US Tech & AI

I test headphones for a living — these are the 14 best Black Friday deals so far

By Eric November 26, 2025

As Black Friday approaches, savvy shoppers are on the lookout for the best deals on headphones and earbuds, and this year offers some remarkable discounts on top brands. Notably, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are now available for $248, saving buyers $151.99 off the regular price. These headphones are celebrated for their exceptional sound quality and noise-cancelling capabilities, making them a favorite among audiophiles. Similarly, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd generation) have dropped to $216, down from $299, providing a significant saving of $83. These earbuds are designed for long wear and boast impressive noise cancellation, making them an excellent investment for those who prioritize comfort and sound quality.

For those on a tighter budget, there are also fantastic options available. The Sony WH-CH720N headphones are currently priced at just $88, which is a remarkable $91.99 off their original price. These headphones offer impressive sound quality and battery life, making them a standout choice for under $100. Additionally, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones are available for an unbeatable $27, down from $79.99, making them one of the most affordable options this Black Friday. They deliver solid performance for casual listeners and are particularly recommended for students or anyone seeking budget-friendly audio solutions.

As the shopping frenzy continues, consumers can expect even more exceptional deals to emerge. With flagship models from brands like Sony and Bose seeing significant price cuts, this Black Friday is shaping up to be a great opportunity to invest in high-quality audio equipment without breaking the bank. Whether you’re in the market for premium noise-cancelling headphones or budget-friendly earbuds, there’s something for everyone this holiday season.

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Best Black Friday headphones and earbuds deals

Best noise-cancelling headphones deal

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones

$248

(save $151.99)

Get Deal

Best noise-cancelling earbuds deal

Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen)

$216

(save $83)

Get Deal

Best deal under $100

Sony WH-CH720N

$88

(save $91.99)

Get Deal

Best budget deal

JLab JBuds Lux ANC

$27

(save $52.99)

Get Deal

Best AirPods deal

Apple AirPods 4

$69

(save $60)

Get Deal

I pretty much spend every day I’m at work testing out headphones and earbuds, which means I’ve become well-versed in which headphones are actually worth your money.
This year has been an especially noteworthy year for headphones, with flagship releases from
Sony
,
Bose
, and
Bowers & Wilkins
. Flagship headphones are often the ones that get recommended on best of lists — ours included — but considering the new norm for a starting price is $449, they’re not exactly the most affordable choice out there. Enter:
Black Friday deals
, when
tech deals
abound.

SEE ALSO:

Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds 2 are one of the best noise-cancelling earbuds available, but not a must-upgrade

I get that sale or not, over $200 is a hefty investment for a pair of earbuds. To that, I would say if you’re someone looking for something you can wear all day, and prioritize top of the line noise cancellation above all else, these earbuds will be worth it for you. The fit keeps them secure without causing soreness, and helps seal you into a place of quiet that, along with the ANC, rivals many over-ear headphones I’ve tested.
Bose’s latest flagship headphones

Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones (2nd gen)

$399

at Amazon

$449

Save $50

Get Deal at Amazon

While the QC Ultras are one of the most comfortable pairs of headphones out there, the
second generation QuietComfort Ultra headphones
take the top spot. They also come with some nice quality of life upgrades, including a 30 hour battery life, passive playback support, lossless audio support with the USB-C cable, and an upgrade to their design with new colorways and a shiny metal accent. They’re maybe not upgrade-worthy if you already own the first gen headphones, but if it’s your first foray into the QC Ultra line, grabbing these headphones for their price drop drop ever (and a pretty solid one at that), is a smart buy.
Sony headphones that still sound incredible

Sony WH-1000XM5

$248

at Amazon

$399.99

Save $151.99

Get Deal at Amazon

The thing about Sony flagship headphones is that they’re going to sound incredible. With the
release of the XM6s
, the
WH-1000XM5 headphones
are the former flagship headphones, but their
sound profile remains one of the best in the game
. I particularly like the “find your equalizer” feature that guides the less audiophile inclined among us through the process of finding their perfect custom EQ sound, which really helps these headphones shine. More generally speaking, when I tested the
XM6s and XM5s head-to-head
, I didn’t find any huge discrepancies in performance. Plus, the XM6s got a $50 price bump to their list price, meaning that even if they were to get a $50 price drop over Black Friday (a markdown we’ve only spotted once before), they’ll still be $150 more than the XM5s at this price point.
And Sony’s latest flagship headphones

