Best over-ear headphones of 2026

Why do I love them

The Collexion are the best pair of headphones I’ve tested this year and easily one of the best pairs of wireless headphones on the market. Obviously, they are also quite expensive. But like Bowers & Wilkins with its flagship PX8 S2, Sony is targeting an audience willing to pay big bucks for headphones with a real luxury vibe and that extra bit of high sound quality. Most people can’t afford the Collexion, and it’s debatable whether they’re worth $200 more than Sony’s WH-1000XM6, but there’s no denying that these are great wireless headphones. Read the full review.

Reasons to buy

If you can afford their exceptionally high price, these are arguably the best wireless headphones on the market. It features a very comfortable fit and elegant design; Moreover, it offers great sound, noise cancellation and voice call performance.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

If you can live with the slightly inferior WH-1000XM6 or another very good high-end headset that costs a few hundred dollars less, you might want to pass them up due to the price.

Why do I love them

Over the past few years, Sony has made some of the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market. So it’s a big deal when the company releases a new flagship model, like the WH-1000XM6, which comes three years after the release of the WH-1000XM5. Although the XM5 was – and still is – one of the best over-ear Bluetooth headphones, there is always room for improvement. With the XM6, Sony has fixed the small design flaws of its predecessor while improving overall performance. The result is a headset that is arguably ahead of the competition and now sits at the top of its category. Read my review of the WH-1000XM6.

Reasons to buy

The WH-1000XM6 is excellent for frequent travelers, remote workers, and commuters who demand top-notch sound quality, noise cancellation, and call quality in a very comfortable headset. If you can afford the high price, you’ll appreciate what Sony has achieved here.

Reasons to skip or keep looking

If you’re budget-conscious or already own Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones, you should wait until they go on sale. They offer significant improvements over the XM5s, but not enough to warrant a rushed upgrade at full price.

Why do I love them

While the new Ultras 2025 look almost exactly like the original QuietComfort Ultr a Headphones released in 2025 23 – and it’s unclear what exactly has changed from a hardware perspective – this second-generation model features several improvements, including slightly better sound, improved noise cancellation, USB-C audio, a new immersive audio cinema mode, and improved battery life (it’s now rated for up to 30 hours instead of 24 hours and the earbuds can now be charged during use via the USB-C port).

For noise cancellation, they’re neck and neck with Sony’s new WH-1000XM6 headphones as the two companies battle for ANC supremacy. Before this 2nd generation model arrived, I had the Sony XM6s slightly ahead, but with the small but noticeable improvements Bose has made, it’s hard to say which headset is better. This may depend on how they feel on your head – both are quite comfortable though.

Reasons to buy

They’re a good choice for frequent travelers, commuters, and professionals who want comfortable, well-designed headphones with impressive overall performance, including superb noise-canceling capabilities.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Those on a tighter budget should obviously look to more mid-range and budget earphone options.

Why do I love them

Baseus has two new-for-2025 headphones – the Inspire XP1 and Inspire XC1 – and a set of full-size headphones (the Inspire XH1) featuring Sound by Bose, and they’re all good values. They have solid sound for their price, a more premium design than most “cheap” headphones, and good overall performance. Not only are the XH1s quite light (275 grams) and comfortable to wear, but they also have decent build quality, respectable noise cancellation, and excellent battery life for just over $100. I also liked how they not only fold, but fold flat and come with a carrying case and a 3.5mm cable for wired listening. Their playback controls are also good, although I had to dig through the instructions to figure out that you hold down the volume buttons to skip forward and backward through tracks.

Reasons to buy

You’re looking for comfortable, well-designed noise-cancelling headphones that sound great and cost a lot less than high-end models from Sony, Bose and others.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

High-end flagship models from Bose and Sony offer better performance in sound, noise cancellation and voice calls. In other words, you can’t expect much from the headphones at this price.

Anker’s new Soundcore Space 2 headphones for 2026 ($130) are a definite upgrade over its predecessor, the first Space. Not only do they feature a sleeker, more comfortable design, but they also have improved sound and noise cancellation. At about a quarter of the price of Sony’s $450 WH-1000XM6 and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) headphones, they’re a great, more affordable alternative to those models. Although they get more of a B-plus for overall performance, they get an A grade in the value department. Read the full review.

Why do I love them

Although the AirPods Max 2 are similar to the Max (USB-C), they now include a new “dynamic range” amplifier and Apple’s H2 chip (the original Max was powered by the H1), which adds a host of features already available in the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 and helps improve the earbuds’ performance in several key ways. Although Apple hasn’t upgraded the microphones, the H2 chip supports Apple’s Voice Isolation feature, which improves voice and video call performance. In addition to this, the sound quality and noise cancellation are improved. Read my full AirPods Max 2 review.

