I test Beats headphones for a living — these are the ones to buy (and ones to avoid!) this Black Friday

Beats Studio Pro | $349 $169 at Amazon

Okay, so first things first — at full price, these headphones aren’t worth considering. They’re expensive, not well built for the price, and they don’t sound like $350 worth of headphones. They do, however, make a lot more sense now that they’ve dropped below $200. For that price, they more than trounce the similarly priced competition and bring a little style for a lot less money. This is their lowest-ever price as well — and because it’s got the red ‘deal’ label on Amazon, if they go any lower between now and Cyber Monday, you’ll be refunded the difference.

Beats Studio Buds + | $169 $134 at Amazon

I gave these a high score in their review for a reason – they’re a really good pair of buds. The noise canceling is good, they’re comfy, and they sound excellent to boot. I just wish I could have gotten the transparent pair… This deal is a solid saving on some of my favorite in-ears, and well worth a Black Friday purchase.

Beats Studio Buds | $149 $99 at Amazon

These are the older versions of those above, and while they’re not as good, they are a great deal for under $100. They’ve got features that should make them more expensive, like ANC, and they’re really comfortable. This isn’t quite their lowest price ever, but it's worth considering them when you go for some sub-$100 buds.

Beats Fit Pro | $199 $179 at Amazon

The Beats Fit Pro aren’t awful, but they are expensive. This current deal price doesn’t make them cheap enough to be worthwhile, with an uncomfortable fit and ANC that needs work. The colors are nice though, so if you want something funky then that might sway you. It shouldn’t — but it might.

Beats Solo3 | $199 $149 at Amazon

The Beats Solo3 are old — and very, very out of date. This deal only makes them $20 less than the Studio Pro, and at that price, it’s a complete no-brainer. They’ve still got micro-USB, for goodness sake.