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Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Best Wireless Headphones of 2024

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Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

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Editor's Choice Product image of Sony WH-1000XM4
Best Overall

Sony WH-1000XM4

Check Price at Amazon

Sony’s noise-canceling headphones are comfy, lightweight, and offer amazing sound. They also offer a handful of really useful features. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent audio quality
  • Top-notch noise cancelling
  • All day comfort

Cons

  • Effective operation has a learning curve
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Sony WH-1000XM5
Best Noise Canceling

Sony WH-1000XM5

Check Price at Amazon

Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones offer significant upgrades over the WH-1000XM4, with a higher price to match. Are these the best wireless headphones? Read More

Pros

  • Lush, powerful sound
  • Top-notch comfort and features
  • Incredible noise canceling

Cons

  • Same battery as XM4
  • Less portable than rivals
3
Editor's Choice Product image of Sony WF-1000XM5
Best True Wireless

Sony WF-1000XM5

Check Price at Amazon

The Sony WF-1000XM5 deliver class-leading noise-canceling performance with excellent sound quality and an app that offers a bunch of customizability. Read More

Pros

  • Class leading ANC
  • Excellent, balanced sound
  • Works for both Apple and Android

Cons

  • Fit takes fiddling
4
Editor's Choice Product image of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Best for iPhone

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Check Price at Amazon

Apple’s updated AirPods Pro may look the same, but features like Adaptive Transparency and next-gen noise canceling make them the best buds around. Read More

Pros

  • Next-gen noise canceling
  • Adaptive Transparency mode
  • Sound and battery boost

Cons

  • No EQ or ANC adjustment
  • No separate app for Android
5
Editor's Choice Product image of Anker Soundcore Space A40
Best Value

Anker Soundcore Space A40

Check Price at Amazon

The Soundcore Space A40 set a new mark for earbuds under $100 thanks to great sound and noise canceling that outperforms many pricier options. Read More

Pros

  • Amazing ANC for the price
  • Customizable sound profiles
  • Great battery life

Cons

  • Little sizzly out of the box
  • Lows can cover vocals
  • Best Overall Sony WH-1000XM4
  • Best Noise Canceling Sony WH-1000XM5
  • Best True Wireless Sony WF-1000XM5
  • Best for iPhone Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
  • Best Value Anker Soundcore Space A40
  • Best For Workouts Jabra Elite 7 Active
  • Best Wireless Gaming Headset SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
  • How We Test Wireless Headphones
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

There are more wireless headphone options than ever. In fact, you’ll have a hard time finding headphones that aren’t wireless these days. Thankfully, we’re constantly testing and listening to the latest headphones to find the very best on the market.

We’re confident that the Sony WH-1000XM4 (available at Amazon for $248.00) are the best overall wireless headphones you can get. They deliver awesome sound, top-notch noise canceling, and they stay comfortable for hours. However, if you're looking for something different, worry not: we've carefully selected the top pick in every major category in our list below.

Credit: Reviewed

Sony's WH-1000XM4 are our favorite wireless headphones for their comfort, great sound, and excellent noise-canceling.

Best Overall
Sony WH-1000XM4
  • Battery life: ~30 hours
  • Ambient sound modes: ANC via QN1 chip, Transparency mode
  • Dust/water resistance: No IP rating

When it comes to wireless headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are our top choice. You're not just getting freedom from wires here, but amazing noise cancelation, sound, comfort, and features too. Multiple Reviewed staff used these Bluetooth headphones over a period of months, and all of us absolutely loved them.

The WH-1000XM4 are light and comfortable enough that you might just forget they're on your head. You can tweak their noise canceling and sound profile to compensate for elements like barometric pressure, or just to add extra bass. Even without all of the next-gen tech, the XM4 could take our top spot for the robust audio alone. These headphones sound amazing.

