The best headphones 2024: top cans from Sony, Bose and more
A set of the best headphones is a must for modern living, but with so many different designs, specifications and models to choose from, it’s tough to know where to start.
That’s where we come in – we’ve tested all the best headphones and earbuds for over 15 years, and we know great sound quality, comfort and convenience when we hear it. Our recommendations also note extra features, such as battery life, noise cancellation, special spatial audio processing and control apps for your potential purchases too.
In this guide, we’ve covered both over-ear/on-ear headphones, plus a few pairs of earbuds. Most of our picks rank among the best wireless headphones, which is by far the more popular option these days, but can also be used wired for when you need it (with the exception of the true wireless earbuds). You’ll also find our top immersive, bubble-of-silence picks from our best noise-cancelling headphones list, which are great for travelling or drowning out ambient noise in offices.
Our best headphones buying guide includes recommendations for all budgets, but you can also check out our list of the best cheap headphones for even more affordable options.
The quick list
Get right to it with our easy-to-browse list of the best headphones for different needs. You can click to instantly jump to more full write-up of each model.
The best headphones for most people
The WH-100XM4 still sit at the top of this list despite being older because their price has dropped a lot, so they’re still super value for the audio and noise-stopping quality.
Read more below
The best low-price headphones
At this price, these are an unbeatable pair of wireless on-ear cans that check all the right boxes, from solid audio to impressive battery life, to DSEE upscaling of low-quality tracks.
Read more below
3. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
The best premium-priced headphones
Packed with high-end features, smart control options and a class-leading, expansive sound, these are top for overall quality at a level up in price.
Read more below
The best earbuds for overall performance
For music, Technics’ high-spec buds perform better than almost anything else. The ANC quality and battery life are more average, but they’re also supremely packed with features.
Read more below
The best mid-tier earbuds
Nothing serves up fun and expansive audio, top-quality active noise cancellation, cool in-app features, and the company’s signature see-through design, all for a great price.
Read more below
The best low-price earbuds
These are just astounding for their rock-bottom price – the sound is well-balanced, the build is solid, the connection is reliable, and they’re in funky colors.
Read more below
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7. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
The best headphones for ANC
The best noise cancellation we’ve ever heard, mixed with fantastic sound quality and good smart features. The price is high and battery life is low, though.
Read more below
8. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
The best earbuds for ANC
These offer excellent noise blocking, and they sound rewarding, too. The lack of hi-res support is a shame, but they’re now very strong value.
Read more below
The best wireless headphones for audiophiles
The best of both worlds: high-end wireless features, plus USB-C DAC mode for true hi-res audio. It all comes at a high price, but the results are phenomenal.
Read more below
The best headphones for luxe design
These deliver awesome detail and balance, and pretty good ANC. As do lots of other cans here, but the PX8 look and feel better than basically anything.
Read more below
The best wired earbuds
These are unmatched on value. Their stellar audio quality rivals some of the best headphones of any kind, but they’re a fraction of the price of the high-end stuff.
Read more below
Becky Scarrott
I’ve reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. My love of music ties it all together.
July 12, 2024
Updated our ‘Also consider’ section with information about our latest reviews of products that haven’t made it into this guide. We also added a glossary of headphones tech terms to our ‘How to choose’ section, to explain exactly what these products offer for people unfamiliar with them.
The best headphones of 2024
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Below you’ll find full write-ups for each of the best headphones in our list. We’ve tested each one extensively, so these recommendations are based on real-world experience.
The best headphones for most people
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Buy them if:
✅ You want versatile headphones that sound good: The Sony WH-1000XM4s deliver high-quality sound in a lightweight folding design that’s good for travel.
✅ You want strong noise cancellation: With the volume up and the noise cancelling on, the WH-1000XM4 can block out a lot.
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You plan on bringing them to the gym or beach: A looser fit and lack of water-resistance should make you think twice before putting them inside your gym bag.
❌ You take tons of conference calls: While these are great for travel, their call quality isn’t that strong.
Despite the fact that the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones have now been released, we still rate the WH-1000XM4 as the best pick for most people because they’re now usually such good value. A combination of a permanent price drop plus regular heavy discounts during sales events means that they can be regularly found for a price lower than other premium headphones, while still delivering excellent all-round performance.
They sound is weighty by well-balanced, with a warm and inviting tone. They’re generous with the bass, but not overly so. The active noise cancellation is very strong too, and though it’s been bettered by the Sony XM5 and Bose’s latest headphones, it’s great for the price if you buy at a discount.
They’re bursting with features too, including Sony’s DSEE Extreme upscaling for lower-quality music from sources such as Spotify, multipoint pairing for easy switching between devices, auto play/pause when you take them off, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio spatial audio, and LDAC wireless support for CD-quality wire-free sound from compatible phones. It’s a shame there’s no aptX, but it’s not a deal-breaker.
They’re very comfortable thanks to a lightweight design, and wearing them for long periods is no strain at all. A 3.5mm jack means you can connect them to a wired source easily, though there’s no USB-C audio input (the USB-C port is for charging only).
