When it comes to over-ear headphones, I’m still rocking my old and sadly discontinued Oppo PM-3s which I usually hook up to another piece of Oppo magic to drive them - the sleek metal and leather-finished Ha-2se headphone amp.
The sound is fantastic, but plugging into my music with older tech means having to deal with a spaghetti bowl of wires and it’s a trip hazard when leaping off the sofa when the doorbell goes or when the dog jumps up looking for a treat. So in late 2021, I decided to join the fast-moving world of wireless headphones and bought the excellent Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds.
These have served me well and have been a companion when out running - or should I say 'hobbling' - and I've also used them at home for listening to music for hours on end. However, what I really want now is a pair of over-ears to replace my Oppos - and I particularly want the Sony WH-1000XM5.
So when Amazon announced their Prime Big Deal Days event, I thought it would be the perfect time to grab a pair of these noise cancelling headphones in Midnight Blue. They usually retail around $349/£319 which is out of my reach. However, when the sales dropped, I was a bit deflated that they went down to around £280 and a wee bit less for the other colour variations - still a nice saving but something around the £250 mark is my sweet spot.
With my price locked in, I did consider buying the older but still brilliant Sony WH-1000XM4 and I've also had a closer look at headphones from other manufacturers and discussed the issue with friends and colleagues, but boil it all down, and I have my heart set of the XM5 model - and it’s something that my tech-addled brain simply can’t shift.
So as tempted as I am to add these to my shopping basket - and I really am tempted - I’m going to wait until the Black Friday headphones deals begin on November 24 to see if I can nab them for a lower price.
With multiple online retailers getting in the game, I’m hoping my chances when the Black Friday music deals land over Cyber Weekend will be better for me to finally get my headphones. And even if I can't secure a pair and have to wait a bit longer, I'll still have my warm-sounding Oppos (wires and all) to see me comfortably through the winter.
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