Do wireless headphones deliver better sound than wired headphones? No, but there are plenty of reasons to opt for a pair of Bluetooth, wireless headphones over those wired cans. The first is for portability’s sake; when you’re on a long run, you don’t want to feel tethered to your phone. The second is that even though wireless headphones’ sound quality doesn’t match up to wired headphones, they have come quite a long way and keep getting better. With ample options and a wide range of prices, you can find a pair that supports your listening needs and suits your budget.
At ZDNET, researching, testing, and reviewing tons of headphones, among many other tech products, is our bread and butter — and we have strong opinions on what makes a pair worth purchasing. We’ve taken conference calls and Zoom meetings, gone on walks and workouts (where severe sweating was involved), and spent entire workdays with these top five wireless headphones on our noggins.
Also: The best noise-canceling headphones
Our top pick went to Sony’s WH-1000XM5 for its crystal clear, rich music, long battery life, and near-perfect noise cancellation that delivers surround-sound audio. Whether you are an audiophile or a casual listener, read on to learn about our other wireless favorites.
Pros
- Adaptive noise-cancelling
- Alexa built-in
- Great battery life
- Spatial audio and Dolby Atmos
Sony WH-1000XM5 tech specs: Form factor: Over-ear | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 | Battery life: 30 hours | Frequency response: 4 Hz – 40,000 Hz | Driver size: 30 mm | Noise cancellation: Yes
If you’re looking to get the best of the best when it comes to wireless headphones, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Sony WH-1000XM5s. These headphones have been designed from the ground up for superior audio quality and comfort. The headband and ear cups are padded and finished in faux leather for all-day comfort as well as a sleek, elegant look. An eight-microphone array not only ensures that your voice will be heard loud and clear during phone calls but also helps with the adaptive noise-canceling technology, so your music, podcasts, and calls are the only thing you hear in almost any environment. But if you need to hear background noise like travel announcements or traffic sounds for safety reasons, you can turn on the Quick Attention Mode so you don’t miss your subway stop or in-flight announcements.
When ZDNET writer Matthew Miller reviewed the headphones last year, he complimented the headphone’s “stunning” audio performance and immersive ANC. “I spent the last couple of months traveling, commuting, working, and relaxing with the headphones and didn’t think the XM4 could get better, but Sony found a way,” Miller writes.
Review: These Sony headphones are basically perfect
On a full charge, you’ll get about 30 hours of playback time with the noise-canceling turned on, and just three minutes of charging gives you up to three hours of use; which is perfect for when you forget to charge overnight and want to listen to music on your morning commute or a podcast on your flight. You can connect the headphones to up to two devices at once with Bluetooth so you can switch between virtual meetings on your laptop and business calls on your smartphone. They even have Alexa built-in and work with OK Google for hands-free controls over your devices, but if you prefer manual controls, you can touch the left or right ear cups to pause and skip songs as well as answer and end calls.
Pros
- Comfortable fit
- Long battery life
- Immersive audio and ANC
Cons
- Pricey
- ANC doesn’t work as well in super busy environments
Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones tech specs: Form factor: Over-ear | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1 | Battery life: 22 hours | Frequency response: NA | Driver size: 40mm | Noise cancellation: Yes
Over-ear wireless headphones are great for audio quality and far better for your hearing than earbuds, but after a day of wearing them for work or school, your head and your ears might be a little sore or irritated. Bose’s QuietComfort 45 headphones eliminate that problem — and provide fantastic sound and ANC while doing so.
ZDNET’s Jada Jones calls them “the most practical headphones for casual listeners who are looking for portable headphones with high-quality sound that won’t break the bank.” According to Jones, the headphones provide a “full-bodied” sound with balance and didn’t agitate her ears after a full day of wear.
Review: These are my go-to headphones for all-day listening and they’re not AirPods
The headphones provide a long battery life of 22 hours and turn a regular podcast or song into a full-fledged immersive audio experience.
Pros
- Noise-cancelling and transparency mode
- Sleek look
- Comfortable wear
Cons
- Some features are incompatible with iPhone
- Pricey
Beats Studio Pro tech specs: Form factor: Over-ear | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Battery life: 40 hours | Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz | Driver size: 40mm | Noise cancellation: Yes
Is appearance everything when it comes to good-quality wireless headphones? Obviously not. But who can deny the gorgeous deep brown color of these Beats Studio Pros? Look and confirmed (by our headphone expert Jada Jones) comfort aside, these headphones improve upon a few features from past over-ear Beats headphones.
