1. The list in brief
2. Best headphones overall
3. Best for sound
4. Best ANC headphones
5. Best mid-price headphones
6. Best iOS headphones
7. Best earbuds for sound
8. Best iOS earbuds
9. Specs compared
10. How to choose
11. How we test
If you're looking to find the best headphones (or earbuds), then you've come to the right place. All of the models listed here offer outstanding performance and features, along with effective and flexible active noise cancelation, as well as great styling and high levels of comfort.
Whether you're looking for the best headphones overall, audiophile sound for home listening, world-class noise canceling, or neatest pair of wireless earbuds that fit in a pocket but still deliver high-end sound, I've got you covered.
Keep scrolling to discover my pick of the top over-ear wireless headphones and earbuds for your needs and pocket.
The quick list
Already know what type of headphone you’re looking for? Here’s a quick list of our over-ear and in-ear winners, so you can save time and jump right into the reviews. Still not sure? Just scroll on to see all our full recommendations.
Best headphones overall
The Sony WH-1000XM5 improve upon their predecessors with upgraded active noise cancelation, better call quality, intuitive controls and enhanced connectivity. The category-leading sound, strong app integration and useful 30-hour battery life make them Sony's most versatile over-ear headphone ever.
Premium over-ears with great sound
The 'evolved' version of the popular Px7 S2 are beautifully constructed, have active noise-cancelation, and benefits from a step up in sound thanks to 24-bit DSP developed for the B&W Px8 flagship. If it's great sound quality you desire without much in the way of extended features, these are the best wireless headphones under $400.
The best headphones with ANC
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the best noise-canceling headphones ever. They have intuitive tech features come with Immersive Audio for a 3D-like sound experience with all media. Sound quality is high and we love the touch slider volume control, but we're less excited by the bland look at the high price.
Luxe design meets high-end sound
Bowers & Wilkins' most advanced noise-canceling headphones to date, are a confident addition to the luxury market. Despite the sound quality gains these new flagship brings, the higher price compared to their fellow Px7 S2 means they rank slight lower in terms of overall value.
Great sound, battery life and ANC at a mid-price
Sennheiser's mid-priced ANC headphones borrow a lot from the company's fourth generation Momentum Wireless model with strong signature sound up to 50-hour battery life with ANC. These are the mid-price model to beat.
Luxury audio at an attainable price
The Focal Bathys are a superb, high-performance headphone that's perfectly suited to critical audiophile listening at home, while also practical and conveniently wireless to enable owners to enjoy them on the go. The onboard DAC is awesome for 24-bit sound.
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The best Apple headphones
The AirPods Max are more expensive than their noise-canceling rivals, but the plush design and comfortable fit present an immediate feeling of luxury which only grows once you start playing music, making it hard to take them off.
Best wireless earbuds for sound
Sony's latest wireless earbuds are incredibly versatile with high-quality sound, particularly when connected to LDAC devices, and some of the strongest ANC performance from any pair of in-ears. The design is smaller and lighter than their predecessor and they deliver one of best user experiences around.
Best for iPhones
Apple's AirPods Pro 2 bring significant upgrades to the popular original to take performance to the next level. Noise cancelation is double what the last pair of AirPods Pro offered, and it is among the best we’ve yet to see, period.
About the author
Hi, I'm Lee and I cover all things audio for Tom's Guide, including maintaining our buying guides on the best headphones, best wireless earbuds, best audiophile headphones, and best noise-canceling headphones. One of my earliest audio memories was listening to a pair of headphones. It's more than 30 years ago now, but the experience stayed with me and I regularly carry a pair of headphones and several wireless earbuds in my work and travel bags so that I've always got great sound wherever I go. I am passionate about sound quality, and with 20 years of listening tests and audio reviews writing under my belt, I'm the perfect person to help you find the best-sounding headphones whatever your style or budget.
