With so many great options, it’s hard to limit things to the best of the best headphone List, especially since it is impossible to check every model on the market. But I’ll try anyway. We usually focus on wireless headphones and real wireless In particular – yes, Apple’s AirPods have been incredibly popular in recent years – but this list of the best headphones also includes over-ear headphones. On-ear models, Noise canceling headphones and even some cheaper headphones As a “budget” standout for those of you who don’t want to spend an arm or a leg on comfort and great sound.
These are our current favorites for “Best Headphones” (with waterproof ratings for in-ear models). Just keep in mind that we expect a flood of new models for 2020, of which we’ve seen many Preview at the CES in January.
Best sounding real wireless noise cancellation
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
David Carnoy / CNET
Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX4 – splash-proof).
The second-generation Momentum True Wireless 2, which can be pre-ordered and shipped in April, isn’t cheap at $ 300, but better than the originals. It has a slightly smaller, more comfortable design and active noise cancellation that can keep up with the competition of the AirPod Pro, improved battery life (up to 7 hours compared to 4 in the original) and better noise reduction on calls. And if you don’t like them in black, a white version will follow later this year. Most importantly, the Momentum True Wireless 2 have the same great sound – at least for real wireless earbuds – and offer the AirPods Pro a significantly superior sound quality. This makes them arguably the best wireless earbuds on the market today and earns them a CNET Editors’ Choice Award.
These use Bluetooth 5.1 with support for the AAC and AptX codecs (for devices with AptX, e.g. Samsung Galaxy smartphones).
Read our review of Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2.
Angela Lang / CNET
Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX4 – splash-proof).
Samsung’s Buds Plus look essentially the same as the original Galaxy Buds, but the battery life of this earphone is 11 hours for music playback (out of 6). They offer two drivers for better sound and an additional microphone in each bud for external noise reduction when making calls.
The sound impressed me. It’s 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.
Juan Garzon / CNET
Sony’s WH-1000XM3, Sony’s third generation of excellent wireless noise canceling headphones, offers a more comfortable fit and better performance than its predecessor, as well as perfect sound quality for listening to music. With a long battery life, these wireless over-ear headphones are currently our first-class choice for noise cancellation and are replacing the more expensive Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700.
Read our Sony WH-1000XM3 review.
Continue reading: The best real wireless earphones of 2020
Sarah Tew / CNET
Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX4 – splash-proof).
Even if they don’t sound as magical as you would hope for a $ 249 model, the Apple AirPods Pro is still an excellent example of a real wireless in-ear headphone. 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 models, is not a quantum leap forward, but these wireless headphones offer slightly better sound quality, call and noise reduction quality. 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, that may be worth the extra cost.
Read our Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 review.
Continue reading: Best wireless earphones and headphones for phone calls
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, it sounds better for listening to your music, with a clearer overall sound and bass definition, as long as you get a tight closure. Just keep in mind that the Jabra Elite Active 75t will be available in February and offers slightly better water resistance for another $ 20.
Read our Jabra Elite 75t review.
Sarah Tew / CNET
Waterproof:: Yes (Degree of protection IPX5 – withstands strong water jets).
If you can’t afford the AirPods Pro, the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 is a great alternative and a top model for making calls or listening to your music playlist. Like the AirPods Pro, they can dampen ambient noise remarkably well (callers said they could hear me well even with a lot of street noise around me). Although they don’t have active noise cancellation, they sound almost as good, have a comfortable fit, and their noise-isolating design passively seals out a lot of ambient noise and white noise. They only cost $ 100.
Read our Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 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). While these headphones aren’t cheap in terms of sound quality, at this price, they’re the best wireless earbuds that match, and may even outperform, Olufsen’s more expensive competitors from Sennheiser, Beats, Master & Dynamic and Bang & 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 aptX.
Read our Sony WF-1000XM3 review.
Best real wireless under $ 50
EarFun Free
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 technical data. 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.
Sarah Tew / CNET
The V-Moda M-200 ($ 350) is a wired headphone and is currently the only wired headphone on this list. These clean and detailed sounding over-ear headphones were released in late 2019 and offer great bass response. Thanks to the comfortable ear cups, they are also comfortable to wear. With 50 mm drivers with neodymium magnets, CCAW voice coils and fine tuning of Roland Engineers – yes, V-Moda is now owned by Roland – the M-200 is Hi-Res Audio, certified by the Japan Audio Society (JAS). Other V-Moda headphones tend to squeeze the bass a bit, but these headphones have the more neutral profile you’d expect from a studio monitor headphones. It comes with two cables, one of which has a built-in microphone for making calls. It would be nice if V-Moda offered Lightning or USB-C headphone cables for phones without a headphone jack.
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’s also comfortable to wear, noise cancellation is acceptably effective, it’s solid as a headset for making calls, and its 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. Anker says they have large 11mm drivers in combination with Knowles Balanced Armature, with up to eight hours of battery life (32 hours of playing time with the case) and noise-canceling microphones to reduce ambient noise so callers can hear you 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’re also great for making phone calls (they do a good job of reducing background noise).
You are using Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC and aptX.