The Baseus Bowie MA10 Wireless Earbuds are the best budget option on the market today. (Rick Broida/Yahoo Life)
You heard it here first (see what I did there?): A post-Christmas deal puts our favorite budget earbuds into your pocket (and ears) for a measly $15. No, I didn't leave out a digit; $15. That's after applying a coupon; needless to say, the deal probably won't last long.
The Baseus Bowie MA10 earbuds deliver remarkably good sound and noise-canceling capabilities, as noted by senior tech writer Rick Broida in his roundup of the best earbuds on the market. They were already a bargain at $40; at $15 — the lowest price on record — they're an outright steal.
All-time-low-price alert! If you prefer headphones to earbuds, this is a deal worth considering. "Expect rich, balanced audio with clear highs and punchy bass that’ll make your playlists pop," says Senior Deals Writer Chris McGraw, who specializes in all things tech. "They pair seamlessly with Apple devices, offer up to 40 hours of battery life and are as portable as they are comfortable, making them perfect for life on the go."
Pilot and aviation enthusiast Duke Armitage is a fan of noise-cancelling earbuds for travel, and this popular pick by Beats happens to be $50 off. "Few things are more irritating than listening to loud conversations or baby screams on a flight," he says. "This doesn't have to break the bank, as you can find a quality pair for $50 to $100."
These come with three tip sizes to ensure a snug fit. Other travel-friendly features? Transparency mode lets you switch off noise-cancelling to hear in-flight announcements or order a ginger ale, and you'll get hours of listening time before they need to be charged. Choose from black, white or red — whatever suits your jet-setting style.
This laptop is incredibly thin and light, so it's great for anyone on the go. It has a lot of power despite its small size, and the discount is nothing to sneeze at, either — especially for a MacBook.
"I am in love with this laptop," said one reviewer. "[It's] a complete game changer. I am usually a PC guy but I ended up getting a Mac to change things up. ... The M3 chip is also insanely fast and the extra RAM definitely helps me browse more things at once. ... Would recommend completely!"
Even at their usual $40 price, these Baseus buds are an amazingly good buy. But right now, with this post-Christmas promotion, you can save over 60%. That's a historic-low price.
Sure, Apple would have you think you need to spend $129 minimum for a top-of-the-line pair of earbuds, or as much as $249 if you want active noise cancellation (ANC). Those are the prices for second-generation AirPods and AirPods Pro, respectively. But here's Baseus with its new Bowie MA10 wireless earbuds, which include ANC, for under $15.
When Broida tested the buds, he just kept asking himself: "How can $40 earbuds possibly be this good? The Baseus Bowie MA10 ... surprised me with their nicely balanced sound, robust ANC and amazing battery life (up to eight hours on a charge and up to 140 hours of total playtime thanks to the extra-large charging case)."
When reviewing these headphones, Broida flagged that the Baseus "case can recharge the earbuds more than 16 times before needing to be recharged itself. And the earbuds last up to eight hours, meaning you're looking at upwards of 140 total hours of playtime." AirPods Pro, in comparison, lasts up to six hours on a charge and 30 total with the case. Winner: Bowie MA10 by a mile.
"I'm no audiophile, but I've tested a lot of these things — cheap and premium alike," Broida wrote. "Color me impressed: The Bowie MA10s produce rich and well-balanced sound, maybe not quite as full-bodied as AirPods, but extremely good overall. Indeed, I think you'd need a sensitive and well-trained ear to find any fault with these earbuds; for 'civilians' like me, they're great."
"Despite the presence of four ENC (Environmental Noise Canceling) microphones, I didn't have the best luck with phone calls," Broida noted. "Although I could hear the other person just fine, I had a hard time hearing my own voice, even with transparency mode engaged. (Also, I had to engage it manually; ideally, it would kick in automatically for phone calls.) AirPods are definitely better in this department."
"The only feature I'm really missing here is in-ear detection, which would automatically pause playback when you remove an earbud and resume it when you replace it. It's hardly crucial, but I'm spoiled by it now, so I miss it when it's not available."
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