Lastly, if you're a fitness fiend who wants to prioritise a secure fit and waterproofing, you're better off going for a pair of sport headphones. Here at CNET we have a lot of best headphones and earbuds lists -- not surprising considering just how many headphones and earbuds are out there right now. The Live Pro 2 is available in four color options. The sound has much to like. While the Buds 2 look more like shrunken versions of the Buds Pro, I found them more akin to the Buds Live in that they barely stick out of your ears and are fairly discreet. Heres why you can trust us. They are nicely built, and relay a track faithfully. Were impressed with the wired Austrian Audio Hi-X55. But this list takes the best headphones and earbuds from several categories, including wired headphones geared toward audiophiles, and distills it into a top overall headphones list. While many of the headphones and earbuds on the list are premium models that cost a lot of money, we also like to highlight headphones that are a good value. The E10 set the marker for affordable excellence for a number of years, and following an E10C in-line mic and remote control upgrade, the E11C equivalent arrived back in 2018. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Their authenticity, detail, crispness and spaciousness elevate them so far above the previous best in the wireless noise-cancelling class that the comparison starts to become a little redundant and you instead begin to consider them alongside proper hi-fi products. Then there are noise-cancelling headphones, which may be high on your hit list if you're looking for a pair to silence the outside sounds of everyday life. You need an iPhone or iPad to get the most out of them. Read our Bose QuietComfort 45 review. Below is a quick checklist of what you should consider when shopping for a new pair, followed of course by our top recommendations of best headphones across the board. You can't help but be carried away by their sense of musicality. Want closed-backs? The buds are available in three color options. They're nice and comfortable, deliver one of the most mature, spacious and refined performances in the market, and have the bonus of noise cancellation too. Hugely impressive headphones for the money. Read the full JBL Reflect Flow Pro review. These 'right ones' span many styles: in-ears, on-ears, over-ears; wired, wireless or true wireless; studio or noise-cancelling. Aside from the design change, which should fit most ears better than the AirPods 2nd Generation (though not very small ears), the biggest change is to the sound quality: It's much improved. These days, wired noise-cancelling headphones are a rare breed. But its Soundcore Liberty Pro is its "high-end" model that features premium sound, as well as support for Sony's LDAC audio codec with compatible devices (mostly Android phones). Award-winningSR325e), and theres little to separate them, apart from the new flatter foam earpads, updated cable and lighter coloured stitching on the firmly padded headband. Hopefully they come down in price over time. All things being equal, they tend to sound more spacious and articulate with a notable extra dose of expressiveness when it comes to dynamics. The stemless Live Free 2 are rated for up to seven hours, while the Live Pro 2 are rated for 10 hours. Battery life is excellent at up to 80 hours of listening time at moderate volume levels, and these do have multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can simultaneously connect them to two devices (such as a smartphone and a computer). Throughout the frequency range, these headphones deliver consistently high detail levels and fantastic dynamics. They're more compact and lighter than Sony's flagship WF-1000M4 and also feature Sony's V1 processor. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. The Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 are equipped with the same 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips. Once you have a listen youll be glad you did.
