Best wireless headphones of 2020

Next time you get on a flight, take a look around. I’m willing to bet that one of the most common types of headphones you’ll see are wireless headphones. We still have our doubts when it comes to Bluetooth headphones (especially Chris), but it’s hard to deny that Bluetooth has come a long way from when it was first announced. Not only do some of the best wireless headphones sound great, but they also come with a number of useful features.

Editor’s note: this list was updated on July 10, 2020, to address an FAQ about in-ear options.

The best wireless headphones are Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT

Audiophiles and audio enthusiasts know Audio-Technica: it’s a prolific premium audio company that’s proven itself time and time again in the professional industry. Audio-Technica hits it out of the park with its wireless headphone debut.

Best All-Around

       

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT

8.6

If you liked the ATH-M50x, you’ll love the M50xBT. It may be cliche to say, but these headphones take everything we love about the wired version and feature it in the wireless version. Save for the newly added playback controls, the headphones are nearly identical to their wired brethren. For better or worse, this means they feature the same synthetic padding, which remains a bit thin. That said, the headband is well reinforced, by its metal frame. Folding the ear cups in and up results in a compact, travel-friendly form, too.

Although the ATH-M50xBT headphones are a little bass-heavy, it isn’t overwhelming.

Audio-Technica stays true to its roots, ensuring that audio quality takes precedence over headline-grabbing gimmicks. While it’s not a flashy set of headphones, it includes the necessities to keep pace with the best of them including Bluetooth 5 and aptX support.

Additionally, battery life is excellent; these lasted 31 hours and 12 minutes on a single charge. If you’re looking for the best wireless headphones that can do it all, the ATH-M50xBT is all you need.

Who should buy Bluetooth headphones?

The Focal Listen Wireless retail for $299 and are available in three colorways: black, olive, blue, and purple.

• Commuters. If you spend a lot of time riding buses and trains, then you probably like to stay occupied with headphones. Well, cutting the cord makes blocking the world out that much easier.
• Office workers. Let’s say you want a break from your cubicle but don’t want to engage in casual banter. Easy solution: grab a pair of wireless headphones. They notify others that you’re not up for talking without having to explicitly say so.
• Students. Getting around campus can be a slow, monotonous process. You might as well exercise your mind and learn a thing or two from your favorite podcast while going from the quad to your English seminar.

The V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless Codex are durable and versatile

The V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless Codex are subject to military-level MIL-STD-810G standards, ensuring durability throughout their lifetime. Aside from being some of the toughest headphones on the market, the Crossfade 2 Codex are versatile. AAC and aptX codec support in tandem with hi-res certified wired listening make these the most durable best wireless headphones for general consumers and audio enthusiasts alike.

Best Durability

      

V-Moda Crossfade 2 Codex

8.5

Beneath the exoskeleton case and steel exterior, the headphones are quite comfortable. Much of the comfort is attributed to excellent headband architecture and supple ear cushions. Be aware, though, you will feel the weight of these after listening for about an hour or so.

Even if the style isn’t for you, the functionality and versatility of these headphones deserves to be lauded.

Superb audio quality and durability aside, the layout of the controls is worth appreciating. Seeing as most circumaural headphones feature buttons that rest on the lateral edge of one of the ear cups, the V-Moda Codex house the playback and volume controls so that they’re aligned with the removable shield, thus forming an upside down V-shape. Aside from looking good, the placement makes the buttons easy to differentiate and find on the ear cup.

Watch the video review here

The Sony WH-1000XM3 are the best noise cancelling headphones

For the past year this spot was occupied by the Sony WH-1000XM2 headphones, but now they’ve been updated with the newer WH-1000XM3. It’s no surprise that these reign as one of the best wireless headphones since they aren’t drastically different than their predecessor. While the rumor is that the Sony WH-1000XM4 isn’t far off from release, as of yet there’s nothing that makes us believe they’ll be released before June. We could be wrong, but that may factor into your decision-making.

