Finding the best wireless headphones for you can be a challenge nowadays, namely because there are so many options. The key is to locate a set of cans that balances great sound with long battery life and a style that fits you. One pair of headphones that checks all of the boxes is the Sony WH-1000XM5. These flagship wireless headphones from Sony boast leading active noise cancellation (ANC), up to 30 hours of battery life, and an exceptionally comfortable design for long-term use. That being said, the XM5 aren't cheap, so keep reading for all of the best options for every budget and style imaginable.
There aren't many flaws to point out with the WH-1000XM5, especially considering where they're coming from. Their predecessors, the WH-1000XM4, already found themselves at the top of the heap for wireless headphones for Android. One of the biggest reasons remains the ANC performance, courtesy of Sony's QN1 processor and a dual noise sensor that does the work of blocking out the background. Commuting on a bus, train, or plane won't be a problem while wearing these. Sony's pedigree in this area shows itself with true wireless earbuds, too.
Sony did change the design to a degree, going for a cleaner look, which also unfortunately means limited folding ability. They'll go flat, just not curled up. The sound signature preserves the same bass-heavy balance that sometimes drowns out the mids and highs. You could always adjust that through the equalizer in Sony's Connect app, including a "clear bass" slider for the potency of the bass itself. It's worth using those available tools to get a more personalized sound out of these excellent headphones.
You can pair with two devices simultaneously to listen to music on one device and take calls on another. Phone calls also keep their clarity through Sony's Precise Voice Pickup and Speak to Chat features.
The excellent battery life will let you listen for longer, too. The WH-1000XM5 don't have a bigger battery, maintaining the same 30 hours per charge (depending on volume level and ANC use). So fast charging is convenient when you need some juice in a pinch. The only bummer is that you can't plug in to listen and charge at the same time.
Most, if not all, modern over-ear headphones nowadays come with ANC in the box, especially if you're looking for wireless over-ear headphones to work well with Android, but you might think that makes options more expensive. Anker already scored a nice win with the Soundcore Life Q30, only to come back soon after with another model we reviewed in the Soundcore Life Q35. Less a sequel and more a variant, the Q35 is essentially a Q30 with a couple of extra features attached to make it stand apart.
That means the existing sound quality, which was already excellent, is entirely intact. The lively soundstage doesn't skew too far one way or the other from the start. If you want bass, you can get even more of it through the great Soundcore app that includes a customizable equalizer and over 20 presets. It changes the overall sound in a variety of ways, making it more likely you'll find a combination that better suits your ears. The ANC support is pretty good, with three distinct settings on the app as well.
Where the Q35 differs is that it supports the LDAC codec for lossless playback on devices or content supporting it. Audiophiles or more demanding listeners may find comfort if hi-res audio is of interest, especially at this price. The fact that they also auto-pause when taking the headphones off is another feature Anker should've included before. They're no more or less comfortable to wear than the Q30, offering pretty effective passive noise isolation and ANC.
Then there's the battery life, which is outstanding. They can go up to 60 hours per charge with ANC off or up to 40 hours with it turned on. That's an impressive figure for any pair of headphones, even more so for something that isn't premium. With USB-C, a five-minute quick charge can get them back up and playing music for four hours.
Another excellent option from Anker, the Soundcore Life Q20 headphones boast a lot of the same great features as the Q35 at a fraction of the cost. For less than 60 bucks, you’ll get a pair of wireless headphones with active noise cancellation and up to 60 hours of battery life on a single charge.
The Q20’s ANC system uses four microphones to block out unwanted background noise, while the headphones’ 40mm dynamic drivers produce Hi-Res audio with high frequencies that can reach up to 40kHz. This means your favorite music, podcasts, audiobooks, and calls all sound as clear and as lifelike as possible.
The low end is no slouch, either. The bass quality here is given a considerable boost thanks to Anker’s proprietary BassUp technology. This software analyzes the audio in real time so bass-heavy music sounds powerful and immersive. Don’t need that much bass? BassUp can be toggled on and off by tapping the play button twice.
As with other Anker headphones, the battery life on the Q20 is excellent as well. When active noise cancellation is on, you can expect up to 40 hours of battery life, while standard music mode (without ANC) can provide a whopping 60 hours on a single charge. Of course, you’ll only reach that max battery life when conditions are truly optimal, but even when you don’t hit the 60-hour mark, that’s a pretty stellar battery for a 60-dollar pair of headphones.
Once your headphones’ battery is finally drained, the quick-charging capabilities mean you can get up to four hours of battery life after charging for a mere five minutes. Additionally, the Q20 come with an aux cable for wired mode (which can also extend battery life) and a travel pouch.
Yet again, our review of the Life P3 showed Anker's Soundcore brand continues to do good things at lower prices. These AirPods-shaped earbuds feature excellent-sounding audio thanks to powerful drivers and good tuning that only gets better when you start to tinker with them yourself.
