13 Great Deals on AirPods Max, Earbuds, Speakers, and More

Happy October! After a burning hot summer, it’s high time to bust out the sweaters and settle in with a spooky movie (just ignore that it’s still 80+ degrees in much of the US.). If you’re in need of a new pair of headphones, this might be the weekend to spring for some, since a bunch of our favorites are discounted.

Would you prefer deals on all things coffee? You might still be able to find some deals on coffee gear and beans for National Coffee Day.

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Deals on Headphones Under $100

Be sure to read the full guide to all our favorite headphones under $100 to learn more.

colorbuds earbuds — 1More ColorBuds
Photograph: 1More

We love the 1More ColorBuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends). They’re often on sale, but as one of our favorites under $100, it’s nice to see it drop another $20. The ColorBuds get six hours of battery life, are extremely comfortable, come in cool colors, and can withstand rain and sweat with its IPX5 waterproof rating. You can get this price directly from 1More’s site too.

This isn’t the biggest drop in price we’ve ever seen—they were briefly $60 last month—but these are great cheap noise-canceling headphones. They get a whopping 40 hours of battery life so you can easily drown out the noise of planes, noisy roommates, or existential dread. The plastic headband is fragile, though.

We should all be watching how loud we crank our headphones, but kids need to be especially wary. These ones don’t go past the doctor-recommended 85 decibels, so kids can enjoy themselves and parents don’t have to worry. This also isn’t the most dramatic deal, but $24 is usually the price we see the JBuddies drop to.

Deals on Wireless Headphones

If you have more than $100 to spend, we have a larger roundup of our favorite wireless headphones.

Apple Airpods Max — Apple AirPods Max
Photograph: Apple

These headphones are staggeringly expensive, but we can’t deny that they sound fantastic, with rich bass and solid noise cancellation. They obviously integrate seamlessly with iPhones and iPads, but WIRED associate editor Parker Hall noted they also track your head while watching certain apps, like HBO Max, to simulate full object-based surround sound. Amazon has the next-best price ($490, $60 off list price).

Can’t find earbuds that fit well in your ears? These UE buds (7/10, WIRED Recommends) are named for their impressive, app-controlled custom molding. Download the app, put the buds in your ears, and wait 60 seconds for them to be custom-shaped to fit perfectly into your ears and your ears alone—you only have to do this once.

These bean-like little buds earned a 7/10 in our testing. Besides being cute, they also sound good and have solid sweat and water protection. (Though we don’t think they’re the best for working out, as they’ll need to be adjusted.) The built-in touch controls are a nice touch, but Hall notes that he would occasionally pause his music accidentally. Their fit has been questioned among ear sizes too, so proceed with caution if you have larger ears.

Deals on Wireless Workout Headphones

If you don’t see anything here you like, we have more recommendations in our full guide to workout headphones.

Image may contain Sunglasses Accessories and Accessory — Bose Frames Tempo
Photograph: Bose

Working out without music can be painful, but if you’re outside riding a bike or running, you should have some situational awareness. The Bose Frames Tempos mix headphones and sunglasses, and importantly, they sound surprisingly nice without having to plug your ears. Parker Hall on our Gear team said he could hear them even when they were pushed up on his head. You can find this deal at Walmart as well as from Bose directly.

We saw these dip below $300 in August, but this is still a nice deal on a very pricey pair of earbuds. You get amazing sound and a bunch of customizations like listening profiles and audio transparency (so you can choose if you want to hear what’s happening around you or not). They’re also water-resistant. They’re good looking too, if you can stomach the price.

More Audio Deals

Image may contain Cell Phone Electronics Mobile Phone Phone Speaker and Audio Speaker — Positive Grid Spark
Photograph: Positive Grid

Amazon marks this amp as reaching $299, but it was selling for $269 until August. It’s not a huge discount at all, but we love this little guitar amp (8/10, WIRED Recommends). The app is easy to navigate, and there’s a ton of sounds and practice tools for users to explore. It also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker at the same time, so you can play your guitar while you listen to a song you’re trying to emulate. The downsides are the lack of battery and there’s no direct output for plugging it into a PA system.

Adding a soundbar to your TV setup will show you what your ears have been missing. Not only will your casual viewing sound better, but if you launch YouTube or a music streaming service, you can really jam out. We have a bunch of recommendations for you to choose from, but this one from LG is a decent entry-level soundbar with a separate subwoofer included in the price.

This amp is one of our many gift suggestions for audiophiles if said music-lover uses high-end headphones. The Drop and THX collab gets you a low noise floor (how quiet the amp is at high volumes) and plugs for 3.5-mm, 1/4-inch, and multi-pin audio cables.

We really like the super expensive Klipsch Three Speaker, but it’s becoming harder to find. This is a cheaper version that we haven’t tried yet, but we think it’s probably a good bet. Klipsch just makes good products and they look good too with a retro feel. Price has fluctuated on the One II recently, but it’s been about $180 since June.

These cheap Crosley record players didn’t make our best-of list, because there are just many more capable turntables out there. However, I’ve been given a Crosley player and gifted a similar model to a family member, and they do what they need to do for us casual vinyl listeners. Plus they close like a little suitcase. They’re also Bluetooth-enabled, so you can use it as a speaker in a pinch too. Urban Outfitters sells a bunch of these, some prettier and more expensive.