Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale officially starts on Oct. 8, but it’s never a bad time to buy a new pair of headphones. Now is an even more convenient time to look for your next pair since plenty are on sale ahead of October Prime Day.

Also: The best October Prime Day deals live now

I review headphones for a living, and combed through Amazon’s headphones catalog, uncovered sizable discounts on the best headphones, many of which we’ve tested and recommended. Some selections were released as recently as this year, while other options are a few years old but haven’t lost an ounce of their value. We expect even more deals to pop up as we get closer to the sale, so be sure to check this list for updated prices and more headphones to choose from.

In the meantime, here are the best early Prime Day headphone deals we’ve found so far.

Our favorite early Amazon October Prime Day headphone deals

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds for $199 (save $50): Apple’s premium earbuds are our favorite iOS-compatible earbuds, offering effective noise cancellation, immense comfort, and great sound.
• Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for $249 (save $50): This is one of the only discounts we’ve seen on Bose’s luxury earbuds that feature fantastic sound quality and reliable ambient awareness. 
• Bowers & Wilkins Px8 over-ear headphones for $531 (Tan only) (save $168): These high-end headphones feature an elevated design and a sophisticated soundstage.
• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for $219 (Soapstone and Triple Black only) (save $60): Bose’s uniquely shaped earbuds feature the company’s best-in-class noise-canceling and software features compatible with any operating system.
• Sony Ult Wear over-ear headphones for $170 (Off White only) (save $30): We love Sony’s latest midrange over-ear headphones for their big, boomy bass, all-day comfort, and classic design.
• Sony LinkBuds open-ear wireless earbuds for $128 (save $52): Sony’s unique approach to open-ear earbuds shines through in the LinkBuds, and we love their comfort and practicality. 
• Sennheiser Accentum over-ear headphones for $130 (save $20): We appreciate Sennheiser’s Accentum headphones for their high-quality sound for an affordable price.
• Beats Studio 3 over-ear headphones for $159 (save $191): The Beats Studio 3 headphones deliver Beats’ classic bass-forward sound in a stylish form factor.
• Sennheiser Accentum Plus over-ear headphones for $150 (Black only) (save $50): Sennheiser’s upper-midrange headphones are one of our favorites because of their unassuming design and impressive sound for their low price.
• Beats Studio Buds wireless earbuds for $120 (save $30): The Beats Studio Buds deliver effective noise cancellation, eight hours of continuous audio playback, and unique compatibility with native iOS and Android software features.
• JBL Live 660NC for $100 (Blue only) (save $100): The JBL Live 660NC headphones are perfect everyday headphones. They have a long battery life, adequate noise-canceling, and plenty of software features.

More October Prime Day 2024 headphone deals

FAQs

When is Amazon’s October Prime Day 2024? 

October’s Amazon Big Deal Days sale is Oct. 8 to Oct. 9.

Are headphones really cheaper on Prime Day? 

During Amazon’s Prime Day sales, plenty of headphones are for sale. Older headphones are often steeply discounted, and newer releases are regularly slightly discounted. Amazon’s Prime Day sales are a great time to buy headphones because it’s common to find headphones at their lowest price ever or headphones that are rarely discounted.

How did we choose these October Prime Day deals?

ZDNET chooses Prime Day deals based on how steep the discounted price is, how often a product goes on sale, and whether our team has tested and recommended the product. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops. 

We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter. 

What are the best October Prime Day 2024 deals?

ZDNET’s experts are searching through Prime Day sales to find the best discounts by category. These are the best deals so far:

You can also find the best October Prime Day deals by price:

And the best deals from other retailers this week: