Welcome, headphone lovers! We're slap bang in the middle of the run up to Amazon Prime Day, so you can start looking for deals on your chosen listening gear!
Don't know where to start? That's OK: our best noise-cancelling headphones guide or best over-ear headphones roundup is the place – or if you want the best noise-cancelling earbuds or the top true wireless earbuds in your price range, you can absolutely have at those also.
Having been in this game for longer than we'd care to admit, TechRadar knows that headphones always feature heavily on Prime Day, so if you're in the market for a new set of over-ears for your commute (something that'll make the entire subway carriage or busy street simply melt away) or the best earbuds to slip into hand-luggage, you've come to the right place.
As with any huge annual sales event, the sheer number of deals and 'best ever discounts' can feel overwhelming, so we'll scour the internet to bring you the essential Prime Day cheap wireless headphone deals as and when they drop. But until then, here are some of the top TechRadar-recommended cans to look out for, so you can find the best possible deal for you when the big day(s) arrive without our help.
Prep now, strike when the Prime Day iron is hot
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail, and such. And here you are preparing! Dozens of competing retailers out there will want you to set up an online shopping cart with them (and them alone) this Prime Day and often, rival sites might offer a great deal on some of the best noise-cancelling headphones before Amazon does.
What you need to do is to make sure that when the Prime Day discounts start piling in, you already know what a good deal for your chosen headphones should be, so you can take or leave Amazon's offer. And that's where we come in.
Below, you'll see five top sets of wireless over-ear headphones. We doubt they'll drop a ridiculous amount, (these are proven winners, after all) but because of various reasons we'll go into for each product, we do expect certain discounts – and it's all useful information.
The headphones to look out for on Prime Day
The Sony WH-CH520 are the new February 2023-issue super-affordable headphones in Sony's wireless lineup, coming in at $60 / £60 / AU$99 at full price. And they're good. So is it too much to hope for a discount? Maybe, but we can hope…
They're on-ear Bluetooth headphones and although you're not getting active noise cancellation or hi-res audio support, their focus on sound (and a few useful tricks) means they're still fantastic value.
Sony has put everything into the audio quality here (and they're emphatically some of the best cheap headphones on the market) and while the sound obviously isn't going to blow the minds of audiophiles, I could happily listen to it all day. After activating DSEE 'upscaling' of low-quality streaming tracks, we cannot fault the balance between bass, mids and treble. Also, the Sony WH-CH520 deliver a nice dose of detail for this money.
OK, more expensive options in our list of the best wireless headphones add extra clarity and offer more in terms of dynamic range, but when it comes down to it, the sound here is more than splendid for the price. And even better is the fact that you can use Sony's Headphones app to tweak the EQ if you want, and this is actually more effective than in most competing headphones, cheap or expensive.
The CH520 support Bluetooth multi-point pairing, which is always useful an means you can rapidly switch between your phone and your laptop for a video call, for example. Sony's claim of a 50-hour battery life is the icing on the cake, albeit with the caveat that they don't auto-pause when you remove them.
You're probably not surprised to see these cans here, at this point – but they're just so good we want you to know! The Sony WH-1000XM4 deliver excellent noise-cancellation and surprising sound quality all in a lightweight, comfortable design. Yes, they've been superseded by the equally excellent WH-1000XM5 (and recently, the older WH-1000XM3 have crossed over to the big gig in the sky), but Sony's newest XM5 proposition can only lie flat, rather than folding up for easy transportation like many of the best travel headphones – and their very existence will likely bring a few Prime Day discounts on the XM4.
While they don't look significantly different from their now iconic XM3 predecessors, a number of new features – including multipoint pairing, DSEE Extreme upscaling, conversational awareness and auto-play/pause using a built-in sensor – all help the WH-1000XM4 hold on to the top spot in our headphones buying guides.
By every possible metric, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are a wonderful set of wireless noise-cancelling headphones. They deliver exactly what they promise and then some, thanks to their exceptional noise cancellation and cutting-edge codec support.
