This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide on everything you need to know and how to make sure you get the best deal.
Amazon Prime Day 2020 officially kicks off at midnight PT on Tuesday, Oct. 13, but unofficially, tons of vendors are already dropping early Amazon Prime Day deals. In the headphone arena, it’s a return to some of the deep discounts on Sony headphones that we’ve seen before — and you don’t even have to wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to take advantage of them.
More specifically, we’re seeing Apple headphones return to a low price of $199 (even as a new AirPods Studio over-ear headphone remains rumored for Tuesday). Sony has again lowered prices on last year’s WF-1000XM3 as well as the newer WF-SP800N, which is water-resistant and features noise canceling, and the entry-level WF-XB700 Extra Bass, which is back down to the lowest price we’ve seen, at $78.
We also expect to see more amazing headphone discounts during the official Prime Day sale, so if you’re in the market for a specific type of headphone, say ones with Bluetooth connectivity, noise cancellation, or true wireless earbuds, keep checking back.
If you can’t wait for Prime Day to score a deal, we’ve collected some of the biggest markdowns from the long-awaited sales event below. Note that you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member to get these exclusive deals.
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New iPhones are expected to be unveiled Tuesday, and they are rumored to come without wired headphones in the box for the first time ever. In the meantime, Apple’s current top of the line noise-canceling true wireless headphones are now back to selling at $199. That’s still pricey, but it’s $50 off what you’ll pay at the Apple Store, and $20 less than their usual price at Amazon.
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The Jabra Elite 45h was released a few months back and is now on sale for $80, 20% off its list price of $100. It’s one of the best on-ear headphone values right now, with good sound quality, a sturdy design and comfortable fit (for on-ear headphones, anyway).
Just as importantly, it’s very good for making calls with dual-microphone technology and a sidetone feature that lets you to hear your voice in the headphones so you don’t end up talking too loudly. Available in multiple color options, it folds flat but doesn’t fold up.
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The WF-1000XM3 earbuds list for $230. They briefly dipped to $170 earlier this year, but at $178, they’re still the best sounding wireless earbuds in this price range and also feature active noise cancellation technology to reduce ambient noise.
The only drawback is the WF-1000XM3 earbuds aren’t rated as sweat-proof or waterproof headphones. That said, I’ve used them for light workouts with a bit of a sweat at the gym without a problem. They use Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC, but not aptX.
Note that we’ve been expecting Sony to release the next-generation WF-1000XM4, but at this point, we may not see those before 2021.
Water-resistant: No (lacks IPX certification).
Read our Sony WF-1000XM3 review.
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It took a while, but now we finally have a new true wireless noise-canceling sports model from Sony: the WF-SP800N. Funnily enough, I wrote at the end of my mostly positive review that I’d like to see them more in the $160-$175 range. They were recently down to $127, but the current $148 price is still $50 below list, and $20 below their usual street price.
This isn’t quite the WF-1000XM3 with a water-resistant body. It’s missing Sony’s QN1e processor, but there’s still a lot to like about it, including very good sound, solid noise canceling and good call quality. It’s definitely a significant upgrade over the WF-SP700N, which came out in 2018, and its “arcs” (sports fins) lock the buds in your ears. Just make sure you get a tight seal from one of the included ear tips or else both the sound and noise canceling will be lackluster.
Water-resistant: Yes (IP55 splash-proof).
Read our Sony WF-SP800N review.
Sony
The WF-XB700 is in the company’s Extra Bass line and lists for $130. I’ve tried them and really liked their fit. Their sound quality doesn’t measure up to that of the WF-1000XM3 or WF-SP800N (it lacks some clarity), but if you like bass, they’re decent sounding earbuds. I thought they were a little expensive at $130. At $52 off, or $78 — matching their all-time low — they’re a much more enticing option.
Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 splash-proof).
Read our Sony WF-XB700 Extra Bass first take.
First published earlier this year. Updated to reflect the return of sale prices and Prime Day.