The 6 Best Wireless Headphones of 2025

Our Picks of Wireless Headphones

Best Overall Wireless Headphones

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Comfortable Wear Time: 10 hr | Battery Life: 24 hr

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphone's dreamy combo of premium sound, top-tier noise cancellation, and all-day comfort is the absolute best. Slip these plush headphones on, and it's like stepping into your own private concert. The music sounds spacious, detailed, and vibrant. The bass really stands out; it's deep and punchy, hitting in a way that lets you feel every rhythm in your soul. The active noise cancellation (ANC) is among the best, creating a sense of calm in bustling cities or on noisy flights. “I can be facing someone and watching their mouth move yet not hear their voice,” noted our lead tester. Plus, they're one of the most comfortable headphones in our lineup. We wore them for 10 hours straight without a single complaint.

With an MSRP of $450, they're a serious investment. “I love those Ultras, but I can't afford the steep price,” another tester said. If the Ultra is out of reach, the Bose QuietComfort is a more affordable alternative. The QuietComfort offers better sound, noise blocking, and comfort, though it lacks the Ultra's high-end polish and top-tier performance. If you're able to splurge, we think you'll love the Ultra's truly luxurious listening experience for years to come.

Read more: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review

Best Headphones on a Budget

1More SonoFlow

Comfortable Wear Time: 7.5 hr | Battery Life: 50 hr

If you're on the hunt for a budget-friendly headphone, the 1More SonoFlow is an incredible value. It delivers some of the best all-around performance we've seen for under $100, making it a reliable go-to option when most budget alternatives come with significant trade-offs or annoying flaws. Thanks to the impressively spacious and cushy earcups, our team was able to wear these for 7.5 hours straight without discomfort. Its above-average noise blocking was also a pleasant surprise for the price. “I was impressed by how these managed to dampen ambient noise enough to create a peaceful sound bubble,” noted one tester.

While the SonoFlow offers unbeatable value, it sacrifices a bit of detail in songs that you may or may not notice. There's plenty of bass, and it certainly has a powerful presence, but it's not as pristine as higher-end models like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. One of our music experts noted, “It isn't as immersive as pricier options, but still, I think most people would be stoked with this sound.” The Tozo HT2 is another budget choice that offers slightly better audio for $60, but it skimps out on the ANC. Ultimately, while most budget contenders frustrated us with spotty performance, the 1More consistently delivered, making it the ultimate bang for your buck.

Read more: 1More SonoFlow review

Best for the Tightest Budget

Tozo HT2

Comfortable Wear Time: 8 hr | Battery Life: 40 hr

If all you need is a reliable pair of cheap headphones to enjoy lengthy music or podcast sessions, the Tozo HT2 is a great option. For about $60, it delivers the best sound of any ultra-budget headphones, and it has one of the coziest, Bose-inspired designs. We could wear the HT2 for up to 8 hours, even with glasses on. While many models boost the bass, many often struggle to handle it well, overpowering the mids and trebles and throwing off the mix. We were pleasantly surprised by the balance and depth here, especially across different genres. No matter what you're into, you can count on the HT2 for a dependable listening experience.

If you want help tuning out background noise or plan to make a lot of calls, the Tozo HT2 falls short. It scored below average in both of these metrics, letting distracting sounds come through and frustratingly grainy call quality. One tester said, “I had to crank up the volume to drown out background office noise, which isn't the best for healthy hearing.” The 1More SonoFlow offers better ANC and voice isolation but costs nearly twice as much. However, if quality sound and comfort are your top priorities, the HT2 nails it for an ultra-low price.

Read more: Tozo HT2 review

Best Noise Cancellation

Sony WH-1000XM6

Comfortable Wear Time: 7 hr | Battery Life: 30 hr

Among the top-performing models, the Sony WH-1000XM6 pulls ahead as the best for noise cancelling, specifically for high-pitched annoyances. Its dense foam earcups create a peaceful cocoon, helping you focus on work or getting lost in the music. The bass is a powerful, rumbling force, and vocals are stunningly lifelike, revealing every nuance, making listening fun and engaging. When making phone calls, voices often sound better than the phone's microphone, a remarkable feat for wireless headphones. As one tester said, “I couldn't tell if the caller was on the headphone or their cell phone, it was that clear.” With unmatched adjustable customization, you can fine-tune everything from ANC to the voice assistant volume and even the Speak-to-Chat feature that automatically dampens your music when you speak. Sony also heard the people's cry, making the earcups foldable for better portability compared to the previous generation, the Sony WH-1000XM5.