Reasons to buy

Before the Max 2 arrived, I probably would have told you to get Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones instead of the Max, which seemed just a little behind the times. But now that the Max 2s are here, they offer real benefits to Apple users from a feature and usability standpoint. As long as you’re comfortable with the fit of the Max 2, it’s a pretty safe choice if you can afford it.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Besides their high price, the other potential disadvantage is their heavy weight. Although I found them comfortable, some people may have difficulty with this.

Why do I love them

If you’re looking for evidence that the Trump administration’s tariffs are affecting consumer electronics prices, look no further than the new flagship PX8 S2 noise-canceling headphones from Bowers & Wilkins. The original version had a list price of $699 when it launched, but this second-generation model is coming out at $799 (£629). Read the review.

Is it too expensive to pay? For most people, yes, but the PX8 S2 over-ear headphones are easily one of my favorites. Not only do they sound better than the original PX8, but the earbuds and carrying case have been slimmed down and the noise-cancelling and voice call performance has been improved, making them a premium wireless headset choice for those with deep enough pockets to afford them.

Reasons to buy

While other premium noise-canceling headphones, such as the Sony WH-1000XM6 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), arguably offer a few extra features and superior noise-canceling capabilities, the PX8 S2 boasts a more premium design and best-in-class sound quality for Bluetooth headphones.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The PX8 S2 offers a bit more refined sound than the Sony WH-XM6s and also a more premium design, but the XM6s also sound great, have excellent noise-canceling and voice call performance, and are just as comfortable, if not slightly more so (they’re lighter) for about $350 less. Bowers & Wilkins’ step-down PX7 S3 also costs $350 less, and while they don’t have as luxurious a finish and come with different speakers (they don’t sound as good as the PX8 S2), they share a lot in common with the PX8 S2.

Why do I love them

The Momentum 5 Wireless is in the same chassis as the Momentum 4 Wireless, but Sennheiser has significantly improved its noise cancellation performance. It also added spatial audio with head tracking, as well as a user-replaceable battery and a few other small feature updates. The result is an excellent headset that is a good alternative to Sony’s WH-1000XM6, especially for fans of Sennheiser’s attractive, clear and precise sound. Read the full review.

Reasons to buy

The much-improved noise cancellation is really the biggest change to the Momentum 5 Wireless, correcting its predecessor’s biggest weakness and making the Momentum 5 a worthwhile alternative to flagship models from Sony, Bose, and Apple.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Sennheiser will need to drop the price of the Momentum 5 Wireless to around $300 or $325 to create some price separation and make it easier for consumers to choose them over competing models.

Why do I love them

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 may not be the company’s flagship headset (the new PX8 S2s are), but they arguably offer the best value since the PX8 S2 costs a whopping $799. Although this upgraded model has a slightly classier finish, as well as upgraded drivers that improve the sound of the headphones (the PX8 S2 sounds superb), the two headphones are quite similar. Like the PX8 S2, the PX7 S3 offers improved sound quality and superior noise cancellation in a more compact (300 grams) design that fits my head more comfortably. As I said, the drivers aren’t the same as the PX8 S2’s carbon cone drivers, but the redesigned 40mm biocellulose drive units have an improved chassis, voice coil, suspension and magnet that B&W says offer “lower coloration and distortion, improved resolution and higher dynamics.” Read my review.

Reasons to buy

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3, with its sleek and chic design, are excellent noise-canceling headphones that are a marked improvement over their predecessor. That said, the main reason to buy these over Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones, which carry the same list price, is that you like the way they look better. They also have USB-C audio, unlike the XM6.

Reason to skip/keep searching

From an aesthetic point of view, I prefer the design of the PX7 S3 to that of the Sony WH-1000XM6. But I can’t say that the PX7 S3s are more comfortable or sound better (I slightly preferred the sound of the Sony, in fact). The Sonys offer slightly better noise-cancelling and voice call performance, as well as additional features like Speak-to-Chat mode and Quick Attention. If you already own the older PX7 S2e, it’s probably not worth shelling out full price for the PX7 S3. The same goes if you own Bowers & Wilkins’ flagship PX8, which could get the S2 treatment in the future. The PX7 S3 looks more exciting than the PX8, but it’s debatable whether it sounds better. I would give a slight nod to the PX8 but that’s just my personal taste.

Why do I love them

We reviewed Skullcandy’s Roc Nation Aviator wired headphones back in 2011. Now, Skullcandy has brought back the Aviator design in a noise-canceling wireless model called the Aviator 900 ANC headphones. This surprised me because Skullcandy is better known for its Crusher headphones, which offer jaw-dropping bass, but not so-called premium-sounding headphones. However, the Aviator 900, developed in partnership with THX, delivers surprisingly impressive sound. They’re not that great out of the box, but after making some tweaks to the EQ in the app and enabling THX spatial audio, the sound improves considerably and is arguably more exciting than the sound of the new Nothing Headphone (1) and more fun to listen to.

