Best headphones with a mic for voice and video calls 2024

Best headphones with a mic 2024: Jump Menu

On the hunt for a decent pair of headphones to take and make audio and video calls with, as well as listen to music, but unsure which to get? You’re far from alone

Our team of expert reviewers has tested hundreds of pairs of headphones over the years. We can confirm there are far too many pairs of earbuds to choose from but we can also deliver our trusted recommendation on which ones really are worth the money.

All too often we’ve had great-sounding sets pass through our test rooms that deliver brilliant sonic performances but are not so good when it comes to taking and making calls. Key issues we often encounter include poor wind protection that can make a light breeze sound like a tornado on the other end of the line, as well as ineffective isolation, which can make it impossible to hear the person you're talking to in busy office environments.

To ensure you pick up a set that delivers great music and mic quality, we’ve created this guide detailing the top-performing headphones with a mic we’ve personally tried and tested.

Joe Svetlik
Joe Svetlik

Joe has been writing about tech for 17 years, first on staff at T3 magazine, then in a freelance capacity for Stuff, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Men's Health, GQ, The Mirror, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include all things mobile, headphones and speakers that he can't justifying spending money on.

The quick list

Scroll down or use the quick links above to get a detailed breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses of all the entries in this guide, based on our experience testing them. Or, if you're in a hurry you can get the Cliff notes on each entry using the table below.

The best headphones with a mic we recommend in 2023

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Best overall

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. New design, same result for Sony’s latest premium noise-cancelling headphones.

Specifications

Style: Closed-back
Wireless: Yes
Noise-cancelling: Yes
Battery life: 30hrs
Charging: USB-C
Weight: 250g

Reasons to buy

+
Sensational sonic clarity
+
Nice to use
+
Punchy and precise, agile bass

Reasons to avoid

-
Build seems a little less premium than before
-
Don’t fold away completely

The What Hi-Fi? Award-winning WF-1000XM5 sound much better than their predecessors for music, but also for calls. Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup technology uses four beamforming mics and AI-powered noise-reduction, plus wind-noise reduction to help your calls sound as clear as possible. The result? Your voice comes through the WH-1000XM5 clearly and without distortion. They also do a great job of suppressing general noise and any gusts of wind that can threaten to drown you out when using lesser headphones.

The XM5 can also pair wirelessly with more than one device at a time, letting you effortlessly switch between music on one, and calls on another.

When we saw the official pictures of the Sony WH-1000XM5, we were more than a bit surprised. We wondered whether it was a wise move to give one of Sony’s biggest success stories in recent memory a major redesign, but it's paid off.

The XM5 might feel a little less premium than before, but the jump in sound quality from the previous generation is a big one, and rivals once again have their work cut out. If you are looking for a new pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones for calls as well as music, your auditioning should start here. The older XM4 (below) were already the best around, but the XM5 are undoubtedly better for those who can afford to pay the premium.

Read the full Sony WH-1000XM5 review

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Test results
AttributesNotesRating
SoundMusical and hugely entertaining, the best we've heard at this level★★★★★
FeaturesNumerous control options, impressive app, but not waterproof★★★★☆
ComfortSoft ear padding, nicely judged clamping force★★★★★

Best cheap

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. Five-star wireless earbuds combine comfort, ANC and sensational sound quality.

Specifications

Style: In-ear
Wireless: Yes
Noise-cancelling: Yes
Battery life: 15hrs (buds: 7.5hrs; case: 7.5hrs)
Charging: USB-C
Weight: 4.6g each

Reasons to buy

+
Very comfortable fit
+
Refined presentation for the money
+
Detailed, dynamic, musical sound

Reasons to avoid

-
Charging case lacks battery oomph
-
No aptX or LDAC support

These are the middle children in Sony's earbuds range, sitting neatly between the budget WF-C500 and newest WF-1000XM5.

And they're a brilliant option that more than justify their price tag. The buds are impressively small, and their lightweight design helps make them even more comfortable than Sony's new flagship WF-1000XM5, while battery life is competitive at seven and a half hours.

