Bluetooth choices for each price range

Nobody needs to cope with tangled cables anymore. That’s one of many the reason why wi-fi headphones have taken over because the go-to selection for music lovers, avid gamers and anybody who simply needs somewhat extra freedom. No extra preventing with wires in your bag or by chance yanking your headphones out mid-song. With Bluetooth connections now extra dependable than ever, wi-fi headphones have turn out to be a no brainer for most individuals.

However it’s not nearly reducing the twine. One of the best wi-fi headphones pack some severe tech, providing improbable sound high quality that may rival their wired counterparts. Many even include superior options like energetic noise cancellation (ANC), so you’ll be able to block out distractions and totally immerse your self in your tunes, podcasts or calls. Whether or not you’re in search of one thing light-weight and moveable or over-ear headphones with killer battery life, there’s a wi-fi choice for everybody and each price range.

Desk of contents

Finest wi-fi headphones for 2025

Picture by Billy Steele / Engadget

Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 30 hours | Weight: 10.8 ounces | Water resistance: None

Learn our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e review

An upgraded model of the Px7 S2, the Px7 S2e’s modifications are principally within the sound division. Bowers & Wilkins up to date the digital sign processing (DSP) engine for improved efficiency when streaming music. The modifications it launched embrace assist for as much as 24-bit high-resolution streaming from appropriate providers. The corporate says it additionally re-tuned the acoustics for “unmatched element, dynamics and spaciousness,” which is the extra noticeable tweak in comparison with the earlier mannequin. These guarantees maintain true, too: the Px7 S2e are on the high of our take a look at unit pile by way of total sound high quality, similar to the Px7 S2 has been since their introduction.

Bowers & Wilkins stored the remainder of what was so nice concerning the Px7 S2 as properly. Dependable bodily controls don’t result in any frustration while you use them and the ANC efficiency is sweet sufficient to dam out a whole lot of distractions. Issue within the refined design and total consolation, and also you’ve received an amazing pair of headphones that rival one of the best. The Px7 S2e nonetheless doesn’t have a whole lot of the extra superior options that Sony provides, however they sound so good you won’t even discover.

Professionals

• Spectacular sound high quality
• Higher than marketed battery life
• Efficient noise cancellation
• Comfortable match
• Refined design

Cons

• Name high quality
• Very fundamental EQ customization
• Subpar Cross-By way of mode audio
• Computerized pausing wants refining

$399 at Amazon

Audio-Technica

Noise cancellation: No | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 60 hours | Weight: 1.42 kilos | Water resistance: None

Audio-Technica has launched reasonably priced wi-fi headphones up to now, and whereas they didn’t supply energetic noise cancellation, they’re nonetheless price contemplating. The corporate’s latest is the M20xBT, a Bluetooth model of the A-T’s well-liked M20x wired cans. For simply $79, you’ll be able to count on a snug match and as much as 60 hours of battery life. Bluetooth multipoint connectivity lets you hook up with a number of gadgets without delay and bodily buttons present dependable on-board management. The design isn’t as refined as the corporate’s pricer fashions just like the M50xBT2, however you get the majority of what makes Audio-Technica’s cheaper choices so good.

Professionals

• Reasonably priced
• As much as 60 hours of battery life
• Multipoint connectivity

Cons

• Design is not as refined as opponents’

$79 at Adorama

Picture by Billy Steele / Engadget

Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 24 hours | Water resistance: None

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra

Bose’s distinctive tackle spatial audio could be the headline characteristic on its QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, however the firm didn’t overlook ANC on this model (Make no mistake — Sony takes the crown right here for finest ANC, however this Bose mannequin is an in depth second.) Described as “the quietest quiet” obtainable on any of its headphones but, the ANC right here is noticeably higher than the Bose 700 and iconic QuietComfort Headphones. That is due partially to microphone enhancements that additionally enhance name high quality. The modifications are particularly obvious when coping with the hard-to-combat frequency vary of individuals speaking. The corporate additionally provides presets that blend ANC, transparency mode and its spatial Immersive Audio, permitting you to shortly change the sound to match your environment. And if that wasn’t sufficient, the contact controls make these over-ear headphones a breeze to make use of — so that you get good noise cancelation, good sound and further comfort bundled on this bundle.

Whereas the spatial sound characteristic is a little bit of a combined bag, the inventory tuning on the QuietComfort Extremely Headphones remains to be good – even earlier than you turn on Immersive Audio. Bose has usually lagged the competitors by way of sonic prowess, however these over-ear headphones present that hole is narrowing. There’s a touch extra bass to reinforce a default sound profile that’s hotter, clearer and extra inviting than earlier Bose fashions, leading to good sound total. When Immersive Audio hits, it’s wonderful and the audio high quality is really exceptional. However, the corporate is counting on sign processing somewhat than specifically crafted content material so the outcomes range.