Like the Nothing Headphones (1), the Aviator 900 ANC also costs $300 and has a translucent theme. However, the Aviator 900 is lighter (289 grams) and more comfortable to wear. Plus, not only does it fold flat, it packs down into a well-designed shoulder travel bag and has nifty physical control buttons. I also liked the built-in mini LED display, although its value is questionable since you can’t see it while wearing the headphones. It, too, performs well in noise cancellation and voice calls, although the Nothing Headphone (1) may have a slight edge in those departments. Despite this, I slightly preferred the Skullcandy headphones for their fit and sound, especially after a firmware update fixed an early issue some people were experiencing with sound distorting at higher volumes.

Reasons to buy

The Aviator 900 ANC headphones offer a comfortable fit and solid overall performance in a unique, eye-catching design.

Reasons to skip or keep looking

The headphones are quite expensive, so you may want to wait until they go on sale. They dropped as low as $200 during Amazon Prime Day, and I think we’ll see them sporadically marked down to close to $200 as we head into the holiday shopping season.

Why do I love them

We’ve always been fans of Sony’s MDR-7506 wired studio headphones, which have long been the favorite headphones of audio engineers and other audio professionals. The MDR-M1 2024 is essentially a higher-end version of the 7506, offering sound that’s hard to match for the price. These are the wired headphones that will make you realize what you are missing after listening to wireless headphones for so long. They have a powerful, open sound with excellent clarity, precision and tight bass. Not only is their sound a notable improvement over the 7506s, but these get high marks for their comfort level (they weigh 216 grams). No, there’s no noise cancellation, but the soft, plush ear cushions provide good passive noise isolation.

Although they play louder with a headphone amp, they’re easy to drive (50 ohms), so you can plug them directly into the headphone port of a computer or smartphone (probably with a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter). They come with detachable 1.2m and 2.5m straight cables and a 3.5mm to 6.3mm screw-on plug adapter, but no pouch or carrying case is included. The only downside I see is that the ear cushions aren’t that deep, so it’s possible that those with large ears that stick out a bit might have issues with the M1’s fit — your ears might press against the drivers, which are remarkable for delivering distortion-free sound, even at higher volume levels. That said, they feel like an upgraded version of the 7506, so if those worked for you, these should too.

Reasons to buy

You can get more expensive audiophile wired headphones, but the MDR-M1 offers very good value for money thanks to its relatively affordable price. They both sound great and are comfortable to wear.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Those looking for the convenience of wireless connectivity should obviously look elsewhere, as these are purely wired headphones. Additionally, while it’s clearly an upgrade over the MDR-7506, some people may find that this model’s price increase doesn’t quite match the performance improvement offered by the MDR-M1. In other words, you might be just fine with the MDR-7506, which costs less than half the price.

The Nothing Headphone (1) turned out to be more impressive than I expected. Nothing has always been a good marketing company that usually does an outstanding job promoting its products. Its first headphones were a little more style than substance (performance has improved with newer models), but this headset’s sturdy, eye-catching design is backed by solid performance. While I have a few gripes with the headset being a bit heavy and slightly prefer the sound quality of some competing models, this is one of the best new headphones of 2025. It will be interesting to see if its price can come down a bit to make it an even more compelling premium noise-canceling headphone option. Read the Nothing Headphone review (1).

Reasons to buy

If you can’t afford the AirPods Max or Sony WH-1000XM6 and want a pair of rugged headphones with a unique look that also offer solid performance, the Nothing Headphone (1) is an intriguing alternative.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The design isn’t for everyone and it falls a bit short of high-end models like the Sony WH-1000XM6.

Why do I love them

Love them or hate them, Beats Studio headphones are some of the most popular headphones of all time, launched as wired headphones in 2008. This is the fourth generation of them, and they have the same list price as their r predecessor and look very similar on the outside but have big changes on the inside that make them significantly better headphones. I’m tempted to describe them as more affordable plastic versions of the AirPods Max. However, this is not entirely accurate due to a choice of chipsets and a notable missing feature. But read my full review to find out what makes this a really good headset with a few small caveats.

Reason to buy

The Studio Pros are the best Beats over-ear headphones, aimed at Apple and Android users. Android users benefit from multi-point Bluetooth pairing with automatic switching between devices linked to your Google account, while Apple users sign in to their iCloud account but must manually switch between devices. For Apple users, there’s spatial audio with head tracking when watching videos and hands-free Siri access. Those who prefer a more exciting, edgy sound signature rather than more laid-back options will find them appealing and should work well with a variety of music genres.

Reason to skip/keep searching

The only big problem here is the lack of ear detection sensors: Most $350 over-ear headphones have this feature, meaning your music doesn’t automatically pause when you take the earbuds off. I also think Beats made a mistake in not powering them with Apple’s H2 chip, because going forward you won’t get any more feature upgrades designed for that chip. Android users don’t get spatial audio with head tracking or hands-free Siri.

