Jeff Dunn
Today is Amazon Prime Day, which is both a made-up holiday a corporate giant manufactured to promote its subscription service and a genuinely good time to pick up some quality gadgets on the cheap. We’re keeping a big roundup of every good Prime Day deal we can find, but in picking through those offers we noticed that several headphones we’d recommend are particularly discounted to prices we don’t normally see.
So, to help those who are specifically hoping to get a new pair of cans out of Prime Day, we’ve broken down the event’s best headphone deals below. Just remember that, like most Prime Day deals, you’ll need to have an active Prime subscription to take advantage of the discounts.
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Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless ANC headphones for $228 ($330)
Although they’re a couple of years old, the WH-1000XM4 is still the best set of noise-canceling headphones for most people, offering a commendable blend of comfort, useful features, and top-notch noise-canceling strength. Battery life remains strong at more than 30 hours per charge, and while the default sound profile won’t suit audio purists, it’s good for those who prefer a more bass-heavy signature, and it’s possible to customize the sound to something more neutral using the EQ tool in Sony’s companion app.
Sony launched a follow-up to this set earlier this year, the also-horribly-named WH-1000XM5, though it plans to continue selling the XM4 as a lower-cost model. While that new pair does add a slightly more balanced default sound, a better microphone for calls, and a slightly more comfortable design, the improvements aren’t great enough to be worth the added cost for most. Unlike the XM4, the XM5 can’t fold up for easier storage, so its case is a bit less convenient for travel. The XM5 is still a great option for those willing to pay more, but the XM4 is the better value—especially at this deal price, which is the lowest we’ve tracked.
Bose QuietComfort 45 wireless ANC headphones for $229 ($315)
Most people looking for a set of wireless headphones with active noise cancelation (ANC) should get the WH-1000XM4 above. However, if you want the most comfortable option possible, you prefer a more neutral sound signature by default, or you must have physical playback buttons instead of the Sony pair’s touch-based controls, Bose’s QuietComfort 45 are a commendable alternative.
The battery life here isn’t as long, typically lasting a little more than 20 hours per charge, and the headphone’s ANC, while very good, isn’t as adept as the XM4 at muting voices and other higher-frequency sounds. It also lacks some of the features we like from the XM4 and XM5, such as the “Speak to Chat” function that automatically pauses music whenever you start talking to someone. But Bose’s pair does a better job of balancing its weight and not clamping down as hard on the head, it has just the right amount of padding, and its earcups are nicely spacious, all of which make it a pleasure to wear for hours at a time. Again, Sony’s pair is not uncomfortable by any means, but if you’re particularly sensitive to the fit of over-ear headphones, the QuietComfort 45 might be worth a go. This deal brings another all-time lowest price.
Jeff Dunn
