There’s no shortage of high-quality wireless earbuds these days, and in fact, it can be hard to sift through all the great options out there. However, a few brands and models stand out above the rest, and you can find some of the most reliable and capable over-ear headphones and cans for bargain prices right now during Amazon’s Prime Early Access sale.
The best last-minute Early Access audio deals
The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch may be stealing the show today, but the Google Pixel Buds Pro are also getting their first big discount today. Down from $200 to $152, it’s no wonder Google’s best buds to date are nearly sold out: the lemongrass and coral are gone, and the fog looks like it’s about to run out too, at as delivery dates push back. Luckily, the short, dark, and handsome charcoal is still available for the monochromatic set, and Google released its EQ update for the Pixel Buds Pro yesterday, so now’s the best time to buy.
Buy the Google Pixel Buds Pro for $48 off
$152 on Amazon
If you’re still looking for a pair of high-quality wireless headphones, there are still plenty available. For example, some of the sleekest and best-designed headphones ever, the Bose 700, are available over 25% off for a few more hours. That’s a big deal for a pair of cans whose only major downside is the price. They’re essentially neck and neck with Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM5 headphones in terms of active noise cancellation and call quality, and it’s no secret that Bose is getting into acoustic engineering and processing of the signal.
Buy the Bose 700 for $110 off
$270 on Amazon
At the other end of the price spectrum, one of our favorite pairs of mid-range headphones comes from well-known manufacturer Anker’s Soundcore brand. The Life Q30 isn’t the company’s most basic model, but for a few more hours they’re priced that way. They offer useful considerations like Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and one-touch NFC pairing, and their ANC capabilities are great for people who don’t feel like spending a few hundred bucks. You can also get them for the same price from the Soundcore website as long as you use the coupon listed.
Buy the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 for $20 off
$60 at Amazon $60 at Anker (with coupon)
Normally priced at $200, the JBL Live 650BTNCs are a hot deal right now. Released just a few months ago, they feature built-in Alexa and Google Assistant support, physical control buttons, and a convenient foldable design. They’re somewhat weighted on the bass side of the spectrum, which is great if you listen to a lot of hip-hop or electronic music. You can also connect them to a phone and a PC at the same time, allowing you to seamlessly switch between watching videos and taking calls at any time.
Buy the JBL Live 650BTNC for $110 off
$90 on Amazon
Anker’s Soundcore Liberty Pro 3 headphones are some of our favorites because they punch above their weight at their list price of $170, so imagine how phenomenal that value becomes when they’re marked down to $90. They come with four sets of ear tips and four sets of ear wings to help you achieve the perfect fit, allowing them to stay on better and feel more comfortable during longer listening sessions. . While Bose is still ANC’s top dog, Anker brings impressive noise cancellation to the Liberty 3 Pro, and best of all, the Soundcore app experience for adjusting ANC and sound profiles is in done, really easy to use and not a frustrating mess. It’s a scarcity among the headphones.
Buy the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro for $80 off
$90 at Amazon $90 at Anker (with coupon)
Sennheiser is one of the biggest names in audio equipment, and its headphones and other gear have been used in studios, on stage, and in many homes for years. Our initial 2020 review noted that its Momentum True Wireless 2 headphones were top of their class for their time, and they continue to sound better than most competitors two years later. Their biggest downside was that they cost $300 when first released, which is way more than most people want to spend on headphones. Now that they’re on sale at half that price, there’s no reason not to pull the trigger if you want high-end sound at a mid-range price.
Buy the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 for $150 off
$150 at Amazon
The best Samsung headphones deals
For example, while its smartphones are getting a lot more attention, Samsung’s wireless headphones are not to be overlooked. In particular, it manufactures a variety of highly portable and fully featured Galaxy Buds Bluetooth, including last year’s Galaxy Buds 2. As premium earbuds go, they weren’t cheap on release, but Amazon’s new autumn sale aims to change that with a 33 per cent discount. They’re designed to take advantage of streamlined features shared by other Galaxy devices, but no matter what medium you connect them to, they sound great. Plus, they’re almost as light as headphones.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 for $50 off
$100 at Amazon
Another member of Samsung’s small stable of fine earphones, the Galaxy Buds Live, are a little different from most other great wireless earbuds. Similar to Apple’s AirPods, they lack the long silicone tips of most other in-ear speakers, resting lightly in the ear instead. Their unsealed design means you can hear your surroundings even at full throttle, which is important in some use cases. Although relatively open, they sound great (although they don’t have the strongest bass). Importantly, few headphones are as light or as small as these, which is barely noticeable when in use.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live for $70 off
$100 at Amazon
The best Jabra audio deals
Jabra is a bigger name in business communications than in entertainment, but its mid-range headphones are no slouch. Unlike many in-ear models in their size and price range, the Jabra Elite 3 are as good for making calls as they are for listening to music. They even sport a passthrough mode that amplifies ambient noise, essentially bypassing their passive isolation, which is rare among affordable headphones. With a 7-hour battery life and nearly 40% off MSRP, these are reliable all-around headphones you should be able to take full advantage of.
Buy the Jabra Elite 3 for $32 off
$48 at Amazon $50 at Best Buy
Another departure from the company’s professional communication roots, the Jabra 85h delivers immersive sound through an over-ear design, which retains a similar quality to the more conversation-focused headphones the company is known for. Stylistically, their clean lines and Spartan design are chic enough for the office and cool enough for the streets. Their battery is also a force to be reckoned with, operating for up to 36 hours between charges and delivering 5 hours of playback in just 15 minutes of quick charging. You’ll currently find these premium cans 20% off as part of Amazon’s Prime Early Access deals.
Buy the Jabra Elite 85h for $50 off
$200 at Amazon
The best Sony audio deals
When it comes to active noise cancellation, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is above almost any competition. The fifth generation of a hugely popular pair of headphones, their recent redesign and adoption of advanced connectivity like Bluetooth 5.2 and USB-C help ensure they stay ahead of the pack in terms of design and of basic functionality. Once you wear them, background noise from the rest of the world tends to fade away, and handy additions like auto-pause and dynamic environment optimization mean you’ll always get the best sound possible. They’re also only a few months old, which makes their current status on sale all the more remarkable.
Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 for $52 off
$348 at Amazon $350 at Best Buy
Sony’s over-ear headphones are big and charging, but the recently released Sony LinkBuds S are the opposite, as some of the lightest and smallest headphones the Korean electronics giant has ever made. It’s this lightweight, balanced design that contributed to our great experience with the LinkBuds S, which are more comfortable and sound just as good as their predecessors. In case you find it hard to justify the cost of a few hundred dollars, don’t forget that you get industry-leading active noise cancellation, the latest Bluetooth connectivity and support for the high resolution LDAC codec. With a 25% discount thanks to the Prime Early Access sale, these slightly under-the-radar headphones finally shine a little brighter.
Buy the Sony LinkBuds S for $72 off
$128 at Amazon $130 at Best Buy
Although we tend to focus on headphones and earphones, there are plenty of brilliant Bluetooth speakers on sale, including the one deal our editor Ara Wagoner bought herself on day one: the speaker. Sony SRS-XB13 Extra BASS Wireless Bluetooth. For the next three months, in his own words, “this was the perfect speaker for singing in the shower and bringing my lazy tunes from room to room while carrying out my morning and evening routine. The ability to attach two different straps allows for better positioning – important with such a small speaker – and the excellent consistency of playback controls makes it easy to use.When I run out of it, I can top it up with the same USB-C charger that my phone uses.