While the Sony WH-1000XM6 is an improvement over the XM5, its thin headband remains a big drawback, creating a pressure point on the top of the head, limiting comfortable wear time to about 7 hours. It's not horrible, but notably less comfy than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sennheiser Momentum 4, which you can wear for a solid 10 hours without pressure points. If you don't plan for extended wear sessions, this may not be a problem, but we still wish for more padding. One tester noted, “Comfort is everything and these are almost there, but miss the bullseye.” The XM6 is still your best bet for cancelling out the chaotic world outside, especially if you want to drown out higher-pitched sounds that can be more distracting.

Read more: Sony WH-1000XM6 review

Best Wireless Sound for Most People

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Comfortable Wear Time: 10 hr | Battery Life: 60 hr

With crystal-clear sound and pillow-soft comfort, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless hits all the right notes. It earned one of our highest audio scores, beaten only by the expensive Focal Bathys. One audiophile praised, “I love how detailed, smooth, and natural everything sounds, with clean vocals, rich guitar, and just the right amount of bass.” What the Sennheisers provide that the Focals don't is an enjoyable experience over long listening sessions. That's why we recommend them to audiophiles who want to binge albums without ear fatigue. The Focals are simply too heavy, with a headband that starts to dig in. The Momentum 4 is tied with the Bose Ultra for the comfiest, handling 10-hour sessions effortlessly, even with glasses. Plus, the lengthy 60-hour battery life ensures you won't need to reach for the charger anytime soon.

These headphones are pricey and only offer average noise cancellation. One tester complained, “At this price, I expected premium noise blocking, but I could faintly hear mumbled speech and keyboard clacks.” If you frequently find yourself in loud environments, the similarly priced Sony XM6 is the better option, but it leans towards a bass-heavy profile that some listeners may not love. If precision and realism matter more to you than ANC, then the Momentum 4 sounds and feels like a luxury worth the investment.

Read more: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review

Best Clearance Deal

Sony WH-1000XM4

Comfortable Wear Time: 8 hr | Battery Life: 40 hr (with ANC)

With the release of the new WH-1000XM6, the older generation Sony WH-1000XM4 has become a fantastic option for excellent performance at a more accessible price. On sale for roughly $230, our former winner offers above-average sound, comfort, and noise blocking, outranking most mid-range picks. The sound is vivid, spacious, and immersive, drawing you in with impressive noise cancellation. “Even mid-flight, I felt like I was in an amphitheater, and the artist was singing just for me,” praised one tester. The fit was also a hit, with cushy earpads that provide all-day comfort, and a headband more comfortable than the newer generations.

The downside is that the touch controls can be a bit finicky. “Sometimes, I tried to use a tap gesture and would get no response, which was annoying,” mentioned one tester. The Bose QuietComfort's button controls are more reliable and intuitive, but its call quality doesn't live up to the XM4's. Ultimately, if you're looking to upgrade your listening experience but aren't ready to spend $400+, the XM4 is an excellent choice from a reputable brand.

How We Tested

Our wireless headphone testing has been completely reinvented. It combines subjective, real-world expert evaluations with objective lab analyses using top-of-the-line audio equipment. Our testing team dedicated over 600 hours to parse out the details.

Our testing procedures are divided into five rating metrics:

• Sound Quality (35% weighting): Our expert audiophiles conduct listening tests, scrutinizing every aspect of the sound, including clarity, sound mix, immersion, and overall detail. We also worked with Listen Inc., using a Brüel & Kjær head simulator and SoundCheck software to measure and analyze sound profiles.

• Comfort and Fit (25% weighting): We wear each pair for hours until our ears or heads start to ache from the pressure or heat buildup.

