Despite being released more than two years ago, the Sony WF-1000XM4 remain our top pick for the best wireless earbuds. They are right up there with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for the best active noise-canceling, they're near the top of the pack in audio quality, and they offer all the features you'd expect from a pair of premium headphones. The current price tag, however, is not what you'd expect from earbuds this nice, and right now you can pick up the XM4s for just $198.

Why you should buy the Sony WF-1000XM4

If I were shopping for a new pair of wireless earbuds today, and I wasn't looking for something specifically for the gym or in a certain price range, these discounted XM4s would be at the top of my list. The biggest thing is the superior ANC — if you've experienced a good pair of active noise-canceling headphones or earbuds, you understand why it can make such a big difference. Not only does this feature drown out migraine-inducing background noise, but it also provides a much better environment for listening to your favorite music or podcast. And, like we mentioned, the audio quality on these earbuds is absolutely in the conversation for best-in-class.

As for features, the XM4s check all the necessary boxes. There are touchpads on each earbud for quick access to playback controls, and with Quick Attention, a single tap on the left bud quiets your audio and pipes in ambient sound, letting you still interact with people. The earbuds also support Sony's LDAC codec for high quality audio, as well as voice commands for Alexa and Google Assistant. The battery is good for up to 8 hours with ANC on, and recharging happens via USB-C or wireless. Sony also recently issued an update that adds multipoint to the earbuds, letting them connect to two devices at once.

We rated the WF-1000XM4s a 9 out of 10 in our review, noting only two real caveats: they are a bit bulky, which may be uncomfortable for some, and they are very expensive. Comfort is obviously something everyone must consider when buying headphones, but today's discount should definitely mitigate our other complaint. If you're at all in the market for new wireless earbuds, grab the XM4s while you can at this price.