I've tested all the latest headphones – here are the ones worth buying today

Apple products rarely get a discount, so I'm not going to pretend this reduction is a world-changer, but it's something. The AirPods Max are incredible, though, so if you're fixed on buying an Apple product for easy pairing – plus great sound and noise-cancelling – then they're a strong (yet expensive) purchase.

Genuinely one of the best Black Friday deals on headphones, the Beats have been slashed by almost three quarters of their original asking price. These over-ears offer very effective active noise-cancelling (ANC), plus impeccable sound quality – especially if you love bass. Argos has a slam dunk of a deal here, as others are pricier:

Price check: Amazon £149 | Currys £149 | Very.co.uk £149

I wore these headphones for year and am convinced they're the best for frequent travellers, owed to fantastic active noise-cancelling (ANC). There's a newer second-gen pair out, but I find them less effective, so these are the ones to buy. Still not super cheap, but a chunky discount from the original price – and well worth it.

I'd love to recommend the Px7 S3 or Px8 S2 even more, but they're brand new and much pricier. However, the older 'e' version of the previous model does have a very good discount at Amazon. The sound quality is still exemplary, while foam-filled leather earcups (yes, actual leather, how rare) add an air of luxury – just as you'd expect from the brand.

While these won't be for everyone, we loved Nothing's first over-ears thanks to really intuitive controls – which other headphones brands just can't compete with. They sound good, too, so if you're on board with their stand-apart aesthetic then this big discount makes them even more appealing.

An obvious one to include if you want battery life that goes and goes. You'll get 60 hours per charge from Sennheiser's top-tier cans, but that's not the only reason to buy – they're very comfortable and sound great too.

While Sonos' first-ever headphones hugely split opinion, I wore them for ages – as I think they're the most comfortable headphones in existence right now. The sound quality needs a little tweaking in the app, but it's still decent. And given how much Sonos undercuts Sony, Bowers and more, I think the price really adds allure here.

Sony's latest headphones are really stunning. They're also hugely different to their predecessors, thanks to a new design that folds (um, a bit like their predecessor's predecessor – nothing like going back to go forward!). The reason you'll most want them, though, is that arguably there's no better active noise-cancelling (ANC) anywhere on the market. Oh, and the sound is killer, too, obviously.

If you don't care about the folding design feature of the newer XM6 model then, well, there's little reason to not consider the XM5 at a greater discount. The ANC is still stellar, the sound quality impeccable. I personally think they look even better too, but from a practicality perspective – if you travel a lot – then the newer model's higher price may warrant its worth.