Our in-house team of experts, who have over 150 years of collective headphone reviewing experience, test up to 100 pairs every single year. Our comprehensive headphone testing process compares each newcomer with the proven leader(s) in its class, helping us to not only form a star-rated verdict but also gauge where it sits within the entire market. For example, all new premium over-ears are benchmarked against our number one favourite, the Sennheiser HDB 630.
After some wireless headphones?
There’s more choice than ever, especially since Sony released not one, not two, but three brand-new models simultaneously earlier this year.
And some of them even received What Hi-Fi? Awards, with the 2026 winners now announced and available to view.
You’ll find many of them on this list, which we compiled after rigorous testing and an intense free-for-all battle royale.
We’ve reviewed hundreds of headphones in our fifty-year history, and we’re constantly updating this list to help you find the right pair for your needs.
We’ve chosen the very best for each category, so there’s something for everyone no matter what budget you’re working with or what feature you’re desperate for. We will only be looking at over-ear headphones on this page, however – check out our best wireless earbuds buying guide if you prefer in-ears, or we have an overall best headphones guide if you’re torn between the two.
We also have a best noise-cancelling guide if you’re a frequent flyer, regular commuter or just want to block out the outside world for a while.
But if you are after a good ol’ pair of wireless over-ears, we’ve got the best of the best below…
October 2026: The Sennheiser HDB 630 replace the Sony WH-1000XM6 as our 'Best Overall' category, while the Sony WH-CH530 and WH-CH730N replace their predecessors in the 'Best cheap' and 'Best cheap noise-cancelling' respectively. The Sony WH-1000XM4 also takes the mid-range spot from the Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT.
Best overall
As much as we love wireless headphones here at What Hi-Fi?, their sound quality is inherently limited by the Bluetooth technology they, and the source device, support.
Step forward Sennheiser. They’ve provided an innovative solution with a USB-C dongle that grants your phone (or other device) the same high-quality Bluetooth codec the headphones themselves support. And it works wonders.
The benefits are clear, with our Sennheiser HDB 630 review stating that “the presentation gains in clarity and solidity” with a wonderfully smooth and natural sound, "full of shape and dynamism”.
The HDB 630 are miles ahead of their predecessors, the Momentum Wireless 4, in terms of detail, dynamic expression, and refinement. They surpass our previous benchmark, the Sony WH-1000XM6, in outright sound quality, and have promptly nabbed the XM6’s position at the What Hi-Fi? Awards.
That's even without the dongle, which is only part of the story. Track after track, the Sennheisers take you closer to the music for a greater sense of scale, less congested arrangements, and a more rewarding listen, making them the ideal choice for audiophiles.
The discreet, minimalist design is comfortable over long listening sessions, with responsive touch controls and the option for wired listening over USB-C or 3.5mm.
Battery life is a liberal 60 hours – dropping to 45 hours with the dongle – while active noise cancellation is decidedly ‘good’ rather than ‘great’, though the HDB 630’s design physically isolates you well from the outside world to begin with.
The Sennheiser HDB 630 are an attractive all-around package, but their ambitious method to upgrade wireless sound quality makes them a clear pick for audiophiles.
Read our full Sennheiser HDB 630 review
Best cheap
Sony has more than proven that it’s capable of producing premium wireless headphones, but it’s just as proficient with affordable models too – which is no mean feat.
Expectations have to be tempered at this price, of course, and there’s no foldable design or premium materials. Our reviewer said the cans had a “plasticky feel”, but they are still well-built, with a secure, comfortable design that fit nicely across the various heads of the What Hi-Fi? testing team.
Features are also a highlight at this low price point. The highlight is, of course, the impressive 55 hours of music playback. That drops to 35 hours for calls, but that is still a number some flagship headphones struggle to match.
There’s also Bluetooth 6.0 (with support for Auracast and Google Fast Pair for Android devices), Bluetooth Multipoint for simultaneous connection to two devices and support for SBC, AAC and LC3 codecs.
Sony claims a connection range of 10 metres for the headphones, which we had no problems with, and the right earcup has responsive, easy-to-use controls.
What really makes the Sony WH-CH530 stand out at this price, however, is the sound. Despite using the same drive units as the WH-CH520 and instead tweaking the digital signal processing, Sony delivers on the promise of a sonic boost. As our experts noted in our five-star Sony WH-CH530 review: “Right off the bat, the WH-CH530 establish themselves as a well-balanced, expressive, and frankly, surprisingly enjoyable listen for the price.”
There are flaws compared to premium pairs for sure – fine detail is reduced at high frequencies, for example – but at this budget price range, they offer more insight than we are accustomed to and offer more than any rival we’ve come across.
Read our full Sony WH-CH530 review
Best cheap noise-cancelling
If you want to pay the least amount possible but still want active noise cancellation, there’s not much close to the Award-winning Sony WH-CH730N at this price.
They’re not quite the cheapest offering in the best Sony headphones lineup – that honour goes to the Sony WH-CH530 above – but they are the cheapest with ANC, and indeed the cheapest noise-cancelling headphones we recommend overall.