The 30-hour battery life is pretty typical, though is smashed by the 60 hours of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, which also clearly beat these on sound quality when comparing the two, though as mentioned above, we still think the Sony are great value at their reduced price. That’s the story for these headphones at this point: you can find something that does any individual thing better, but nothing that does so much so well as their lower price.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM4 review
The best budget headphones
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Buy them if:
✅ You want well-balanced sound: Don’t like how bass-heavy or shiny in the treble cheap headphones can be? No danger of that here – they’re perfectly tuned.
✅ You love a long battery life: With 50 hours of battery, these will basically always have juice when you need them.
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You want active noise cancellation: There’s no ANC here, and the passive noise isolation isn’t really notable either. Consider the 1More Sonoflow if you need this for cheap.
❌ You’re hoping for really audiophile sound: The balance and sound profile is great here, but a cheap pair of wired headphones will sound notably better.
With solid audio, great battery life and Bluetooth connectivity, the Sony WH-CH520 are excellent bang for your buck. If you’re looking for on-ear headphones at this price point, you’re likely already willing to make a few sacrifices. Thankfully, most of the compromises (such as no 3.5mm port option) Sony has made with the WH-CH520 haven’t been too crucial.
The lack of active noise cancellation might be more of a problem, but it certainly isn’t unfair for the price. Where the WH-CH520 really shine is a very long battery life of 50 hours and premium features like a customizable control app with DSEE and multi-point audio pairing, which makes switching between devices a breeze.
They are made out of a textured plastic, which is sturdy but admittedly not that premium feeling. Although, again, this is a minor sacrifice for the audio smarts packed inside of them, plus the trade off with such a material is that they’re lightweight.
Released in February 2023, they deliver balanced sound that has plenty of detail, making them easy to listen to. Sony really has stripped back features to focus on sound with the WH-CH520, and it really shows with deeper bass and brighter highs.
For those chasing something that is substantially more sturdy or sporting a 3.5mm port, you’re unlikely to find an alternative at the same price point ($60 / £60 / AU$99) that’s also wireless, let alone boasts great battery life and sound.
Read our full Sony WH-CH520 review
The best premium headphones
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Buy them if:
✅ You don’t want to think about battery life: 60 hours of longevity per charge – even with ANC on – is absolutely best-in-class. It’s double what you get some Sony’s cans.
✅ You’ll make a lot of calls with them: The Sidetone feature makes your voice feel way more natural in calls, and is a really nice improvement.
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You want best-in-class noise cancellation: The ANC here is very good, but the Sony WH-1000XM5 and especially the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones do it better.
❌ You like super-cool design: These are very nicely made and look good, but they’re not flashy, and they don’t come in bold colors.
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are boast a phenomenal 60 hours of battery life, a likeable app, an extensive feature set, easy on-ear controls, talented adaptive noise cancellation and a beautiful, natural, engaging sound that’s addictive and irresistible. Yes, they’re a tad plain aesthetically, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and these headphones sound outrageously good for the level.
Sennheiser has loaded the Momentum 4 Wireless’s spec sheet with as many features as it can possible squeeze in, including Sidetone so you can hear yourself more naturally during calls, and ‘Sound Zones’, EQ and ANC presets that can customize the sound for the different locations you use them automatically. So you could up the bass at the gym for more motivation, or tone down the ANC at the office so you can hear people calling to you – without any fiddling with modes.
Despite all this, the stand-out feature is still the audio quality. We said in our review that “whatever genre we throw at the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, we find ourselves remarking at the open, detailed, expansive, neutral and crisp performance. Never is it overly warm; never is it congested or muddied through the bass.”
You’ll find them more expensive than the Sony WH-1000XM4, especially during sales season, so we generally think more people will be happy with them. But these are worth the price upgrade and are slightly cheaper than the flagship Sony WH-1000XM5.
Read our full Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review
Visit our Sennheiser coupon page for our latest deals and discounts.
The best earbuds overall
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Buy them if:
✅ Comfort and fit are important to you: These come with loads of different fitting options in the box, so you’ll definitely get a secure, comfortable fit.
✅ You want all the features: Triple-point connectivity is a useful world-first, and there’s LDAC, customizable ANC, wireless charging… basically everything.
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You need best-in-class noise cancellation: The ANC is perfectly average, but Bose’s earbuds do a better job of cutting you off.
❌ You want something small and light: They fit well, but they’re still heavier than options such as AirPods Pro 2, and they’re not small.
The Technics EAH-AZ80 are exactly the kind of package you want from a pair of premium earbuds. Not only do they sound fantastic, they come with some of the most advanced and future-proofed tech of any buds you can buy today, including debuting the first example of triple-device multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, meaning they can be connected to three devices at once and can move seamlessly between them – which worked great in our testing.
You’ve got Bluetooth 5.3 which can be compatible with next-gen LE Audio, you’ve got LDAC for CD-quality streaming from compatible devices, you’ve got highly tweakable noise cancellation and ambient sound modes, a great EQ, wireless charging… basically all the latest toys.
