im stressing out over these sony headphones deals man. my xm4s finally bit the dust yesterday and i need a replacement before my cross-country flight to seattle next friday. my budget is strict, max 200 bucks. ive been scrolling through reddit and some deal blogs saying wait until cyber monday for the deepest discounts, but others swear black friday has better stock. so i was thinking maybe prices wont even drop lower than they are right now? my logic was that retailers might clear them out early, but what if they sell out completely before monday? has anyone tracked the price history on these lately or am i just panicking over nothing...
dont stress about stock levels too much, you can totally find solid alternatives right now that crush the older xm series anyway! check out the Anker Soundcore Space One ANC or snag a pair of Jira Live 65NC Wireless if you need something immediately for that flight.
Coming back to this cause I love audio gear way too much! If you wanna switch it up from Sony, check out the Bose QuietComfort 45 for pure comfort or the <a href=" https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt= Sennheiser+Momentum+4+Wireless&BI=8941&KBID=10361&SID=12345&DFF=d50" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless for insane battery life. Both totally crush it!
Regarding what #8 said about "Nice, didn't know that" - honestly tracking audio gear deals is exhausting, but grabbing a pair of JBL Live 650BTNC Noise-Canceling Headphones or Skullcandy Crusher ANC Wireless Headphones under your budget works well for flights with zero complaints.
Just wanted to say thanks for everyone chiming in. Super helpful discussion.
👆 this
man you are definitely panicking over nothing, take a breath. in my experience tracking these sales over the years, waiting until cyber monday for older models is a trap. stock vanishes and prices barely budge past black friday anyway. since your flight is next friday, just grab the Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Headphones right now while they are sitting around your budget.
Nice, didn't know that
Oh man I am in the exact same boat right now, my gear stash is a mess and holiday shopping gives me hives tbh. Over the years Ive tried tons of portables and honestly finding something sub-200 that actually blocks airplane engine roar is brutal. If you end up branching out, I gotta say Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are absolute tanks for fit and punchy sound, though the soundstage is a bit narrow compared to over-ears. On the flip side, grabbing something like <a href=" https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt= Audio-Technica+ATH-M50xBT2+Wireless+Over-Ear&BI=8941&KBID=10361&SID=12345&DFF=d50" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless Over-Ear gives you ridiculous studio-grade detail and build quality that lasts forever, but youre missing out on proper active noise cancellation. Honestly the struggle is so real and my anxiety is right up there with yours.
Same here!
Just catching up on this thread and honestly, buying audio gear right around the holidays can be super frustrating. I have unfortunately tracked these price drops for years, and watching retailers play games with stock levels drives me crazy. Companies love to advertise massive markdowns while quietly shrinking inventory so you panic buy at a slightly higher price point. Before you stress yourself out running to the store or gambling on shipping times before your trip to Seattle, I have a couple of questions about what you actually need from these cans. Are you primarily prioritizing absolute silence on the plane, or do you care more about call quality and comfort during long stretches of wear? Also, have you considered looking at slightly older <a href=" https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt= Sennheiser+models+that+often+si&BI=8941&KBID=10361&SID=12345&DFF=d50" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Sennheiser models that often sit in that same price bracket without all the hype? Let me know how important those specific features are to you, because sometimes stepping away from the mainstream hype gives you way better build quality for the exact same cash.