A good pair of headphones is nothing less than a necessity in this age. Whether you’re attending meetings on the go or jamming to music on the subway, you need headphones that sound good, look good, last long, and ideally silence the loud outside world around you.
While that’s a very basic criterion for what you should look for in a regular pair of headphones, there’s a slightly different set of features to look out for if you’re on the hunt for a gaming headset. Gamers go after low latency, multiple connectivity options, a noise-canceling mic, and extra frills like RGB lighting.
We’ve curated a list with multiple categories so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. If you need the absolute best overall headphones, Beats Studio Pro is our pick. We recommend the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro for the best gaming headphones. We’ve also included some options for the best earbuds and the best noise-canceling headphones.
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Best Overall Headphones — Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony is directly competing with Apple in the headphones space and is clearly getting more aggressive when it comes to updating the WH-1000XM line. The WH-1000XM5 definitely succeeded in creating a pair of headphones that will woo consumers away from Apple.
In terms of sound quality, these are Sony’s flagship wireless headphones, and like past iterations, they simply sound fantastic. The accompanying mobile app allows you to switch between various equalization presets or make your own custom adjustments to their sound profile until you’re satisfied with what’s hitting your ears.
The WH-1000XM5 is not only $150 cheaper than the AirPods Max while delivering a step-up in terms of ANC performance, but they’re also considerably lighter and more comfortable to wear for longer periods and include a case that fully encloses and protects the headphones. At the same time, they bounce around inside a bag. Apple’s H1 chip remains a compelling reason to choose the AirPods Max for iPhone users. Still, Sony’s multi-device connectivity works incredibly well, and I genuinely think the overall package of the WH-1000XM5 now makes them the better choice. — Dua Rashid
Best Wireless Earbuds — Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are overall excellent buds that give you everything you want. The size and weight have been dramatically reduced, so they’re comfortable sitting in your ears all day. The twist-to-adjust stabilizer is far from a gimmick. It gives the buds their snug, ear-hugging fit. Navigation has been done so intuitively that it makes me wonder why more earbud companies don’t take a similar, straightforward approach, especially with volume. The sound profile is impressive, with the deep, punchy bass being the star of the show. And the noise-canceling is so powerful that it feels like you’re being transported into your own noiseless void.
My only gripe is that the Gemini integration is half as attractive as advertised. It’s far from being ‘hands-free’ if you can’t ask a single follow-up question without getting your hands involved. Plus, you can’t interrupt it with your voice regardless of how long its response is, which is fairly annoying. I can’t ignore the Gemini integration and enjoy the rest of what these buds offer because I imagine the AI integration is one of the reasons they’re priced at $230. Google didn’t have to follow suit and mindlessly stuff its product with AI if the integration wasn’t providing much value. — Dua Rashid
See Google Pixel Buds Pro at Amazon
Also Consider: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
These buds feature an innovative, futuristic design that’s also comfortable with a splash of durability and a full, airy soundscape with great battery life. The only thing these buds lack is ANC. If you’re looking for a great pair of earbuds that serve clean, powerful audio and don’t need active noise canceling, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are for you. The buds offer slight durability with nearly 30 hours of battery life (with the charging case) and are incredibly comfortable even after hours of wear. And in terms of design, nothing on the market looks anything like the Ultra Open. — Sherri L. Smith
Best Noise-Canceling Headphones — Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2
Shure’s Aonic 50 has insanely good ANC. Most ANC modes silence low-end sounds better than high-pitched ones. But these headphones do not care. High-pitched or low-pitched, it cancels everything. In fact, when you’re walking on the street, you probably shouldn’t have it turned on because it will literally mute every ambient sound. It’s that good.
Shure’s Aonic 50 shines in multiple areas, too. They offer intuitive controls, a clear mic, and a huge battery life. Comparing these to Sony’s and Apple’s flagship headphones, it’s worth noting that the WH-1000XM5 offers a 30-hour battery life while Apple gives you 20 hours. Both of these pale in comparison to Aonic’s massive 45-hour battery life. — Dua Rashid
See Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 at Amazon
Best Running Headphones — Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
The OpenRun Pro headphones launched two years ago were already a hit, but Shokz upgraded them and released the OpenRun Pro 2 for $180. Designed to be worn when you’re training, running a marathon, hiking, biking, or even during busy commutes, these headphones have one overarching purpose: to keep you in touch with your surroundings.
They utilize Shokz’s new proprietary tech, DualPitch, which uses a pair of separate, dedicated drivers instead of a single driver doing all the work on the company’s past offerings. The two drivers—bone conduction and air conduction—are decoupled, which means they work independently. This offers two major benefits: reduced vibrations and improved bass.
I’m very happy about the switch to Type-C charging on the second-gen OpenRun Pros. Most Shokz sports headphones have featured magnetic charging so far, including the first-gen OpenRun Pros. Other charging-related upgrades include better battery life (12 hours compared to 10 hours on the Gen 1s) and a five-minute quick charge, providing an additional hour (a total of 2.5 hours) on the flagship. The charging time is still one hour, and the dust and water resistance is still IP55. I prefer higher water resistance, at least IP57, for headphones designed for rough adventures. However, I’m glad the Type-C charging port has a rubberized flap covering to prevent dust particles or water from getting through. — Dua Rashid
See SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 at Amazon
Best Battery Life Headphones — JBL Live 770NC
I didn’t get to thoroughly test out the promised 65-hour battery life without ANC activated and 50 hours with it on the JBL Live 770NC, but I didn’t have to reach for the charger even after five days of using them for a few hours every day. Even if the claims are slightly inflated, they’re much longer than the most successful headphones at double the price—WH-1000XM5 with a 30-hour battery life and the AirPods Max at 20 hours. I thought the Cleer Alpha’s 45-hour battery was impressive, but the 770s beat them by a large margin and cost the same as the Alpha. On top of this, a five-minute charge giving you another four hours is just the cherry on top.
These headphones are also very comfortable, great for bass, sport well-thought-out controls that are easy to get used to and offer impressive mics for calling. But none of this will matter if you’re an aesthetics-over-performance person since these are far from flashy. If you’re in the market for a good-looking pair of headphones, these aren’t the ones for you. — Dua Rashid
Best Gaming Headphones — Alienware Pro Wireless Headset
The Alienware Pro Wireless Headset is a super solid pair of headphones you can get at this price point. It’s so comfortable it makes up for its build limitations and lack of customizable pads and mic. The sound quality is just about where you want it to be, and perhaps with small software updates it could be even more fine-tuned.
At the same time, it feels a little too mundane. Because of that design and the limited software, you won’t find much use for it outside the home. It’s very on-brand for Alienware to restrict users to its design, as the company knows what works. It’s the kind of headset I know I would jump for first when I’m home and ready to play a game on the couch by myself. Unfortunately for you, Alienware, and me, that’s a rarity nowadays. — Kyle Barr
See Alienware Pro Wireless Headset at Amazon
This list is updated regularly with new recommendations and product forecasts.
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