2022 CNET, a Red Ventures company. These are far from rich or even warm in tone, but an extra generous sprinkling of refinement this time round has made their forward, clinical presentation all the more palpable. Handy if you want to avoid being bitten/run over. Definitely worth an audition. We wouldn't insist on you partnering them with a suitable DAC/headphone amplifier, but do so and youll be rewarded with a mature-sounding pair of headphones that go above and beyond at the money. But at the same time theres enough weight and substance to low frequencies that you dont feel as though youre missing out. Also, battery life is better, and the AirPods 3 are officially water-resistant. According to Bose, there's a new electronics package that powers the new ANC system, which now better muffles "unwanted sounds in the midrange frequencies" (voices) that you'd "typically find on commuter trains, busy office spaces and cafes.". Released in late 2019, these clean and detailed sounding over-ear headphones have excellent bass response, and the cushy ear cushion cups mean they're also comfortable to wear. They do sound better than the original Air Pro. So which type should you invest in? What Hi-Fi? Top open-back wired headphones for the money, Read our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 review, Read our Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro review, Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review, Best Open Wireless Earbuds That Aren't AirPods, Best Headphones for Working at Home in 2022, Best Noise-Canceling True Wireless Earbuds of 2022, Best Cheap Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones Under $100 for 2022, Best Wireless Earbuds and Headphones for Making Calls, Best Apple AirPods Max Alternatives for Less: Sony, Bose, AirPods Pro and More. It also sounds great but its noise canceling, call quality and overall feature set don't match those of the AirPods Max. The next big thing, both physically and sonically, Talented and affordable budget wired headphones for the home, Require partnering with suitable electronics. Aside from the design -- The Live Pro 2 has stems while the Live Free 2 is pill-shaped -- the biggest difference between the two buds is battery life. Beyerdynamic also sells the open-back DT 900 X for the same price. You also get five sizes of ear tips to help with fit. As with all in-ear headphones, you have to try them to see how they fit your ears. Technically, the new Beats Fit Pro ($200) aren't AirPods, but they're built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro. Read more:Best Wireless Earbuds for 2022. Sony's best true wireless earbuds to date. The 10-year-old, original T1 open-back headphones are something of a touchstone for us as far as premium headphones go. They're comfy and lightweight for starters. In fact, it's the Buds 2's design and fit -- they're 15% smaller and 20% lighter than the Buds Plus -- that make them a potentially more likable alternative to the slightly better-sounding Buds Pro. Featuring excellent sound, improved noise canceling and voice-calling performance as well a smaller, more refined design that includes stabilizing fins (so the earbuds stay in your ears more securely), the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 are among the best new true-wireless earbuds for 2022. There's also a transparency mode that lets ambient sound in. The company mainly focuses on professional audio equipment and has recently ventured into consumer electronics as well. They also feature arguably the best noise canceling on the market along with premium build quality and Apple's virtual surround spatial audio feature for video watching. The results are sound that's very similar to the originals but cleaner and clearer if anything, slightly less bright and a little more rounded in the treble too, making them a bit more forgiving of aggressive electronics and recordings. We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, how to choose the right pair of headphones. You'll struggle to find a better pair of in-ear headphones at this price. As new top headphones are released in the weeks and months to come, we'll update this list. That had us scratching our collective heads. Sennheiser also makes in-ear headphones and speakers as well as microphones; theyre among the leaders in audio technology on virtually every front.
Hand-built, the line includes the SR60x, SR80x, SR125x, SR225x and SR325x, and they're all very good at their various prices. I tested these headphones with the Motorola Edge Plus 2022 smartphone, which features Snapdragon Audio. Best wireless earbuds It actually sounds pretty natural and is closer than I thought it would to the AirPods Pro's excellent transparency mode. Today, we will show you the top five headphone brands in the world. And thats no bad thing. , They both sound excellent, but if you're looking for the absolute best sounding set of earbuds, the PI7 are arguably just that, besting the Sony WF-1000XM4 by a small margin. Some of Earfun's buds have had a bit too much treble push -- sometimes referred to as "presence boost" -- but these mostly manage to avoid that. There are true wireless headphones that have proven so consistently commendable over the years that a new iteration is hard to ignore when it comes along, and the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless are one of them. These headphones have semisoft foam earpads that, when you first put them on, you wouldn't think are that comfortable over longer listening sessions. All rights reserved. The wireless charging case also extends this by a further 16 hours. They're IPX2 sweat-resistant. Be aware that Sennheiser uses larger sized earbuds, so if you have small ears you might need to buy extra earpieces. Required fields are marked *. The Austrian Audio Hi-X50 are just as impressive. published 28 June 22, The best headphones around, for every price and preference. Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review. It works. All rights reserved. If that's your priority - and in our humble opinion, it really should be - these will not disappoint. Please refresh the page and try again. Alas, there's no companion app that allows you to tweak the sound or upgrade the firmware. Read the full Austrian Audio Hi-X15 review. Aside from the design, the biggest difference between the two buds is battery life; the stemless Live Free 2 is rated for up to seven hours, while the Live Pro 2 is rated for 10 hours. Bose is known for its sound quality, and it offers affordable headphones with excellent noise cancellation. Put the range-topping SR325x next to its immediate predecessor (theWhat Hi-Fi?