Professionals

• Wonderful ANC
• Improved audio
• Clearer transparency mode
• Comfortable

Cons

• Costly
• Immersive Audio is inconsistent
• No USB-C audio

$429 at Adorama

Technics

Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 50 hours | Weight: 0.65 kilos | Water resistance: None

Back at CES 2022, Panasonic introduced the EAH-A800: a brand new set of energetic noise canceling headphones beneath the long-lasting Technics model. Whereas many of the options are what you see on any variety of wi-fi headphones, one determine stood out. The corporate says you’ll be able to count on as much as 50 hours of battery life on the A800, and that’s with energetic noise cancellation enabled. Whereas we’ve not put them by the total assessment evaluation, I’ve already examined them on a long flight. The ANC is spectacular and so they’re snug sufficient to keep away from turning into a burden after a number of hours or many lengthy listening periods. Sound high quality can also be fairly good (there’s LDAC assist, too) and there are sufficient options right here to justify the premium price ticket.

Professionals

• 50-hour battery life with ANC turned on
• Snug design
• Good sound high quality

$200 at Amazon

MASTER & DYNAMIC

Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 28 hours | Weight: 0.75 kilos | Water resistance: None

Whereas Grasp & Dynamic is understood for its design prowess, the corporate’s over-ear headphones had been due for a refresh. With the MW75 that debuted in June, the corporate opted for a glance that takes cues from its MG20 gaming headphones and mixes them with a combo of aluminum, leather-based and tempered glass. The corporate’s trademark sound high quality returns with a number of ANC modes and ambient sound choices for a spread of conditions. At $599, the high-end seems to be don’t come low cost, however when you’re in search of one thing past the pure plastic trend of most headphones, M&D has you coated.

Professionals

• Luxurious design made with premium supplies
• A number of ANC modes

$599 at Amazon

How to decide on one of the best wi-fi headphones for you

Relating to purchasing for a superb pair of wi-fi headphones, the very first thing you’ll must determine on is put on fashion. Do you like on-ear or over-ear headphones? For the needs of our purchaser’s information, we deal with the over-ear fashion as that’s what most noise-canceling headphones are these days. Certain, you could find on-ear fashions with ANC, however over-ear designs are way more efficient at blocking sound. Talking of noise cancellation, you’ll need to decide early on when you even need that. For those who ceaselessly crank up the beats in noisy environments, you’ll need to not solely ensure that it’s there, but additionally ensure that it’s good, ideally with adaptive ANC. For those who plan to make use of your new headphones in quieter areas, skipping ANC can prevent some cash.

The following space to think about is options. We suggest making an attempt to get probably the most bang on your buck, however as you’re purchasing round you need to decide which objects are must-haves and what you’ll be able to stay with out. And don’t take staple items like automated pausing and Bluetooth multipoint connectivity as a right, as not all corporations embrace them. We additionally recommend studying evaluations to see how properly an organization’s extra superior options work. This can enable you determine if these are one thing you’re prepared to (probably) pay further for. Regulate higher battery life estimates to keep away from disappointment, as some producers promise extra hours than real-world testing delivers. And don’t be simply swayed by lofty guarantees about name high quality with out verifying them.

Sound may be subjective, so we suggest making an attempt before you purchase if in any respect doable. We perceive this isn’t straightforward at a time after we’re doing most of our purchasing on-line. However making an attempt on a set of headphones and listening to them for a couple of minutes can prevent from an costly case of purchaser’s regret. We additionally suggest taking note of issues like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, 360 Actuality Audio and different immersive codecs. Not all headphones assist them, so that you’ll need to ensure that a perspective pair does if that kind of factor excites you. For those who plan to make use of your headphones for different media apart from music, checking for latency can also be a should — some delay can affect playback for issues like films or video games, even when most true wi-fi headphones now supply minimal lag.

How we take a look at over-ear headphones

The first method we take a look at wi-fi headphones is to put on them as a lot as doable. We favor to do that over a one- to two-week interval, however typically embargoes don’t permit it. Throughout this time, we take heed to a mixture of music and podcasts, whereas additionally utilizing the earbuds to take each voice and video calls. Since battery life for headphones may be 30 hours or extra, we drain the battery with looping music and the amount set at a snug stage (often round 75 p.c). Because of the longer battery estimates, we’ll usually energy the headphones off a number of occasions and go away them throughout a assessment. This simulates real-world use and retains us from having to continually monitor the method for over 24 straight hours.

To evaluate one of the best Bluetooth headphones, we deal with higher-quality audio by listening to quite a lot of genres and paying shut consideration to how every fashion sounds. We additionally take a look at at each high and low volumes to examine for consistency within the tuning. To evaluate the standard of telephone calls, we’ll file audio samples with the headphones’ microphones in addition to have third events name us.

Relating to options, we do a radical assessment of companion apps, testing every characteristic as we work by the software program. Any holdovers from earlier fashions are double checked for enhancements or regression. If the headphones we’re testing are an up to date model of a earlier mannequin, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older set. Ditto for the closest competitors for every new set of headphones that we assessment.

