Amazon’s early Black Friday deals on headphones and earbuds are just OK — with a few big standouts

UPDATE: Nov. 16, 2021, 5:00 p.m. EST This story has been updated to include Amazon’s latest headphones and earbuds deals ahead of Black Friday 2022.

• BEST APPLE DEAL: Apple AirPods Max are some premium wireless headphones with noise cancellation, a transparency mode, and spatial audio — $449 $549 (save $100)

• BEST BEATS DEAL: Beats Studio Buds, some best-in-class noise-canceling earbuds that are just shy of their lowest price to date — $99.95 $149.95 (save $50)

• BEST BOSE DEAL: Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II deliver deep, immersive sound and crisp, clear calls from anywhere; they’ve also never been this cheap before — $149 $229 (save $80) 🔥

• BEST SAMSUNG DEAL: Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 leave Apple’s entry-level earbuds in the dust — $119.99 $149.99 (save $30)

Black Friday is always a slam dunk season for those seeking deals on headphones and earbuds. But Amazon’s deals aren’t exactly popping off yet — and the big day is just a little over a week away.

Sure, there are a few standout deals already live — like an all-time low price on the Bose SoundLink II Headphones and the first decent discount on the second-generation AirPods Pro — but by and large, the headphones and earbuds deals are just OK so far. We’re expecting some big savings to come the week of Nov. 25, though, so keep checking back if there’s a certain pair you’ve got your eye on.

Whether due to supply chain shortages or employee layoffs, Amazon’s free two-day shipping seems to be harder and harder to come by these days. Be sure to pay attention to the estimated shipping time before you check out, so there are no surprises later.

Here’s a running list of all the headphones and earbuds deals at Amazon worth checking out ahead of Black Friday — we’ll be updating it regularly.

Note: All newly added deals are marked with a ✨, while deals with a strikeout were either sold out or no longer available at their sale price when we last looked. Anything marked with a 🔥 has dropped to an all-time low price.

Best Apple deals

Why we like them

We really like the AirPods Max — they’ve got best-in-class noise cancellation, a transparency mode, and spatial audio — but we like ’em better at a price a little less jaw-dropping. How about a $100 discount? While not the lowest price we’ve ever seen, Amazon had the space gray, sky blue, and silver ones on sale for just $449 at the time of writing.

More Apple deals

• Apple AirPods (2nd gen) with Charging Case — $89.99 $159 (save $69.01)

• Apple AirPods (3rd gen) with Lightning Charging Case — $149.99 $179 (save $29.01)

• Apple AirPods (2nd gen) with Wireless Charging Case — $159.99 $199 (save $39.01)

• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen) with MagSafe Charging Case — $229.99 $249 (save $19.01)🔥

Best Beats deals

(Yes, Beats has technically been part of Apple for many years now, but we’ve divided them up to keep things organized.)

Why we like them

With booming bass, spatial audio, and an all-day battery life, these wireless noise-canceling earbuds from June 2021 “put Apple’s entry-level AirPods to shame,” according to Mashable tech reporter Alex Perry. Amazon has them listed at $99.95 at the time of writing, which is 10 bucks shy of their lowest price ever.

More Beats deals

• Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones — $99 $199.95 (save $100.95)

• Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones — $149.99 $349.95 (save $199.96)

• Powerbeats Pro Totally Wireless Earphones — $179.95 $249.95 (save $70)

Best Bose deals

Why we like them

Lightweight, comfy, and long-lasting (up to 15 hours on a single charge), the Bose SoundLink Headphones II make a great companion for everything from commuting to working out to working from home. The microphone system is built to block out wind and noise, so taking a work call at a busy brunch spot shouldn’t be an issue — at least noise-wise. If you forget to charge before traveling or working out, it’s all good. The quick charge feature gives you an extra two hours of listening from a 15-minute plug in. At $149, these babies are already sitting at their lowest price ever at Amazon.

More Bose deals

• Bose Sport Earbuds — $129 $149 (save $20)

• Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II — $149 $229 (save $80)

• Bose QuietComfort Noise-Canceling Earbuds — $199 $279 (save $80)

Best Samsung deals

Why we like them

Not to totally pile on AirPods, but Samsung’s newest Galaxy Buds are also way better than Apple’s earbuds, Perry said. “Between an attractive egg-like design, excellent noise cancelation, and relatively robust app-based customization (on Android devices),” he wrote, these puppies “largely deliver the goods” at an extremely reasonable price. At $119.99, they’re not the lowest price they’ve ever been, but still offer a decent $30 discount.

More Samsung deals

• Samsung Galaxy Buds Live — $120.39 $169.99 (save $49.60)

• Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

Even more Black Friday headphone deals at Amazon

Headphones

• JBL Tune 510BT Wireless On-Ear Headphones — $29.95 $49.95 (save $20)

• Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Hybrid Active Noise-Canceling Headphones — $59.99 $79.99 (save $20)🔥

• Sony WHCH710N Noise-Canceling Headphones — $68 $149.99 (save $81.99)🔥

• JBL Live 460NC Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones — $99.95 $129.95 (save $30)

• Sennheiser HD 450BT — $99.95 $199.95 (save $100)

• JBL Tune 760NC Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones — $99.95 $129.95 (save $30)

Earbuds

• JBL Tune 125TWS True Wireless In-Ear Headphones — $49.95 $99.95 (save $50)

• JBL Tune 225TWS True Wireless Earbuds — $49.95 $99.95 (save $50)🔥

• JBL LIVE 300 Premium True Wireless Headphones — $54.95 $149.95 (save $95)

• JBL Tune 130NC TWS True Wireless In-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones — $69.95 $99.95 (save $30)

• JBL Tune 230NC TWS True Wireless In-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones — $69.95 $99.95 (save $30)

• Amazon Echo Buds (2nd gen) with Standard Charging Case — $69.99 $119.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Echo Buds (2nd gen) with Wireless Charging Case — $89.99 $139.99 (save $50)

• Soundcore by Anker Liberty 3 Pro Noise Cancelling Earbuds — $99.99 $169.99 (save $70)

• Jabra Elite 85t True Wireless Earbuds — $163.35 $229.99 (save $66.64)

• Sony WF-1000XM4 Noise-Canceling In-Ear Headphones — $248 $279.99 (save $31.99)