Sony WH-1000XM6

$398

at Amazon

$459.99

Save $61.99

Get Deal at Amazon

While these are still $150 more than the XM5s, it is worth mentioning that the
Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones
are down to their lowest price ever at $398. It’s certainly possible that their price will drop even further next week,
but
I’ve also seen Sony stick to their initial discounts in past shopping holidays. If you want the best sound Sony (and most brands, tbh) has to offer, industry-leading ANC, and ear cups that fold in (a
convenient feature for travelers
), then the XM6’s are an excellent choice. In his review, Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth wrote, “if you want best-in-class
noise-cancelling headphones
and pristine audio quality, the headphones deliver.”
Mid-range headphones for under $100

Sony WH-CH720N

$88

at Amazon

$179.99

Save $91.99

See It at Amazon

Noise-cancelling headphones with great sound quality from a reputable brand don’t need to cost several hundred dollars, and the
Sony WH-CH720N
are proof of exactly that. Mashable named them
Sony’s best headphones under $100
, with Mashable contributor Alex Bracetti singing their praises after two years of use. He deemed their sound quality “near flagship” level, and was impressed by the 35 hours of battery life with ANC on, which beats out the current flagship models of both Bose and Sony.
Though you can often find them on sale for $98 (a feat on its own, considering their $179.99 list price), it’s slightly less common to find them on sale for $88, making this a great deal ahead of Black Friday. As an added bonus, the pink colorway is more unique than you might find from other
budget headphones options
under $100.
The best sounding open earbuds

Bose Ultra Open earbuds

$199

at Amazon

$299

Save $100

Get Deal at Amazon

Open earbuds are great if you prefer staying somewhat aware of the world around you, but in my experience, that can come in the form of less-than-stellar sound quality. In the case of the
Bose Ultra Open earbuds
, you get the best of both worlds. I suspect that’s a large part of the reason behind their $299 price tag (which admittedly
feels more appropriate for noise-cancelling earbuds
). That’s why I recommend them as an
upgrade pick for open earbuds
, and why I’m an especially big fan of this $100 off deal. In addition to their surprisingly rich sound, I especially like their small charging case, smartly placed on-ear controls, comfortable clip-on design, and many options for colorways.
Excellent mid-range noise-cancelling earbuds

Bose QuietComfort earbuds

$129

at Amazon

$179

Save $50

Get Deal at Amazon

Rounding out my picks is maybe the most underrated Bose product —
the QuietComfort earbuds
. Though their design isn’t the most elegant, that’s pretty much where their underwhelming features end. For starters, these earbuds have incredible battery life —
in my weeks of testing them
, I rarely had to charge them, and easily squeezed in a five-hour day of use, with ANC on and battery life to spare.
Sound and noise-cancellation-wise, they don’t wow quite as much as the QC Ultra earbuds, but they’re also significantly cheaper, even at full price. For their $129 sale price, they’re less than half the price of the premium earbuds, and I promise, their performance doesn’t reflect that. If I had to put a number to it, I’d say there’s more of a $50 to $75 performance discrepancy between the two earbuds, which is why we’ve named these the
best mid-budget earbuds currently on the market
. Though we’ve seen them drop to $129 before, it is their lowest price ever, making this a great grab ahead of Black Friday.
A budget-friendly favorite at an unbeatable price

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Credit: JLab

JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones

$27

at Walmart

$79.99

Save $52.99

Get Deal

I don’t know if it’s possible a more affordable headphones deal will pop up this Black Friday. The
JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones
, already a solid value at full price, are an even better value at their usual sale price of about $40, and a downright steal at this new Black Friday price (and new record low) of $27. This beats
Amazon’s deal
by over $12, and last year’s Black Friday pricing by $2. When I tested these headphones, I was surprised by their battery life, along with how solid their sound and ANC performed, as well as the extensive customizability on their app.
Mashable’s Haley Henschel
owns these headphones, and appreciates their comfort. They’re our
favorite budget headphones
and one of
our top picks for students
for a reason.
The best earbuds for working out

