Wireless headphones truly are the picture of convenience these days – no wires, quick and simple Bluetooth pairing, week-long battery lives, constantly improving sound quality and, in all but the very budget pairs, active noise cancellation (ANC).
While many audiophiles will refuse to give up on wired headphones (and with good reason – they often still sound better), we can confirm that excellent-sounding wireless headphones exist across the price spectrum. We have reviewed more pairs than we could count over the years under our stringent testing process, which is based on comparing each new arrival with the current, proven leader(s) in its class.
Wireless headphones typically offer better comfort and immersion compared to wireless earbuds (which sit in your ear), but not all pairs are born equal. For every model that leaves our test rooms with flying colours, a handful fail to deliver, whether due to their substandard sound quality, middling ANC or haphazard touch controls – all of which can ruin your everyday music listening.
The best wireless headphones below, however, tick every box we look for – class-leading sound at their respective price point, satisfying comfort levels and practical, well-executed features.
And if you're lucky, one of our expert picks could feature in our round-up of the best headphones deals, too.
The quick list
Sony’s flagships have been unbeatable for years, and that hasn’t changed with the XM5. After the best-value pair? Look no further.
Nothing else comes close – Sony's entry-level wireless headphones offer performance levels easily above the asking price.
Want noise-cancelling? Sony delivers again with the highest-performing and most fruitfully featured affordable pair we've tested.
Bose is the king of noise cancelling, and its new flagship over-ears set the benchmark here while offering beautifully balanced sound.
While pricey, Apple's sole pair of wireless headphones are oh-so worth it for Apple users, combining fantastic sound and ANC with Apple-first usability.
Read more below
As wireless headphones to use in private at home or in the garden, these quirky, open-back (i.e. leaky) Grados are first class.
Load the final product… ↓
These pricey, premium wireless headphones sound so good that you’ll initially be convinced there’s an invisible wire attached to them.
Recent updates
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.
With more than a decade of experience in testing and writing about headphones, I am one of What Hi-Fi?'s go-to reviewers for wireless headphones; an expert at picking the highest-performing, best-value pairs across the wide and wonderful spectrum thanks to years of reviewing and accumulative contextual knowledge. My picks below are all class leaders at their respective price points and all pairs I'd be proud to own myself. In fact, I use two of them every day.
Best overall
The WH-1000XM5 are the latest flagship headphones in Sony's highly successful wireless series, which has spawned multiple What Hi-Fi? winners over the years. Two-time winners themselves, they certainly don't let the legacy down.
If you're looking for wireless headphones with class-leading sound and top-notch noise cancellation and can afford their premium asking price, the XM5 are the best all-rounders we have come across.
We were more than a little surprised when the first images of the XM5 tentatively emerged from their media chrysalis, given that they revealed a major redesign over the previous WH-1000XM4, one of Sony’s greatest success stories. But surprise turned to delight once our expert reviews team had gone twelve rounds with them.
The XM5 may feel slightly less premium than their predecessors (which remain available at a now-reduced price, by the way), but the leap in sound quality is considerable. Our Sony WH-1000XM5 review notes how they "display a newfound precision... expose greater detail and can differentiate between notes more easily [and] make even the XM4 sound a little thick in the lower mids and bass".
Improved call quality and noise-cancelling also make them compelling buys for anyone who can afford the extra. Every discrepancy between the two models is detailed in our comprehensive Sony WH-1000XM5 vs XM4 comparison, but ultimately we think the latest and greatest pair are worth their premium.
They also outshine their closest rivals in the sound department, including the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e and Bose QuietComfort, while a 30-hour battery life and genuinely useful features such as Bluetooth multipoint and auto-wear detection round out their generous offering.
That's why the WH-1000XM5 are the best wireless headphones at this price point and worthy winners of the category's What Hi-Fi? Award.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review
Best cheap
Nailing the basics well enough at the most budget of the market is no easy task, which is probably why many of the reputable headphone brands choose not to compete in it. Thankfully, Sony does.