Calls are a joy thanks to Sony's Wind Noise Reduction Structure blocking out background sound. This helps voices sound natural and clear. Even large gusts of wind didn’t affect the clarity of our conversations. Compared to something like the JBL Live Pro 2 TWS, our voices sound more refined and dynamic.

They lack aptX HD and LDAC but do feature noise-cancelling tech, which the cheaper WF-C500 lack. Adaptive Sound Control automatically switches listening modes depending on your location, and Sony's DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) upscales low-res digital audio files to higher quality. A software update has seen Bluetooth Multipoint also added so you can be connected to two devices simultaneously.

The sound quality is superbly balanced too, with deep, detailed bass, expressive mids and engaging highs. They're a very musical listen for the money, and utterly worthy of a 2023 What Hi-Fi? Award as part of Sony's dominance of the wireless headphone market.

Downsides? The lack of support for aptX HD and LDAC is disappointing, and, the charging case only provides one extra charge which seems a little mean. But the superb sound and great feature set make these easy to recommend as some of the best Sony headphones available.

Read the full Sony WF-C700N review

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Test results
AttributesNotesRating
SoundAt this price you won't do better★★★★★
FeaturesSome extra options are missing, but the essentials are covered★★★★☆
ComfortSecure and comfortable to wear★★★★★

Best premium

Apple’s first over-ear headphones justify their huge price tag.

Specifications

Style: Over-ear
Wireless: Yes
Noise-cancelling: Yes
Battery life: 20 hours
Charging: Lightning
Weight: 385g

Reasons to buy

+
Superb sound and noise-cancelling
+
Cinematic spatial audio
+
Exceptional build quality

Reasons to avoid

-
Near-pointless case
-
Audio cable not included
-
Practically Apple-only

Overkill? Almost certainly. If you only need a pair of headphones for calls, you really don't need to spend £549 ($549, AU$899) on the AirPods Max, but if you're looking for a mighty fine pair of over-ear noise-cancellers that also work as a hands-free kit, look no further.

They boast pristinely machined, single-piece anodised aluminium ear cups connected by a stainless-steel headband. Between the cups and your head are memory foam cushions that easily surround even the largest ears, creating a seal that’s both gentle and surprisingly effective at physically blocking out sound, leaving you to focus on the call at hand.

They're significantly heavier than their rivals. But thanks to the weight-distributing design, you can wear them for hours with no discomfort. Sound quality is superb, as is the noise cancelling, and they're a dream to use.

Downsides? You'll need an Apple device to use them to their full potential. The battery life is shorter than some rivals, and of course, there's that price...

But if you want a superb pair of Apple headphones that can work on voice and video calls, the Max are for you.

Read the full Apple AirPods Max review

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Test results
AttributesNotesRating
SoundExpensive, but worth it★★★★★
FeaturesGreat call functionality and connectivty, with an iPhone★★★★★
ComfortSolid isolation and a comfy fit★★★★★

Best over-ear

Great call quality at a discounted price

Specifications

Style: Over-ear
Wireless: Yes
Noise-cancelling: Yes
Battery life: 30hr
Charging: USB-C
Weight: 254g

Reasons to buy

+
Dynamic, rich, detailed sound
+
Great timing
+
Lightweight and comfortable

Reasons to avoid

-
Not waterproof
-
No aptX support

They've been superseded by the WH-1000XM5 (above), but you can still grab Sony's previous-gen flagship wireless over ears at the moment. And that's great news if you want to pick up a great pair of wireless headphones with a mic without breaking the bank.

How? They’re as comfortable as ever, making them perfect for long video calls; they introduce useful features that elevate the user experience; and, most importantly, you’re getting a serious hike in sound quality.

Their sense of musicality and enthusiasm remains as addictive as ever, and they still match most flagship sets’ call performance. They're confident and composed, especially when handling lower frequencies, and dig up lots more detail. Not only is that good news for music, but it also makes them ideal for conference calls on Zoom or Skype.

And when you really need to focus, there's an impeccable noise-cancelling feature that uses a new algorithm and new System on Chip (SoC). The perfect headphones for voice and video calls, be they for work or play.

Read the full Sony WH-1000XM4 review

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Test results
AttributesNotesRating
SoundDespite their age, the XM4 still sound great and offer reliable call quality★★★★★
FeaturesMore than enough connectivity for most people★★★★★
ComfortComfy to wear, even for long calls★★★★★

Best wired

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. Sensational wired in-ear headphones with a mic.

Specifications

Style: In-ear
Wireless: No
Noise-cancelling: No
Battery life: N/A
Charging: N/A
Weight: 20.4g

Reasons to buy

+
Superb dynamics and musicality
+
Detailed, balanced sound
+
Lightweight and comfy

Reasons to avoid

-
Understated delivery

With a noise-isolating design (no noise cancellation tech), wired connection and 3.5mm headphone jack, you might think these Shures are a little out of step with most modern headphones. And that price! They'll have to do something pretty spectacular to convince us they're worth considering.

Thankfully, they do and they are – having now won three consecutive What Hi-Fi? Awards in 2021, 2022 and 2023. They time nigh-on perfectly, able to separate strands and knit them together in one glorious musical tapestry. The sense of rhythm and timing needs to be heard to be believed.

The same can be said of their dynamic ability. In the nicest possible way, they're the kind of headphones you can put on and just forget about. There isn’t a single element that sticks out – bass notes don’t protrude and highs don’t cut too deep. They're honest, transparent and true to the original recording. There’s detail and analysis, but never at the expense of the music's life and emotion. 

They're comfortable and lightweight, too, and with nine different pairs of eartips, you're guaranteed a good fit. An in-line mic seals the deal, serving to make calls clearer than many rivals. 

Read the full Shure Aonic 3 review

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Test results
AttributesNotesRating
SoundCrystal clear audio for music and calls★★★★★
FeaturesThe cable and in-line mic is all you need★★★★★
ComfortA wealth of tip options make it easy to get a comfy fit★★★★★

Best Apple earbuds

Are these the best-sounding in-ear AirPods?

Specifications

Style: In-ear
Wireless: Yes
Noise-cancelling: Yes
Battery life: 30hrs (buds: 6hrs; case: 24hrs)
Charging: Lightning
Weight: 5.4g each

Reasons to buy

+
Clear, detailed and powerful sound
+
Excellent noise-cancelling
+
Longer battery life
+
Smooth, intuitive use with iOS devices

Reasons to avoid

-
Many features restricted to iOS devices only
-
Customisable ANC modes would be useful

Apple's in-ear AirPods have always been decent, but unremarkable – something their string of four-star reviews attests to. But with the AirPods Pro 2, Apple has made a pair of true wireless buds capable of cracking that fifth star.

How? Better noise-cancelling, better battery life, new features and, more importantly, better audio performance. They also cost the same as their predecessors at launch, which helps.

For calls, they're still decent, just like the first-generation Pro. But throw in all these other improvements, and they're a real step up.

A new XS size of eartips should help with fit, and thanks to their vents, they feel a lot less intrusive than some in-ears. Apple has finally added on-bud volume controls, which is a lot more intuitive than digging out your phone or barking commands at Siri.

The noise-cancelling blocks out twice as much background sound as their predecessors, while Adaptive Transparency muffles loud noises when letting in ambient sounds. And the sound quality? With added weight, greater detail and even greater dynamic subtlety than the original Pro, they really are a class act.

