Now is the best time of the year to buy headphones and earbuds, as Black Friday sales begin to go live around the world ahead of the official 29th November date.
Headphones and earbuds are one of the tech categories that reliably receive huge discounts come Black Friday month, when retailers slash everything from AirPods to over-ear Boses.
That is why it's now more important than ever to remind you that there's more to a good deal than a hefty saving – the headphones must be brilliant too, otherwise all you are getting is a discounted dud rather than a full-priced one.
Below, our in-house team of expert reviewers has handpicked the best headphone deals on the best pairs we have reviewed; models that we deem good value at their original price, and even greater value in the face of a discount.
Here, we only highlight discounted pairs we've tried, tested and can honestly recommend, including current What Hi-Fi? Award 2024 winners, AirPods and popular pairs from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic and many more.
In the US? Jump straight to the best US headphone deals section of this article.
The best headphone deals (UK)
Sony WF-C510 was £55 now £45 at Amazon (save £10)
The best wireless budget earbuds out there, the WF-C510 feature 22 hours of battery life, IPX4 splash resistance, Bluetooth 5.3 and an Ambient Aware mode. They set the benchmark for sound quality at this price too. A great choice if you can stretch beyond the Earfun Air (below) but don't need the noise-cancelling functionality of the model-up Sony WF-C700N (below).
What Hi-Fi? Award winner
Sony WF-C700N was £100 now £77 at Amazon (save £23)
Boasting impressive musicality and excellent levels of detail and insight, these comfortable, sport-friendly earbuds are well worth even their non-discounted price. The WF-C700N offer 7.5 hours of battery life per charge, multipoint Bluetooth and IPX4 water resistance, plus noise-cancelling.
What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Sony WF-1000XM5 was £259 now £190 at Amazon (save £75)
The exemplary Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds sound more detailed, refined and accomplished than ever. They also pack in some of the most extensive features available for the price. We can't think of a rival pair of wireless buds that can touch them, and this discount is more than welcome. What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Apple AirPods Max was £549 now £449.10 at Amazon (save £100)
The hype for the Apple AirPods Max is justified. Usually a rather expensive £549, this discount makes them a (slightly) more feasible proposition. Apple's wireless noise-cancelling over-ears are wonderful to use, boast spatial audio support and stake their claim as some of the very best-sounding wireless headphones we have heard. This discount is on the Lightning Connector originals; the newly updated USB-C version is £499. Five stars
Earfun Air was £60 now £26.25 at Amazon (save £34)
The cheapest true wireless earbuds we can heartily recommend, these five-star Earfuns do the basics right. We've seen these drop to £22 before, but this is still a great opportunity to pick up the most affordable, yet decent, budget buds around. Just make sure you tick that '25% off' discount box to get the deal price.
Five stars
Sony WH-1000XM5 was £379 now £274 at Richer Sounds (save £105)
The latest and greatest Sony over-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphones are best in class in their premium field, and this saving over their original RRP makes the Sony WH-1000XM5 even better performance-per-pound value. A great buy, although be noted that we have seen them drop a little more during previous Black Friday sales.
What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Price check: £279 @ Amazon
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds was £300 now £209 at Amazon (save £91)
The kings of noise-cancelling have done it again with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. We are not yet completely sold on the Immersive Audio modes, but with class-leading ANC and all-round sonic improvements, these highly competitive buds are worth the cash, particularly with this discount.
Five stars
Sony WH-CH720N was £99 now £68 at Amazon (save £31)
For a very reasonable price, the Sony WH-CH720N are a dependably made, enthusiastic-sounding pair of headphones that, while occasionally straying into the realm of excessive bass, deliver good ANC and a strong feature set to the mid-to-low price bracket of the wireless headphone market. Most definitely a job well done. What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
RØDE NTH-100 was £150 now £110.48 at Amazon (save £39.52)
Be as critical or as casual in your listening as you like, the Røde NTH-100 will put you fully in the picture with their highly revealing sound. If you want budget closed-back over-ears, these are outstanding value even at their original price, but with this drop, they're a steal. What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Technics EAH-AZ40M2 was £129 now £89 at Amazon (save £40)
No noise cancellation, but you can still expect a detailed, robust sound, as well as solid comfort levels, on-bud controls and a clean, crisp sonic profile from the Technics EAH-AZ40M2. Excellent value if you don't need ANC and you're working with a tight budget. If you do want ANC, the four-star next-model-up Technics EAH-AZ60M2 are 38% off at Amazon
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 was £260 now £169 at Amazon (save £91)
