Which headphone is best

While other true wireless earbuds surpass the Sony WFXM4 in particular areas — in terms of noise cancellation, for example — no other model comes close to offering such excellent quality across the board. When we first reviewed the original Lypertek PurePlay Z3 true wireless earbuds then known as the Lypertek Tevi , we were blown away.

The Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2. This gets you everything we loved about the original PurePlay Z3, including detailed balanced sound, a whopping 80 hours total battery life from its petite USB-C charging case, and a comfortably fitting bud with physical buttons. But on top, the Z3 2. Yet, with the price still so low, and nothing to detract from the quality standard the originals set out, with a few notable improvements, they remain must-have earbuds, more than a match for headphones two or three times the price.

NuraLoop has boiled down the essence of the company's first product, the Nuraphone , into a much more compact, rugged, and affordable package, and doesn't lose much in the process with the NuraLoop headphones. When we reviewed these headphones, we found the star of the show to be the adaptive audio technology, which automatically determines a customized listening profile and feeds you well-balanced, lush sound tailored to you as a result.

Although that's the USP of these earbuds, there are plenty of other features that make the NuraLoop headphones stand out, including active noise-cancelling, social mode, an IPX3 rating, Immersion mode, a great battery life, and the ability to attach an analog cable for 3. If the Sony WHXM4s are the true king of noise-cancelling headphones, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones are next in line for the throne — and for the sake of offering a few alternatives, we've included them in this list.

By applying noise cancellation to phone calls as well as music, Bose has made great strides in the field of noise-cancelling headphones. We found the sound quality to be undeniably good, with a vibrant, lively character and well-balanced soundstage. The battery is decent for cheap noise canceling headphones, with 15 hours of playback over Bluetooth. Not only is the design of these earbuds much improved, but the noise cancellation is also exemplary.

There are ten levels of ANC on offer here. We also enjoyed the high sound quality — albeit a touch less bassy as compared to Sony — with superb clarity.

During our testing, we found these noise-cancelling earbuds incredibly comfortable and well balanced, too, despite their bulky form factor. Faux leather and memory foam, combined with winningly un-creaky plastic, make for a fit we found extremely comfortable even if the earpads themselves absorb ear-heat quite quickly and then give it straight back.

By the standards of overtly affordable headphones, the Elite 45h are feature-packed. While Beyerdynamic may not be as well known as its German brother, Sennheiser, the audio company has a history of creating some of the best sounding audio gear on the market. The difference here comes down to sound. Sound is able to get in and out, but the good news is that the open-back design gives the DT Pro a great sense of space. The soundstage is quite wide, too, allowing even the most lackadaisical listener to pinpoint the exact location of where each instrument is playing.

If you've been searching for a pair of high fidelity cans that are used by some of the world's leading audio engineers, these are the best headphones for you. JBL is a popular name in the world of headphones and Bluetooth speakers , and rightly so. Solidly dependable, consumers know what to expect from the brand — decent sound quality for a decent price. Reliable and easy to use, you might miss waterproofing and a few minor features — but at this price, it feels foolish to complain too readily.

If you ignore the price, the Focal Stellia headphones are perhaps the best headphones on the planet. Their wide-open soundstage and detailed, accurate sound treatment means they make any genre of music sound brilliant. But if luxury is your thing, the full-grain leather cups, woven cables, brushed copper accents, and matching carrying case are likely to appeal.

There's a lot to consider when you're buying a new pair of headphones. But the most important is the design. Because it doesn't just dictate how they look, but the features on offer, how they feel and how you'll use them day-to-day. In-ear headphones , also called earbuds or earphones, are usually the cheapest and easiest way to pump audio into your ears.

They rest in or just outside the ear canal, creating a tight seal to keep air out and sound in. These are the most discreet designs you'll find, making them excellent for portability and the prime choice for athletes. Over-ear headphones generally provide fantastic richness and depth of sound, which allows listeners to pick apart the instruments and sounds much easier.