While they do cost a bit of money, they're constantly on sale and we found that they offer the best combination of price, performance, comfort, and features. They also fold up nicely in their carrying case for frequent flyers who want to bring along a set of cans with excellent noise canceling and sound to match.

Not only is this our favorite wireless set, they’re our favorite headphones overall. If you want the best headphones for the price, look no further.

Read our full Sony WH-1000XM4 review.

Pros

  • Excellent audio quality

  • Top-notch noise cancelling

  • All day comfort

Cons

  • Effective operation has a learning curve

$248.00 from Amazon

$249.99 from Best Buy

$249.99 from Target

$248.00 from Abt
Sony WH-1000XM5 white and black models sit on a black desktop
Credit: Reviewed/Ryan Waniata

The WH-1000XM5 are loaded to the brim with features, as expected.

Best Noise Canceling
Sony WH-1000XM5
  • Battery life: 30 hours
  • Ambient sound modes: ANC via QN1 and V1 chips, Transparency mode
  • Dust/water resistance: No IP rating

The incredibly comfortable Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are the next evolution in Sony’s 1000XM series. Their most notable improvement is their top-notch noise canceling. (They’re our pick for best noise canceling headphones overall.)

With dual ANC chips and eight dedicated microphones, the XM5 headphones go a step beyond the competition. They adeptly react to your environment, blocking out droning airplane engines and fans. They even filter our nearby conversations to an impressive degree.

Even right out of the box, this stellar pair of wireless headphones delivers a detailed soundscape with punchy bass and a crisp midrange. Well-balanced mixes shine, with instruments filling their own space and coming through clearly. You may even notice new details in familiar tracks.

If the pre-tuned EQ isn’t to your liking, the Sony Headphones app allows for custom adjustments to tweak the sound for your ears. The app’s 5-band EQ includes saveable presets so you can have different EQ settings for different content. You can also measure your ears for Sony’s spatial audio system, called 3D Reality Audio, adjust the transparency level, engage multipoint pairing, and more.

The XM5 have a couple downsides. Their design doesn’t allow them to fold inward, which leads to a bulkier case than their predecessor. They also don’t have any water resistance. While comparably-priced ANC headphones lack it, it would still be nice to see for the money.

Still, if you want lush-sounding headphones with incredible noise canceling, comfort, and features, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are the headphones to get.

Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review.

Pros

  • Lush, powerful sound

  • Top-notch comfort and features

  • Incredible noise canceling

Cons

  • Same battery as XM4

  • Less portable than rivals

$328.00 from Amazon

$329.99 from Best Buy

$328.00 from Abt

$328.00 from Walmart
The Sony WF-1000XM5 in their charing case being held in someone's fingers above green grass.
Credit: Reviewed / John Higgins

Not only do the Sony WF-1000XM5 deliver the best noise-canceling performance, they sound excellent, too.

Best True Wireless
Sony WF-1000XM5
  • Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, adaptive transparency mode
  • Dust and water resistance: IPX4
  • Battery life: 8 hours with ANC; up to 24 hours with the case

The Apple bumped Sony and its WF-1000XM4 from the top of our best earbuds list when the AirPods Pro 2 came out in September 2022. But Sony has now responded to reclaim the throne with the WF-1000XM5.

The WF-1000XM5's noise-canceling performance slightly exceeds the both the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. While the XM5 let in a little more of a low-frequency airplane drone, they don’t have the added high-end hiss found on the Bose and Apple. Plus, they do a better job attenuating troublesome midrange frequencies like coffeehouse chatter.

The ANC improvements might be incremental rather than a leap in performance, but the WF-1000XM5 do beat the QCEII and AirPods Pro 2 in two important ways. The sound quality for both music and calls far exceeds the performance of the Bose, and unlike the AirPods, the XM5 function just as well with Apple products as they do with Android. Getting a solid fit can take some effort, but overall there isn’t a better pair of earbuds available.

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review.

