The best headphones can truly transform how you listen – delivering richer music, clearer podcasts, and a more immersive soundstage for movies and games. But with so many brands, features, and styles on the market, finding the right pair can feel overwhelming. That’s where we come in. With over 15 years of testing and reviewing headphones and earbuds, our expert team knows exactly what sets the best models apart – whether it's outstanding audio quality, smart features, or long-lasting comfort.
Every pair of the best headphones featured in this guide has been put through its paces in real-world conditions by the TechRadar team. We only recommend the ones that genuinely impress us. Our reviews are fully independent, so you can trust our expert insights. From spatial audio and AI-enhanced sound to battery life and wearability, we’ve considered all the key factors to bring you the best headphones you can buy right now.
Looking for something more specific? We’ve got dedicated guides to the best wireless headphones, best noise-cancelling headphones, or best cheap headphones if you're on a budget. Want something smaller? Don’t miss our picks for the best earbuds and best noise cancelling earbuds. And if you’d rather skip Bluetooth altogether, check out our roundups of the best wired earbuds and best wired headphones for pure, uncompressed audio.
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 – as long as you can find them at a bargain price.
The best low-price headphones
For under $100, these over-ears deliver a seriously impressive package. Customizable sound, strong ANC, and fantastic battery life. The build’s a bit basic, but for the price, they’re among the best we've tested.
The best premium-priced headphones
Packed with excellent high-end features, stunning sound and the best battery life you can get, these are top headphones for overall quality, but they're at the premium end of things.
The best earbuds for overall performance
For music, Technics’ high-spec buds perform better than almost anything else. They're also packed with features, like triple-point pairing, and we found them incredibly comfortable to wear.
The best mid-tier earbuds
For the price, ANC here is truly fantastic. In fact everything about the latest iteration of the QC earbuds delivers, they're comfortable, sound good and don't cost a bomb.
The best low-price earbuds
A fantastic pair of earbuds from Sony for a very affordable price. Expect punchy audio, a solid fit, and good battery life within the buds themselves.
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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.
The best earbuds for ANC
Simply the best ANC you'll find in a pair of earbuds. They sound amazing too, serving up a fun, zealous listen with excellent device-agnostic head-tracked spatial audio.
The best wireless headphones for audiophiles
An excellent-sounding pair of wireless (but you can also use them wired) noise-cancelling headphones with a sleek-looking design and outstanding build and finish.
The best earbuds for stunning sound
Expect an impeccably high standard of clarity, detail and richness when listening to these B&W buds, as well as good noise cancellation that doesn't impact on the excellent audio standard, and more good features.
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.
The best open earbuds
As our top open-ear pick, they show how good this style can be – with standout sound, a secure fit, and great value. The app setup is clunky and battery life’s just okay, but for open earbuds, these set the standard.
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
April 17, 2025
Refreshed the introduction. Switched the Sony WH-CH520 for the recently reviewed 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 in our 'best budget headphones' spot. Removed the older 1More Triple Driver from the guide. But added the Huawei FreeArc as our 'best open earbuds' pick. Put several newly-tested products into our 'also consider' section, including the Honor Earbuds Open. Removed some older suggestions from here too so that everything now feels fresh and current.
The best headphones of 2025
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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 surprisingly good ANC: They block out background noise better than you'd expect for the price, with a handy passthrough mode.
✅ You’re on a budget: At under $100, they pack in solid sound and features without draining your wallet.
❌ You want audiophile-level sound: Yes, they sound great for the price, but they don’t quite reach the rich, detailed heights of premium headphones.
❌ You want a luxury finish: They look sleek enough, but the build feels a bit plasticky – if you're after something ultra-sturdy or high-end, they might not hit the mark.
The 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51s are a standout pick for budget over-ear headphones, packing in a seriously impressive spec list for the price. Here, you’ll find strong ANC, customizable sound, and a battery life that wipes the floor with many premium rivals. All in all, they’re a great option for anyone who wants feature-rich headphones without breaking the bank.