Watch out, Sony and Bose! The Momentum True Wireless 4 offer a level of sonic refinement and comfort that makes them serious contenders at this level. These noise-cancelling Momentums are great-value alternatives to the Sony XM5 (above) with great sound, fit and features. Five stars
JBL Live Pro 2 was £129 now £88 at Amazon (save £41)
A significant step up from the flock of sub-£100 cheap wireless earbuds, allowing you to access better sound quality without having to make the jump to more premium options from the likes of Bose, Sony and Sennheiser. They’re an entertaining listen, easy to use and manage to pack in a lot of useful features, including noise-cancelling. Five stars
Beats Fit Pro was £200 now £133.10 at Amazon (save £66.80)
This pretty much equals the lowest price we've witnessed the Beats Fit Pro drop to, and we'd recommend a pair for any sportspeople who want lively-sounding, immensely likeable buds which, thanks to their clever wing-fit construction, nestle into your ears snugly and securely. Running fanatics and gym fiends should find them a very attractive proposition indeed. Four stars
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless was £310 now £180 at Amazon (Save £130)
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones earned a five-star review for their great sound and comprehensive feature set. Not to mention 60 hours of battery life! Now, you can get your hands on them for significantly less than their launch price. Five stars
Jabra Elite 3 was £79 now £38.79 at Amazon (save £40.21)
If saving money is your aim, take a look at the Elite 3. They might be cheap (now even cheaper with a £40 discount), but you still get noise-cancelling, HearThrough call tech, 24 hours of total battery life and Fast Pair with Android devices. We liked their expressive and detailed sound, even if they lacked a little dynamically. Highly recommendable at less than £40! Four stars
Jabra Elite 4 Active was £120 now £50 at Amazon (save £70)
Small, light and vibrant to listen to, the Elite 4 Active are a great choice for when you need a pair of robust, well-made and exciting buds that can be used every day or as part of your workout set-up. And that discount? It's not half bad, either! Four stars
AirPods 3 was £169 now £149 at AO (save £20)
Decent sound, innovative Apple-centric features, spatial audio support and Pro-inspired redesign with shorter stems – but no ANC. The AirPods 3 with the MagSafe charging case are a good choice for iPhone users, though note that they have now been replaced by the brand-new £129 AirPods 4 and £179 AirPods 4 with ANC which aren't discounted but are arguably better buys. Four stars
Sony WH-CH520 was £60 now £34.40 at Amazon (save £25.30)
One of the very best budget over-ear wireless headphones on the market, the Sony WH-CH520 offer an audio performance easily in excess of their original asking price, let alone this discounted one. But if you want noise cancellation, Sony's model-up £70 WH-CH720N are your best bets. Five stars
Philips Fidelio X2HR was £180 now £97 at Amazon (save £83)
A slightly different variant to the Fidelio X2, which we have long admired: "If you’re looking for unrivalled comfort and an eye-pleasing design to boot, there’s none better," we said. This X2HR offering should be very similar in quality, and at this price is very tempting indeed.
Grado SR325x was £330 now £247 at AV.com (save £83)
Our favourite wired headphones at this price, the majestic Grado SR325x open-backs are effortlessly musical and just so much fun to listen to. If you don't mind an open-back (leaky) design, this deal deserves to be snapped up.
What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Grado SR80x was £130 now £101 at Amazon (save £29)
If you can't afford the Grados above but are set on an open-back design, the more affordable SR80x siblings are excellent value for money – and also current Award winners. Five stars
Focal Elegia was £799 now £329 at Sevenoaks (save £470)
We're astonished that a pair of headphones are enjoying such a massive discount, so this could mean that the Focal Elegia, which are now a few years old, are nearing the end of their lifespan. If that's the case, it could be time to snap up a pair of the Focal Elegia at the lowest price they've ever been, and probably the lowest price they ever will be. Four stars
Beyerdynamic T1 3rd Generation was £999 now £699 at Amazon (save £300)
The latest Beyerdynamic T1 open-back over-ears are a step up in performance and compatibility from their predecessors and are among the best wired headphones at this price. Grab them at this very generous discount while you can. Five stars
Shure Aonic 3 was £209 now £160 at Scan (save £49)
Shure has plenty of experience with wired in-ear headphones, and it shines through in the Shure Aonic 3. They're comfy and lightweight for starters, and absolutely nail sound quality. You won't find better – especially at this discounted price. What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Beyerdynamic Amiron was £545 now £429 at Amazon (save £116)
When it comes to the Beyerdynamic Amiron headphones, one word springs to mind: comfort. The earcups and headband are made of Alcantara microfibres and micro velour, which is as luxurious as it sounds. Oh, and they sound as good as they feel, too. Five stars
The best headphones deals (US)
Sony WF-1000XM5 was $300 now $219 at Walmart (save $76)
The superb Sony WF-1000XM5 are still the best wireless earbuds in this space, packing in some of the most extensive features available at the price. We can't think of a rival pair of wireless buds that can touch them, and this discount is more than welcome for bargain hunters.