And for some people, they might just be better than the AirPods Pro. To know more about Bose refer to the link below : Japan-based Audio Technica is one of those audio brands that boasts high-quality, durable productsat prices that arent at all exorbitant. Yes, you can get true wireless earbuds not geared towards sport that, for a similar price, will deliver more insight into music by offering that bit more detail and dynamic subtlety. Two years on, were happy to report that theyre still pretty magic. That's not to say the spec is bare. But rhythmically speaking, these Sennheisers are cohesive and consistently dynamic too, making them quite the class leaders. Sony has released its new WH-1000XM5 but the WH-1000XM4 remains on sale. This new version is improved and a good value compared to other so-called premium buds. That's finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand's newLive Pro 2andLive Free 2buds. Proceedings are lent a fantastic sense of musicality and balance that's guaranteed to enhance tracks of all genres. So that makes choosing between these three models that much more difficult. But they sound really good.
They wont be for everyone they arent as easy a listen as some rivals, and will certainly be unforgiving with some recordings. The headphone is targeted at content creators who want accurate audio reproduction, but it's a bit more dynamic sounding and less bass shy than many studio headphones, which tend to restrain the bass and hew toward a very neutral sound profile. Combine this with brilliant noise cancelling courtesy of Sony's Integrated Processor V1 and the WF-1000XM4 are difficult to fault. Best wireless headphones The headphone cable hooks over the top of your ears and keeps them secure at all times - there is a slight knack to getting the swivelling buds in place, though. Theres no noise-cancelling onboard, but those who dont need shouldn't hesitate to add these latest Melomanias to their shortlist. And that sound - bellissimo. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 have been out a while but are still one of the best over-ear noise canceling headphones, with excellent sound, noise cancellation and top-notch headset performance for voice calls. The flagship PI7 has a different driver design and sounds slightly more detailed and refined with a little more bass energy. (At 238 grams, the QC45 weighs just 3 grams more than the QC35, which should be imperceptible.) IPX4 water resistance is included, as are clever features such as Quick Attention and Speak-To-Chat which both allow you to have a conversation without removing the earbuds. BA1 1UA. In bowling, three strikes in a row is called a turkey; inWhat Hi-Fi? Only bettered for value by their successors above, these Sonys build on the original Sony WF-1000X (some of the first true wireless earbuds to get five stars from us), with a Bluetooth chip that sharpens up music synchronization and a noise-cancelling processor which Sony claims offers a 40 per cent improvement on its predecessor. If you have been looking for headphones or earphones, you would have found out that there are just too many options available in the market to choose from. Yes, they're expensive at $250 from the Apple Store, but they tend to sell for $200 or less. For a pair to use with your phone on the go, though, you might want something more portable. They're waterproof, lightweight, comfortable and with multiple ear tip fin options, and sound very decent for the money. When you have a product that a lot of people love, change can be risky. Exposure adds preamplifier and stereo power amp to its 3510 series of hi-fi separates. Check out the Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless. Building on an already winning recipe with an improved feature set, decent step up in performance and kinder price tag, the Momentum True Wireless 3 are as competitive as ever and Sennheisers best yet. But they end up being more comfortable than you'd expect and the new headband design does help in that department. The result is a pair of headphones you can wear for hours on end. Read our Galaxy Buds 2 review. For an engaging, detailed, expansive listen, the Melomania 1 Plus are very much in the running for best at this level. And they also combine a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance, plus a robust feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging. Assuming you are a keen Apple user, the AirPods