Best Bluetooth headphones under $300

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There are tons of wireless headphones to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and it can be more stressful than choosing your first starter Pokemon. We’ve already looked at some budget Bluetooth headphones, but today, we will focus on the best Bluetooth headphones under $300 if you can invest in a higher-end set of cans. Each option is worth your consideration before you spend your hard-earned money.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 29th, 2024, to add all new top picks and notable mentions.

Most people should get the Sennheiser Accentum Plus

The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus offers a compelling blend of features and performance for its $229.95 price tag. These wireless over-ear headphones deliver decent active noise cancelation to hush ambient sounds, along with an impressive 53-hour battery life and handy fast charging. While not on par with Sennheiser’s premium models, the ACCENTUM Plus provides satisfying sound quality, intuitive touch controls, and useful extras like an app with EQ adjustment and a carrying case. Though lacking an IP rating, the comfortable, no-frills design makes for an enjoyable listening experience ideal for commuters seeking affordable noise cancelation without sacrificing too much audio fidelity.

Bassheads should get the Sony ULT Wear

For bass enthusiasts on a budget, the Sony ULT WEAR delivers thunderous low-end with an emphasis on immersive sound. These wireless over-ear headphones come equipped with Sony’s new “ULT” bass boost mode that dials the already boosted bass up even further for head-rattling impact. While the exaggerated bass tuning tends to muddy overall sound quality, the ULT WEAR still provides decent active noise cancelation, a long 32-hour battery life, and a comfortable fit with large oval earcups. Multipoint connectivity, touch controls, and Sony’s smartphone app with EQ customization add versatility. Those prioritizing pure audio fidelity may want to look elsewhere, but bass heads will likely find the ULT WEAR’s potent low-frequencies very appealing.

The Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X are the best open-back headphones for less than $300

The Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X offers an excellent option for open-back headphones ideal for music producers, audio engineers, and discerning listeners. These over-ear headphones provide an accurate, neutral sound tuning with deep, controlled bass and precise mids and highs well-suited for analytical listening and mixing. The plush velour earcups and sturdy metal headband deliver exceptional comfort for long sessions. While quite bulky, the DT 900 PRO X features a durable design with replaceable cables, drivers, and earpads to extend longevity. With a relatively low 48-ohm impedance, they can be easily driven by most devices without needing a headphone amp. For professional-grade open-back sound quality, premium build, and long-lasting value, the Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X makes a compelling choice under $300.

The Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X is best for the studio

The Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X delivers an exceptional closed-back studio monitoring experience wrapped in a premium, sustainable design. With large 45mm drivers, these over-ear headphones produce an expansive yet accurate sound stage ideal for analytical listening and audio production. The plush velour earpads and sturdy metal headband provide day-long comfort while effectively isolating external sounds. Built with repairability in mind, the DT 700 PRO X features user-replaceable cables, drivers, earpads, and a headband for outstanding longevity. Proprietary metal connectors create a locking, secure fit between the detachable cables and headphones. While quite bulky, the low 48-ohm impedance means they can be easily driven without a headphone amp. For audio professionals and discerning enthusiasts who prioritize precision monitoring in a durable, meticulously crafted package, the Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X makes a compelling, high-end choice.

The Audeze Maxwell is the best for gaming

The Audeze Maxwell delivers an exceptional gaming audio experience with its large 90mm planar magnetic drivers and a wide array of premium features. Highly versatile, it can wirelessly connect to virtually any platform via a 2.4GHz wireless USB dongle, Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint, or wired 3.5mm. The well-appointed Audeze HQ app allows customization like EQ presets tailored for different game types, spatial audio, and firmware updates. Physical controls provide handy adjustments for sidetone, game/chat mix, and mic monitoring. While quite heavy at 490g, the plush earpads help provide a comfortable fit over long sessions. Impressive 64-hour battery life and rapid charging make the Maxwell an endurance champ. Though the unique headband design may not suit all head shapes ideally, the Audeze Maxwell stands out as one of the most capable wireless gaming headsets available, delivering high-fidelity acoustics and cutting-edge connectivity in a feature-packed package.

The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless is good value

The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless offers excellent value for those seeking affordable active noise canceling (ANC) headphones that prioritize sound quality. While not as premium as Sennheiser’s top offerings, these lightweight headphones deliver impressive battery life up to 46 hours and decent noise cancelation at a reasonable price under $200.

The headphones provide a comfortable fit with adequate padding for extended listening sessions. The physical controls are straightforward, and the companion app allows customization like a 5-band EQ. Sound quality impresses straight out of the box, with a warm, bassy tuning that suits genres like rock while still allowing EQ tweaking. Calling performance is average, struggling somewhat with wind noise and loud environments. But overall, the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless punches above its weight as an affordable option for those who want quality ANC and sound without breaking the bank.