Feature-wise, you get support for LDAC for high-res Bluetooth streaming, multi-point connectivity, and a companion app with EQ controls and ANC modes. There’s also passthrough here, which means you can hear the outside world when you need to, and battery life is a real highlight – up to 100 hours with ANC off, or 65 with it on.
Audio performance is big and bold, leaning towards a bassier signature that's great for pop, hip-hop, and electronic music. Detail is solid, especially if you're using LDAC or the wired connection, and the app lets you tweak the EQ to suit your taste. You won’t get premium-tier sound, but at this price you wouldn’t expect it either, would you? Because what’s important is these headphones are seriously impressive for this price bracket.
The 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 also look the part, with a sleek matte finish and angled earcups that feel modern and stylish. They’re comfortable enough for long listening sessions too, with plush padding on the headband and earcups. Build quality does feel a bit plasticky at times, but again, that makes sense considering the asking price.
Add in a sturdy carry case, wired connection, and a solid mic for calls, and these over-ears deliver one of the best all-round budget headphone packages out there. If you're after long battery life, punchy sound and ANC on a budget, they’re hard to beat.
Read our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 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, 'adaptive' ANC, spatial audio… basically everything.
❌ You need best-in-class noise cancellation: The ANC is good, but Bose's earbuds do a better job of cutting you off.
❌ You don't want to think about charging: The battery life isn't bad at seven hours with ANC on, but you can do better if that's a priority.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 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 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 also 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 'adaptive' ANC that adapts to your ear for the best results, adjustable EQ settings, basically all of the features you could wish for.
Even more importantly, the sound quality here is excellent. We described it as "balanced, detailed and respectably dynamic" in our review, because whatever audio file you give it, you're getting an enjoyable listen with a punchy sound that manages to unify the entire frequency range. The only downside in terms of sound to write home about is that if you switch ANC off, the sonic character changes, leaving lower frequencies and overall presentation lacking substance. Just keep the ANC on, however, and you're golden.
Technics goes above and beyond to make sure that these earbuds fit all shapes and sizes of ears, providing five different tips to choose from. They've also had a redesign over previous models, making them even smaller and lighter. They have a concha shape and fit that we found incredibly comfortable during testing.
The battery life and active noise cancellation are just fine – what we mean by that is they perform well, but you can find better. Then again, they're ideal for anyone who basically wants the whole package, including good sound and a comfortable design that's packed with features. So although you can do better in certain areas, they're our top earbuds pick overall.
Read our full Technics EAH-AZ100 review
The best mid-priced earbuds
✅ You want great ANC for less: These Bose buds deliver exceptional noise-stopping power.
✅ You struggle to find buds that fit: They come with multiple tips and stability bands to ensure a comfy, stable fit.
❌ You want high-res format support: The Bose QCE support SBC and AAC codecs, and that's it. If you want high-res tunes, look elsewhere.
❌ You like using voice controls: Voice commands were disappointing, mostly because they were far too sensitive.
Several great earbuds could claim the title of ‘best mid-priced’ pick, but the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds stand out with exceptional ANC, impressive sound quality, and an incredibly comfortable design. While not exactly cheap, they offer outstanding value for their price.
Bose is renowned for its excellent ANC, and the QuietComfort Earbuds are no exception. In our review, we noted that their ANC “beats out anything else I've tried at this price – and many earbuds that cost much more.” During testing, these earbuds effectively silenced nearly all background noise. For those moments when you need awareness, the Aware mode isolates and amplifies voices while dampening other sounds.
Sound-wise, we described the experience as "warm and energetic," with a "rich and meaty bass." While these earbuds don’t deliver an extra-boosted low end, they offer nuance and perform well even at high volumes. But what we rated the most during testing was the dramatic soundstage. We wrote: “You can hear the different instruments spread around you like dishes at a tapas restaurant, and if you close your eyes you feel like you could point to where each one is.” While they lack support for advanced audio codecs, this won’t matter if you primarily stream via Spotify – but it might disappoint those using Tidal or Apple Music’s high-res offerings.