The best headphones you can buy right now
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Best headphones overall
✅ You want the best sound: Balanced and smooth sound from the bottom of the frequency range to the very top, with good rhythmic expression to liberate the music.
✅ You want effective ANC: There's no trace of the ANC circuitry working away and banishes pretty much all external sound to allow your music to do its thing.
✅ You want good battery life: They're good for 30 hours between charges with ANC switched on, and that will rise to as much as 40 hours if you turn it off. Recharges take around 3.5 hours via the USB-C input on the right earcup.
❌ You want foldability: The revamped styling has done away with the popular foldable design of it's predecessor, and is slightly less practical as a result.
❌ You like big and bold styling: Branding is understated on the XM5 with just a little ‘Sony’ logo on each hinge, and the earcups and headband are virtually featureless and entirely anonymous.
❌ You don't like the price increase: Sony has added $50 to the price of its latest XM series headphones. This seems steep given that Sony's exceedingly capable WH-1000XM4 predecessor is readily available, and can even be found discounted for considerably less.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-canceling headphones demonstrate across-the-board expertise with great-sound, exceptional ANC performance and eco credentials.
What you need to know
The Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless active noise-canceling, over-ear headphones pick up where the popular Sony WH-1000XM4 left off. You get excellent sound quality in every respect, improved noise-cancellation and a very credible eco proposition that means they can be recycled at the end of their life. These cans are just as compelling as the model they replace.
Design: Sony has had a bit of a re-think where the XM5 design is concerned. They're a more streamlined shape than their predecessor, with an aero dynamic design that improves the flow of air across the headphone frame to reduce wind noise. Branding is minimal, and are available in black or ecru (for which read ‘uninspiring beige’). The XM5 are a touch lighter than the model they replace, and are supplied with a usefully compact and collapsible carry-case.
Performance: In every respect, the XM5s are a confident, convincing and enjoyable listen. Throughout our review, tonality was neutral and natural, with only the slightest suggestion of the highs being rolled off. Low frequencies were muscular but agile, loaded with detail and texture, and delivered an ordered foundation without over shadowing the presentation further up the frequency range. And when it comes to ANC, the XM5 banish pretty much all external sound and deliver exceptional call quality, too.
Battery life: You'll get 30 hours between charges if you keep active noise-cancelation switched on, and that will rise to as much as 40 hours if you turn it off. It takes a leisurely 3.5 hours to go from ‘flat’ to full when charging via the USB-C input on the right earcup, but can retain an hour’s-worth of power after 10 minutes or so, or you can get three hours of power after just three minutes via USB-PD (Power Delivery).
- Read the full Sony WH-1000XM5 review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $50 more than WH-1000XM4 | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Anonymous aesthetic but impressive eco credentials | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Articulate and engaging sound | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | Long battery life but not the market leader | ★★★★☆ |
The best headphones for sound
✅ You want the very best wireless sound quality: The Px7 S2e headphones are designed to deliver the best wireless sound this sort of money can buy, and they do.
✅ You're looking for understated styling: They feel good, are beautifully constructed and make price rivals look bland by comparison.
✅ You like luxury sensibilities: Impeccably put together from a combination of textured fabric, memory-foam filled leather, the Px7 S2e are sophisticated headphones that exude a feeling of luxury.
❌ You want the very best ANC: The active noise-cancelation proves ‘good’ rather than 'great’ — that’s to say, it will be perfectly acceptable to anyone who doesn’t insist on absolute silence.
❌ You like stacks of features: The Bowers & Wilkins Music control app may feel underpowered compared to some. It’s pretty useful as far as it goes, but just doesn’t go as far as some tour de force control apps.
❌ You want touch controls: No tapping an earcup to pause your music here. Instead, there's a selection of physical ‘push/push’ control buttons.
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e are designed to deliver the best wireless sound money can buy, and they do. The entire frequency range hangs together well, with nothing overstated and nothing struggling for representation. Just don't expect tons of features.