Its WH-CH520 don't look in any way glamorous – you don't get a foldable design or premium materials. If anything, we found them to feel a little plasticky. But keep your expectations for the price realistic here and you'll realise these are reassuringly well made – they feel properly constructed, and in our weeks living with them proved to be solid and robust as they accompanied us around and survived a few yanks during durability testing.
The good news continues in the features department – again, if you remember that these cost roughly the price of a round of drinks. The headline feature is a 50-hour battery life (or 40 hours on full volume), which quite frankly the majority of more premium headphones don't reach. That is one of the benefits of not having power-hungry features like active noise cancellation and spatial audio eating away at your battery.
What you do get is Bluetooth 5.2 (allowing for 10m of wireless range from your source), physical on-cup playback buttons, and compatibility with Sony's Headphones Connect control app, which offers EQ presets and custom adjustment, plus a hearing test to help you find your ideal sonic balance.
So far, so solid, but what most impresses us about the WH-C520, and singles them out from the other uber-affordable Bluetooth over-ears we've tested, is their sound performance. As our expert reviewers noted in our five-star Sony WH-CH520 review, they "don’t take long to establish themselves as a nicely balanced, quite informative and enjoyable listen".
Again, you ought to keep your expectations in check – they aren't the most expressive headphones we've ever heard where bass is concerned, while clarity and dynamics are good, not great. But that’s really to judge the Sonys by the standards of more expensive headphones. For their modest price, they are very listenable indeed.
Ultimately, the WH-CH520 are built to a price but compromised in the least compromising way. We can't recommend a rival pair nearly as highly.
Read our full Sony WH-CH520 review
I have to say, Sony's dominance at both ends of the wireless headphones market is astonishing. The WH-C520N nail the basics and are easily the best entry-level options for those who want to spend very little without sacrificing comfort and great sound. That said, I'd heartily recommend the next-model-up Sony WH-C720N (below) for those who can spend slightly more – they sound even better and boast active noise cancellation.
Best cheap noise-cancelling
If you can't afford the Sony WH-1000XM5 (our 'Best Overall' entry above) but still want a decent-performing pair of over-ears that includes active noise cancellation, you won’t do better than the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sony WH-CH720N.
They are the middle sitters in the best Sony headphones lineup – above the WH-CH520 above but below the XM5 and bass-boosted ULT Wear – and the only ANC pair at this price point that we can heartily recommend. Don't expect a performance that matches their flagship siblings, of course, but during our testing we were amazed at how few compromises Sony has had to make to keep costs down.
These are spirited, energetic performers that do justice to lively music genres like rock and pop – "they imbue their musical cargo with heft and conviction, operating on the front foot in delivering an immediate, assertive sound with an emphasis on forceful, burly bass," we penned in our Sony WH-CH720N review. But they also have the texture and detail to fulfil subtler, quieter tracks, and you can always bring bass down a little in the Sony Headphones companion app.
They don’t have a fold-down design or come with a carry case, the latter of which is slightly disappointing even at this modest price, but the WH-CH720N feel surprisingly well-made and offer a comfortable fit, even during prolonged listening sessions. Our reviews team generally got on well with the physical on-earcup buttons for playback, volume and ANC, too.
Add to this their very usable active noise cancellation, which doesn't encase you in silence like the more premium Sony XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra but is certainly powerful enough to drown out background office noise, coupled with a week-long (50-hour) battery life, and you can begin to realise why our reviews team likes them so much.
The WH-CH720N are an easy recommendation for buyers on a budget. No other wireless over-ears we've tested around this price come close.
Read our full Sony WH-CH720N review
Best noise-cancelling
Avid travellers or those with particularly loud children may be looking for the best sound-blockers in the business, and they come from none other than the brand that first innovated in active noise cancellation technology for headphones – Bose.