Review: The Beats Studio Pro are so close to being my dream headphones
Jones called the Studio Pros the “perfect middle-ground headphones for Android and Apple users,” but stopped short of calling them a winning pick for audiophiles. Beats added noise canceling and transparency modes to these headphones, as well as lossless audio playback. The only catch is that lossless audio playback, headphone charging, and Entertainment and Conversation modes via USB-C are incompatible with iPhones.
Pros
- Great sound for bone conduction headphones
- Lightweight
- Voice assistant supported
Cons
- Waterproof rating could be better
- Not the best sound out of all picks on this list
Shokz OpenRun Pro tech specs: Type: Open ear | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1 | Battery life: 10 hours | Waterproof rating: IP55 | Weight: 1.02 oz
Bone conduction headphones are a bit different than a pair of conventional wireless headphones. While they may not have the same immersive features as a pair of ANC headphones, sometimes you don’t want that — I don’t know about you, but if I’m running in a park or on city streets, I want to be aware of my surroundings while I listen to music. Not only that: who wants two heavy cans around their ears on their sweaty, sunny runs?
Review: Shokz OpenRun Pro
These Shokz OpenRun Pro bone conduction headphones deliver great sound, water resistance, and a lightweight, comfortable fit. That’s an impressive feat for a type of headphone that traditionally sacrifices sound for fit and function. The prime headphones for outdoor exercise, you can run, bike, jog, and, most importantly, sweat with these on. They are so good that when ZDNET contributor Matthew Miller reviewed the OpenRun Pros, the headphones caused him to change his mind about bone-conduction headphones at large.
“With early bone conduction headphones, I accepted the tradeoff in audio quality to have a safer running experience. However, Shokz keeps improving its technology so that the volume level is great, audio is crisp and clear, bass is solid, voice assistant support works flawlessly, and even call quality is good,” Miller writes.
Pros
- Excellent ANC
- A dream for Apple ecosystem owners
- Strong battery life
Cons
- Carrying case isn’t functional
- Very expensive
Apple AirPods Max tech specs: Form factor: Over-ear, closed-back | Connectivity Bluetooth 5.0 | Battery life: 20 hours (1.5 hours on a 5-minute charge) | Frequency response: 10Hz – 20,000Hz (estimated) | Driver size: 40mm | Noise cancellation: Yes
If you are an iPhone owner or an Apple ecosystem devotee, you can’t go wrong with Apple AirPods Max for the headphones’ suite of features that include instant connectivity to Apple ecosystem devices, multi-device switching, built-in voice assistant, and ANC.
Review: Apple AirPods Max
But even if you don’t own Apple products you will nevertheless fall in love with the headphones’ comfortable fit and futuristically sleek appearance. The AirPods Max has progressed past mere headphone status; they’re now a fashion piece, too. And, with a 20-hour battery life, you can use these headphones for a few workdays before you even have to think about recharging.
The AirPods Max cost over $500, a hefty price to stomach. When ZDNET contributor Jason Cipriani reviewed the headphones in 2020, he acknowledged the high price tag but ultimately decided that the headphones were worth it in the end when you factor in the sound, style, features, and fit.
Our pick for the best wireless headphones is the Sony WH-1000XM5s. They use an eight-microphone array for adaptive noise cancellation as well as crystal-clear calls on your tablet, PC, or smartphone. It even has Alexa built-in for hands-free control over your connected devices. You can use Bluetooth to connect to two devices at once for easier multitasking, and you’ll get about 30 hours of playback on a full charge.
