Does your dad love music? If so, you better give him a pair of audiophile-grade headphones for Father’s Day. The Sony WH-1000XM3, Bose QuietComfort 35 II, and Bose 700 not only sound spectacular but also boast the best in noise-canceling technology so dad can listen to his favorite songs without any distractions. Order your pick on Amazon today if you want it to arrive in time for the big day and save up to $72.
The new and improved WH-1000XM3 is Sony’s premium noise-canceling headphones offering and our choice for the best headphones of 2020. They’ve got a lot going for them. First is how cool they look. Sony got rid of the rugged, leathery finish around the earcups and replaced it with a new plastic chassis, making for a far sleeker silhouette. The change in material made the WH-1000XM3 more lightweight and slender, enhancing wearability. Plus, the swivel design of the earcups guarantees supreme comfort. The cups are ergonomically padded and made even larger for bigger ears, and the material is nicely breathable, so you won’t feel uncomfortably hot even after long wear.
Aside from their pleasing aesthetics, the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones are very solid when it comes to noise cancellation. Thanks to Sony’s new QN1 processor, this technology has dramatically improved both audio processing and noise cancellation. Turning on the ANC practically obliterated every loud sound in the environment, from people to vehicles. The WH-1000XM3 also adapt their noise cancellation based on where you are. Through Sense Engine, these headphones let in certain traffic noises like horns and sirens, so you won’t get run over by a car while listening to music.
Music sounds immaculate with these headphones, supported by 32-bit signal processing, a high signal-to-noise ratio, and low distortion. Studio recordings sound impeccable, while live recordings are completely immersive. Basses sound punchy and strong, but without overpowering the beauty and subtlety of the mids and highs.
You can operate these headphones through gestures as well as by pushing buttons. When you cup your hand over the right earcup, music will automatically pause so you can have a conversation. Swiping and tapping also lets you play/pause, skip/return tracks, and adjust the volume. Lastly, the Sony WH-1000XM3’s battery life can last an epic 30 hours between charges. Even charging these for just 10 minutes allows you to use them for five hours with active noise cancellation.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 are hands-down the best headphones that you can buy right now. They are a bit pricey, but as they say, you’ve got to spend a bit of money for real quality. They normally retail for $350, but with Amazon’s awesome $72 discount, you can snag them for $278. And if you apply and are approved for the Amazon Rewards Visa card, you get an additional $50 off instantly, reducing the price even further to $228.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
— $299, was $349
The QuietComfort 35 II, or QC35 II for short, was one of our favorite noise-canceling headphones for 2019, earning a solid 4-out-of-5 rating in our review last year. Out of the box, you’ll immediately notice that these are well-crafted headphones. The earcups are encased in supple leather and the headband has soft microfiber padding. They are lightweight and fit on the head comfortably; wearing them for long periods of time won’t be an issue. You’ll find the control buttons beneath the right earcup, alongside a USB Type-C charging port and, thankfully, a headphone jack. Buttons include the standard ones: Volume control, play/pause, and track advance or reverse. There is also one that calls up either Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-activated commands. The QC35 II come with a zip-locked protective case so they’ll remain scratch-free during travel.
These headphones’ noise-canceling prowess is amazing. The feature comes in three settings: Low, medium, and high. Obviously, if you still want to hear a bit of what’s happening around you, you can set it at low. To become completely oblivious to the world for total music immersion, crank it up to high. The thunderous roar of plane engines can be completely eradicated, and quieter sounds won’t even stand a chance. These headphones are also outfitted with a noise-rejecting dual-mic system that ensures noise-free phone calls regardless of how loud your surroundings are. Bluetooth connectivity is also pretty impressive. The QC35 II can pair with multiple devices simultaneously.
As far as sound quality goes, the QC35 II are excellent. Music sounds great, with punchy bass, adequate midrange presence, and zesty treble. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better-sounding pair of cans for the price. Unfortunately, some of the music’s richness and subtlety gets lost when the noise cancellation is at its highest setting, but not enough to ruin your listening experience.
These cans’ battery life is tremendous, capable of lasting up to 20 hours when used wirelessly with noise-canceling on — and an even more impressive 40 hours when wired. Perfect for frequent flyers who travel long distances, the QuietComfort 35 II headphones are currently available at Amazon for $299 instead of their usual retail price of $349 — a cool $50 worth of savings.
Bose 700
— $349, was $399
For the longest time, Bose has been killing it in the noise-canceling headphones department. Sure, the Sony WH-1000XM3 may be our choice for the best ANC headphones for 2020, but frankly, Bose’s offerings aren’t that far behind. Take the Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700 (or simply Bose 700) for example. Their noise-canceling prowess is phenomenal, they’re extremely comfortable even with prolonged use, boast a gamut of top-of-the-line features, and are terrific for taking phone calls and interacting with digital voice assistants. Simply put, these headphones are the best pair you can get for business, and frequent flyers will truly want these in their arsenal.
