Other headphones we like
Every month seems to bring new headphones with longer battery life, new features, and more compact designs. As such, we can’t list everything we like. But if you’re still on the hunt, here are some other recommendations.
Nothing ear (a) for $59: It took me a long time to recommend a pair of apparent AirPods Pro clones as the best headphones for most people, but it shows how much I actually like the Nothing ear (a). These sleek little yellow earbuds come in a sleek, clear charging case, and they offer great sound and decent noise cancellation for under $100 retail. I liked how easily they connect to Android and iOS devices and that their lightweight, compact design helps them stay comfortable during longer listening sessions. The larger and more expensive Nothing Ears are also good, but they don’t quite match the svelte silhouette of the Ear(a).
Status Audio Pro X for $239: The multi-driver panel inside these cool headphones from the little-known brand Status Audio helps them stand out from the rest when it comes to audio quality. A dynamic bass driver pairs with a set of Knowles balanced armatures for the high mids and highs, providing a ton of musical separation between instruments and delivering some of the best bass detail we’ve heard in a pair of headphones to date. The warm EQ works with both pop and acoustic music, and the Pro X supports Sony’s LDAC Bluetooth codec for near-lossless streaming quality. We compared them to the best from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and Technics, and found that the Pro
Technical EAH-AZ80 for $165: The technical sequel to the fantastic EAH-AZ80 provides the trickle-down driver technology of the brand’s hi-fi in-ear headphones, the EAH-TZ700. The result for the AZ100 is an even richer, more detailed sound that digs deep into instrumental textures to reveal new dimensions in old songs. The headphones add new features like Dolby-powered Spatial Audio and Bluetooth LE Audio support for future-proofing, as well as old favorites like three-device multipoint pairing and slightly improved noise cancellation. The slimmer design isn’t as ergonomic as the AZ80 to my ears, but they’re still comfortable, and the battery life of up to 10 hours per charge with ANC lets you listen well beyond Bose and Apple headphones. —Ryan Waniata
Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 for $150: These high-end headphones from Beyerdynamic look indescribable and sound fantastic, but they possess none of the superlative qualities of the buds on the list above. If you’re looking for a sleek-looking headset with fantastic voice definition, these are worth considering.
Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 for $159: These buds of Audio technology offer 15 hours of battery life with noise cancellation enabled, which is the longest we’ve tested in a pair of headphones. Despite a somewhat bulky appearance, they are actually very ergonomic, with several pairs of tips included to ensure good support. A cool magnetic feature lets you clip the earbuds together when they’re not in their wireless charging case to go into sleep mode. These aren’t the best performing headphones for the price, nor the best noise canceling, but if you want a pair that will last several work days (or a very long one), these are a great option. (Note: These are out of stock on Amazon.)
Soundcore Space A40 for $45: Although no longer on our main list, the Space A40s are still among my favorite headphones for the price, offering good features, clear sound, and excellent noise cancellation for their price class. They also look refined, with only the lack of auto-pause sensors betraying their low price.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for $100 to $200: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are getting old, but they’re still some of the best headphones to pair with a Samsung phone. They don’t have the multi-device connectivity of our top pick for Android users, and their five-hour battery seems pretty short these days, but they offer excellent sound quality, IPX7 waterproofing, and a distinctive design that doesn’t just copy the AirPods Pro. This makes them worth considering for sale.
Sony Linkbuds Fit for $200: Sony’s Linkbuds Fit deliver rich, punchy sound, a naturalistic transparency mode, and a lightweight, comfortable fit, helping them live up to their intention as a “wear anywhere” solution. They offer solid features, but skimp on battery life with just 5.5 hours per charge, and their noise cancellation is just okay. Their strangely unresponsive touch controls and reliance on flimsy silicone sleeves further diminish their value, but these are still Sony headphones and might be worth buying on a good sale.
Montblanc MTB 03 for $395: The price of these headphones is out of reach for most buyers, but if you have the money, you will be rewarded with a luxury experience worthy of the brand. Montblanc enlisted the help of audio industry heavyweights to design and voice these headphones. The result is a comfortable and quite flashy little pair of wireless earbuds that looks seriously impressive.
Raycon Everyday Earbuds for $80: These YouTuber’s Beloved Headphones Are Actually a cheap and decent pair. They’re small and lightweight and feature an IPX6 rating, making them perfect for workouts.
Headphones to avoid
As a general rule, you should avoid headphones that don’t support Bluetooth 5.0 (or higher) or that don’t offer at least five hours of battery life, which is more like six these days. Wireless earphone batteries degrade over time, so the longer your battery life initially, the more tolerable it will be in two to three years.
Apple AirPods (previous or current generation) for $119 to $170: These headphones do some things well, but we don’t like them very much. (Read our latest review.) They have decent battery life, come in a compact case, and work well for calls, but they don’t fit all ears well, and since they don’t have tips or wings, you’re out of luck if they’re loose. The more expensive model adds noise cancellation, which works about as well as you’d expect for a pair that doesn’t offer a good seal. Want clear music, good noise cancellation, and advanced features designed for iPhones at a lower price than AirPods Pro 3? Get it AirPods Pro generation 2which sometimes cost more (and sometimes less) but are legitimately excellent.
Beats Solo Buds for $70: These are dull in practically in every way possibleespecially when it comes to features for the money. Their best traits are their micro-size and big battery, but that’s it. It’s strange, because we like the brand’s other headphones, but these just don’t keep up. The best that can be said is that they are cheap.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 for $170: A Pair of cyber-rigged AirPods clonesthe headphones from the new Galaxy Buds range work less well than they already appear. Without ear tips, these are uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time and the noise cancellation is virtually useless.
How we define wireless headphones
We have seen this category go by several names: true wireless earbuds, truly wireless earbuds, fully wireless earbuds, fully wireless earbuds, wireless earbuds, etc.. These days, if a pair of headphones connects to your phone/computer via Bluetooth and doesn’t have a cord connecting the left earbud to the right, we just call them wireless. Wireless sets typically come with two popcorn-sized earbuds, each with a battery inside, and a charging cradle that carries an extra battery and keeps them secure when you’re not wearing them. Some wireless earbuds have a cable or neckband that connects the two earbuds together, usually found on workout earbuds from brands like Shokz.
Getting rid of all the cords may seem liberating, but these come with problems, such as limited battery life (don’t buy one with less than five hours), confusing controls, and relying on a charging case. They’re also easier to lose than traditional earbuds, and replacing an earbud can be expensive. That said, it’s one of the most innovative technology categories, offering a host of new features, from heart rate monitors to OTCs. hearing aid functionalitywith more added with each new generation. These days, features like noise cancellation and transparency mode are standard, while the growing open-back earphone category offers a more natural way to stay aware of your surroundings.
We test headphones and earbuds like we live. We take them to the gym, wear them to the office, travel with them, and generally try to use them because we anticipate potential buyers will use them. If a pair advertises dust or water resistance, we test it. We ditch the review cases and test cables, charging times, and battery life, and we rate everything we find exceptional for our readers.
While we don’t typically use a set playlist of music to test each pair, our goal is to test acoustic, rock, hip hop, pop, country, and a variety of other genres with each pair of headphones, making sure to provide a good perspective on the sound signature across genres and volumes. For noise reduction, we test the headphones in real-world environments and record our results. Where possible, we try to get headphones worn by a variety of people with different head and ear shapes, to ensure we have the widest possible audience in mind.
Power up with unlimited access to CABLE. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe today.
