Bluetooth choices for each funds

Whether or not you are listening to playlists in your day by day commute or zoning out with a podcast at residence, wi-fi headphones could make your audio expertise rather more snug. With no cords to untangle or get caught in your bag, they’re a fantastic choose for anybody who needs comfort with out compromising on sound high quality. If consolation and immersive audio are excessive in your precedence listing, over-ear wi-fi headphones are sometimes the way in which to go — they wrap round your ears to assist block out the world and ship wealthy detailed sound that earbuds can generally miss.

There’s a variety of over-ear wi-fi headphones to select from, whether or not you need energetic noise cancellation, lengthy battery life or a comfortable match for marathon listening classes. In fact, if you happen to’re after one thing slightly extra compact or tailor-made to a particular use case, we additionally have you ever lined with our purchasing guides for the best earbuds, the best gaming headsets and the best budget earbuds. But when wi-fi headphones with top-tier sound and a cushty, over-ear design are what you are after, learn on — we’ve examined the highest choices that can assist you discover the fitting pair.

Desk of contents

Greatest wi-fi headphones for 2025

Billy Steele for Engadget

Learn our full Sony WH-1000XM6 review

Sony’s 1000X line has been our prime choose for finest wi-fi headphone for a very long time now. Till one other firm can pack in as many premium options as Sony, and achieve this with a mixture of wonderful sound high quality and efficient ANC, the crown is protected. With the WH-1000XM6, Sony subtly redesigned its flagship headphones, making them far more snug to put on for lengthy durations of time. This is a vital issue to contemplate when buying over-ear headphones. We additionally seen in our assessments that the corporate made noticeable enhancements to the energetic noise cancellation, because of a brand new QN3 chip. There are actually 12 whole ANC mics as effectively – the earlier mannequin solely had eight. This all combines to raised block background noise at medium and excessive frequencies, together with human voices.

The M6 additionally has improved sound high quality, because of new drivers, some assist from mastering engineers and spatial audio upmixing. Its battery life stays the identical 30 hours as its predecessor, which is greater than sufficient to get you thru a number of days of labor or lengthy worldwide flights. Communicate-to-Chat nonetheless reduces quantity and prompts ambient sound once you discuss and the M6 can mechanically change noise settings based mostly in your location or exercise. The one actual draw back is that they’re $50 greater than the WH-1000XM5 at full value ($450).

Execs

Improved sound
Higher ANC efficiency
Tons of useful options
Supremely comfortable

Cons

Value has elevated once more
Communicate-to-Chat nonetheless wants work
Name high quality suffers in loud environments

$450 at Amazon

Billy Steele for Engadget

Learn our full Noble Audio FoKus Apollo review

Noble Audio makes use of a singular driver configuration to supply extra detailed sound than the competitors. As an alternative of a single driver, the corporate makes use of two: one dynamic and one planar magnetic. The result’s the FoKus Apollo getting the perfect of each, with thick bass, clear highs and excessive readability.

You received’t discover quite a lot of options right here. There may be first rate ANC efficiency, however it’s nowhere close to the perfect. You’ll additionally get wonderful battery life, which is the second finest cause to purchase these headphones. Nonetheless, you’re paying primarily for the unbelievable sound high quality, which might not be sufficient for the excessive value.

Execs

Ridiculously good sound high quality
Premium design and supplies
Lengthy battery life
Cozy match

Cons

Very costly
Restricted options
Common ANC efficiency

$649 at Noble Audio

Picture by Billy Steele / Engadget

Learn our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e review

An upgraded model of the Px7 S2, the Px7 S2e’s adjustments are largely within the sound division. Bowers & Wilkins up to date the digital sign processing (DSP) engine for improved efficiency when streaming music. The adjustments it launched embrace assist for as much as 24-bit high-resolution streaming from appropriate companies. The corporate says it additionally re-tuned the acoustics for “unmatched element, dynamics and spaciousness,” which is the extra noticeable tweak in comparison with the earlier mannequin. These guarantees maintain true, too: the Px7 S2e are on the prime of our check unit pile by way of total sound high quality, similar to the Px7 S2 has been since their introduction.