Even more importantly, we’re huge fans of their sound quality. It’s so poised and eloquent, with a rich dynamic range that feels like you’re getting a full and accurate reproduction of the recording. In our review, we said “it’s both swift and accurate, as well as balanced and detailed. It’s not quite as energetic as really high-end earbuds, but we can hardly blame it for that – the overall detail and accuracy is a cut above almost anything else.”
Technics goes above and beyond to make sure that the earbuds fit all shapes and sizes of ears, providing seven silicone, drop-shaped eartips for their so-called ‘concha-fit’.
The battery life and active noise cancellation are less exemplary – both are average, so not bad at all, but not exceptional – but they will be absolutely perfect for anyone looking for excellent musical fidelity and cutting-edge tech features from their earbuds.
Read our full Technics EAH-AZ80 review
The best mid-priced earbuds
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You want great ANC for less: The Ear (a) offer the best noise-stopping power we’ve heard for their price, hands down.
✅ You want serious sound quality: The Ear (a) are a seriously fun and zealous listen, also with support for LDAC higher-res wireless tech.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You want spatial audio support: The similarly priced Sony WF-C700N offer this, but you won’t find it here.
❌ You want long battery life: 5.5 hours with noise cancellation is distinctly average – again, the Sony buds mentioned above offer 7.5 hours.
Nothing’s latest affordable earbuds (which launched alongside the pricier Nothing Ear) are a seriously impressive bit of kit. In our Nothing Ear (a) review, we tested them directly against the Sony WF-C700N, which we previously recommended as our favorite buds at around the $100/$100 price. In our verdict, we said “the Nothing earbuds look more premium and feel more foxy. Their noise cancellation is a touch more robust and the sound is every bit as energetic, detailed and zealous, and (dare we say it?) a tad more expansive to boot.”
Sonic prowess is the star here. Our review praised the “meaty and arresting” sound, noting that it does present less of a delicate hi-fi listen and more of the “fun and energy”, we want at the level – and very happy with it we were too. Naturally, spending more on the Technics (above) will get you a clear improvement in sound but, as we said while testing them, “for the money, Nothing has tweaked its recipe to near perfection here.”
Did we mention how impressed we were with the active noise cancellation? It nixed basically all standard low-level constant noise during our testing, with only louder and more chaotic sounds breaking through. And thanks to features such as wearer detection (so they auto-pause when you take ’em out), multipoint pairing, LDAC hi-res audio support, plus the Nothing app for tweaking the EQ and other features, they’re about as well-specced as anything around at the price. OK, the 5.5-hour battery life with ANC on isn’t class-leading, but we’re happy to overlook it for this level of performance – same with the lack of spatial audio support. Honestly, e don’t mind at all, not when you’re getting such good value in the essentials, as well as other nice features.
Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review
The best budget earbuds
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Buy them if:
✅ You want super-cheap buds that don’t feel that way: The sound is better than it has any right to be for such a low price, and they’re very well made and pleasant to wear.
✅ You like a dash of style: You can get these with some fun color twists, unlike so many earbuds that want to come in black or gray only. (But they do come in black.)
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You need all the latest features: There are very affordable earbuds, such as the Earfun Air Pro 3, that are packed with smart tech, including ANC. These are not.
❌ Sound quality is important: These sound incredibly for the price, but the price is very low. The Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW sound much better, but are still affordable.
The JLab Go Air Pop are basically as cheap as wireless earbuds can go currently without becoming pointless (if you need to go cheaper, go wired for the best value), and yet they’ll never feel like a rock bottom purchase. They’re unreasonably good for their price – in our review, we called them “emphatically unbeatable for this money”.
You can find them for around $20 / £20 / AU$49.95, and sometimes even cheaper during sales events. And yet, our review said: “What you should know is that JLab’s solution beats anything in its price range for sound, hands down. It can even stand toe to toe with the more expensive Sony WF-C500”. While Sony’s buds do have an extra edge on the sound, it’s close, and that’s a serious achievement for something less than half the price.
Where the sound wavers is a slightly harsh treble, but bass and mid-range are both well-handled, and the higher notes are still good for the majority of the time. And again, nothing that costs the same actually does it better.
They’re light on features (no ANC, no aptX, no multipoint), but they have what you really need, including on-ear volume controls, and three EQ profiles that are worth experiment with.
The battery life of eight hours in the buds is perfectly respectable, and an additional 24 hours from the case, for 32 hours total – again, this is higher than we’d expect from something at this price.
And they’re very lightweight and comfortable too, with no rough seams or anything that you might be afraid of in an inexpensive wearable. They feel durable too, though we don’t love the built-in charging cable (we get the idea – it’s always ready to go! – but it means you’re stuck needing an old USB charger instead of a new USB-C one).
The best headphones for ANC
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Buy them if:
✅ You want the best noise cancellation: That’s the long and short of it. They’re the best. A clear step up over anything else (except the Bose QuietComfort Headphones, which are 95% as good).
