Image: beats by dre
Select Beats headphones and earphones are on sale across Amazon as of Jan. 25:
Apple was the subject of an impromptu Twitter roast last month when it dropped its very first over-ear headphones without “Beats by Dre” branding: the pricey, bulbous AirPods Max (which sold out almost immediately — joke’s on us).
In her official review of them for Mashable, tech guru Brenda Stolyar found the internet’s criticism of the AirPods Max was “mostly unfounded,” noting their “excellent audio quality, easy-to-use controls, and good battery life.” But that doesn’t change the fact their $550 price tag is straight-up “ridiculous,” she conceded (especially ~in these unprecedented times~).
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For those of us who can’t afford to drop a whole stimmy on some new audio gear, feel free to do the opposite of Tim Cook and stick with that Beats name: The brand’s headphones and earphones offer great sound, easy wireless pairing, and top-tier noise-canceling capabilities (depending on the model) for $350 or less — and unlike Apple-branded products, they actually go on sale quite often. Here are a few that were enjoying discounts on Amazon at the time of writing:
Click here to read Mashable’s review of the Beats Solo Pros.
Stellar noise cancellation is definitely the highlight of these on-ear headphones’ spec lineup — they’re even better than the AirPods Pro in that regard, said tech reporter Karissa Bell — though we’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention their 22-hour battery life and nicely balanced sound. Note that their fit is on the tighter side to create a seal around your ears, so they might be uncomfortable depending on the shape of your noggin.
Normally $299.95, you can score a pair in Dark Blue for just $159.99 (or 47% off) — that’s their lowest-ever sale price on Amazon.
Click here to read Mashable’s review of the Powerbeats Pros.
These Mashable’s Choice Award-winning earphones got a solid 4.25/5 rating from reporter Raymond Wong, who praised their snug fit, extra-long battery life, and physical controls. In fact, he thought they were “better than AirPods in every way except one” after taking them for a test run for his review. (His only hangup was their bulky charging case, which probably isn’t a dealbreaker for most of us.)
Beats dropped some new Powerbeats Pro colorways last spring, one of which is on sale on Amazon: Get them in Lava Red for $159.99, or 36% off their suggested retail price of $249.95. (That’s only $10 away from their all-time-low price, which they last hit in mid-January.)
One major advantage to buying wired headphones is that you never need to worry about their battery life (because they don’t have one). The cable on the Beats EPs has a built-in mic for conference calls; that combined with their fine-tuned acoustics and adjustable, durable design makes them a fantastic WFH pick.
Snag a pair on Amazon in Black for only $89.97, or 31% off their $129.95 MSRP.
MORE GREAT DEALS
The standard Powerbeats don’t sound quite as great as the Powerbeats Pros, but they outshine the newer model in one important category: battery life. (They offer almost double that of the Pros, if you’re not counting the extra juice you get from the latter’s charging case.) Their wired design could be a pro or con depending on your preferences — yes, it’s a little awkward, but it’s nice to have the earphones tethered together so you never lose one.
Walmart‘s managed to match Amazon‘s sale pricing on these bad boys: Get a pair for just $119 (down 21% from $149.95) in your choice of three colors — Black, Red, or White.
Click here to read Mashable’s review of the Beats Solo3s.
Arguably the most stylish option in this group, the Mashable’s Choice Award-winning Beats Solo3s are some high-performance Bluetooth headphones with Apple’s W1 chip, which makes for effortless pairing and a virtually unrivaled battery life of up to 40 hours (plus a five-minute fast charging feature).
Their Black variant is on sale on Amazon for a mere $135.13, which is 32% off their usual retail price of $199.95.
Click here to read Mashable’s review of the Beats Studio3s.
The Beats Studio3s are yet another Mashable’s Choice Award-winner, combining class-leading Pure Adaptive Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology, real-time audio calibration, and up to 22 hours of battery life (with Fast Fuel charging for some quick juice) in one sleek, comfortable package.
Available in Defiant Black-Red, you can order a pair on sale on Amazon for just $251.99 — at 28% off their $349.95 MSRP, that’s their biggest discount *ever*.