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

$199.95

at Walmart

$414.62

Save $214.67

Get Deal at Walmart

Get Deal at Amazon

When I first tried out the
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
, I wasn’t sure I’d like them all that much, as I had trouble finding how to properly put them on with the ear hook (my colleague
Sam Mangino had a similar experience
). However, there’s a reason they say first impressions aren’t everything — after we both found the right ear tip size and got through this small learning curve, we fell in love with these earbuds. So Mashable contributor Alex Bracetti, who gave them a Mashable Choice Award
in his review
.
This consensus made these an easy pick for the
best earbuds for working out
: though their ANC isn’t the best, it’s present, the ear hook keeps the buds in place without being uncomfortable, the sound is rich, the on-ear controls reliable and perfect for using mid-workout, and the built-in heart rate monitor is a convenient feature, especially if you don’t already own a fitness tracker. Though they’ve hit this sale price before, they don’t go on sale often, so I recommend grabbing them while you can.
A (better) AirPods Max alternative
Mashable loved the
Beats Studio Pro
when they first
dropped in 2023
, and after
testing them again in 2025
against the rest of the Beats lineup, we found that they held up. Mashable contributor Alex Bracetti compared them to another Apple over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max, saying the Beats Studio Pro have a lot of overlap in features with AirPods, making the Beats a much better bang for your buck. The Studio Pro have better battery life (24 hours compared to the AirPods’ 20), and according to Bracetti, better sound quality and similar ANC. The
AirPods Max are currently on sale for $429.99
, meaning you could buy two pairs of these Beats and still have $30 left over.
This deal in particular applies to the Beats Studio Pro x Kim Kardashian model, which at the time of writing are $20 cheaper than the
regular Studio Pros
‘ sale price (which just feature different colorway options).

Beats Studio Pro x Kim Kardashian

$149.95

at Amazon

$349.95

Save $200

See It at Amazon

ANC headphones with 60 hours of battery life
Many popular flagship headphones have roughly 30 hours of battery life, which makes the whopping 60 hours of battery life found on the
Sennheiser Momentum 4
all the more impressive. (And yes, that’s with ANC on). This feature certainly made them a standout to us, and earned them the spot of
Mashable’s favorite headphones with long battery life
, but that wasn’t the only place they wowed.
When I tested these headphones out, trying to wear down that mammoth battery life felt like marginally less of a chore because of their excellent sound quality. The ANC stood out less than competitors, and the touch controls were on the sensitive side, but the companion app added enough customizability that it was never a real problem. I also appreciate that even with both pairs on sale, these headphones are cheaper than the
Dyson OnTrac headphones
, their only real competition for battery life. (And in my opinion, the Sennheisers have a much more elegant design). At $199.95, these headphones are just a couple dollars away from their lowest price ever, and in a price range I’ve typically only seen around the holiday season.

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Credit: Sennheiser

Sennheiser Momentum 4

$199.95

at Amazon

$449.95

Save $250

Get Deal

AirPods at a new record-low price
Indicators that Black Friday week is absolutely in full swing? The price drop on the
Apple AirPods 4
. It was already great to see them drop down to $79 — their former lowest price ever — earlier this month, but Amazon outdid itself before Black Friday even started. These earbuds have dropped to an impressive $69, bringing them down to yet another record low. I’d be surprised if their price drops much further, so if you’re an Apple user who doesn’t need earbuds with ANC, it’ll be hard to beat this deal.

Apple AirPods 4

$69

at Amazon

$129

Save $60

See It at Amazon

See It at Walmart

See It at Best Buy

Solid budget earbuds
The
Raycon Everyday Earbuds
may have made a name for themselves through many a YouTube sponsorship, but
after testing them out for myself
, I can personally verify that these are really solid budget earbuds. These are the perfect option for anyone who wants the basics done well, without the hassle of any setup. They come sans companion app (and a button for Bluetooth), but they pair easily as soon as they’re powered on, and be controlled entirely by the tactile on-ear controls.
Both their sound quality and ANC are solid, they come with eight hours of charge with ANC on (the same as
the AirPods Pro 3
), and six gel tips for finding the perfect fit. If you’re looking for budget headphones with a few more extras, the
EarFun Air Pro 4
are also on sale — although they’re a great value, they do drop down to this price point year-round, making them a less impressive Black Friday deal.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Raycon

Raycon Everyday Earbuds

$55.99

at Amazon

$79.99

Save $24.00

Get Deal