Bowers & Wilkins saved the remainder of what was so nice in regards to the Px7 S2 as effectively. Dependable bodily controls don’t result in any frustration once you use them and the ANC efficiency is sweet sufficient to dam out quite a lot of distractions. Issue within the refined design and total consolation, and also you’ve received a fantastic pair of headphones that rival the perfect. The Px7 S2e nonetheless doesn’t have quite a lot of the extra superior options that Sony presents, however they sound so good you may not even discover.

Execs

Spectacular sound high quality
Higher than marketed battery life
Efficient noise cancellation
Cozy match
Refined design

Cons

Name high quality
Very primary EQ customization
Subpar Go-Via mode audio
Automated pausing wants refining

$399 at Amazon

Audio-Technica

Audio-Technica has launched inexpensive wi-fi headphones prior to now, and whereas they didn’t provide energetic noise cancellation, they’re nonetheless price contemplating. The corporate’s latest is the M20xBT, a Bluetooth model of the A-T’s standard M20x wired cans. For simply $79, you may count on a cushty match and as much as 60 hours of battery life. Bluetooth multipoint connectivity lets you connect with a number of units directly and bodily buttons present dependable on-board management. The design isn’t as refined as the corporate’s pricer fashions just like the M50xBT2, however you get the majority of what makes Audio-Technica’s cheaper choices so good.

Execs

Inexpensive
As much as 60 hours of battery life
Multipoint connectivity

Cons

Design is not as refined as opponents’

$60 at Amazon

Picture by Billy Steele / Engadget

Learn our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra review

Bose’s distinctive tackle spatial audio would be the headline function on its QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, however the firm didn’t overlook ANC on this model (Make no mistake — Sony takes the crown right here for finest ANC, however this Bose mannequin is an in depth second.) Described as “the quietest quiet” obtainable on any of its headphones but, the ANC right here is noticeably higher than the Bose 700 and iconic QuietComfort Headphones. That is due partly to microphone enhancements that additionally enhance name high quality. The adjustments are particularly obvious when coping with the hard-to-combat frequency vary of individuals speaking. The corporate additionally presents presets that blend ANC, transparency mode and its spatial Immersive Audio, permitting you to shortly swap the sound to match your environment. And if that wasn’t sufficient, the contact controls make these over-ear headphones a breeze to make use of — so that you get good noise cancelation, good sound and further comfort bundled on this package deal.

Whereas the spatial sound function is a little bit of a combined bag, the inventory tuning on the QuietComfort Extremely Headphones continues to be good – even earlier than you turn on Immersive Audio. Bose has typically lagged the competitors by way of sonic prowess, however these over-ear headphones present that hole is narrowing. There’s a splash extra bass to boost a default sound profile that’s hotter, clearer and extra inviting than earlier Bose fashions, leading to good sound total. When Immersive Audio hits, it’s wonderful and the audio high quality is really outstanding. However, the corporate is counting on sign processing fairly than specifically crafted content material so the outcomes differ.

Execs

Wonderful ANC
Improved audio
Clearer transparency mode
Cozy

Cons

Costly
Immersive Audio is inconsistent
No USB-C audio

$429 at Amazon

Technics

Back at CES 2022, Panasonic introduced the EAH-A800: a brand new set of energetic noise canceling headphones beneath the long-lasting Technics model. Whereas a lot of the options are what you see on any variety of wi-fi headphones, one determine stood out. The corporate says you may count on as much as 50 hours of battery life on the A800, and that’s with energetic noise cancellation enabled. Whereas we’ve not put them by means of the complete evaluation evaluation, I’ve already examined them on a long flight. The ANC is spectacular they usually’re snug sufficient to keep away from changing into a burden after a number of hours or many lengthy listening classes. Sound high quality can be fairly good (there’s LDAC assist, too) and there are sufficient options right here to justify the premium price ticket.

Execs

50-hour battery life with ANC turned on
Snug design
Good sound high quality

$225 at Amazon

MASTER & DYNAMIC

Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 28 hours | Weight: 0.75 kilos | Water resistance: None | Assistant assist: Appropriate with native voice assistants | Coloration choices: Silver Steel / Brown Leather-based, Black Steel / Black Leather-based, Silver Steel / Navy Leather-based, Silver Steel / Black Leather-based, Gunmetal / Black Leather-based, Gunmetal / Navy Leather-based, Silver Steel / Gray Leather-based

Whereas Grasp & Dynamic is understood for its design prowess, the corporate’s over-ear headphones had been due for a refresh. With the MW75 that debuted in June, the corporate opted for a glance that takes cues from its MG20 gaming headphones and mixes them with a combo of aluminum, leather-based and tempered glass. The corporate’s trademark sound high quality returns with a number of ANC modes and ambient sound choices for a spread of conditions. At $599, the high-end appears to be like don’t come low cost, however if you happen to’re searching for one thing past the pure plastic trend of most headphones, M&D has you lined.

