The Best Black Friday Deals on Earbuds and Headphones to Ring Your Bell

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Remember the boombox? The Walkman? The Discman? Maybe you don’t, depending on your age. All had their charms, but all were kind of a pain in the ass. The boombox forced everyone around you to listen to your junk.

Walkmans and Discmans gained you headphones, but as a ’90s kid I can’t ever remember listening through a pair, either owned or borrowed, that weren’t a huge hunk of weak-sounding shit. We’re spoiled today with all sorts of over-the-ear headphones and in-the-ear earbuds.

Active noise cancellation was a pipe dream. Until ANC, you had to plop on headphones so huge you’d look like your job was landing airplanes. Now they come in fingernail-sized earbuds. Here are the best Black Friday deals on wireless earbuds and headphones we found.

Quick look at the best black friday deals on earbuds and headphones

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($20 off)
• Bose QuietComfort Ultra True Wireless Earbuds for $230 ($70 off)
• Apple AirPods Max for $400 ($50 off)
• Beats Solo 4 for $100 (50% off)
• Sony WF-1000XM5 Wireless Earbuds for $228 ($62 off)
• Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise-Canceling Headphones for $298 (25% off)
• Beats Studio Buds + for $130 ($40 off)
• Sonos Ace Headphones for $349 ($150 off)
• Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Headphones for $199 ($150 off)
• Google Pixel Buds A-Series for $49 ($50 off)

apple airpods pro 2 for $170 ($20 off)

As long as the AirPods Pro 2 have battery life, their active noise cancellation will block out noticeably more noise than you’d simply get by having them plug up your ear canals alone. Mute jet engine sounds on flights, noisy cafés, and roommate and family noise.

The old AirPods Pro’s Lightning port is gone, replaced by the more convenient and versatile USB-C charging port. Cords may be in right now, but I love to roam around the apartment without being tethered to my phone, especially if I can save $80 on a deal like this.

Expect up to six hours of listening time between charges, and up to 30 hours if you count the extra juice given by the recharging case that comes with them.

Bose QuietComfort True Ultra Wireless Earbuds for $230 ($70 off)

Reviewers rave about the active noise cancelation of these earbuds, saying that they’re effective enough to barely hear “the lawnmower,” “a vacuum cleaner,” and “my husband,” which sounds like a 3/3 win for the sake of peace and harmony. And it’s 23% off.

These earbuds run for up to six hours on a charge, and you can get another 18 hours of battery life out of the case that recharges them. Connectivity can be glitchy, according to reviewers, but they also use words like “superb” and “amazing” in regards to sound quality.

Apple AirPods Max for $400 ($50 off)

Just when AirPods had almost become shorthand for earbuds, Apple went and released the AirPods Max, a premium-priced pair of over-the-ear headphones that’ve earned praise from a wide slice of notoriously finicky audiophiles.

“The sound quality is top-notch, with deep bass and crystal-clear highs—music and podcasts have never sounded better. The active noise cancelling is incredibly effective.” Customer comments like this are common.

These will also run for up to 20 hours on a charge. The only catch is the price, but hey, it’s $50 off right now.

Beats Solo 4 for $100 (50% off)

If any pair of headphones has become a fashion accessory, it’s a pair of pastel-colored Beats headphones (50% off) draped around the back of the neck. Beats is one manufacturer that’s placed an equal importance on connecting and working well with both Apple and Android devices.

Too many pairs of earbuds and headphones favor one or the other. You can squeeze an amazing 50 hours of playback out of these Beats, and if you’ve somehow run out of fuel without managing to plug in for days, a 10-minute charge will give you another five hours of listening.

Sony WF-1000XM5 Wireless Earbuds for $228 ($62 off)

One standpoint feature is that these active-noise-cancelling earbuds will automatically switch into pass-through mode, amplifying ambient noises, when you speak. No need to reach up to an earbud to switch the mode.

Each charge can get you up to eight hours of listening time, with another 16 hours from the charging case. Folks (mostly) love the audio quality, and there’s Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant connectivity built into them. They’d probably love that they’re 21% off now, too.

Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise-Canceling Headphones for $298 (25% off)

Excellent comfort is a common thread among those who’ve bought the WH-10000XM5s. “Comfort is excellent, with plush ear cups and a lightweight design, making them great for long listening sessions,” says one customer.

“I can wear them for long periods of time (several hours) without any discomfort while wearing my glasses,” says another, also noting they’re more breathable than the old 1000XM4. Sony headphones are pricey machines, although being 25% helps with the rationalization game.

If you somehow run through the 30 hours of battery life, you can boost the Sonys back up to another three hours of runtime with just a three-minute charge. Perfect for that last-minute scramble for a power outlet at the gate as your flight starts to board.

Beats Studio Buds + for $130 ($40 off)

These Beats earbuds ($130; $40 off) do longer listening sessions a bit better than most other fellow active noise cancellation earbuds. One charge is good for up to nine hours of listening, with another 27 hours provided by the charging case.

Customers say that compared to AirPods (and their imitators), these are more unnoticeable. “These are very sleek, and don’t look flashy in the ear,” says one customer. “They’re also not very cumbersome, and fit very snugly.”

Sonos Ace Headphones for $349 ($150 off)

Not familiar with Sonos headphones? Hardly anyone is. The Ace, Sonos’ first pair of headphones, was only just released earlier this year, and now they’re already 30% off. Customers did the comfort and lightweight of Sonos’ first attempt at headphones.

Customers say they’re not as intuitive to use or the app as seamlessly functional as the Apple AirPods Max’s, but they say they’re very well built. You can eke 30 hours of listening with active noise cancellation enabled, and a three-minute charge nets three hours of battery life.

Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Headphones for $199 ($150 off)

As with the Bose QuietComfort earbuds, customers praise their over-the-ear cousins as having excellent active noise cancellation and sound quality, and these are an even bigger deal at 43% for Black Friday.

“The sound is fantastic,” says one customer. “Whether it’s a podcast, film, audio book, or music, everything is detailed and clear. There is depth and although there is a good deal of high end, it is not harsh to my ears.

Battery life and charging are middle of the pack. One charge gets you up to 24 hours of battery life, and a 15-minute quick charge can put 2.5 hours of life back into the battery. It’s outdone by the top competitors in this space, but not by much.

Google Pixel Buds A-Series for $49 ($50 off)

Looking for a decent set of earbuds, but not thrilled at shelling out hundreds of dollars? Or even a hundred? The Google Pixel Buds A-Series are half off right now, and while they don’t have active noise cancellation, customers say the sound quality is adequate for the low price.

“Best part about these is they stay put in your ear,” says one customer “They do not come loose even after wearing them for a while. The sound is good. Fairly clear but seem pointed to the high mids. That is until you enable the bass boost. Almost too much bass for me!”

These will last only up to five hours on a charge, which is low compared to pricier earbuds but still sufficient for most people’s normal usage. When’s the last time you listened to music or a movie for more than five hours straight? The charging case adds another 19 hours of listening time.