These half-price wireless headphones look like a Christmas bargain – but you can do so much better!

It's the time of the year when you'll inevitably be thinking about Christmas presents. Be they stocking fillers, showpiece gifts or those treats you've been eyeing for yourself all year, there are bargains to be had and pennies to be saved in the runup to the big day.

If you're seeking a pair of wireless headphones this festive period, your gaze might just have fallen upon the enticing Earfun Wave Pro, currently down from their £80 test price to just £40 at Amazon. That's half their original RRP, and on the surface, a deal worthy of making jolly old Saint Nick even jollier.

Except, it's not the one we'd tell you to pick this Christmas. If you want faces to light up this Christmas, there are alternatives out there that will do a far better jobber. And no, we don't mean a box of lit fireworks.

Earfun Wave Pro deal

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Earfun Wave Pro : was £80 now £40 at Amazon

The Earfun Wave Pro are enticing on paper. They're stuffed with features, look the part, and have had their original price tag slashed in half in the runup to Christmas. The thing is, we still don't think that a £40 discount is enough to make them recommendable, especially when finer alternatives abound.

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The best budget alternatives

What Hi-Fi? Awards winner

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Sony WH-CH520: was £49 now £29 at Amazon

The Sony WH-CH520 are more than worth than their asking price, let alone at this discounted one. With 50 hours of battery life, Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting two devices at once, and a balanced, engaging sound, these Sony cans should be on the list of budget headphone hunters everywhere. They don't have ANC, unlike the Wave Pro, but we feel they represent far better sonic value at their measly price tag.

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What Hi-Fi? Awards winner

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Sony WH-CH720N: was £99 now £64 at Amazon

If you want noise cancelling and you're happy to spend a little more (not a huge amount, mind), go for the Sony WH-CH720N over-ears. They're outstanding value, both on paper and in the real world, with features aplenty, a nice build and the best audio performance you'll find at this level. In a head-to-head sonic shootout, they beat the Earfun Wave Pro with ease.

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We get why the Earfun Wave Pro might catch your eye. If you’re seeking a pair of headphones that look the part and provide all of the features you could hope for at this budget level, they're an inescapably attractive proposition, especially given that Earfun has, in the past, managed to squeeze a lot of performance without a huge outlay. If you remember the low-cost Earfun Air earbuds, you'll know what we mean.

That all said, if sonic performance is your primary consideration, there are better options out there. The Sony WH-CH720N will offer you a more detailed, punchy and engaging experience over the Earfuns, while even the cheaper, non-noise-cancelling Sony WH-CH520 are sonically superior, even if they lack some of the features that make the Wave Pro so appealing.

The thing is, sound should still be your number one concern when buying anything from headphones or hi-fi, regardless of the cost, and you'll much sooner find yourself frustrated by poor audio than by the absence of a few given features.

If you really can't live without ANC, spend a tad more and go for the WH-CH720N – that extra £20 is well worth the investment.

Either way, it's the Sony over-ears we'd recommend over their Earfun rivals any day. Check them out at Amazon now.

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