I love my AirPods Max but the Sony WH-1000XM4 are a much better buy today
I've seen some AirPods Max deals but they're still twice the price of these spectacular Sonys
There are tons of Prime Day deals on headphones, and that means it's a brilliant time to treat yourself: headphones that were previously located in the "HOW MUCH?" category are now much more affordable, and that means you get much more music for your money. But while my favourite headphones are Apple's AirPods Max, I don't think you should buy them today: this Sony deal is so much better. Instead of paying north of £400 for Apple's offering – and that's a discounted price that's significantly lower than the RRP – you can get Sony's multi-award-winning WH-1000XM4 noise cancelling headphones for £209 (was £350).
The reason for such a big discount is simple: there's a newer model on sale now, the Sony H-1000XM5. But while the newer model has some improvements, it's not so massively different from the Sony WH-1000XM4 that it's worth paying almost twice the price for. This Sony deal gives you a truly exceptional pair of headphones for roughly half the price of my AirPods Max – and unlike the Apple headphones, you don't need to have Apple hardware to make the most of it.
Today's best Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones deal
Sony WH-1000MX4 noise cancelling wireless headphones: £350 £209 at Amazon
Save £141 on these stellar Sonys with first-class active noise cancellation, a supremely comfortable fit and typically great Sony sound quality. Until very recently, pretty much everyone agreed that these were the best noise cancelling headphones you could buy; the only reason they're not number one any more is because Sony made a newer model that's very slightly better.
The reviews of the WH-1000XM4 were unanimous: Sony absolutely nailed the noise cancelling without sacrificing sound quality. That's important: sometimes noise cancelling makes an audible difference to what you're hearing, losing detail and low-end clarity. Not here. These have one of the best noise cancelling systems around, with a powerful processor dedicated to removing unwanted audio without getting rid of the good bits.
The downsides? These headphones aren't splash-proof, let alone rain- or sweat-proof, so if you need running headphones these aren't the ones for you. And of course if you'd rather have earbuds then these won't be in your shortlist. But if you're looking for the very best value over-ears with noise cancelling for listening at home or while you travel, these already exceptional headphones are even better value today.
More Prime Day deals UK
- Amazon devices: up to 65% off Echo Dot, Fire tablets and Fire TV Stick
- Adidas: 30% off some sportswear and trainers
- Apple: save up to £150 on iPads and Apple Watches
- Back to school: backpacks and stationery from £1.50
- Beauty: save on Rimmel, Revlon, Olay, and more top brands
- Coffee machines: starting at just £19 with up to 60% off
- Fashion: 40% off Vans, Hugo Boss, Wrangler, and other brands
- Fire TV Stick: lowest price yet on all models
- Groceries: £10 off your first three grocery shops
- Grooming & hair care: 60% off Philips, Remmington shavers & straighteners
- Headphones: Sony and Bose headphones at lowest-ever prices
- Health: 57% off Oral-B and Philips electric toothbrushes
- Kindle: 25% off Kindle ereader bundles
- Laptops: 15% off Microsoft, Huawei, Acer, and Asus laptops
- Phones: Google Pixel 6 lowest ever price, OnePlus, Motorola
- PS5: Dualsense deals, plus savings on leading games
- Security: £180 off Ring Home Security bundles
- Smart home: £144 off Ring and Echo bundles
- Smartwatch: up to 50% off Garmin watches and trackers
- Tablets: 41% off Samsung, Lenovo, and Huawei tablets
- Tools: 49% off Bosch tools and garden items
- TVs: 4K TVs starting at just £199 with half-price deals
- Vacuums: 35% off Shark cordless vacs
- Xbox: Xbox Series X in stock for £449
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Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.