Pros

  • Class leading ANC

  • Excellent, balanced sound

  • Works for both Apple and Android

Cons

  • Fit takes fiddling

$278.00 from Amazon

$279.99 from Best Buy

$279.99 from Target

$278.00 from Abt
An image of the Apple AirPods Pro in a case on grass.
Credit: Reviewed / Ryan Waniata

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) deliver significant upgrades to noise canceling, transparency mode, and sound.

Best for iPhone
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
  • Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, Adaptive Transparency mode
  • Dust and water resistance: IPX4
  • Battery life: 6 hours with ANC (up to 7 without), up to 31 hours with the case

The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) more than lives up to the standard Apple set with the original. They may look similar, but the noise canceling, sound, and battery are all markedly improved.

The noise canceling pushes far beyond “better than the last AirPods pro” and very close to “best overall.” They beat out over-ear options like Sony’s WH-1000XM5 (although the Sony still hold the top spot for their comfort, customizable EQ, and broad compatibility). Only Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds 2 deliver better noise canceling. Apple’s Adaptive Transparency mode is also much-improved, and can help limit sudden loud external sounds (even so, we do not recommend using them in lieu of proper hearing protection).

The core sound is also fantastic. There’s better bass response, clearer audio overall, and incredible phone call quality. It’s a lot of great tech crammed into a 5.4-gram package.

The peripherals are great, too. The case cleverly features a speaker that can sound, helping you find your earbuds. It can also be tracked via the Find My App. There's also a handy new volume control feature. In September 2023, Apple released a new version that comes with a USB-C charging case instead of one with the aging Lightning connector (although both are still available for purchase).

There are a handful of drawbacks. The battery life is alright, but not exceptional. We also wish there was more control over audio facets like EQ and ANC. Finally, there’s no separate app or settings menu for Android users.

Otherwise, the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro are remarkable. As long as you have an iPhone and can spend the money, they’re easily the best option out there.

Read our full AirPods Pro (2nd generation) review.

Pros

  • Next-gen noise canceling

  • Adaptive Transparency mode

  • Sound and battery boost

Cons

  • No EQ or ANC adjustment

  • No separate app for Android

$189.00 from Amazon

$269.00 from Walmart
A man wearing the Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds while standing outside in front of a tree.`
Credit: Reviewed / John Higgins

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds deliver the best ANC performance you can get for under $100.

Best Value
Anker Soundcore Space A40
  • Battery life: 10 hours, up to 50 with the case
  • Ambient sound modes: Adaptive ANC, Transparency mode
  • Dust/water resistance: IPX4 rating

Traditionally, headphones under $100 are nice “for the money,” but can’t really compete with more expensive sets. Anker has changed the game. Thanks to high-performing noise canceling, nice app customizability, and full touch controls, the Space A40 punches above their price point.

The adaptive active noise canceling ably handles low drones, such as airplane cabin noise or HVAC units. It even takes the edge off of midrange conversation at the local coffee shop. Add in quiet music and it diminishes nearby conversation enough to keep you focused in your own world. The Soundcore app lets you choose between two Transparency modes, one full range and one that puts the focus on letting voices through if you need to have a quick conversation.

The A40 earbuds have a nice sound profile, although their treble is a bit intense and the midrange can get lost under the low end. Thankfully, the app includes an 8-band EQ to address these issues.

The HearID Sound feature profiles your hearing perception in each ear and creates a unique EQ curve tailored for you. It winds up creating a solid improvement over the default sound profile. Hi-res audio and LDAC are both supported.

Touch controls are fully customizable. You can assign track controls and volume to single tap, double tap, and a two-second hold. The hold can also be assigned to Ambient Sound Mode select, Voice Assistant activation, and Game Mode toggle. You can also turn them off.

Add in wireless case charging, and the Anker Space A40 is a great set of earbuds. They deliver competitive performance at a sub-$100 price range.

