I test headphones for a living — these are the 10 best early Black Friday deals
As Black Friday approaches, savvy shoppers are already scouting for the best deals on headphones and earbuds, and this year, the offerings are particularly enticing. With significant discounts from top brands like Sony and Bose, consumers can find high-quality audio gear at prices that won’t break the bank. For instance, the Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones are currently available for just $248, a substantial savings of $151.99 off their regular price. These headphones are renowned for their exceptional sound quality and comfort, making them a top pick for audiophiles and casual listeners alike. Similarly, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd generation) have dropped to $216.13, down from $299, providing an excellent opportunity for those seeking premium noise-cancelling features without the hefty price tag.
In addition to flagship models, there are also fantastic budget-friendly options available. The Sony WH-CH720N headphones, which are currently priced at $88 (a savings of $91.99), offer impressive sound quality and noise cancellation at a fraction of the cost of their high-end counterparts. For those who prefer earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort earbuds are now available for $129, showcasing remarkable battery life and solid ANC performance, making them an ideal choice for budget-conscious consumers looking for quality without compromise. Even more budget-friendly, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones are down to $39.99, proving that excellent sound and comfort can be found at an accessible price point.
As we get closer to Black Friday on November 28, these early deals represent a unique chance to invest in high-quality audio equipment, whether you’re looking for the latest technology or a solid pair of headphones for everyday use. With many of these deals being the lowest prices seen so far, now is the perfect time to take advantage of these discounts. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for the perfect gift, these early Black Friday headphone deals are not to be missed.
Best early 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)
$216.13
(save $82.87)
Get Deal
Best deal under $100
Sony WH-CH720N
$88
(save $91.99)
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: early
Black Friday deals
, when
tech deals
abound.
SEE ALSO:
Mashable will send the best Black Friday deals directly to your phone — how it works
As of Nov. 21, I’ve spotted some especially noteworthy headphones and earbuds on sale — all of which Mashable has recommended in some capacity. In this case, a noteworthy deal is not simply something on sale. In fact, I’ve only selected deals that are actually great Black Friday deals (and not easy to grab on sale at other times of year).
For instance, I didn’t add the
second generation Bose QC Ultra earbuds
to this list when they were on sale for $249 — they
hit that price in September
, and have returned to it since (before Black Friday deals kicked off).However, with the start of Black Friday sales, they’ve dipped down to $216.13, making them a deal worth mentioning as truly one of the best.
As we approach Black Friday proper on Nov. 28, I expect more exceptional deals to pop up. But for the time being, here are the best headphones and earbuds deals ahead of Black Friday.
One of the most comfortable pairs of noise-cancelling headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones
$298
at Amazon
$429
Save $131
Get Deal at Amazon
Get Deal at Best Buy
Get Deal at Walmart
The first time I put the
Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones
on, I knew they were the most comfortable headphones I’d ever worn (
Mashable’s Samantha Mangino had a similar experience
). That belief became even firmer over years of use (and testing them against new competitors). Although the
new second-generation headphones
feel
ever
so slightly more comfortable, the originals still hold up.
SEE ALSO:
We tested every pair of Bose headphones and earbuds. We found 5 we love, and 1 to buy on sale.
On sale for $298, they’re a much better value than the $449 second-gen Ultras. Their main quirks include no passive playback and the occasional difficulty pairing to more than one device. However,
when I compared them directly against their newer counterpart
, I found the ANC and sound to be very similar, making it easy to recommend grabbing these over the second gens if they happen to go on sale.
Earbuds designed for quiet and long wear time
Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen)
$216
at Amazon
$299
Save $83
Get Deal at Amazon
As I mentioned in the intro, despite being
a relatively new release
, the
Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen)
have gone on sale a couple times, dropping down to $249 in select colorways. For Black Friday, not only are all the colorways on sale, but now select ones have dropped even lower, bringing these earbuds to a record-low price of $216.13.
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 a nice 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 sound incredible
Sony WH-1000XM5
$248
at Amazon
$399.99
Save $151.99
Get Deal at Amazon
Get Deal at Amazon
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-cancellling 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
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
JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones
$39.99
at Amazon
$79.99
Save $40.00
Get Deal at Amazon
Don’t sleep on over-ear noise-cancelling headphones under $80, especially if they’re the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones. Impressively, these headphones are down to a whopping $39.99 just over a week ahead of Black Friday. The low price point doesn’t indicate a huge lack of quality, though. These
headphones are a great pick for students
, thanks to the well-padded design that makes them great for all-day wear (Mashable’s Haley Henschel
says she wears them comfortably for hours at a time
), solid sound quality, and excellent battery life. The ANC isn’t anything to scoff at, either.
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.
