Best headphones

If you’re looking for the best headphones on the market, it’s tough to get a straight answer. What works for some people doesn’t work for others, and few product categories are as diverse as headphones. In-ears, on-ears, over-ears—there’s just so much to choose from, and it’s hard to tell what’s right for you.

However, because the needs of every person out there vary so wildly, we’re going to run down the best options for most people — not necessarily the best headphones by objective performance.

Editor’s note: This list was updated on May 26, 2023 to expand the FAQ section.

Why is the Sony WH-1000XM5 the best pair of noise cancelling headphones?

Now that Sony has released the Sony WH-1000XM5, it takes the crown as the best active noise cancelling (ANC) headphones. This new model outperforms its closest competitors in noise attenuation and microphone quality. The default frequency response is a bit bassier than what we typically recommend, but you can easily equalize this from the Sony Headphones Connect app (iOS/Android) or your preferred third-party equalizer. To see frequency response and isolation charts for any of our top picks, scroll to the end of each photo gallery.

The WH-1000XM5 offers top-of-the-line specs and features, including a custom equalizer, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, and auto-pause/play sensors. The Sony WH-1000MX5 includes speak-to-chat, which pauses your media when you are speaking to someone and resumes playback 30 seconds after so you don’t miss the person’s response. You also have Bluetooth multipoint which is a great productivity feature for those who like to keep an ear on their phone while connected to their laptop. The microphone system is among the best we’ve seen in a headset like this and cancels out background noise effectively no matter the conditions. Take a listen to two of our microphone demos below!

Sony WH-1000XM5 mic demo (Ideal):

Sony WH-1000XM5 mic demo (Wind):

If the price tag of the WH-1000XM5 is just a bit too high, you also can’t go wrong with the older Sony WH-1000XM4, which was previously our pick for best noise cancelling headphones.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) is the best set of wireless earbuds for iPhone owners

True wireless earphones took the market by storm after being dominated by the Apple AirPods for so long. Now there’s plenty of competition, much of which offers a more compelling experience than most of Apple’s audio products. However, with the company’s latest release, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) is back on top of the pole for iOS users. These buds offer great ANC, sound quality to match, and sound better than the AirPods (3rd generation) simply by virtue of the fact that they can seal your ear canal.

These earbuds bring a big improvement to ANC and battery life, and the retain the same IPX4 rating, which now also covers the charging case. Speaking of the charging case, that’s where a lot of the more notable changes come. The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) charging case features Apple’s new U1 chip, which makes it compatible with Apple’s Find My service and the new integrated speakers will emit a noise to help you find it, plus the H2 chip in the buds.

Much like all the other AirPods, this is best used with Apple devices. It only supports SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, so there’s no high quality codec for android users. Also, many of the earbuds software features are found in the iOS settings app, so you’ll miss out on other platforms in that respect too. Still, this is about as good as it gets for wireless earbuds for Apple users.

Don’t lose pace with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless

Sennheiser combines most of what you want in a great set of over-ear Bluetooth headphones in the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless. With support for a variety of high quality codecs like AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C listening, you’ll hardly ever get caught without a connection. You even get Bluetooth multipoint. More to the point, a stellar 56 hours and 21 minutes of battery life (with ANC on) outperforms most headphones.

While the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless doesn’t beat out the Sony WH-1000XM5 on noise cancelling, the ANC onboard is still rather effective and adjustable. That sound experts at Sennheiser tune the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless to sound frankly great, is unsurprising. It gets very close to our target curve with just a bit more bass. However, if that sound is not your preference, you can utilize the Smart Control app to adjust EQ. In addition you can create automatic listening settings for different locations and adjust ANC.

The touch controls are intuitive, and little luxuries like on-ear detection contribute to the overall flagship worthy experience of the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless. That you get a carry case and an airplane adapter means you don’t have to shell out for accessories either. Plus, the Sennheiser cans undercut the price of most premium headphones without significant compromises.