• Noise Cancellation (20% weighting): We recorded simulations of noisy environments, like a bustling café, and generated graphs to demonstrate how well each pair cancels out background sound. Then also test in the real world on flights, at the gym, on strolls, and in busy offices to experience the noise-blocking performance you can expect.

• Ease of Use (App & Controls) (10% weighting): We used the headphones interacting with their buttons and the app to learn how easy they are to use and customize.

• Call Quality (10% weighting): We test call quality in noisy office and subway simulations and real-life calls, considering how well they handle voices and blocking background noise.

Why You Should Trust Us

Our team has over 100 years of combined professional experience in the audio industry, sound engineering, and consumer product reviews. Dave Berkman is a Senior Audio Analyst with over two decades of professional audio experience, recording and producing for the History Channel, Apple, and the Food Network. He's also a talented musician and runs his own DJ and production company.

Senior Review Analyst Genaveve Bradshaw has a degree in Music from the University of New Mexico and is a classically trained vocalist. She plays guitar, piano, and flute, enjoys songwriting, and has a lifelong passion for playing and immersing herself in music.

Rachael Lamore, a Senior Review Analyst and lead audio programmer, rounds out our team. She designs precise testing sequences that capture the nitty-gritty data to make informed recommendations. With a scientific background and a degree from California Polytechnic University, she brings a research-driven mindset to every review, carefully evaluating each pair of headphones.

Analysis and Test Results

Below, we break down the best (and worst) performers for sound quality, comfort, noise cancellation, and more to help you find the right option for your needs and budget.

What's The Best Value?

Budget is an important headphone consideration. Premium models offer superior performance, but you don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars to find the right contender. The 1More SonoFlow stands out for its better performance and lower price. You won't get a truly crisp, natural sound or the best noise-blocking, but the SonoFlow performs admirably well and costs at least 4x less. Casual listeners might not even know what they are missing, or find the savings a viable trade-off. If you're budget is smaller and you don't need ANC, the Tozo HT2 offers the best sound quality in the budget bracket.

Sound Quality

Headphones should create a sound that feels alive, full, immersive, and a joy to listen to. To assess sound quality, our crew of experienced musical experts listened to a specially curated playlist across genres and eras. We considered how clear, detailed, and balanced the sound was.

Sound Quality Ratings

Product	Bass	Mid-Range	Treble
Focal Bathys	9.5	9.4	8.8
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless	8.8	9.1	9.0
Bose QuietComfort Ultra	8.6	8.6	8.1
Sony WH-1000XM6	8.6	8.5	8.0
Sony WH-1000XM5	8.5	8.3	8.1
Apple AirPods Max	8.0	8.6	7.0
Beats Studio Pro	8.3	7.3	7.3
Sony WH-1000XM4	6.9	7.8	7.2
Bose QuietComfort	7.4	7.3	7.1
Tozo HT2	6.9	6.5	6.7
1More SonoFlow	6.9	6.8	6.2
Sony WHCH520	5.0	6.4	5.5
JBL Tour One M2	4.5	5.0	5.8
Beats Solo 4	5.3	5.0	2.8
JBL Tune 720 BT	4.0	6.3	2.5
Soundcore Space One	4.3	4.0	2.5

The pricy Focal Bathys delivers the best sound, with the Sennheiser Momentum 4 hot on its heels. What stands out most about both sets is their realistic sound profile. While many products exaggerate the bass and treble, these take a more natural approach, reproducing audio that feels like you're right there, hearing it exactly as it was intended to be heard. The bass stays clean and controlled, leaving room for every nuance in midrange vocals and guitars to come through clearly. Bright instruments like trumpets and harmonicas shine with clarity, never crossing into harshness. But if you're all about that bass, the neutral profile on both contenders can feel too tame.

For a more dramatic listening experience with extra thump, boom, and rumble, the Sony XM6, XM5, and Bose QC Ultra are our favorites. Their audio is punchy and fun and maintains detail across the full range of volumes. They bring the extra oomph that makes you want to bust a move, but high-range vocals sometimes sound masked behind the lower frequencies.

For the poorer performers, there's a gradual loss of detail and balance. Lows become boomy or muddy, mids become underdeveloped, and highs become either piercing or dull. The Solo 4, Tune 720, and Space One were the worst offenders, with a grainy, unbalanced mix that made music less enjoyable.

