It's that time of year again. Black Friday. When retailers slash prices on products nobody wanted in the first place, hoping you'll mistake "50% off garbage" for "actually good value." TVs that'll die in eighteen months. Soundbars that make your music sound like it's being played through a telephone from 1987. Kitchen appliances you'll use twice before they become expensive cupboard decorations.

But here's the thing about the audio industry: when the proper manufacturers actually discount their gear, it matters.

We're not talking about clearing out e-waste with a red sticker slapped on it. We're talking about legitimate savings on equipment that was already worth buying at full price. Denon, Marantz, Bowers & Wilkins, Polk - these brands make equipment people actually keep.

So yes, I'm about to write about Black Friday sales. No, I'm not happy about it. But if you're going to spend money during this annual festival of consumerist madness, you might as well spend it on something that won't make you regret your life choices six months from now.

Sale runs 18th November through 1st December. Two weeks to make decisions like a functioning adult rather than panic-buying at midnight because the timer said there were only THREE LEFT IN STOCK (there weren't).

If you want to skip my commentary and just see the deals, here are the brand pages: Marantz Black Friday, Denon Black Friday, Bowers & Wilkins Black Friday, and Polk Black Friday. Otherwise, settle in.

The Budget Hierarchy: From "Impressive" to "Unfathomably Perfect"

Let's be clear about what we're dealing with here. Between these four brands, you've got options covering every budget from "I want good audio" to "I want audio that makes me question whether I've been listening to music wrong my entire life." The hierarchy breaks down roughly as follows:

Impressive audio: Polk. Proper speakers at prices that won't require you to sell a kidney. The kind of gear that makes you realise what you've been missing with that soundbar you bought because it was "simple."

Unbelievable audio: Denon and Marantz. Mid-to-high-end equipment that does exactly what it promises without the marketing flannel. AVRs that actually process modern formats properly. Amplifiers that don't colour your sound like an Instagram filter.

Unfathomably fucking perfect audio: Bowers & Wilkins 700 and 800 Series. The kind of speakers that make you shit your pants the first time you hear them.

Where you can sit down and actually listen to music rather than having it on in the background. They're expensive even on sale, but they're expensive because they are good.

Marantz: When You Want Cinema That Doesn't Sound Like Cinema

See all Marantz Black Friday deals here.

The Marantz CINEMA 70 at $1,440 (down from $1,800) is the entry point into Marantz's AV receiver range, and "entry point" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. This isn't entry-level performance - it's just the most affordable way to get Marantz's approach to home cinema, which is "what if we made an AV receiver that actually cared about music?"

Seven channels of amplification, proper room correction with Audyssey MultEQ XT32, and the kind of build quality that suggests it'll outlive your current relationship status. It supports all the modern formats - Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, 8K passthrough - but here's what matters: it makes music sound musical rather than processed. Most AV receivers treat stereo like an afterthought. The CINEMA 70 treats it like it matters, because Marantz hasn't forgotten that sometimes people want to listen to albums rather than explosions.

For those with deeper pockets and stronger opinions about sound quality, the discounts scale up nicely. The CINEMA 50 drops $700 to $2,800. The CINEMA 40 saves you $1,100 at $4,400. And if you're the sort of person who considers a separate AV processor and amplifier setup, the AV10 and AMP10 are each $2,600 off, down to $10,400. That's still eye-watering money, but it's eye-watering money for equipment that'll be the last home cinema processor you ever need to buy.

The Marantz MODEL M1 streaming amplifier at $1,280 (saving $320) deserves mention for anyone building a simple, high-quality system. Compact, elegant, powerful enough for proper speakers, and with streaming built in so you don't need seventeen boxes to listen to Spotify. It's the kind of amplifier that does exactly what it should and nothing more, which is refreshing in an era where everything tries to be everything.

Denon: Serious AVRs for People Who Actually Use Them

See all Denon Black Friday deals here.

If Marantz is about musicality in home cinema, Denon is about not compromising on anything. The AVC-X4800H at $3,439 (down from $4,299, saving you $860) is what happens when you stop making excuses about what an AV receiver can do.

Nine channels of amplification with proper power reserves. Not "enough for most people" power - actual power that'll drive demanding speakers without breaking a sweat. Supports 11.4 channels of processing if you're the sort of person who wants Atmos speakers everywhere including inside the walls. HEOS streaming built in, which is Denon's ecosystem and it actually works properly, unlike some implementations I could mention but won't because I enjoy not being sued.

The X4800H does Dirac Live room correction, which is arguably the best consumer room correction system available. Most room correction is like autocorrect for audio - it helps sometimes and makes things worse others. Dirac actually improves your system in measurable, audible ways. You'll hear the difference, which is the point of spending this much money.

For those on tighter budgets, the AVR-X2800 at $1,359 (saving $340) gives you seven channels and most of the features without the eye-watering price tag. It's Denon's sweet spot for "I want a proper AVR but I also want to eat this month."

