Best Deals on Headphones

If you’re looking for high-value noise-canceling headphones, the Sennheiser Accentum Plus is a very solid option. They typically retail for around $180, and they’re currently down to the best price we’ve seen. 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.

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.

The Bose Quiet Comfort earbuds sit near the top of our ratings, with really satisfying sound and exceptional active noise cancellation. Bose headphones also earn top marks from our members for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction. We have seen these sell for $130 during Prime Day, so you may be able to save a little more by waiting.

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.

There’s a lot to like about this over-the-ear noise canceling headphone that sits second in Bose’s lineup but performs a lot like the top-of-the line Quiet Comforts. Since Bose devices don’t routinely carry big discounts, this deal might be worth a look now. The Quiet Comforts provide sound quality that’s solid if not quite up to the very best headphones in this category.

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.

If you want 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.

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.

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.

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.

If you’re afraid of losing an earbud, the Sony WI-C100 is a great choice. With a wire tethering the two buds together, the odds of losing your headphones greatly diminish. Our testers give the Sony earbuds fine marks for sound quality. They don’t have noise cancellation, but the earphones will muffle some external noise and limit the amount of sound that escapes from the earpieces. They also have an in-line mic for phone calls.