Bose’s new wireless flagships, the QuietComfort Ultra, have been a long time coming. The last time we saw a flagship pair of wireless headphones from the brand was way back in 2019 with the launch of the strangely named, now discontinued Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700. But the wait has paid off. The new-era Ultra not only sport next-level noise-cancelling that betters even the Sony WH-1000XM5's capabilities but also deliver highly competitive sound alongside innovative features.
The headline feature is the debut of Bose’s Immersive Audio tech, which is basically its take on spatial audio. The general feeling during our team's testing is that it works well for some tracks (and sounds better through these over-ears than the range's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds) but can also sound off with others.
Make no mistake, everything else with the design lands. Noise cancelling has gone to a new level. In our weeks with the headphones, they blocked sound remarkably well, "dramatically reducing background rumbles while out walking, and the sound of the London Underground during our daily commute", to borrow a quote from our QuietComfort Ultra review. A bonus: Bose’s CustomTune calibration automatically optimises the noise-cancelling effect to match your surroundings
Sonically their precise, punchy and detailed delivery has you coming back for more. We haven’t heard a pair of Bose over-ears sound as entertaining or refined for quite some time. "Highs and lows are painted with a sense of richness and refinement which we think will be hugely appealing to potential buyers," we said.
Such talent doesn't come cheap – Bose has indeed entered a new price territory with its latest flagship pair – but they are easily among the best Bose headphones in the company's history. Buy with confidence, particularly if noise cancellation is your number one priority.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review
Best Apple
If you're an Apple user and have more cash to burn than the Sony WH-1000XM5 (our 'Best Overall' pick) demand, you would do well to spend it on the AirPods Max. Yes, they are pricey by anyone's standards, but they justify their extra cost over the Sonys and similar competition with superior sound and build quality, plus unique features that are hard for Apple loyals to overlook.
The AirPods Max work with non-Apple products using standard Bluetooth 5.0, but really you need an iPhone or iPad to get the most out of them. Spatial audio with built-in head tracking is a particular Apple-only favourite feature. It provides a virtual surround-sound experience from 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos music and movie content played on a supported Apple device, with head-tracking keeping the sound fixed to the screen when you move your head or device. The technology is particularly awesome with movies – our reviews team was impressed with how cinematic it made movie-watching through headphones. "The whole presentation is very open, spacious and convincing, and the tracking is amazingly smooth and accurate as you move your head," we said in our Apple AirPods Max review. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (above) and new Sonos Ace offer their take on spatial audio, but it certainly sets the AirPods Max from the majority of premium headphones out there.
What's more, their sonic authenticity, detail, crispness and spaciousness elevate them above the more affordable competition – and not just a little. Our reviewers found that Sony WH-1000XM5 sound smoother but also less clean and crisp, taking the edge off a bit – and not in a good way.
Despite initiating this uber-premium class of wireless headphones when they arrived in 2020, the AirPods Max are no longer alone in it but remain one of the pricier options. Still, if you're an Apple fan who prioritises sound quality, likes the idea of the cinematic movie experience spatial audio brings and are fortunate enough to be able to afford them, there’s no denying they’re worth it.
These original AirPods Max may fall in price (and be replaced on this list!) when the highly anticipated AirPods Max 2 finally break cover, but for now they remain the best AirPods you can buy.
Read our full AirPods Max review
Best for home
As we remarked with the original Grado GW100 (which these GW100x replaced), the idea of a pair of Bluetooth (and thus portable) headphones that leak sound in and out of their open-back design and omit noise cancellation puts them in a strange, somewhat contradictory position compared with the traditionally closed-back leaders you see elsewhere on this list. After all, who's walking around town with a pair of Bluetooth headphones that fire as much sound away from the ear as they do into it?
But if you want wireless headphones for use in quiet or private spaces – perhaps you simply wish to roam your house or garden untethered – and prioritise great audio above all else, the GW1000x should certainly be on your radar. Grado is behind some of the world's best wired headphones, and the GW100x are proof that the Brooklyn-based brand knows how to cut wires from the equation while maintaining an exciting and informative sound.