✅ You want exciting, nuanced, rich sound:
These are Bose’s best-sounding headphones by a long way – they’re wonderfully dynamic and detailed.
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You want a long battery life: The 24 hours of battery life here is pretty disappointing – not a dealbreaker, but below Sony and way below Sennheiser.
❌ You want Hi-Res Audio connectivity: Despite a high cost, there’s no USB-C Hi-Res option, and no broad aptX or LDAC support.
These are Bose’s most exciting headphones in years, and they put the inventor of active noise cancellation right back on top of the category it created. They’re in a class of their own when it comes to blocking outside sound, and we tested then on planes, trains, buses, in bustling cities, in the office, and at home – and in all cases, they silence the create was more complete than anything else we’ve tried (though obviously, some stuff will still leak through).
But what’s so exciting is that on top of this, they also sound simply fantastic. As we said in our review: “They deliver some of the most alive, exciting, textured, finely resolved, deeply engaging music I’ve ever heard from a pair of wireless headphones.” This sound quality comes at a premium, but we think they’re easily worth the higher price over the likes of the Sony or Sennheiser headphones here. “The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones may not be cheap, but on the music quality alone, I think they’re a great deal,” our review says.
They also have some good smart features, including customizable active noise cancellation modes and multipoint connectivity, controlled from the generally intuitive Bose Music app.
It’s a bit of a shame that higher-quality audio support is limited to Snapdragon Sound with compatible phones, and the 3.5mm audio cable. Several audiophile competitors (the Sennheiser Momentum 4 in this guide, and the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2) have USB-C audio support for serious hi-res files, and aptX for broader high-quality wireless tech (or LDAC).
The 24-hour battery life is also lower than the 30 hours that’s standard for noise-cancelling headphones, and massively lower than the 60 hours for the Sennheiser headphones in this list. But we can forgive all these faults for the sound quality on offer here.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review
The best earbuds for ANC
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Buy them if:
✅ You need elite active noise cancellation: For the price, these have the best ANC in earbuds that you can get.
✅ You love a balanced and accurate sound: Bose has really nailed the sound range of these buds, providing a detailed and natural mix.
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You want higher-res audio: There’s no aptX or LDAC support here, so it’s standard Bluetooth connections only.
❌ You like a smaller, lighter earbud: These are smaller than Bose’s last offering, but it’s still chunkier than average, and you do feel it in your ear.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 aren’t Bose’s latest earbuds, but we’re think they’re the best value for noise-stopping power. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are newer and arguably even better at stopping noise, but they cost a lot more for not a ton of improvement, so we think most people should still look to this model.
And that’s partly because they still block noise better than basically anything else, despite being older. We noted in our review that you need the right fit to get their full effectiveness, but when you’ve got that, they’re incredibly powerful. And best of all, this silence doesn’t negatively impact sound quality. In our review, we wrote: “We can’t stress this enough – the sound is very well balanced, with a heck of a lot of detail and texture coming through. And if you still find you need to tweak it, you can via the EQ in the app.”
They’re a bit more of a mixed bag when it comes to feature. The Bose Music app means you can customize things like the ANC levels, which we like, and the EQ if you’re so inclined (but we don’t think you’ll need to). But there’s no higher-res audio support from aptX or LDAC, and no multipoint audio connection. The battery life is also very average at six hours from the buds, and 18 hours from the case (for 24 hours total).
Still, these things may not matter so much to you – we’re clearly happy to forgive them. If you want a quiet commute from a great-sound pair of earbuds, here you go.
To save some money on Bose products, check out our Bose voucher codes.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review
The best headphones for sound quality
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Buy them if:
✅ You want to listen in Hi-Res: The wired USB-C mode is capable of making the most of lossless music files, while there’s aptX Adaptive for CD-quality wireless.
✅ You want elite sound at any price: No other wireless cans deliver such great levels of detail, refinement and expansiveness.
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You want the best ANC out there: The noise cancellation here is not very advanced, and lacks customization options.
❌ You like light and portable headphones: They’re pretty heavy at 350g (though they are comfortable), and they don’t fold up small for travel.
As a debut pair of wireless headphones, Focal hit the nail on the head with the Bathys. The French audio specialist has been known in the market to make some of the best over-ear headphones out there and the Bathys embody a lot of its expertise and experience but in a more versatile way with its wireless capabilities.
The ability to access uncompromising, high-end sound through USB-C wired DAC mode does mean that these headphones don’t come cheap, though. In terms of price, they sit a level above even the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones or the Apple AirPods Max – but so does the sound. In our review, we said “vocals are every bit as three dimensional as they should be”, and that “the Bathys deliver low end with agility and panache. Anything we throw at these can is beautifully held in check throughout, across the frequencies.”
While the sound in these headphones is faultless, we did find some niggles during our testing around the overall build quality. Although very minor, the physical buttons and headband can be a bit flimsy and distracting.
But if you value sound over all else then it’s hard to beat the Focal Bathys for pure high-end audio. They also come packed with premium features, including a control app, though the active noise cancellation is nothing to write home about compared to Bose and Sony options.
