Shopping for AirPods? We've tested 5 alternatives that are cheaper for Prime Day

(Image credit: Future) That's right, Amazon's October Prime Day deals have arrived. So you might be thinking about picking up a new set of AirPods — maybe the flagship Max 2. Hold on a second, though. Don't add them to your basket just yet.I test a lot of headphones for my job, and my take is that the AirPods Max 2 are overpriced, even on sale (I mean... it is Apple we're talking about here). They're good, but not $549 good. That got me thinking about which cans I'd recommend instead.Thankfully, there are lots of headphones out there that performed excellently in our testing, and beat the AirPods in many ways. Five of my top picks are on sale right now. The standout deal for me is on the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, which are currently reduced to $479 at Amazon, that's $270 off. Huge.Of course, if it absolutely has to be AirPods, the Max 2 are also on sale for $429, so $120 off. But I still think that's overpriced. My money would be spent a pair of the headphones below instead.Better sound qualityWe scored these headphones: 4.5*Check out our Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 reviewBetter ANCWe scored these headphones: 4.5*Check out our Sony WH-1000XM5 review.Better for workoutsWe scored these headphones: 3.5*Check out our Nothing Headphone (a) review.Better for travelWe scored these headphones: 4*Check out our Marshall Monitor III review.Budget pickWe haven't officially scored these headphones yet as our review is in progress (but spoiler: we love 'em).Shop more dealsSee all deals in the Prime Day saleAll headphones on sale at Amazon Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. More from Tom's GuideThe best headphones in 2026The best noise canceling headphones in 2026The best wireless earbuds in 2026 Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Peter is a Senior Editor at Tom's Guide, heading up the site's Reviews team and Cameras section. As a writer, he covers topics including tech, photography, gaming, hardware, motoring and food & drink. Outside of work, he's an avid photographer, specialising in architectural and portrait photography. When he's not snapping away on his beloved Fujifilm camera, he can usually be found telling everyone about his greyhounds, riding his motorcycle, squeezing as many FPS as possible out of PC games, and perfecting his espresso shots.