What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Price check: $228 @ Amazon
Earfun Air was $66 now $45 at Amazon (save $46)
The cheapest true wireless earbuds we can heartily recommend, these five-star Earfuns do the basics right – and are now down to just $45. A decent buy now if you're looking for budget buds at this affordable price, although we would expect them to drop to around $35 as we get nearer to Black Friday. Five stars
Sony WF-C700N was $120 now $99 at Amazon (save $21)
Boasting impressive musicality and excellent levels of detail and insight, these comfortable, sport-friendly earbuds are well worth even their non-discounted price. The C700N feature 7.5 hours of battery life, multipoint Bluetooth and IPX4 water resistance. What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Sony WH-CH520 was $80 now $48 at Amazon (save $32)
One of the very best budget over-ear wireless headphones on the market, the Sony WH-CH520 offer an audio performance easily in excess of their original asking price, let alone this discounted one. Want noise-cancelling? Sony's model-up $99 WH-CH720N (below) is our recommendation. Five stars
Sony WH-CH720N was $150 now $98 at Amazon (save £52)
For a very reasonable price, the Sony WH-CH720N are a dependably made, enthusiastic-sounding pair of headphones that, while occasionally straying into the realm of excessive bass, deliver good ANC and a strong feature set to the mid-to-low price bracket of the wireless headphone market. Most definitely a job well done. What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Apple AirPods 2 was $129 now $89 at PC Richard & Son (save $50) The veteran second-gen AirPods get a further price cut now that they have been replaced by the brand-new $119 AirPods 4 and $168 AirPods 4 with ANC. If you aren't bothered about spatial audio and those slightly longer stems, these veterans still offer unbeatable usability and decent sound quality for Apple users. And these are the cheapest AirPods you can buy. Four stars
AirPods 4 with ANC was $179 now $167 at Amazon (save $12)
OK so it's not a big discount, but any discount on such a new pair of AirPods is welcome. The AirPods 4 with ANC cram in so many flagship features with effective sound-blocking and improved sound at this mid-range price – they’re a no-brainer for Apple fans who cannot stretch to the slightly higher-performing AirPods Pro 2 for $189. Four stars
AirPods 4 was $129 now $119 at Amazon (save $10)
The brand-new AirPods 4 are already receiving a small discount at Amazon. They don't have noise cancellation, unlike their 'AirPods 4 with ANC' sibling (above), but they boast the latest AirPods design and supposedly improved sound over the AirPods 3, while the H2 chip brings with it personalised spatial audio and voice isolation for clearer call quality.
AirPods Pro (2nd generation) was $249 now $189 at Amazon (save $60)
Apple’s current flagship ANC buds are our five-star favourites. With impressive ANC, a hugely enjoyable sound that’s powerful, dynamic and subtle, along with personalised spatial audio and new Apple-centric features, the AirPods Pro (2nd gen) are at their lowest price yet. Tempting!
Five stars
Sony WH-1000XM5 was $400 now $289 at Walmart (save $111)
The latest and greatest Sony WH-1000XM5 over-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphones are best in class in their premium field, and this decent saving makes them even better performance-per-buck value. That said, we expect them to drop just below $300 as we near Black Friday.
What Hi-Fi? Awards winner
Price check: $328 at Amazon
Technics EAH-AZ60M2 was $228 now $130 at Amazon (save $98)
Expect a detailed, robust sound, as well as solid comfort levels, decent active noise cancellation good on-bud controls. The spirited, likeable Technics EAH-AZ60M2 offer a solid alternative to some of the market-leading earbuds – and this huge discount on the Rose Gold finish makes them perhaps the most compelling.
Four stars
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 was $279 now $168 at Amazon (save $109)
Seven years into the true wireless game, Sennheiser remains as competitive as ever in the premium space. These noise-cancelling Momentum 3 True Wireless offer a rich feature set and performance, and now a much kinder price tag since they've been succeeded by the excellent $249 Momentum 4.
Five stars
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless was $380 now $230 at Amazon (Save £$150)
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones earned a five-star review for their great sound and comprehensive feature set. Not to mention 60 hours of battery life! Now, you can get your hands on them for significantly less than their launch price. We would snap these up. Five stars
Beats Studio Buds+ was $170 now $149 at Amazon (save $20)
We called the Beats Studio Buds "a neat true wireless solution that represents one of the best affordable alternatives to Apple’s AirPods we’ve seen so far". And these '+' versions supposedly improve on them. So, what are you waiting for, Beats fans? Four stars
Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless was $799 now $548 at Amazon (save $251)
These Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless are among the best wireless headphones we've heard, with a fast, agile sound, premium feel and build, and an excellent control system. If you don't need noise-cancelling, these over-ear headphones are a great choice for home use or long-haul travel with $250 off. Five stars
Apple AirPods Max was $549 now $459 at Amazon (save $90)
Apple’s very first over-ear models are a five-star hit: superb-sounding, noise-cancelling wireless cans with a stylish and luxurious design. Worth it if you're after a premium pair – especially as the original AirPods Max with Lightning connectivity now come with a discount. The new USB-C variant isn't on sale, however, costing $539. Five stars
Beyerdynamic Amiron was $449 now $429 at Walmart (save $20)
When it comes to the five-star Beyerdynamic Amiron headphones, comfort is king. The earcups and headband are made of Alcantara microfibres and micro velour, which is as luxurious as it sounds. But they're not just comfortable; they sound fantastic too. Five stars
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