It’s not noise-cancelling that will match the flagship competition – we found voices still pierced our silent bubble when we tested them in an office – but it’s still satisfactory at subduing background noise thanks to a refined V1 processor and ‘Dual Noise Sensor' technology.
And the all-important sound? More evolution than reinvention of the WH-CH720N, but a refinement on five-star headphones is no bad thing. To quote our Sony WH-CH730N review, the cans are “clearer, more natural-sounding and a little more full-bodied than before, offering a presentation that expertly rides the line between punch and precision.”
Sony’s budget noise cancellers sound effortlessly involving no matter what you play through them, able to tune straight into the emotional intent of each song and reveal it effortlessly.
Unlike their rigid predecessors, the WH-CH730N now fold away. The plastic ear cups also have larger, more oval alternatives that have a greater air of quality, all of which makes for a comfortable pair that are convenient to take out and about on your travels.
There’s also a monster battery life of 50 hours on offer, which extends to a gargantuan 75 hours when you turn off ANC. Add in more premium features such as Bluetooth Multipoint, Sony's DSEE sound upscaling algorithm and 360 Reality Audio, and you can see why the WH-CH730N earned the sought-after What Hi-Fi? Award.
This isn't a particularly crowded area of the headphones market, but no other wireless over-ears we've tested at this price, including competitors from Sennheiser and Lindy have come anywhere close. To do better than the WH-CH730N, you’ll have to almost double your budget.
Read our full Sony WH-CH730N review
Best mid-price
The Sony WH-1000XM4C are an interesting proposition. The Japanese brand has taken the original WH-1000XM4, a flagship pair from 2020 that earned several What Hi-Fi? Awards and a place in our Hall of Fame, and brought them back with a slightly smaller, replaceable battery, tweaked tuning and access to a ten-band equaliser and a dedicated Gaming EQ setting in the Sony Headphones Connect app.
Another important change, however, is the price, which at £219 / $300 / AU$449.95 is cheaper than the original XM4 launch price and keeps it nicely tucked away from other flagship models such as Sony’s own XM6. Instead, it’s at a far less competitive mid-range level, where it’s our top pick.
If you’re listening to music untethered, you won’t find better performers at this level. As our Sony WH-1000XM4C review reads: “They’re a hugely enjoyable and entertaining listen. There’s something about the way they combine dynamics, detail and rhythm that keeps you entertained from the first second to the last.”
They’re a notable step up in sound quality from the Sony WH-CH730N above, and are even better than the fan-favourite original XM4 – the bass has been tightened ever so slightly, with sharper and cleaner edges and a slightly more open sound.
There are also plenty of features on board – battery life is lower than the original model but still a respectable 27 hours with ANC on, as well as Sony’s DSEE Extreme engine to upscale compressed music to near hi-res quality, now with a splash of AI enhancement. There’s also now Bluetooth 6.0 support, as well as Multipoint Bluetooth and the return of Speak-To-Chat and Quick Attention usability features.
There’s not a wealth of options at this mid-range price point, but the Sony WH-1000XM4C more than fills this gap.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM4C review
Best noise-cancelling
Avid travellers or those with particularly loud children may be looking for the best noise-cancelling headphones in the business, and they come from none other than the brand that first innovated in active noise cancellation technology for headphones – Bose.
So it's no surprise that the American audio giant's latest cans, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), boast class-leading noise-cancellation, as well as a wealth of functionality and a smart, nicely fitting design.
Bose has consistently set the benchmark for noise cancellation efficacy in wireless headphones, and despite Sony having boldly closed the gap here with its WH-1000XM6, the Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) still just about prevail for outright sound-blocking intensity in their ‘Quiet’ mode. “Whether you’re riding public transport or walking past roadworks or construction, they provide a blanket of silence so that your music (or podcasts) can bask in the spotlight,” our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review reads.
Bose engineer Mark Bergeron told What Hi-Fi? that the key to attaining optimal sound quality in noise-cancelling headphones is to ensure the ANC system is well implemented: “Precise acoustic cavity and porting designs help regulate airflow and pressure variations across key frequency ranges, helping to make the system robust, consistent, and well-behaved during transient events or environments." Indeed, Bose has nailed both elements.
Bose has also added lossless listening over a USB-C cable to the Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) in addition to the 2.5mm port, but be aware that both wired methods require battery life.
One of the more innovative features is Bose’s Immersive Audio technology, which is basically its take on spatial audio. The technology peaks with ‘Cinema mode’, which pulls dialogue and mid/upper sound effects into greater focus when watching movies – with music, we find it much more hit and miss.
Sonically, the Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are a step forward compared to their predecessors, with a punchy, entertaining and defined sound.
“Compared to the originals, the newcomers make small but meaningful gains when it comes to clarity and detail, while sounding that bit more solid and musically tighter and shedding a layer of excess richness,” our experts said.
However, when compared to the competition, the likes of Sony have stormed ahead in the sound department.
“Sony’s latest generational sonic evolution has convincingly out-leapt Bose’s, the XM6’s delivering not only more natural, even-handed tonality than the Ultra 2 but also greater clarity, texture, drive and dynamic subtlety,” we said.
