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Labor Day Deal: My AirPods Died, Beats Saved Me — and This $150 Discount Could End Any Minute

I replaced my AirPods with these over-ear headphones, and I’ve never looked back. Now, you can get them for 43% off in certain colors.

Labor Day’s over, but this deal hasn’t vanished yet — and it’s the one that got me to finally move on from my AirPods. After they gave up on me midweek (no warning, no revival), I needed something fast. I landed on the Beats Studio Pro, and honestly, they’ve been solid for long workdays, calls and zoning out on the train.

Right now, they’re down to $200 on Amazon — $150 off the original $350 price. That’s one of the lowest prices we’ve seen, and it’s not likely to stick around. If you’re still debating between these and something like the AirPods Max, our headphone guide breaks it down.

I didn’t expect to fall in love with a pair of headphones so quickly, especially because I loved my Apple buds so much. I was just hoping for solid noise cancellation and good sound quality. 

The Beats delivered so much more. Today, they’re an essential part of my daily routine, practically an extension of my ears, and I get a lot of mileage out of them. Whether I’m writing, commuting, doing chores or taking my pup for a walk, the Beats Studio Pro are there with me. 

And now for Labor Day, several colors are on sale for $200 (down from their usual $350 sticker price) on Amazon.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

Here’s how the Beats Studio Pro work

Let’s start with the specs. The Beats Studio Pro are premium over-ear headphones that bring serious upgrades to the iconic Beats design. Think of these as the grown-up, more refined cousin of the Beats Solo series. They’re still stylish, still punchy, but with significantly better sound quality and comfort. Here are some key features of the Beats Studio Pro:

  • Active noise cancellation and transparency mode: Two core features that let you tune out the world or stay aware, depending on your mood. The ANC is excellent, especially for this price, and it’s great for navigating travel, open offices or city streets.
  • USB-C lossless audio: A game-changer for audiophiles. With USB-C, you can listen to lossless audio directly from your device — no compression, just crystal-clear sound.
  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking: This creates an immersive, surround-sound-like experience.
  • Custom 40mm drivers: Deliver balanced sound, with punchy bass, crisp mids and smooth highs.
  • Battery: Up to 40 hours with ANC off or 24 hours with it turned on. That’s more than enough to get you through several workdays or even a full international flight without scrambling for a charger.
  • Built-in microphones and voice-targeting beamforming tech: Your voice will sound clear on calls, even in a noisy space.

They also pair effortlessly with both Apple and Android devices, thanks to support for Find My, Google Fast Pair and one-touch pairing.

CNET’s audio expert David Carnoy reviewed these earphones and found both the sound quality and voice-calling performance impressive.

«The noise canceling is quite effective,» Carnoy wrote in his review. «It’s the adaptive variety, so it’s not a fixed setting, and occasionally I’d hear it shift in strength as it adjusted to the ambient noise around me, whether I was on the subway or walking the streets of New York.»

Why I’m obsessed with my Beats

There are plenty of great headphones out there. So what sets these apart for me?

First and foremost, I love the comfort. I’ve worn lots of over-ear headphones that start to ache or feel heavy after an hour or so. I also have several ear piercings — five in my left ear and three in my right — and many over-ear headphones push the earring into my skin, digging in until it’s quite painful. 

Not these. The earcups are plush, the clamping force is just right, and the memory foam actually makes a difference. I can wear them for hours without fatigue, which is saying something when you log multiple hours a day in them.

The sound quality is also great. Beats used to have a reputation for overly bass-heavy tuning, but the Studio Pro strikes a beautiful balance. There’s still that satisfying low-end thump when I’m listening to pop, hip hop or K-pop, but it doesn’t overpower the vocals or mids. Whether I’m streaming Hozier for the umpteenth hour, catching up on podcasts or listening to a new audiobook, everything sounds great.

Finally, the ANC and transparency mode are shockingly good. I’ve used my Beats in loud coffeeshops, on airplanes and while vacuuming, and they efficiently block out noise like a champ. But when I need to hear what’s going on (like when I run into one of my neighbors while I’m walking my dog), a quick button press switches me into transparency mode, and I can hear them clearly. It’s seamless.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention their style. Frankly, they just look cool. I know that’s not the most important thing, but the sleek matte finish, the minimalist design and the range of colors make these headphones feel like a fashion accessory as much as a tech device. I have the «Earth» color headphones, and they look gorgeous with any outfit. My one request (Beats execs, I’m sure you’re reading this!) would be to make these in a sage green color. Pretty please?  

They’d make a great gift for any audiophile

Buying tech for someone else can be tricky, but the Beats Studio Pro are a pretty safe bet.

For one, they work across platforms, so it doesn’t matter if your gift recipient is team iPhone or Android. The intuitive pairing process, native device integration and wide compatibility make these user-friendly for just about anyone.

They’re also great for all types of use cases. Daily commuters? Check. Frequent flyers? Definitely. College students pulling all-nighters, or music lovers who want to hear every nuance of a track? Absolutely. These can suit really any type of person, day in and day out.

The Beats just feel premium, too. This is the kind of tech someone might not splurge on for themselves, but they would certainly be grateful to receive as a gift, no matter the occasion. If you’re shopping for a summer birthday or anniversary, these are a hit waiting to happen.

Why this Beats deal matters

Let’s get down to numbers. The Beats Studio Pro normally sell for $350 or $450, depending on the color you select. That’s pretty pricey. But right now, several colors are down to about $200.