Why do I love them

Many people expected the first Sonos headphones to be able to stream lossless audio over Wi-Fi in your home and then use Bluetooth outside of your Sonos home network. However, Sonos representatives told me that listening to music over Wi-Fi would significantly reduce the headset’s battery life, and the company opted to disable this feature. So while they’re equipped with a Wi-Fi chip so you can access a Sonos soundbar at home for late-night private viewing (Sonos calls this the TV Audio Swap feature), they’re not really Wi-Fi headphones and are primarily noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones – and I’ve mostly been pretty impressed with them. Read my review of the Sonos Ace.

Sleek in design, at 312 grams, they’re not as light as the 254-gram Sony WH-1000XM6 or the 253-gram Bose QuietComfort Ultras, but they’re considerably lighter than the 385-gram AirPods Max and I found them quite comfortable to wear, with a relatively small gap between the headband and my head (they hugged my head nicely with just the right amount of tightness). I also liked that their chrome metal insert allows the earbuds to swivel in multiple directions—the hinge is hidden—and that the earbuds stick magnetically like they do on the AirPods Max and are replaceable, which is nice.

Overall, the Sonos Ace headphones perform very well across the board, with strong noise cancellation, excellent sound quality, and very good voice call performance. Well balanced, they sound clear with lovely detail and sparkling highs, as well as punchy, powerful bass that doesn’t get loud. Vocals sounded natural and the headphones have a relatively wide soundstage. It’s also good to see that the headphones support USB-C audio (wired listening with a USB-C cable) and spatial audio with head tracking.

Reasons to buy

The Sonos Ace are one of the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market, rivaling flagship models from Sony, Apple and Bose. Now that they’ve been available for over a year, we’re seeing some good discounts, making them a better value and potential alternative to Sony’s new WH-1000XM6 headphones. While you don’t need to be a Sonos speaker owner to purchase them, Sonos soundbar owners can take advantage of the TV Audio Swap feature for late-night private viewing (the Ace offers virtual surround sound in this mode).

Reasons to skip/keep looking

You can make the argument that Sony’s new WH-1000XM6s are slightly better overall for around the same price (I’m talking list price – and yes, they are too expensive for some people). But with the Ace selling for just $330, it’s an easier sell.

Why do I love them

Sony’s improved entry-level noise-cancelling headphones, the CH-720N, have a bit of a plasticky vibe, but they’re lightweight (just 192 grams) and very comfortable. Part of me expected them to sound pretty mediocre, but I was pleasantly surprised, as these headphones offer a good overall tonal balance with punchy bass, decent clarity, and a fairly wide soundstage (the headphones are suitable for a variety of music genres. They also offer decent noise cancellation and good voice call performance.

No, they don’t sound as good or perform as well as the WH-1000XM5 headphones or Sony’s new WH-1000XM6 headphones. But they sound more premium than they look – and feel – and their overall performance is superior to that of their predecessor, the CH-710Ns. Is it worth $150? Maybe – or maybe not. But the good news is that, like the CH-710N and WH-XB910 before them, these are often marked down to over $100, making them a good value.

Reasons to buy

Budget-conscious buyers looking for Sony quality at an accessible price will find these offer a significant step up from truly entry-level headphone options.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The main reason you don’t get them is that you just want a premium noise-cancelling headset that not only offers better build quality, but also better overall performance, as well as more advanced features like ear detection sensors, LDAC audio codec support, and Sony’s Quick Attention and Speak-To-Chat features. Sony also leaves out any sort of carrying case or pouch with these headphones, which is slightly disappointing.

Why do I love them

I was a fan of Beyerdynamic’s previous DT 770 Pro headphones. The new DT 700 Pro

These headphones are aimed at content creators who want accurate audio reproduction, but they sound a little more dynamic and less timid than many studio headphones, which tend to restrict bass and tend toward a very neutral sound profile. The DT 700 Pro

Unlike the previous DT 770 Pro, which sold for a nice price (around $160), the DT 700 Pro X comes with two interchangeable (detachable) straight cables of different lengths, and the DT 700 Pro

Solidly built – they weigh 350 grams – they’re quite comfortable, featuring soft, velor-covered memory foam earcups that provide decent passive noise isolation. The earpads and other parts of the headphones are replaceable, says Beyerdynamic.

Reasons to buy

If you’re looking for great-sounding, fairly affordable wired studio headphones, the DT700 Pro X fits the bill.

Reasons to skip or keep looking

Beyerdynamic also sells the DT 900 X open for $30 less. This model should deliver a slightly more open and airy sound, but the big downside is that people around you can hear everything you’re listening to – and the sound leaks out too. This closed version is more versatile.