Still, the Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are easily among the very best Bose headphones in the company's history. Rivals such as the XM6 sound better, but the Bose can’t be beaten for outright noise cancellation.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review
Best Apple
When Apple released the original AirPods Max back in 2020, they completely changed the game. A new category of super-premium wireless over-ear headphones was essentially created overnight, and many rivals scrambled to catch up in the following years.
Fast forward to 2026, and Apple’s over-ear rivals have not only caught up but raised the bar by quite a bit, resulting in a four-star rating for the Apple AirPods Max 2. They’re still great headphones though – particularly if you’re an iOS user.
The seamless usability when paired with an iPhone or other Apple device return, but the H2 chip adds nifty new features such as Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio, next-gen Adaptive EQ, personalised volume and Siri gestures. The much-hyped Live Translation feature is also available if you own the iPhone 16 or later.
ANC is also an improvement on the original pair, with the rumbles and screeches of the London Underground damped down in a natural, airy way that doesn’t intrude on the music.
Speaking of music, there have also been small gains in detail, precision, dynamics and weight, largely thanks to the addition of a new high dynamic range amplifier, revised DSP (Digital Signal Processing) and updated Adaptive EQ.
“The Max 2 headphones have an admirably smooth balance, one that is very easy to listen to,” our Apple AirPods Max 2 review reads. “There’s a dash more punch to the sound and the edges of notes are etched out with a little more precision, and they sound a bit more open compared with the first-gen models.”
Voices are strong, and Apple balances all the elements very well, but the top end is slightly rolled off, which loses some crispness and bite. After six years, we were hoping for a more substantial audio upgrade.
Other elements remain disappointingly familiar too, with the same design, case and 20-hour battery life. This is still a very premium design, in fairness, with a stainless steel headband and memory foam earcups that are beautifully made and comfortable to wear for hours. We do wish the headphones were lighter and foldable, though.
Apple could have done more with the AirPods Max 2, which remain similar to the original in a few too many ways. But for Apple’s signature ease of use and ever-expanding futuristic features, these may well be the wireless over-ear headphones of choice for iOS users out there.
Read the full Apple AirPods Max 2 review
Best for style
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 may be in what you could argue is the 'beauty spot' in this list, but their performance and feature talents wholly justify their place in it too. As a Sony XM6 alternative, there is none better.
For this price, you can get seriously good-sounding wired headphones that will outperform the Bowers. But if you simply must have wire-free and noise-cancelling convenience, this is the most insightful pair we have come across bar the even pricier T+A Solitaire T (£1200 / $1600 / AU$2160). Indeed, these Bowers sound better than higher-priced rivals such as the Apple AirPods Max (above) and Focal Bathys, and are on level terms with the Sony XM6.
"Our time cross-examining the Px7 S3’s sonic talents leaves us finding few gaps in their armour," says our test team. "The Px7 S3 really are exceptionally refined and detailed headphones... [they] drop you deep into a performance, breaking the boundary between you and your music and insisting that you become a part of the experience, a little like a mate at a gig who ushers you ever-closer towards the stage."
While the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (above) and Sony XM6 block out sound more competently than any the Px7 S3, these Bowers do a reasonable job: "Road rumbles are reduced, the chatter of voices is softened, and sharp bangs or yells have the edge taken off to keep you from jumping out of your seat when a door slams or a passing car beeps its shrill horn," reads our Px7 S3 review.
Elsewhere, their features satisfy the price point, with aptX Lossless and Adaptive Bluetooth support and a 30-hour battery life (with ANC on). A lighter construction makes for an even more pleasant fit than their very comfortable predecessors, the Px7 S2e, too.
For anyone after the convenience of wireless and ANC without sacrificing too much sound quality, these good-looking Bowers are highly recommendable for ambitious budgets that cannot entertain the T+A Solitaire T.
Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review
Best for high-end
Focal picked up a five-star rating for its previous pair of wireless headphones, the standard Bathys. So it had big shoes to fill.
The Mg model switches the 40mm aluminium/magnesium driver for one made from pure magnesium – hence 'Mg'. You can really hear the difference when compared to their 2022 predecessors. The Mg offer "a greater sense of refinement, expression and more precise deployment of notes throughout the frequency range," we wrote in our review.
They also have a greater degree of control over lows and highs. Compared to them, the originals sound a little unwieldy.
The sound is natural and balanced, with plenty of weight, precision and texture. Levels of insight are off the chart, making flagship rivals from the likes of Sony, B&W and Dali sound lacklustre by comparison.
They're suitably plush too, and built to last, with a leather headband and memory foam earpads, and a yoke made from aluminium and magnesium. But they won't be to everyone's tastes. They're heavy – almost 100g heavier than the Sony WH-1000XM6 – and only come in the chestnut (read: brown) finish. The Focal logo is backlit too, though you can turn this off.
They also don't have touch controls, and their app is a little bare bones compared to some. But they only lack features in a bid to focus purely on performance. In our view, it's a tradeoff worth making.
And they do have plenty of other features. The Sound Personalisation mode feeds you test signals to create your own sound profile based on your hearing. Wired listening is possible up to 24-bit/192kHz using the Mg's built-in DAC, and they even support a virtual assistant.