Max are the best wireless headphones you can buy and not by a small margin. These are built on Qualcomm's Snapdragon audio platform and support its AptX Adaptive audio codec (along with SBC but alas, not AAC), which is capable of delivering near lossless audio if you stream from an AptX-compatible Android device or dedicated music player and subscribe to a music service such as Qobuz or Tidal that offers high-resolution tracks. While these have advantages over the Headphones 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 and do sound quite good, those models sound slightly better: The 700 is slightly more natural sounding and tuned more for audiophiles, while the Sony has more dynamic bass. Edifier makes some nice headphones and earbuds that offer good quality for your dollar. And while the Bose 700 have plenty of fans, a lot of people (including me) think this QuietComfort design is slightly more comfortable and the headphones fold up and fold flat. This is where we come in. Also worth noting: They are IPX4 splashproof so they're suitable for sporting activities (for a more secure fit you may want to invest in third-party foam ear tips, which are grippier than the tips Apple includes). Check out the brilliant Beyerdynamic T5 (3rd Gen). Nine different eartip choices allow for excellent isolation, while an in-line remote and mic can control your tunes and answer calls. Theres better in-ear grip than before too, but more to the point, these just sound great. These have adjustable active noise cancellation, Jabra's HearThrough transparency mode and Bluetooth 5.2. Becky Roberts If youre looking for a solid pair of headphones to take with you on-the-go, and if you dont want to send more money in order to do so, we suggest taking a look at what Audio Technica has to offer. The RZ-S500W are the company's first foray into wireless noise-cancelling earbuds and they're sensational performers for their outlay. While they have a list price of $170, they're sporadically on sale for $20 less. They will work with non-Apple products using standardBluetooth 5.0, but youll miss out on many of their unique features. Active noise cancellation is the name of the game with these earbuds. Because they sit more flush with your ears -- and have that curved design -- they also pick up less wind noise. While the new level progresses sound quality and arguably has a nicer design, these XM4 remain an excellent option if you're looking to save a few bucks. is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. If you are looking for a new pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones, your auditioning should start here. Which is not to be sniffed at. And the midrange has decent clarity, displaying great energy and control. We certainly have. Theyre well made, comfortable and sound great, so whether they are intended for the studio or not, we really like them. Sign up below to get the latest from What Hi-Fi?, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! Other than the higher $400 price tag ($50 more than the WH-1000XM4), most of those changes are good, and Sony's made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance as well as even better noise canceling and more refined sound. The earpads and the headphones' other parts are replaceable, Beyerdynamic says. The PI7's case does transform into a Bluetooth transceiver, so you can plug it into your laptop for aptX streaming or an in-flight entertainment system. That said, you can't adjust the level of noise canceling like you can with those models, which offer a more robust feature set, particularly the Sony. We found this a little hit and miss, so we'd definitely experiment and consider mixing the sizes if it means getting a more secure fit. Open-back headphones are supposed to produce more open sound and these do just that with powerful, controlled bass and natural, warm-sounding mids (where vocals live) along with excellent overall clarity. Want a pair of the best true wireless earbuds around? And while they're missing some features, like ear detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off, and a customizable EQ (you only get a few presets along with a low-latency gaming mode), you're ultimately buying these for their audio quality. They're also decent for making calls and come with an additional set of "cooling-mesh" ear pads for outdoor use in warmer environments. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity.