Read our full Focal Bathys review
The best looking headphones
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Buy them if:
✅ You like the luxe experience: With beautiful metal finishing and rich leather, these feel premium and beautifully built.
✅ You want stunning sound: These are as good as the Focal Bathys for sheer audio quality – they’re supremely expansive, natural and insightful.
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You want light, travel-friendly cans: Much like the Focal above, these are fairly weighty and don’t fold up for traveling.
❌ You want high-end noise cancellation: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a huge improvement on these for noise blocking.
Another one for the audiophile crowd, the sound quality of these headphones is right up there with the Focal Bathys as being the best we’ve heard from wireless headphones. Bowers & Wilkins’ history is in full force here, bringing the refined, hi-fi-like sound quality you’d expect from the company – but it comes with a high price.
In our review, we said these headphones “sound as three-dimensional and energetic as we’ve heard in a wireless design”, with an “agile and expansive midrange” and “expressive and weighty” low end. Compared to the likes of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Sony WH-1000XM5, we said that “The extra energy, depth, emotional oomph and overall immersion in excellent-quality music place the PX8 in a different league.” And we love both those headphones, but you pay twice as much, and you’ll hear the difference.
And you don’t just hear it. The premium design is what we’ve promoted these headphones for here, and they’re a beautiful balance of subtlety and flair, thanks to their used of diamond-cut aluminum details and sumptuous Nappa leather for comfort. (Sorry, vegans, though the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones feature only synthetic leather, and are fantastic.)
The PX8 are more average when it comes to battery life (30 hours is exactly what we consider the norm) and the active noise cancellation (it’s effective, but it’s behind Sony and Bose’s best). But it has some great smart features, including good control via its app, and USB-C audio support for truly Hi-Res Audio, as well as aptX Adaptive for CD-quality sound wirelessly.
They may be expensive, but they offer so much quality, and with a gorgeous design that really feels worth that outlay, and looks closer to an objet d’art than the competition.
Read our full Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review
The best wired earbuds
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Buy them if:
✅ You want uncompromising sound: Audio quality is where the Triple Drivers stand out, delivering a balanced yet detailed sound with mid-bass.
✅ You want the best possible value: At this price range, it’s hard to find headphones that can match the level of quality build and design you’re getting.
Don’t buy them if:
❌ You don’t like wires: The biggest gripe we had with these headphones is that the rubber cable would catch on itself, which can be distracting when listening on the go.
❌ You value quality materials: Another minor flaw we found during our testing was that the plastic remote feels cheap, like the rubber material used for the cable.
These deliver fantastic sound and equally fantastic value for money. The audio quality in the 1MORE Triple Drivers truly does shine above the rest for its balanced sound. It has a slightly warm signature beat that we grew to love.
We consider them to be the best headphones for the price, especially if you prefer wired earbuds. For $100 / £100 (about AU$168), it’s hard to find a better-sounding and more well-built pair of earphones than the 1MORE Triple Drivers.
The biggest nitpick we had during our testing was that the rubber cables can catch on themselves as well as your clothes. As an alternative, if you want a little extra refinement and more luxurious materials, the same firm’s 1MORE Quad Drivers are even more impressive, albeit at twice the price.
At this price, with such excellent build and design, it’s hard to fault the Triple Drivers. The inbuilt remote feels a little cheap, but that’s more than made up for by the lush sound quality offered by these luxe-looking earbuds. For the price, you can’t do better than 1MORE’s Triple Driver in-ear headphones.
Read our full 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone review
Other headphones to consider
Recently, we reviewed the biggest recent headphones launch: the Sonos Ace. Sonos’ first headphones are a very premium price, and have a design to match. But the audio quality for music is a step behind the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones we recommend above. However, we absolutely loved them for their movie performance and spatial audio, either when used with a Sonos soundbar or with any Dolby Atmos-capable device – if you’re a big movie fan, you should still read our Sonos Ace review.
If music is your focus, though, you should absolutely take a look at our Sennheiser HD 620S review. These audiophile-friendly wired headphones are comfortable, reliable and sound magnificent for the price – but you’re missing out on the convenience of wireless tech or the travel-friendliness of noise cancellation, even though they’re a rare thing for Sennheiser’s fancy wired headphones: they’re closed-back.
Any looking for mid-range noise cancelling earbuds should look at our Motorola Moto Buds Plus review – we liked these a lot, especially with their Bose-powered ANC, but they just don’t edge out the picks we already have in this guide.
And speaking of earbuds, if you like a loooooong battery life and the latest tech ideas, take a look at the JBL Live Beam 3. These have a screen built into the case, which works better than it has in previous attempts at this – but more than that, the 10 hours of battery life in the buds with ANC turned on is absolutely class leading. Compare that to 6 hours from AirPods Pro 2! Read our full JBL Live Beam 3 review for more.
How to choose the best headphones for you
One of the key parts of being able to choose the best headphones for you is knowing what you’re talking/reading about. There’s a lot of jargon around headphones, so here’s an explanation of all the key terms you’ll need to know when buying headphones today.