The noise cancellation is also up there with the best around. Upper bass and lower midrange rumbles are dispatched with ease, while traffic noise is nicely muffled too. All of which will help you focus even more on the high-end sound quality.
Read our full Focal Bathys Mg review
Also Consider
- Sony WH-1000XM6
A former Award-winner and overall pick, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are premium all-rounders that are still very much worth the money, especially now they’re starting to see discounts - Technics EAH-A1000 The Sennheiser HDB 630 delivers just that bit more rhythmic precision and dynamic subtlety, but the Technics EAH-A1000 offer a comfortable, elegant design and a refined, smooth presentation that will have plenty of fans.
- T+A Solitaire T
If your wireless headphones ambitions lie beyond the premium B&Ws on this list, why not splash the cash on the best-sounding Bluetooth headphones we've ever heard? The uber-premium Solitaire T take sound performance to the highest possible level without wires being added to the equation. Priced accordingly, they are really quite innovative. - Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless
The HDB 630 are well worth considering if you can spend a touch more, but if your budget doesn’t stretch that far, the excellent Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless are an obvious choice. They offer a rich, detailed sound and plenty of overall appeal, a lot of which comes from their monster 57 hours of battery life. - Dali IO-8
Decent Bowers Px7 S3 alternatives that aren't quite as detailed but still remain an attractive all-round proposition. - Grado GW100x As wireless headphones to use in private at home or in the garden, these quirky, open-back (i.e. leaky) Grados are first class.
What to consider before buying wireless headphones
The world is awash with wireless headphones of various form factors, prices and feature sets, so how do you know which pair is best suited to you? If you are unsure, here are some things to consider before you start browsing:
Budget: set your price (and expectations)
First things first, think about your budget. Fortunately, recommendable wireless headphones and earbuds are available well below £100/$100/AU$100, and you can even get once-premium features such as active noise cancellation, high-quality Bluetooth codecs and long battery lives nearer the top end of that bracket.
You can, of course, easily pay five times that in the over-ear market (up to 10 times for the few highest-end pairs), which primarily gets you superior sound and noise-cancelling performances, more luxury materials and, in some cases, new and innovative features like spatial audio that haven't yet trickled down. Whatever your budget, rest assured that the pair listed above that best matches it is the best your money can buy.
Style: in-ears, on-ears or over-ears?
The wireless headphones above are all over-ear designs that, as you might've guessed, sit over your ears, with the earcups connected by a headband. These tend to provide good physical isolation and an enveloping, spacious sound. But if you want in-ear designs – like AirPods – that major in discreetness and portability, not to mention ultimate affordability, you should check out our wireless earbuds buying guide instead.
You can also get the smaller on-ear headphones that sit – yep – on your ears, like the Grado GW100x, but the choice in that now-limited market is ever dwindling.
Features: which are must-haves?
Thankfully, many of the most desirable wireless headphone features are available across the price spectrum.
1. Bluetooth connectivity goes without saying, of course, but you might want to consider which Bluetooth codecs your phone, music player or other audio device supports and get a pair that supports the same one. After all, which codec your music signal is packaged and wirelessly transmitted in affects sound quality.
2. What you might find useful on a practical everyday basis, particularly if you use your wireless headphones for work, are features like Multipoint Bluetooth, allowing you to connect to two devices (a laptop and phone, say) simultaneously for easier switching between music playback and calls.
3. This one's a biggie: active noise cancellation, or ANC. Do you need to block out noise from a train, plane, automobile or anything else? If so, you're in luck as most wireless headphones nowadays offer ANC, even at the affordable end. (In our list above, all but the entry-level Sony WH-CH520 and Grado GW100x do.) While any over-ears physically offer a level of isolation – a “solid passive noise cancellation baseline,” as Mikael Herje of Harman International (JBL, Mark Levinson etc) calls it – ANC uses microphones and digital sound processing (DSP) to block a larger amount and wider frequency of sound. You can read how active noise-cancelling technology works here. Noise-cancelling levels can sometimes be incrementally adjusted, and you will want to dive into our reviews to see how effectively it is executed.
Most ANC models also offer a Transparency (or Ambient) mode that, counterintuitive to noise cancellation, temporarily encourages surrounding sound in so that you can hear, say, train announcements or road traffic. If that sounds useful, make sure that box is ticked. If ANC is your number one priority, you might be best served by our best noise-cancelling headphones buying guide.
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4. Check for extras. Wireless headphones increasingly come with companion apps and offer extra features designed to enhance your listening or simply your wearing experience. Auto-wear detection, for example, recognises when you take the headphones off and automatically pauses your music or video. Spatial audio (3D immersive audio) is gaining traction and beginning to appear in premium pairs, such as the AirPods Max and Bose QuietComfort Ultra above, as well as the new Sonos Ace. We find its implementation and worthwhile-ness hit and miss, mind you.
Battery life: how much do you need?
Look out for a manufacturer's battery life claims and, of course, our real-life test of them, particularly if you want to take your headphones on regular long trips. You should expect at least a 24-hour battery life, no matter what your budget, although 30-plus hours is increasingly common. Many wireless headphones now offer a 'quick' or 'fast' charge that blesses you with an hour or two's playback from just minutes of being plugged in, too, so that is one to look out for as well.