So many of Bose’s headphones have “comfort” in their name for a reason and these buds delivered a snug and sturdy fit during our testing. There are different tips to choose from, as well as stability bands. We can’t guarantee everyone will get a great fit, but there are few buds we’d say are as likely to deliver as these. In fact, we took them on an 8km run and they didn’t budge. The only thing to point out in terms of design is the case is pretty big, at least bigger than most other wireless buds we’ve tested and it’ll feel bulky in a pocket. Then again, this is hardly a big deal to say these buds are well-priced, sound great, offer solid ANC and fit incredibly well. If your budget can stretch to Bose’s mid-range price tag, these buds won’t disappoint.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2024 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
The best headphones for ANC
✅ 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.
❌ 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 Cambridge Audio.
❌ 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 Cambridge Audio 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 Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 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 Cambridge Audio 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
✅ You need elite active noise cancellation: simply the best ANC in earbuds that you can get.
✅ You love a vivacious, full-on sound: Bose has really nailed zealous sound in these buds, paticularly when using the immersive audio features alongside the ANC.
❌ You want wireless charging: you can get it, but you'll need to purchase a separate cover
❌ 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 Ultra Earbuds are just the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market now. Not necessarily the most neutral and detailed-sounding across the board, you understand, but the best if you need a bubble-of-silence background to better hear your tunes. They take everything we loved about the QuietComfort Earbuds 2 that came before them and add some major improvements, including excellent device-agnostic head-tracked immersive audio, special tweaks to the ear-tips, multipoint to two devices (following a July 2024 update) and even better ANC.
As you’d expect, the active noise cancellation (ANC) here is top notch, creating a "near cocoon of silence" that’s perfect for shutting out extraneous noise. Combine their ANC prowess with an acceptable 6 hours of battery life in the buds and 24 hours in total with the case, and they’re a solid choice.
The all-new Immersive Audio technology also offers spatial sound that adapts to your movement and works with the ANC, offering a more cinematic experience across devices – all with Snapdragon Sound Suite and aptX Adaptive support at the helm. We called them a “vigorous and engaging listen” in our review and that's what you're getting. Don't expect the most analytical, detailed or dynamically nuanced soundfield, but unless you want audiophile-grade audio, you'll be well served here.
Read our in-depth Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review
The best headphones for sound quality
✅ You like your devices to be of a high standard: They look and feel premium, which is to be expected for their price, of course.
✅ You want clear, rich sound: We were incredibly impressed with the performance of these over-ears during our testing.
❌ You want a vegan option: Leather is used on the exterior of these headphones, which is a shame if you're don't want to buy animal products.
❌ You like to customize your listening: There are only two EQ settings for the Dali IO-8, the lack of an app will be a dealbreaker for some.
The Dali IO-8 over-ear headphones have been built to an exceptionally high standard, but they truly shine where audio quality is concerned. We genuinely couldn't pick fault with them during our testing, so it's easy to see why they're our top pick if sound is your top priority above all else.
Features-wise, these headphones are packed with most of the high-tech goodies you'd expect, including Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX Adaptive compatibility, 24bit/96kHz support and 50mm full-range drivers with 10Hz-43kHz frequency response. You'll also get a decent 30 hours of battery life with ANC on. The only thing missing is a control app, meaning you can't tweak sound profiles – then again, when they sound this good, why would you want to?
The Dali IO-8 deliver audio that we described as "detailed and expansive" in our review, stating that "no element of a recording is too fleeting to elude them." There's also wonderful richness and clarity across the whole range and a tonality we called "carefully neutral". ANC is here and it's good, but it's not best-in-class, look to Bose for that.
These headphones deliver in the looks department as well as sound, with a high level of build and finish quality. The design is also nice to look at, with perfectly circular ear cups. They're comfortable thanks to memory foam in the cups and an adjustable headband. We also like that, if you forget to charge them, you can listen to these headphones wired, too. A great option for ultimate convenience. The only drawback is leather has been used on the exterior of the cups, which means vegans should steer clear.