3.5mm jack: The classic wired connection for headphones – not all of today’s wireless headphones support this, though, so we make sure to highlight it, for when only wired use will do.
Active noise cancellation (ANC): A way of processing audio to counteract extraneous sounds around you and remove them from what you’re hearing. Microphones on the outside of the headphones listen for ambient external sounds, then create an ‘antiphase’ (often called ‘anti-noise’) soundwave, which is mixed into your music to ‘cancel out’ the ambient noise. This means you can listen to music at lower volume levels, or can hear podcasts more clearly.
aptX: A higher-quality audio streaming system from compatible devices, that works over Bluetooth, but is capable of streaming higher-resolution files. There are multiple versions of aptX, but in new headphones you are mostly likely to see aptX Adaptive, which can work at different quality levels depending on connection strength. You may also see a reference to aptX Lossless, which is part of aptX Adaptive, and is the highest-quality connection the tech currently offers. There is also aptX Voice, which is designed to make your voice clearer on calls, and is also part of aptX Adaptive.
Auracast: A new Bluetooth connection system, still in its early stages. It enables you to connect Auracast-ready headphones to any Auracast transmission source without needing to ‘pair’ your headphones in the usual Bluetooth method, meaning that you could connect to a TV in a bar to hear a sports game, or connect to your airport gate to hear announcements. It was developed for hearing-aid use, but will be supported by a large number of headphones due to its convenience.
Bluetooth: The technology that effectively all headphones rely on for a wireless connection. It is capable of supporting many different music streaming technologies, including aptX, LDAC and LHDC. The two standard and most common streaming technologies are called SBC and AAC, and are supported on the vast majority of earbuds. There are many different versions of Bluetooth, and higher versions enable newer features such as Bluetooth LE Audio or Auracast – however, supporting a new version of Bluetooth doesn’t guarantee that these technologies are supported, so always check the specs. Bluetooth 5.4 is the latest version at the time of writing, though Bluetooth 5.3 is more common, and supports every major Bluetooth feature.
Bluetooth LE Audio: The next-gen version of Bluetooth’s standard music streaming technology, which is technically called LC3. LC3 is capable of delivering higher-quality music than SBC or AAC while using less power – or much higher quality at the same level of power use. There are limited models that currently support LE Audio, and even fewer phones that support it. We hope that will change in the future.
Dolby Atmos: A spatial audio format used in both music and movies. Instead of music being encoded into ‘channels’, different parts of the audio are encoded as ‘objects’ that can be positioned in 3D space, meaning that they can be heard in specific and realistic positions.
Drivers: The part of the headphones that make the sound – often called speakers. The type used on almost all headphones and earbuds are ‘dynamic’ drivers, which are the traditional cone-shaped speakers you see on loudspeakers, just smaller (usually between 5mm and 13mm on earbuds, and between 20mm and 50mm on headphones). However, some headphones use ‘planar magnetic’ drivers, which are more precise and favored by audiophiles, but are typically more expensive and harder to produce.
EQ: This is the short term for ‘equalizer’, which is a way to adjust the sound balance of a pair of headphones, to enable you to increase or decrease the bass tones, mid-range and treble. Many wireless headphones these days come with an app that enables you to control the EQ, either by choosing presents for different genres (such as rock, classical or pop), or by giving you a series of sliders to adjust these frequencies yourself. EQs are split into ‘bands’, so a three-band EQ has three sliders: one for bass, one for mid, one for treble. A nine-band EQ has nine sliders, giving you finer control across the sound range.
Hi-Res Audio: High-resolution audio is music that has been digitally stored with much more information in the file than the more compressed versions you get if you use MP3 files, or stream from Spotify. We have a whole guide on what Hi-Res Audio is, but the idea is that you can hear more detail in your music, so they’re closer to the original recordings. Hi-Res files also tend to offer more dynamic range, and expansiveness, so they sound more natural. This all depends on the headphones being good enough to express this extra quality level, of course – you will find that many headphones are ‘Hi-Res Certified’, but this is just on a technical level, not a quality level. Most of the best streaming services support some kind of Hi-Res Audio files now, though they’re a lot larger than the lower-quality files we’re used to before, so some services won’t default to playing these files unless you’re on a Wi-Fi network.
In-ear: This means that a pair of earbuds has tips that fit into your ear canal. You may see the term ‘IEM’ used, which means ‘In-ear monitor’ – this is a particular kind of in-ear bud favored by professionals, and it’s often used even in consumer wired earbuds to say that a pair of earbuds is very high-quality and will have a very noise-isolating fit.
Find My: Both Apple and Android phones have a system that enables them to find lost devices, and some headphones support this. On iPhones, it’s simply called Find My. On Android, it’s called Find My Device. Some headphones have a custom version of this feature based on their app, rather than the version built into the phone software. The built-in version is strongly preferable.
Head tracking: On headphones that support spatial audio, head tracking is an additional piece of processing whereby the headphones can detect the movement of your head from the source device, and use it to make the 3D sound of Dolby Atmos or other spatial formats feel more true to life. It means that the sound you’re listening to doesn’t have to move with you when you move your head – it can sound more like you’re sitting in a room of speakers, even when you’re wearing headphones.