Best Active Noise Cancelling

    

Sony WH-1000XM3

8.8

With the WH-1000XM3, you get the same design and touch-sensitive ear cups for adjusting volume and skipping between tracks. The two big differences between the WH-1000XM2 and its predecessor are that the newer models now have deeper ear cups which should help with isolation, and they charge via USB Type-C. The build materials of the ear cup are also upgraded. Gone is the fake leather of the previous model and instead, you’ll get a smooth plastic.

When you use the app, you can also make use of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, which when paired with partner streaming services, lets you listen to your music as if it were all around you. It’s a brilliant feature, but requires the Sony headphones app to work.

Battery life is another key aspect of these headphones that got slightly better. If you pick yourself up a pair of WH-1000XM3 headphones you can expect a solid 24 hours of constant playback out of them. That’s with active noise cancelling turned on as well, so these will have your back even on the longest flights. Of course, the main issue that most people will have these is still the price tag, but if you do decide to invest in one of the best wireless headphones, you won’t be disappointed.

Related: Sony WH-1000XM3 or Bose QuietComfort 35 II?

The best design goes to the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

While they didn’t dethrone the Sony WH-1000XM3 on our list of best noise cancelling headphones, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700s are still great. As the next iteration of the ANC line from Bose, these have a brand new design that makes the QC35s before them seem ancient. The only downside is that you no longer get any folding hinges, but you can still rotate the earcups to lie flat and the new metal headband is much more durable.

Best design

      

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

8.5

The new design isn’t just for looks either. The playback control buttons have been replaced by a touch-sensitive gesture pad on the right earcup for controlling your music and the microphones inside have also been redesigned. Our testing showed an impressive battery life of 21 hours which should get most people through at least a week of commutes. Then there’s the active noise cancelling, which is still one of the best around as is expected with a pair of Bose headphones.

Looking to save some cash? Get the Anker SoundCore Vortex

When it comes to finding the best wireless headphones, going the inexpensive route may seem counterintuitive. Luckily, Anker specializes in bringing good quality products at a lower price point, and the Anker Soundcore Vortex is no different. They may not have a premium design or be as well-built as some of the other options on this list, but they do have a bunch of great features that hold their own against the big dogs.

Bang for your Buck

   

Anker Soundcore Vortex

8.1

For one, these are compatible with Qualcomm’s aptX codec for streaming in higher quality. They also have large, plush earcups for comfort and hinges to help them fold down for a smaller footprint when traveling. But the most impressive feature goes to the 20-hour battery life. If you’re not a fan of plugging in headphones every night to charge, then these might be for you.

How we picked the best wireless headphones

Choosing which product is best changes depending on what the category is. If you’re searching for the best headphones, we might focus more of our efforts on sound quality instead of cool extra features. On the flip side, if you’re looking for the best waterproof speakers, chances are we’re going to prioritize a strong, durable build over something like sound quality.

The Edifier W860NB, although a great set of headphones, couldn’t outperform any of the top best wireless headphones picks.

For this particular list, there were a few things that took priority. First was the Bluetooth connection. In order to be in the running for the best wireless headphones, a strong connection was a must. After that came sound quality. At the end of the day these are still headphones, and you’re going to be using them to listen to music.

Additionally, we took user feedback on battery life into account when weeding out products from our list. When we were writing our best Bluetooth earbuds best list, our readers made it very clear that battery life was the most important quality to assess after sound quality and comfort.

Bluetooth by itself has a bad rep when it comes to sound quality, but it’s come a long way over the years, so anything on this list had to at the very least sound good. Lastly, some of our decisions were made based on internal objective testing of the best wireless headphones with special software and microphones.

Related: Best truly wireless earbud headphones

What you should know about the best wireless headphones

The Sony MDR-1000XM3 have spectacular active noise cancelling, but what is it? And how does it work? You can dive deeper if you’re really curious to learn the science behind it, but if you don’t feel like dusting off your old textbook and want the TL;DR version, here it is.

Tiny microphones built into the headphones pick up what’s going on around you and then play the opposite sound wave into your ear along with your music. Because the sound wave that’s produced by the headphones is basically the exact opposite of the one that’s outside of the headphones, it cancels out. Leaving you with just the sound of your blissful music. See? That wasn’t so bad. Science can be cool.

The Sony WH-1000XM3’s exterior boasts a soft-touch material.