Of course, the Dali IO-8 are not cheap. But if high-quality sound and an equally impressive build are what you're after – and you're happy with no app and leather – they're well worth your money.
Read our full Dali IO-8 review
The best earbuds for sound
✅ Excellent sound is your top priority: These B&W buds sound fantastic and are among the best we've ever tested – that's really saying something.
✅ You want the option of wired listening: You can connect the case to a laptop or in-flight entertainment system, and the sound will beam to the buds.
❌ You want spatial audio: There's no option for this – not a problem for music purists, but a shame for movies.
❌ You'd like full controls on the buds: It's a small bugbear really, but you can't control ANC modes and volume from the buds at all times.
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are a highly competent pair of buds that sound fantastic and are a joy to wear. This easily makes them our top pick for those who want the best sound from the super-convenient true wireless buds design. Bowers & Wilkins has always created audio tech that sounds phenomenal, and these latest buds are no exception.
To say that we were impressed during our testing is a massive understatement. In our review, we wrote: “No matter what genre of music I threw at them (and no matter the streaming source) it felt as if the B&W Pi8 had unpacked, weighed, opened out, examined, layered and finally presented my music with the skilled hand of a French pâtissier.” They excel in all areas, including dynamic nuance, balance, musicality and more. Audiophiles will be delighted to hear such clarity and richness from a pair of buds.
Features-wise, there’s a lot to love here, including the noise cancellation. It’s rare to find both incredible sound and ANC – sometimes solid noise cancelling comes at a price and that price is a loss of richness and clarity. In our review, we wrote: “That cocooned feeling of leaving the outside world behind kicked straight in.” This is due to B&W’s advanced tech, of course, but also thanks to the snug and stable fit of the Pi8 buds. As well as ANC, there’s a ‘Pass Through’ mode that lets you hear people talking to you. But other than that, there are no different levels of noise blocking power to choose from here, which is something Bose offers you, for example.
Another great additional feature is that the charging case can be plugged into a non-Bluetooth source, and it’ll then become a wireless audio re-transmitter in aptX Adaptive transmission up to 24-bit/96kHz quality. This makes the buds perfect for listening to movies on in-flight entertainment systems, or using with work laptops and so on.
The only thing really missing here is there are no fit tests to make sure the ear tips are right or that the noise cancellation is geared to you. There’s also no spatial audio processing, which is a bit of a shame for movie lovers in particular. These aren’t essentials by any means, but you could try the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the LG Tone Free T90S or the AirPods Pro 2 if spatial audio is a priority.
The Pi8 buds boast an improved design over previous versions, which adds on-ear volume support (but annoyingly no ANC on or off function) and nixes connectivity issues. There are several color options to choose from, and although they’re made from plastic they do have a premium, matte look and feel to them. They have slightly better battery than the buds that came before them, but it’s not a huge improvement. You’ll get 6.5 hours from the buds and 13.5 hours more from the case with noise cancellation on. Other buds do it better, but that’s a substantial amount of time for a work day or most journeys. The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 buds may not be cheap, but considering they deliver best-in-class audio in buds that are hard to fault in almost every conceivable way, they’re excellent value.
Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review
The best looking headphones
✅ 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.
❌ 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 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 open earbuds
✅ You want great sound from open-ears: For open-ear buds they sound seriously impressive – ideal if you care about audio quality but still want to keep your ears open.
✅ You use an iPhone or Huawei phone: App setup can be clunky on some Androids, but if you’re on iOS or a Huawei device, everything runs smoothly out of the box.
❌ You need long battery life The buds last a decent amount, but the case charge is limited – if you’re not near a charger regularly, that 23-hour total might fall short.
❌ You often listen in noisy places: They don’t block out background noise, so if you listen on busy commutes or in loud environments, they might not be the best fit.
The Huawei FreeArc buds are a prime example of just how good open-ear earbuds can sound, delivering rich, spacious audio that puts them ahead of much of the growing competition.