Soundstage

Great headphones don't just play music; they make you feel like you're standing on stage with the band. Soundstage lets you close your eyes and pinpoint exactly where the singer, drums, and guitar are in a three-dimensional space, turning every track into a live performance.

Soundstage Ratings

Product	Expert ear Soundstage Score
Focal Bathys	9.5
Apple AirPods Max	9.3
Bose QuietComfort Ultra	9.1
Sony WH-1000XM6	9.0
Sony WH-1000XM5	8.7
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless	8.3
Sony WH-1000XM4	7.8
Bose QuietComfort	7.0
Tozo HT2	7.0
1More SonoFlow	6.0
Sony WHCH520	5.4
Beats Studio Pro	5.3
JBL Tour One M2	5.3
JBL Tune 720 BT	4.3
Soundcore Space One	3.5
Beats Solo 4	3.0

The Focal Bathys and AirPods Max deliver the best soundstage experience, without special spatial audio features. They both have an immersive feel that creates a private symphony. Bob Dylan's “Lay, Lady, Lay” is a prime example: on the Focals, there is intentional location, with percussion coming from the right, acoustic guitar strumming from the left, and Dylan's signature nasal cruising between the two. Each instrument maintains its individual flavor while forming a cohesive piece that pushes Dylan's voice to center stage.

The premium Bose Ultra and Sony XM6 come in next. Each instrumental voice can be accurately placed, and there's great separation between each sound. The Ultras made casual TV feel like a cinematic experience.

Overall Sound Quality

How sound moves you is a blend of the sound quality mix of lows, mids, and highs, paired with a soundstage that puts you front and center amidst an expansive collection of instruments and vocals.

The Focal Bathys has the best sound quality, delivering the most immersive, detailed, studio-like sound we've ever experienced, but it is uncomfortably heavy. If sound quality and comfort are important, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 is the better choice. The velvety-smooth audio is impeccably crisp, with warm, expressive mids that make vocals and instruments pop in all the right ways.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM6 also earned high ranks for their bold, cinematic listening experience, but lost points because the powerful lows occasionally masked some finer details.

The Tozo HT2 offers the best audio quality for under $100, with the 1More SonoFlow coming in behind it. Although average in the rankings due to a slight lack of detail, they deliver a wonderfully pleasant, balanced, dimensional sound that won over even our toughest critics. Alternatively, the JBL Tune 720, Beats Solo 4, and Soundcore Space One felt more like grainy, piercing, or boomy background noise; hardly the kind of sound to lose yourself in.

Comfort and Fit

Finding a comfortable pair of headphones is the difference between long-term listening and money lost to a pair you'll never wear. We measure how long we can wear each headphone to find out which ones offer the best comfort, glasses included.

The most comfortable headphones are the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Bose Ultra. We wore both for 10 hours straight, without complaint. They both offer cushy headbands that evenly distribute weight, while densely padded earcups provide a comfortable, breathable seal, even with glasses on. Plus, they feature a gentle clamping force that is perfect for extended wear. The Bose QuietComfort clocked in close at 9 hours, losing an hour for those who wear glasses.

The Tozo HT2 and SonoFlow are the most comfortable options under $100. We could wear them for 8 and 7.5 hours, respectively. While many budget contenders tend to disappoint with cheap, hard, heat-trapping materials, these impress with above-average comfort. Glasses were more noticeable using the SonoFlow, while the HT2 felt too large for smaller heads.

The lowest performers' comfortable wear time decreased to only 1-2 hours. The Beats Solo 4, Sony WHCH520 (both on-ear designs), and JBL Tune (an over-ear design) have small earcups that create sensitive pressure points on our ears. They also had stiff headbands with minimal padding, a tight clamping force, and/or sticky, sweaty materials.

Other poor performers for comfort include heavy headphones. Most contenders average 250 grams, but the Focal Bathys and Apple AirPods Max tip the scales at 360+ grams. So, while their earcups felt spacious and plush, the general heft limited wear time to 3-4 hours.

