1. The list in brief ↴
2. Best over ear
3. Best earbuds
4. Best cheap
5. Best wired
6. Best Apple earbuds
7. Best for ANC
8. Also consider
9. How to choose
10. How we test
11. FAQ
Most of us work from home at least a few days a week, and as a result, having a decent pair of headphones that not only sound great but also work with video calls is incredibly important.
However, having tested more sets of headphones than we care to count, while some offer decent mics, for most consumer brands, call quality usually plays second fiddle to music. Getting a set that delivers on both fronts is fairly tricky as a result.
To help you find a pair of headphones that’ll let you rock out listening to music while also offering excellent mic quality when you need to nip into your next Zoom meeting, we’ve created this guide detailing the best headphones with a mic we’ve tested.
As we’re not a business-to-business or gaming-focused brand, every item on the list is a pair of headphones or earbuds, not a dedicated headset. All the headphones on this list delivered excellent audio quality, both for music and mic quality when we reviewed them.
You can get a full breakdown of how we test headphones with a mic at the bottom of this page.
The quick list
The best over-ears
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best headphones we've tested in quite some time. This is because they deliver in pretty much every area. During our checks, as well as great mic quality, they offered reliable ANC, battery length and excellent audio, making them a great set for anyone looking for an all-in-one set of headphones for music as well as calls.
Best earbuds
The WF-1000XM5 are the best wireless earbuds we currently recommend to most people. As well as excellent mic quality, they deliver great audio and reliable ANC making them a great choice for any buyer with cash to burn.
The best cheap
Based on our testing, the Sony WF-C700N are the earbuds to get if you're short on cash and want a great all-round set of earbuds that work for taking and making calls and listening to music. Though they don't match the performance of the more expensive options on this list, for the money you won't do better.
The best wired
If you're old school and want a wired pair of headphones with a decent mic, then the Shure Aonic 3 are the ones to get, based on our checks. In our tests, they deliver a reliable call-ready seal as well as excellent mic and audio quality.
The best Apple earbuds
If you have an iPhone and want an in-ear set of wireless earbuds with a decent mic then the Airpods Pro 2 is the set to get. During our checks, they provided great call quality, which coupled with their excellent ANC made them great for any buyer after a pair of true-wireless for chatting and listening to music on the go.
Best for ANC
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds offer the best ANC performance of all the sets in this guide, based on our testing. If you want to block out office noise in between calls these are the ones to get.
I’ve been a tech journalist covering the headphones beat for 17 years. As the guiding hand overseeing this best headphones with a mic list, I liaise with our team of reviewers to help identify the best options we’ve tried and tested. Every set on this list has had its call quality checked by multiple people to ensure it is the best of the best.
Recent updates
16th April 2024: Added the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Removed AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM4. New Also consider, how we choose, how we test and FAQ sections.
The best headphones with a mic we recommend in 2024
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 over-ears
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
Best earbuds
The Sony WF-1000XM5 are currently the top option and overall recommendation in our general best wireless earbuds guide. Thankfully, as well as sounding great delivering class-leading levels of detail and clarity in our checks, they are also very good for taking and making calls.
Using them in the office, windy outdoor conditions and busy signal areas, the mics consistently delivered reliable audio, with our test subject on the other end of the line reporting clear audio during all our checks.
We were particularly impressed with how well the mics dealt with wind noise, a factor aided by their new noise reduction structure, which is designed to help them work in difficult outdoor environments. The inclusion of a new bone conductor sensor, which uses AI wizardry to help the earbuds know when you’re talking also made them feel more responsive than most rivals when taking calls.
This is why our testers reported:
“The design and tech changes seem to have done the job. Wind noise is largely subdued, even in the blustery conditions in which we found ourselves during testing. Our voice sounded detailed, clear and easy to follow, which isn’t always the case with wireless earbuds.”
The combination of factors means the WF-1000XM5 are the best headphones with a mic for most people at the moment.
Read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review
Sony has a great track record when it comes to delivering decent mic, as well as audio quality. This is because it is constantly rolling out new features and designs focused on doing just that. The WF-1000XM5 are the culmination of that effort and the earbuds we recommend to most buyers. We'd strongly recommend considering them if you want the best overall experience, as they offer great audio as well as mic quality.
Best cheap
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
Best wired
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
Best Apple earbuds
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
Best for ANC
If noise cancelling is a top priority alongside mic and audio performance, then the Bose Ultra Earbuds are a reliable option, based on our checks.
After thoroughly putting them through their paces in our listening rooms and while out and about we found they deliver a wonderful punchy, musical, sound with plenty of weighty bass alongside the iconic ANC performance Bose has become famous for. Whether it was the high-frequency background engine noise on the Underground, or the low but constant rumble of background office noise, the ANC dealt with it.
But it is the reworked mic design, which performed exceptionally well during our tests, that earns them a place on this list. The big change on past Bose sets is that the Ultra can intelligently detect which mic is experiencing the least noise and tweak its mic’s settings to improve call quality on the fly.
The results led to significantly improved call quality during our checks, especially compared to their predecessors, leading to our testers' conclusion:
“During testing, we found the new model does provide a big step up. Background noise was more heavily suppressed and broke through less often, while our voices came through much more clearly.”
The only reason they’re not higher on this list is that we feel some of the sets higher on this list offer better value for money.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review
Also consider
- Apple AirPods Max: If you’re an Apple fan and don’t mind spending a lot of money then the AirPods Max are a fantastic sounding set of over-ears from the iPhone maker that also delivers excellent call quality.