Because open-ear designs are booming. Production is up 600% in 2025, so if you’re not familiar with the style yet, you likely will be soon. These buds rest just outside your ear rather than inside it, which makes them ideal for outdoor exercise, staying aware of your surroundings, or simply avoiding the pressure of in-ear or over-ear headphones. And of all the open-ear models we’ve tested so far, the FreeArc are the most impressive.
Sound quality is where they really shine. Despite the open design, audio is crisp and detailed, with a wide soundstage that holds up well – especially in quieter environments. There’s no ANC or thunderous bass here, but for everyday listening, they’re a solid pick.
They’re also IP57 rated for dust and water resistance, and stay secure during workouts or runs. The touch controls can be a little fiddly, and while the buds themselves last a decent 7 hours, the 23 hour total battery life with the case is a bit underwhelming.
Setup is straightforward for iPhone and Huawei users, but Android users may face a few hoops when it comes to installing the AI Life app to access EQ and control settings. Once you're in, though, there’s plenty of room to personalize your sound.
Overall, the Huawei FreeArc buds deliver some of the best audio performance we’ve heard from open-ear headphones at this price – even if a few small flaws keep them from being perfect.
Read our full Huawei FreeArc review
Other headphones to consider
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: If you're specifically looking for the best earbuds for fitness, do have a look at our Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review. They may not be the best-sounding sports buds we've tested, which is why they don't make the cut for this guide. But they're incredibly stable and have built-in heart rate monitoring, a great feature if you don't already track it from a smartwatch.
Bose QuietComfort Headphones: Love the idea of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones above but can't quite justify the price? Read our Bose QuietComfort Headphones review. These older over-ears aren't as good as the Ultras, but they're still comfortable, ANC is excellent and sound is very good indeed. If you can afford the Ultras, have at it. Otherwise, they're a solid alternative – and still have the Bose stamp of approval.
Edifier LolliClip: We’ve tested a range of great open earbuds lately, and as you'll discover in our Edifier Lolliclip review, this model stood out for its clever clip-on design and surprisingly punchy sound with ANC. It even offers health tracking features, which is a fun bonus. While the companion app could use some work, these buds are definitely worth a look if you're after something a little different.
Honor Earbuds Open: These are part of an incredibly competitive swathe of open-style earbuds that now offer features like ANC, and they hold their own well. In this guide, they were narrowly edged out by the better value Huawei FreeClip, but they’re still a great pick if you’re after an open-ear design with solid performance. Which is why we highly recommend you read our full Honor Earbuds Open review.
LG xboom Buds: With punchy bass, decent ANC, and a solid feature set, these buds tick a lot of boxes. But the sound isn’t quite refined, and surprisingly – given will.i.am’s involvement – they’re not the most stylish option out there. Take a look at our full LG xboom Buds review for the full verdict.
Nothing Ear (a): These earbuds may no longer be in our guide, but they're still an excellent choice for most people. The only reason they left is because the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds that replaced them are a little better for mid-range money. However, as you'll see from our Nothing Ear (a) review, they're still great and are actually quite a bit cheaper.
Panasonic RB-M600: Read our Panasonic RB-M600 review to find out why we enjoyed reviewing this pair of over-ears. They're affordable with a decent battery and light build. The problem? There are a few too many downsides to include them in this list, like a so-so ambient mode and a design that won't suit everyone.
Sony WH-1000MX5: We really like these headphones, as you can see in our five-star Sony WH-1000MX5 review – but they're beaten in key areas by other products that are keeping them out of this guide, essentially. The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100, for example, are more detailed and offer twice the battery life, while also being less expensive. It's a cut-throat world of headphones.
Meet the team
Our team of reviewers has collectively amassed years of audio tech experience and testing, rigorously putting all of the latest and greatest headphones through their paces.
Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Entertainment. He oversees our movie and TV show coverage, as well as our reviews and news of the latest televisions, soundbars, headphones and speakers. Matt managed TV and audio content for T3.com, and before that he was the Editor of T3 magazine. He's also written for other tech titles, including Creative Bloq, PC Gamer, Digital Camera World, Edge, Official PlayStation Magazine, PC Plus, MacFormat and many more.
