Best Early Black Friday Headphone Deals: Save on Apple, Bose, Sony and More

In the market for a new pair of headphones? Whether you're looking for a premium pair of over-ear Sonys or need a cheap pair of earbuds for when you're walking the dog, you'll have no trouble finding them for less right now.

The Black Friday deals are already in full swing, including tons of discounts on some of our absolute favorite headphones and earbuds of 2024. To help you take advantage of these early holiday bargains, we've rounded up some of the best offers you can shop right now. You'll find savings on top brands like Apple, Bose, Sony and much more, and we'll continue to add deals throughout the holiday shopping season. Be sure to check back often for the latest batch of offers.

Best early Black Friday headphone deals

The AirPods Pro 2 are the best overall AirPods on the market and earned an Editors' Choice Award this year. These earbuds have the Apple H2 chip and offer top-notch sound quality, noise canceling and transparency mode, along with solid voice calling performance. These are the new, updated pair with USB-C charging, and they're currently available for just $10 more than their all-time lowest price.

Thanks to advanced features like personalized spatial audio and lossless audio support, the noise-canceling Beats Studio Pro earned a spot on our list of the overall best headphones of 2024. They also boast up to 40 hours of listening time per charge, six built-in microphones and hands-free Siri control. All basic colors are available for $170 right now, while the Kim Kardashian collaboration variants are $190.

Though they're pretty pricey, these premium Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones claimed a top spot as one of our overall favorite pairs of 2024. They boast top-of-the-line noise-canceling capabilities and excellent sound quality, and the lightweight aluminum frame makes them comfortable to wear for long periods. They also perform well on voice calls, and have up to 24 hours of listening time per charge.

• Sony WH-1000XM5: $348 (save $52). A frontrunner for the absolute best headphones of 2024.
• Sony WF-1000XM5: $248 (save $52). These premium Sonys are some of our overall favorite earbuds.
• Sony WH-CH720N: $105 (save $45). The best Sony headphones for those on a budget.
• Apple AirPods Max: $459 (save $90). Apple's premium over-ear headphones.
• Apple AirPods 2: $89 (save $40). The most affordable Apple earbuds on the market right now.
• Beats Studio Buds Plus: $130 (save $40). These ANC Beats are some of the best earbuds of 2024.
• Beats Solo 4: $100 (save $100). Top-rated on-ear headphones with an impressive 50-hour battery life.
• Soundore Liberty 4: $70 (save $30). Some of the best noise-canceling earbuds for under $100.
• JBL Epic Sport 3: $60 (save $40). Sweatproof workout earbuds with ANC and flexible ear hooks.
• Soundcore P40i: $42 (save $28). Some of the best budget earbuds are now even cheaper. Claim the on-page coupon to get the discount.

Is Black Friday the best time to buy headphones?

Black Friday brings some of the year's steepest discounts on tech and gadgets, including headphones and earbuds. While there are some deals that happen throughout the year -- such as on Prime Day -- these are few and far between, and rarely match the prices we see around Black Friday. And since we've already passed both Prime Day events for 2024, this is probably the best time to buy headphones until next summer.

Where can I find the best Black Friday headphone deals

You'll find plenty of excellent deals at major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart throughout the holiday shopping season. However, many brands also offer some deals of their own. It's worth taking a look at the online stores for Bose, Sony, JBL and other popular audio brands, as they may be offering some under-the-radar discounts that aren't being matched elsewhere.

What should I look for in a Black Friday headphone deal?

One important thing to keep in mind is that the list price of a product doesn't always tell you the real value. During major shopping events, the list price is often artificially inflated to make the deal look more attractive, so you'll want to check around to find the true value or "street price" of a product before purchasing. There are handy historical price-checking sites out there that can help you check if the deal is actually a bargain, or if it's been "discounted" back down to its regular price. You might also want to install CNET's Shopping plug-in to help with all of that.

When will the Black Friday headphone deals start?

Though Black Friday officially falls on Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving, the deals kick off much sooner than that. Amazon's October Prime Day sale usually marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, and the deals have been ramping up since it took place on Oct. 8 and 9.