Read the full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

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Test results
AttributesNotesRating
SoundGreat wireless audio, and solid mic quality make these a winner★★★★★
FeaturesSolid connectivity and features, if you have an iPhone★★★★☆
ComfortNew tip options make them a great fit for all ear sizes★★★★★

How to choose the best headphones with a mic for you

But what are the best headphones with a microphone for voice and video calls? Choose wisely and you'll be rewarded with the best call quality. The latest wireless models are a good bet as they allow you to go hands-free. And many feature Bluetooth 5.0 or later – not only will this ensure a great match between audio and video (so it doesn't look like your caller is lip syncing out of time), it also has a huge indoor range of 40m (compared to Bluetooth 4.2's paltry 10m). That means you can stray to the other side of your residence from your device and still stay on the call. Unless you live in a palace.

If it's in-ears you're after, you'll want a pair with decent battery life and an in-line remote control for answering calls. And if you tend to make calls outdoors or in busy offices, noise-cancelling technology will block out external sounds such as wind, rain, rumbling trains and open-plan banter.

To help you make the right choice, we've recommended the best headphones with a mic for voice and video calls. Read on to find a pair that matches your budget.

How we tested these headphones with a mic

We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London, Reading and Bath, where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that passes through our door.

Of course, testing headphones don't often require such facilities (though we do often try audiophile headphones in our reference hi-fi system). What is important in our headphones reviewing process is that each pair is compared to the best in its price and style class – whether that's one standout pair or a few we favour the highest among the 100+ pairs we listen to each year for reviews and What Hi-Fi? Awards judging. What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, and we keep class-leading products in our stockrooms so we can always compare new products to ones we know and love.

We are always impartial and do our best to make sure we're hearing every product at their very best, so we'll try plenty of different types of music and give them plenty of listening time (and time to run in), while the wired headphones that might warrant being used with a DAC are tested with a suitable one. It's not just about sound quality, of course. If a pair has active noise cancellation – increasingly the case these days – we'll ensure part of our testing involves using them in different environments. 

All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible, too. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.

Joe Svetlik

Joe has been writing about tech for 17 years, first on staff at T3 magazine, then in a freelance capacity for Stuff, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Men's Health, GQ, The Mirror, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include all things mobile, headphones and speakers that he can't justifying spending money on.

With contributions from
  • almota7
    It's widely known that the call quality on sony XM3s is very poor, definitely not "perfect for video calls".
    Reply
  • Xhizors
    Sony XM series does not have a Mute Mic function!! How are they even on this list at all, let alone 1st place ?!
    They are propably sponsoring whathifi.
    Reply
  • RPawsey
    I came here because I have a pair of Cambridge Audio Melomania and the microphone is terrible to the point I have had to stop using them for video calls because so many say they can't hear me properly.

    I also have a pair of AKG Y500s that worked great up to the point a Microsoft update stopped the microphone working in Windows and Samsung (who own the AKG brand) just shrugged.

    If this list is really about the best headphones for use with a video call they really should only include those with effective microphones and that work with the most common operating system for video calls in the professional world.
    Reply
  • mathieu
    Xhizors said:
    Sony XM series does not have a Mute Mic function!! How are they even on this list at all, let alone 1st place ?!
    They are propably sponsoring whathifi.
    Not only that, but the selectivity of the mic is appalling: my co-workers have been complaining since I bought them that they can hear my partner speaking from the other end of the apartment at least as well as they hear me. I came to this site looking for recommendations for a different headset, the only recommendation I get from that 1st place and from the airpods pro 2 showing up twice on the list is to not use this site for reliable reviews.
    Reply
  • weakglutes
    This entire page is almost completely useless for the title "Best headphones with a mic for voice and video calls 2022". Not a single item on this list has a boom Mic.

    My Plantronics V5200 (yes, a 1-ear device) with 4 noise canceling mics and - *gasps* - a MICROPHONE IN FRONT OF YOUR MOUTH - will provide far superior voice quality and noise cancellation than any single device on this list.

    If you're looking for "the best headphones with a mic for voice and video calls in 2022", not a single one on this list will fit your needs. Maybe "Best headphones if you're using your own condenser mic and don't need noise cancellation in 2022" perhaps.

    But on every single one of these devices, the microphone is an afterthought and is in a really sub-optimal position.
    Reply