Black Friday headphone deals 2023: The best picks from Sony, Apple, Bose, Beats and more

Black Friday is typically a boon for headphone and earbud deals, and this year is no different. There's a plethora of deals across the internet on all kinds of headphones, from high-end models to budget-friendly picks. The discounts include several of our favorites from our guides to the best wireless headphones, wireless earbuds, budget wireless earbuds and gaming headsets, as well as other popular models from Sony, Beats, Bose, Apple and more. Now's a great time to pick up a pair as a gift for someone on your holiday shopping list, or a brand new one to replace your own aging cans or buds. These are the best Black Friday deals on headphones and earbuds we found for 2023.

Sony WH-1000XM5

The Sony WH-1000XM5 is down to $328 at Amazon, B&H and other retailers, which is a $72 drop and ties the lowest price we’ve seen. This is the top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones, and we gave it a review score of 95 last year. Its active noise cancellation (ANC) is among the better options we’ve tested, its design is comfortable to wear over extended periods and its battery lasts a solid 30 or so hours per charge. The sound goes heavy on the bass by default, which should please fans of hip-hop and pop music, but you can customize the EQ curve through Sony’s app. Like many Sony headphones, it also comes with a number of useful bonus features; “Speak-to-Chat,” for instance, automatically pauses your music when you start speaking.

Sony WF-1000XM5

For an in-ear pair, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is also on sale for $248 at Amazon, B&H and others. (Yes, Sony’s headphone naming scheme is bad.) That matches the lowest price we’ve seen and comes in $52 below Sony’s usual list price. This set tops our list of the best wireless earbuds and earned a score of 87 in our review this past July. Like the over-ear XM5 above, it offers a host of useful features, a warm yet customizable sound, powerful ANC and a comfortably snug fit that naturally isolates a good chunk of outside noise on its own. Battery life should sit around seven to eight hours with average use.

Sony WH-1000XM4

If you don’t want to pay up for Sony’s highest-end noise-canceling headphones, Amazon, Adorama and B&H have the older Sony WH-1000XM4 down to $248 as well. While that isn’t an all-time low, it’s $100 off Sony’s list price and a little lower than the usual sale price we’ve seen over the course of the year. The XM4 delivers similar ANC and battery performance as its successor and has nearly the same feature set. Unlike the XM5, it can also fold up for easier storage. However, its mics aren’t as clear for calls, it’s a little bulkier (though it’s still comfy) and it sounds a bit boomier out of the box. But at this price, it’s still a strong value. We gave it a 94 in our review back in 2020.

Apple AirPods Pro

Apple’s AirPods Pro are on sale for $190 at Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. That's $60 less than buying from Apple directly and ties an all-time low. This is the “best for iOS” pick in our wireless earbuds guide thanks to its suite of helpful Apple-specific features, including hands-free access to Siri, quick pairing with iPhones and device tracking through Apple’s Find My network. Effective (if not class-leading) ANC, a superb transparency mode and a pleasantly warm sound also stand out. That said, the Pro’s six-hour battery life is just average and, as with any set of AirPods, you pretty much have to be a dedicated Apple fan to get the most out of it.

This deal applies to the latest iteration of the earphones, which come with a USB-C charging case. If you don’t mind using a Lightning charging case, Walmart has the previous version on sale for a new low of $169. Either way, we gave the AirPods Pro a review score of 88 last year.

Apple AirPods (3rd-gen)

The third-gen AirPods are available for $140 at Amazon, Target, Best Buy and others. Typically, these wireless earbuds have retailed between $10 and $20 higher in recent months, but steeper discounts have been uncommon. We gave this pair a review score of 88 back in 2021: There are certainly better-sounding options for the money, but the third-gen AirPods sound noticeably richer than their predecessor, and their haptic touch controls are altogether more convenient. This is another open design, though, so there still isn’t much in the way of deep bass or noise cancellation. Not everyone will find the wider earpieces comfortable either.

Apple AirPods (2nd Gen)

The second-gen AirPods are down to $80 at Amazon and Target, which isn’t an all-time low but comes in roughly $20 below the pair’s usual street price in recent months. These are Apple’s entry-level wireless earbuds, h