Noise Cancellation

All headphones offer some protection from high-pitched sounds like screaming babies or sirens by covering your ears. If you want to block more sounds, you'll need active noise cancellation (ANC). Reliable noise-sensing technology can help dampen the chaos.

Active Noise Cancelling Reduction

Product	Low	Mid	High
Sony WH-1000XM6	24.7	27.2	42.3
Bose QuietComfort Ultra	22.6	28.4	41.3
Sony WH-1000XM5	20.7	27.2	42.6
Apple AirPods Max	23.5	30.1	34.8
Bose QuietComfort	23.3	24.2	34.4
Focal Bathys	21.2	20.7	39.2
Sony WH-1000XM4	22.4	25.8	32.2
1More SonoFlow	15.6	21.0	36.2
Soundcore Space One	13.3	23.6	35.4
JBL Tour One M2	12.7	23.8	34.7
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless	13.2	22.5	35.1
Tozo HT2	10.9	18.9	33.3
JBL Tune 720 BT	0.8	15.2	35.8
Beats Studio Pro	5.5	14.6	31.2
Beats Solo 4	-0.8	13.5	30.0
Sony WHCH520	-0.5	9.0	32.9

Active Noise Cancelation uses special microphones and computer algorithms to detect and block ambient sounds, but some technology is better than others. We compare each pair of headphones in the real world on planes, in offices, and during commutes. We also run lab tests to measure how well each pair cancels noise.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 is the best noise-blocking headphone, with the Bose QC Ultra and AirPods Max close behind. The Sony XM6, with its new dense earcup padding, is the most impressive at reducing high-pitched sounds. The Bose is most effective at removing voices, creating silent coworkers, while the Apple allows a whisper of voices.

All three impress with their ability to nearly eliminate rolling office chairs, keyboards, whirring fans, treadmills, beeping microwaves, and grinding juicers. The XM6 removes over 41 decibels of sound in the high-frequency range and reduces the most sound from the low-frequency range, where most everyday sounds tend to fall.

The SonoFlow and SpaceOne offer the best noise blocking under $100. Compared to the premium brand's 20-40 decibel noise reduction in the low to mid-frequency range, these headphones hover around the 10-20 decibel mark. While ambient sounds like voices, dishes, and keyboards come through slightly louder, they dulled everyday distractions better than many competitors, including some that cost hundreds of dollars more (ehm, Momentum, Bathys, and JBL Tour M2).

The Solo 4, WHCH520, and Tune 720 earned the lowest scores because they lack noise-blocking technology and have smaller earcups, allowing most ambient sounds inside.

If you need to maintain awareness, transparency mode is the ticket. The AirPods Max has the best environmental awareness, with the Studio Pro, QuietComfort Ultra, and Momentum 4 all tying for second place. All stand out for clear and pleasant playback, relaying ambient sounds so naturally that we forgot we were wearing headphones. In contrast, the HT2 amplified sound too much, making louder noises uncomfortably harsh. The JBL Tour One M2 wasn't any better, sounding incredibly artificial and robotic.

Ease of Use

We test every button, touch control, and app to see how well they work. Whether tweaking settings or pausing a podcast, the controls and app should feel intuitive and reliable.

The Sony XM6 is the easiest to use thanks to the intuitive touch controls and expansive customization in the app. They let you adjust everything from the voice prompt volume to the wait time for the speak-to-chat function that turns the music down when you talk.

The Bose, Focal, and Sennheiser also stand out for their user-friendly design. Their apps are easy to navigate and let you choose between presets or an adjustable equalization (EQ) slider. The sound customization on the Focal and Sennheiser is responsive so that you can increase the bass for workouts or vocal warmth for acoustic tracks. The Bose button controls are easiest to use, consistently performing the requested action with intuitive placement. Sennheiser has our favorite sleek touchpad, but it's sensitive and sometimes misfires.

For budget shoppers, the Tozo HT2 has reliable button controls, but the app is cluttered and harder to navigate than the top scorers. Alternatively, the Beats Solo 4 is disappointing, with error-prone buttons that would let us skip tracks.

The Solo 4, Beats Studio Pro, and Apple AirPods Max were the least customizable in the group. They only offer EQ adjustments inside Apple Music, and the adjustments don't make a noticeable difference.