Can’t go wrong with the new “old standby” AKG 371

Though people have been picking the Sony MDR-7506 for decades, a true successor in the “budget monitor headphone” category has finally taken center stage. The AKG K371 offers a really good baseline for what constitutes good sound in the consumer market.

That’s not because these are super bassy, or that they’re flashy—if anything they’re the opposite of both. This pair of headphones sounds excellent for what it is, and provides a really good double-life as a dependable studio monitor. Sure, these are a set of wired cans with a rather cumbersome cable. But if you’re listening at home, mixing a track, or working at the coffee shop: these are the headphones you want.

The HiFiMan Sundara is an excellent pair of high-end headphones

Sure, you could spend thousands of dollars on headphones that may or may not sound better, but the HiFiMan Sundara is at the perfect crossroads between affordability and top-tier performance. Sure, that sounds a little weird to say for a set of $300 USD planar magnetic headphones, but our testing shows the Sundara does an excellent job at providing listeners with good sound quality when compared to its closest competitors.

However, many headphones in this bracket are very heavy and uncomfortable, and the Sundara has this issue to an extent. However, the choice to use cloth in the padding of the ear cups and the form-fitting band do a lot to make this product far more comfortable to use for those who wear eyeglasses. If you don’t wear eyeglasses, all the better.

Of course, as open-back headphones, these let in just about every sound around you. So be sure to note that before you start spending like crazy. Additionally, if you’d like to equalize these headphones any: you’re probably going to want an amplifier of some sort to avoid volume issues.

Why should you consider the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700?

While the ANC on the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 may not be quite as impressive as the company’s Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, Bose has shown commitment to users by improving the ANC with a comprehensive firmware updates.

We also like the NCH 700 for its sleek design and seemingly perfect touch controls. Many companies make calibrate their headsets’ touch panels to be too sensitive, resulting in many misfires, but Bose’s headset is a breeze to operate. The default frequency response (chart) is excellent and requires little fixing, but you can change it directly from the Bose Music app (iOS/Android) if you’d like.

Audiophiles should consider the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX

If you’re looking for the absolute best way to spend money on headphones for the computer, Drop’s partnership with Sennheiser brought a legendary audiophile option—the HD 650—down to roughly half the original asking price with the HD 6XX. Budget-conscious audiophiles would be doing themselves a disservice by not giving these a spin.

There are a few minor differences between the HD 6XX and the HD 650 ($304.78 at Amazon), but most are cosmetic in nature and more plasticky on the HD 6XX. The performance of the HD 6XX is top-notch, and is much lighter than it looks. If you’re the kind of listener who spends a lot of time at the computer, this is the kind of headphones you should be looking for. Just be aware that the open back is a double-edged sword: it allows for better sound quality and clarity, but it also lets in all the outside noise around you.

The best headphones: Notable mentions

We can’t highlight every headset the way we’d like, so instead, we’ve put together a bulleted list of alternative standouts that didn’t quite make the best headphones cut.

