It's the best time of year to buy noise-cancelling headphones - but not for long!
The best noise-cancelling headphones are a brilliant gift – to yourself or a loved one – but, let’s be honest, they’re also a bit of a splurge. Finding a genuine deal on these pricey headphones can feel impossible for most of the year, but we’ve got some great news if you’ve been on the hunt for an elusive discount.
Right now, for Black Friday week, we’re enjoying the lowest prices on noise-cancelling headphones that we’ve seen all year. Whether you’re after class-leading Bose pairs, contenders from Sony or Apple, or even the affordable challengers – now’s the time to buy. The deals won't last past the end of Cyber Monday (2 December) and many are already going out of stock due to high demand – so if you're ready to buy, don't wait around!
Sony WH-1000XM4
They’ve been around for several years now, but the Sony WH-1000XM4 remains a highly popular (dare we say iconic?) choice in the competitive noise-cancelling headphones market. For Black Friday 2024, this model is available at a record-low price of £175, with 24% off the current list price.
One of the reasons we love these headphones is their convenient fold-down design, which is ideal for commuting or air travel. And if your train or plane journey happens to be noisy, the WH-1000XM4 has you covered with high-performance noise cancellation and the high-calibre audio performance you’d expect from a Sony headphone.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
If you’re an Apple fan, you really can’t go wrong with the second-generation AirPods Pro. As we said in our AirPods Pro 2 review, they’re “second to none for convenience and ease of use” while offering some of the best active noise-cancellation and sound quality you’ll find.
They’re ultra-portable, comfortable to wear, and have a plethora of exclusive features if you own Apple devices, like personalised spatial audio, Find My alerts and audio sharing. While we’ve seen them drop below £200 before, this price slash to £179 is an all-time low for the buds.
Sony ULT WEAR
We’ve seen some outstanding noise-cancelling headphone deals for Black Friday 2024, including several models which are at their lowest ever price. Listeners who like their cans bold and bassy will be excited to learn Sony’s ULT WEAR model is among these standout reductions, with 34% off at £119.
The ULT WEAR is distinct from its rivals within and beyond the Sony range, featuring a big, chunky earphone design, fantastic noise cancellation, plus two bass-boosting modes that are controllable via a special ‘ULT’ button: ‘deep bass’ for greater sonic depth, and ‘attack bass’ for punchier dynamics.
Soundcore Q20i
The Soundcore Q20i excelled in our hands-on testing, earning praise for its simple controls, impressive comfort levels and 40-hour battery life. It’s very rare to find a good pair of over-ear noise-cancelling headphones costing less than £50 – but this model is now well below that mark, at £31.99 thanks to a 36% Black Friday discount.
Naturally, the Q20i lags behind premium noise-cancelling headphones in terms of sound and build quality – but you’re still getting a good piece of tech for the price you pay. The soft, faux leather ear cushions are comfortable, and the audio quality is better than it has any right to be at little over the price
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Bose pioneered noise-cancelling technology back in the 1980s, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the brand is still the leader in the field. The company’s high-end buds, the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, are the very best we’ve tested for active noise-cancellation (ANC) in a compact package, and we’ve found they can even tame the 90-decibel roar of the Northern Line on the London Underground.
They’re just as good for flights and commutes as they are at silencing the office or a busy cafe, and we’ve got no complaints in any environment. They’ve also got a secure fit and long battery life – one of the only downsides is the high price, but they’re now at the lowest ever, with a 34% cut bringing them to £199. Trust us, while they’ve rarely been at the stated RRP, they’ve also never been at this low price before.
Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
We’re always eager to highlight a good deal on the Liberty 4 NC earbuds. A standout value option even at their £79.99 list price, these sophisticated buds are an incredible buy at their current Black Friday price of £49.99, which is an impressive 37% below the RRP and the lowest price we’ve ever seen on this model.
The Liberty 4 NC has highly impressive features relative to the price you pay, with highly effective noise cancellation to match more expensive rivals, IPX4 water resistance and fully adjustable sound profiles. There’s a nice range of colours to choose from too, including Clear White, Light Blue, Pastel Pink, Velvet Black and Navy Blue.
Beats Studio Pro
These flagship Beats headphones usually cost a pretty penny – but thanks to a 49% Black Friday discount, you can grab a pair for a relatively affordable £179, which is the lowest price we’ve ever spotted for this model.
