Amazon Prime Day brings sales of all kinds, but some of our favorite deals are those that double down on the value. All of the headphones on this list are ones we’d already recommend as deals just based on their sheer value at full price. Many (or most) of them live on our best budget headphones guide, so now that they’re on sale, they’re even harder to pass up.
Once you’ve perused these sweet deals, make sure and check out our Absolute Best Prime Day deals post and our Amazon Prime Day live blog for tons more Prime Day Big Deal days sales on stuff we’ve vigorously tested.
WIRED Featured Deals
Slick Style Meets Solid Substance
Photograph: Parker Hall
Nothing burst on the scene with some of the coolest earbuds we’ve seen, bringing transparent tech out of the ‘80s and into the now. The Nothing Ear (a) is one of the brand’s best creations, offering solid noise canceling and good sound in a splendidly stylish package, including a transparent charging case that you’ll want to keep out of your pocket to just to show it off to friends and coworkers. The call quality is great, the touch controls are responsive, and everything just works, all spun into a package with much more verve than the price point would suggest.
Stalwart Noise Cancelers That Go Anywhere
Photograph: Amazon
Anker
Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless
I can’t give the Soundcore Life Q30 a better recommendation than to say that I took them on a transcontinental trip, and they were up to the challenge. The noise canceling can’t match the big boys, but it keeps the drone sounds at bay, while their rich sound punches up films, TV shows, and music to keep you entertained as you float five miles high. The chassis is a bit of a scratch magnet, but they fit comfortably for hours and even come with a case. Soundcore has updated its lineup, but there’s a reason the Life Q30 have stuck around for years.
The Perfect Earbuds to Keep You Present
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
If you’re new to open earbuds, they keep your ear canals open so you can hear your music without checking out. Having recently become a steward of a mercurial newborn, I’ve found yet another fantastic use for them, letting me catch up on my Lonely Island podcast without neglecting my little one. The Acefit Acefast Air are my favorite pair for the money, which is a great fit for earbuds you can’t wear anytime (say, when the little one is shrieking). They sound great, work well, and fit seamlessly on my ears and in my new dad life.
The Best Sound, Pound-for-Pound
Courtesy of Amazon
We’ve come to depend on Soundpeats, which makes some surprisingly excellent-sounding earbuds at similarly surprising prices. The Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+ is our favorite yet, mixing a tiny (and crazy-durable) xMEMS speaker with a regular dynamic driver to provide clear and articulate treble, rich and meaty bass, and tons of detail throughout the sound signature. You’ll get extras like high-resolution support via Sony’s LDAC code, solid battery life, and some decent noise canceling, all for well under $100 on sale. I don’t love the touch controls, which are sometimes unresponsive, but for everything else you get, it’s an easy concession.
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
At $30 regular price, you wouldn’t think the Go Pop ANC could get any cheaper, but darn it if you wouldn’t be dead wrong. This sale won’t change the equation for most budgets, but then again, at just $21, can you afford not to buy these earbuds? These make for a killer gift, especially for a niece or nephew who may lose them quickly. So what do you get for your money? Surprisingly solid sound, a modicum of noise canceling, touch controls that actually work, and even some basic EQ options. That’s a whole lot of action for very little scratch.
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