Best Deals on Headphones

While there’s nothing revolutionary about the design of Sonos’s first headphone, it is well-executed. If you like the Sonos brand, this is a good opportunity to get this model at a discount, as it doesn’t go on sale often. The sleek and even minimalist Ace is actually flattering when sitting on your head. The wireless noise-canceling model also offers warm, comforting sound and solid bass.

If you’re a fan of the Google Pixel phone, then the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a solid choice for a complementary earbud. They have a Find My Device function, and the sound can be adjusted through the Pixel app. The Pixel Buds 2 earn very good sound quality grades and score well for noise cancellation.

Can’t fall asleep without noise, but your partner needs total silence? These wireless headphones from Ozlo are designed for bed, and they’re the top choice among the models we tested. They’re lightweight and bendable for a snug, comfortable fit. And more importantly, they block out disruptive noise. The battery lasts 10 hours, so you’ll wake up with your music still playing, and the accompanying app offers a wide variety of white noise options (and you can still play your own audio via Bluetooth). For this price, these are probably more ideal if you’re going to use them frequently.

If you’re looking for earbuds that prioritize fit above all else, check out the Beats Fit Pro. These noise-canceling buds have soft silicone ear tips in three sizes, plus wingtips that fit into the pinna (the exterior of your ear) for additional security. They have actual buttons, too, rather than the touch-sensitive controls on many other models, which may make it easier to operate them while on the go. The Fit Pros also sound really good and feature effective active noise cancellation, making them a solid alternative to the similarly priced AirPods Pro.

These sleek true wireless earbuds may be a bit expensive, but their stellar sound quality makes them more than worth it if you care about music. Plus, the price dropped $50 since last week, marking the best discount we’ve seen this year. They are sleek successors to the company’s stellar WF1000XM4s, and they deliver so much musical detail that you simply hear your favorite songs in a different way. The noise-canceling performance of the XM5s is top-notch as well, and Sonys have a very effective ambient mode that pipes in outside noise for safety or convenience.

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 earns top marks from CR’s testers, 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 isn’t steep, but these headphones are a serious bargain even at their normal street price.

For all of the popularity of Apple’s AirPods, these are a rather unusual. Lacking the padded ear tips that plug your ear canals, they don’t offer much passive noise cancellation, but they do have reasonably effective noise-canceling tech. And so, you can elect to turn the noise-canceling feature off and hear what’s going on around you, which can be great when you’re on a run or walking on a busy street. In terms of sound and fit, the buds are very similar to the regular 4th-gen. AirPods. These did cost $99.99 during Black Friday, but we likely won’t see another discount that steep until July when Amazon typically holds it Prime Day sale.

The Dyson On Trac noise-cancelling headphones are back down to the best price we’ve seen. They are the vacuum company’s first audio-only product—Dyson’s heavy and expensive Zone headphones add an air purifier feature—and there’s a lot to like about them. The On Tracs are beautifully designed, allow for color customization, and sound superb. Early production models emitted an obnoxious, loud noise when you switched from noise-canceling to transparency mode. If that’s been fixed, the On Tracs represent a real value.

If you’re looking for high-value noise-canceling headphones, the Sennheiser Accentum Plus is a very solid option. They’re amiable companions, with robust bass, neutral midrange, and that sense of lively openness that makes really good headphones fun to listen to. They’re pleasantly light in weight, and the fit and stability are good for most of our testers, though those with large heads and/or prominent ears may want to double-check the fit. At their street price of $249, they’re not a bad value. Take over $100 off that, and you’re getting impressive quality at a very nice price.

Beats headphones are sleek, and they sound good too. The over-ear Beats Studio Pro get top marks for noise reduction, making them perfect for anyone who wants to lock in at the gym, get some serious work done, or just tune out the world for a little while. And the sound quality rated 4 out of 5 in our tests too, so you’ll be able to immerse yourself in your favorite songs.

When you’re looking for workout headphones, nothing’s more important than the fit. Earbuds that don’t stay on aren’t of much use. The Powerbeats Pro 2 aims to solve that problem with earhooks that keep these good-sounding, noise-canceling earbuds firmly in place. Among our testers, some found them very secure, but others had to fiddle to get a decent fit, so pay attention to the return policy, especially if you’re giving these as gifts.

For simply listening to your favorite playlist, the JBL Tune 510 hits the value button. These on-ear headphones don’t have active noise cancellation and offer only modest physical isolation. But they sound a lot better than they should for under $30, comparing favorably to headphones that cost hundreds of dollars more.