Additionally, over-ear, or circumaural headphones, go around the ear and offer a generous amount of padding. Instead of enveloping your ears, on-ear headphones create a light, breathable seal around your ear. The noise isolation is less effective than in-ear or over-ear options. But they're usually more portable than their over-ear brethren, appeal to travellers and make good fitness headphones. Wireless in-ear earphones connected via a neckband are ideal for runners who want the freedom of a wireless connection with the security of a wire keeping their earbuds firmly around their neck.

With wireless on-ear headphones and over-ear headphones , you simply lose the wire connecting them to your device — otherwise, they look pretty much the same as your regular pair of wired cans, and give you the noise-isolating prowess of over-ears without the need for cumbersome wires to connect to your device.

True wireless earbuds have no cord whatsoever. For some, this means true freedom; for others, untethered true wireless means constant danger of losing their expensive audio kit down the drain — or terrible connections.

The latter, at least, has changed now — thanks to advances in Bluetooth technology like aptX HD, the best true wireless earbuds have never sounded better. Generally speaking, wired headphones do deliver better sound quality than wireless headphones. But there have been so many advances in audio tech in recent years, that with many of the best wireless headphones you're unlikely to notice a difference. That's why we often recommend audiophiles continue to opt for wired headphones.

But for everyone else, it's mostly be down to personal preference. If wireless headphones suit you and are more convenient, they're a better choice for you. Most importantly, though, the Momentum True Wireless 2 have the same great sound -- for true wireless earbuds, anyway -- offering clearly superior sound quality to the AirPods Pro.

Read our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 review. Yes, they're expensive, but the AirPods Max deliver richer, more detailed sound than lower-priced competitors from Bose and Sony. 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.

While they're heavy, they manage to be surprisingly comfortable, though I did have to adjust the mesh canopy headband to sit a little more forward on my head to get a comfortable secure fit when I was out walking with them.

They should fit most heads well, but there will be exceptions. Read our Apple AirPods Max review. Grado has upgraded its entry-level line of Prestige Series wired headphones for This updated model features a more durable eight-conductor cable infused with "super annealed" copper for "improved purity of the audio signal," a more comfortable headband design and updated fourth-generation 44mm drivers that further cut down on distortion and are also more energy-efficient, making them easier to drive.

I not only used them with an external headphone amplifier attached to my computer but with an iPhone using a Lightning-to They had plenty of volume when connected directly to the iPhone. 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.

Stepping up to the SRSx should give you a little bit more bass energy, but you're not looking at a big jump in sound quality. As with any open-back headphones, these do leak some sound, so people around you can hear what you're listening to.

These headphones have semisoft foam earpads that, when you first put them on, you wouldn't think are that comfortable over longer listening sessions.

But they end up being more comfortable than you'd expect and the new headband design does help in that department. I've been a fan of Samsung's recent Galaxy true-wireless earbuds.

And the Galaxy Buds Live , also discounted a bit since their original debut, feature a discreet and innovative "open" design and I like to use them for running and biking. Yes, the Buds Live also have noise canceling, but it's rather modest. The Buds Pro are mostly impressive, although just how good you think they are will ultimately depend on how well they fit your ears.

The other caveat is that Samsung's new Audio virtual surround feature similar to Apple's spatial audio only works with Samsung's latest Galaxy S21 models. I do expect that over time firmware upgrades will offer small improvements and we'll see some discounts sooner rather than later.

Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review. Edifier has a few different new true-wireless earbuds and most, including the TWS NB, are good values. While the TWS NB buds are missing a sensor that automatically pauses your music when you take them out of your ears, they feature excellent sound quality for the money, decent active noise canceling with a transparency mode, and solid voice calling they have three microphones in each bud for noise canceling and noise reduction during calls.

They fit my ears well -- they're essentially AirPods Pro clones -- and while the touch controls are a little limited, they are programmable using the Edifier Connect app for iOS and Android you can also set the level of touch sensitivity.

They have an IP54 rating, which means they're splash- and dust-proof, and battery life is rated at four hours with noise canceling on and five hours with it off at moderate volume levels. That's only OK, but you do get an additional two charges in the charging case. Note that sometimes there's an instant discount coupon on Amazon's product page that reduces the price of these. Some of Tribit's true wireless earbuds were decent for the money, but none of them truly stood out from the pack.