- Sony WF-1000XM4: They may not be the latest model, and not offer quite as good mic quality, but if you want to save some cash Sony's previous generation earbuds are worth considering.
How to choose the best headphones with a mic for you
As a baseline, given our focus on audio, all the headphones on this list need to deliver solid musical performance, though for this specific guide, we’ve weighted mic quality more heavily than we normally would.
That’s why you’ll see the entries are different to our best headphones, best wireless earbuds and various other buyer's guides where mic quality is less of a core focus. With that in mind, here’s what we look for when testing headphones and earbuds with a mic.
Call quality is the core area we expect headphones with a mic to deliver on. If the mics can’t deliver crystal clear call quality then they’re not going to appear on this list. But that’s just the start of our mic checks. On top of voice delivery, for wireless sets we also factor in connection stability. No matter how good a mic is, the headphones won’t be able to deliver good call quality if they’re prone to signal dropouts.
As a hi-fi focused brand, while we factor in mic quality more than normal in this list, audio quality is another key metric any headphone needs to deliver on before we can recommend it. Whenever we check headphones we have our testers listen to a variety of different tracks from various genres using a range of sources to make sure they deliver good audio.
If the headphones support the technology, reliable ANC is another key area we expect most modern headphones with a mic to deliver on. ANC (active noise cancellation) is a key area that can help headphones with a mic block out background noise
Many of the sets on this list are wireless, which is why we also want them to deliver reliable battery life. If you’re looking for headphones with a mic specifically, you’re likely on calls regularly. So having a set that’ll run dry after a few hours of use isn’t practical.
Comfort is the final big factor we check for when choosing the best wireless headphones and earbuds with a mic. Like any pair of headphones or item you wear, comfort is a key factor. With that in mind, we expect any headphones or earbuds with a mic we test to offer a comfortable fit, and reliable seal even when worn for prolonged periods.
How we tested these headphones with a mic
Multiple testers making direct comparisons: We test headphones with a mic with the same methodology we do with any product. Specifically, multiple reviewers test the products independently and then compare notes. This ensures it is never one tester's opinion.
When making performance comparisons with competing products we think buyers will also be considering, we test the two directly against each other to ensure our findings are based on real-world use, not our memory.
Call quality: When testing headphones for mic quality we run a variety of call quality tests. These include taking calls in indoor and outdoor conditions. Indoors we use them with general office background noise and light conversations in the background. Outdoors we run them in windy conditions, an area most mics struggle with, and busy train stations. In each instance, we get a team member in a controlled quiet environment to report back on the call/voice quality.
Audio: Testing audio quality, we play a variety of test tracks in our dedicated listening rooms and out in the world, with the headphones connected to our reference system, and any other sources we think are appropriate to the product’s price. The tracks we use are designed to gauge key factors including their detail, dynamism, rhythmic precision and more.
Battery life: Where applicable we always check how much battery life headphones with a mic offer. To do this we check how many hours of music playback they offer with ANC on and off. We also check how much battery life is drained when using the mic on video and voice calls.
ANC: When testing headphones with a mic, we check how effective their active noise cancellation is. To do this we use them to listen to music and take calls in environments with various levels of background noise. These range from our office to busy train stations and windy outdoor environments.
Comfort: We check if headphones with a mic can provide a comfortable fit for a variety of head sizes during our testing process. This involves multiple members of the team wearing and using them during the review process. During this, we check everything from the clamping force and the number of band adjustment options on over-ears. For in-ears, we check if they have enough tip options to provide a comfortable fit, with a solid seal for most common ear sizes.
FAQ
Can you use headphones with a mic for gaming?
Headphones with a mic can be used for gaming, if they have the right connectivity to pair with the console or PC you're playing on. Most regular wireless headphones feature Bluetooth connectivity, which works with most PCs and the PS5. Cabled sets will require a 3.5mm to work. Be warned, Bluetooth isn’t the best option for call quality. This is why most dedicated gaming headsets, which are different to headphones, are either cabled or come with 2.4GHz wireless dongles, which connect directly to the console via USB. This provides a much better connection that is less prone to dropouts. On top of this, gaming headsets also tend to have dedicated boom mics, which can offer better call quality, compared to headphone mics, based on our testing.
Do all headphones have a mic?
Mics are an increasingly common feature in headphones and earbuds, especially the wireless variety. But there are still a number of headphones that don’t come with a mic. You should always check the spec sheet to make sure they have a mic, if that’s a deciding factor. On top of that, be aware many headphones mics are an afterthought, as most brands prioritise other features like audio quality, battery life and active noise cancellation for their consumer headphones.
Are over-ear or in-ear headphones with a mic better?
Based on our testing it depends on the specific headphones and earbuds you’re comparing. When testing headphones we find there are massive differences in call quality and mic performance across every form factor. It’s best to do your research on the specific set you’re interested in rather than assume one design is better holistically when it comes to mic quality.
What’s the difference between headphones with a mic and a headset?
What Hi-Fi? is a consumer brand, so the options in this list are all consumer headphones with microphones, rather than dedicated headsets designed for either work or gaming. The headphones in this list are primarily designed for listening to music, rather than taking work calls or chatting on Discord. Headsets are the reverse, with business-to-business models focussing purely on helping people take and make voice or video calls. Gaming headsets equally are more focussed on letting players communicate while playing online.