We’ve included the list price here, but these products may be on sale, so make sure you check the different retailer links above.
| Wireless headphones | Price | Battery life | Connectivity |
| Sony WH-1000XM5 | $400 | 30 hours | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Bose QuietComfort 45 | $329 | 22 hours | Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Beats Studio Pro | $350 | 40 hours | Bluetooth |
| Apple AirPods Max | $550 | 20 hours | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Shokz OpenRun Pro | $180 | 10 hours | Bluetooth 5.1 |
The biggest thing to take into consideration when shopping for a new pair of wireless headphones, other than price, is battery life. You want your new headphones to at least last an entire work shift plus your commute (about eight to 10 hours) before you need to recharge. You’ll also want to consider things like built-in voice controls via Alexa or OK Google, active noise cancellation technology to block out background noise, and the ability to use a 3.5mm AUX cable for when you need a hardwired connection.
| Choose these headphones… | If you want… |
| Sony WH-1000XM5 | A well rounded wireless headset with excellent audio quality and noise canceling technology. |
| Bose QuietComfort 45 | A great middle-ground headphone for Android users. They boast a long battery life and a comfortable fit, so you can wear them all day without the head or ear ache. |
| Beats Studio Pro | Strong battery life and excellent sound for Android or Apple users. |
| Apple AirPods Max | The cherry on top of your Apple ecosystem with an expensive-but-worth-it price tag. |
| Shokz OpenRun Pro | A great exercise bone conduction headphone that doesn’t sacrifice audio quality for environmental awareness. |
A variety of factors impact the quality of wireless headphones. Here are some we considered carefully.
- Audio quality: There are a few ways to determine whether the headphones you are looking at have decent audio quality, simply by paying attention to a few key specs. Those include driver size (the larger the driver, the better), frequency response (generally from 20Hz to 20,000Hz), and noise-canceling capabilities (the less you hear of the outside world when you’re listening to your favorite songs, the better the ANC).
- Price: The headphones on this list range from mid-$100s to upwards of $500. With a more expensive price tag comes added features and stronger battery life, but even headphones on the lower end of the price spectrum deliver impeccable sound and comfort (we wouldn’t include them if they didn’t).
- Battery life: Good sound only goes so far. Your headphones shouldn’t unexpectedly die on you mid-conference call or workout session. We included headphones with battery lives that range from 10 hours to 40 hours.
- Form factor and fit: We have tested every product on this list to ensure that these headphones sound good, yes, but also feel comfortable to wear.
- Special features: Some headphones have built-in virtual assistants, noise-canceling capabilities, and thoughtful features that make switching from song to song, turning up or down the volume, pausing and playing, or answering calls feel seamless. Another essential quality of wireless headphones is their connectivity level. Headphones that feature Bluetooth 5.2, a more recent Bluetooth version, let you switch between devices with zero hassle.
The choice between headphones and earbuds is subjective, but there are a few key factors. Earbuds are more compact, affordable, and workout-friendly than their over-ear counterparts. On the other side, headphones offer the best possible audio quality and noise cancellation — and sometimes better battery life — if you’re willing to pay up. Better still, wireless headphones provide freedom of movement, whether working at a desk or using your phone to catch up with the news or stream music while commuting.
Wireless headphones don’t have the best sound quality compared to wired headphones with analog signals. That’s due to their digital signal, which can’t handle as much data as an analog signal. This is particularly important if you’re using headphones to produce, mix, or master music- any critical listening task. If you are a casual listener, you probably wouldn’t notice too much of a difference. Another disadvantage is that you need to occasionally recharge them to get the most playback time from your wireless headphones. If your wireless headset also uses a 2.4GHz USB wireless dongle rather than Bluetooth to connect to devices, you may be unable to use it with smartphones and tablets.
A reasonable expectation for a wireless headphone battery is at least 10 hours: enough to get through a full workday, including commutes. But most headsets, even true wireless earbuds, can give you much more than that. The average battery life is between 20 and 30 hours of play time.
There are about as many different types of wireless headphones as there are people who shop for them. Here’s a short list of additional models that I thought were great options:
Best budget alternative
Edifier WH950NB headphones
According to Jones, these Edifier headphones deliver solid looks and crisper sound for half the price of a Sony or Bose pair of cans.
Best music headphone alternative
Sennheiser Momentum 4
These Sennheiser headphones are made for the audiophiles who want to hear every guitar stroke and strum out of their favorite songs.
Best budget alternative
Audio-Technica ATH-S220BTWH
These headphones boast an extended battery life of 60 hours and are far cheaper than the ones on the list above at just $59.
Best Apple headphone alternative
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sometimes you don’t want the heaviness of a headphone. For owners of Apple products, these AirPods deliver great sound and a comfortable, lightweight fit.