Water resistance: do you need it?
If you are clumsy or plan to wear your wireless headphones to the gym, consider a pair that is in some way weatherproof. An IP rating on the spec sheet is the typical marker for how water- and dust-resistant a product is, and a common wireless headphone rating tends to be IPX4, which 'gives protection against splashing water... hitting the product from an angle. Unfortunately, many manufacturers of over-ears choose not to use IP certification, in which case we would be weary about exposing their headphones to the elements in case you damage them and/or void their warranty.
Need further help in your buying decision? Our more comprehensive how to choose the right pair of headphones advice should answer any outstanding questions you may have.
Comfort: how long do you wear headphones for?
Every pair in this buying guide has passed our test as being comfortable to wear for a couple of hours at a time, but if you want a pair you can wear for several hours or most of the day, consider a pair's weight, materials and headband padding generosity, as well as how sensitive your head and ears are to pressure and heat. Our headphone reviews always present the overall wearing experience from several review team members to paint a picture of their fit and comfort.
How we test wireless headphones
While we at What Hi-Fi? have access to custom-built, state-of-the-art testing facilities, where our team of experienced in-house reviewers test the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that pass through our door, wireless headphones are naturally on-the-go products that deserve to be tested as such.
To that end, our wireless headphones reviewing process tests everyday aspects such as the portability and ruggedness of their build, their long-wear comfort and how their claimed battery life translates into real-life use. For pairs with active noise cancellation, as are increasingly common these days, we test their sound-blocking ability in various environments, such as an office, on public transport and – when we can – during flights.
Our in-house reviews team lives with every wireless headphone for weeks, using them at office desks, at home and during commuting, so we can mirror the experience you would have and give you an accurate impression of what they are like as daily music companions. Even once a pair has been tested and its review published, we ensure the team continues to use the best ones – those listed in this buying guide – so that we can stay on top of any firmware updates and update the reviews and relevant buying guides accordingly.
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Of course, sound quality is key in forming our verdicts and star ratings too. As What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, each pair we review 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 75+ models we listen to every year for reviews and What Hi-Fi? Awards judging. So, if we get a pair of over-ear wireless headphones in for review around the £300 / $350 / AU$550 mark, we will test it against the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM5 and likely another close five-star competitor too. We keep current What Hi-Fi? Award-winning headphones, as well as plenty of five-star pairs, in our on-site stockroom, allowing us to easily compare new products to rival ones we know and love.
We all love music – that is why we so frequently curate test track lists as a team – and, to help us test consistently across products, we have go-to test playlists that span various genres and that we are familiar with.
In accordance with how we review products on What Hi-Fi?, all wireless headphone 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.
You can read more about how we test and review headphones at What Hi-Fi?.
Specs comparison
Headphone |
Bluetooth codecs |
Battery life |
Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) |
Weight |
Sony WH-CH530 |
SBC, AAC, LC3 |
55hrs |
N/A |
150g |
Sony WH-CH730N |
SBC, AAC |
50hrs (ANC on); 75hrs (ANC off) |
ANC + Transparency mode |
207g |
Sony WH-10000XM4C |
SBC, AAC, LDAC |
27hrs |
Adaptive ANC + Transparency mode |
253g |
Sony WH-1000XM6 |
SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 |
30hrs (ANC on); 40hrs (ANC off) |
Adaptive ANC + Transparency mode |
254g |
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) |
SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
30hrs (ANC on); 45hrs (ANC off) |
Adaptive ANC + Transparency mode |
250g |
Apple AirPods Max 2 |
SBC, AAC |
20hrs (ANC on) |
ANC + Transparency mode |
386.2g |
Sennheiser HDB 630 |
SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
45hrs (with dongle); 60 hours (without dongle) |
ANC + Transparency mode |
311g |
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 |
SBC, AAC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive |
30hrs (ANC on); 35hrs (ANC off) |
ANC + Transparency mode |
300g |
Focal Bathys MG |
SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX |
30hrs (ANC on) |
ANC + Transparency mode |
350g |
Wireless headphones FAQs
Are wireless headphones better than wired?
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.
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In terms of sound quality, Bluetooth headphones have made huge progress in recent years, closing the gap between the sonic capabilities of wireless and wired models. The introduction of higher-end wireless headphones such as the Apple AirPods Max and Dali IO-8 have pushed wireless performance further than ever before.
The gap still remains, though: the best wired headphones at a particular price will still sound notably better than the best wireless pair at that same price point. So if sound quality is key and you don't mind sacrificing cable-free convenience and noise cancellation to get it, wired is still the way to go.
A more detailed comparison can be found in our wired vs wireless headphones guide.
Wireless headphones or earbuds: which are better?
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The answer to this FAQ is less black and white, as both headphones and earbuds have their strengths over one another. Headphones, by which we are referring to on-ears and over-ears, have better physical isolation and a more enveloping soundstage, and also are less obtrusive to your precious ears, often making them more suitable for longer wearing. If you're after the best possible wireless sound quality, you'll find it in a pair of wireless over-ears.
Earbuds, however, deliver a more direct sound due to their in-ear positioning, and are more discreet to wear and transport thanks to their compact, portable nature. There is also a far wider choice of earbuds on the market at the budget end of the spectrum due to the exploding popularity of AirPods.
