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Key Points
- When choosing the best wireless headphones, there are many factors to consider, including sound quality, battery life, and price, among others.
- The Sony WH-1000XM4 was voted the best wireless headphone.
- If budget is a concern, the Sony WH-CH510 may be for you.
If you love listening to music, chances are that you also love listening to it on the go. With wireless headphones, there’s no need to worry about cables getting in your way or phones and iPods falling out of your pocket. They allow you to roam freely around your home or office, listening to music or watching videos with ease and convenience.
Having a pair of the best wireless headphones eliminates the need to deal with any pesky cords. But with so many different brands and products available, how can you know which wireless headphones meet your needs? We’ve reviewed five of the best wireless headphones on the market today to help you find the best product that fits your lifestyle.
- Best Overall: Sony WH-1000XM4
- Best Budget Option: Sony WH-CH510
- Best Noise-Canceling: Bose 700
- Best for iPhone: Apple AirPods Max
- Best for Gaming: HyperX Cloud Alpha
Best Overall Wireless Headphones:Sony WH-1000XM4
- Bundle Includes: Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Canceling Over-Ear Headphones (Black) and 10000mAh Ultra-Portable LED Display Wireless Battery Bank with PD3.0 18W Quick Charge and USB-C In/Out
- Features: Industry-leading noise cancelation technology means you hear every word, note, and tune with incredible clarity, no matter your environment. These noise-canceling headphones feature...
- Next-level music with Edge-AI: Using Edge-AI (Artificial Intelligence) co-developed with Sony Music Studios Tokyo, DSEE Extreme (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) upscales compressed digital music...
- Powerful Battery: WH-1000XM4 headphones are made to last all day and then some, whether you're focused on your work or flying around the globe. Up to 30 hours of battery life on a single charge keeps...
- Speak-to-Chat: As soon as you speak to someone, Speak-to-Chat automatically stops the music and lets in ambient sound so you can conduct a conversation – handy if you want to keep your headphones...
The Sony WH-1000XM4 is our top pick for the best wireless headphones overall. They have great sound, which makes them perfect for playing video games. These headphones also offer great battery life and are truly lightweight, making them easy to carry around or wear for long periods.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 might not look any different from the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. However, there are several notable improvements here, like auto-play/pause through a built-in sensor, conversational awareness, DSEE Extreme upscaling, and multipoint pairing.
These Bluetooth headphones also support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format ( responsible for transmitting spatial audio on stereo headphones) and the LDAC codec, which can carry data at up to 990 kbps. Your experience with high-resolution audio support may vary since they no longer support aptX or aptX HD.
Features
The Sony WH-1000XM4 have a built-in noise-canceling feature that allows you to listen to music or watch videos without being disturbed by other sounds around you. The headphones also have an adjustable headband so you can adjust the fit of your headphones while they are on your head.
You can manually change the amount of noise reduction, as with their predecessor, or use adaptive noise cancellation, which adapts to your surroundings. So, this pair is both comfortable and great at blocking out ambient sound. It also offers amazing sound quality! If you don’t mind losing out on some bass response, these are a great option.
Specifications
| Form factor | Over-ear |
| Noise-cancelling | Yes |
| Battery life | 30 hours |
| Weight | 253g |
| Bluetooth range | 30 feet |
Check out Sony WH-1000XM4 on Amazon.
Best Budget Option: Sony WH-CH510
- Listen all day long with up to 35 hours of playback time
- Listen to your favorite tracks wirelessly with a Bluetooth wireless technology by pairing your smartphone or tablet
- 30mm driver unit for dynamic sound
- Swivel design for easy travel
- Easy hands-free calling and voice assistant commands with microphone
If you’re looking for a reasonably-priced pair of wireless headphones, don’t forget to check out Sony WH-CH510. At $59, these lightweight and comfortable headphones deliver excellent sound quality. What’s more, they’re designed to be durable enough to withstand life on the go.
The WH-CH510 come with an NFC chip and Bluetooth technology that enables you to listen wirelessly up to 30 feet away from your device. A 35-hour battery provides plenty of listening time between charges, too—and there’s even a built-in microphone so you can take calls while wearing them!
