A pair of the best headphones is a must-have for listening to music, podcasts or movies, delivering great sound in style. But with so many different brands, specs and designs to choose from, do you go over-ear, on-ear or in-ear? And is noise cancellation essential, or is a better battery life more important to you? We’re here to help you find the best headphones for you.
Our expert team has been testing headphones and earbuds for more than 15 years, which means we know how to spot best-in-class sound quality when we hear it – and true comfort when we wear it. Every pair of headphones in this guide has been rigorously tested by our team and if we don't love that product for features, comfort and sound quality, we don't list them here – our reviews are 100% independent and based on real-world testing. To rank our suggestions and make our recommendations, we’ve considered all sorts of factors, like features, including AI integration and spatial audio, as well as apps, comfort and overall convenience.
This guide covers over-ear, on-ear, and in-ear options, with many overlapping with our popular best wireless headphones guide – though audiophiles still prefer wired models. If noise cancellation is what you’re after, take a look at our best noise-cancelling headphones list. While we’ve covered a range of budgets here, you can explore more affordable options in our best cheap headphones guide.
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.
Recent updates
December 3, 2024
Removed the Black Friday section. Updated the intro to reflect choices, mentioned further features and made sure copy still reflects our methodology testing process.
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
✅ 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.
❌ 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 usually be found for a price lower than other premium headphones, while still delivering excellent all-round performance – look for a price under $200 / £200 and you'll be happy.
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 Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 at #3 on the list, 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. But make sure you're paying $200/£200 or under. If Sony bumps the price back up a bit, you're best opting for the Cambridge Audio option – they'll cost the same and bring you even more modern, high-end features.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM4 review
The best budget headphones
✅ 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.
❌ 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
✅ You don't want to think about battery life: 60 hours of longevity per charge with ANC on and 100 without is truly exceptional.
✅ You like an app with lots of options: Everything you need is here to customize your experience, including EQ settings.
❌ 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 at #7 do it better.
❌ You want light and portable: They're not big or heavy, but they don't fold up as much as they could and the accompanying case is a bit big.
Expect enjoyable and highly engaging sound from the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 headphones, which we couldn’t fault for the price during our testing. In our review, we wrote: “There’s a stack of detail, a wide-open soundstaging, vaulting dynamic potency and an engaging, lively overall attitude that will keep you coming back for more.” You can also tweak the sound via the app, where you’ll find a seven-band equaliser with several presets.
A pair of premium headphones like these will sound their absolute best with 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC file action from Qobuz or Tidal, but that doesn’t mean they won’t also do a great job at making any music you throw at them sound incredible. As we wrote in our review: “They don’t judge – give them what you’ve got, and they’ll do their best with it.” The active noise cancellation isn’t the best (look to Bose for that), but it does a good job at nixing most noises – unless you’re looking for exceptional ANC, this will suit most people.
There’s a seriously impressive 100 hours of battery life on offer here, which is incredible. Even compared to some of the best rivals. Admittedly, that’s without ANC, but with ANC on, you’ll get 60 hours, which is still as good as it gets. You’d expect premium features for a premium price and won’t be disappointed. There’s multipoint connectivity onboard, Bluetooth 5.3, six mics to handle ANC, and an app packed with everything you’ll ever need. You’ll also find aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codec compatibility. One rather unexpected but hilarious feature is that actor Matt Berry is one of the options for your ‘audible feedback’, which, in our review, we referred to as a “stroke of genius” – seriously, name a better voice actor for this role!
Things are just as positive when it comes to their design. In our review, we wrote that these headphones are “flawlessly built and finished” with a combination of memory foam and vegan leather on the earpads and a padded headband. We also found them comfortable to wear. The only minor downside is that their travel case is a bit bigger than it needs to be. But really, we’re nit-picking.
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 are priced at $279 / £229 / AU$479, which means they’re our top pick if your budget can stretch to the premium end of the spectrum – though it still isn't that premium compared to Sony and Bose's highest-end headphones, so they're actually good value. We awarded them five out of five stars in our review, which is a testament to how great these wonderfully-specced headphones sound and the wealth of features on offer.
Read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review
The best earbuds overall
✅ 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.
❌ 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
✅ 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.
❌ 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
✅ You want affordable buds that don't feel that way: The sound is better than it should be for such a low price, and they're well made and comfortable to wear.
✅ You like clear, treble-first sound: There's no thumping bass here, but audio is clear with textured vocals and a focus on clean treble.
❌ You want noise cancellation: One of the few sacrifices you'll have to make for a budget price here is a lack of noise cancellation – get the Nothing Ear (a) instead.
❌ Longevity is a top priority: The battery in the buds themselves is great, but with the case you'll only get one more full charge.
The Sony WF-C510 earbuds are only $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$109, which makes them budget buds in our books (especially since they'll probably drop in price by about 30% during sales events) but you wouldn’t know it from their quality audio, solid built and good battery life. They’re easily among the best low-cost earbuds we’ve ever tested.
We described the audio from the Sony WF-C510 earbuds as “punchy and high-quality” in our review. We thoroughly enjoyed listening to our favorite tracks with them and noted that Sony is clearly prioritizing clean treble here. You can tweak the experience with Sony’s equalizer, though this isn't the easiest to use. This does mean you may need to look elsewhere – and perhaps pay more – if you’re a fan of powerful bass.
There are a couple of missing features here that you’d find in pricier, mid-range earbuds. The main one is active noise cancellation, but there’s also no wear detection or low-latency mode. Then again, when you considering the asking price here, it’s hard to complain. Sacrifices need to come from somewhere, and it makes sense they’d come from features rather than sound and fit. The buds have a solid 11 hours of battery, which should see you through a long work day and most journeys. However, the case battery life is less impressive, also packing in 11 hours – so you get one full charge of the buds from it. Compared to rivals, this is a little low. We’d expect at least two full charges.
We highly rate the simple design of these Sony buds. They stay very stable in your ears. There’s a nice grippy material on the tips, which is one of the reasons they fare so well in all sorts of settings. In our review, we wrote: “I even cycled confidently with them and completed a full workout at the gym without gravity doing its thing to them.” Each bud also weighs less than 5g, which makes them comfortable and lightweight for all-day wear. The case is light and will easily fit in a pocket without feeling like you've got a lumpy thigh.
These are some of the best cheap earbuds you’ll find, and they prove that Sony isn’t just good at building the top high-end headphones, like the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ears at the top of this list or the high-performing Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, but can turn its hand to more affordable tech, too.
Read our full Sony WF-C510 review
