Best headphones deals 2023: AirPods, Bose and Sony earbuds, and more

On the hunt for a new pair of headphones or earbuds? Unless you are after a specific, recently launched model, you may well be looking for a good deal to help point you to the right pair. Luckily for you, we can help you bag the best headphones at knockdown prices.

Cheap wireless earbuds and premium over-ear, wireless noise-cancelling cans (and everything in between!) are consistently some of the most discounted products in consumer electronics, with genuinely good deals on some of the best models around often ripe for the picking.

Many of our favourite headphones hit their lowest-ever prices during annual sales events such as Black Friday, Boxing Day and January sales, though that isn't to say that great prices aren't hanging around for AirPods and pairs from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, AKG and more. Indeed, headphones deals are a year-round affair.

We are always keeping an eagle eye out for the best headphone deals around and updating this round-up with them, so without further ado, let's get into the deals...

Best wireless earbuds deals

Apple AirPods Pro 2 £249

Apple AirPods Pro 2 £249 £239 at Amazon (save £10)
Apple's latest AirPods Pro are discounted by £10 at Amazon, bringing the price down to £239. Not a massive saving, admittedly, but any discount is rare on a new pair of Apple headphones. And if you're wondering if they're worth their asking price, yes they are. Get £10 off AirPods 3 Five stars

Technics EAH-AZ40 £130

Technics EAH-AZ40 £130 £99 at Amazon (save £31)
No noise cancellation, but you can still expect a detailed, robust sound, as well as solid comfort levels and good on-bud controls. Great value if you don't need ANC. Four stars

Jabra Elite 3 £80

Jabra Elite 3 £80 £70 at Amazon (save £10)
The Elite 3 are fantastic all-rounders that look good, sound good, and feel solidly built. Battery life is seven hours per charge, they're a doddle to use, and they work with Amazon Alexa. The deal varies depending on which finish you choose. Four stars

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 £230

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 £230 £184 at Amazon (save £46)
Six years into the true wireless game, Sennheiser is as competitive as ever in the premium space. The latest noise-cancelling Momentums build on an already winning recipe with an improved feature set, decent step up in performance and kinder price tag. Five stars

JBL Live Pro 2  £129

JBL Live Pro 2 £129 £99 at Amazon (save £30)
A step up from sub-£100 cheap wireless earbuds and allow you to access better sound quality without having to make the jump to more premium options from the likes of Bose, Sony and Sennheiser. They’re an entertaining listen, easy to use and manage to pack in a lot of useful features. Five stars

Bose QC Earbuds II  £279

Bose QC Earbuds II £279 £239 at John Lewis (save £40)
Bose’s new flagship wireless earbuds were never going to be cheap, but with a successful design and noise-cancelling that sets new benchmarks for quality, the QuietComfort Earbuds II deserve to be heard. Especially now that they've dropped to their lowest price courtesy of a £40 discount! Five stars

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds £250

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds £250 £165 at Amazon (save £85)
Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds are serious contenders for best-in-class at this discounted price. You'll find it hard to beat their noise cancellation... unless you can afford to spend extra for the new £239 QuietComfort Earbuds II sequels above. Five stars

Sony WF-1000XM4

Sony WF-1000XM4 £250 £177 at Amazon (save £73)
Put simply, the Sonys are the complete package – fantastic all-rounders that look great, sound great, and do everything you could ask of them. Battery life is eight hours per charge, they're nice to use and their ANC is one of the best in the business. Current favourites at this price. What Hi-Fi? Award winner

£

Sony WF-C500 £90 £55 at Amazon (save £35)
Boasting impressive musicality and excellent levels of detail and insight, these comfortable, sporty earbuds are well worth even their non-discounted price. The WF-C500 feature 20 hours of battery life, IPX4 splash resistance and Bluetooth 5.0, and are available in black, white, orange and mint.
What Hi-Fi? Award winner

Earfun Air £60

Earfun Air £60 £39.95 at Amazon (save £20)
The cheapest true wireless earbuds we can heartily recommend, these five-star Earfuns do the basics right – and are now £20 off their RRP if you apply the extra £2 off voucher. Five stars

Beats Fit Pro £220

Beats Fit Pro £220 £169 at John Lewis (save £50)
If you’re looking for an Apple AirPods alternative, these comfortable, feature-packed and fun-sounding Beats are easy to recommend. The innovative new wingtip design promises a more secure fit for active lifestyles, while the presence of a Beats app for Android allows non-Apple users to get more involved in the earbuds' features. Four stars