Pros

  • Amazing ANC for the price

  • Customizable sound profiles

  • Great battery life

Cons

  • Little sizzly out of the box

  • Lows can cover vocals

$59.00 from Amazon

$78.99 from Walmart
The navy Elite 7 Active earbud is held between a thumb and index finger in front of a green lawn with garden beds in the background.
Credit: Reviewed/Ryan Waniata

The comfortable Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds have incredible protection from the elements.

Best For Workouts
Jabra Elite 7 Active
  • Battery life: ~8 hours
  • Ambient sound modes: ANC, Transparency mode
  • Dust/water resistance: IP57

Thanks to their impressive water and dust resistance, nimble design, and comfortable fit, the Jabra Elite 7 Active make fantastic workout earbuds. Their IP57 rating means they can stand up to even the toughest workouts (and heaviest sweaters), and keep both dust and water away from the important internal electronics.

The Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds include all the features you could want while working out. They have solid noise canceling and a transparency mode that lets you hear the environment around you (especially useful when you’re out on a run). The finder function helps keep you from losing them, and they even have multipoint pairing so you can easily switch from a video conference call on your computer to your phone as you head out to run.

Their sound is a bit on the bright side and could use some EQ tweaking in the app, but overall the audio performance is solid. There’s also an audio personalization sound test in the app to help tune them to your ears.

The Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds offer a great overall user experience, superb protection from the elements, and great sound, making them the best workout headphones you can buy.

Read more about the Jabra Elite 7 Active.

Pros

  • Snug and stable fit

  • Great battery and waterproofing

  • Loaded with features

Cons

  • So-so default sound

Buy now at Amazon

$179.99 from Best Buy

$104.99 from Walmart
The Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro sit on a wooden surface in front of a PlayStation 5 and game controller.
Credit: Reviewed / John Higgins

For serious audio and gaming performance, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro are the best choice.

Best Wireless Gaming Headset
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
  • Connection type: USB, Bluetooth
  • Noise canceling: Microphone and headset
  • Supported systems: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Mobile; PlayStation 4 and 5 and Xbox One and Series S|X versions exist

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro features new, custom drivers that fully immerse you in incredible sound for gaming or just about anything else. Sound is spacious and clear, whether you’re hunting for enemies or simply enjoying the soundtrack. The microphone, which retracts fully into the left ear cup, offers similarly impressive clarity.

Crucially, this headset is comfortable enough to wear for marathon gaming sessions. The cushy leatherette pads are soft. Thanks in part to the adjustable headband, the headset is tight enough to stay secure but not to cause headaches, regardless of head size.

Top-tier features include hot-swappable batteries so you don’t miss anything if you need to change them out while playing. The Sonar app for PC offers powerful customization options like a 10-band EQ, noise canceling for sound going in and out, custom sound profiles for 20 specific games, and a mixer for game and chat volumes.

There are wired and wireless options available for several platforms, depending on what you need. This may not be the most cost-conscious headset, but it’s the best wireless (and our “best upgrade” pick overall) for gaming headsets.

Read our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro review.

Pros

  • Detailed, spacious sound

  • Extremely comfortable fit

  • Hot-swappable batteries

Cons

  • Merely average ANC

  • Console customization limited

$306.15 from Amazon

$349.99 from Best Buy

$306.15 from Abt

$349.00 from Walmart

How We Test Wireless Headphones

When testing wireless headphones, we focus on simulating how you might use them every day. We use a mix of real-world and lab testing, including A/B testing of noise cancelation and audio quality. We listen to a variety of test tracks we are intimately familiar with—from classical to jazz, rock, hip-hop, musicals, and more.

For noise canceling performance, we test headphones against one another while using tracks of airplane noise, crowd chatter, and pink noise. All headphones are then put into a scoring rubric to determine an overall ranking that’s as close to objective as possible.

The headphones’ features—such as battery life, app usability, microphone quality, and Bluetooth connectivity—are tested in real-world situations. We listen to them as we work, we take them for our workouts, and we use them during our online work meetings.