What you need to know
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e over-ear headphones are priced the same as the Sony WH-1000XM5. They feel good, are beautifully constructed and have active noise-cancelation and a control app — but ‘extended functionality’ is not their thing.
Design: Impeccably put together from a combination of textured fabric, memory-foam filled leather, flex-free plastic, with a discreetly logo-d section on the earcups, the Px7 S2e are understated and sophisticated lookers.
Performance: This 'evolved' version improves bass energy with detail levels that are sky-high, while treble sounds are bright but not coarse. In our review, vocals had complete expression, are thoroughly engrossing and easy to understand. The soundstage the Bowers & Wilkins generate is sizable, and superbly defined. ANC deals with external sounds effectively but it's not the pool of silence some models manage to achieve. There's never any suggestion of the ANC at work though, and it doesn’t alter the sonic characteristics of the headphones either.
Battery life: Best-case battery life runs to 30 hours — which is about average these days. Charging time runs from ‘flat’ to full’ in just 2 hours, which is better than the 3 hours the old model needed. A 15-minute charge is good for 7 hours of playback. Charging is via the USB port on the right earcup.
- Read the full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Worthwhile price for out-and-out sound quality | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Understated and sophisticated | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Top-notch wireless audio | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | Good but not the best | ★★★★☆ |
The best ANC headphones overall
✅ You want the very best noise canceling: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have unrivaled ANC performance with adjustable ANC that work equally well to neutralize noise across different frequencies.
✅ You want to experience 3D audio: Bose's Immersive Audio gives a universal spatialized audio experience whatever music source or streaming platform you use. While not always entirely natural, it mostly sounds spectacular as your favorite music wraps around your head.
✅ You want a practical design for travel: The collapsible earcups allows the earcups to fold in towards the headband for practical stowage. They come with a rigid carry case, too.
❌ You want top-end call quality: Unfortunately, call quality didn't live up to the standards set by the Bose 700 predecessor. While they eliminated background noise on video and voice calls, some high-frequency sounds and wind did enter conversations.
❌ You need better than 24-hours battery life: At just 24-hours of battery life, and an estimated 18 hours with Immersive Audio, the Bose QC Ultra Headphones are lagging behind the latest generations of ANC models like the Sony WH-1000XM5s.
❌ You listen for longer periods: During our testing, the earpads had a tendency to get a bit hot sticky when placed on the head for longer periods. You may wish to consider a design that uses a breathable material on the earpads.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the noise canceling champion. Sound quality is strong and Bose's Immersive Audio brings a 3D experience to most music. While audio features and functionality have been improved over their predecessor, this all-new model costs significantly more than many ANC rivals out there.
What you need to know
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the best noise-canceling headphones on ANC performance. They introduce a new design over the Bose 700 predecessor, but look a lot closer to the QC45 and new QuietComfort Headphones. They have a nicely balanced sound with Immersive Audio for a 3D-like experience with all kinds of media, and 24 hours of battery life.
Design: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a collapsible design available in black, smoke or sandstone. Sturdy aluminum makes up most of the headphones’ composition and premium leather wraps around the headband and earcups. Weight is evenly distributed and results in a very comfortable fit.
Performance: As Bose's best-ever noise canceling headphone sound quality hasn't been overlooked. The QC Ultra have CustomTune technology to fine-tune audio based on the unique properties of your ear. On top of that, they support aptX Adaptive for Bluetooth playback. Bose's signature sound balance has a richness and warmth to it that's very pleasant, and there are plenty of adjustable sound options to tune them to personal tastes.
Battery life: Playback runs to 24 hours with ANC, which isn't as great as the latest models but should be enough for a week or so of playback between top-ups. Immersive Audio sees battery life drop to an estimated 18 hours. Charging is via USB-C and delivers an estimated 3.5 hours of charge in 15 minutes.
