Do you need headphones for the next semester or term? I get it. And is money, er, relatively tight? Again, I understand — and the good news is, a huge sales event known as Amazon Prime Day is here to help.
See all early Prime Day deals at Amazon
I’m also here to help, as TechRadar’s audio editor and full-time headphones tester since 2019. So, even if I do flatter myself, I know what makes a good set of headphones — and which pairs will lend themselves to studying that aren’t those flagship sets few people can afford on a student loan.
When I went to college, there was no Bluetooth audio (why thank you but no really, it’s true). There were also no music streaming services and the MP3 format was very much in its infancy.
What I did have was a portable CD player and some Sony headphones. And let me tell you that I owe every exam I passed to these products (plus my local HMV store, which I scurried along to armed with money from a part-time job waiting tables at a Wimpy restaurant).
As a dancer since age two, it turns out I have always needed music and simultaneous movement (or the compulsion to move) to retain information from books. I’ve since found out I’m not alone — and maybe that’s why you’re here.
What follows are the four best pairs of headphones I’ve found for students. I’ll explain why briefly, and link to the best deals live now. And don’t worry, you’ve got this.
1. CMF Headphone Pro: artsy over-ears that won’t break the bank
Did you know that CMF is simply Nothing’s more affordable arm — so these headphones carry a lot of Nothing Headphone (a) magic, just in a more affordable build? And what a lovely original build it is too.
I tested these budget-friendly, very comfortable and surprisingly customizable over-ear headphones and if zealous, bass-hungry sound quality sounds like a bit of…
