Work in peace with these noise-canceling Sony earbuds — over $30 off at Amazon

Rick Broida
·Executive commerce editor, tech
·5 min read

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Sony's top-rated noise-canceling earbuds are available in black and white.
Begone, outside noise! Sony's earbuds will help you listen — and work — in peace. (Photo: Sony)

With winter in full swing, you deserve a little treat, don't you think? I can think of few better options than a set of premium earbuds, which can elevate your music and reduce anxiety-inducing noise.

Apple AirPods Pro, you say? Sure, that's a great product, but not everyone looks like the look of AirPods or the Apple ecosystem. Instead, consider the Sony WF-1000XM4 noise-canceling earbuds, currently on sale at Amazon for $248 (save $32).

(Pro tip: If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day Amazon Prime trial here.)

$248 $280 at Amazon

Available in black or white at that price, Sony's earbuds are smaller and more discrete than AirPods; they sort of blend into your ears rather than protrude from them.

I haven't tried them myself, but countless reviews indicate superb sound quality, top-of-class noise canceling and very good phone-call performance. They're also splash-proof (meaning safe for sweaty exercise) and equipped with a charging case that can sit flat (what a concept, Apple, cough-cough!) and recharge wirelessly.

And here's one cool feature AirPods can't match: If you want to have a conversation with someone while you're wearing the earbuds, just start talking. Sony's speak-to-chat technology will automatically pause playback and enable ambient-sound mode so you can hear the other person. (Thankfully, this can also be disabled in case you're someone who likes to sing along with the music.)

Another nice perk: built-in Alexa, great if she's your preferred voice assistant for things like information and smart-home operation. She's optional, though: You can use Google Assistant or Siri if you prefer.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention there are plenty of very good noise-canceling earbuds available for $100 or less. But if you want arguably the best earbuds, period, consider Sony's.

$248 $280 at Amazon

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