Best last-minute holiday headphone deals: Sony, Bose, Beats, Jaybird and more

Amazon has had Klipsch's T5 True Wireless earbuds discounted to $150 (from $200) since before Black Friday. Briefly, these excellent true wireless headphones came all the way down to $130, but now they're priced at $144.72, which still saves you $54 -- at least for the silver version. I was impressed with their sound. It's nicely detailed, with natural-sounding mids and punchy, well-defined bass. The only caveat is you really have to jam the tips into your ears to get a tight seal and block out noise, and the design may not be for everyone. 

While the Zippo-inspired case is somewhat heavy for its relatively compact size, it's sleek and sturdy, with USB-C charging. Battery life is also a highlight: The earbuds themselves can run for up to 8 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels, and the case with its built-in battery provides three additional charges on the go. 

The T5 Wireless earbuds use Bluetooth 5.0 and support both AAC and AptX. As for water resistance, they're splash-proof (IPX4-certified).

The Sony WH-XB900N Extra Bass headphones have a similar design to the WH-1000XM3 and share many of that model's features but for $100 less. (Their previous low was $123 but they've popped back up to $148.) They're comfortable to wear and have USB-C charging, good battery life and effective noise cancellation. They also work decently as a headset for making calls, and the sound quality is good as long as you don't mind a preponderance of bass.

The Jaybird Vista normally lists for $180 and hasn't been on sale till now. This is one of the better true wireless models for runners who demand a secure fit, and it's fully waterproof. I also like how small the case is -- it fits easily in a pocket. Available in black or gray.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Rose Gold edition of the QuietComfort 35 II was on sale for $249 or $100 off and all the colors, including black and silver, were sale on Cyber Monday for $279. Their price rose to $300 but is now back at $279. With the arrival of Bose's new Noise Cancelling 700 Headphones (on sale for $350) this year, you can expect to see continued sales on the QuietComfort 35 II, which remains a very good headphone that's arguably slightly more comfortable than the 700.

The Powerbeats Pro are back, once again selling at the previous all-time low price of $200. A bit of a mixed bag, the Powerbeats Pro have good sound quality, battery life and stay securely plugged into your ears. But you'll need to cart them around in an awkwardly large case that isn't especially pocket-friendly. If you don't mind the large case, though, you're not going to find these earbuds for a better price.

Sony's excellent WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones have regularly been on sale for as low as $250. But they're hovering around $278 this week at a variety of retailers including Best Buy and Amazon. Buy them knowing you're getting the best overall noise-canceling headphones available today.

Note that the best deal may not be available at all the retailers listed below. Prices and inventory are constantly changing, so check each site before you choose where to buy.

Bose's SoundSport Free has been out a while and was on sale for this price last year during the holiday season. They're very good true wireless earbuds (their case is a little large, however), but note that Bose will be releasing new true wireless earbuds in 2020, including a noise-canceling model. It's unclear how much those new earphones will cost but they will most likely be more than $169. Note that the best deal may not be available at all the retailers listed below. Prices and inventory are constantly changing, so check each site before you choose where to buy.

Best Buy has had the Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones sporadically on sale the past few weeks. They briefly hit $190 after bouncing between $200 and $210. Now they're down to $180. They list for $350, but usually can be had for around $280. I do expect that a new Studio headphone will be released in 2020.

The CNET Editors' Choice for true wireless headphones in 2018 was the Jabra Elite Active 65t, on sale for $120 (a $70 savings). Yes, the new, more compact  earbuds retail for $180, but that price on last year's model makes them a compelling gift. The stepdown (non-Active) -- which loses the sweatproofing feature -- is $10 cheaper, too ($100 total).

Amazon had the Galaxy Buds on sale for $100 -- now their price is up to $111 or $19 off. Although they're not great for making calls, they're a decent set of true wireless earbuds and a good AirPods alternative, particularly for Galaxy smartphone owners (and Android users).

If you can't afford premium noise-canceling models from Bose and Sony, the JBL Live 650BTNC Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones list for $200 and are very good. They're on sale now for $130.

If you can't afford the AirPods Pro, the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 is a good alternative and are a top model for making calls. Like the AirPods Pro, they do a remarkably good job of muffling ambient noise (callers said they could hear me fine even with a lot of street noise around me). While they don't have active noise canceling, they sound nearly as good, fit comfortably and their noise-isolating design passively seals out a lot of ambient noise. Amazon has them for $10 off with a discount coupon. 

Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless are among the top sounding true wireless earbuds. They started out at $300 and more recently have been on sale for $250. They're now being discounted to $210 at Amazon.

Bose's newest noise-canceling headphones, the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, are finally on sale. They list for $400, but several retailers have them on sale for $349, or $50 off. I thought $350 should be their initial price to compete with Sony's WH-1000XM3, but Bose went out higher. Good see a discount on them, even though it's not huge.

Note that the best deal may not be available at all the retailers listed below. Prices and inventory are constantly changing, so check each site before you choose where to buy.

You can save $100 on the Sennheiser HD 4.50R model right now at Best Buy. The only difference between it and the HD 4.50 BTNC version that I reviewed is that the accent color is red instead of silver. At this price, this is a solid budget alternative to premium models from Bose and Sony.

Released in early November, the noise-canceling AirPods Pro are regularly priced at $250 but are currently available for $235. This small discount is great for those needing to upgrade their previous AirPods or those who want to dive into a truly wireless audio experience. Note that these keep going in and out of "backordered" status, so right now there appears to be a delay in shipping.

Walmart has the on-ear Beats Solo3 headphones (the Pop color collection) on sale for $130, but that deal seems to be almost dead (only the purple color was available at that price when I checked and it will most likely run out soon). However, Amazon has the black version on sale for $130.

1More's Stylish True Wireless are one of the best sounding true wireless earbuds for less than $100. They're were at Amazon for $30 off at Amazon during. Now you can get them for $35 off at 1more.com by applying the code BFCM at checkout (you can use the code for other products -- it's a 35% off code). 

These sporty earbuds aren't "true wireless" -- there's a cable connecting the left and right earbuds that wraps around the back of your neck. But they are fully waterproof, and they're half off right now.

Prices and inventory are constantly changing, but this offer is still currently available at Best Buy and Crutchfield.

Apple's various AirPods have been all over the map in recent weeks, with a variety of deals that have popped up and sold out almost faster than we could write about them. This isn't the best deal we've ever seen, but you can currently get the second-gen AirPods (not be confused with the AirPods Pro) for $20 off. They've been as low as $130. The model with the (save $35).