• Apple AirPods Max: iPhone owners who want something beefier than the AirPods Pro for international flights should invest in the AirPods Max. We do mean invest: this set of headphones goes for $449.99 at Amazon but occasionally goes on promotion for less. This has some of the best ANC we’ve seen and excellent sound quality. If you have an iPhone you can take advantage of the headset’s H1 chips for hands-free Siri access, automatic device switching, Adaptive EQ, and more.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2: Enthusiasts sing the praises of the original ATH-50x for its rugged build and reliable performance. The second-generation Bluetooth version carries over everything we love about the tried-and-true wired model with LDAC support and excellent battery life for $199 at Amazon. At under $200 USD, this is a solid headset.
• Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X: If wired is your sole interest with a studio style frequency response, this is a great pick. The open back design wears comfortably, it gets very close to our ideal sound without reaching astronomical pricing ($249 at Amazon). Its closed back companion, the DT 700 PRO X, has less treble on tap and is another great choice.
• Bose QuietComfort 45: As an incremental update over the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, it’s not exciting, but the QC 45 offers improved ANC that’s up there with the best. At release, it was too trebly, but you can easily use the Bose Music app EQ to fix that. It’s still one of the most comfortable headphones out there for $329 at Amazon.
• Grado SR80x: If you can’t shell out for top of the line open back headphones, these unique Brooklyn built on-ear headphones (for $125 at Amazon) are comfortable with repairable parts and a more trebly frequency response.
• Sennheiser HD 600: Long considered one of the best headphones on the market, not much has changed in the last thirty years for the HD 600. It missed our top picks due to cost, that’s it — though you can sometimes get lucky $399.95 at Sennheiser.
• Sennheiser HD 660S2: Certainly not the cheapest of the wired open back headphones on our list ($599.95 at Amazon), this set offers a very pleasant and analytical frequency response. Like most open back designs, it’s not for bass heads. If you find its predecessor, the HD 660S, for less cash it is equally good. The Sennheiser HD 600 is also a tried and true choice in the same style with replaceable parts.
• Sony WH-1000XM4: Sure, it’s not the newest set of Bluetooth headphones on the block, and the WH-1000XM5 outpaces it by basically every measurement, however, the WH-1000XM4 costs less money ($348 at Sony) and gets you most of the way there.

If you want more portable options, check out these earbuds

• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: In typical Bose fashion, the QC Earbuds has excellent sound quality to boot and some of the best ANC around, except for the WF-1000XM4 from Sony. These earbuds are pretty bulky, as is the case, but they still fit comfortably because of the StayHear Max ear tips. You can pick it up for $189.99 at Amazon. Due to the tuning of the updated QuietComfort Earbuds II, we still prefer the originals.
• Google Pixel Buds A-Series: For the Android user seeking a good set of earbuds with Google Assistant integration can get these for $93.02 at Amazon. Those looking for ANC and some extra luxuries like spatial audio should check out the Google Pixel Buds Pro.
• Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: This is a truly great pair of wireless earbuds with solid sound and features like direct Spotify for easy listening. You get excellent ANC and 360 Audio too. Pick your favorite colorway for $154.99 at Samsung. Battery life per charge could be better, but it’s not bad.
• Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3: This is among the best wireless ANC earbuds you can buy and it has a premium design with an IPX4 rating. The Smart Control app lets you adjust the sound quality and you can find a very secure fit with the included ear and wing tips. The main downside, like many premium wireless earbuds, is the price ($199.95 at Amazon).
• Sennheiser IE 200: Folks looking to get a set of in-ear monitors that also sound great for general listening, can take a look at these premium wired buds for $149.95 at Amazon.
• Shure SE215: If you can forego true wireless for strictly wired earbuds, this set balances great sound, comfort, and Shure’s industry renowned reliability for only $99 at Amazon.
• Sony WF-1000XM4: These premium priced ($178 at Amazon) wireless earbuds have active noise cancelling, a decent microphone, and best of all sound excellent. Their battery life isn’t the best, but they offer quick charging to make up for it. These earbuds support SBC, AAC, and LDAC. When you download the Sony Headphones Connect app you can EQ the sound signature and enable adaptive sound control.

What you should know about the best headphones

Calling something “the best” at anything is controversial at best, so we create our best lists with the caveat that your experiences will almost certainly vary from our own. Sometimes people have a unique set of needs that can’t be satisfied by going to a list of “best headphones” because the article doesn’t address what the best headphones out there are… for you. Consequently, we encourage all of our readers to write down all the things they want out of their headphones first before rolling the dice on a pick. This list has a lot of all-time greats, but if you need something a little bit more tailored to your needs, definitely keep reading our other lists and features to arm yourself with enough knowledge to make the right purchase.

Think hard about what types of headphones you like (in ears? over ears? on ears?), and also try to figure out what features you need. Maybe you need to go to the store to see how they fit on your head? Do you wear glasses or have ear piercings? Maybe you should look into getting velour pads instead of leather! These are all things covered in our reviews and other best lists.

Are wired headphones better than Bluetooth headphones?