Different wi-fi headphones we examined

AirPods Max

Apple’s AirPods Max are premium, well-designed over-ear headphones that incorporate the entire finest options you discover on normal AirPods: stable noise cancelation, spatial audio and straightforward Siri entry. Nevertheless, their $550 beginning value makes them virtually prohibitively costly, even for Apple customers. There are higher choices obtainable at decrease costs, however when you can decide up the AirPods Max at a steep low cost, they is perhaps worthwhile for the largest Apple followers amongst us.

Dyson On-Trac

The On-Trac headphones have an virtually infinitely customizable design, and that’s what’s most original about them. The sound profile provides some good element, however lacks dynamic vary total. ANC is common at finest and there aren’t any superior options that can make your life simpler. Properly, aside from the listening to well being monitor which is definitely useful. All informed, that’s not quite a bit in a set of $500 headphones.

Sonos Ace

The Sonos Ace is a wonderful debut for the corporate’s first headphones. The mixture of refined design, nice sound high quality and residential theater methods creates a singular system. Nevertheless, ANC efficiency is simply okay and key performance remains to be within the works for a lot of customers.

Sony ULT Put on

If most headphones don’t have the extent of bass you want, the ULT Wear is an choice to think about. The low-end thump isn’t for everybody, however there are additionally loads of useful options and a refined look to make the $200 set extra compelling than many on this value vary.

Sony WH-CH720N

Whereas the WH-CH720N are an amazing reasonably priced choice, we favor the Audio-Technica within the price range class. Sony’s cans are light-weight with good sound high quality, however ANC struggles at occasions and so they’re made with a whole lot of plastic.

Beats Studio Professional

The Studio Pro lacks fundamental options like automated pausing, and multipoint connectivity is just obtainable on Android. Furthermore, they’re not very snug for folks with bigger heads. Total sound high quality is improved, although, and voice efficiency on calls is properly above common.

Bose QuietComfort Extremely headphones

Bose’s latest flagship model has quite a bit to supply, however its trademark Immersive Audio characteristic may be inconsistent throughout various kinds of music. There’s nonetheless world-class ANC, glorious consolation and a clearer transparency mode, however for the value, the non-Extremely mannequin is a more sensible choice proper now.

Grasp & Dynamic MH40 (2nd gen)

The MH40 are an amazing set of headphones when you favor crisp, clear and pure sound that isn’t overly tuned. This pair showcases the corporate’s affinity for leather-based and metallic too, however restricted customization and quick battery life for non-ANC cans stored this set from making the reduce.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

The corporate’s trademark pristine sound is on show here, however the Px8 are costlier and never practically as snug because the Px7 S2.

Wi-fi headphones FAQs

How are you going to inform the standard of wi-fi headphones?

I usually have a look at three components: design, sound high quality and options. When it comes to design, I’m often trying to see if the construct high quality of the headphones feels low cost and plasticky. Loads of corporations use plastic, however they will accomplish that in a method that doesn’t look or really feel like price range fashions. For sound high quality, I need to hear a pleasant, even tuning the place highs, mids and lows are all properly represented. No overly boomy bass or scooped out mids. I additionally need good readability the place you’ll be able to decide up nice particulars and an open, immersive soundstage. Options is often a distant third, but when an organization doesn’t cowl fundamental performance (automated pausing, transparency mode, multipoint Bluetooth, and so forth.) it may be a sign of total high quality.

How do I select the highest quality wi-fi headphones?

“Finest” may be fairly subjective, however I all the time suggest going to a spot the place you’ll be able to take heed to the headphones you’re interested by shopping for earlier than you commit. Generally this isn’t doable, so that you’ll need to examine return insurance policies. I additionally suggest performing some analysis to find out what your priorities are in a brand new set. Are you an audiophile who needs one of the best sound high quality? Is highly effective energetic noise cancellation (ANC) a very powerful? Would you somewhat have conveniences like automated pausing?

Which model has one of the best wi-fi headphones?

Sony persistently tops our record with its 1000X line. That is principally because of the mixture of sound high quality, ANC efficiency and the truckload of options these headphones pack in. I’ll be the primary to let you know that there are higher sounding choices and different corporations, like Bose, supply more practical noise cancellation. However while you add every little thing up, nobody comes near the total slate of instruments Sony places in its premium headphone line.

Do costly wi-fi headphones sound higher?

Exorbitant value tags don’t imply higher audio high quality. Bowers & Wilkins’ headphones are on the excessive finish for wi-fi noise-canceling fashions and so they sound wonderful. Nevertheless, Audio-Technica’s M50xBT2 is way more reasonably priced and doesn’t have ANC, however these headphones have a heat, pure sound profile that I discover very inviting. On the finish of the day, it’ll come down to private desire, however you don’t want to spend so much to search out nice headphones.