Which are 'better' for you depends on which qualities you value more.
Is noise-cancelling worth having?
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All headphones provide some level of isolation from the outside world, whether that be via their in-ear 'plug' design or the clamping force of over-ear earpads. That's why getting the correct fit is so important, as Bowers & Wilkins' Steve Hoyle told What Hi-Fi?: “The better the headphone fits a wider range of users, the greater the passive isolation, which in turn reduces the amount of work required for the ANC.”
But ANC technology is paramount if you want to be truly isolated from office chit-chat street noise or the sound of transport engines, and the levels in which it can do so nowadays are highly impressive, with Bose leading the way alongside the likes of Sony, Apple, Bowers & Wilkins, Dali and Sennheiser.
Historically we would advise caution about buying wireless headphones with ANC as the technology more often than not detrimentally impacted sound quality, but manufacturers are increasingly finding ways for the two to live harmoniously, so it isn't as much of an issue nowadays.
In a headphones expert discussion about ANC, Sennheiser’s Christian Ern said that the key to this is striking the right balance in ANC intensity. “On one hand, the residual noise reduces the perceived sound quality for the user. On the other hand, the stronger you drive ANC, the more likely it is that a user may experience sound deterioration in some cases, like extreme noises or leaks in the sealing between the headphone and ear.”
Are wireless headphones waterproof?
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Most true wireless earbuds nowadays are waterproof – not least if they have first and foremost been designed for exercise, such as sport headphones. Sometimes, only the earpieces or the charging case are waterproof, so it is worth checking that.
That isn't so much the case for wireless over-ear headphones, which generally don't have protection from water or dust and therefore should be hidden from rainstorms as much as possible... and kept away from poolsides! The best way to check if headphones are waterproof (or 'water resistant, as most literature labels it) or not is to check their official technical specification on the company's website, or our review of them.
Water (and indeed dust) resistance for headphones is often measured and presented as an IP (Ingress Protection) rating, an international standard that indicates the degree of protection in electrical products against the 'intrusion of objects, water, dust or accidental contact'. A rating consists of 'IP' plus two numbers – the first number indicates the level of protection against solid objects (dust), while the second number represents the level of protection against water. Which numbers correspond to which levels of protection can be found on our IP ratings explained advice article.
Can you answer calls with wireless headphones?
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Almost all wireless headphones and earbuds these days integrate one or more microphones that facilitate the taking and making of voice calls (and in some cases also help to deploy active noise cancellation and/or voice control). That means you can answer your phone calls without having to pick up your phone, provided your headphones are indeed connected to your phone over Bluetooth. Most wireless headphones have touch controls or physical buttons that include an answer/hang-up key, though pairs with built-in voice assistants let you do that simply by using your voice, completely hands-free.
Can you use wireless headphones when they run out of power?
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In the case of wireless earbuds, no. When they (and in the case of AirPods-like true wireless earbuds, their charging case) run out of battery, tough luck – you’ll need to plug them in and charge them up to hear your sweet, sweet tunes through them.
However, wireless headphones tend to feature a 3.5mm or USB-C jack for you to wire your headphones to your device if you so choose – or, indeed, as a temporary measure if their battery is flat. Traditionally, and in most cases, this is possible as the analogue (wired) output does not required the headphones' digital circuitry to work. That said, some wireless over-ear pairs nowadays only work when they have power, even for only wired listening.
Can wireless headphones connect to a TV?
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If you have thin walls, like to watch TV when the kids are asleep, or would simply like a more involving personal listening experience that your TV’s speakers can’t give you, listening to TV audio through wireless headphones can be transformative.
Of course, you need to make sure your TV can output audio via Bluetooth. Some Bluetooth-equipped TVs even offer their own audio delay settings, which can help you marry up picture and sound. If your TV doesn't, you could buy and plug in a Bluetooth transmitter dongle for it, though be weary that this could introduce lip-sync errors.
Speaking of which, one issue when using wireless headphones with a TV is lag – the delay between what you see on the screen and what you hear. This is due to latency: the time it takes the sound to travel from the source to the headphones. But Bluetooth standards and codecs have steadily improved latency and squashed most of the issues, so the best headphones and best TVs today (and from the past few years) shouldn't have any problems.
You can read more about how to connect headphones to your TV here.
Are wireless headphones good for gaming?
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This is where we would point you to our comprehensive gaming headsets vs headphones article, though the quick answer is: yes, they can be good for gaming – buy a pair of good open-sounding, mic-inclusive wireless headphones that can transmit audio to your console (via a dongle) or PC while also doubling up as your commuter music companions, and they will be very effective.
But dedicated gaming headsets – while not typically great for music – are often tuned for a better, more immersive gaming audio experience and are likely to have higher compatibility with more gaming devices, as well as a more accurate microphone and perhaps even other gaming features such as a mixer for balancing chat audio and game audio.
When is the best time to buy wireless headphones?