They're comfortable, and the silicone ear tips in five sizes make it easier to find a good seal — plus, there's ANC onboard that's quite effective for budget-level buds like the Life P3. Customize the sound to your liking through Soundcore's excellent app, which gives you over 20 presets, along with the ability to create your own.
Call quality isn't bad considering the price, though you also get something different with the Superior Sleep feature, where you choose a mix of sounds to listen to as a way to help you pass out.
Battery life does hit the right levels for the price. The buds can go up to seven hours per charge with ANC off (six hours with ANC on), and the case adds another 28 hours on top of that. It charges via USB-C and also supports wireless charging.
Sennheiser's heritage in great sound quality was apparent in our review of the Momentum 3 Wireless and as good as they were, there was still room for improvement. Two areas stood out: ANC and battery life. Noise cancelation does well with low-frequency sounds, and despite an improved ability to muffle higher pitches, overall performance won't match what you can get with Sony and Bose, though the Wind Reduction mode is a nice perk.
On the battery side, Sennheiser took a giant leap forward. The previous pair could only muster up to 17 hours per charge. With the Momentum 4 Wireless, you can play audio for up to 60 hours. Even if you leave ANC on, you could hit north of 50 hours. That's an enormous improvement that changes how and when you charge them. When you do, you can still use the USB-C port for simultaneous listening and charging when connected to an Android phone or tablet.
That's great news while you're listening because the soundstage is as rich as you'd expect for a brand like this. A slightly boosted bass meshes well with clear midrange and smooth treble for an appreciably balanced sound signature. It's wide enough to suit almost every musical genre. I do recommend using Sennheiser's Smart Control app to adjust the equalizer and bring the best possible sound out of them.
They're still very comfortable to wear for long periods, even if they don't look particularly flashy. They also fold up for easier storage and come with a nice case to keep them safe.
On-ear headphones aren't for everyone, but the Beats Solo Pro are a real standout to consider for those who want a pair. True to Beats' reputation, there's plenty of bass to listen to here, though it's surprisingly subdued compared to what you would typically find in anything the brand does. The mid-range and treble pipe up well for a more balanced sound. It's still more weighted toward the bass, but not as much as expected.
The Solo Pro will manage decent ANC performance. Part of it is lacking, but simply because of the limitations of passively blocking out noise with on-ear headphones. The results aren't bad, blocking out much of the consistent low-end noise but not as much of everything else. Overall, it gets the job done, so long as you recognize the challenges in doing it well with on-ear cans.
Comfort is going to be highly subjective. It's equally possible that you will get accustomed to wearing them or find them too much of a squeeze. There's a good amount of adjustment, though the ear cups have a strong clamping force that applies to your head more than other models might. It's not conducive to longer listening periods. However, smaller heads and ears should have fewer issues.
The Solo Pro are solid on battery life, getting you up to 22 hours of playback with ANC enabled. Turn ANC off, and it almost doubles to 40 hours. Unfortunately, they use Lightning to charge rather than USB-C. Not a problem if you have an iPhone or iPad, but a little annoying if you're using an Android device.
As our review showed, the Elite 7 Pro are a big win for Jabra in a number of ways. It begins and ends with the fit and comfort based on a newer design that should appeal to a broader section of users. If you felt previous models didn't fit so well, you may want to give these a try. A snugger fit also leads to a more balanced sound signature that you can also tailor to your liking through the Sound+ app available for Android and iOS. The Elite 7 Pro are very much like the Elite 7 Active, though these earbuds hold one key advantage.
Jabra's MultiSensor Voice Technology clears up phone calls in ways other earbuds don't, and it's an exclusive feature to these earbuds. Even the Elite 7 Active don't have it. You do get solid ANC, albeit with Jabra forcing you to customize it to your ear first before you start using it.
The IP57 water and dust-resistance also makes the Elite 7 Pro rugged enough to handle rigorous runs and workouts, so don't expect issues with sweat, rain, snow, or other water-absorbing activities. Don't take them swimming, but otherwise, you have solid protection. They don't have the same rubberized coating compared to the Elite 7 Active, but share the same IP57 rating, otherwise.
Battery life can get you up to eight hours per charge with ANC on, plus three extra charges for a total of about 30 hours. Charge back up via USB-C or Qi wireless charging, including a fast charging option where plugging in for five minutes can get you up to 60 minutes of playback.
Neckbuds aren't as common as regular wireless earbuds are, but Sony made an effort to include some of the same tech that plays such a big role in its other products. That includes ANC support from the company's QN1 chip, so these would stand out from the pack in that regard. A tighter seal with the earbuds is important to get the most out of the feature and works nicely in reverse when the mics pipe in ambient sound so you can hear announcements or people talking.