- Read the full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Worthwhile for the best noise cancelling | ★★★★★ |
| Design | Neat styling and controls | ★★★★☆ |
| Performance | Most flexible ANC out there | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | Lags behind latest rivals | ★★★★☆ |
The best luxury headphones
✅ You want specialist know-how: The Px8 are Bowers & Wilkins' most advanced noise-canceling headphones to date, and are a confident addition to the luxury headphone market and use high quality material for the best sound.
✅ You want versatile connectivity: Wireless audio is via Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive codec support when connected to compatible playback devices, and cables are supplied for wired headphone jack connections too.
✅ You enjoy hi-fi sound: A new driver material means bass is fast and agile, but it's the mid frequencies where these flagship headphones excel, delivering an abundance of natural detail and midrange clarity to make every voice syllable sound convincingly realistic.
❌ You want adjustable ANC: Noise-canceling runs to 'on'/'off'/'pass through' modes, but that's as far as it goes.
❌ You want touch controls on the earcups: The Px8 use a selection of physical control buttons to navigate playback and pairing instead of touch controls.
❌ You want EQ customization: There's no multi-band EQ adjustment for personal customization, but there are bass and treble controls available.
The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones balance design with audiophile credentials to impressive effect. ANC performance is satisfactory although not the market leader, but in terms of sound quality these are some of the most agile and engaging wireless headphones we’ve heard.
What you need to know
With bespoke 40mm Carbon Cone drive units for an even more detailed sound across all parts of the frequency range, and sumptuous materials to further aid comfort, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 flagship go up against the top noise-canceling headphones from the likes of Sennheiser and Sony.
Design: The frame looks similar to the company's Px7 S2 headphones, but earcups, memory-foam cushions and headband are all trimmed in Nappa leather to assert the Px8 as a premium product. The overall weight of the Px8 is a few ounces more than the Px7 S2, but it's evenly distributed and lighter than some wireless rivals.
Performance: Bass sounds natural and rich without feeling overly emphasized. They have an agile performance and it's easy to follow individual elements within the music and pick out different strands of the mix with ease. Mid frequencies deliver an abundance of natural detail and midrange clarity to make every syllable sound convincingly realistic.
Battery life: The Px8 runs to 30 hours of battery life and matches the Px7 S2, as well as its closest rival the Sony WH-1000XM5, but has some way to go to beat the 60-hour playback with ANC capabilities of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless. A 15-minute quick recharge is sufficient for up to 7 hours listening time.
- Read the full Bowers & Wilkins Px8 review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Expensive compared to rivals | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Luxury build and finish | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Agile and insightful sound | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | Good but not the best | ★★★★☆ |
Best mid-price headphones
✅ You want the best ANC battery life: The 50-hour battery life is a real crowd pleaser and make these mid-price ANC headphones the one to beat when it comes to longer listening times with ANC enabled.
✅ You like Sennheiser's sound: Based on Sennheiser's Momentum 4 Wireless but with slightly smaller drivers, the signature house sound handles a wide range of music content, from pounding beats to more mellow tunes with aplomb.
✅ You seek great value: These Sennheisers undercut close ANC rivals from Sony and Bose, scoring high in terms of overall value.
❌ You prefer classic styling: Based on the restyled Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, the Accentum look much like any other ANC headphone. We preferred the classic stainless steel headband that integrated as a slider for adjusting the earcups, and the vintage cool that made the over-ear Momentum 3 Wireless so recognizable and appealing.
❌ Want touch controls: There are no touch controls. Instead you get 4 physical buttons to control volume up/down, playback/call, and power/pairing modes. These are all on the right earcup.
❌ You want auto wear detection: There's an auto standby mode that can be activated in the Sennheiser Smart control app to shut down the headphones after a preset time, but no on-ear detection mode.
The Sennheiser Accentum have 50-hour battery life, which majorly ups the standards for the mid-price sector and is the one to beat. Add in the easy-going Sennheiser sound and effective noise canceling, and these are one of most practical wireless headphones we've seen at the price.