I keep a pretty close eye on tech deals, and huge discounts don’t come around often, especially on newer, high-demand models. I don’t expect a much bigger sale on this product anytime soon. Considering the quality, durability and features packed into these headphones, you’re getting a lot for your investment, including flagship-level ANC, excellent sound and cross-platform support for less than the cost of most premium earbuds.

My final thoughts on my Beats Studio Pro headphones

In a world full of flashy gadgets and fleeting trends, the Beats Studio Pro are the real deal. They’ve become an essential part of my everyday life, not because they’re trendy or hyped, but because they work. They’re reliable, comfortable and sound fantastic. If this discount puts them in your price range, it’s a great time to buy them.

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Technologies

If You Were ‘Tricked’ Into an Amazon Prime Subscription, You Should Have Been Paid by Today

Amazon is paying $1.5 billion to people who mistakenly subscribed to Prime, and the first round of payments are due today.

Amazon Prime provides a lot of valuable benefits to its members, but the company’s registration practices for its premium subscription from 2019 to 2025 led to many customers accidentally subscribing to a service they didn’t want.

Amazon is now paying the price for that deception — the US Federal Trade Commission levied a massive $2.5 billion settlement on the company for its subscription tactics.

The majority of the settlement — $1.5 billion — has been earmarked to refund eligible subscribers, with the rest serving as a civil penalty. Amazon is also now legally required to provide a clear, obvious option to decline Prime, making it as easy to leave the service as it is to join.

Amazon isn’t admitting to shady behavior. «Amazon and our executives have always followed the law, and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers,» Mark Blafkin, Amazon senior manager, said in a statement. «We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership, and to offer substantial value for our many millions of loyal Prime members around the world.»

The online retail giant started sending out payments to eligible people in November and was supposed to conclude its initial automatic payments today, Dec. 24. Read on to learn more about Amazon’s settlement and what to do if you think you’re eligible for compensation but didn’t receive a payment.

Why did the FTC fine Amazon?

The FTC filed suit against Amazon, accusing the company of using «dark patterns» to nudge people into Prime subscriptions and then making it too hard to cancel. The FTC maintained Amazon was in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act

«Specifically, Amazon used manipulative, coercive or deceptive user-interface designs known as ‘dark patterns’ to trick consumers into enrolling in automatically renewing Prime subscriptions,» the FTC complaint stated.

Who’s eligible for Amazon’s payout?

Amazon’s legal settlement is limited to customers who enrolled in Amazon Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025. It’s also restricted to customers who subscribed to Prime using a «challenged enrollment flow» or who enrolled in Prime through any method but were unsuccessful in canceling their memberships.

The FTC called out specific enrollment pages, including Prime Video enrollment, the Universal Prime Decision page, the Shipping Option Select page and the Single Page Checkout. To qualify for a payout, claimants must also not have used more than 10 Amazon Prime benefits in any 12-month period.

Customers who signed up via those challenged processes and did not use more than three Prime benefits within one year will be paid automatically by Amazon within 90 days. Other eligible Amazon customers will need to file a claim, and Amazon is required to send notices to those people within 30 days of making its automatic payments.

If you are eligible for the automatic payment, you should have received an email from Amazon by today explaining how to claim the money. You can be paid via PayPal or Venmo. If you prefer a paper check, don’t accept the digital payment. The FTC says Amazon will mail you a check that you must cash within 60 days.

How big will the Amazon payments be?

Payouts to eligible Amazon claimants will be limited to a maximum of $51. That amount could be reduced depending on the number of Amazon Prime benefits you used while subscribed to the service. Those benefits include free two-day shipping, watching shows or movies on Prime Video or Whole Foods grocery discounts. 

Customers who qualify for the payments should have received them from Nov. 12 to Dec. 24, 2025.If you are eligible for compensation from Amazon but didn’t receive a payout, you’ll need to file a claim after Amazon starts the claim process. The FTC says it will update its Amazon settlement site once that process has begun.

Customers who did not use a challenged sign-up process but instead were unable to cancel their Prime memberships will also need to file claims for payment.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Dec. 25, #458

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Dec. 25, No. 458.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.


Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a real mix of categories, including one that’s all about a certain famous athlete. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Swing away!

Green group hint: What’s that on your bat?

Blue group hint: Catch the football.

Purple group hint: Lake Placid or Lillehammer.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Baseball bat materials.

Green group: Associated with George Brett.

Blue group: NFL rookie WRs.

Purple group: Olympic ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is baseball bat materials. The four answers are aluminum, ash, birch and maple.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with George Brett. The four answers are 5, pine tar, Royals and third base.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is NFL rookie WRs. The four answers are Burden, Egbuka, Golden and McMillan.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Olympic ____. The four answers are Games, rings, torch and village.


Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.


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Technologies

Christmas Eve Gaming Crushed as Steam Goes Offline

Services related to the popular game hub seem to slowly be returning as of Wednesday afternoon.

Your Christmas Eve gaming session might not go as planned. Online gaming hub Steam went down on Wednesday. As of about 1:30 pm PT, the Steam store page was once again accessible, so services seemed to be coming back online.

The Steam outage appeared to begin mid-afternoon ET, according to Downdetector, which monitors site outages. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

A representative for Steam did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

As of Wednesday noon PT, Steam’s official X and Bluesky accounts hadn’t posted anything about the outage.

Gamers certainly noticed. «Steam down, Steam down!!!» wrote one Bluesky user. 

Others commented on the bad timing just as gamers were enjoying time off or receiving gaming gifts. «‘You got a gift on Steam!’ oh cool ‘Steam is down’ oh cool,» wrote another Bluesky user.

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