We’ve tested more than 400 pairs of headphones for this guide. That’s a lot to cover, so we focus below on the most recent and high-profile models we’ve tested. You can read about other headphones we’ve tested in this spreadsheet.
Over- or on-ear headphones
Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless: This pair is light and comfortable, and the ANC is quite effective on very low frequencies. Out of the box, bass notes sounded intense, as did the range between 3 and 4 kHz. You can adjust the sound via EQ presets or a “sound personalization” quiz. I found the quiz process to be confusing and ultimately not that helpful; Soundcore’s Hear ID test is more straightforward and successful. The Sennheiser app offers no way to customize the controls, and there are no voice or motion-based controls like you get on other premium sets. Ultimately, while this is a very good set of headphones, we expected more for the high asking price.
Sony 1000X The Collexion (WH-1000XX/W): This premium pair is a slightly modified, more luxurious version of the Sony WH-1000XM6. Changes include a roomier earcup, bigger drivers, a metal headband and ports, touchpads covered with vegan leather, and the addition of a handle to the carrying case. Though the earcups have more space inside, Sony kept the external profile the same by making the earcup walls thinner, which means the passive noise isolation (which muffles higher-pitched sounds like voices) isn’t as effective as that of the XM6. And beyond the isolation and aesthetics, the overall listening experience is largely the same. I listened to the XM6 and 1000X back-to-back over the course of several hours, and while the 1000X does seem to have a slightly bigger soundstage, the sound is so similar it will be a negligible difference for most listeners. Yet the Collexion costs around $200 more. If you like this set’s more luxurious look and feel and you have the means to spend $650, I’m not here to yuck your yum. But for most people, the XM6 is the better buy.
Sony WH-1000XM5: This older set has great passive noise isolation to block out voices around you, but we found that its ANC wasn’t as effective as that of the WH-1000XM6. This pair also lacks voice activation, has smaller buttons, and doesn’t fold up as compactly as the WH-1000XM6.
Soundcore Space 2: The newer version of our budget over-ear pick adds a few improvements, like 10 additional hours of battery life, wear detection, and improved ANC. Soundcore also added an app-based AI assistant called Anka. When I tested Anka, it provided similar call-and-response language translation as other web-based offerings, it read (rather clunkily) some random news stories, and it offered to chat with me to keep me company (I’m good, thanks). While this set’s improvements are nice, we didn’t find them compelling enough to warrant spending $130; but if the Space One is discontinued, we may consider them as a possible replacement.
Earbuds
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation: If you can’t stand the feeling of sealed earbuds and want some noise cancellation, this pair is worth a look. For everyone else, we think you can get better performance from our picks. Read more of our thoughts.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: If you’re looking specifically for Apple-friendy workout earbuds, this pair is a pricey but solid choice. The earbuds hook over the ears and feel very secure during workouts, and this set has a built-in heart-rate monitor that works well. The battery life of eight to 10 hours is good, and we liked how these earbuds sounded. But from a noise-cancelling perspective, the ANC in this pair isn’t as effective as that of the AirPods Pro 3 or Sony WF-1000XM5 — though the Beats’s sealed design passively blocks higher-frequency sounds better than the vented AirPods. If you’d like to read more about how this pair compares with other workout earbuds, check out our guide to the best workout earbuds and headphones.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: This pair is large, so the majority of our panelists found them uncomfortable. Plus, the noise cancellation didn’t measure as well as that of our budget earbud pair.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): This pair is a slight improvement over the first-generation set. The ANC continues to be superlative at reducing airplane noise, and Bose has addressed the call-quality problems of the original. However, the earbuds remain very large, so people with medium or small ears will likely feel uncomfortable or fatigued when wearing these earbuds for several hours. The $300 price tag is really only worth it for people with large or pressure-tolerant ears who prioritize noise cancellation.
JLab Epic Edition: These earbuds come with a USB-C Bluetooth transmitter that can store neatly inside the charging case. This pair’s adjustable ANC is effective, and the microphone sounds super clear on calls, even in wind. The sound is fantastic, especially the “Knowles signature” EQ setting. The earbuds offer nine hours of battery life, IP55 water and dust resistance, and a two-year warranty. We would make this pair a pick if the earbuds were more friendly to small ears, but sadly they’re a touch chunky with no additional stabilization.
Samsung Galaxy Buds4: This unsealed pair is only worth considering if you want to make the most of the Galaxy-specific features but you don’t want a sealed pair of earbuds. While the call clarity was good in our tests, music lacked bass, the ANC’s effect was difficult to notice, and the squeeze controls were frustrating to use.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 is our former top pick. This pair combines excellent active noise cancellation and passive isolation to better suppress all the sounds around you. The sound quality is fantastic right out of the box, and you can customize it further in the Sony app. The eight hours of battery life (with ANC enabled) will get you through a long day of listening. The XM5 is loaded with helpful features, including Alexa and Google voice activation, dual-device connectivity, noise-reducing microphones, and even the ability to accept or reject calls with a nod or shake of your head. However, this pair’s rounded shape may prove challenging to keep in place if you have small ears or are very active, and the set lacks stabilizing wings. The unique foam and silicone tips can make your ears feel full, a sensation some people may find uncomfortable. Calls sounded clear in our tests, but this set lacks the superb background-noise-reducing mics of the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro.
Sony WF-1000XM6: This set of earbuds’ larger size and shape, combined with the material and shape of the included foam tips, make it tough to wear. None of our three testers could get a good seal with the supplied tips — and a complete seal is imperative for the ANC to be effective. Sony offers alternative ear tips by request, so I got a set to test. The alternative tips, made of traditional silicone, dramatically improved the fit for our panel. However, they also dramatically diminished the effectiveness of the noise reduction. When tested with the supplied tips, the XM6 blocked noise in the airplane frequency band better than any headphone or earbud we’ve measured to date, achieving a 30.4 dB reduction. But with the alternative tips, the number dropped to 23.3 dB. It’s a shame because, fit issues aside, the XM6 is an excellent pair of earbuds, offering slight improvements in call clarity and overall sound compared with the XM5. But we aren’t reasonably confident that most people will be able to wear them comfortably. If they fit you, you’ll probably love this set. Just be sure to purchase from a retailer with a generous return policy.
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max: The sister pair to our top earbuds pick, the Max version is the same earbud set with a more advanced case that has a larger, full-color touchscreen and can serve as the microphone for Soundcore’s AI-transcription and translation service. The service is initially free, with a usage limit. The Pro Max costs about $60 more than our pick, so we’d say to stick with the Pro unless you need the AI feature.
This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.