The PMA-1700NE integrated amplifier drops to $2,639 (black only, saving $660), and if you're building a stereo system rather than a home cinema, this is where your attention should be. Proper analogue amplification with modern streaming capabilities. The kind of amplifier that'll still be working perfectly when your children are having their own midlife crises about audio equipment.

Bowers & Wilkins: For When You Stop Pretending Budget Matters

See all Bowers & Wilkins Black Friday deals here.

Look, the Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series was already expensive. On sale, it's merely "requires serious thought about priorities" rather than "absolutely impossible unless you're laundering money." The 702 S3 Signature drops from $14,900 to $13,410. That's still $13,410 for a pair of speakers, which is either completely insane or entirely reasonable depending on whether you've ever heard what properly engineered speakers actually sound like.

These use carbon cone drivers derived from B&W's 800 Series flagship range. Separate tweeter-on-top design for better dispersion. Cabinet engineering that costs more than most people's entire systems. They're not trying to be good speakers - they're trying to be transparent transducers that reproduce what's in the recording without adding their own character. Sometimes they succeed, which is terrifying when you realise how much of what you've been hearing was actually your speakers lying to you.

For those who want 700 Series performance at prices that don't require explaining to your partner, the 703 S3 at $7,650 (saving $850) and 705 S3 at $4,320 (saving $479) offer similar engineering in smaller packages. You're still spending serious money. You're just spending slightly less serious money.

The 600 Series provides B&W's approach to speakers at prices mere mortals can consider. The 603 S3 at $3,149 (saving $349) gives you the Continuum cone technology and build quality without requiring you to remortgage. They're proper speakers - the kind that make you understand what all the fuss is about with high-end audio.

Bowers & Wilkins Headphones: Because Your Ears Deserve Better

The Pi8 wireless earbuds at $549 (down from $649) bring B&W's approach to sound into a form factor that fits in your pocket. These aren't AirPods competitors - they're designed for people who care whether their music sounds like music. Proper drivers, aptX Lossless support, and noise cancelling that doesn't destroy your audio quality in the process of creating silence.

The Pi6 drops even further to $299 (from $449, saving $150), which is approaching impulse-purchase territory for earbuds that don't sound like you're listening through a telephone line. And the Px7 S3 over-ears are $649 (saving $50), offering serious audio quality in wireless headphones that don't look ridiculous on public transport.

Polk: Impressive Audio Without the Terrifying Price Tags

See all Polk Black Friday deals here.

Not everyone wants to spend the price of a decent used car on speakers. Some people just want audio that's significantly better than what they've got without requiring a second mortgage. This is where Polk's Reserve series makes sense.

The R700 floorstanding speakers at $2,849 (down from $3,799, saving $950) are proper full-range speakers with actual bass extension and imaging capabilities. They're not trying to compete with B&W's flagship models. They're trying to give you convincing, engaging sound at prices that don't require you to choose between speakers and eating.

The R200 bookshelf speakers at $974 (saving $325) work for smaller rooms or as part of a home cinema setup. Proper waveguide technology for controlled dispersion, decent sensitivity for easier amplification, and build quality that suggests Polk actually expects these to last.

The Signature Elite series goes even more affordable without becoming disposable. The ES20 bookshelf speakers at $636 (saving $213) are the kind of speakers you buy when you want to stop pretending soundbars are adequate. The ES55 towers at $1,574 (saving $525) give you floor-standing performance at prices that won't trigger an intervention from concerned friends.

The Bundles: For Those Who Want Complete Systems

Some retailers bundle products together to move old stock. We're bundling products that actually make sense together. The Marantz MODEL M1 with B&W AM-1 speakers at $2,239 (saving $560) gives you a complete streaming system that sounds like you spent considerably more. The Denon HOME AMP with Polk Atrium 6 outdoor speakers at $1,518 (saving $380) solves the "I want good audio outside" problem without installing weather-damaged bookshelf speakers on your deck like some kind of audio barbarian.

What You Should Actually Buy

Here's the reality check nobody asks for but everyone needs: buying expensive audio equipment won't fix your life. It won't solve your problems, won't make you a better person. But it will bring you the simple pleasure of sitting and listening. 

Imagine the cool tones of Mark Knopfler radiating throughout your home, a glass of scotch or a nice red, playing the way it supposed to sound rather than like compressed approximations filtered through mediocre electronics.

If you're building a home cinema and care about music: The Marantz CINEMA 70 at $1,440 is probably your best entry point. Pair it with Polk R700s and you've got a system that handles both films and albums without compromise.

If you're serious about home cinema and not pretending budget matters: The Denon AVC-X4800H at $3,439 with B&W 700 Series speakers creates the kind of system that makes you understand what proper home cinema actually sounds like.

If you want a simple, high-quality stereo system: The Marantz MODEL M1 at $1,280 with B&W 603 S3 speakers at $3,149 gives you streaming capability and speaker performance that'll make you actually want to sit and listen to music.

If you're on a budget but refuse to settle for mediocre: Denon AVR-X2800 at $1,359 with Polk ES55 towers at $1,574 creates a capable system that sounds far better than its price suggests.

