I love earbuds — and I love finding the best Black Friday headphone deals when the time comes around. I mean, what's better than finding epic prices on some of the best wireless earbuds that you can buy?
There are loads out there, but I've narrowed it down to three of my favorites that I actually have in my collection. The Beats Studio Buds are currently $79 at Amazon, for a great deal on some very solid little buds. The AirPods Pro 2 rivaling JLab Epic Lab Edition buds are $97 at Amazon for another solid deal, and then it's all topped off by the Soundcore Liberty 4, which you can buy at Amazon for $59.
All these buds have the Tammy Rogers Audio Editor seal of approval — so if you're looking for some great buds this Black Friday that won't break the bank, these are your go-tos.
Beats Studio Buds
The best bit of the Beats Studio Buds isn't necessarily their good sound, solid ANC, or even their comfortable fit. Rather it's the shape and size of the charging case. It manages what so many other options out there struggle with — fitting comfortably into the pockets of my skinny jeans.
Because I still live in what feels like the Mesopotamian period of 2012 and slip skinny jeans on every morning, I have a very specific set of needs when it comes to an earbuds charging case. The Beats Studio Buds case (and their sequel, the Beats Studio Buds+) remains one of the best I have ever forced into the tight pockets of my pants. It's very thin, which means it doesn't dig into my leg when I sit down, and it doesn't stick out when I stand up so that everyone knows I've got some buds in my pocket.
It's smooth and pebble-like, so getting it situated in my denim takes less work than some of the competition as well. Take the Sony LinkBuds Fit, for example — super comfortable buds, fat case that hurts my leg when I go out and about. The AirPods Pro 2 get close, although I can get a better grip on the Studio Buds case and their less glossy finish. If for no other reason than the excellent charging case, you should consider the Beats Studio Buds and their $70 discount this Black Friday.
JLab Epic Lab Edition
On paper, the JLab Epic Lab Edition buds seem like a fairly run of the mill pair of noise canceling earbuds. They've got Spatial Audio for some Dolby Atmos sound stage kick, hybrid ANC modes so that you can have noise blocked when you want and sound in when you want that instead and mulitpoint Bluetooth connection so that you can connect them to different things at once.
The unique part of the Epic Lab Edition buds is nestled inside the case alongside the buds. It's a little USB-C adapter, which acts as another connection for the buds for devices where you might not have one initially. Just plug the little device into a Mac, iPad, or even phone and the buds automatically connect. Unplug it and they disconnect — no need to go into any settings. It's powered by the USB-C connection so it doesn't sap the charge in the case either. It's a great addition, and not something I've seen on any other pair of buds around.
As for the rest of the experience, you're looking at a very solid little pair of earbuds. Their metal case feels very premium, and lends them 56 total hours of battery. The buds get 13 hours too for some massive bud-battery. I love the little JLab Epic Lab Edition buds, and I reckon they're well worth their new sub-$100 price in the Black Friday sales.
Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
With a case that flips up at the push of a button like something out of Star Trek, the Liberty 4 NC ooze a kind of retro futurism. While that case might be a little fat, it's incredibly sturdy and makes the whole package feel a whole lot more premium than the relatively low price might suggest. The color options are cool too, with the pink being my favorite.
When I tested the Liberty 4 NC, I was impressed with the number of features that Soundcore packed in for their incredibly low price. There's ANC, massive customizability thanks to the Soundcore app, and even Spatial Audio. That's more than even more expensive buds — and thankfully, all those extra features sound good and work well too.
The ANC, while not the best, is still reasonably effective for blocking out the commute. The sound quality is top-notch, and the Spatial Audio solid for something that costs less than $100. They're a great little pair of headphones for the cash. Still not sure? There's wireless charging to really make them feel a whole lot more expensive than they actually are.