We also test the headphones over the long term, updating their firmware as new versions become available and testing out new features. Then we update articles based on our findings.

Is There a Difference Between Bluetooth and Wireless Headphones?

Bluetooth and wireless are usually used interchangeably when referring to headphones, but in truth, Bluetooth headphones are a subset of wireless headphones. In the realm of gaming and computers, it’s common to find headsets that connect wirelessly at 2.4 GHz via a USB dongle. But for connecting to your phone or media device, Bluetooth is by and far the wireless connection king.

Which is Better—Wireless Headphones or Earbuds?

It all comes down to individual preference and your use case. Over-ear headphones can provide a nice sense of isolation if you’re listening to music in an office or on an airplane, but you probably don’t want to jog around your neighborhood with them. Meanwhile, earbuds offer versatility and a compact form, but for some people it may be difficult to find ones that fit well and they can be underwhelming at keeping the outside world at bay, especially pitted against headphones at the same price point.

How Much Should Wireless Headphones Cost?

Before searching for a new pair of headphones, decide on your budget. Headphones with the most bells and whistles typically run $300 or more. However, there are plenty of possibilities between $100-200.

If you’re looking for wireless options on a budget, you can also check out our guide to the best true wireless headphones under $100.


Meet the testers

Julia MacDougall

Julia MacDougall

Senior Scientist

@reviewed

Julia is the Senior Scientist at Reviewed, which means that she oversees (and continually updates) the testing of products in Reviewed's core categories such as televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, and more. She also determines the testing methods and standards for Reviewed's "The Best Right Now" articles.

See all of Julia MacDougall's reviews
Lee Neikirk

Lee Neikirk

Former Editor, Home Theater

@Koanshark

Lee was Reviewed's point person for most television and home theater products from 2012 until early 2022. Lee received Level II certification in TV calibration from the Imaging Science Foundation in 2013. As Editor of the Home Theater vertical, Lee oversaw reviews of TVs, monitors, soundbars, and Bluetooth speakers. He also reviewed headphones, and has a background in music performance.

See all of Lee Neikirk's reviews
TJ Donegan

TJ Donegan

Former Director, Content Development

@TJDonegan

TJ is the former Director of Content Development at Reviewed. He is a Massachusetts native and has covered electronics, cameras, TVs, smartphones, parenting, and more for Reviewed. He is from the self-styled "Cranberry Capitol of the World," which is, in fact, a real thing.

See all of TJ Donegan's reviews
Ryan Waniata

Ryan Waniata

Former Managing Editor - Electronics

@ryanwaniata

Hailing originally from Montana, Ryan parlayed his time working as a musician and audio engineer into a career in digital media in 2012. Since then he's had extensive experience as a writer and editor, including everything from op-eds and features to reviews on TVs, audio gear, smart home devices, and more.

See all of Ryan Waniata's reviews
John Higgins

John Higgins

Managing Editor, Tech

@johntmhiggins

John is Reviewed's Managing Editor of Tech. He is an ISF Level III-certified calibrator with bylines at ProjectorCentral, Wirecutter, IGN, Home Theater Review, T3, Sound & Vision, and Home Theater Magazine. When away from the Reviewed office, he is a sound editor for film, a musician, and loves to play games with his son.

See all of John Higgins's reviews
Michael Garrett Steele

Michael Garrett Steele

Contributor

@MGarrettSteele

Michael Garrett Steele has been writing and editing professionally since 2013, and has been a part of Reviewed since 2020. An MFA in music composition, Garrett has lent audio expertise to everyone from Independence Community College to Bethesda Softworks, informing reviews of audio equipment and services. Garrett also covers tech, drawing on experience working everywhere from IT helpdesks to enterprise architecture sales. Steele has also become a go-to reviewer for minor plumbing fixtures since covering bidets for Reviewed in early 2020.

See all of Michael Garrett Steele's reviews

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