Execs

Luxurious design made with premium supplies
A number of ANC modes

$599 at Amazon

How to decide on the perfect wi-fi headphones for you

In relation to searching for a very good pair of wi-fi headphones, the very first thing you’ll have to resolve on is put on fashion. Do you favor on-ear or over-ear headphones? For the needs of our purchaser’s information, we give attention to the over-ear fashion as that’s what most noise-canceling headphones are these days. Certain, you could find on-ear fashions with ANC, however over-ear designs are rather more efficient at blocking sound. Talking of noise cancellation, you’ll wish to decide early on if you happen to even need that. When you regularly crank up the beats in noisy environments, you’ll wish to not solely be sure that it’s there, but additionally be sure that it’s good, ideally with adaptive ANC. When you plan to make use of your new headphones in quieter areas, skipping ANC can prevent some cash.

The subsequent space to contemplate is options. We suggest attempting to get probably the most bang on your buck, however as you’re purchasing round you must decide which gadgets are must-haves and what you may stay with out. And don’t take staple items like automated pausing and Bluetooth multipoint connectivity with no consideration, as not all firms embrace them. We additionally recommend studying evaluations to see how effectively an organization’s extra superior options work. This may provide help to resolve if these are one thing you’re keen to (seemingly) pay further for. Control higher battery life estimates to keep away from disappointment, as some producers promise extra hours than real-world testing delivers. And don’t be simply swayed by lofty guarantees about name high quality with out verifying them.

Sound will be subjective, so we suggest attempting before you purchase if in any respect attainable. We perceive this isn’t simple at a time after we’re doing most of our purchasing on-line. However attempting on a set of headphones and listening to them for a couple of minutes can prevent from an costly case of purchaser’s regret. We additionally suggest being attentive to issues like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, 360 Actuality Audio and different immersive codecs. Not all headphones assist them, so that you’ll wish to be sure that a perspective pair does if that form of factor excites you. When you plan to make use of your headphones for different media in addition to music, checking for latency can be a should — some delay can impression playback for issues like films or video games, even when most true wi-fi headphones now provide minimal lag.

How we check over-ear headphones

The first manner we check wi-fi headphones is to put on them as a lot as attainable. We choose to do that over a one- to two-week interval, however generally embargoes don’t enable it. Throughout this time, we hearken to a mixture of music and podcasts, whereas additionally utilizing the earbuds to take each voice and video calls. Since battery life for headphones will be 30 hours or extra, we drain the battery with looping music and the quantity set at a cushty degree (often round 75 %). Because of the longer battery estimates, we’ll sometimes energy the headphones off a number of occasions and depart them throughout a evaluation. This simulates real-world use and retains us from having to continually monitor the method for over 24 straight hours.

To guage the perfect Bluetooth headphones, we give attention to higher-quality audio by listening to a wide range of genres and paying shut consideration to how every fashion sounds. We additionally check at each high and low volumes to verify for consistency within the tuning. To evaluate the standard of telephone calls, we’ll report audio samples with the headphones’ microphones in addition to have third events name us.

In relation to options, we do a radical evaluation of companion apps, testing every function as we work by means of the software program. Any holdovers from earlier fashions are double checked for enhancements or regression. If the headphones we’re testing are an up to date model of a earlier mannequin, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older set. Ditto for the closest competitors for every new set of headphones that we evaluation.

Different wi-fi headphones we examined

AirPods Max

Apple’s AirPods Max are premium, well-designed over-ear headphones that incorporate the entire finest options you discover on commonplace AirPods: stable noise cancelation, spatial audio and straightforward Siri entry. Nevertheless, their $550 beginning value makes them nearly prohibitively costly, even for Apple customers. There are higher choices obtainable at decrease costs, however if you happen to can choose up the AirPods Max at a steep low cost, they is likely to be worthwhile for the largest Apple followers amongst us.

