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From soundbars to headphones, here are the best last-minute audio deals

V-Moda Crossfade II review
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

With so many products out there, finding the perfect gift for the audio lover in your life can be tough, especially if you are looking for a good deal. But never fear, holiday shoppers: We’ve scoured the internet for the best deals in audio. With discounts on everything from shiny new models to deals on slightly older ones, there’s sure to be something for everyone on this shopping list.

Scroll below for the best audio deals this holiday season, and be sure to check out our review of the best headphones, soundbars, and speakers if you or a loved one is in the market for some new tech.

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V Moda Crossfade Wireless  ($115)

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V-Moda’s first iteration of its acclaimed Crossfade Wireless over-ear headphones offer excellent passive noise isolation, robust bottom end, and sleek looks. And with a steep discount to nearly a third of their original $300 price tag this holiday season, they are easily among the best headphones you can get for the money.

 Sony WH-CH700N Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones ($100)

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Sony makes our favorite noise-canceling headphones on the market, so it’s easy to understand why this excellent on-ear model, now 50 percent off its original $200 list price, would have us take notice. With up to 35 hours (!) of battery life, a built-in microphone for hands-free calls, and soft memory foam earpads, the WH-CH700N will help you or your loved on drown out the world and enjoy the best music in peace and harmony.

Sennheiser HD 4.5 SE Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones ($130)

Ryan Waniata/Digital Trends

Travelers and commuters will love this great set of wireless noise-canceling headphones from Sennheiser, which are now available for $70 off their regular $200 list price. Plush earpads join fantastic balanced sound in this model from the acclaimed audio manufacturer. And with up to 19 hours of battery life, they’ll last through even the longest journeys.

Sony X9000F 2.1-Channel Dolby Atmost Soundbar ($398)

Sony HT-X9000F

Anyone who is looking to upgrade their home theater will appreciate this fantastic 2.1-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar from Sony, which gets a $202 discount in time for the holidays. That makes it one of the best deals in home audio, and a no-brainer if you or a loved one wants more immersive sound to pair with that new TV or projector.

Sonos Connect ($400)

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Here’s a deal for anyone trying to build out a smart home or who are deeply in love with multiroom audio. Now for $100 off of its typical list price, you can get the older model of Sonos’ Connect amplifier. An Alexa-ready amp that can power speakers both large or small, this is a great way to bring your old hi-fi system into a multiroom home audio setup. With the ability to wirelessly stream Pandora, Apple Music, and Spotify, the Sonos Connect is a fantastic way to take your listening to the 21st century.

Parker Hall
Former Senior Writer, Home Theater/Music
Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…
The best back-to-school gift is noise-canceling headphones. Here’s why
Man in cafe working on a laptop wearing Sony WH1000-XM4 wireless over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones.

Lindsay has a research paper on the laws of thermodynamics due at 1:00 p.m. sharp the next day so she's holed up at the school library because, by all accounts, it should be the quietest place on campus to get her work done. Unfortunately, Chad and Karen are two tables over giggling at memes on Reddit and the noise is driving her crazy. She pops in her aging Apple AirPods, but the battery is trash and, besides, they don't do squat to shield Lindsay from Karen's high-pitched giggles.

If only Lindsay's folks had known that noise-canceling headphones are the single most important tool for a good education, then perhaps they would have opted to get her a set of Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 or Sony WF-1000XM4 headphones as a back-to-school gift instead of an ergonomic laptop backpack, which is doing a great job of preventing Lindsay from experiencing premature sciatica, but doing absolutely zero to help her get her work turned in on time.

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Microsoft has dropped a number of new products this morning, including some gear tailored made for the work-from-home life. The headline product is the Surface Headphones 2+ For Business, a productivity-focused version of the vanilla Surface Headphones 2.

The main difference? Well, these are "Certified for Microsoft Teams," thanks to a number of videoconferencing-specific features. The Surface Headphones 2+ uses a USB dongle for a "rock-solid connection," as Microsoft states. It also comes with a dedicated Teams button and synchronized call controls.

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Soundbars are immensely popular for one very good reason: Simplicity. A power cable and an HDMI cable are typically all you need to get one set up and connected to your TV. But Roku -- the king of simplicity in the streaming world -- thinks we can do better. Ahead of CES 2021, the company has announced that it has created a new reference design for a soundbar that doesn't need to be physically connected to a TV at all. Well, to a Roku TV, to be precise.

The reference design is an expansion of the existing Roku TV Ready program announced a year ago that lets Roku TV owners configure their audio gear using a simple on-screen interface. Now, any compatible soundbar will still be configurable via Roku TV Ready, but it won't require an HDMI cable. The system uses Roku's proprietary version of Wi-Fi -- the same Wi-Fi connection it uses for its Roku Wireless Speakers -- which lets you place a soundbar more or less anywhere you want.

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