The best headphones 2024: top cans from Sony, Bose and more

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VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID

A set of the best headphones is indispensable to 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 and control apps for your potential purchases too. 

Many people still prefer the best wired headphones for their audio quality, so we do have wired models here, but the convenience of wireless headphones means that these are by far the most popular option. You’ll also find our top immersive, bubble-of-silence picks in our best noise-cancelling headphones list, which are great for travelling and 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.

Written by
Becky Scarrott
Written by
Becky Scarrott

Becky is a senior TechRadar writer (which she has been assured refers to expertise rather than age) focusing on all things audio. Before joining the team in early 2022, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems.

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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 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

The best headphones for most people

Specifications

Weight: 253g
Frequency response: 4Hz to 40kHz
Drivers: 1.57-inch dome-type
Battery life: 30 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Rich audio quality
+
Strong active noise cancellation
+
Tons of smart features

Reasons to avoid

-
Not water-resistant
-
Newer, more expensive headphones can beat them
-
Only LDAC for higher-res wireless
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 earbuds for most people

The best earbuds for most people

Specifications

Weight: 7.3g
Frequency response: 20-40,000Hz
Drivers: 6mm
Battery life : 8 hours (earbuds) 16 hours (charging case)

Reasons to buy

+
Wide-ranging, eloquent sound
+
Strong call quality
+
Great features and ANC

Reasons to avoid

-
Unremarkable battery life
-
No aptX support
-
Somewhat chunky
Buy them if:

✅ You love to have control: The Sony Headphones app gives you so many useful options, all laid out sensibly.

✅ You like to have useful extra features: With the 'Speak to chat' and 'Quick attention' features, plus IPX4 waterproofing, the WF-1000XM4 like to give peace of mind.

Don't buy them if:

Noise cancelling is the most important thing: Taken on their own, the WF-1000XM4 cancel noise well. But other true wireless buds do it better – specifically, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II.

❌ You’re away from an outlet for long periods: A best-case 24 hours of battery life isn't bad, but it isn't anything special either.

If you prefer true wireless in-ear buds, then the Sony WF-1000XM4s are the perfect option for most people. Much like the Sony WH-1000XM4, they're a little older now, but you can find them with colossal price drops compared to their launch price, and that's why they still sit so high in this list: in the real world, they're wonderful value. At the time of our last update, they were in very low stock in most retailers, but Sony tells us that the product has not been discontinued, so it stays in the list.

In standard Sony style, they're full of useful features, all controlled from the great Sony Headphones app. They tune their sound to the shape of their ears for better detail, they auto-pause when you take them out, they have DSEE Extreme upscaling of weaker sound sources, there's multipoint pairing with multiple devices for easy switching, LDAC support for CD-quality wireless sound, and Sony's adaptive noise cancellation, of course.

The design is a little on the chunky side (though no worse than most equivalently specced earbuds), but is comfortable – and once they're fitted in your ears, you're treated to sound that we found to be effusive, enjoyable, full-bodied and rich in detail. And the noise cancellation is very strong, though the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 beat it – but they're even chunkier.

The battery life is not super-hot at 24 hours in total from the case and the buds, but it will be fine for most people. Again like their over-ear siblings, these can be beaten in individual areas, but when it comes to the total package for their usually discounted price, they're excellent.

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM4 review

The best budget headphones

The best cheap headphones

Specifications

Weight: 4.8 oz
Frequency response: 20Hz-20,000Hz
Drivers: 30mm dynamic
Battery life: 50 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Incredibly affordable
+
Impressive sound and battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
No 3.5mm jack or USB audio
-
No active noise cancellation
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 budget earbuds

The best mega-cheap earbuds

Specifications

Acoustic design: Closed
Weight: 3.7g each
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Drivers: 6mm
Battery life: 8 hours (earbuds) 24 hours (charging case)

Reasons to buy

+
Light, comfortable design
+
Best sound you can get at this price
+
Good on-ear controls

Reasons to avoid

-
Lacking mod cons
-
Odd fitted charging cable
-
Not exactly for audiophiles
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 premium headphones

The best premium headphones

Specifications

Weight: 293g
Frequency response: 6Hz – 22kHz
Drivers: 42mm dynamic
Battery life: 60 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Neutral, crisp, detailed sound
+
Excellent ANC and transparency

Reasons to avoid

-
A little plain aesthetically
-
Design doesn't fold up into the headband
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 

