Memorial Day weekend is nearly upon us, and with it comes one of the year’s most anticipated online shopping events. If you’ve been dreaming of upgrading your audio experience, now is the perfect time to snag a fantastic deal on a new pair of headphones. Major retailers are already rolling out impressive early discounts, making it an ideal opportunity to find premium sound for less.
Shopping for headphones can feel overwhelming with countless excellent options available. Whether you’re eyeing flagship noise-canceling models or something more budget-friendly, navigating the choices can be tricky. Don’t worry, ZDNET is here to cut through the noise and help you discover the very best deals.
Unlock Amazing Sound: Our Top Memorial Day Headphone Deals
Our experts at ZDNET have been tirelessly tracking prices and reviewing the latest releases year-round. We’ve sifted through numerous Memorial Day promotions to bring you a curated selection of headphone deals that truly stand out. Here are some of the fantastic savings you can find right now:
- Apple AirPods Max (USB-C): Get them for $450 (save $100)
- Soundcore Space One Pro: Available for $170 (save $30)
- Bose QuietComfort 45: Priced at $299 (save $30)
- Sony WH-1000XM5: Grab a pair for $250 (save $150)
- Sony ULT WEAR: On sale for $148 (save $100)
Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)
The Apple AirPods Max continue to redefine premium over-ear headphones, offering a durable build, powerful noise cancellation, and seamless integration within Apple’s ecosystem. Their audio performance is a standout feature, delivering crisp, detailed sound perfect for all your multimedia needs. Features like Spatial Audio further enhance an already immersive listening experience.
This particular deal applies to the newer USB-C model, which debuted in 2024. This updated version brings exciting enhancements, including support for 24-bit lossless audio and low-latency wired playback. It’s an excellent opportunity to experience Apple’s top-tier audio at a significant discount.
Soundcore Space One Pro
The Soundcore Space One Pro remains one of our favorite pairs of headphones, providing a surprisingly premium experience for a midrange price. Its active noise cancellation (ANC) is exceptional, effectively muting external traffic, conversations, and other distracting background noises. The unique FlexiCurve folding design allows these headphones to collapse inward for effortless storage and portability.
Comfort is also a priority with soft cushioning on both the earcups and headband, ensuring long-term wearability. Plus, you’ll be impressed by the outstanding battery life, offering up to 40 hours with ANC enabled. This deal makes an already great value even better.
Bose QuietComfort 45
For those who prioritize comfort above all else during extended listening sessions, the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are an ideal choice. Featuring soft over-ear cushions and a lightweight design, these headphones are comfortable enough to wear all day long. Their audio quality is rich and immersive, allowing you to customize your sound profile via the intuitive Bose Music app.
Similar to other top-tier models, the QuietComfort 45 boasts robust active noise cancellation that effectively silences bothersome background noise. They are particularly effective against persistent sounds like airplane engines and mechanical keyboards, ensuring your audio remains undisturbed. This makes them perfect for travel or focused work environments.
Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 continues to set the gold standard for premium wireless audio, building on an already impressive legacy. Sony meticulously refined nearly every aspect of its predecessor, introducing softer ear cushions, a lighter design, and even stronger active noise cancellation. Notably, this model’s ANC feature intelligently incorporates white noise to block out background sounds more effectively.
Intuitive and reliable touch controls enhance user interaction, while the companion app offers extensive customization options, including EQ adjustments and the ability to enable 360 Reality Audio. With excellent microphone clarity and Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity, the WH-1000XM5 stands firm as one of the best headphones available today. This significant discount makes them an unbeatable value.
Sony ULT WEAR
Consider the Sony ULT WEAR headphones as a compelling alternative to the WH-1000XM5, delivering many similar high-end features at a more accessible price point. Drawing inspiration from Sony’s flagship series, the ULT WEAR offers warm, energetic sound with clear vocals and impressive deep low-end performance. They truly make hip-hop, EDM, and other bass-centric genres shine.
The standout feature is the Ult Power Sound mode, which boosts bass even further with the press of a button for an incredibly immersive experience. Sony also equipped these headphones with their V1 chip for enhanced active noise cancellation, allowing them to effectively compete with pricier rivals in the midrange market. This deal presents fantastic value for bass lovers.
Why You Can Trust Our Recommendations
At ZDNET, our recommendations are built on a foundation of extensive testing, research, and diligent comparison shopping. We meticulously gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings, alongside relevant independent review sites. Furthermore, we pore over countless customer reviews to truly understand what matters to real people who own and use the products and services we evaluate.
We believe in complete transparency. When you click through our site to a retailer and make a purchase, we may earn affiliate commissions. This system helps support the vital work we do, but it absolutely does not influence what we cover or how we cover it, nor does it affect the price you pay. Our independent reviews are never compensated by ZDNET or the author, and we adhere to strict guidelines to ensure our editorial content remains entirely unbiased by advertisers.
ZDNET’s editorial team is dedicated to serving you, our valued reader. Our primary goal is to provide the most accurate information and knowledgeable advice possible, empowering you to make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Every article undergoes thorough review and fact-checking to meet our stringent standards. Should we ever make an error or publish misleading information, we are committed to promptly correcting or clarifying the content.
Our Expert Deal-Finding Process
When it comes to deal recommendations, we hold ourselves to a high standard. ZDNET only highlights deals that genuinely capture our interest—devices and products we would confidently recommend to our friends, family, and most importantly, to you, our readers. Our experts specifically look for discounts of at least 20% off, or on items that are rarely ever on sale.
We leverage established price-comparison tools and trackers to verify that a deal truly offers significant savings and is worth your attention. We also factor in extensive customer reviews and our own hands-on experience with new technology. This comprehensive approach ensures that the advice we deliver is accurate, helping you shop smarter and make the most of price drops.
When to Grab These Savings
Memorial Day always falls on the last Monday of May, which in 2026 will be May 25th. However, the sales event typically kicks off well before the actual holiday, often spanning the entire preceding weekend. You can generally expect to see smartphone and other tech discounts begin appearing on Friday, May 22nd, with deals continuing through Memorial Day weekend and into Monday itself. Don’t wait too long, as the best offers can sell out quickly!
Source: ZDNet – AI
