Bose and Sony headphones are up to $200 off in the run-up to Black Friday

• If you don’t like the sealed feeling of the AirPods Pro, you can snag the entry-level AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for an all-time low of $99.99 ($80 off) at Amazon and Target. The wireless earbuds offer similar features to the latest AirPods Pro, including adaptive audio, conversation awareness, and spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. The ANC works surprisingly well despite their open-ear design, too, helping to block low-frequency noise from airplane cabins and city traffic. However, they lack heart rate sensing for workouts and various hearing health features found in the latest Pro. Read our review.
• Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds break from the norm with a unique clip-on style design, and they’re back down to their all-time low of $199 ($100 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. The earbuds cling to your outer ear instead of sitting in your ear canal, allowing you to hear your surroundings at all times. They’re not ideal if you want complete silence, but they’re comfortable over extended periods and offer great battery life. If safety is your top priority, they also ensure you can hear cars, pedestrians, and other hazards while walking or riding a bike. Read our review.

• The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are down to their lowest price in months at Amazon and Best Buy, where you can snag a pair for $159.99 ($90 off). Samsung’s flagship earbuds offer impressive sound quality, a crisp transparency mode, and excellent voice call performance. They’re particularly great for Samsung users because they let you automatically switch between various Galaxy laptops, tablets, and phones, much like AirPods auto-switch between Apple devices. That said, the Buds 3 Pro’s ANC performance isn’t quite as good as what you get from the latest AirPods Pro or Pixel Buds Pro 2. Read our review.

• The already-affordable CMF Buds 2a have returned to their all-time low of $19.99 ($30 off) at Amazon. The wireless earbuds punch above their weight with 12.4mm drivers, active noise cancellation, and an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance. With Bluetooth 5.4, they also support features like Google Fast Pair, and you can customize how they sound, adjust ANC levels, and even locate them via the Nothing X app. They’re a solid option given the price, especially for anyone getting their first pair of wireless earbuds.
• The more affordable Galaxy Buds FE are down to $59.99 ($40 off) at Amazon and Walmart, which is their lowest price in months. The wireless earbuds offer a pared-down experience compared to the more premium Buds 3 Pro, which means they don’t offer wireless charging and only carry an IPX2 rating. Still, they deliver decent sound and noise cancellation that performs well for the price. They also feature a comfortable design with silicone “wings,” which help them stay firmly in your ear. Read our review.

• It’s rare to see the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 on sale, but you can currently snag a pair for an all-time low of $89.99 ($40 off) at Amazon and Soundcore’s online storefront (with code WS24A3957BF). The wireless earbuds offer a number of upgrades over their predecessor, including improved ANC, longer battery life, and Dolby Audio support. They also feature an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance, and they come with five different sizes of eartips to help you find a comfortable fit. Unlike their predecessor, however, the Liberty 5 don’t feature in-ear heart rate tracking.
• You can also get the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro for a new low of $89.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Soundcore’s website (with code WS24A3954BF). One of the Liberty 4 Pro’s standout features is their upgraded charging case, which has a screen to show battery life, adjust active noise cancellation, and toggle the handy transparency mode settings on / off without grabbing your phone. The earbuds also offer about 7.5 hours of battery life with ANC disabled, along with a barometric sensor that takes into account changing air pressure for improved performance on flights.
• The Nothing Ear Open feature an open-ear style design that rests securely in your outer ear rather than inside of your ear canals, making it easier to hear your surroundings. And right now, they’re down to an all-time low of $94.05 ($55 off) at Amazon, or just a few bucks more on Nothing’s website. Like other open-ear options, the Ear Open prioritize safety over sound quality, but they still offer decent sound, excellent voice call quality, and up to eight hours on a full charge. They also support multipoint Bluetooth and a “Low Lag Mode” for gaming, which will automatically activate if you own a Nothing Phone.

The best deals on headphones

• The AirPods Max with USB-C have returned to around $429 ($120 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy — their lowest price to date. Apple’s revised over-ear headphones are similar to the original model from 2020 but offer a few new color options and support for USB-C charging (instead of Lightning). Otherwise, the noise-canceling headphones offer the same excellent build quality and sound, along with features like a transparency mode, up to 20 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, and support for lossless audio via USB-C with a compatible streaming service. Read our original review.
• The Beats Studio Pro are a great alternative to the AirPods Max, and right now, they’re on sale at Amazon for $149.99 ($200 off), their best price to date. The over-ear headphones include features like ANC, a transparency mode, and support for lossless audio. However, the Studio Pro’s plastic build quality isn’t nearly as nice as that of the AirPods Max, which relies on aluminum and stainless steel. That said, the Studio Pro support native iOS and Android features like other Beats headphones, including the ability to track them down via their respective Find My services. Read our review.

• While the WH-1000XM5 are no longer the flagship model, Sony’s last-gen headphones are still worth considering, especially at a discount. Right now, you can snag a pair in multiple colors for an all-time low of around $248 ($151 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sony. The XM5 offer top-notch active noise cancellation, excellent sound, and some of the best voice call quality around. They also offer multipoint connectivity, a transparency mode, and Sony’s Speak to Chat feature, which will automatically pause whatever you’re listening to when you begin talking. The only real downside is that, unlike the older XM4 and newer XM6, they don’t fold down, making them a little harder to pack. Read our review.
• Despite being more than five years old, Sony’s WH-1000XM4 remain a terrific pair of noise-canceling headphones you can pick up at Best Buy for $159.99 ($190 off) — their best price of the year. The XM4 are a great buy if you don’t need the latest tech, with up to 30 hours of battery life and great ANC, even if they can’t quite compete with Sony’s newer models. They also support multipoint Bluetooth and the aforementioned Speak to Chat feature, which is convenient to have in a busy office. Read our review.

• The CMF Headphone Pro have only been available for a few months, but you can already snag them for an all-time low of $79 ($20 off) from Amazon, Walmart, and Nothing in multiple colors. The budget headphones borrow some features from the Nothing Headphone 1, including the multi-function roller, which lets you easily adjust the volume and control music playback. They also include a control called the energy slider, which can adjust the treble and bass without having to jump into Nothing’s app. Whereas the Nothing Phone 1 have a retro look, though, the Headphone Pro feature a more traditional design, complete with soft curves and round earcups.

The best for running and working out

• If you don’t like the headband design of the OpenRun Pro 2, the Shokz OpenFit 2 Plus take a different approach. The wireless earbuds are relatively new, but you can already grab them for a new low of around $159.95 ($40 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Shokz. The OpenFit 2 Plus feature an ear hook design similar to the Powerbeats Pro 2, but instead of going inside your ear, they sit right above your ear canal. The latest model is nearly identical to their predecessor, which debuted earlier this year; however, the 2 Plus add wireless charging and Dolby Audio support. If you don’t need either of those features, you can grab the original OpenFit 2 for an all-time low of around $119.95 ($60 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Shokz.
• The Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 also feature an ear hook design, and they’re currently down to an all-time low of $69.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Soundcore’s website (with code WS24A3874BF). These sit above your ear canal and use directional audio to guide sound toward your ear, helping to minimize sound leakage. That means someone sitting next to you won’t hear your holiday playlist. The AeroFit 2 also offer free AI translation in over 100 languages, with real-time response, and Soundcore claims the earbuds can get up to 10 hours of continuous playtime on a single charge.

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• Brandon Russell