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Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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Credit:
Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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Sony’s noise-canceling headphones are comfy, lightweight, and offer amazing sound. They also offer a handful of really useful features. Read More
Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones offer significant upgrades over the WH-1000XM4, with a higher price to match. Are these the best wireless headphones? Read More
The Sony WF-1000XM5 deliver class-leading noise-canceling performance with excellent sound quality and an app that offers a bunch of customizability. Read More
Apple’s updated AirPods Pro may look the same, but features like Adaptive Transparency and next-gen noise canceling make them the best buds around. Read More
The Soundcore Space A40 set a new mark for earbuds under $100 thanks to great sound and noise canceling that outperforms many pricier options. Read More
There are more wireless headphone options than ever. In fact, you’ll have a hard time finding headphones that aren’t wireless these days. Thankfully, we’re constantly testing and listening to the latest headphones to find the very best on the market.
We’re confident that the Sony WH-1000XM4 (available at Amazon for $278.00) are the best overall wireless headphones you can get. They deliver awesome sound, top-notch noise canceling, and they stay comfortable for hours. However, if you're looking for something different, worry not: we've carefully selected the top pick in every major category in our list below.
Sony's WH-1000XM4 are our favorite wireless headphones for their comfort, great sound, and excellent noise-canceling.
The WH-1000XM5 are loaded to the brim with features, as expected.
Not only do the Sony WF-1000XM5 deliver the best noise-canceling performance, they sound excellent, too.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) deliver significant upgrades to noise canceling, transparency mode, and sound.
The Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds deliver the best ANC performance you can get for under $100.
The comfortable Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds have incredible protection from the elements.
For serious audio and gaming performance, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro are the best choice.
When testing wireless headphones, we focus on simulating how you might use them every day. We use a mix of real-world and lab testing, including A/B testing of noise cancelation and audio quality. We listen to a variety of test tracks we are intimately familiar with—from classical to jazz, rock, hip-hop, musicals, and more.
For noise canceling performance, we test headphones against one another while using tracks of airplane noise, crowd chatter, and pink noise. All headphones are then put into a scoring rubric to determine an overall ranking that’s as close to objective as possible.
The headphones’ features—such as battery life, app usability, microphone quality, and Bluetooth connectivity—are tested in real-world situations. We listen to them as we work, we take them for our workouts, and we use them during our online work meetings.
We also test the headphones over the long term, updating their firmware as new versions become available and testing out new features. Then we update articles based on our findings.
Bluetooth and wireless are usually used interchangeably when referring to headphones, but in truth, Bluetooth headphones are a subset of wireless headphones. In the realm of gaming and computers, it’s common to find headsets that connect wirelessly at 2.4 GHz via a USB dongle. But for connecting to your phone or media device, Bluetooth is by and far the wireless connection king.
It all comes down to individual preference and your use case. Over-ear headphones can provide a nice sense of isolation if you’re listening to music in an office or on an airplane, but you probably don’t want to jog around your neighborhood with them. Meanwhile, earbuds offer versatility and a compact form, but for some people it may be difficult to find ones that fit well and they can be underwhelming at keeping the outside world at bay, especially pitted against headphones at the same price point.
Before searching for a new pair of headphones, decide on your budget. Headphones with the most bells and whistles typically run $300 or more. However, there are plenty of possibilities between $100-200.
If you’re looking for wireless options on a budget, you can also check out our guide to the best true wireless headphones under $100.
Lee was Reviewed's point person for most television and home theater products from 2012 until early 2022. Lee received Level II certification in TV calibration from the Imaging Science Foundation in 2013. As Editor of the Home Theater vertical, Lee oversaw reviews of TVs, monitors, soundbars, and Bluetooth speakers. He also reviewed headphones, and has a background in music performance.
TJ is the former Director of Content Development at Reviewed. He is a Massachusetts native and has covered electronics, cameras, TVs, smartphones, parenting, and more for Reviewed. He is from the self-styled "Cranberry Capitol of the World," which is, in fact, a real thing.
Julia is the Senior Scientist at Reviewed, which means that she oversees (and continually updates) the testing of products in Reviewed's core categories such as televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, and more. She also determines the testing methods and standards for Reviewed's "The Best Right Now" articles.
John is Reviewed's Managing Editor of Tech. He is an ISF Level III-certified calibrator with bylines at ProjectorCentral, Wirecutter, IGN, Home Theater Review, T3, Sound & Vision, and Home Theater Magazine. When away from the Reviewed office, he is a sound editor for film and musician, and loves to play games with his son.
Michael Garrett Steele has been writing and editing professionally since 2013, and has been a part of Reviewed since 2020. An MFA in music composition, Garrett has lent audio expertise to everyone from Independence Community College to Bethesda Softworks, informing reviews of audio equipment and services. Garrett also covers tech, drawing on experience working everywhere from IT helpdesks to enterprise architecture sales. Steele has also become a go-to reviewer for minor plumbing fixtures since covering bidets for Reviewed in early 2020.
Hailing originally from Montana, Ryan parlayed his time working as a musician and audio engineer into a career in digital media in 2012. Since then he's had extensive experience as a writer and editor, including everything from op-eds and features to reviews on TVs, audio gear, smart home devices, and more.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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