2022 CNET, a Red Ventures company. These are far from rich or even warm in tone, but an extra generous sprinkling of refinement this time round has made their forward, clinical presentation all the more palpable. Handy if you want to avoid being bitten/run over. Definitely worth an audition. We wouldn't insist on you partnering them with a suitable DAC/headphone amplifier, but do so and youll be rewarded with a mature-sounding pair of headphones that go above and beyond at the money. But at the same time theres enough weight and substance to low frequencies that you dont feel as though youre missing out. Also, battery life is better, and the AirPods 3 are officially water-resistant. According to Bose, there's a new electronics package that powers the new ANC system, which now better muffles "unwanted sounds in the midrange frequencies" (voices) that you'd "typically find on commuter trains, busy office spaces and cafes.". Released in late 2019, these clean and detailed sounding over-ear headphones have excellent bass response, and the cushy ear cushion cups mean they're also comfortable to wear. They do sound better than the original Air Pro. So which type should you invest in? What Hi-Fi? Top open-back wired headphones for the money, Read our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 review, Read our Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro review, Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review, Best Open Wireless Earbuds That Aren't AirPods, Best Headphones for Working at Home in 2022, Best Noise-Canceling True Wireless Earbuds of 2022, Best Cheap Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones Under $100 for 2022, Best Wireless Earbuds and Headphones for Making Calls, Best Apple AirPods Max Alternatives for Less: Sony, Bose, AirPods Pro and More. It also sounds great but its noise canceling, call quality and overall feature set don't match those of the AirPods Max. The next big thing, both physically and sonically, Talented and affordable budget wired headphones for the home, Require partnering with suitable electronics. Aside from the design -- The Live Pro 2 has stems while the Live Free 2 is pill-shaped -- the biggest difference between the two buds is battery life. Beyerdynamic also sells the open-back DT 900 X for the same price. You also get five sizes of ear tips to help with fit. As with all in-ear headphones, you have to try them to see how they fit your ears. Technically, the new Beats Fit Pro ($200) aren't AirPods, but they're built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro. Read more:Best Wireless Earbuds for 2022. Sony's best true wireless earbuds to date. The 10-year-old, original T1 open-back headphones are something of a touchstone for us as far as premium headphones go. They're comfy and lightweight for starters. In fact, it's the Buds 2's design and fit -- they're 15% smaller and 20% lighter than the Buds Plus -- that make them a potentially more likable alternative to the slightly better-sounding Buds Pro. Featuring excellent sound, improved noise canceling and voice-calling performance as well a smaller, more refined design that includes stabilizing fins (so the earbuds stay in your ears more securely), the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 are among the best new true-wireless earbuds for 2022. There's also a transparency mode that lets ambient sound in. The company mainly focuses on professional audio equipment and has recently ventured into consumer electronics as well. They also feature arguably the best noise canceling on the market along with premium build quality and Apple's virtual surround spatial audio feature for video watching. The results are sound that's very similar to the originals but cleaner and clearer if anything, slightly less bright and a little more rounded in the treble too, making them a bit more forgiving of aggressive electronics and recordings. We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, how to choose the right pair of headphones. You'll struggle to find a better pair of in-ear headphones at this price. As new top headphones are released in the weeks and months to come, we'll update this list. That had us scratching our collective heads. Sennheiser also makes in-ear headphones and speakers as well as microphones; theyre among the leaders in audio technology on virtually every front.
