The best audio deals for Prime Day 2020

From TECHBOOK | October 13, 2020, 5:03 p.m.

From Sennheiser to Bose – the audio area has a lot to offer for Prime Day 2020. TECHBOOK has taken a close look at the headphone and speaker bargains from Amazon and reveals the best deals.

Current offers at a glance

JBL Charge 3 for 84.99 euros (-43%)

The JBL Charge 3 is a very good choice to start a small party at home or with friends. But you can also take the handy pill with you to the beach, because the housing is waterproof to IPX7 and can even withstand a dive. The stereo alignment of the built-in speakers fills every room and despite the strong bass from the large radiators, the highs and mids are still very clear. Thanks to the integrated 6000 mAh battery and a USB output, the smartphone can also be charged while playing music. If the battery is only used for music, according to the manufacturer, it lasts for up to 20 hours.

For Prime Day 2020, Charge 3 will be available for well below 100 euros for the first time in a few months. At 84.99 euros, it is significantly cheaper than before.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II for 198,99 Euro 189,99 Euro (-5%)

The noise-canceling headphones from Bose have been around for a few years, but they deliver very good sound quality and still excellent noise canceling. Even the voice assistants Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are supported. NFC for quickly setting up the Bluetooth connection with the smartphone is also on board. The QC35 are also compatible with the current Bose Connect app. The battery life is a good 20 hours. The only downer is that the headphones only charge via micro USB. If you can live with it, you get a device that can easily keep up with the current Bose NC 700 and can also be folded compactly.

The price of the QC35 II has fallen sharply in the past few weeks, but with the Prime Day offer for 189.99 Amazon undercuts the price of 198.99 again.

Marshall Stockwell II Portable Speaker for 199 Euro 140 Euro (-30%)

Not only music fans fall for the cult charm of the Marshall Box – and rightly so! TECHBOOK was able to test the device and the verdict is positive. The workmanship is excellent and of high quality. Both the box itself and the strap top the competition here. In return, the loudspeaker is comparatively heavy.

The sound is also top quality. With the small Marshall-Box you can easily fill a garden party with sound. The price for the device, which is only available from Amazon, is lower than ever.

Bose SoundSport Free for 114.99 euros (-23%)

In the TECHBOOK test of the Bose SoundSport Free we come to the following result: When it comes to sound, the earbuds are significantly better than inexpensive no-name products. Here you are dealing with a top product that is at the forefront in this segment. The isolation from outside noise is not better or worse than with cheaper products. The SoundSport Free, however, score with very comfortable and safe wearing comfort. The battery life is also well above average. The earbuds last 5 hours on one charge, and another 10 hours are in the charging case. The buds can be charged twice for a total of 15 hours.

Anker Soundcore Life Q20 for 59,99 Euro 41,99 Euro (-30%)

The Soundcore Life Q20 are headphones with active noise canceling (ANC) that we have already tested in our large comparison of the cheap headphones with ANC. We especially liked the good equipment and the effective ANC. The Q20s have Bluetooth 5.0 and are delivered with a plastic bag. The seat is also excellent in this price range – not so tight that it pinches, but also enough to seal completely. Unfortunately, the plastic case creaks a little when you move it. The sound is full and bassy, ​​although not as detailed as on more expensive models. Anker promises up to 30 hours of battery life, an outstanding value. Disadvantages are the use of a micro USB socket for charging and the lack of a smartphone app.

The Anker headphones with ANC are now available for an affordable 41.99 euros. Usually they cost 59.99 euros.

Jabra Elite 75T for 129.99 euros (-23%)

The Elite 75T earbuds are the ideal companion on a longer trip. They are characterized by long battery life, weather resistance and soon also active noise canceling (ANC). Individually, the earphones last for almost 5.5 hours, and the charging case holds another 28 hours. In the case, the earbuds charge for another hour of music playback within 15 minutes. The case itself is charged via USB-C or wirelessly. The Elite 75T are dust and splash-proof according to IP55, which means that they can withstand sweat and rain without any problems. Jabra has already announced that the Elite 75T will receive a firmware update on October 19th that will unlock the ANC. But already now numerous settings such as the transparency mode (HearThrough) can be adjusted via the Jabra Sound + app.