Dyson On-Trac

The On-Trac headphones have an nearly infinitely customizable design, and that’s what’s most original about them. The sound profile presents some good element, however lacks dynamic vary total. ANC is common at finest and there aren’t any superior options that may make your life simpler. Nicely, apart from the listening to well being monitor which is definitely useful. All informed, that’s not rather a lot in a set of $500 headphones.

Sonos Ace

The Sonos Ace is a wonderful debut for the corporate’s first headphones. The mixture of refined design, nice sound high quality and residential theater methods creates a singular system. Nevertheless, ANC efficiency is simply okay and key performance continues to be within the works for a lot of customers.

Sony ULT Put on

If most headphones don’t have the extent of bass you need, the ULT Wear is an choice to contemplate. The low-end thump isn’t for everybody, however there are additionally loads of useful options and a refined look to make the $200 set extra compelling than many on this value vary.

Sony WH-CH720N

Whereas the WH-CH720N are a fantastic inexpensive choice, we choose the Audio-Technica within the funds class. Sony’s cans are light-weight with good sound high quality, however ANC struggles at occasions they usually’re made with quite a lot of plastic.

Beats Studio Professional

The Studio Pro lacks primary options like automated pausing, and multipoint connectivity is just obtainable on Android. Furthermore, they’re not very snug for folks with bigger heads. General sound high quality is improved, although, and voice efficiency on calls is effectively above common.

Bose QuietComfort Extremely headphones

Bose’s latest flagship model has rather a lot to supply, however its trademark Immersive Audio function will be inconsistent throughout several types of music. There’s nonetheless world-class ANC, wonderful consolation and a clearer transparency mode, however for the worth, the non-Extremely mannequin is a better option proper now.

Grasp & Dynamic MH40 (2nd gen)

The MH40 are a fantastic set of headphones if you happen to favor crisp, clear and pure sound that isn’t overly tuned. This pair showcases the corporate’s affinity for leather-based and steel too, however restricted customization and brief battery life for non-ANC cans saved this set from making the lower.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

The corporate’s trademark pristine sound is on show here, however the Px8 are dearer and never almost as snug because the Px7 S2.

Wi-fi headphones FAQs

How will you inform the standard of wi-fi headphones?

I sometimes have a look at three components: design, sound high quality and options. When it comes to design, I’m often trying to see if the construct high quality of the headphones feels low cost and plasticky. Loads of firms use plastic, however they’ll achieve this in a manner that doesn’t look or really feel like funds fashions. For sound high quality, I wish to hear a pleasant, even tuning the place highs, mids and lows are all effectively represented. No overly boomy bass or scooped out mids. I additionally need good readability the place you may choose up effective particulars and an open, immersive soundstage. Options is usually a distant third, but when an organization doesn’t cowl primary performance (automated pausing, transparency mode, multipoint Bluetooth, and many others.) it may be a sign of total high quality.

How do I select the very best quality wi-fi headphones?

“Greatest” will be fairly subjective, however I all the time suggest going to a spot the place you may hearken to the headphones you’re eager about shopping for earlier than you commit. Generally this isn’t attainable, so that you’ll wish to verify return insurance policies. I additionally suggest doing a little analysis to find out what your priorities are in a brand new set. Are you an audiophile who needs the perfect sound high quality? Is highly effective energetic noise cancellation (ANC) an important? Would you fairly have conveniences like automated pausing?

Which model has the perfect wi-fi headphones?

Sony constantly tops our listing with its 1000X line. That is largely because of the mixture of sound high quality, ANC efficiency and the truckload of options these headphones pack in. I’ll be the primary to inform you that there are higher sounding choices and different firms, like Bose, provide simpler noise cancellation. However once you add every little thing up, nobody comes near the complete slate of instruments Sony places in its premium headphone line.

Do costly wi-fi headphones sound higher?

Exorbitant value tags don’t imply higher audio high quality. Bowers & Wilkins’ headphones are on the excessive finish for wi-fi noise-canceling fashions they usually sound wonderful. Nevertheless, Audio-Technica’s M50xBT2 is rather more inexpensive and doesn’t have ANC, however these headphones have a heat, pure sound profile that I discover very inviting. On the finish of the day, it’ll come down to non-public desire, however you don’t want to spend so much to search out nice headphones.

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