Best headphones for grads in 2020

Juan Garzon / CNET

Sony’s WH-1000XM3, the third generation of Sony’s excellent wireless noise canceling headphones, offers a more comfortable fit and better performance than its predecessor. The perfect sound quality for listening to music. With a long battery life, these wireless over-ear headphones are currently our top choice for noise cancellation and are replacing the more expensive Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700. While this list goes for $ 350, these over-ear headphones are often for closer reduced to $ 280. And it is doubly important to look for this discount: With a The next-gen version of this wireless headphone has already been discovered on TwitterWe expect the XM4 successor to arrive later this year.

Read our Sony WH-1000XM3 review.

Angela Lang / CNET

Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX4 – splash-proof).

The Buds Plus from Samsung look essentially the same as the original Galaxy Buds, but have an 11-hour battery life for music playback (out of 6). There are two drivers in each bud for better sound and an additional microphone to facilitate external playback.

The sound impressed me. The audio quality is detailed and smooth, with deep, well-defined bass. The sound is richer and more spacious than that of the original Galaxy Buds. The well-known Austrian audio company AKG, which Samsung acquired when it bought Harman, is behind the audio. While the original buds were also “tuned” by AKG, they are a nice upgrade over the originals – and exactly what you get with the Jabra Elite 75t, if not a little bit better. They use Bluetooth 5.0 and support AAC (there is now an app for iOS users) and Samsung’s scalable codec, which is similar to aptX, but is proprietary to Samsung Galaxy phones.

Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX4 – splash-proof).

While they may not sound as magical as you would hope for a $ 249 model, the Apple AirPods Pro is still a great pair of true noise-canceling wireless earphones. This is mainly due to the convincing design and fit, the improved bass performance and effective noise suppression. They are an excellent choice if you want to make a call or listen to music while exercising. Yes, they are expensive at $ 250, but the good news is that you use them so often that you are likely to wear down the battery – it worsens over time and is not interchangeable – and will need to buy a new pair in 18 up to 24 months if you don’t lose them first.

Read our Apple AirPods Pro review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700, the long-awaited successor to its Quiet Comfort 35 II, is not a quantum leap forward, but these wireless headphones offer slightly better sound quality, call and noise reduction functions. Unfortunately, these over-ear headphones cost $ 400, but they’re powerful all-round performers with a battery life of up to 20 hours for listening to podcasts, music, and more. I prefer the design and fit of the Sony WH-1000XM3 (and the lower price), and although you can argue about which headphones sound better, one thing is certain: this model is much more suitable as a headset for making calls. For some people, this may be worth the additional cost of the wireless headphones. (Note that they have also received some discounts.)

Read our Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 review.

Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IP55 – withstands strong water jets).

At first glance, the Elite 75t, which was originally supposed to cost $ 200 but is now sold for $ 180 (£ 170 or AU $ 299), appeared to be an evolutionary upgrade of the Elite 65t. But the updates turned out to be a bit more extensive than I thought at first. The smaller size of the Elite 75t (the pair of earphones and the case are 20% smaller than those of the Elite 65t), the longer battery life and charging via USB-C are significant improvements. And then there are the minor changes, such as the new design of the charging case with magnets, which make opening and closing and holding the buds easier. The Elite 75t is not quite as comfortable to wear as the AirPods Pro and does not have active noise cancellation. However, this makes your music sound better, with a clearer overall sound and bass definition, as long as you get a tight seal. Just keep in mind that the Jabra Elite Active 75t offers slightly better water resistance for $ 20 more.

Read our Jabra Elite 75t review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX4 – splash-proof).

Yes, the Beats Powerbeats Pro’s jumbo charging case is a notable disadvantage. The combination of integrating all the features that make Apple’s AirPods great while offering better sound quality and better battery life in a wireless earphone design that doesn’t fall out of your ear (ear hooks for the win!) Is ultimately a win for earphones for running. Just make sure you buy these running earphones in a place with a good return policy if you’re in the small minority whose ears don’t quite match the buds. Keep in mind that these headphones are often reduced from $ 250 to $ 200 – stop paying when you buy them.

Read our Beats Powerbeats Pro test.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX7 – completely waterproof).

The most impressive thing about the EarFun Free are the functions: Bluetooth 5.0, both USB-C and wireless charging, as well as complete water resistance (IPX7) according to the specifications of the earphones. Do they sound fantastic? No, but these Bluetooth headphones sound pretty good. They don’t have the clarity of real high-end wireless earbuds that cost $ 150 or more, but they have plump bass and enough detail to keep them from sounding boring. They are also pretty solid for calls. Excellent value at less than $ 50.

Read our EarFun Free Test.

David Carnoy / CNET

Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IP65 – withstands strong water jets).

I wrote about in 2017 Fiil’s Launched in the U.S. and as company representatives claimed, it was a best-selling premium headphone brand in China that is as well known as Beats. I hadn’t heard much about Fiil since (I tested a Fiil on-ear model that was decent but a bit expensive). However, it turns out that the T1X TWS performs solidly for its modest price of just over $ 50. (Fiil now seems to be connected Acil audio).

It delivers good sound for the money (there is a hint of presence in the treble to clarify what is both good and bad), fits my ears well and I was impressed with how quickly the buds moved with mine Pair the phone.

These have a sweat and water resistance according to IP65, so that they can absorb a sustained water jet. The battery life is about 5 hours on a single charge (at higher volumes) and there is a quick charge function that gives you 2 hours of juice from a 10-minute charge (the simple, compact charging case is charged via USB-C). The buds have touch controls and there’s a companion app that lets you tweak the sound with the EQ settings (I kept the default setting).

Sarah Tew / CNET

Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX7 – withstands strong water jets).