Its new Flybuds C1 , however, are top-notch as far as inexpensive true wireless go. Not only do they sound very good for their modest price, with good clarity and strong, punchy bass, but their call quality measures up well to the AirPods', with good noise reduction -- the earbuds have two microphones in each bud -- and a sidetone feature that allows you to hear your voice in the buds when you're making a call.

While they don't have active noise canceling like the AirPods Pro, if you get a tight seal, which is crucial for optimizing sound quality, they do a good job of passively sealing out a lot of ambient noise. I also liked how they have tiny physical buttons on their stems that work well for controlling playback and volume control. Featuring very good sound for the money, they offer strong battery life up to around 11 hours for music playback , and they pack dual drivers for better sound and an additional microphone in each bud to help with external noise reduction while making calls.

The newer and more expensive Galaxy Buds Pro add noise canceling and offer improved sound, with slightly better bass definition and overall clarity, but some people like the fit of the Galaxy Buds Plus better they come with sport fins, which can help you get a more secure fit. Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones , the long-awaited successor to Bose's QuietComfort 35 II model, may not be a quantum leap forward, but these headphones offer slightly better sound and noise cancellation along with top-notch headset performance for voice calls.

They're a strong all-around audio performer some prefer their sound to that of Sony's WHXM4 with up to 20 hours of battery life and a more durable design than their predecessor, although the QuietComfort 35 II headphones may be slightly more comfortable. Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones review. While the Elite 75t has been out a while, it's still one of the best true wireless earbuds out there and recently added noise canceling via a firmware upgrade.

Earlier firmware updates improved voice-calling performance. The Elite 75t aren't quite as comfortable to wear as the AirPods Pro, but they do sound better, with clearer overall sound and better bass audio quality definition, so long as you get a tight seal. Read our Jabra Elite 75t review. While I had an issue with the included ear tips and had to use some other tips it's crucial to get a tight seal or both noise canceling and sound quality will suffer , they should fit most people comfortably.

Sound quality is better than Anker's earlier Liberty Air 2 and the noise canceling is effective. These also work well as a headset for making calls and are available in multiple color options. As far as sound, comfort level and build quality, you'd be hard-pressed to do better than Anker's Soundcore Life Q30 for the money. Battery life is rated at an impressive 40 hours with USB-C charging.

The only area where the Q30 falls a little short is for voice calls. It picks up your voice fine in quieter environments, but it just doesn't reduce background noise all that well. Compared to the Q20 see below , the Q30 does offer improved sound it's not a huge difference, but it definitely is a notch up and a more premium design.

However, the Earfun Free Pro has better features, including active noise cancellation with a transparency mode, wireless charging and Bluetooth 5. They're rated for seven hours of battery life without the noise-canceling function on, or about six hours with it.

They're IPX5 water-resistant, which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water. They sound very good for the money, with relatively clean, balanced sound and bass that has some kick to it -- they're pretty open-sounding. BeatsX Wireless. Powerbeats3 Wireless.

WHXM4 Wireless. WHXM3 Wireless. Jib True Wireless. Indy Fuel Truly Wireless. Dime True Wireless. Sesh Evo True Wireless. Indy Evo True Wireless. Jib Wireless. Crusher Evo Wireless. Sesh Truly Wireless. Hesh ANC Wireless. Elite 3 True Wireless. Elite 85t Truly Wireless.

Elite 75t Truly Wireless. Elite Active 75t Truly Wireless. Elite 65t Truly Wireless. Elite Active 65t Truly Wireless. Talk 45 Bluetooth Headset. Elite 85h Wireless. Evolve2 85 Wireless. Evolve2 65 Wireless. Sport Earbuds Truly Wireless.

QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. Sport Open Earbuds Truly Wireless. SoundSport Free Truly Wireless. SoundSport Wireless. SoundLink 2 Wireless. Galaxy Buds Pro Truly Wireless. Galaxy Buds2 Truly Wireless. Galaxy Buds Live Truly Wireless. Galaxy Buds Truly Wireless. Level On Wireless. Level Over Wireless. Level U Pro Wireless.