Top 14 deals: TVs, wireless headphones, soundbars
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s a fairly dark and cool time of year, making it a good time to think about your home tech. This weekend’s list of deals, from TVs to wireless headphones, is sure to impress. Be sure to check out our offer roundup earlier in the week, where you’ll still find discounts on work-from-home equipment and other headphones.
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Headphone and speaker deals
The Arctis 1 gaming headset is hard to beat for the price. It works well with PS4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC; has a removable microphone; and damn comfortable. This headset doesn’t have wireless capabilities, so it’s only for those who want to connect via the 3.5mm headphone jack.
If you have the budget to upgrade, the Arctis 9 is a great wireless gaming headset. I like the comfortable headband, and the included microphone pops out of the headphones so you don’t look like a jerk wandering around the city listening to music.
These active noise canceling headphones from Sennheiser have virtually no business worth that little. They provide a secure fit (although you may want to avoid them if you have small ears). I really like the sound quality that comes with the dedicated transducer drivers. They even have an IPX4 splash protection rating, making them great friends at the gym.
Sometimes we just need an inexpensive pair of earphones to carry us on the road, for workouts and other daily tasks. If noise cancellation isn’t what you’re looking for, this pair from Jabra is worth checking out, which has the same great ergonomics as the brand’s more expensive models, but without the more sophisticated technology and processing.
It often drops to this price, but it’s still a lot. This Polk (7/10, WIRED recommends) is easy to set up and works through an HDMI Arc connection. You can choose between different sound profiles such as Cinema or Night and you’ll get room-filling sound. The wireless subwoofer also gives it some appeal. Read our guide to the best soundbars to find out more.
Sony makes great soundbars that fit easily under TVs, but they tend to cost a few hundred dollars more than their counterparts. That’s why now is the perfect time to grab one of these discounted soundbar and wireless subwoofer combinations. You’ll get higher build quality than similar panels from Vizio and Samsung, and this thing can even mimic Dolby Atmos for more immersive sound.
A reliable little Bluetooth speaker like this one from Anker can quickly become one of your best music friends. I love how simple and easy it is to press the controls (great for nondescript shower taps). And with 24 hours of playback on a single charge, you’ll be able to swim a lot before you need to plug in a USB-C cable.
Xtreme 2 by JBL is the perfect accessory to take with you on a hike, on a road trip, or set up on your patio. I love that it has 15 hours of playtime (more than enough for a dance party after skiing) and that it’s rated 1PX7 waterproof so you can toss it in the pool. We’ve seen this price before, but it’s still a great price for a big Bluetooth speaker.
TV and home offers
I don’t know how easily you can hide a 75″ screen anywhere, but if you want your screen to fade into the background as much as possible, check out The Frame. Between viewing sessions, this gorgeous screen disguises itself as a piece of art on a wall with thousands of famous paintings to choose from. This is a pretty neat party trick, and great for those with design-focused living rooms.
You won’t get the biggest discount, but if you need a big screen to watch the last couple of NFL games before the Super Bowl, now’s the time to get this Neo QLED from Samsung. In addition to the superb color you’ll get thanks to quantum dots, this TV comes with a center stand, making it easy to install the bulky item on top of your existing furniture.
We’re not the biggest fans of its trackpad, but we love that this 2-in-1 works really well as a tablet. You can flip the screen over the keyboard and use the impressive OLED display to draw, take notes, or do whatever you do on the touch screen. Just know that Samsung will be announcing new versions of these laptops soon, so it’s likely that prices are dropping right now.
We’re pretty big fans of the latest Macbook Pro (7/10, WIRED Review) for its great performance and battery life. We really wish this smaller version had the same number of ports as the larger 14- and 16-inch options, but it makes this model easier to carry around and work anywhere.
This is the lowest price we’ve seen on Amazon’s most expensive tablet (7/10, recommends WIRED). We enjoy reading Kindle books, listening to Audible and watching Amazon Prime Video. It’s nice that you can add a microSD card for storage expansion if you need it. The only downside is the bad camera.
You might be fine with streaming, but if you have a more expensive TV and sound system, you’ll be shocked at how much better content can be presented on 4K Blu-ray. With its significantly higher bit rate and lossless sound, I highly recommend this Sony unit if you want to improve your home gaming.