They have added into the GW100's successful sonic mix 44mm drivers, redesigned speaker housings and support for the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec, as well as a host of new tweaks and fixes, and the result is some of the best-sounding wireless cans you can find at this price. They have also built upon their predecessor's meagre battery life with a significantly more impressive 46-hours (at half volume), too.
If you do decide to connect the supplied cable now and again, you'll be rewarded for your efforts. As we said in our Grado GW100x review, "Bluetooth performance is superb, but the GW100x feel like they hit another level of sharpness with the 3.5mm jack-equipped cable attached to the source device."
OK, so not everyone will fall in love with the familiar industrial Grado aesthetic – you wouldn't see Apple put out such a function-over-fancy design – but they're lightweight and comfortable. Just note that the GW100x sit on your ears as opposed to over them – and remember, there's no ANC.
Quirky indeed, but unquestionably talented if you can find a genuine use for them.
Read our full Grado GW100x review
You may well associate wireless headphones with travel – and very reasonably too. But if you want to cut the cord for convenience and predominantly listen indoors, away from the noise of the outdoor world, these open-back (i.e. leaky!) Grados will reward you with better sound quality than you'd get from any similarly priced closed-back pairs on this list. If you just want a wire-free pair to listen to at home or in the garden, the Grado GW100x make a lot of sense.
Best audiophile
When you cost more than the lion's share of the competition, you'd better be worth it. Indeed, as you might've guessed from its appearance on this list, the Mark Levinson No. 5909 manage to justify their lofty price tag.
For this price, you can get seriously good-sounding wired headphones that will outperform the No. 5909. But if you simply must have wire-free and noise-cancelling convenience, this is the most impressive pair we have come across bar the even loftier T+A Solitaire T (£1200 / $1600 / AU$2160).
Indeed they perform substantially better than the class-leading crop of slightly cheaper (but still very premium) competition – think the Apple AirPods Max (above) and Focal Bathys – and nowadays for not much extra; they have been reduced from their original £999 / $999 / AU$1599 RRP. If we hadn’t unboxed the Mark Levinsons and gone through the simple Bluetooth pairing process ourselves, we would have been tempted to check for any wires dangling from the earcups.
The Mark Levinsons physically block sound more than most noise-cancelling pairs due to their substantial build and solid-yet-satisfactory clamp force, so during our testing we didn't feel compelled to activate active noise cancellation as much as we usually are during commutes. But, as we said in our Mark Levinson No. 5909 review, we were pleased it was there when a quieter classical piece came on and that extra isolation from the outdoors and focus on the music was beneficial. Our reviews team really admired the consistency of their sonic character and quality when ANC is on and off, too – not by any means a given for noise-cancelling wireless headphones. Just note that the ANC effect is more functional than forceful – not as isolating as the Boses above.
The No. 5909's features satisfy the price point too and include aptX Adaptive and LDAC Bluetooth support, a 34-hour battery life and a companion app.
For anyone who is after the convenience of wireless and ANC without sacrificing too much sound quality, they are highly recommendable.
Read our full Mark Levinson No. 5909 review
Also consider
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e: Perhaps the most convincing similarly-priced Sony WH-1000XM5 rival, Bowers & Wilkins' latest wireless over-ears are hard to fault. They tick every box, with a lovely full, lush detailed sound, modern specs and class-leading aesthetics. The Sonys are, in our minds, better value at their slightly lower price, but there's not much in it at all. The Px7 S2e are great buys, particularly if you value classy looks and colourful finishes.
- T+A Solitaire T: If your wireless headphones ambitions lie beyond the premium Mark Levinson No. 5909 and AirPods Max on this list, why not splash the cash on the very best-sounding Bluetooth pair 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're really quite innovative.