Becky is TechRadar's Audio Editor. She joined TechRadar in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things audio and hi-fi. Becky spent three years at What Hi-Fi? where she tested and reviewed everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge, multi-product high-end sound systems.
Nick Pino is the Managing Editor, TV and AV for TechRadar's sister site, Tom's Guide. He was previously the Senior Editor of Home Entertainment at TechRadar, covering TVs, headphones, speakers, video games, VR and streaming devices. Nick has also written for GamesRadar+, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and has a degree in computer science.
Simon Lucas is a freelance tech journalist focusing on the audio/video aspects of home entertainment. Simon was editor of What Hi-Fi? magazine and whathifi.com. He's also written for titles including Wired, Metro, the Guardian, HiFi+ and GQ. He's also worked as an audio consultant for some of the world's most high-profile consumer electronics brands.
Tom was previously the deputy phones editor at TechRadar until late 2022 reviewing all sorts of tech, including phones and tablets. He now works for the entertainment site What To Watch. He has spent years freelancing in tech, gaming and entertainment journalism.
Sharmishta is Managing Editor for TechRadar's APAC region. This means she looks after Australian, New Zealand and Singaporean editions of the site. She manages news, reviews and features, as well as ecommerce content. She has knowledge in all sorts of tech, including e-readers, smart home devices and headphones.
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.
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.
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.
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
☑️ More than 2,400 audio product reviews
☑️ 15 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech
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
April 17, 2025
Refreshed the introduction. Switched the Sony WH-CH520 for the recently reviewed 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 in our 'best budget headphones' spot. Removed the older 1More Triple Driver from the guide. But added the Huawei FreeArc as our 'best open earbuds' pick. Put several newly-tested products into our 'also consider' section, including the Honor Earbuds Open. Removed some older suggestions from here too so that everything now feels fresh and current.
March 21, 2025
Updated the introduction. Added a 'quick list' to the guide to make it easier for readers to scan our recommendations. Switch the Technics EAH-AZ80 in for the newer Technics EAH-AZ100 as our 'best earbuds overall' choice. Added several new options in our 'also consider' section, including the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 and Sennheiser HD 505.
February 27, 2025
Rewrote the introduction. Removed some of the older options in our 'also consider' section and added two recently reviewed headphones, the Bose QC Headphones and the Panasonic RB-M600.
January 31, 2025
Rewrote the introduction. Added the recently reviewed Bose QuietComfort Headphones to our 'also consider' section – they're good, but don't beat the Ultras at no. 7 in this guide. Also tweaked this section to make it easier to read and removed the AirPods 4.
January 2, 2025
Refreshed the introduction and added links to our best earbuds and best noise cancelling earbuds guides. Switched the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds out for the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds as our 'best mid-priced earbuds' option. Added several new picks into our 'also consider' section, including the Shure SE215. Edited our AirPods 4 entry in this section to also include links to our review and our AirPods 4 with ANC review.
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.
See more updates
November 15, 2024
Removed the quick list, in line with current guidance and to help readers find our Black Friday recommendations quickly. Added the aforementioned Black Friday section.
November 6, 2024
Rewrote the introduction. Switched the Focal Bathys for the Dali IO-8 as our 'best for sound' choice. Added several new options to our 'also consider' section, including the Noble FoKus Apollo and Baseus Bowie 30 Max. Added a 'meet the team' section to highlight the team's knowledge and expertise.
October 9, 2024
Swapped the JLab Go Air Pop for the Sony WF-C510 as our 'best budget earbuds' pick based on our recent testing. Added the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 as our 'best earbuds for sound' following our five-star review. Updated our 'also consider' section, with info about our new reviews.
September 9, 2024
Updated our intro to reflect new features and perks within the newest headphones around. Updated our 'Also consider' section to mention recent models tested.
August 9, 2024
Replaced the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless for the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 based on our extensive testing and 5-star review.
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.
