Why You Can Trust CNET Best Deals on Earbuds and Headphones: Beats, Skullcandy and More See Reductions
New record low prices for big brand earbuds and headphones ahead of Memorial Day.
A good pair of earbuds or headphones will serve you right for years. We all remember having a favorite pair that weathered storms and survived the odd drop or two. Now with the market more saturated than ever, it can be hard to decipher which are the best headphones to pick up. Well, that's where we come in.
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We've rounded up the best current deals on headphones and earbuds and will continue to update this page as we find more top deals. From steals under $40 to discounts on your favorite high-end headphones, check out the best headphone deals, below.
Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2024
Best deals on headphones and earbuds
Known for being lightweight and not too flashy, the Beats Studio Buds are now available for a record-low price at both Amazon and Best Buy. This is a big 47% discount that will save you $70 from its typical RPP of $150. Best of all, the deal applies all colors: black, moon grey, ocean blue, red, sunset pink and white.
These wireless, open-ear headphones are designed to stay in your air during workouts, are waterproof, and boast clear sound and calls. Right now you can save $40. The regular retail price is $130, but Amazon already has these reduced to $80, meaning it's now less than $9 away from its lowest-ever price.
Like
- Well-designed inexpensive earbuds
- Good sound for open earbuds
- Strong feature set, including hands-free Alexa
Don't like
- May not fit everyone's ears comfortably
- Not a ton of bass
- No ANC (they're open earbuds)
Amazon's 2023 Echo Buds impressed me in a few ways that I wasn't expecting. For starters, they sound good for inexpensive open earbuds, delivering decent clarity and ample bass. They also have a robust feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, hands-free Alexa and ear-detection sensors that pause your audio when you take one or both buds out of your ears.
Their sound falls short of that of Apple's AirPods 3, which delivers fuller bass and overall fuller, smoother sound. (They're better at handling more complicated music tracks with a lot of instruments playing at the same time.) The AirPods 3 cost around $150 and offer only about 15% to 20% better audio. In short, if you're looking for open earbuds -- or "semi-open" as these types of earbuds are sometimes called -- the Echo Buds are good value at their $50 list price and even easier to recommend when they go on sale.
Right now there's not a straightforward discount on these earbuds but you can save 20% with trade-in of a qualifying device.
Like
- Low price
- Surprisingly good sound for the money
- Active noise canceling and multipoint Bluetooth
- Strong battery life
Don't like
- Charging case is bulky
- Earbuds are a little big
The Baseus Bowie MA10 delivers surprisingly good sound along with active noise canceling for its low price -- you just don't see too many ANC earbuds at this price. They're IPX6 water-resistant (meaning they can withstand a strong spray of water) and also have multipoint Bluetooth pairing and connect to a companion app. They stick out of your ears a bit, but they did fit my ears comfortably.
The regular price is $40 but right now there is an Amazon on-page coupon that gives you a 20% discount applied to your cart, which is an $8 savings.
The earbuds deliver impressive battery life, offering up to 8 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels with an extra 132 hours in the charging case. Yes, you read right: 132 hours. The one big downside to these buds is that their charging case is rather large and bulky. If you can live with that, these are a nice bargain.
The Pixel Buds Pro are Google's first earbuds to feature active noise canceling. While it's nice that they finally have a feature that a lot of true-wireless earbuds have had for a while, what ultimately sets the Pixel Buds Pro apart and makes them worth considering -- particularly for Android users -- is their distinct design and winning fit. That helps enhance their performance on both the sound quality and noise-canceling fronts. Although not quite elite for voice-calling, they did perform well as a headset for making calls.
You can save 30% on these earbuds right now, a $60 savings.
These earbuds are inexpensive but boast good sound quality for the price, and that price is lower than ever right now. Usually priced at $60, they're discounted to $48. If you clip the on-page coupon, you will save an additional 20%, bringing the price down to just $38. Plus, if you buy two or more you can save 5% more.
Note that the total discount isn't viewable until checkout.
Skullcandy is known for its stylish designs and great sound quality, so being able to grab these Skullcandy Grind earbuds while they're 25% off is a gift. Thanks to the charge-carrying case, they have up to 40 hours of battery life. Along with that, they work with both iPhones and Androids. There are plenty of modes and features to play around with too.
If you fancy getting some incredible headphones with 50% off, then today's a good day. These Skullcandy Crusher headphones have a 40-hour battery life, a built-in microphone, and it's device agnostic. They also look great, and have a built-in Tile, so you can find them using the Tile App.