Bose took a different approach when it comes to designing these headphones. The Bose 700’s earcups are affixed to the headband rather than having the typical yoke-style mount, allowing more pivot and tilt. We personally think this is a great ergonomic decision and actually distributes the weight more evenly, but it might not be suitable for everyone. During our test, we never experienced any pain or discomfort even with long listening sessions. Again, this might not be the case for other people. We suggest trying these on for a short while to determine whether they feel like an improvement in comfort or a step backward.
Controls for play/pause, track advance/reverse, and volume are all managed via a touchpad located on the right earcup. They’re very easy to use and we’re confident that it wouldn’t take long for anyone to master them. There are physical buttons for noise-canceling adjustment (levels 0, 5, and 10) as well as controls for power/Bluetooth pairing and summoning the voice assistant of your choice, including Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cortana.
We normally don’t bother with companion apps because they rarely add to the overall experience, but that cannot be said about the Bose Music app. It boasts an assortment of fun and useful features, including pairing the headphones to your phone (which can be done just as easily without the app), renaming the Bose 700 whatever you like (Bose’s name suggestions are hilarious, like Thunder Flash), exerting granular control over noise-canceling effectiveness from 0 to 10, and managing multiple paired devices. The app also lets you manage all your music services from one place and save favorite playlists as convenient presets for one-touch access.
As expected, the Bose 700’s noise-canceling is superb, capable of completely blocking out everyday noises and even the roar of a plane’s engine. Sound quality is also very good, although we did find the obvious boost in the upper midrange and lower treble regions a little harsh. This is probably due to the fact that Bose envisioned these headphones as the ideal travel companion since forward presentation in the high end will help cut through any noise the cans can’t cancel. Finally, the battery life is fantastic. The Bose 700’s total playtime with noise canceling on is roughly 20 hours and 40 hours when deactivated. Once they’ve run out of juice, you can just retrieve the headphone cable from the case and continue listening wired.
The Bose 700’s acoustic and noise-canceling performance is very impressive, although we admit their $399 price tag might be too expensive for most people. Fortunately, they’re currently on sale at Amazon for $349 — a cool $50 off. What’s more, you can score an additional $50 off instantly upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card, bringing the price even lower to $299.
Black Friday headphone deals: Bose QuietComfort 45, Sony WH-1000XM5
Black Friday flew by, but don't worry if you missed out on finding the perfect pair of headphones. There are still a ton of awesome Black Friday headphone deals out there. Many retailers are heavily discounting some of the best headphones around, so whatever your budget, there should be something here for you. Big-name brands like Bose and Sony feature along with many others too. To help you figure out where to start, read on while we take you through all the best Black Friday deals.
Top 5 Black Friday headphone deals
Sony WH-CH710N -- $68, was $150
Should you buy headphones on Black Friday or wait for Cyber Monday?
Black Friday is a great time to pick up some headphones, but the fear of missing out makes some of us worry about clicking on that 'checkout now' button. So, let's consider whether it's worth waiting until Cyber Monday and look at some great headphone deals available now.
Should you buy headphones on Black Friday?
While Cyber Monday will likely have a lot of the same headphone deals as Black Friday, you're better off not waiting for Cyber Monday to pick a deal up. The truth is, you aren't likely to fund much better deals, if at all, so it's best to grab the Black Friday headphone deals that you like rather than potentially missing out by waiting. Plus, if you find a great Cyber Monday deal, you should be in the Black Friday refund window, where you can get your money back and buy the newer and better deal.
Our 5 Favorite Black Friday headphone deals
Sony WH-CH710N -- $68, was $150
While many folks may be familiar with Sony due to the Playstation consoles, many may not realize that Sony is also a massive player in the audio industry, including headphones. Take these Sony WH-CH710N; while they're mid-range headphones at bargain-bin prices, their audio quality is surprisingly good. Granted, it's not going to be as good as higher-end headsets, but it's not meant to be, especially since it costs less than a quarter of their price. That's to say; it's dependable audio across the board that you won't regret. Surprisingly, you even get Artificial Intelligence Noise Cancellation (AINC), a lower-end version of Active Noise Cancellation technology (ANC). It works for what it is, but it's not going to block out more jarring sounds like your neighbor drilling into your shared wall.
The 5 best headphone deals in the Best Buy rival Prime Day sale
If you're planning to buy new headphones, you're in luck because with the launch of the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale, dubbed as October Prime Day, rival retailers like Best Buy are rolling out their own Prime Day deals. These include discounts on a wide range of headphones from different brands, so it's just a matter of looking through all the offers for the pair that match your needs and budget. To save you time from going through the Best Buy Prime Day sale, we've rounded up the five most attractive headphone deals from the retailer, though you should hurry if you want to avail of any one of these because stocks are going quickly.
Sony WH-XB910N -- $200, was $250
The Sony WH-XB910N are wireless headphones that offer noise canceling, which is one of the important features to consider, according to our headphone buying guide. These headphones also come with Sony's Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, which restores digital tracks to sound more similar to their original, high-quality recordings. The Sony WH-XB910N can last up to 30 hours on a single charge and can replenish 4.5 hours of usage after just 10 minutes of charging. You can wear them all day, and you won't mind because the soft earpads are made of comfortable synthetic leather and urethane materials.
