If new headphones or earbuds are on your wish list, I have good news: Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event, also known as October Prime Day, is actually one of the best times to buy.
During the holiday season, headphone companies want to focus on selling their newest—and priciest—models. That means clearing out inventory to make space. So in years past, we’ve seen many brands offering great deals on last year’s models, less popular colors, or pairs that were too expensive to sell well.
The same seems to be true this year. But a sale doesn’t matter if you regret your purchase. For every good headphones or earbuds deal, dozens of crummy pairs are on offer for tantalizing discounts. Unless you are familiar with the hundreds of headphones released annually, it’s nearly impossible to know what’s worth putting in your cart.
But you have me on your side.
Now you know too. All of the Prime Day sales listed below are on headphones that we’ve tested ears-on at Wirecutter to verify that they sound pleasant, fit well, have solid build quality, and meet or exceed our performance standards. Any of these pairs would be a sound investment.