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There isn't a bad time to buy any of the wireless headphones in this guide, as all of them have been tested and recommended at their original prices, but there are certainly better times of the year to buy…
You can often find good headphone deals year-round, especially on popular big-brand pairs from, say, Sony at competitive retailers like Amazon. But you will typically see the biggest savings and best-ever prices land during sales events. The biggest two are Black Friday and Cyber Monday (November), while both Amazon Prime Days (typically July and October) also tend to offer year-best prices. Boxing Day and January sales also see prices come down more than they do most of the year.
Again, deals are year-round affairs when it comes to headphones and every month we round up our pick of the best headphones deals and best wireless earbuds deals on the internet, on pairs only we recommend. Interested only in AirPods? We have an AirPods deals page that we track regularly too.
Are wireless headphones safe?
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Yes, wireless headphones are completely safe to use. Bluetooth headphones emit low-level non-ionising radiofrequency radiation far below the levels dangerous to humans. Cancer Research UK conducted studies involving large groups of people in 2019 and found no connection to an increased cancer risk.
As with all headphones, however, there is a risk of damage to your hearing if you listen at high volumes for extended periods. Make sure to keep your headphones at a safe volume and take regular breaks.
Do wireless headphones work on planes?
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The short answer is yes, wireless headphones work on planes and you are free to use them during most of the flight. Different airlines have different rules, however, and most will probably ask for electronic devices such as headphones to be removed during take-off, landing and safety briefings.
Always listen to flight attendants’ instructions, but otherwise your wireless headphones will work perfectly fine at 30,000 feet.
Glossary
AAC: Advanced Audio Coding. The default audio codec for Bluetooth on iOS devices, though it's not owned by Apple and is also supported by Android devices. It can handle 24-bit/44.1kHz audio files, with a bitrate of up to 320kbps.
Active noise cancellation (ANC): A powered technology designed to reduce the external surrounding noise you hear when wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Essentially, microphones on the outside of the earcups detect the noise around you and create a mirror image of that noise (the compression and rarefaction of the air) called ‘antiphase’. Added together, the noise and ‘antinoise’ cancel each other out.
aptX: An audio codec synonymous with Bluetooth and developed by chipmaker Qualcomm. It offers higher quality than the ‘standard’ SBC and AAC. It comes in various forms, from the ‘classic’ aptX to the most superior aptX Lossless, though aptX HD and aptX Adaptive are the most commonly supported these days.
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Bluetooth standard: Also referred to as Bluetooth ‘specifications’ or ‘versions’. Overseen by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), Bluetooth standards mark the developments in Bluetooth wireless technology. They typically improve connection efficiency (meaning longer battery life), security, stability over long ranges, latency and interference. The latest standard is Bluetooth 5.4.
Bluetooth codec: A software format that compresses and encodes music so that it can be efficiently transmitted wirelessly between devices. The receiving device that supports the same codec then decodes that music for playback. AAC and SBC are the most common, though aptX is of higher quality.
Bluetooth Multipoint: A Bluetooth feature that allows a pair of wireless headphones to establish and maintain a Bluetooth connection to multiple devices (say, a laptop and a phone) simultaneously.
Closed-back: Closed-back headphones have an enclosure behind their drivers, with any back-firing sound hitting the enclosures. This prevents excessive sound leakage from your headphones, unlike open-back headphones (see below). Nearly all wireless headphones are closed-back.
EQ: Often adjustable in wireless headphone companion control apps, equalisation gives you an easy way to tweak the sound to some extent to suit their preferred balance – typically, you can boost or reduce treble, midrange and bass frequencies.
Google Fast Pair: Or simply ‘Fast Pair’. If your Android or Google device supports this always-on feature, it will automatically scan for nearby Bluetooth headphones and, when detected, suggest you pair with them via an on-screen pop-up. This bypasses the need to enter your device’s Bluetooth settings menu to initiate pairing. Apple has its own version of this for Apple devices and AirPods.
IP rating/code: Developed by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), the ‘ingress protection’ system classifies products on how resistant they are to environmental factors. The first number of an IP code relates to resistance against physical particles (i.e. dust, sand etc.), while the second relates to the resistance against liquid particles, usually in the form of water. These days, IP67 is common and desirable in the consumer electronic space, though many wireless headphones don’t carry official IP ratings.
Open-back: Open-back headphones don’t have an enclosure behind their drivers, which means that sound is fired both towards and away from the listener’s ears. Some of the sound being fired away from the ears leaks out of the earcups and can therefore be typically heard by neighbours, while noise in your surroundings can also creep into those open earcups. That’s why open-back designs are rare in portable wireless headphones.
SBC: The most basic and widely supported Bluetooth codec around. It handles up to 16-bit/48kHz audio files, with a bitrate up to 345kbps (though manufacturers tend to limit their devices to 256kbps to avoid battery drain).
Spatial audio: Typically associated with Apple, who somewhat coined the term, this immersive audio technology is designed to deliver surround sound and 3D audio through AirPods, often with dynamic head tracking that moves the soundstage according to your head movement. Some other manufacturers, such as Bose, have now implemented their own spin on the technology into their headphones.
Transparency mode: Also known as ‘Ambient’, ‘Aware’ or ‘Hear-through’ mode, and a relatively new feature typically found on wireless headphones with active noise cancellation. In contrast to ANC’s purpose, it is designed to allow external surrounding noise into the earcups so that you can hear, say, a train announcement without having to remove the headphones from your head.