The best premium earbuds

The best premium earbuds

Specifications

Weight: 7g
Frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz
Drivers: 10mm
Battery life: (Up to) 7h (earbuds); (up to) 25h (charging case)

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent, revealing sound quality
+
Triple-point connectivity

Reasons to avoid

-
Noise cancelling is only average
-
Sound would be perfect if it were more energetic
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

The best mid-priced earbuds

Specifications

Acoustic design: Closed
Weight: 4.6g per bud
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Drivers: 5mm
Battery life: 7.5 hours (earbuds), 7.5 hours (charging case)

Reasons to buy

+
Fantastic sound for the price
+
Very comfortable and secure

Reasons to avoid

-
Not a lot of battery from the case
-
Some small missing features
Buy them if:

✅ You love a small and light earbud: These are extremely secure even in smaller ears, and not all of today's large and feature-packed earbuds can say that.

You value sound quality: These are so impressive for the price, offering tons of fun, tons of detail, and tons of energy. 

Don't buy them if:

You like all the little conveniences: There's no on-ear volume control, and they don't auto-pause when you remove them from your ear.

❌ You don't want to think about charging: While 7.5 hours from the buds is better than average, 7.5 hours from the case is far below average.

If you want to spend under $150 / £100 / AU$200 on a pair of wireless earbuds, Sony's WF-C700N are the most comfortable, feature-rich headphones with immersive sound that you can buy right now. In fact, they're even more comfortable for all-day wearing than the WF-1000XM4 – aka the best wireless earbuds – as they're 37% lighter and 38% smaller. 

Sony has included a lot of its high-end headphone features that are in its more premium models in the WF-C700N, including adaptive active noise cancellation, multipoint connectivity and even spatial audio through Sony's 360 Reality Audio technology, which sounds fantastic.

There are some sacrifices that you're making at this price point, including no auto-off, on-ear volume control, or LDAC support. These are easy to overlook, though given the ANC profiles and DSEE upscaling engine… and the general sound quality. 

Obviously, Sony's more expensive buds offer even better sound and noise cancellation, but if you want the best features, design and sound quality at this affordable price level, the C700N cannot be beaten right now. 

Read our full Sony WF-C700N review

The best headphones for ANC

The best headphones for active noise cancellation

Specifications

Weight: 250g
Frequency response: Not listed
Drivers: 35mm
Battery life: 24 hours

Reasons to buy

+
The best noise cancelling you can get
+
Phenomenal sound quality

Reasons to avoid

-
They're not cheap
-
Lacking strong Hi-Res Audio features
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

The best earbuds for active noise-cancelation

Specifications

Weight: 6.2g (per bud); 59.8g (charging case)
Frequency response: Not listed
Drivers: 9.3mm
Battery life: 6 hours (buds); 18 hours (charging case)

Reasons to buy

+
Smaller, more comfortable design
+
Best-in-class noise cancellation

Reasons to avoid

-
Call quality could be better
-
No support for high-def wireless codecs
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.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review

The best headphones for sound quality

The best headphones for wireless sound

Specifications

Weight: 350g
Frequency response: 15Hz–20kHz
Drivers: 40mm
Battery life: 42 hours (with USB DAC) 35 hours (with Jack) 30 hours (with Bluetooth)

Reasons to buy

+
Exciting, detailed, expressive sound
+
Very comfortable (and easy on the eye)

Reasons to avoid

-
On-ear controls are hit-and-miss
-
Noise cancellation can be beaten for less
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

The best headphones for sumptuous design

Specifications

Acoustic design: Closed
Weight: 320g
Frequency response: Not listed
Drivers: 40mm dynamic full range
Battery life: 30 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Agile, detailed, top-class sound
+
Beautiful materials and excellent comfort

Reasons to avoid

-
Average battery life and noise cancellation
-
They're expensive
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

The best wired in-ear headphones for most people

Specifications

Weight: 18g
Frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz
Drivers: Dynamic
Battery life: N/A

Reasons to buy

+
Lush sound for the price
+
Fantastic value

Reasons to avoid

-
Plastic control feels cheap
-
No USB-C connection
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

How to choose the best headphones for you

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

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

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.

Becky Scarrott
Senior Audio Staff Writer

Becky is a senior staff writer at TechRadar (which she has been assured refers to expertise rather than age) focusing on all things audio. Before joining the team, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.  

With contributions from