They are a terrific pair for a really impressive price, even though they lack the build quality and frequency range of headphones costing nearly ten times as much.
Since they are on-ear headphones rather than over-ear headphones, the soundscape isn’t as immersive as it could be. You might also hear some background noise. But for people who need to stay awake at home or in an office, this might be a bonus rather than a drawback. For what they offer, these headphones are a steal at their price point.
Specifications
| Form factor | On-Ear |
| Noise-canceling | No |
| Weight | 132g |
| Battery life | 35 hours |
| Bluetooth range | 30 feet |
| Frequency response | 20Hz to 20kHz |
Check out Sony WH-CH510 on Amazon.
Best Noise-Cancelling Wireless Headphones: Bose 700
- 11 levels of active noise canceling
- Microphone system adapts to noisy and windy environments
- Intuitive touch control on the earcups
- Lightweight stainless steel headband and tilted earcups
- Up to 20 hours of wireless battery life on a single charge
The Bose 700 noise-canceling headphones have been designed to give you the most immersive sound possible. If you’re looking for a serious set of noise-canceling headphones that don’t have any audio quality tradeoffs, then Bose is your best bet.
Although they are a bit pricy, they both offer comfort and cancel out nearly 100% of ambient noise, allowing you to focus on what’s most important – your music. Plus, the battery lasts up to 20 hours before needing a recharge.
These headphones use a collection of eight microphones for adaptive, active noise cancellation, which ensures that your podcasts, calls, and music sound great. And if you need to hear things like travel announcements, you can turn the ANC down to keep informed and aware of your surroundings.
In addition, the Bose Music app allows you to quickly and conveniently stream music from services such as Spotify and Apple Music. What’s more, you can create custom equalizer settings to ensure that every song sounds great. The headphones are compatible with virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and OK Google for hands-free operation, and the Conversation Mode automatically pauses and resumes your videos and music when you receive a phone call.
Specifications
| Form factor | Over-ear |
| Weight | 289g |
| Noise-canceling | Yes |
| Special features | Equalizer, ANC, Adjustable ambient listening mode |
| Battery life | 20 hours |
| Bluetooth range | 30 feet |
Check out Bose 700 on Amazon.
Best Wireless Headphones for iPhone: Apple AirPods Max
- Apple-designed dynamic driver for high-fidelity audio
- Active Noise Cancellation
- Transparency mode
- Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking
- Designed with a knit-mesh canopy and memory foam ear cushions
The Apple AirPods Max are the best wireless headphones for iPhone. The audio quality is crisp and clear, and they’re comfortable to wear. Yes, the AirPods Max are pricey, but they outperform moderately priced competitors from Bose and Sony in terms of richer, more detailed sound and call quality.
There is only one level of noise cancellation, but it is excellent. With its 11 levels of noise cancellation, the Bose 700 is definitely a better option for you if you like acute tuning. In addition, the Sony WH-1000XM4 have a number of options for ambient sound, while the AirPods Max have one level of transparency.
There’s active noise canceling, which works as well as the best on the market. There’s Spatial Audio, which creates an astonishing surround sound effect. Plus healthy battery life, comfy memory foam earcup padding, impeccable build quality – the list goes on.
It’s worth noting that if you ever want to switch to wired listening, you’ll need to buy a separate $35 Lightning cable, but on Bluetooth alone, these headphones are an excellent iOS companion.
Specification
| Form factor | Over Ear |
| Weight | 350g |
| Noise-canceling | Yes |
| Battery life | 20 hours |
| Bluetooth range | 33 feet |
Check out Apple AirPods Max on Amazon.
Best Wireless Headphones for Gaming: HyperX Cloud Alpha
- A single charge lasts up to 300 hours
- Features a groundbreaking dual-chamber driver system
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Made with a durable aluminum frame
Comfort, style, and great sound are all hallmarks of HyperX’s Cloud line. The HyperX Cloud Alpha headset manages to amp up all three—and then adds a retractable boom microphone for good measure. Put these bad boys on your head and get comfortable; you will be gaming for hours without realizing it.