The Soundcore Life P2 earphones are half the price of Ankers Soundcore Liberty Air 2 with similar features and an excellent option. The buds are charged horizontally rather than vertically in their case, and both the case and the buds feel a little cheaper compared to the Liberty Air 2. Their sound doesn’t have the presence boost in the treble that the Liberty Air 2 buds have, so they don’t sound as clear with well-recorded tracks and the bass isn’t quite as well defined. But they’re warmer and more forgiving, which I appreciate, and they sound more like the original Liberty Air. (I would buy this instead of the Liberty Airwho are now $ 80.)

It’s also worth noting that instead of controls, they have physical buttons that some people prefer. Like the Liberty Air 2, they have four microphones, two of which are designed to reduce noise when calling in louder environments. They reduce a lot of background noise when calling, but my voice wasn’t as clear to callers as it was with the Liberty Air 2.

While there is no wireless charging, USB-C is charging. The battery life is seven hours and they have IPX7 water resistance, which means that they can be completely submerged in water to a depth of three feet and can survive. They are probably the best value in the real wireless anchor line at the moment. An almost identical version of these earphones is sold by Target under the name Soundcore Life Note.

Read our Anker Soundcore Life P2 review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX4 – sweat-proof and splash-proof).

The Libratone Track Air Plus has been available in Europe for several months, but has only recently been sold in the U.S. (it costs $ 200, but is currently sold on Amazon for $ 190 with a $ 10 discount coupon). It doesn’t sound as open to the ear as the AirPods Pro, but the audio is clearer and the bass is well defined. In the companion app, you can choose between neutral, bass boost and treble settings. The noise cancellation is also decent – maybe not quite at the level of the AirPods Pro, but close. I liked the fit of this one – the in-ear buds stayed well in my ear (I could walk with them) and the case is only a little bigger than the AirPods Pro case.

The Track Air Plus works well as a headset for phone calls, and a firmware upgrade has improved the headset’s performance. Still, the noise reduction on these in-ear headphones isn’t quite as good as on the AirPods Pro. People said they could hear me clearly and loudly, but the headphones didn’t dampen background noise as well as the AirPods Pro.

These use Bluetooth 5.0 and support AAC and aptX.

Note that Libratone does that too Track Air, That’s $ 150 and has no noise cancellation features, but is otherwise similar.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Waterproof:: Yes (IPX7 – completely waterproof and sweatproof).

Jaybird had a bumpy start into the world of real wireless devices – “AirPod-style headphones” – when it released its Jaybird Run workout headphones in October 2017. Earlier this year, it was updated to the Jaybird Run XT wireless in-ear. The Jaybird Run earbuds were well designed, but had some minor performance issues that prevented them from being great. But their wireless successor, the Jaybird Vista (catchphrase Windows Vista jokes), includes design, battery life, and performance improvements that make it the quality product that I hoped it would be the Jaybird Run – and simply the best wireless earbuds for runners.

At $ 180 (GBP 160, AU $ 280), these sweat-proof earbuds are a little more expensive than they should be, but they’re among the better real wireless earbuds that came on the market last year. You will appeal to those looking for a more discreet set of fully wireless sports earphones that are completely waterproof.

Read our Jaybird Vista review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Waterproof:: No (lacks IPX certification).

Thanks to the WF-1000XM3, Sony has finally developed into a player in the field of wireless headphones (AirPod style). Although these headphones are not cheap in terms of sound quality, they are the best wireless earbuds at this price. They may match and even exceed the quality and performance of more expensive competitors from Sennheiser, Beats, Master & Dynamic and Bang & Olufsen. It also has a feature that these wireless earbuds don’t have: active noise cancellation technology to reduce ambient noise.

It’s not great for making phone calls (the noise reduction features should be better) and the earbuds aren’t rated as sweat or waterproof. That said, I used it for light workouts with a bit of sweat in the gym with no problems. You are using Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC, but not suitable. However, be aware that an updated version of it – the WF-1000XM4 – may be available in the next few months. Look for these with a discount.

Read our Sony WF-1000XM3 review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

I’m not a fan of cheap noise canceling headphones. I’ve actually struggled to compile a list of models for a summary of the best noise canceling headphones, as there are so few that I would recommend buying. An exception are Anker’s Soundcore Life Q20 hybrid headphones with active noise cancellation. They are fairly decent for their regular list price of $ 60 and are often sold for $ 10 less.

No, the Life Q20 doesn’t sound as good as premium models like the Sony WH-1000XM3, but it sounds pretty good, which is all you can ask for at this price. It’s fairly well balanced with a reasonable level of clarity and plump bass that isn’t bloated or mushy (there’s a bass boost or bass-up mode if you want an extra dose of bass). It is also comfortable to wear, the noise canceling function is acceptable, it is solid as a headset for calling and the battery life is 40 hours. A simple carrying case is included.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX4 – splash-proof).

Anker is more known for its inexpensive headphones, but tries to step into more premium territory with its Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro earphones, which have a list price of $ 150. They are similar in design to the Sony WF-1000XM3, although this model does not have active noise cancellation. According to Anker, the earphones feature large 11 mm drivers in combination with Knowles Balanced Armature with a battery life of up to 8 hours on one battery charge (a total of 32 hours of playing time with the case) and noise canceling microphones to reduce ambient noise so that callers can hear them you should be better. They are charged via USB-C and also support wireless charging.

They don’t sound quite as good as the Sony WF-1000XM3, but they definitely sound like premium real wireless earphones with a rich sound that includes powerful bass performance and lots of details. Some people may have a few problems with the fit – I had to supply my own XL tips to get a tight seal and found the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 a bit more comfortable – but the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro is good value- Money. Whether you want to use them as travel headphones or training headphones, they do the job. They are also good for making phone calls (they reduce background noise well).

You are using Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC and aptX.