Besides looking super-slick (especially in this Sandstone colour), the Studio Pro boasts excellent noise-cancelling and transparency (which amplifies outside sounds) modes, standout call performance and the punchy audio profile that comes with the Beats territory. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack, which is a nice feature for those of us who still like to indulge in some wired listening from time to time.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
The latest launch from Bose, these buds hit the market in September and are excellent value with their first-ever price drop. They’re great for highly impressive noise-cancelling, battery life, touch controls and rich sound quality.
Our only downside is that the charging case and buds themselves are a bit larger than most, so might not suit smaller ears and pockets, but they do have multiple tips and stability fins and we never had any trouble with a secure fit. At 17% off, bringing them to £149, they’re a top deal.
Beats Fit Pro
Want noise-cancelling buds that work as well for everyday wear as they do for the gym? The Beats Fit Pro gets our vote. They work just as well with Android as they do with iPhones, but do have a few extra perks (like personalised spatial audio) for those using Apple devices.
The flexible “wings” on each bud keep them secure in your ears, so they’re great for use when exercising or if you’ve found other options don’t fit you quite as well. Right now, they’re £134. That’s a big drop from their typical price of around £200 and nearly as little as the £129 all-time low that we glimpsed last Black Friday. They’re worth snapping up while stocks last.
Bose QuietComfort Headphones
Refreshed in September 2023, but retaining a classic Bose design, the QuietComfort Headphones are almost as good as the flagship Ultras when it comes to noise-cancelling and they’re just as comfy for hours of wear, whether you’re at the office or on a long-haul flight.
They come with a super portable carrying case, 24 hours of battery and customisable sound quality. While they’ve seen occasional discounts over the past year or so, they’ve never gone under £250 and the current deal for £219 is their lowest-ever price.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony’s over-ear headphones have been among our top all-rounders for a long time, and while this latest price doesn’t bring the WH-1000XM5 headphones to their lowest-ever price, it's pretty close. They’ve been down to £239 in January of this year, but the current price of £245 isn’t far off that, and they’ve spent much of the year at a higher cost.
This pair is ideal for comfort, powerful noise cancellation, excellent sound quality and lengthy battery life. We’re fans of the colour range – they come in Black, Silver, Blue and a new Smoky Pink – and we highly recommend grabbing them while they’re almost the cheapest they’ve ever been.
Bose QuietComfort SC
How much does that hard case and the colour range of the Bose QuietComfort Headphones matter to you? If you’re not particularly concerned about these nice-to-haves, you can make a great saving by getting the same tech for less in the Bose QuietComfort SC.
The “SC” here stands for “soft case” and they only come in black, but they otherwise deliver the exact same excellent noise-cancelling tech as the main QC headphones, just at an all-time low price of £176.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Launched at the end of 2023, this Bose pair is the brand’s flagship and the undisputed champion of the noise-cancelling market. They’re seriously powerful; we’ve never heard anything silence as much background noise as these cans do.
The QuietComfort Ultras also live up to their name with supreme comfort, while offering immersive sound quality, plenty of battery life and excellent portability. Buy from Bose directly and they’re available at an incredible 33% off, for an all-time low price of £299.95.
Sony WF-1000XM5
While the earbud market couldn’t be more competitive, the truth is that there are only a handful of pairs that contenders for the title of the best noise-cancelling buds.
This Sony pair is right up there with the best, like the Bose Ultras and Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, and it’s a tremendous cross-platform option that delivers loads of battery life, tremendous sound quality, and a comfortable fit.
This latest price drop returns them to their lowest price from October (£188.99) and even applies to the newest colour in the range, a “Smoky Pink” shade.
Sonos Ace
Launched earlier this year, the Sonos Ace are the debut headphones from the brand best known for its soundbars, speakers and multi-room audio systems. When we reviewed the Sonos Ace at launch, we found that they’re some of the most comfortable options on the market, and deliver a smooth and clear sound that’s great whether you’re listening to music or watching films.
They’re even better if you want to connect them to your Sonos soundbar, offering seamless connectivity so that you can “swap” the audio from the TV over to the headphones. Ideal if you (or someone you know) are prone to watching movies while others are trying to sleep! They’re usually pricey at £449, making the 33% drop to £299 a worthwhile saving!
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