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Other wireless headphones we’ve tested
Wireless headphones are the default headphone these days, and there are nearly 1 gazillion of them (and counting). We try our best to test them all, but not everything we test can make it to the big list. Here are some other good options worth trying.
Audio Pro X case for $249: The Status Audio Pro However, these headphones look great and sound great, with a triple driver array (one dynamic for bass, and two Knowles balanced setups for the mid and high end), allowing them to stand above many other earphones.
Sony WH-1000XM5, $398: The Sony XM5 remains the best headphones, even after being supplanted by the even more impressive XM6. For a fairly significant price cut, you get great noise-cancelling technology, great sound, and luxurious comfort in an ultra-portable package.
Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 $280: These premium earbuds from Beyerdynamic have a nondescript look and don’t have the noise cancellation to compete with the Sony and Bose, but they sound great. If you’re looking for a great-sounding pair that won’t judge you in public, this is a great option for quiet luxury.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds for $500: Bowers & Wilkins brings its speaker prowess to the world with cutting-edge earphones. The Pi8 offers a premium, stylish design, excellent sound quality, and strong noise cancellation, albeit at a very high price. Like other earbuds we’ve tested recently, one of the Pi8’s coolest features is the ability to stream audio from wired audio sources via the charging case, which can really come in handy on long flights.
Edifier Stax Spirit S5 for $500: These high-flying headphones lack noise cancellation, but they make up for it with fantastically clear sound from their advanced planar magnetic drivers that use specialized magnetic technology for crystal clear delivery. If you can afford their high price, they’re a fun investment that delves into the essence of your music like few headphones in their class.
Soundcore Space A40 for $45: Even though they’ve moved from our main list, the Space A40 are still among the best earbuds you’ll find for the money. Its sleek, premium design is enhanced by powerful features, clear, detailed sound, and excellent noise cancellation for the price.
Sonos Ace for $399: The Sonos Ace is an expensive but impressive first effort from Sonos, with great noise cancellation, great sound, and one of (if not the) most comfortable designs the More comfortable) you will find in the game. Some initial software bugs hampered its performance upon release, including an issue with the TV Swap feature that lets you pass audio from Sonos speakers to the Ace, but this appears to have been fixed, making it an excellent choice – especially for those already invested in the Sonos approach.
Beats Solo 4 for $150: We love Beats headphones these days, but this pair was a little lacking in features for us at its standard $200 price. Now that they’re out, we can highly recommend them for people looking for a pair of wireless headphones that don’t have a noise-cancelling feature.
Technologies EAH-AZ80 for $161: The AZ80 are great earbuds. The most noteworthy feature is comfortably pairing with three devices at once, but it packs a punch with good noise cancellation technology, top-notch sound quality, and seven different ear tip options for a remarkably comfortable fit.
Beats Studio Pro for $250: The Studio Pro delivers high-quality performance, including surprisingly clear audio, good noise cancellation, and a refreshingly natural transparency mode. The design feels a bit cheap, and they skip features like auto-pause, but extras like Hands-Free Siri and head tracking with spatial audio help boost their value — especially since their selling price sometimes drops to about half their original MSRP of $350.
Sony WH-CH720N, $150: These Sony boxes may have a silly name, but their sheer value makes up for it. It’s not as flexible as the best options and doesn’t come with a case, but the sound quality and noise cancellation are excellent for the money. It’s also built to last and has a long-lasting battery, making it a great choice for careful shoppers.
Master and Dynamic MH40 for $399: The second generation M&D MH40 packs great sound into an equally great design, with luxurious trims like lambskin and metal parts instead of plastic. Its lack of advanced features, other than noise cancellation, makes it an expensive gateway to simplicity, but it’s style for days on end.
Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT for $219: The original ATH-M50X delivers balanced sound and outstanding durability, making it a ubiquitous presence in music and film studios. But what if you want to take it with you between shots? Enter the ATH-M50XBT, which partners a wired studio connection with Bluetooth for wireless freedom. It doesn’t offer noise cancellation or other advanced features but is great for combining art and play.
Sony Linkbuds Open: The Linkbuds Open have a neat trick: speakers with holes in the middle that let the world around you into environmental awareness. They’re not suitable for noisy environments, which limits their use cases, but they’re among the best options in the growing trend of open-ear headphones.
If you’re new to wireless headphones or need a refresher, here are some helpful pointers to know before you buy.
Noise cancellation It is a technology that uses external microphones and digital processing to absorb the sounds around you and invert the polarity of their frequencies, essentially canceling them out at high speeds to create the impression of silence.
Transparency modealso known as “listen” or “ambient” sound mode, is the opposite of noise cancellation, using the headphones’ external microphones to bring in sound around you. This can keep you aware of your surroundings, and is especially useful when you’re exercising, walking in crowded areas, or just having a quick conversation.
Bluetooth It is the wireless format that all portable wireless headphones use to connect and play audio from devices such as a phone, computer, or tablet.
Multipoint Bluetooth Connectivity allows Bluetooth headphones to connect to more than one source device (such as a phone or computer) at a time. This handy feature lets you seamlessly switch between your connected devices to do things like make phone calls, video calls, or watch a video on your computer between Spotify sessions on your phone.
Look for me It is an Apple feature that allows you to track devices like your AirPods from the web. Many non-Apple wireless headphones also have some form of Find My feature, though it’s usually reserved for earbuds due to their small size.
IP Ratings Used to ensure that electronics are resistant to dust and water. In general, the higher a device’s IP rating, the better its dust and water resistance. You can learn more in our explanation of IP ratings.
equivalent It stands for equalization, which in the case of wireless headphones uses digital processing to adjust parameters such as bass, midrange and treble. EQ presets are the most common, but multi-band EQs are better for those who want advanced control over each audio recording.
Shipping cases They’re included with almost all fully wireless earbuds, allowing you to set the buds in the case to recharge on the go. Most charging cases offer two or more charges, and to recharge the case itself, you can usually use a USB-C cable or a wireless charger.
We test headphones and earbuds the way we live. We take them to the gym, wear them around the office, travel with them, and generally try to use them where we expect potential buyers to use them. If the pair declares dust or water resistance, we test it. We drop test cases, test cables, charging times, and battery life, and note everything we find exceptional for our readers.
Although we don’t typically use a specific playlist of music to test each pair, we aim to test vocal, rock, hip-hop, pop, country and a variety of other genres with each pair of headphones, ensuring we provide a good perspective on the sound signature across genres and sizes. To reduce noise, we tested the headphones in real environments and noted our results. When possible, we try to have a variety of people wearing headphones with different head and ear shapes, to make sure we’re considering the widest possible audience.
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