This list has a few wired options if you want great sound, but we also have a few wireless options if you prefer convenience. If you opt for a Bluetooth pair, there are a few things you should know. First and foremost, the rumors you’ve heard are true. Bluetooth just can’t party with wired headphones, at least as it pertains to sound quality. Even some of the best codecs available aren’t as great as they seem at first glance. AAC is basically only good if you’re on an iOS device which means Android users should probably stick to aptX, and LDAC isn’t truly hi-res. The good news is that you most likely can’t hear any of the details in the data that’s being dropped, but it’s still not a great selling point. Of course, if you do think that you have superhuman hearing feel free to test yourself with our simple hearing test.

There is hope, though: Bluetooth SIG announced LE Audio and the LC3 codec, an efficient alternative to SBC. We’re excited to see the benefits to the hard-of-hearing community play out in the real world, and know that LC3 will provide a 50% increase in audio quality relative to SBC. What’s more, headphone stutters will be lessened as packet-loss-management is improved, so instead of hearing annoying, intermittent drops, the dropout process will be much smoother. Even the best headphones will benefit from the new codec.

How does active noise cancelling work?

If you were wondering how active noise cancellation works, don’t worry you’re not alone. There’s a lot that goes into it and some companies like Bose and Sony have their own ways of achieving it technologically, but it all comes down to basic physics. Active noise cancelling is actually something called destructive interference. If you take one wave with an amplitude of +1 and combine it with another wave that has an amplitude of -1, you’re left with zero.

Active noise cancelling headphones take advantage of this by using tiny microphones to hear what sounds are around you and then creating an opposite sound wave to cancel that before it reaches your ears. Of course, this isn’t perfect and works better for long, droning sounds then sudden, screeching ones. So don’t expect ANC headphones to block out that crying baby on your next flight. But when you combine noise cancelling technology with good isolation, you can get pretty close to completely blocking the outside world.

This is harder to achieve when it comes to earbuds, as they don’t completely cover your ear. So instead, a solid pair of memory foam ear tips might be worth looking into as they do a better job at isolating sound than the silicone ones that come with most buds.

How we choose the best headphones

If you’d seen this list before, you’ll probably notice that it’s completely different than it was in years past. Now it’s a perpetually updated piece. Gone is the Sennheiser HD 800, and the rest of the exorbitantly expensive headphones. That’s because we realized that what’s “best” objectively, isn’t what’s “best” for everyone… so our selections needed a bit of tweaking.

Just like it is with power tools and kitchen utensils, different headphones are built for different purposes. Using the right tool for the job is important, and ensures that you get the best experience possible. You wouldn’t use a chainsaw to cut butter any more than you’d use a set of AKG K7XX on an airplane.

In that light, we took extra time to take into account how most people actually use headphones. What makes a good pair of gym headphones? What makes a good pair of wireless earbuds? What’s the good in having a best headphones list that doesn’t help most people buy headphones they like?

While we took the time to highlight some Bluetooth headphones, active noise cancelers, and open-backed cans—be sure to read the descriptions to see if they’re right for you. Many people want a set of headphones that will do everything, but those models are few and far between. That’s why our winner isn’t a set of headphones you’d see on other outlets’ top 10. It’s more about what people actually want than what’s objectively the best performing set out there.

Why you should trust SoundGuys on the best headphones

In short, you should trust us because we show our work, strive to provide as much unimpeachable information to you, and pin our revenue model on the happiness of our readers with our recommendations. If you return the product we suggest, we don’t see a dime.

When it comes to audio, the SoundGuys team has years of experience reviewing products between them (and even more listening to them). Chris spent years reviewing audio products, among other things, at publications such as USA Today and Reviewed.com, Lily clocked in countless hours at radio stations and reviewing products independently before joining our team, and Adam has been listening to headphones and speakers for nearly five years as part of SoundGuys. So needless to say, if a product makes best headphones list it’s because we were genuinely impressed by them and had some hands-on experience with them (or at the very least put in hours of research).

Frequently asked questions about the best headphones