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless: Another worthwhile Sony WH-1000XM5 rival, Sennheiser's latest Momentum continue the line's legacy of competitive sound and effective ANC. Their USP? A massive 60 hours of battery life – twice that of the Sonys. We miss the blingy look of former Momentum models, but you may like the minimalist look of the well-made Momentum 4.
Recent updates
- 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.
How to choose the best wireless headphones for you
The world is awash with wireless headphones, so how do you know which pair is best for you?
Before you start browsing you should first and foremost decide which style of Bluetooth headphones you want. 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.
OK, sticking with over-ear wireless headphones? Let's continue. The next thing to think about is which features are must-haves for you, and thankfully many of the most desirable ones are available across the price spectrum. Bluetooth connectivity goes without saying, but you might want to consider which Bluetooth codecs your phone (or source) supports and get a pair that supports it too – which codec your music signal is packaged and wirelessly transmitted in affects sound quality.
Next up is active noise cancellation (ANC) – do you need to block out noise from a train, plane or automobile, or anything else? If so, you're in luck as most wireless headphones nowadays offer it, even at the affordable end. (In our list above, all but the entry-level Sony WH-CH520 and Grado GW100x do.) Most models offer a 'Transparency' or 'Ambient' mode too that, counterintuively to noise cancellation, temporarily allows sound in so you can hear, say, train announcements, so if that sounds useful make sure that box is ticked. Various levels of noise-cancelling adjustments can often be made depending on the pair, and you'll want to dive into our reviews to see how effectively ANC is executed.
Look out for battery life claims, too – 24 hours is decent no matter what your budget is, 30-plus hours is increasingly common. And 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 this.
While we don't recommend your buying decision be led by such features, 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 newly announced Sonos Ace. We find its implementation and worthwhile-ness hit and miss, mind you.
What you might find more useful on a practical everyday basis are features like Multi-point Bluetooth, so you can connect to two devices (a laptop and phone, say) simultaneously) for easier switching between music playback and calls. Auto-wear detection, meanwhile, recognises when you take the headphones off and automatically pauses your music or video.
Also, if you're ensconced in the Sonos and Apple product family and have a healthy budget, you might benefit from the few inter-brand, ecosystem-only features their premium wireless headphones (the Ace and AirPods Max) offer.
On a final note, while we aim to provide an overview of each best-in-class wireless headphone above, reading our in-depth reviews before you hit 'checkout' will ensure you aren't met with any unwelcome surprises. Need further help in your buying decision? Our more comprehensive how to choose the right pair of headphones advice will help guide you on your wireless headphones journey.
How we test wireless headphones
While we have state-of-the-art testing facilities in Reading and London, 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 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'll ensure part of our testing involves using them in various environments, such as an office, on public transport and – when we can – during flights.
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 many models we listen to each 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 five-star model too. We keep current What Hi-Fi? Award winners and plenty of five-star products across every product category we review in our jam-packed stockroom so that we can always easily compare new products to rival ones we know and love.
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.
You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.
Wireless headphones FAQs
Are wireless headphones better than wired?
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 Mark Levinson No.5909 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?
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 nature. There is also a far wider choice of earbuds on the market at the budget end due to the exploding popularity of AirPods.
Which are 'better' depends on which qualities you value more.
Are wireless headphones waterproof?
Most true wireless earbuds nowadays are waterproof – not least if they have first and foremost been designed for exercise, like these sport headphones. 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 taps! 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, while the second number represents the level of protection against water. Which numbers corresponds to which levels of protection can be found on our IP ratings explained advice article.
Can you answer calls with wireless headphones?
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 still use wireless headphones when they're out of battery?
In the case of wireless earbuds, no. When they (and in the case of true wireless earbuds, their charging case) run out of battery, tough luck – you'll need to charge them up again 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 do only work when they have power, even for just wired listening.
Can wireless headphones connect to a TV?
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 headphones and 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?
This is where we'd 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 will likely have higher compatibility with more gaming devices, as well as a more accurate microphone and perhaps even other gaming features like a mixer for balancing chat audio and game audio.