Hand-built, the line includes the SR60x, SR80x, SR125x, SR225x and SR325x, and they're all very good at their various prices. I tested these headphones with the Motorola Edge Plus 2022 smartphone, which features Snapdragon Audio. Best wireless earbuds It actually sounds pretty natural and is closer than I thought it would to the AirPods Pro's excellent transparency mode. Today, we will show you the top five headphone brands in the world. And thats no bad thing. , They both sound excellent, but if you're looking for the absolute best sounding set of earbuds, the PI7 are arguably just that, besting the Sony WF-1000XM4 by a small margin. Some of Earfun's buds have had a bit too much treble push -- sometimes referred to as "presence boost" -- but these mostly manage to avoid that. There are true wireless headphones that have proven so consistently commendable over the years that a new iteration is hard to ignore when it comes along, and the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless are one of them. These headphones have semisoft foam earpads that, when you first put them on, you wouldn't think are that comfortable over longer listening sessions. All rights reserved. The wireless charging case also extends this by a further 16 hours. They're IPX2 sweat-resistant. Be aware that Sennheiser uses larger sized earbuds, so if you have small ears you might need to buy extra earpieces. Required fields are marked *. The Austrian Audio Hi-X50 are just as impressive. published 28 June 22, The best headphones around, for every price and preference. Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review. It works. All rights reserved. If that's your priority - and in our humble opinion, it really should be - these will not disappoint. Please refresh the page and try again. Alas, there's no companion app that allows you to tweak the sound or upgrade the firmware. Read the full Austrian Audio Hi-X15 review. Aside from the design, the biggest difference between the two buds is battery life; the stemless Live Free 2 is rated for up to seven hours, while the Live Pro 2 is rated for 10 hours. Bose is known for its sound quality, and it offers affordable headphones with excellent noise cancellation. Put the range-topping SR325x next to its immediate predecessor (theWhat Hi-Fi?
And for some people, they might just be better than the AirPods Pro. To know more about Bose refer to the link below : Japan-based Audio Technica is one of those audio brands that boasts high-quality, durable productsat prices that arent at all exorbitant. Yes, you can get true wireless earbuds not geared towards sport that, for a similar price, will deliver more insight into music by offering that bit more detail and dynamic subtlety. Two years on, were happy to report that theyre still pretty magic. That's not to say the spec is bare. But rhythmically speaking, these Sennheisers are cohesive and consistently dynamic too, making them quite the class leaders. Sony has released its new WH-1000XM5 but the WH-1000XM4 remains on sale. This new version is improved and a good value compared to other so-called premium buds. That's finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand's newLive Pro 2andLive Free 2buds. Proceedings are lent a fantastic sense of musicality and balance that's guaranteed to enhance tracks of all genres. So that makes choosing between these three models that much more difficult. But they sound really good.
They wont be for everyone they arent as easy a listen as some rivals, and will certainly be unforgiving with some recordings. The headphone is targeted at content creators who want accurate audio reproduction, but it's a bit more dynamic sounding and less bass shy than many studio headphones, which tend to restrain the bass and hew toward a very neutral sound profile. Combine this with brilliant noise cancelling courtesy of Sony's Integrated Processor V1 and the WF-1000XM4 are difficult to fault. Best wireless headphones The headphone cable hooks over the top of your ears and keeps them secure at all times - there is a slight knack to getting the swivelling buds in place, though. Theres no noise-cancelling onboard, but those who dont need shouldn't hesitate to add these latest Melomanias to their shortlist. And that sound - bellissimo. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 have been out a while but are still one of the best over-ear noise canceling headphones, with excellent sound, noise cancellation and top-notch headset performance for voice calls. The flagship PI7 has a different driver design and sounds slightly more detailed and refined with a little more bass energy. (At 238 grams, the QC45 weighs just 3 grams more than the QC35, which should be imperceptible.) IPX4 water resistance is included, as are clever features such as Quick Attention and Speak-To-Chat which both allow you to have a conversation without removing the earbuds. BA1 1UA. In bowling, three strikes in a row is called a turkey; inWhat Hi-Fi? Only bettered for value by their successors above, these Sonys build on the original Sony WF-1000X (some of the first true wireless earbuds to get five stars from us), with a Bluetooth chip that sharpens up music synchronization and a noise-cancelling processor which Sony claims offers a 40 per cent improvement on its predecessor. If you have been looking for headphones or earphones, you would have found out that there are just too many options available in the market to choose from. Yes, they're expensive at $250 from the Apple Store, but they tend to sell for $200 or less. For a pair to use with your