12 expert-sourced deals on headphones and earbuds ahead of October Prime Day: Shop Beats, AirPods, and Sony

The best early October Prime Day headphones and earbuds deals: Just like that, fall is here and so is the holiday shopping season — well, almost.The unofficial kick-off comes with Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, otherwise known as October Prime Day. The sitewide sale runs from Oct. 6-7, but already, deals on headphones are popping up. While none of the deals so far are exceptional, they are worth checking out, especially if you want to avoid the chaos of the sale or simply can't wait. Standouts include Beats markdowns on everything from their Studio Pro headphones (following the release of new over-ear headphones) and their fitness-oriented earbuds, the Powerbeats Pro 2. Prices of AirPods are starting to dip too, with the AirPods Max 2 down $70 and the AirPods Pro 3 down $50. Below, check out the 12 best headphones and earbuds deals live ahead of October Prime Day, according to someone who tests them.Best headphones deal $169.95 at Amazon $299.99 Save $130.04 Why we like itWhile there may be a new pair of Beats over-ear headphones in town, 2023's Studio Pro are still worth a second look, especially at the price of $169.95. Mashable Deals By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. When testing out the best Beats headphones, Mashable contributor Alex Bracetti found the Studio Pro were actually superior in most cases to the far more expensive AirPods Max. They have better battery life, internal engineering more suited to richer sound quality, customizable equalizer options, and ANC that holds its own with Apple's headphones. For under $175, that's not a bad deal. Read Mashable's full review on the Beats Studio Pro.More headphones and earbuds dealsCMF BY Nothing Headphone Pro — $69 $79 (save $10)Nothing Ear (3a) — $79 $99 (save $20)Nothing Ear (Open) — $89 $99 (save $10)Beats Solo 4 — $129.95 $199.95 (save $70)Sony ULT headphones — $132.95 $249.99 (save $117.04)Beats Powerbeats Fit — $169.95 $199.99 (save $30.04)Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 $249.99 (save $50.04)Nothing Headphone (1) — $219 $299 (save $80)Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) — $399.99 $449 (save $49.01)Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70)