The best cheap noise-canceling headphone deals right now - The Verge

With many people working from home than they used to, owning a good pair of noise-canceling headphones has become more appealing than ever. However, they can be expensive and difficult to shop for due to the range of available models, many of which cater to different lifestyles and priorities. Some are better suited for long-haul flights, while others are ideal for multitasking and marathon listening sessions.

That’s why we’ve curated this list of the best deals on noise-canceling headphones. Here, you’ll find sales on all kinds of on-ear and over-ear headphones, all of which are designed to eliminate outside noise but come with their own strengths and weaknesses. And if you want to do even more research before making a buying decision, we’ve put together a guide to the best noise-canceling headphones, which can help you determine which is right for you.

Highlights across the range

Model	List Price	Sale Price	Retailers
Model	List Price	Sale Price	Retailers
AirPods Max	$549	$479	Amazon
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 3	$399.99	$241	Adorama
Sony WH-1000XM4	$399.99	$348 (with a 20,800mAh power bank and a microfiber cloth)	Adorama
Beats Studio 3 Wireless	$349.99	$199.00	Amazon
Microsoft Surface Headphones 2	$249.99	$230.99	Walmart	Microsoft
Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700	$399	$379	Amazon	Best Buy
Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II	$349	$299.99	Best Buy	Target
Beats Solo Pro	$299.95	$129	Best Buy

Sony WH-1000XM4 deals

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 is our overall pick for the best noise-canceling headphones. They offer excellent noise-canceling, good sound and voice quality, and the ability to pair to two devices simultaneously. You can wear these for long periods of time as well, as their plush ear pads make them comfortable to wear for as long as you need. They can even last up to 30 hours on a single charge and can be charged via USB-C.

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we saw the $349.99 headphones drop to $248 — their lowest price to date. They remained around that price throughout the holiday season, but, unfortunately, many retailers have since ended their sales. Some retailers, however, are offering bundle deals that are still worth considering.

Right now, Adorama is bundling the WH-1000XM4 with a 20,800mAh battery pack and a microfiber cleaning cloth for $348. Mophie’s power bank typically sells for $39.95, so this bundle is valued at around $390. If you don’t care for the battery pack or prefer to shop elsewhere, however, Amazon and B&H Photo are also selling the headphones for $348. Read our review.

Apple’s AirPods Max deals

If you’re looking for the best sound quality you can get in a pair of noise-canceling headphones, we recommend the AirPods Max. The headphones pair seamlessly with other Apple devices and sound superb, especially combined with Apple’s surround sound-like Spatial Audio feature, which allows for a more immersive experience when listening to or watching select content. They also tout the best transparency mode of all the headphones on our list while boasting incredible build quality thanks to a luxe design that takes opts for aluminum, steel, and fabric over plastic.

At $549, these headphones are expensive, but we’ve been seeing a lot of discounts lately. Right now, Amazon is selling the AirPods Max for $479, which is about $50 shy of their best price to date and their standard sale price. B&H Photo is offering the same discount but only on the silver and pink models. The green and blue versions are $489, while the space gray set is $499. Read our review.

Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 3 deals

If you’re a non-Apple user looking for a pair of noise-canceling headphones that sound fantastic, Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless 3 is your best option. We found that they boast detailed, bass-rich sound, a stylish, retro-inspired design, and are extremely comfortable to wear — even when you’re donning glasses. Although their noise cancellation might not rival other models on our list, they make up for it with convenient software features like ambient passthrough and a customizable EQ. Plus, unlike many other headphones, they integrate with the location tracking device, Tile.

The headphones typically retail for $399.99, but several retailers have been selling them for $241 since Black Friday. Right now, however, only Adorama has them for $241 (and only in black). That’s nearly half their usual price, saving you $159. Read our review.

Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 deals

Multitaskers will appreciate Microsoft’s Surface Headphones 2 as they offer terrific, reliable multipoint Bluetooth support. You can seamlessly pair them with multiple devices, allowing you to juggle content and switch back and forth at the same time. These headphones also offer intuitive dial controls for volume and noise cancellation, with far better quality and battery life than their predecessor. While the noise canceling isn’t quite as effective as Bose’s and Sony’s, they still adequately silence outside noises so you can focus.

During Black Friday, Microsoft’s $249.99 Surface Headphones 2 dropped down to $162.49, which is almost half their typical retail price. We’re not currently seeing any similar big deals on them, but you can still a pair for $230.99 from Microsoft, Walmart, and Amazon. Note, however, the deal available from Walmart is sold and shipped by Microsoft. Read our review.

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 deals

If you plan to frequently use your headphones for voice calls, Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are the best option on this list for doing so. They boast excellent voice call quality, meaning everybody on your Zoom call will be able to hear you loud and clearly, and they offer great noise cancellation with satisfactory sound. Like the QC45, the over-ears can also connect to two devices simultaneously, but they can’t be folded and only offer 20 hours of battery life, which is also less than other headphones on this list provide.

We’ve seen several discounts on the 700s over the past year or so, with the best reaching an all-time low of $299. Lately, however, we haven’t seen any sales that steep. Amazon has been selling them for $379 instead of $399 for the past six months, and Bose and Best Buy are currently selling the headphones for the same price. Read our review.

Other great noise-canceling headphone deals worth checking out

Beats Studio 3 deals

While we couldn’t recommend these to anybody outside of the Apple ecosystem, the Beats Studio 3 Wireless could be a decent alternative if you want a pair of over-ear headphones from Apple but find the AirPods Max to be too expensive. The Beats Studio 3 are comfortable to wear, fold inward for easy stowing, and feature Apple’s last-gen W1 wireless chip, which allows you to quickly connect and switch between Apple devices. Note, however, unlike those built with Apple’s newer H1 chip, the headphones lack hands-free Siri support. They also charge via a Micro USB port instead of a Lightning port or USB-C.

They’re certainly showing their age at this point — they launched 2017, after all — but they're currently on sale starting at $199 at Amazon in select colorways. Read our review.

Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II deals

If the newer QuietComfort 45 are out of your budget, their noise-canceling predecessor remain a great, affordable alternative. Like newer Bose models, the QuietComfort 35 II are both comfortable and lightweight. They also come with a number of praiseworthy features, including good sound quality and the ability to seamlessly switch between two paired devices.

While their sticker price is $349, the QC35 II are frequently on sale for far less. In fact, until just recently, we saw them for as low as $179. Right now, however, Target is only selling the headphones for around $299, about $30 less than Bose QC45 are currently selling for.

Beats Solo Pro deals

When we first reviewed the Beats Solo Pro in 2019, we found the nicely designed Apple headphones offered effective noise cancellation, good durability, lengthy battery life, and a balanced sound profile. While its sticker price was $299.95, Best Buy is currently selling them in blue and red for $199.99. Note, however, these headphones have since been discontinued. As a result, Apple no longer sells them, and the retailers that do — like Best Buy — are not likely to continue stocking them in the future.

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The best cheap noise-canceling headphone deals right now - The Verge
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