Wireless headphones coming soon
- Loewe Leo: The Leo are TV-maker Loewe's first pair of wireless headphones, and they're pitched at the higher end the market. With a £1299 / €1299 price tag, they're billed as a "standalone hi-fi audio solution". They support audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, and you can customise the sound based on your hearing profile. Can Loewe strike it big first time? Stay tuned for our review.
- JBL Tour M3: In an interesting move, JBL have provided a firmware update to their existing JBL Tour M3 headphones that tweaks the sound curve. JBL claims this will result in a clearer, more balanced sound, while the menu of the Smart Tx transmitter has also seen an update. Will this be enough to get the Tour M3 onto our best headphones list? Keep an eye out...
Recent updates
- October 2026: Four Award-winners take their place on the list: the Sennheiser HDB 630 is now in our 'Best Overall' category, while the Sony WH-CH530 and WH-CH730N replace their predecessors in the 'Best cheap' and 'Best cheap noise-cancelling' categories, respectively. The Sony WH-1000XM4 also takes the mid-range spot.
- April 2026: The long-awaited Apple AirPods Max 2 replace their predecessors in the 'Best Apple' category, while two questions have been added to the FAQ section: 'Are wireless headphones safe?' and 'Do wireless headphones work on planes?'.
- January 2026: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) replace their predecessors in the 'Best for noise cancelling' category, while the Sennheiser HDB 630 are a new entrant for 'Best for audiophiles'. The Focal Bathys MG have been moved to the new category of 'Best high-end', while the Grado W100 is now in our 'Also Consider' section.
- September 2025: The Focal Bathys Mg are a new entrant in the new category of 'best for audiophiles'. We've also refined the AirPods Max and Bose QC Ultra Headphones entries to reflect recent changes and news of a sequel pair, respectively, and added the Loewe Leo to 'Coming soon'.
- May 2025: The just-tested Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 knock the pricier Dali IO-8 off their perch, and are our pick for audiophile-level sound and stylish alternatives to the Sony XM6.
- April 2025: There are no new entries this time, but it will be interesting to see if the newly announced Focal Bathy Mg can improve on its five-star predecessors and make it onto our main or Also Consider lists.
- March 2025: While we have tested the very decent Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 in recent weeks, they don't quite have the performance to make our revered main or Also Consider lists, which stay the same for this month at least.
- February 2025: The newly reviewed Dali IO-8 replace the Mark Levinson No.5909 as our 'Best audiophile' pick due to its superior sound quality. The Mark Levinsons are now in our Also Consider list below.
- January 2025: While this is likely going to be the year of some big headphones launches, including the Sony WH-1000XM6 (successor to the XM5 in this list's top spot), it's early days and nothing game-changing launched at the CES 2025 tech show in the wireless headphones space. Our list remains the same, then.
- December 2024: We've added a specs comparison for easy cross-referencing figures for, say, battery life across the pairs featured in this list.
- November 2024: The Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT move from our Also Consider section to our main list, fresh from their What Hi-Fi? Award 2024 win, plugging the gap between our budget and premium picks. We have also added a Glossary to explain key wireless headphone terms and features you may not be familiar with.
- October 2024: The newly reviewed Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT make our Also Consider list, filling a much-needed gap in the mid-market space. Sadly, the highly anticipated Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 get no such inclusion, having disappointed our reviews team.
- August 2024: The Dyson OnTrac wireless headphones have been the talk of the tech town this month, but sadly they don't come close to troubling the class leaders. Perhaps the newly announced Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 over-ears will. Watch this space.
- June 2024: We've reviewed two new wireless headphones since our last update in May, but neither beats their respective rival to make this list. The Philips Fidelio L4 are good noise-cancelling headphones with lots to like, though, while the highly anticipated Sonos Ace proved disappointing.
- May 2024: Two new recommendations: the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones as our favourite noise-cancellers, and the Sony WH-C520 as the best budget pair. Our Also Consider picks have also been revised based on our latest reviews.
- March 2024: We replaced the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds with the AirPods Max over-ears, given their falling price and suitability to the buying guide's headphones orientation.
- January 2024: We added an 'Also Consider' section to give you even more choice.
- December 2023: We replaced the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II with their successors, the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, due to their superiority.
- November 2023: We labelled our newly crowned What Hi-Fi? Award winners as such.
- August 2023: We added the fantastic Sony WH-CH720N headphones as our best cheap noise-cancelling entry, replacing the outgoing Sennheiser HD 250BT.
Quoted experts
Below is a list of headphone engineers and experts whose quotes provided directly to What Hi-Fi? have been quoted in this buying guide.
- Christian Ern – principle portfolio manager at Sonova Consumer Hearing GmbH (owner of Sennheiser)
- Mikael Herje – director of Global Category Communication Headphones and Wearables BU at Harman International (parent company of JBL, Mark Levinson et al)
- Steve Hoyle – category line director of headphones at Masimo Consumer, parent company of Bowers & Wilkins, Denon et al
- Mark Bergeron – category engineer at Bose Corporation
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