Call Quality

Everyone knows the frustrating experience of calling someone and being met constantly with “What?” or “Can you hear me?” If you're planning to take/make calls with your headphones, you'll want a pair that offers clear voices and decreases competing ambient noise. We made live and recorded calls using the same phone, location, and service provider to see how well each pair handles calls.

The JBL Tour One M2 offers the best call quality, narrowly beating the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Sony XM6. Tour One is the most consistent, handling everything from our live calls to intense, chaotic environments like a subway platform. We enjoyed the background noise reduction that put the caller's voice at the forefront. The Sony XM5 did better in louder environments, but it had a subtle white noise in our demo calls. The XM6 did well in calm environments, sounding better than our cell phone.

The budget Sony WH-CH520 and JBL Tune 720 aren't far behind. Both sound impressively crisp and clear during calls. With screeching rails and garbled PA announcements in our simulated subway test, the Tune 720 and WH-CH520 let more noise through, but still delivered excellent quality for most situations.

The worst calls were with the Tozo HT2 and Soundcore Space One, which exhibited serious distortion issues. Both struggled to clearly relay voices in noisy environments, making it challenging to finish a complete sentence without confusion. Even in quiet spaces, they introduced a grainy quality. Sometimes, the voices sounded so garbled that we asked the caller to hang up and call back.

How to Choose Wireless Headphones

With so many competitors and features available, selecting wireless headphones can feel overwhelming. Knowing where and how you'll use them and which features you'll use most can help you narrow the field of contenders.

Please refer to our article on How to Choose Earbuds and Headphones for more detailed advice.

What Type of Sound Do You Enjoy?

Not all headphones sound the same. Some boost the bass for a more energetic feel, while others focus on clarity for vocals and acoustic tracks. What you listen to most and whether you prefer a natural sound or something with extra punch should influence your choice. Most casual listeners will be pleased with any higher-ranking option in sound quality, and there is an argument that most will be happy with good sound, not knowing what they might be missing from a pair with excellent sound.

Where Will You Wear Them?

Considering where and how long you plan to use your headphones can help you prioritize features like noise cancellation, comfort, call quality, and battery life. All-day comfort and strong ANC are perfect for work and studying. Silent ANC and longer battery life make travel more enjoyable. Awareness of your surroundings is key to safer commuting. How and where you plan to use them should drive which features are most important to meet your goals.

Do You Need an App?

Some users prefer a connect-and-play experience, while others prefer customization. If you're the latter, you'll want models with presets, EQ, and ANC sliders that truly alter the listening experience. If being able to make adjustments to fine-tune what you hear and what you don't hear is essential, you'll want headphones that put you in the driver's seat, and many have apps for that.

What's Your Budget?

If you're looking for the cleanest, most detailed audio and serene noise cancellation in a wireless headphone, expect to pay $300 or more. However, there are great, super comfortable contenders with some trade-offs in the $50-$100 range. Noise cancellation might be less effective, or the sound might lack some depth and clarity, but the experience can still be enjoyable.

A smart way to save? Look for previous-generation models like the Sony WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5—older models often drop in price when new versions launch, giving you high-end performance for a lot less.

Other Notable Wireless Headphones

• The Sonos Ace marks Sonos's first venture into wireless headphones. While it delivers impressive musical depth, it lacks consistency and comfort.

• Sennheiser's base model, the Sennheiser Accentum, couldn't compete against better-known options, like the Bose QuietComfort or the Sony WH-1000XM4.

• The Soundcore Q20i delivers surprisingly strong ANC on a budget, but its sound quality was flat, thin, and ultimately underwhelming.

• The ear cups on the JBL Live 770NC are tight, and the strong clamping force squeezes your head hard. If comfort is a priority, you should pass.

Conclusion

Buying wireless headphones can be daunting, with options as vast as the price range of competitors. Knowing what you need and what you might enjoy about using headphones can help you focus on the right pair to meet your listening goals. Each headphone offers a unique experience, catering to different needs, whether it's superior sound quality, comfort, or advanced features. Our detailed results can help you find the best pair for your goals and budget.