Best headphones deals for Black Friday 2022: Discounts are here
(Pocket-lint) – Headphone deals are always really competitive, and that’s good for you because most popular brands get great discounts for Black Friday and the following Cyber Monday week. Whether you’re looking for the best value noise-cancelling cans, a great pair of buds, or just looking for the best deal you can get on AirPods and Sony headphones, this is the place to be. We’re continuously searching and finding the best Black Friday savings on audio equipment, and updating every day.
Black Friday kicks off officially on 25 November 2022, followed by Cyber Monday on 28 November, however, deals have already started rolling in a couple of weeks in advance, as is typically the case.
Which retailers have the best headphone deals?
Headphones are popular items, with many people owning more than one pair or type, for different situations. There’s no shortage of opportunities to buy headphones so you’ll find them at most electrical retailers.
US headphone retailers
UK headphone retailers
We scoured the stores to pull out the best deals last year. These weren’t just the cheapest headphones available, but the best prices on some of the best headphones around.
We’ve divided each section into the headphone type either in-ear or over-ear.
2022 is already showing signs of being very similar to previous years. Best US headphones deals | Best UK headphones deals
Best US Black Friday headphones deals 2022
On-ear and over-ear deals | In-ear headphone deals
Pocket-lint
On-ear / over-ear headphones
Sony WH-1000XM5 – save £51
It’s not Black Friday without a discount on Sony’s best – and perhaps THE best – headphones. With a revamped design, excellent sound quality, top tech features and noise cancelling, the WH-1000XM5 lead the way.
Now £348.
Apple AirPods Max – £100 off!
Apple’s first noise cancelling cans were pricey at launch – to say the least – but now they’re available considerably cheaper at £449.
Sony WH-1000XM4 – save £120
The Sony WH-1000XM4 was regarded by many as the best pair of noise-cancelling headphones on the market when they launched a couple of years ago. They’re available in navy or black and now for just £228.00
Bose QC45 – save £80
Bose’s latest pair of noise-cancelling over-ears have been discounted again. They’re super comfy, sound great and feature market-leading noise cancelling.
Now available for £249.
Sennheiser HD 450BT – Half price
Even before Black Friday came around, the HD 450BT from Sennheiser was great value for money. It offers lots of top features like Bluetooth 5 and ANC at an accessible price. Now just £99.
Sennheiser Momentum 3 ANC over-ear – Save £150
It isn’t Black Friday without discounts on Sennheiser products, and the Momentum Noise Cancelling over-ear headphones are well-equipped, comfortable and great-sounding cans.
Now £249.
In-ear headphones
Sony Linkbuds S – save £52
Sony’s LinkBuds S are sensibly-priced and packed full of features like smart, adaptive noise cancelling and ambient noise control. They sound great too. Now down to £128.
Beats Studio Buds – 1/3rd off
Beats Studio Buds launched earlier in 2021 as a pair of convenient, affordable ANC earbuds.
They’re a great purchase for any iPhone or Android user thanks to cross-platform quick pair. Now £99.99.
Bose Sport Earbuds – save £20
The Sport Earbuds are similar to the QC Buds in styling, but are crucially more compact, weather and sweat resistant. They don’t have ANC, but they make great workout companions.
Now available for just £129.
Best Black Friday UK headphone deals 2022
On-ear and over-ear deals | In-ear headphone deals
On and over-ear headphones
Sony WH-1000XM5 – save GBP81
Sony’s flagship headphones are at the top of a lot of people’s wish lists this year. It’s the company’s latest and greatest, and now down to GBP298.
Jabra 85h – save GBP29
Jabra has always offered great performance for the money, and its big noise-cancelling cans are a great deal at GBP152.50
Bang & Olufsen Portal (Xbox)
Bang & Olufsen jumped into the gaming market with a – well – Bang. The Portal for Xbox offers latency-free lossless audio with Dolby Atmos support and ANC.
It’s a great premium pair of gaming cans. Now just GBP244.99.
In-ear headphones
Sony WF-1000XM4 – save GBP90
Sony’s latest flagship in-ears are part of Amazon’s big savings for Black Friday, and are now under GBP200 (just). You can snag yourself a pair for just GBP159.
Sony LinkBuds S – save GBP61
With advanced noise cancelling, smart ambient mode and Hi-Res audio onboard, the LinkBuds S is a fully-featured pair of wireless buds.
Now down to GBP119.
Beats Powerbeats Pro – save GBP50.95
Beats’ first pair of true wireless buds are excellent for running and working out. With 9 hours of music playback, easy controls, a secure fit, and splash/sweat resistance, they’re ideal for any activity. Available for GBP169.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireles 3 – save GBP110
Sennheiser’s flagship true wireless buds offer exceptional sound quality and usually cost a bit.
During Black Friday they’ve been dropped, making them more accessible. Available for GBP179.99.
Which headphones will have discounts on Black Friday?
Many headphones will have discounts during the Black Friday sales, but there are obviously some models to really look out for. There will be deals on Apple’s AirPods and these are always popular, but you’re likely to find discounts on other popular brands too, like Bose or Sony. Sony’s WF-1000X, with excellent noise cancellation is always worth looking out for.
The same applies to over-ear headphones, with the WH-1000X models proving one of the most popular choices, alongside the Bose QuietComfort options, which are great for travel – and usually get a decent discount. These are some of the best headphones to look out for, but there are also usually deals on gaming headsets and sports headphones too.
What to look out for when buying headphones
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to buying a pair for headphones and getting the right fit and features for you can enhance the listening experince and make sure you get the best from your music, movies or calls. Firstly, what type of headphones are you shopping for?
In-ear headphones have the advantage of being compact, so they’re great to have in your bag taking up almost no space, while over-ear headphones can offer a better listening experience, with superior sound and enhanced noise cancellation – as well as often offering better comfort when worn for long periods. After that, there’s a decision to be made about whether you want active noise cancellation or not. This feature is hugely popular, able to cut out things like aircraft or road noise, but can go as far as blocking out just about all exterior noise.
Some people find this relaxing, some find it too isolating – and some headphones offer different levels of ANC. Then there’s support for functions such as Spatial Audio on Apple devices, or Dolby Atmos for music support, all of which add to the feature set, but often the price too. The other consideration might be waterproofing.
If your headphones are going to be used for sport, you need to know they can withstand sweat or rain – something you definitely want to check on the spec sheet before you buy.
Writing by Cam Bunton.
