceling cans on the market, but they are some of the best. Featuring extremely impressive noise canceling, a more subdued sound signature than their key rivals, and a simple design, the QC45 are excellent value for full price, let alone for $80 off. If nothing else, there's a hard case in the box - that's worth admission alone.

The AirPods Max are an excellent set of headphones that cost $549. That's a lot of dollars. The Bose QC45s are also an excellent set of headphones that cost, at the moment, $249. That's still a good number of dollars, but decidedly less than the AirPods. So if you spend under half the price of the AirPods, do you miss out on anything?

Yeah, not really. The Bose QC45 perhaps aren't built as well, with a mostly plastic construction and leatherette earcups, while the AirPods Max are an all-aluminum affair with soft fabric earcups. But when you sit down with the QC45s, that honestly seems like the biggest difference. Noise-canceling is excellent on both sets of cans, Bluetooth is easy to connect, and sound quality, if anything, goes to Bose. There's even something that Bose does better than Apple; the carrying case. 

It's no secret that the AirPods Max carrying case is diabolical. A flap of suede-lined something that clacks the cups of the AirPods together, potentially scratching their aluminum surface. The Bose, in the box, come with an excellent hard case that protects the headphones when you put them in a bag or suitcase. Honestly, that makes every dollar of the purchase price of the Bose worth it to me - and with this discount, almost a no-brainer if you're looking for the best pair of noise-canceling headphones at a great price.

If you absolutely have to have a pair of AirPods, we can make sure that you're finding the best AirPods deals possible, as well as all the other Apple products you might be looking for. Be ready as well for Black Friday looms large in the distance - we're already getting prepared with the best Black Friday AirPods deals.

Tammy Rogers
Senior Staff Writer

As iMore's Senior Staff writer, Tammy uses her background in audio and Masters in screenwriting to pen engaging product reviews and informative buying guides. The resident audiophile (or audio weirdo), she's got an eye for detail and a love of top-quality sound. Apple is her bread and butter, with attention on HomeKit and Apple iPhone and Mac hardware. You won't find her far away from a keyboard even outside of working at iMore – in her spare time, she spends her free time writing feature-length and TV screenplays. Also known to enjoy driving digital cars around virtual circuits, to varying degrees of success. Just don't ask her about AirPods Max - you probably won't like her answer.