Best Early Black Friday Deals on Headphones

The AirPods Pro 3 are Apple’s top-of-the-line earbuds, and they’re jam-packed with features. The newest functions include live translation for overseas travel and a workout mode that allows you to leave your Apple Watch at home while you’re out on a run or ride. The buds still offer a clinical-grade hearing test and the option of turning your Pro 3s into an over-the-counter hearing aid. They also sound good and offer a better fit and noise canceling than last year’s Pro 2s. The Pro 3s don’t go on sale very often, so this is an opportunity to get Apple’s latest tech at an enticing price.

If you’re looking for a high-value noise-canceling option, the Sennheiser Accentum Plus is a very solid choice. It’s an amiable companion, with robust bass, neutral midrange, and that sense of lively openness that makes really good headphones fun to listen to. The model is pleasantly lightweight and the fit and stability are good for most people, though those with large heads and/or prominent ears may want to buy from a retailer with a solid return policy. At the street price of $249, these headphones are a good value. At $110, you’re getting impressive quality at a very nice price.

If you’re in the market for a premium noise-canceling headphone that feels a little, well, unique, there’s a lot to like about this Dyson On-Trac model. Yes, it’s made by the vacuum cleaner company, but Dyson dismisses the doubters with over-the-ear phones with superb sound. Like many Dyson products, this one sports elegant, upscale styling and a festive use of color. Better yet, the headphones are now back down to the best price we’ve seen.

If you want or need earbuds, but don’t like the feel of plugging up your ears, the Bose Ultra Opens are a unique option. They hook on your ear, just above the lobe, kind of like a cuff-style earring. They sound surprisingly good, too, once you get the placement just right. And it’s totally easy to hear things around you with a clarity that the "transparency" mode of most earbuds can’t match. Bose has just introduced the Ultra Open 2s, which are not yet available for us to test. They will retail for $299, which is a significant step up from this sale price on the older model. 

If you want a pair of noise-canceling earbuds at a budget price, check out the Soundcore Space A40s. The bass packs some wallop, and the overall sound is warm, which makes the A40s pleasant to listen to over a long period of time. The noise cancellation is impressive, too—there’s even a transparency mode that allows you to monitor your surroundings when you’re out running or walking down a busy street. The discount is barely significant, but these headphones are a serious value even at their normal street price.

In the words of the Philosopher-King/Bombastic Rock God Meatloaf, two out of three ain’t bad. A great pair of headphones does three things: 1) fit well, 2) deliver effective noise-canceling, and 3) sound terrific. This Soundcore model hits the mark on the first two line items. Sound-wise? It’s not terrible, but it’s not great either. The bass is a little bloated, the midrange not as clear as you’d like it, while the high frequencies have a sizzle that’s okay on your breakfast bacon, but not ideal on your favorite music. But at this price, you can overlook those shortcomings, especially if you’re gifting the headphones to a friend or relative who’s less than picky, or using them for podcasts or a little easy listening.

Even though they’re a previous generation model, these sleek true wireless earbuds are still a great buy. Right now, they’re $50 more than their best price, so add them to your wishlist or your cart and wait for a price drop closer to Black Friday. They boast that near-magical sound quality that takes you inside the recording studio, so you feel like you’re standing right next to your favorite musician. The noise-cancelling performance is also top-notch, and the ambient mode, which pipes in outside noise for, say, walking or running in traffic, is very effective. The XM5s have been replaced by Sony’s new WF-1000XM6, which sound just a bit better—albeit for quite a bit more money—and some of our testers are less satisfied with the new fit.