Panasonic RZ-S500W £169

Panasonic RZ-S500W £169 £97 at Amazon (save £74)
One of the very best true wireless earbuds you can buy for under £100. They offer a combination of features (including noise-cancelling) and sound quality that is pretty rare at this price. Five stars

Apple AirPods 2 (2019)

Apple AirPods 2 (2019) £159 £129 at Amazon (save £30)
The second-gen AirPods get a price cut now that the AirPods 3 are here. If you aren't bothered about spatial audio and those slightly longer stems, these veterans still offer unbeatable usability and decent sound quality for Apple users for a lower price. Four stars

Best wireless headphones deals

Sony WH-1000XM4 £330

Sony WH-1000XM4 £330 £239 at Amazon (save £91)
Our favourite wireless noise-cancelling headphones at this discounted price. No longer Sony's latest and greatest over-ear pair (that'd be the XM5 below) but still excellent – battery life, build, comfort and usability are all great for the money.
What Hi-Fi? Award winners

£379

Sony WH-1000XM5 £379 £330 at Amazon (save £40)
The latest and greatest Sony over-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphones are the best in class, and an £40 saving makes them even better performance-per-pound value. What Hi-Fi? Award winners

Bose QuietComfort 45 £320

Bose QuietComfort 45 £320 £220 at Amazon (save £100)
Bose's latest pair of wireless headphones, the QuietComfort 45 can now be picked up at a very decent discount. With class-leading noise cancellation and a decently punchy, detailed sound, these popular Boses are a solid shout at this price. Four stars

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 £350

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 £350 £240 at Amazon (save £110)
A breakaway from the famous Bose QuietComfort range, the 2019-released 700 are more of a premium series with a concentration on noise-cancelling, which is best in class with 11 levels of ANC adjustment. Comfort and aesthetics are spot-on too and they sound pretty decent - though not as good as the Sony XM4 and XM5. Four stars

Apple AirPods Max £549

Apple AirPods Max £549 £499 at Amazon (save £50)
Yes, even with this deal, Apple's wireless noise-cancelling over-ear headphones are still quite expensive. But they are wonderful to use, boast spatial audio support and are one of the very best-sounding wireless headphones we've heard. Worth it for Apple users. Five stars

Best wired headphones deals

AKG K371 £150

AKG K371 £150 £129 at Amazon (save £21)
AKG has once again delivered a truly solid pair of headphones. The K371 are an impressive pair of cans that benefit from careful construction and a robust sound, not to mention high levels of comfort and quality. Four stars

Austrian Audio Hi-X15 £90

Austrian Audio Hi-X15 £90 £88 at Scan (save £2)
Not a huge discount by any means, but these wired headphones were already the best value at their level. An exceptional pair of over-ear headphones that deliver premium sound quality in an affordable package.
Deal also at Amazon.
What Hi-Fi? Award winners

Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X £249

Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X £249 £219 at AV.com (save £30)
If you’re looking for a quality pair of closed-back headphones at this price, put these Beyerdynamics at the top of your shopping list. Once you have a listen you’ll be glad you did. Detailed, comfortable, classy – they tick all the boxes
Five stars

Grado SR325x £330

Grado SR325x £330 £249 at Peter Tyson (save £79)
Our favourite wired headphones at this price, these latest-gen open-back Grados are effortlessly musical. If you don't mind an open-back (leaky) design, this deal deserves to be snapped up. What Hi-Fi? Award winners

Grado SR80x £130

Grado SR80x £130 £99 at Richer Sounds (save £31)
If you can't afford the Grados above but are set on an open-back design, these more affordable siblings are excellent value for money – and also current Award winners.
What Hi-Fi? Award winners

Shure Aonic 3 £179

Shure Aonic 3 £179 £159 at Wex (save £20)
Shure has plenty of experience with wired in-ear headphones, and it shines through in the Aonic 3. They're comfy and lightweight for starters, and absolutely nail sound quality. You won't find better – especially at this discounted price. What Hi-Fi? Award winners

Beyerdynamic Amiron £545

Beyerdynamic Amiron £545 £449 at Amazon (save £100)
When it comes to Beyerdynamic’s Amiron headphones, one word springs to mind: comfort. The earcups and headband are made of alcantara microfibres and microvelour, which is as luxurious as it sounds. But they're not just comfortable; they sound fantastic too.
Get £50 off the five-star wireless version
Five stars

MORE:

These are the best wireless headphones and best wireless earbuds you can buy

Our pick of the best hi-fi and audio deals and best speaker deals

Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is Content Director for T3 and What Hi-Fi?, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for more than 15 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).