😮 The 50 greatest innovations of 2024: From Zildjian to NASA 😮

These are the best-sounding Bluetooth headphones at the best prices—up to 33% off for Cyber Monday

If you know an on-the-go audiophile, a spatial audio enthusiast, or just a music fan on the move (it can be you, treat yoself), these are the top-tier over-ear travel companions I've tried.

By Tony Ware

Updated on Dec 2, 2024

Share

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Personal audio enthusiasts may love music, but they don’t always love cords. At the same time, they worry that losing wires means losing sonic quality. However, the right pair of Bluetooth headphones ensures you can still have a spacious, immersive listening experience away from DACs and amps and other signal chain components. I’ve personally traveled with the top four headphones featured here and have never been disappointed. You’re probably traveling again before the holidays, or you know someone who will in the new year, so why not prepare now. But act fast; Cyber Monday deals require an Amazon Prime membership and could be done when the day is. (Prices are correct at time of posting but subject to change, and deals can sell out, so add to cart quickly.)

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Over-Ear ANC Wireless Headphones $499 (Was $699)

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones product image

Perfect for on-the-go audiophiles, The Bowers & Wilkins flagship Px8 wireless headphones feature bespoke 40mm carbon cones—derived from the B&W 700 Series loudspeaker domes (and now trickled down to the Pi8 earbuds)—that are coupled with an optimized basket/motor system. This tilts the sound signature from body blows to landing right on the button. Separation and control are heightened and tightened, tempering unruly transients that can come across as excitement but threaten to trip up accuracy. Angled to attain a uniform alignment between every point of the ear and driver surface, these light-yet-rigid carbon cones are intended for low-distortion (THD+N <0.1%), high-engagement listening. Most impressive is that this precision-engineered spacious audio is available wherever and whenever you need it, using Bluetooth 5.2 for a solid connection with support for the SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive (with aptX HD) codecs for maximum iOS/Android compatibility. (Want some B&W sound for less? The Px7 S2e is still expressive while more affordable at $279 (typically $399).

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with Spatial Audio $349 (Was $429)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra on a table

Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra headphones have the best active noise cancellation of any over-ear model we’ve tested, and these headphones are at their lowest price ever. Whether you’re trying to drown out the sound of overzealous friends and family members at a gathering or focusing on getting rest during plane or train travel, these headphones will be your constant, cherished companion during the hectic holiday season. The QC Ultra is the latest in a long line of Bose headphones that push the boundaries of ANC performance. In our experience, these headphones can eliminate the sound of the New York City subway when listening to music and should do an equally impressive job for plane engines and sidewalk construction. The headphones’ noise cancellation is complemented by 24 hours of playtime per charge, support for Immersive Audio, a multi-mic array for calls, energetic audio quality, and ample cushioning on the ear cups and headband. These comfortable, comforting headphones are worth their usual price, but Amazon’s current discount makes them an even better get. Prefer to cut out noise but also cut down cost? The step-down Bose QuietComfort Over-Ear Noise-Cancelling Headphones are on sale for $199 (typically $349).

Focal Bathys High-Fidelity Bluetooth Noise-Cancelling Headphones $629 (Was $699)

Focal Bathys sitting upright next to an iPhone with the Focal app displayed

Named after the first self-propelled submersible, the Bathys headphones are French luxury audio brand Focal’s first active noise-canceling (ANC) wireless model. It features well-established design language and a dynamic but disciplined, reactive but refined sound with excellent pacing that’s never piercing. They share DNA with the company’s high-end headphones (like the Focal Stellia, our closed-back pick for the best headphones of 2023). The Bathys packs a 40mm aluminum-magnesium “M”-shaped dome driver underneath the signature concentric circled grille, skips touch controls for physical buttons for volume, ANC, and play controls, all tied together with magnesium yokes and leather headband accents. Under the hood, well-implemented DSP manages the stable, resolving Bluetooth 5.1 connection (with support for SBC, AAC, aptX/aptX HD/Adaptive codecs, plus multipoint support), and the built-in 24-bit/192 kHz DAC also allows for unadulterated audio with computers and mobile devices via USB-C. As we said in our full review, “The Bathys is worth sinking your time (and money) into if you love a fluid listening experience.”

More of the best Bluetooth headphones deals:

Prefer a musical journey to a commute? Here are some of the best wired headphones deals:

Want to skip headphones altogether and get the best earbuds? We got you …

Need something to listen (back) to? When I need to record conversations or intimate performances, I use the compact, convenient Audigo wireless multi-mic system, and they’re deeply discounted for Cyber Monday.

 

Win the Holidays with PopSci's Gift Guides

Shopping for, well, anyone? The PopSci team’s holiday gift recommendations mean you’ll never need to buy another last-minute gift card.

SEE GIFT GUIDES
 
Tony Ware Avatar

Tony Ware

Editor, Commerce

Tony Ware is the Editor, Commerce & Gear for PopSci.com (and PopPhoto.com). He’s been writing about how to make and break music since the mid-’90s when his college newspaper said they already had a film critic but maybe he wanted to look through the free promo CDs. Immediately hooked on outlining intangibles, he’s covered everything audio for countless alt. weeklies, international magazines, websites, and heated bar trivia contests ever since.

Why Trust Popular Science

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

Find out more about our product evaluation process.