Today's best deals: Apple AirPods Max, Peacock subscriptions, and more

The best deals of the day: Apple AirPods Max, Peacock subscriptions, and moreZoom Ars-Technica

It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the web's best tech deals includes a notable discount on Apple's AirPods Max, which is currently down $429 in various colors at Amazon. It's not the absolute lowest price we've seen for noise-canceling headphones from Apple, but it's still about $45 less than its usual price in recent months and $120 less than Apple's MSRP. .

It's still an expensive set of headphones, even with the discount, but as we've noted in previous guides, the Max still delivers superb sound quality for wireless headphones and suppression active noise exceptionally effective. They're rather heavy compared to competing pairs like Sony's WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5, but their aluminum finish gives a premium feel. They also offer all the benefits of any other set of AirPods, including easy pairing with iPhones, Macs and Apple TVs and integration with services like Find My Device tracking and Siri.

The Max still has some weird design quirks: they can't fold up for easier storage, and they don't have a dedicated power-off button, instead relying on a flimsy stand that puts them in bass mode. consumption. They also can't connect to multiple devices simultaneously, and while their 20-hour battery life is solid, we've seen better from other pairs. For most people, the WH-1000XM4 is still a better value that comes close enough in performance at a much lower price. But the Max's audio and noise-canceling quality are a step up, so if you own an iPhone and have a bit more to spend, it should be a more digestible price for a travel pair or quality office headphones. Just note that the Maxes have been available since late 2020 and Apple has a new product event scheduled for next week; we haven't seen many rumors suggesting a refreshed Max is imminent, but there's still a chance one will arrive before the end of the year.

If you don't want a new pair of headphones, we also have a nice discount on Peacock subscriptions, but only for new subscribers. If that's you, however, the streaming service is running a promotion that hands out a 12-month subscription at its ad-supported "Peacock Premium" tier for $20. Normally, an annual membership costs $50. You will need to create an account and use the code "ONEYEAR" at checkout to see the discount. Peacock is far from an essential platform and paying to continue seeing adverts is always annoying, but if you've been thinking about taking the plunge anyway, whether it's to watch Premier League football, the events of WWE or just your 40th The Office run—that might be a more palatable prize.

Beyond that, our roundup also features lower than normal prices on Apple's 10.2-inch iPad and 14-inch MacBook Pro, Google's Chromecast and Pixel 6 phones, miscellaneous well-reviewed gaming monitors, Samsung's OLED TVs, and the usual line of video games, among others. You can find our full list of offers below.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links in this posting through affiliate programs.

Featured offers of the day Apple AirPods Max Wireless ANC Headphones for $429 ($475) at Amazon New Users: 12 Month Peacock Premium Subscription for $20 ($50) at Peacock (Use Code: ONEYEAR)

Today's best deals: Apple AirPods Max, Peacock subscriptions, and more
The best deals of the day: Apple AirPods Max, Peacock subscriptions, and moreZoom Ars-Technica

It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the web's best tech deals includes a notable discount on Apple's AirPods Max, which is currently down $429 in various colors at Amazon. It's not the absolute lowest price we've seen for noise-canceling headphones from Apple, but it's still about $45 less than its usual price in recent months and $120 less than Apple's MSRP. .

It's still an expensive set of headphones, even with the discount, but as we've noted in previous guides, the Max still delivers superb sound quality for wireless headphones and suppression active noise exceptionally effective. They're rather heavy compared to competing pairs like Sony's WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5, but their aluminum finish gives a premium feel. They also offer all the benefits of any other set of AirPods, including easy pairing with iPhones, Macs and Apple TVs and integration with services like Find My Device tracking and Siri.

The Max still has some weird design quirks: they can't fold up for easier storage, and they don't have a dedicated power-off button, instead relying on a flimsy stand that puts them in bass mode. consumption. They also can't connect to multiple devices simultaneously, and while their 20-hour battery life is solid, we've seen better from other pairs. For most people, the WH-1000XM4 is still a better value that comes close enough in performance at a much lower price. But the Max's audio and noise-canceling quality are a step up, so if you own an iPhone and have a bit more to spend, it should be a more digestible price for a travel pair or quality office headphones. Just note that the Maxes have been available since late 2020 and Apple has a new product event scheduled for next week; we haven't seen many rumors suggesting a refreshed Max is imminent, but there's still a chance one will arrive before the end of the year.

If you don't want a new pair of headphones, we also have a nice discount on Peacock subscriptions, but only for new subscribers. If that's you, however, the streaming service is running a promotion that hands out a 12-month subscription at its ad-supported "Peacock Premium" tier for $20. Normally, an annual membership costs $50. You will need to create an account and use the code "ONEYEAR" at checkout to see the discount. Peacock is far from an essential platform and paying to continue seeing adverts is always annoying, but if you've been thinking about taking the plunge anyway, whether it's to watch Premier League football, the events of WWE or just your 40th The Office run—that might be a more palatable prize.

Beyond that, our roundup also features lower than normal prices on Apple's 10.2-inch iPad and 14-inch MacBook Pro, Google's Chromecast and Pixel 6 phones, miscellaneous well-reviewed gaming monitors, Samsung's OLED TVs, and the usual line of video games, among others. You can find our full list of offers below.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links in this posting through affiliate programs.

Featured offers of the day Apple AirPods Max Wireless ANC Headphones for $429 ($475) at Amazon New Users: 12 Month Peacock Premium Subscription for $20 ($50) at Peacock (Use Code: ONEYEAR)

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