Huawei Sound X for 249 euros (-26%)

The Sound X, or Studio X, is a compact, room-filling Bluetooth speaker that can deliver surprisingly deep bass. This is made possible by the Devialet-certified, 60 watt 3.5-inch dual subwoofers, which can go down to 40 Hertz. Six 30 watt 1.5-inch tweeters, arranged in a circle, are responsible for filling the room, emitting sound in a 360-degree radius. Thanks to the strong hardware, the sound remains clear even at high volumes, and the bass does not overdrive. The connection with the smartphone is via Bluetooth. The box also supports Huawei Share via WiFi and Bluetooth. Owners of Huawei and Honor smartphones can play media on the Sound X even more easily. The playback can also be controlled via touch buttons on the top. Integration into smart home networks and the use of voice assistants is unfortunately not possible.

For Prime Day there is the powerful loudspeaker and a 5-euro Amazon voucher on top of that for 249 euros. Other retailers who have the Bluetooth box in larger quantities in stock, the price is around 335 euros.

Anker Soundcore 2 for 27.99 euros (-26%)

The Anker Soundcore 2 is a small, powerful Bluetooth box for on the go. With its two drivers and two passive radiators, it achieves an output power of up to 12 watts. The bass output can be increased a little with a dedicated BassUp button. The Soundcore Boost is waterproof according to the IPX7 standard and can therefore also be submerged under water. Two Soundcore 2s can be combined to form a stereo speaker setup. The box is via micro USB and, according to the manufacturer, lasts for up to 24 hours thanks to the large battery (5200 mAh). Thanks to the Bluetooth 5.0 standard, the connection with the smartphone is very stable.

Headphones – between comfort and sound quality

A wide variety of headphone shapes can be found on the market. There are the classic over-ears with temples, the ear pieces of which nestle around the ears and shield the listener well from outside noise. This type of headphone is widely used in professional audio. An alternative to this are the on-ears, which are also a variant of the headband headphones. Here the earpiece rests on the ear, but does not cover it completely. This enables ambient noise to penetrate better to the listener – it is not completely sealed off. There are also different versions of the in-ears: with and without bracket for the ears, wired or completely wireless (Bluetooth or True Wireless), with and without silicone plugs. So if buyers are looking for a new headphone, the decision for or against a certain shape is already very helpful and limits the choice.

Noise canceling for quiet music enjoyment

Active Noice Canceling, or ANC for short, is currently very popular. Noice canceling is particularly good at filtering out continuous, relatively constant background noises such as the hum of an engine or engine. This is because counter-noise is generated to reduce interference, which audibly minimizes the source of interference. But conversations around the music listener can also be reduced in this way. Especially when traveling by bus, train and plane, but also in the office, many users therefore value good noise canceling. Headphones with ANC are available in all product classes, regardless of whether they are over-, on- or in-ear. Models with ANC are usually more expensive than those without.

Bluetooth boxes for sound in rooms

If you want to enjoy the music not just alone but in a group, you can choose between numerous (portable) speakers. They are available in waterproof form for the beach, small and compact to take with you, or wired with plenty of bass. In addition, the loudspeakers are becoming more and more intelligent and often have voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri or Google’s Assistant on board. So it is possible to play music by voice command. The smaller such a loudspeaker or a Bluetooth box, the smaller the sound body and the less well leveled the sound is usually. Devices with a reasonable bass are therefore usually larger, but also less mobile. Here, too, you have to find out what you expect from a (portable) loudspeaker: Should it be mobile? More waterproof? Or do you prefer the sound system at home with a lot of oomph?