What you need to know
The Sennheiser Accentum headphones offer much of what made the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless so successful with strong sound and ANC performance, and sets the battery life standard for mid-price wireless headphone makers everywhere to aim for.
Design: They look similar to the Momentum 4 Wireless but without some of the niceties like touch controls or on-ear wear detection. Build quality is still high but the anonymous look won't excite as much as the company's classic headphone designs.
Performance: Sennheiser's sonic signature is geared towards a balanced sound across the entire frequency range, but that doesn't mean that it can't deliver big bass beats when it needs to. ANC is effective and doesn't affect the overall sound quality or frequency balance so listeners stay utterly absorbed in whatever music they're listening to.
Battery life: The headline feature is the 50 hour battery life with ANC fully enabled. Although not quite as high as the 60 hours offered by the Momentum 4 Wireless, this is remarkable high by comparison to other mid-priced headphone designs and outperforms the Sony WH-1000XM5 by some 20 hours.
- Read the full Sennheiser Accentum review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Perfectly pitched mid price | ★★★★★ |
| Design | Feels a bit anonymous | ★★★★☆ |
| Performance | Smooth sound and effective ANC | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | Best-ever ANC battery life | ★★★★★ |
Best high-end headphones
✅ You're serious about sound quality: The Focal Bathys walk the line between critical audiophile listening at home, while also practical and conveniently wireless to enable owners to enjoy them on the go.
✅ You want premium build: The Focal Bathys use the same high-quality construction as the company's flagship models but are 25% smaller and more lightweight.
✅ You want 24-bit/192kHz support: The onboard DAC is awesome for uncompromised 24-bit sound. Fidelity is increased and there’s a greater degree of tightness in the delivery.
❌ You want the best noise canceling: Rather than compete with heavyweights like Bose and Sony, Focal says it spent three years working on the technology to ensure the right balance of noise cancellation and sound.
❌ You want slick digital assistant support: Google Assistant was buggy, making us wait several seconds before the mics can register inquiries. Siri performance was even worse and didn't register any of our words.
❌ You don't like the high price: These are some of Focal’s most affordable headphones to date. By comparison, they cost at least twice as much as noise-canceling market leaders from Sony and Bose, and are even more expensive than the AirPods Max.
The Focal Bathys are a superb, high-performance headphone perfectly suited to audiophile listening at home, while also practical and conveniently wireless to enable owners to enjoy them on the go. The price may be high, but when you weigh up the top-tier audio performance, $799 is something of a bargain.
What you need to know
With Focal's all-new Bathys, the French audio specialist not only makes the leap into the wireless audio space, but also active noise cancelation (ANC), and are their most ambitious headphone release to date.
Design: The Bathys wireless design share many of the same qualities as Focal’s wired siblings. We’re talking everything from elegant craftsmanship to audiophile-grade sound using proprietary ‘M’-shape aluminum/magnesium drivers, but these latest headphones also come equipped with adjustable EQ, aptX Adaptive codec support over Bluetooth, and elite sound features that includes a built-on DAC/amp.
Performance: The combination of Focal’s M-dome speaker drivers and support for Hi-Res Audio ensures the Bathys sound spectacular. ANC mode doesn’t compromise sound quality. Soft mode scales down the bass a bit, but Silent raises it to give music a punchier delivery. The onboard DAC is awesome for uncompromised 24-bit sound. Fidelity is increased and there’s a greater degree of tightness in the performance.
Battery life: ANC playtime is standard at 30 hours. There is no option for disabling the feature. You can extend playtime up to 35 hours when in audio jack mode and up to 42 hours in DAC mode. All three ratings were accurate during testing, resulting in a week and a half of moderate use (3 hours daily).
- Read the full Focal Bathys review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Top-tier performance costs | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Versatile | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Top-notch audio quality | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | Battery life matches rivals | ★★★★☆ |