If you want portable audio that doesn't insult your ears: B&W Pi8 earbuds at $549 or Px7 S3 headphones at $649, depending on whether you value pocketability or over-ear comfort.

The Tedious But Important Details

Sale runs 18th November through 1st December. That's two weeks, which is plenty of time to make informed decisions rather than panic-buying because the countdown timer made you feel anxious. Stock is limited on some items, but that's because these are actual products people want, not because we're creating artificial scarcity to manipulate you into buying things.

Most of these are genuine discounts on current models, not clearing discontinued stock. The Marantz CINEMA 70 is black only because apparently not enough people buy silver anymore. The Polk R700 and R200 are black only because gloss finishes didn't sell as well. But these are current-generation products with full warranty and support, not clearance items.

Why This Actually Matters

Most Black Friday sales are engineered to move products retailers couldn't sell at full price. They create the appearance of value while actually offering you slightly-less-overpriced versions of things that weren't worth buying in the first place. It's the retail equivalent of a shell game where everyone loses except the house.

This is different, and not just because I say so. These are products from manufacturers with actual reputations to maintain. Denon and Marantz are owned by the same parent company and have been making audio equipment since before your parents had concerns about your career choices. Bowers & Wilkins has been building speakers since 1966 and hasn't gone bankrupt or been bought by a venture capital firm that immediately ruined everything. Polk has been making affordable speakers that don't sound affordable for decades.

These aren't brands that make disposable electronics. They make equipment that people keep, maintain, repair when necessary, and eventually sell second-hand to someone else who actually wants it. The second-hand market for this stuff exists because it's worth having, not because people are desperately trying to recoup losses on expensive mistakes.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Audio Equipment

Most people's audio systems are terrible, and they don't know because they've never heard what properly set up equipment sounds like. Soundbars. Bluetooth speakers. TV speakers. Built-in laptop speakers. It's all rubbish, and we've collectively accepted it because convenience won over quality sometime around 2010.

Proper audio equipment costs money because making drivers that accurately reproduce sound costs money. Engineering cabinets that don't resonate and colour the sound costs money. Amplification that provides clean power across the frequency spectrum costs money. There's no getting around this unless you're willing to accept compromises that fundamentally limit what you're hearing.

The question isn't whether expensive audio equipment is worth it - it objectively sounds better, that's measurable physics. The question is whether you care enough about sound quality to spend money on it rather than on other things that also matter. For some people, the answer is no, and that's fine. For others, the answer is yes but only at certain price points. Also fine.

What's not fine is buying cheap equipment, being disappointed with the results, and concluding that "expensive audio is all marketing." It's not. The difference between a $300 soundbar and a $3,000 proper speaker system is enormous. The difference between a $3,000 system and a $30,000 system is smaller but still significant. The difference between a $30,000 system and a $300,000 system is mostly about bragging rights and diminishing returns.

The Part Where I Actually Recommend Something

If you're reading this, you probably already know whether you care about audio quality. If you do, these sales represent legitimate opportunities to buy equipment that was already worth having at slightly less eye-watering prices. If you don't particularly care about sound quality beyond "it works and doesn't sound actively terrible," these sales probably aren't for you, and that's completely reasonable.

For everyone else: the Marantz CINEMA 70 at $1,440 is probably the best value in the entire sale if you want a capable AV receiver that treats music as something other than an afterthought. The Denon AVC-X4800H at $3,439 is where you go when you stop making excuses and just buy the AVR you actually wanted. The B&W 700 Series speakers are as good as you've heard, which means they're either horrifyingly expensive or surprisingly reasonable depending on your perspective and bank balance. And the Polk Reserve series offers genuine performance at prices that won't require you to explain yourself to anyone.

The portable audio options - B&W's Pi8 earbuds and Px7 S3 headphones - solve the "I want good audio when I'm not home" problem without requiring you to carry full-size over-ears on your commute or accept that wireless earbuds all sound like compressed garbage.

The Conclusion You've Been Waiting For

Black Friday is mostly nonsense. Artificial urgency, manufactured scarcity, and discounts on products that weren't worth buying at any price. But occasionally, legitimate manufacturers offer legitimate discounts on legitimate products, and when that happens, it's worth paying attention.

These sales fall into that category. Not because the marketing says so, but because the products are actually good and the discounts are actually meaningful. You're still spending serious money - there's no getting around that if you want serious performance - but you're spending less serious money than you would be in two weeks.

Will any of this equipment change your life? No. Will it make your music and films sound significantly better than whatever you're currently using? Almost certainly, unless you're already running high-end gear, in which case why are you reading Black Friday sale copy?

Sale runs 18th November through 1st December. Two weeks to make adult decisions about whether you want impressive audio, unbelievable audio, or unfathomably perfect audio. Choose wisely, or don't choose at all and save your money for something else that matters to you.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dozen other promotional emails to ignore and an existential crisis about writing sales copy to work through.