phone on the go, though, you might want something more portable. They're waterproof, lightweight, comfortable and with multiple ear tip fin options, and sound very decent for the money. When you have a product that a lot of people love, change can be risky. Exposure adds preamplifier and stereo power amp to its 3510 series of hi-fi separates. Check out the Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless. Building on an already winning recipe with an improved feature set, decent step up in performance and kinder price tag, the Momentum True Wireless 3 are as competitive as ever and Sennheisers best yet. But they end up being more comfortable than you'd expect and the new headband design does help in that department. The result is a pair of headphones you can wear for hours on end. Read our Galaxy Buds 2 review. For an engaging, detailed, expansive listen, the Melomania 1 Plus are very much in the running for best at this level. And they also combine a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance, plus a robust feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging. Assuming you are a keen Apple user, the AirPods Max are the best wireless headphones you can buy and not by a small margin. These are built on Qualcomm's Snapdragon audio platform and support its AptX Adaptive audio codec (along with SBC but alas, not AAC), which is capable of delivering near lossless audio if you stream from an AptX-compatible Android device or dedicated music player and subscribe to a music service such as Qobuz or Tidal that offers high-resolution tracks. While these have advantages over the Headphones 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 and do sound quite good, those models sound slightly better: The 700 is slightly more natural sounding and tuned more for audiophiles, while the Sony has more dynamic bass. Edifier makes some nice headphones and earbuds that offer good quality for your dollar. And while the Bose 700 have plenty of fans, a lot of people (including me) think this QuietComfort design is slightly more comfortable and the headphones fold up and fold flat. This is where we come in. Also worth noting: They are IPX4 splashproof so they're suitable for sporting activities (for a more secure fit you may want to invest in third-party foam ear tips, which are grippier than the tips Apple includes). Check out the brilliant Beyerdynamic T5 (3rd Gen). Nine different eartip choices allow for excellent isolation, while an in-line remote and mic can control your tunes and answer calls. Theres better in-ear grip than before too, but more to the point, these just sound great. These have adjustable active noise cancellation, Jabra's HearThrough transparency mode and Bluetooth 5.2. Becky Roberts If youre looking for a solid pair of headphones to take with you on-the-go, and if you dont want to send more money in order to do so, we suggest taking a look at what Audio Technica has to offer. The RZ-S500W are the company's first foray into wireless noise-cancelling earbuds and they're sensational performers for their outlay. While they have a list price of $170, they're sporadically on sale for $20 less. They will work with non-Apple products using standardBluetooth 5.0, but youll miss out on many of their unique features. Active noise cancellation is the name of the game with these earbuds. Because they sit more flush with your ears -- and have that curved design -- they also pick up less wind noise. While the new level progresses sound quality and arguably has a nicer design, these XM4 remain an excellent option if you're looking to save a few bucks. is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. If you are looking for a new pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones, your auditioning should start here. Which is not to be sniffed at. And the midrange has decent clarity, displaying great energy and control. We certainly have. Theyre well made, comfortable and sound great, so whether they are intended for the studio or not, we really like them. Sign up below to get the latest from What Hi-Fi?, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! Other than the higher $400 price tag ($50 more than the WH-1000XM4), most of those changes are good, and Sony's made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance as well as even better noise canceling and more refined sound. The earpads and the headphones' other parts are replaceable, Beyerdynamic says. The PI7's case does transform into a Bluetooth transceiver, so you can plug it into your laptop for aptX streaming or an in-flight entertainment system. That said, you can't adjust the level of noise canceling like you can with those models, which offer a more robust feature set, particularly the Sony. We found this a little hit and miss, so we'd definitely experiment and consider mixing the sizes if it means getting a more secure fit. Open-back headphones are supposed to produce more open sound and these do just that with powerful, controlled bass and natural, warm-sounding mids (where vocals live) along with excellent overall clarity. Want a pair of the best true wireless earbuds around? And while they're missing some features, like ear detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off, and a customizable EQ (you only get a few presets along with a low-latency gaming mode), you're ultimately buying these for their audio quality. They're also decent for making calls and come with an additional set of "cooling-mesh" ear pads for outdoor use in warmer environments. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity.