Over the years, we’ve tested hundreds of pairs of headphones for this guide, so we can’t include notes on every pair here. Below, we provide our thoughts on some recently tested and high-profile models. If there is a specific model you’re curious about that’s not listed, our full testing notes are available in this spreadsheet.1More SonoFlow: This pair is our former budget pick. The sound quality is pleasant and adjustable, and the design is lightweight and comfortable, though it doesn’t feel as sturdy as the Soundcore Space One. The 50- to 70-hour battery life is impressive for a model in any price range. The noise cancellation is effective, but it was bested by that of the Soundcore Space One. And the ANC does not work in wired mode, so if you’re on a plane that requires a wired connection to the in-flight entertainment system, you’ll either have to go without ANC or pick up a Bluetooth transmitter.Apple AirPods Max: This set sounds and looks great, pairs easily with Apple devices, and offers the best noise cancellation we’ve ever measured in the airplane band of frequencies. These headphones would be tough competition against our picks if they were lighter and less expensive, and if their ANC were more adjustable to account for eardrum suck. The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are lighter and less expensive, have a longer battery life, and block more noise in the human vocal range (if that’s the type of noise isolation you desire). You can read our full impressions in our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones.Baseus Inspire XH1: The XH1 promises “sound by Bose,” but the result, we found, is a boomier version of what you can get from the Bose QuietComfort line. The ANC was above average in effectiveness, and the microphones did a reasonable job of reducing background noise. However, this pair doesn’t give you any side tone on phone calls, and the app requires you to make an account to use it. If our budget pick weren’t so excellent, the XH1 might be a pick, but this pair is generally $30 to $50 more expensive, despite offering fewer bonus features.Beats Solo 4: Overall, this set performs well but is severely lacking in features for the $200 price. The sound quality is good, though bass notes are a bit restrained for hip-hop and electronic music. The physical controls are easy to use. The microphone quality is clear and can handle mild background noise. The fit is lightweight and comfortable, even for (most) glasses-wearers. The 50 hours of battery life is solid, and we appreciate that the Solo 4 can play audio and charge via a USB-C cable. Unfortunately, there’s no ANC, hear-through mode, app-based EQ, IP-rated water or sweat resistance, or dual-device connectivity. The vented design doesn’t passively block out noise all that well, either.Beats Studio Pro: For every positive, this pair has an equally disappointing downside. The noise cancellation and hear-through modes sound great, but neither is adjustable. It’s easy to use the larger physical buttons, but the power/ANC toggle button is inexplicably small. The foam earpads are soft but not replaceable. Android users get a dual-device connection feature; Apple users do not. There are three EQ settings, but they’re only accessible when listening via USB-C. But most importantly, the sound quality is dramatically impacted by use of the spatial audio: When it’s turned on, the lower bass is emphasized, and higher-pitched sounds have an artificial sharpness. With spatial audio off, the bass is notably diminished.Bose QuietComfort Headphones: These are good headphones, but they aren’t remarkable enough to justify their original $350 price. The build is lightweight with squishy earpads that should accommodate many glasses arms. The physical controls are easy to use by feel. Music sounded good in our tests, albeit slightly bass-forward out of the box. Although the Bose app provides an EQ feature, it’s too simplistic to be useful. The ANC is not as effective as what the rest of the current Bose line can deliver. In fact, at the highest intensity, these headphones reduced less noise in the airplane band than our budget pick. We do love that Bose includes a cable with a three-button remote and mic, a rare old-school nicety.CMF by Nothing Headphone Pro: This affordable pair has swappable earpads in fun colors, but sadly the compliments end there. The EQ controls in the app are clumsy, and the ANC is middling. In our tests, bass notes vibrated or were unnaturally resonant, and high frequencies sounded coarse and sizzling. The transparency mode sounded as though the headphones had a small hole cut in them; some sounds were muffled, and others were clear.EarFun Free Wave Pro: This affordable pair sounds good for the price, and given the inclusion of multiple EQ presets and a hearing-test-based tuning process, most people should be able to find a sonic balance they like. However, the ANC isn’t as powerful as that of the Soundcore Space One, the hear-through mode doesn’t sound as natural, and the headband transfers some noise when you bump it.EarFun Wave Life: The Wave Life has surprisingly effective active noise cancellation and passive isolation for a set that is frequently on sale for $45. The sound is also solid: The highs aren’t coarse. The balance is somewhat bass-forward out of the box, but the low end isn’t blobby or smeared. Plus, the sound is adjustable in the EarFun app. However, the overall sense of musical depth and space isn’t as good as you’ll hear on more expensive pairs. The microphone works just fine in quiet settings, but it can pick up some background noise and can’t handle wind very well, so this isn’t a set for taking calls outside. The physical controls handle everything you’d expect and can be customized in the app. The build quality feels a little inexpensive, and a bag or case is not included. But given the affordable price, this is a solid set of no-frills headphones.Edifier ES850NB: This set is equipped with high-quality drivers and finely adjustable EQ. However, the app’s EQ interface may be daunting to novices, and in our tests the high frequencies sounded icy no matter the adjustment. The ANC is middle-of-the-road in efficacy, and while the build is sturdy, the headphones have a snug clamping force that could be uncomfortable for people with larger heads.Edifier Stax Spirit S5: Just like the S3 pair we love, this newer set sounds incredible, with detailed highs and defined low notes, and it produces a moderately larger sense of space than the S3. The S5 also boasts noise-reducing microphones, Google Fast Pair capabilities, and an updated version of Bluetooth (5.4 vs 5.2 for the S3.) The S5’s app is more streamlined than the S3’s, eliminating the pushy sales aspect. However, this pair has larger earcups and weighs around 55 grams more than the S3 (for reference, 55g is a smidge more than the AirPods Pro earbuds weigh in their case). That may not sound like much, but if you’re especially sensitive to how over-ear headphones feel, you will notice the added weight. But, most importantly, the S5 is significantly more expensive, averaging $100 more than the S3. As much as we love this pair, we don’t think the upgrade in features is worth the increase in cost — at least not as long as the S3 remains available.Final UX3000SV: While this set offers physical controls, the English version of the control app is still under construction, so this pair lacks customization. The ANC is effective, but only in a narrow low-frequency range. We found that the sound was bass-forward; low notes had pitch and avoided taking on a resonant, booming quality, but they were still quite loud in the mix. The highs were crisp and slightly boosted, which (depending on your taste) could sound either pleasantly or unnaturally detailed. The microphones sounded clear on calls in a quiet room and performed very mild reduction of background noise, but they struggled with wind.Morning Blues VWS X1: The X1 headphones are inoffensive but unexceptional. The highlight is the removable earcup shields, which are touchscreen displays that you can customize with your own photos, video, or art. Once the graphics are uploaded, you can set them to shuffle on slideshow mode or to change when you manually swipe. The shields also double as an NFC business card. While these headphones could be cool for someone promoting a business or for an influencer, $600 is a high asking price for casual users and “just okay” headphones.Nothing Headphone 1: This is an all-around solid set of headphones. The sound quality in our tests was excellent (especially after we did a bit of fussing in the EQ), the ANC is above-average, and the headphones look cool, in a stormtrooper-chic kind of way. Although the physical controls are limited in the customization options they offer, they function without the hiccups that commonly afflict touch controls. The microphones sounded slightly distant on our calls, but they handled a light breeze and some background noise. The headphones are IP52-rated, too. But the felt case will pick up lint and animal hair like crazy. If you’re fond of the aesthetic, this set is a good choice — just be sure to add a lint roller to your cart.One Odio Focus A6: The A6 is lightweight and affordable, but this pair isn’t a winner sonically, as it produced booming bass, veiled-sounding mids, and coarse highs in our tests. The ANC was mild and restricted to a narrow range, and the hear-through mode sounded muffled.Raycon Everyday Headphones Pro: This pair is unoffensive but also unremarkable. The ANC is middle of the road, and the three EQ settings are all exaggerated, with a harsh twang to piano sounds and a compressed soundstage (though the Bass mode could be fun if like a bumping hip-hop feel). The microphone sounds clear in a quiet room, but it picks up every little high-pitched background noise and gives your voice a sibilant quality.Sennheiser Accentum Plus: This pair has smaller earcups that feel refreshingly streamlined, but they might be a touch too small for folks with larger ears. Out of the box the sound is quite nice, with an extra bass bump that is most noticeable with hip-hop and rap tunes. There’s also extra intensity in the highs that could be perceived as either added detail or sibilance, depending on your ears. If you want to EQ the sound, you’ll need to create an account in the app and take an unusual sound-preference test that asks how loud you like drums or strings. There’s no option to use faders to fine-tune the sound yourself. The active noise cancellation isn’t as effective as what our picks deliver, and the microphone quality makes you sound compressed, like you’re on an old-school landline.Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC: This nostalgically designed set features numerous physical buttons, toggles, and dials that are fun to use. We found that the fit was comfortable, and the hear-through mode sounded quite natural. Call quality was clear, and the microphones did a reasonable job of managing background noise and light wind. Unfortunately, the sound was marred by bloated bass and somewhat piercing highs that we couldn’t fully resolve with any of the EQ presets or the five manual faders in the app. The ANC was mild, and the side tone on calls sounded muffled. If this pair were to cost under $200, we might be able to overlook the flaws, but at the original $300 asking price, we wanted better.Steelseries Arctis Nova Elite: This pricey gaming headset claims to be suitable for crossover use, so we tested it against other wireless headphones. If you’d like to know about its gaming-console-focused capabilities, read our guide to gaming headsets. Although this set looks heavy, it’s actually very comfortable, with large earcups and a lightweight feel. We love that this pair uses replaceable batteries, and we like the retractable boom mic, which automatically turns on side tone when extended. The mic works in both extended and retracted mode. In our tests, when retracted, it did a reasonable job of removing light wind and some background noise, but it couldn’t handle especially noisy or gusty conditions. When extended, it couldn’t handle wind at all. (You’ll sound like a Weather Channel field reporter during a hurricane.) The ANC’s effectiveness was average, but there wasn’t as much physical isolation as we had hoped for in a gaming set; you’ll probably hear people talking if your game volume is low or muted. Out of the box, this pair’s sound had bloated bass and tizzy, tinny highs. If you like big, booming explosions and little crunchy footstep noises, you’ll like the tuning. Steelseries says that the sound can be adjusted with EQ in its mobile app, but despite several attempts and firmware updates, we were unable to get the app to recognize our test pair. Overall, while this gaming set can technically serve as an everyday Bluetooth headset, we prefer our picks.This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.
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