Lightweight and wireless, these headphones offer impressive audio quality that delivers clear highs and solid bass (as far as wireless headsets go). You can even customize your sound with preset equalizer settings.
With 300-hour battery life, you can game and stream for eight hours a day for over 38 days before needing to recharge. The microphone is removable, allowing you to use the Cloud Alpha Wireless as just a pair of headphones. You can also use a separate microphone for game chat and streaming; it’s also adjustable, so your audio doesn’t peak or seem muffled.
What’s more, the HyperX NGENUITY desktop app enables and disables spatial audio. You can also change settings, check battery levels, modify the volume and create custom equalizer settings, so everything from Spotify to YouTube to your favorite games will sound great.
The main drawback is that they don’t use Bluetooth for connectivity, instead opting for a 2.4GHz USB dongle. As a result, you won’t be able to connect to your tablet or smartphone to play mobile games.
Specifications
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Noise-canceling | No |
| Battery life | 300 hours |
| Weight | 336g |
| Bluetooth range | 66 feet |
Check out HyperX Cloud Alpha on Amazon.
How to Pick the Best Wireless Headphones: Step by Step
Wireless headphones are the best way to get a good listening experience. These headphones are lightweight and portable, making them easy to take anywhere. Most of them also connect to your device via Bluetooth and offer improved sound quality. When choosing wireless headphones, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
Features
If you’re shopping for wireless headphones, you’ve probably already considered what kind of features are most important to you. Some people prefer noise-canceling models that block background sounds, while others prefer models with more bass response and better treble quality.
Others still may be more interested in finding a pair of wireless headphones with extended battery life, so they can enjoy their music without worrying about running out of juice halfway through their commute home.
Comfort
Comfort is a huge factor to consider when picking the best wireless headphones. A pair of headphones that are too tight can cause discomfort, while those that are too loose can fall out during use. The best wireless headphones will have some sort of padding on the earcups that keep them in your ears without being overly tight or loose.
If you are going to wear your headphones for long periods, comfort is a must. Wireless headphones usually have more cushioned ear cups than wired headphones, meaning they can fit ears of all sizes.
Price
Before buying wireless headphones, it is important that you know what kind of price range your budget can afford. The price of wireless headphones varies greatly depending on the features of each model. Some wireless headphones have a lower price range but still provide good quality sound, while some are more expensive but offer better performance and more features.
Some have better sound quality than others, and some have more advanced features, like waterproofing or noise canceling that may be worth paying extra for. If you want to save money on wireless headphones, choose those with lower prices.
Battery life
Some models may have longer battery life than others, but it’s important to check for yourself and see how long your headphones will last before recharging them. If you’re going on a long trip and don’t want to worry about running out of power while out in the field, then it’s important that you find a pair with enough battery life.
Sound quality
Wireless headphones have improved over the years, but they still aren’t as good as wired ones when it comes to sound quality. If you want to get the best out of your wireless headphones, ensure they have an excellent bass response and treble detail.
You should always look for an option that has an active noise canceling feature, reducing background noise so that you can focus on what’s playing through your speakers.
What to Know Before Buying the Best Wireless Headphones
There are many different kinds of wireless headphones available, each one with unique features and specifications. To help narrow your search, you first need to consider the features and specifications you’re looking for. How do they connect? What is their battery life? Do they have noise cancellation?
You should also keep your budget in mind—wireless headphones tend to be more expensive than their wired counterparts. Finally, it’s important to consider how much use you’ll get from them. If you travel a lot or spend a lot of time exercising, investing in high-quality wireless headphones may be worthwhile. If not, cheaper ones may suit your needs just fine.
Using The Best Wireless Headphones: What It’s Like
Wireless headphones are a fantastic way to listen to music on the go, and they’re especially popular with runners, cyclists, and other athletes. The best wireless headphones are the ones that let you listen to music and take calls but don’t require you to compromise on sound quality or comfort.
You will want to look for wireless headphones that fit your head properly so that they won’t fall off when you’re enjoying your music. While the choice depends on your needs, the best wireless headphones have several things in common: they’re lightweight and comfortable enough to wear for extended periods, have good battery life, and offer great sound quality.
