The first round of Prime Big Deal Days brings hundreds of dollars off prices on headphones and earbuds from Apple, Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, Beats and Samsung. If you’ve been waiting for high-end noise cancellation, extended battery life or just a solid budget model to come into impulse-buy price range (often before the main event gets underway), this is when top-notch models fall to midrange pricing.
Why it matters: Headphones and earbuds are usually one of the most heavily discounted tech product categories during massive retail events. Industry trackers like IDC have reported that “hearables” continue to take the largest slice of the wearables pie, and competition in this category means feature sets remain high and prices flexible. Translation: you’ll see deep discounts outside of clearance-tier gear for proven models, not just the obvious weak links.
What’s Already Discounted: Apple, Bose, Sony
The perennial bellwether here is Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd gen., USB‑C), which have a list price of $249 but regularly dip to the $199 range during major sales events. iPhone users will want to jump on these straight away with their easy switching and class-leading transparency mode, along with ultrasonic case tracking via Find My making them a fantastic early pick. AirPods Max also experience a more subdued but still noticeable drop. They’re usually in the low-$500 range at minimum when they do shift.
Bose discounts also tend to be simple and robust. The more advanced lines—QuietComfort and QuietComfort Ultra—are the headliners, which are also frequently on sale at a 20–30% discount. If a silent-on-a-plane performer and plush comfort are at the top of your list, Bose is still the standard. Audio reviewers always say Bose is king when it comes to low-frequency noise reduction — the very thing that mutes engine roar on long-haul flights.
Sony is the value swing. The WH‑1000XM5 seldom goes fire-sale cheap, though modest discounts are worth it given their excellent ANC, well-tuned sound and comfortable build. Meanwhile, the still-excellent WH‑1000XM4 can often be found well under the XM5, making for an interesting sweet spot. On the earbud side, WF‑1000XM5 deals hit early more often than you’d think, particularly as inventory cycles.
Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 over-ears and Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds, too, exhibit early movement. Expect nuanced sound and long battery life; the M4 over-ears regularly sail past 50 hours per charge. Samsung’s family of Galaxy Buds and Beats’ Studio Buds+ show up with cuts in the double-digit percentage points, meaning both Android and iOS users can get their hands on budget-friendly routes into some pretty solid ANC and great mic quality.
Best Budget Headphone and Earbud Buys Under $100
Among the best surprise values at this time of year are items that cost less than $100. Soundcore by Anker’s over-ears—such as the Life Q20/Q30/Space series—are often available in that $35–$70 range and play far above their weight class when it comes to comfort and battery life. On the earbud front, JBL’s Tune series and Soundcore’s Space A40 are your candy crush; both frequently undercut bigger brands with sale prices on reasonable ANC and multipoint.
Reality check: at this price, ANC won’t match Bose or Sony. Still, subtracting out HVAC rumble and low-frequency chatter for commuting or open-office use might just be the quality-of-life improvement you’re looking for.
Know Your Features: ANC, Battery, Codecs
Active noise cancellation varies widely. Independent lab tests conducted by outfits like Rtings constantly reveal premium over-ears cutting low-frequency noise by about 20 dB or more, while midrange models usually fall into the low teens. If you travel even half as much as I do, that delta is definitely noticeable; for office use, mid-tier ANC is typically enough when combined with good passive isolation.
Battery life is a sanity-saver. Earbuds with ANC on commonly last 6–8 hours per charge (24–36 total, counting the case), and up-to-date over-ears often advertise 30–50. Multipoint Bluetooth — the ability to remain connected to a laptop and phone at the same time, for instance — has come of age, and is now included in many midrange and premium models. If you do a lot of calls, make this feature a priority.
For codecs, iPhone users will mostly be looking at AAC; Android users might have aptX Adaptive or LDAC to lean on with supported phones. Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 codec are on their way, but support is uneven among brands. I can have a video of any quality, shot on any equipment at any data rate, and I’ll find a way to handle it and transfer it without trying to nickel-and-dime me over codecs that probably won’t work for my devices anyway.
How to Verify a Real Discount Before You Buy
Before you hit “Buy,” check price history. Price-tracking services often show that “list price” is not always the true baseline and some products go on coupon-rolling drop cycles. Weed through the difference between just a strikethrough MSRP and anything else meaningful vs. the 90-day average.
Confirm the seller. For desirable models — particularly Apple, Bose and Sony — the rule of thumb is to only trust “Ships from and sold by” the retailer or brand’s official store so you can avoid gray-market or used stock posing as new. Also look over return windows and warranty terms; certain colorways or limited bundles may have different policies.
Quick Picks by Use Case for Headphones and Earbuds
- For iPhone owners that prefer seamless switching and those who value top transparency: when they drop to the $199 tier.
- For the frequent flyer who wants to get away in silence: 20% or more off Bose QuietComfort or QuietComfort Ultra over-ears.
- Best all-arounder ANC, customizable sound: Sony WH‑1000XM5 if you can afford them or the value-packed WH‑1000XM4.
- For Android audiophiles: Sennheiser Momentum 4 over-ears or Momentum True Wireless 4, the latter of which especially holds up when it’s priced below its recent average.
- For strong value under $100: Space A40 earbuds or Life Q30 over-ears from Soundcore.
- For gym buds that aren’t as low-key: Beats Studio Buds+ or one of Samsung’s Buds line when heavily discounted.
Bottom line: Early Prime Big Deal Days often front-load headphone and earbud deals that are ones you’re best off grabbing, and the best deals aren’t all relegated to last year’s leftovers. Set alerts for a handful of targets, check the price history and strike when those historically low ranges turn up.
