Best early Black Friday wireless earbuds deals 2024: 5-star sets from Bose, Sony and more

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Big-name brands with big discounts

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Sony WF-1000XM5, Apple AirPods Pro 2
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Black Friday has come early this year, which means we’ve already seen a flood of fantastic savings on some of the best wireless earbuds we’ve tested hit storefronts.

But, be warned, while there are a number of good wireless earbud deals doing the rounds there are plenty of poor offers that you will be better off avoiding.

Common traps we’ve seen include hefty savings on wireless earbuds that look nice, but performed terribly when we got them in for review. Trust us, some wireless earbuds are so bad they’re a poor choice for any music fan regardless of the price. Another sees retailers list the “deal” price against its original RRP, ignoring the fact the unit sold for less mere weeks ago, making the sale less impressive than it first appears.

Even if you make it past these hurdles, you then need to consider which set is best for your specific needs. At What Hi-Fi? we always put audio performance front and centre when recommending earbuds. But if you want them for your commute, effective ANC is also important. Or, if you want to use them during long flights or train rides you’ll also need to factor battery life. These are all important things to consider on top of the size of the discount.

Here to make things easy, our experts are constantly updating this guide with all the latest savings they’ve spotted on sets our team’s tried, tested and recommends.

Wireless earbuds deals (UK)

Earfun Airwas £55now £35 at Amazon (save £30)Five stars

Earfun Air was £55 now £35 at Amazon (save £30)
The saving applies to the black version of these ultra-budget wireless earbuds, while the white finish is also on sale for £40. The EarFun Air are a great option if you're truly on a tight budget and can't extend to the Sonys, with solid sound quality and good battery life. Five stars

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Sony WF-C500was £55 now £44.99 at Amazon (save £10)What Hi-Fi? Award-winning
was £90 now £59 at Amazon UK

Sony WF-C500 was £55 now £44.99 at Amazon (save £10)
Boasting impressive musicality and excellent levels of detail and insight, these comfortable, sporty earbuds are well worth the investment. The What Hi-Fi? Award-winning WF-C500 feature 20 hours of battery life, IPX4 splash resistance and Bluetooth 5 (but no ANC).

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Sony WF-1000XM5 was £259now £195 (save £64)What Hi-Fi? Award winner
Editor's pick

Sony WF-1000XM5 was £259 now £195 (save £64)
Sony's exemplary flagship wireless earbuds sound unbelievably clear, detailed and refined. They also pack in some of the most extensive features available for the premium price, which is now seeing a welcome drop to under £200. Few current rivals can touch the Sony WF-1000XM5, especially with this tantalising discount for the silver finish. What Hi-Fi? Award winner

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Sony WF-C700N earbuds was £100 now £79 at Amazon (save £11)What Hi-Fi? Product of the Year

Sony WF-C700N earbuds was £100 now £79 at Amazon (save £11)
Comfortable and light design, decent features, long battery life, good ANC and even better sound. The affordable WF-C700N dig up a lot detail for the money with snap, attack and dynamism in abundance. A terrific budget pair and even better buy at this knockdown price, available on all finishes. What Hi-Fi? Product of the Year

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Panasonic RZ-S500W was £169 now £68 at Amazon (save £101)Five stars
TOP ANC EARBUDS DEAL
was £169 now £100 at Amazon UK

Panasonic RZ-S500W was £169 now £68 at Amazon (save £101)
If noise cancellation is important to you but you don't want to spend big on a premium pair, the Panasonic RZ-S500W are great value. Expect 6.5-hour battery life, IPX4 water resistance, exceptional ANC and sound quality that is fantastic for the money. Buy with confidence. Five stars

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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds was £300 now £219 at Amazon (save £101)Five stars

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds was £300 now £219 at Amazon (save £101)
Of course if you do want Bose's current best, these are also on a hefty discount. The kings of noise-cancelling have done it again with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. They're extremely comfortable, nice to use, offer class-leading noise cancelling and an energetic, hugely entertaining sound. And the Moonstone Blue colourway is now available with a sizable £101 discount.
Five stars

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Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 was £260 now £178 at Amazon (save £82)Five stars

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 was £260 now £178 at Amazon (save £82)
The Momentum True Wireless 4 are Sennhieser's top-of-the-range wireless earbuds and rival to the Sony XM5. The Sonys might have a slightly better discount, but these are still a fine alternative thanks to their comfy fit and entertaining sound quality. Five stars

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Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 was £290 now £185 at Amazon (save £105)Five stars

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 was £290 now £185 at Amazon (save £105)
The older Momentum True Wireless 3 are a great alternative if you don't want the newer pair mentioned above. Comfort, sound quality, noise-cancelling and battery life are all in the same ballpark even if they have a slightly reduced feature set. A fine option, especially at this lower price. Five stars

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Wireless earbuds deals (US)

Sony WF-C700N was $120 now $78 at Walmart (save $42)What Hi-Fi? Award-winner

Sony WF-C700N was $120 now $78 at Walmart (save $42)
Comfortable and light design, decent features, long battery life, good ANC and even better sound. A mature, exciting presentation that digs up so much nuance detail and plenty of snap, attack and dynamism. The Sony WF-C700N are a terrific budget pair and a great bargain, with the lowest price we've spotted on the black finish. What Hi-Fi? Award-winner

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Sony WF-1000XM5 was $299now $228 at Amazon (save $71)Five stars

Sony WF-1000XM5 was $299 now $228 at Amazon (save $71)
Sony's exemplary wireless earbuds sound unbelievably clear, detailed and refined. The WF-1000XM5 also pack in some of the most extensive features available for the price. Few rivals exist capable of touching them, especially with this discount. Five stars

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Panasonic RZ-S500W was $180 now $99 at Wallmart (save $80)Five stars
THE BEST BUDGET TRUE WIRELESS EARBUDS
was $180 now $120 at Walmart

Panasonic RZ-S500W was $180 now $99 at Wallmart (save $80)
Panasonic's noise-canceling true wireless earbuds are the best you can buy at this new permanent price drop, offering features and sound quality that are very rare at this price. The RZ-S500W have been around for a while which is why you can make quite the saving. Five stars

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Andy Madden
Andy Madden

Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.

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