Top Headphone Deals for President’s Day – Ars Technica

Whether you want to enjoy music with higher sound quality or want to cancel out ambient noise, Dealmaster is here with deals on some of the best headphones on the market.

If you’re an Apple user, Apple AirPods Max or AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are easy to connect to your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or MacBook. Although more expensive than competing options, Apple’s AirPods line has received strong praise for its sound quality, noise-canceling performance, and features such as spatial audio and solid battery life. On the Android side, Samsung users are starting to see some of these features in the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Platform-agnostic users might want to look at the Bose 700 headphones, which provide a fantastic noise-canceling headphone experience, or Sony’s affordable WF-C500 earbuds.

Top deal for noise canceling headphones

Apple AirPods Max for $500 ($550) at Amazon: Known for its tight integration with Apple’s hardware ecosystem, Apple’s AirPods Max make it easy to connect to devices without making you fumble with Bluetooth settings. The headphones provide good sound and noise-cancelling performance and a pleasant experience for those who like to listen to music throughout the working day. Apple’s fabric-covered earbuds aren’t as supple as leather alternatives, but they also don’t make your ears sweat.

Bose 700 for $330 ($380) at Amazon: As one of the early leaders in noise-canceling headphone technology, Bose has been a trusted companion for business travelers for years. The company moved to a more modern design in the Bose 700, but you still get a pair of cans that are light on the head and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The company advertises up to 11 levels of active noise cancellation and up to 20 hours of battery life.

Shure AONIC 50 for $299 ($399) at Amazon: Although Shure’s brand isn’t as well known for noise-canceling headphones as rivals like Bose and Sony, the company’s AONIC 50 headphones deliver stunning audio fidelity, representing Shure’s solid first foray into this space. With a beautiful collapsible design for travel, 20 hours of battery life, customizable EQ, fingertip controls and support for multiple codecs and wired audio sources, the AONIC 50s are worth checking out for audio enthusiasts.

Jabra Elite 85h for $210 ($249) at Amazon: Don’t let the affordable price of this set of headphones fool you. Although they sell for less than half of Apple’s AirPods Max, the most expensive headphones on our list, Jabra’s Elite 85h headphones hold their own. Jabra says the headphones are designed to take wireless calls and enjoy music, with technology that analyzes your environment and applies personalized sound settings. The headphones come with 36 hours of battery life and eight microphones to keep your voice clear when you’re on a call.

Top deals for noise-cancelling earplugs

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) for $200 ($250) at Amazon: Like their bigger sibling, the AirPods Max, Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are a fan favorite among those who inhabit the company’s hardware ecosystem. With solid noise-canceling performance and sound quality, a comfortable experience thanks to replaceable silicone ear tips, and a compact design with a rechargeable carrying case, AirPods Pro are a solid choice for Mac and iPhone users.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 for $249 ($299) at Amazon: Bose offers a customized approach to sound and comfort with the QuietComfort Earbuds 2, which feature a next-generation design engineered to provide personalized noise reduction and audio performance. A compact design makes it easy to commute with the Earbuds 2, and the buds last for six hours and come with a charging case to top up on the go.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for $200 ($230) at Amazon: Designed for easy pairing if you live in Samsung’s ecosystem of Galaxy smartphones, tablets, watches and laptops, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer high-quality 360-degree sound, a talk mode, water resistance and a portable charging case, making them a solid choice for Samsung users. The buds last for five hours with active noise cancellation enabled, although battery life goes up to 29 hours with the cover and ANC off.

Sony WF-C500 for $68 ($100) at Amazon: While not as premium as Sony’s other wireless earbuds, the entry-level WF-C500 buds still get a lot of love from users for their sound quality, minimalist design, and battery life. EQ adjustment controls help increase audio performance, although noise reduction is absent from these. At this price, you still get an IPX4 waterproof rating, making these earbuds the perfect companion for the gym, and 360 Reality Audio support makes consuming music and videos more immersive.

Listing photo by Jeff Dunn