Best Bluetooth headphones under $300: Notable mentions

• AKG N700NC M2 (on the product’s website): While the build quality isn’t great, the ANC performance, which adapts to your surroundings, is quite impressive.
• Bose QuietComfort 45 ($279 at Amazon): The Bose QuietComfort 45 does an excellent job canceling outside noise, and it sounds great for podcast listening. It has a decent battery life, and the fast-charging USB-C adds another 180 minutes with only a 15-minute charge.
• Monoprice BT-600ANC ($84.99 at Amazon): This headset costs well under $300 and boasts great sound and a host of premium features like aptX HD and very good noise cancelation.
• Phiaton 900 Legacy ($229 at Amazon): Phiaton doesn’t carry the same clout as brands like Apple and Sennheiser, but the 900 Legacy is an excellent headset with SBC, AAC, and aptX HD support, Bluetooth multipoint, ANC, and solid battery life. It often goes on promotion for $199 USD, too.
• Sennheiser PXC 550-II ($299.99 at Walmart): With the PXC 550-II, Sennheiser proves that you don’t have to spend a fortune on a great pair of active noise canceling headphones. This headset builds off the success of its predecessor with improved isolation, sound quality, active noise canceling, and expanded codec support. The PXC 550-II also supports a slew of Bluetooth codecs, including SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX Low Latency.
• Shure AONIC 40 ($247 at Amazon): The Shure AONIC 40 costs less than the AONIC 50, which more directly competes with Sony and Bose. Still, for about $250 USD, you get a well-built headset with the AONIC 40, with high-quality codec support, wired listening, and a great companion app.
• Sony WH-XB910N ($148 at Amazon): The Sony WH-XB910N is a mixed bag headset with an attractive price and feature set. It’s way too bassy, and while you can EQ it, it won’t sound perfect, and the touch controls are inconsistent. Noise canceling is good for the price, and optional wired listening is handy.
• Sony WH-CH720N ($799 at Amazon): If you’re looking for a decent set of noise canceling cans but don’t want to shell out the top-tier headphones, consider the Sony WH-CH720N as a good in-between option. These balance app support, good battery life, and solid functionality. They feel a bit plasticky, but nothing to whine too much about.
• Under Armour Project Rock Over-Ear Training Headphones by JBL ($298 at Amazon): This set of workout headphones is perfect for listeners who want a rugged design and easy access to a bass-heavy sound. JBL also includes its noise canceling here, so you can take this headset on the train to the gym.
• V-MODA Crossfade 3 Wireless ($294.99 at Amazon): The V-MODA Crossfade 3 Wireless could be a good option for DJs. These headphones are durable enough to hold up in a club and boost low frequencies, which helps with hearing the bass drum while mixing. You can listen to music on your phone wirelessly when you aren’t DJing.

What should you know about the best Bluetooth headphones under $300

No matter your budget, when you’re buying a set of wireless headphones, there are a few features to consider, one of the most obvious of which is battery life. If your headset doesn’t last more than a few hours, it’s not very useful as a wireless option. Most Bluetooth headphones last at least 15 hours on a single charge, so that shouldn’t be an issue, but be aware that battery life degrades over time. Other things to consider are wireless audio and quality and general frequency response.

Who should buy Bluetooth headphones?

While Bluetooth audio has improved greatly in the last few years, wired audio is still the best option for lossless playback. Even still, Bluetooth headsets have their place and are extremely convenient during a morning commute or at the gym.

Bluetooth headphones have drawbacks: They need to be charged periodically. If you forget to charge them, you might be in for an annoying commute. That said, many headphones have adopted quick-charging technology, so plugging them in to charge for just a few minutes before you go out the door can give you enough juice for the day.

Bluetooth codecs determine wireless audio quality

One thing that’s important for all Bluetooth headphones is Bluetooth codec support. Your smartphone needs a way to communicate with your headset, and Bluetooth is the solution. Audio transfer rates need to be high to preserve the most data, which is taxing. Bluetooth wasn’t developed with enough bandwidth to transfer lossless audio, so the codecs are an efficient way of packing data to send from your phone to the headset.

This is just a method of compressing and decompressing a file. Ideally, a great amount of data can transfer quickly, which yields better audio quality and connection stability. A good visual analogy for this is when you’re watching YouTube videos: when you have great service from your provider, the video appears crystal clear in 1080p. However, when you’re in a dead zone with a terrible signal, your video is downgraded to a low-quality setting (480p). You can still watch the video, but it’s blurry.

Every Bluetooth device supports SBC, and some high-end products support high-quality Bluetooth codecs capable of sending and receiving more data (AAC, aptX, and LDAC). As long as your headphones and your source device are compatible, you’ll be able to use a higher-quality codec.

Some companies have even gone to great lengths to develop their own Bluetooth streaming codecs. Samsung’s Scalable Codec is the company’s proprietary technology that varies its data transfer rate in order to balance sound quality and connection performance. Unfortunately, the codec is only supported by Samsung Galaxy devices. It is available in the company’s own line of audio products—including the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.

What is frequency response?

One of the most popular specifications that marketers and reviews reference is a headset’s frequency response. This refers to how accurately that pair of headphones can reproduce a signal. This doesn’t always tell you exactly how something sounds; it just gives you a rough idea of what frequencies the headphones tend to make louder than others. If you wanted the headphones to playback music exactly as it is in the original source file, then you’d want a pair of headphones with a neutral-leaning frequency response (one that closely follows the pink line on our studio headphones curve).

Frequently asked questions about Bluetooth headphones under $300