So you think you’re ready to understand what makes LDAC or aptX HD good? Get ready, there’s a ton of technical jargon and numbers we’re about to go over, but we’ll try and keep it relatively short. For a full breakdown make sure to check out this great article by Rob Triggs over at our sister site Android Authority.

LDAC is supposed to be better is because it can carry more audible information than the standard SBC codec, but our testing revealed that LDAC isn’t completely able to replace a wire. We’re still waiting to see if aptX Adaptive is going to be as good as it seems, but luckily any issues are increasingly hard to hear as we age because, sorry to break it to you, but our ears aren’t that great when we’re old.

The AAC codec performance varies greatly depending on what source device is being used.

Even if your phone doesn’t currently support it, you should still get headphones that support these codecs anyway. Android 8.0 brings support for these wireless standards to lots of phones in the near future and assuming your headphones last longer than your smartphone does: your headphones will only sound better as the tech in your phone catches up.

Related: Best headphones of 2019

Test results for the best wireless headphones

If you don’t feel like diving into each individual review but are still interested in seeing the results for each pair of headphones, check out the charts below. For those who are unfamiliar with how to read frequency response, isolation, and microphone charts, be sure to checkout out explainer.

Notable mentions

Users can choose between two noise cancelling modes depending on their environments.

• AKG N60 NC Wireless: The N60 NC wireless headphones sound good, are comfortable, and are super portable. Definitely worth checking out if you’re always on the go.
• Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless: If you want to enjoy your music without being bothered by the sounds of the people you’re living with, these cans are for you. The Amiron Wireless supports AAC, aptX, and aptX HD.
• Beyerdynamic Custom Game: This headset is great for gamers who want the option to take their gaming headphones to the streets. It includes a detachable boom mic and a selection of ear cup plates, plus it doesn’t look so gaudy that you can’t wear it in public.
• Bose QuietComfort 35 II: These active noise cancelling cans are neck-in-neck with the Sony WH-1000XM2 and feature a noise-rejecting, dual-mic system for clear voice recognition.
• Edifier W860NB: These headphones cost about half of the Sony WH-1000XM3 and provide excellent noise cancelling capabilities. While it doesn’t outperform the more expensive Sony cans, it’s a great alternative for those on a budget.
• Focal Listen Wireless: These aren’t cheap, but they are a solid pair of over-ears with good sound, great battery life, and exceptional passive isolation.
• Grado GW100: Open-back wireless headphones are a perplexing product. After all, Bluetooth headphones that are also open seem like an oxymoron, but because they grant you the freedom to move within your home or secluded office while enjoying high-quality, natural-sounding audio.
• Master & Dynamic MW65: Master & Dynamic’s noise cancelling headphones are gorgeous. They support aptX for high-quality streaming and include an array of accessories.
• Plantronics Backbeat FIT 6100: These are fairly affordable workout headphones that have warranted an IPX5 water-resistant rating. You get just under 27 hours of playtime from the headset and microphone quality is passable for most phone calls.
• Shure AONIC 50: For the best low-frequency noise cancellation money can buy, poney up for the AONIC 50. These headphones are extremely comfortable to wear (yes, even with glasses), and they support all the high-quality Bluetooth codecs you could ever want.
• Sony WH-1000XM2: Just because there’s a newer version of these headphones available doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider the M2. They’re still a great pair of cans.

Why you should trust us

In addition to the fact that this site is all of our day jobs, Adam, Chris, and Lily have several years of reviewing consumer audio products under their belts individually. Having kept a finger on the pulse of Bluetooth speakers for several years allows us to be able to figure out what’s good, and what’s best avoided.

Shaking my head a little sends the headphones flying off.

Considering Chris’ burning hatred for wireless headphones, if he approves of something—it’s damned special. In a similar vein, Adam has reviewed tons of these headphones over the course of almost three years, so he’s heard the best (and worst) of what the category has to offer. Then you’ve got Lily who has put in countless hours working at a radio station in a professional studio environment and even reviewed audio products on her own time before coming to SoundGuys. Needless to say, she’s passionate about audio gear.

Still looking?

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