They don't disappoint in how they sound, either. Sony gave the bass a boost for a slightly warmer sound signature, keeping things pretty balanced. It's not going to be the same kind of sound you'd get from Sony's over-ears, where sound isn't as skewed to the lows, but mids and highs are still more than noticeable here. You can try using Sony's Adaptive Sound Control mode to adjust noise reduction automatically, but this feature is still very much in the works from a practical standpoint. The Headphones Connect app has some decent tools to use, like EQ and control settings, among other things.
As for the level of comfort, it will really depend on how you feel about the neckband. It's lighter than Sony's previous models, so that helps the whole package feel lighter. The earbuds are nice, too, so you shouldn't have an issue unless you feel the neckband is a bit too stiff over longer periods.
Battery life is decent for a pair of neckbuds, lasting up to 10 hours on a single charge. Fast charging them for 10 minutes will get you up to 60-80 minutes of playback.
More true wireless earbuds now come with ANC as a feature, but in our review, we concluded the Sony WF-1000XM4 are the measuring stick for this category. Sony took the excellent ANC tech it uses in the over-ear WH-1000XM4, plus the outstanding ANC already in the previous WF-1000XM3 and applied it all to these superb earbuds. As a result, their ability to block out ambient noise isn't held back by their size — a big reason why they are so good.
The sound quality is mostly neutral and is more reason to use the equalizer settings in the Headphones Connect app. Bass is subdued from the start, giving you an incentive to tinker with the settings, whereas the mids and highs come through with greater detail. Sony's Adaptive Sound Control mode still needs work, but the good news is that the earbuds have ambient mode via the onboard mics to hear sounds around you without taking them off.
The fit and comfort is a big standout here because Sony addressed it in a couple of ways. The earbuds themselves are still on the bulkier side, though a bit smaller than before. They also come with foam tips for greater comfort and a tighter seal. The IPX4 rating doesn't make them heavily water-resistant, but you could probably get away with doing a run or workout with them. Just make sure to wipe them down and clean them.
Sony did shave down the charging case considerably and added wireless charging on top of that. Battery life is quite good at up to eight hours alone and an extra 16 hours with the charging case. The USB-C port is convenient, as is the fast charging ability. A quick 15-minute charge gives you a few hours of playback in a pinch.
Bose has a solid over-ear headphone lineup, and the NCH 700 are among the best you can find if you want effective ANC performance. These are the veritable successors to the highly-acclaimed QC35 II, improving upon them in ways that count. They sound great, and Bose fixed the sharper pitches from high treble notes and balanced the rest of the signature to make one of the best headphones for general consumers.
The ANC serves to help drive that point further, doing a solid job of blocking out most persistent noises, like engines, and some mid-range sounds like people talking. Higher-pitched sounds still pose a challenge, however, and it's when they break through that you experience one of the few hindrances in these cans. The good news is Bose was thoughtful enough to include 11 steps of ANC for some real customization.
Bose also made the NCH 700 comfortable to wear, despite being bigger than the QC35 II. There's a softness to the headband and ear cups that aren't constricting, so you may not even notice how long you've been wearing them. Unfortunately, the larger size also means they don't fold, taking up more space in your bag whenever you're on the move.
At up to 20 hours per charge, battery life is above average. A quick 15-minute fast charge through USB-C will deliver up to two hours of playback, ensuring you can listen to some tunes in a pinch.
In our review, the Jaybird Vista 2 proved the best option for working out. Well-made with a design that should fit most ears, they have a tight seal that gives you excellent passive noise isolation. If you need some bass to go with your workout or run, you won't be disappointed with the audible thump these are capable of.
They sound good out of the box, but it's the companion app that takes the cake. It hosts an active community that creates EQ presets to apply to the earbuds and alters how they sound. Browse through it, and you'll find something catering to every genre of music. Use the EQ to modify or create your own. Save the ones you like most and switch between what works while working out or what's best.
Jaybird added ANC and an ambient mode to improve the audio feature set. An IP68 rating makes them even more ruggedized for water and sweat resistance. They're not exactly made for swimming, but you can get away with using them in water in short sessions. Make sure to clean and wipe them after exposure, and they should feel good as new each time.
Battery life is decent at up to six hours with ANC on (eight hours when off), and the louder default volume helps keep it closer to that ceiling. While small and highly pocketable, the case only adds an extra 16 hours (12 hours with ANC on), which is pretty standard at this point. At least you can charge them pretty quickly via USB-C.
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Good headphones for Android aren't hard to come by, you just have to know where to look. This best wireless headphones list is made up of several great options, some of which are especially good at a particular aspect of audio. If you're looking to get the best, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are an outstanding place to start your search. Equipped with an excellent combination of industry-best noise-canceling technology, great sound, long battery life, handy controls, and a comfortable fit, it's hard to top them. There are great wireless earbuds in the list, too, showing that great things can come in small packages.
While the XM5 don't look or sound dramatically different from their predecessors, the improved ANC and phone call quality make them even more well-rounded than the previous pair already was. As a result, you can't go wrong listening to whatever you like most wearing them.