And on top of the adjustments listed above, the Sony WH-1000XM4 support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format that enables spatial audio on stereo headphones (hit up Tidal to see exactly what this can do), plus the LDAC codec that can send a bitrate of up to 990 kbps. The only unfortunate bit there is that they no longer support aptX or aptX HD, so your hi-res audio support mileage may vary.
Still, they're a top buy – and thanks to their August 2020 release date, these Sony cans are both highly recommended and ripe for a reduction.
OK so they don't quite beat the Sony WH-1000XM4 above in terms of battery life and price, but the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are still a brilliant pair of over-ear cans – and the best Bose headphones we've reviewed. (Don't believe us? Check out our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review).
Bose pioneered ANC technology and the 700 are worthy of that heritage. The company's noise-cancelling headphones were originally designed for airline pilots, to block out environmental sounds and jet-engine noise, but Bose has built on its success, first by bringing it to the rest of and then by applying noise-cancellation to phone calls as well as music for the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. Here, you can choose between 11 levels of ANC in total. It is a fantastic feature – and these are certainly the best noise-cancelling headphones we've ever tested for making calls.
The sound quality is undeniably good, with a vibrant, lively character and well-balanced soundstage impressing during our tests.
If you’re trying to decide between buying the Sony WH-1000XM4s and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 for sound quality alone, we’d recommend going for the former because of that slightly lower price, better battery life and slightly more agile audio.
Then again, who knows what kind of discount Prime Day might bring? These headphones came out in September 2019 after all. You have our full support if you opt for these Bose cans instead – they sound great, look stunning, and the noise-cancellation is out of this world.
We said in our thorough Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review that Sennheiser's welcome update to its 2019 Sennheiser Momentum third-generation Wireless headphones would soon be sitting pretty at the top of our headphones buying guides, and here we are. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are the August 2022-issue wireless over-ear headphones from Sennheiser and if Sony isn't worried, it should be.
These cans boast an incredible 60-hour battery life, a likeable app, an extensive feature set, easy on-ear controls, talented adaptive noise cancellation and a zealous sound that'll have you nodding your head happily wherever you go. Yes, they're a tad plain aesthetically, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and these headphones sound outrageously good for the level.
Sennheiser has packed everything and the kitchen sink into the Momentum 4 Wireless’s spec sheet, including Sidetone to better hear your voice during calls and 'Sound Zones', EQ and ANC presets which can be set to magically kick in when you're, well, in the zone. Make no mistake though, the headline-grabber is still the sound. And what a sound it is! Think open, detailed, expansive, neutral and crisp. Never is it overly warm; never is it congested or muddied through the bass.
Move over Sony XM5, there's a new set of cans in town and honestly, they're just that little bit better across the board. Might they see a discount for Prime Day? They've been out long enough, so let's hope so.
Yep, Sennheiser again. OK look, we're going out on a limb here once more in the hopes that the splendid Sennehiser HD-660S2 will receive a lovely Prime Day discount. These talented open-back wired headphones were made for the mixing booth, but they're also excellent for all-round music listening thanks to their neutral sound recreation, oodles of crisp bass response, plush cushioning and the rigid headband needed to prevent vibration while you listen to your favorite tracks.
Ah, so they leak sound? Actually, there isn’t a huge amount of sound leakage with the HD-660S, so you should be able to sit near someone without sharing your deepest and most niche music tastes. You won’t be able to use them on the subway, though – as an open-backed model, there’s little-to-no sound isolation here and thus, they will only really suit those who listen to their albums al desko at work (or lounging in a comfy listening chair when the working day is done).
Unlike many of the best over-ear headphones we've tested, there's no Bluetooth or alternative wireless connectivity other than a detachable cable here but then, you came here for the best in wired listening, didn't you?
Ultimately, the HD-660S2 are best for static listening, sound mixing, or nursing a favorite album in high quality sound at home without the fear of missing a doorbell. And if you can get them for a discount, so much the better.