LDAC: This is a higher-quality music streaming technology that works over Bluetooth, much like aptX. It was developed by Sony, and is heavily supported by the company’s products, and support is possible on Android phones, and many of the best portable music players.
LHDC: This is another higher-quality music streaming technology, and a rival to aptX and LDAC: It is also possible for Android phones to support it.
Lossless: Lossless music is essentially music that has been streamed/transmitted using technology that doesn’t lose detail from the original file. The original files of a music recording are very large, and must be reduced for efficient streaming or download. MP3 is a ‘lossy’ technology, which means it removes information from the track in order to make it much smaller. Other file types, such as FLAC (used by Tidal) and ALAC (used by Apple Music) are lossless, which means that the files are larger than MP3, but they retain all the original audio information. Read more in our dedicated audio file format explainer.
Multi-point Bluetooth: A newer Bluetooth feature that enables your headphones to be paired with two (or even three, in rare cases) devices at the same time, so you can switch between them instantly, without needing to disconnect and reconnect, or re-pair, your headphones each time.
Noise isolation: This refers to the passive ability of a pair of headphones or earbuds to isolate you from ambient sounds, without using the processing of active noise cancellation. So it refers to the way that earbuds also act like earplugs to block outside sound, or the way that over-ear headphones provide a seal around your ears to do the same thing.
On-ear: An on-ear fit refers to headphones with a small earpad that sits directly on your auricle (the part of the ear that’s outside the head). This tends to provide a less-perfect seal for noise isolation than over-ear headphones, and some find it less comfortable – but some prefer it.
Over-ear: An over-ear fit means the earpads of the headphones are larger, and sit around your auricle, so your whole ear is encompassed within their seal. This is the fit of choice for the best noise-cancelling headphones, because it provides the best passive noise isolation, which they can then enhance with active noise cancellation.
Planar magnetic: This type of speaker driver can be more precise and dynamic than the dynamic drivers used in most headphones, and is a favorite of audiophiles. However, it’s expensive and hard to power, meaning that headphones that use it tend to be heavy and pricey.
Snapdragon Sound: This is a combination of wireless technologies designed to provide a better experience if you have both a phone and pair of headphones that support it. It combines the higher-quality streaming of aptX with other features designed to reduce the latency of the Bluetooth connection (ie, how long it takes to transmit the sound), to improve the quality of voice calls, and to improve the overall reliability of the connection. ‘Snapdragon’ is a series of chips made by Qualcomm, and are used in many Android phones. Read more in our in-depth Snapdragon Sound explainer.
Spatial audio: A generic term used to describe various types of 3D sound technologies used in headphones. Apple uses it to refer to its own particular mix of Dolby Atmos support with head tracking. Other brands may use it for equivalent features, but there’s no rule as to exactly what it means, other than that the idea is to make the sound feel like it’s coming from all around you, not right in your ears – think Dirac Virtuo, DTS:X, THX and of course Dolby Atmos. It’s especially good with movies, where it can recreate the home theater experience in headphones.
Transparency mode: A variation of active noise cancellation. Instead of blocking the outside noise, the processing actually mixes ambient noise into your music intelligently, so you can hear what’s going on around you without overwhelming your music. That way, you can hear a train announcement, have a conversation, or be aware of traffic. Different manufacturers call this mode different things – it may be something like ‘Aware mode’, “HearThru’ or ‘Ambient mode’. We tend to call it ‘Transparency mode’ as a rule, to make it easy to compare products in our guide.
USB-C Audio: Some headphones offer the ability to play digital audio from a computer or phone when connected by a USB-C cable, and the advantage of this is that it can support extremely high-quality resolution tracks – far beyond what any version of Bluetooth currently supports. For audiophiles, a pair of headphones that can do both wireless for convenience and USB-C Audio for wired Hi-Res Audio playback, can be preferential.
What different types of headphones are there?
There’s a lot to consider when you’re buying a new pair of headphones. But the most important is the design. This doesn’t just dictate how they look, but the features on offer, how they feel when you wear them and how you’ll use them day-to-day.
We’ve selected both over-ear headphones and earbuds here, though we have separate guides to just the best wireless headphones of the on-head style, or the best wireless earbuds, if you want to narrow it down.
In-ear headphones, also called earbuds or earphones, are usually the cheapest and easiest way to pump audio into your ears. They rest in or just outside the ear canal, creating a tight seal to keep air out and sound in. These are the most discreet designs you’ll find, making them excellent for portability and the prime choice for athletes.
Over-ear headphones generally provide fantastic richness and depth of sound, which allows listeners to pick apart the instruments and sounds much easier. Additionally, over-ear, or circumaural headphones, go around the ear and offer a generous amount of padding.
Instead of enveloping your ears, on-ear headphones create a light, breathable seal around your ear. The noise isolation is less effective than in-ear or over-ear options.
Some headphones don’t go anywhere near your ears at all. Bone-conducting headphones send vibrations through your cheekbones and jaw up towards your inner ear, leaving your ears free. These headphones make great running headphones and swimming headphones.
With wireless on-ear headphones and over-ear headphones, you simply lose the wire connecting them to your device – otherwise, they look pretty much the same as your regular pair of wired cans, and give you the noise-isolating prowess of over-ears without the need for cumbersome wires to connect to your device.
True wireless earbuds have no cord whatsoever. For some, this means true freedom; for others, untethered true wireless means constant danger of losing their expensive audio kit down the drain – or terrible connections. The latter, at least, has changed now – thanks to advances in Bluetooth technology like aptX HD, the best true wireless earbuds have never sounded better.
For more information about how to choose your next headphones, read our comprehensive guide, which goes into this in more detail. We also have other guides for getting the most out of your headphones, including how to care for them – be sure to check out our how to clean your wireless earbuds walkthrough to make sure they’re spick and span.
Are noise-cancelling headphones bad for your ears?
Nope! In fact, some people choose them because they can help to protect your hearing over time. Active noise cancellation uses something called “anti-noise” to help block outside sounds – essentially, they use microphones on the outside to listen to the world around you, then calculate the opposite of those noise frequencies, and pump those into their sound to “cancel” out the sounds around you. This is makes it easier to hear what your headphones are playing – and that means you don’t have to turn the volume up as loud. This is how they can protect your hearing long term: listening to loud headphones all the time is a serious issue for people who’ve been doing it for years, and with ANC headphones, you can keep it lower.
What headphones brands are the best quality?
Bose and Sony have very high reputations, and for good reason. They both make very high-performance products for the price, with good build quality even with plastic construction (which has the advantage of being lightweight and comfortable).
Beats is obviously a famous brand, and its products are very well-made, and the sound is strong these days. Apple’s headphones are much-loved, especially AirPods Pro 2, which are extremely high quality and well-priced compared to other premium earbuds.
At the higher end, Bowers and Wilkins makes fantastic headphones with premium materials, as does Sennheiser (which also makes some good affordable products).
For cheaper products, we rate JBL, Anker Soundcore, JLab and 1More all highly – all these products feel well-made, but tend to be ad the affordable end of the market.
How we test the best headphones
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When it comes to the best headphones, we focus on sound quality above everything else. We look at both wired and wireless cans and earbuds that would appeal to audiophiles, as well as those working in professional roles. However, we also appreciate that budget is important too, so we compare like for like, picking out budget headphones that perform admirably for the price.
We also look at other features such as ANC, battery life, fit, and of course the usability and extra perks offered by any companion apps. Of course, design and whether they look (and feel) good all adds to the model’s desirability – and this is noted as we listen to music across a wide range of genres over several days.
We have tested all of the headphones in this guide extensively, spending plenty of time analyzing the sound, fit, design, specs, and value for money so that you will be able to choose a product you’ll be over the moon with.
While there are many different factors that go into testing headphones, we make sure to use a variety of sources to give as much variety as possible. These range from using various Bluetooth codecs and Wi-Fi to listen to different music steaming services, DACs, portable digital audio players and more.
Latest updates to this best headphones guide
July 12, 2024
Updated our ‘Also consider’ section with information about our latest reviews of products that haven’t made it into this guide. We also added a glossary of headphones tech terms to our ‘How to choose’ section, to explain exactly what these products offer for people unfamiliar with them.
June 14, 2024
Replaced the still-excellent Sony WF-C700N with the newer Nothing Ear (a) as our pick of the best mid-tier earbuds, since these marginally trounce the Sony at this level (and the Sony buds have been reduced). Added an ‘Also consider’ section to this guide, to showcase other products recently reviewed.
May 21, 2024
Checked prices for all current entries, refreshed copy to reflect new products int he market. Considered adding the recently reviewed Sony ULT Wear, but they didn’t perform across the board as well as other products in this list.
April 5, 2024
Removed Sony WF-1000XM4 due to lack of stock available, and re-ordered our other choices as a result.
March 5, 2024
Added more images to each product write-up from respective reviews and checked the rankings against availability.
January 24, 2024
Added Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to this guide as the best option for active noise cancellation, replacing the Sony WH-1000XM5, based on our testing. We also replaced the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus (which are no longer available) with the JLab Go Air Pop as the bet budget earbuds.
November 20, 2023
Added links to our Black Friday headphones and earbuds deals lists, where readers can find great savings on a range of products included in this guide.
November 10, 2023
Added additional info about how we test the best headphones as well as some further copy enhancements to explain technical audio terms and include more supporting content.
October 6, 2023
Checked all products against recent reviews, added more buying advice to our “How to choose” section.
September 5, 2023
Checked rankings against recent product launches and added additional information to the write-ups of each headphone and earbud.
June 6, 2023
Re-ordered, as well as added new navigation options to the list, to make it easier to find the products you want.
May 23, 2023
Added the Sony WF-C700N as the best wireless earbuds for active noise-cancelation at an affordable price.
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