Although wired headphones are making a comeback, some people will prefer the convenience (and features) that wireless Bluetooth headphones offer. If that’s you, then we’ve got plenty of choices to pick from.
Every headphone you see on this list has been thoroughly put through its paces, assessing the design and fit, audio quality, battery life and any additional features such as active noise-cancellation. And there’s a variety of headphones too, from over-ears, to on-ears and true wireless. There is, hopefully, something for everyone.
We also try to test headphones that vary in price, from budget models to premium headphones to fit a wide range of budgets.
If you’re looking to delve into something a little more specific, we’ve got you covered too. Head to our other audio best lists for more excellent headphone picks, including the best wireless earbuds, best noise-cancelling headphones, best noise-cancelling earbuds, best running headphones and the overall best headphones.
Best wireless headphones at a glance
How we test
Not just anybody can review a pair of headphones. You don’t need superhuman hearing to tell what’s good, but you do need to know what to listen out for.
Our headphone tests are done by some of the best and most prolific reviewers in the industry, with years of experience listening to everything from the plasticky freebie earbuds that come with your smartphone, to five-figure beasts of glass and marble. We love music and we want your tunes to sound good, too.
So we listen every pair of headphones we can get on or in our ears. We use a variety of sources, from basic MP3s playing on a laptop to high-quality tracks on dedicated hi-res audio players.
Our test tracks are wide-ranging to give headphones a thorough challenge. They’re also familiar, so we know every track backwards, and we know which bits might trouble the lesser performers.
We listen again and again, and we do that for weeks in case the sound changes – because it usually does. Then we’ll listen to similarly priced rivals and come up with a verdict that reflects the performance and features for the money.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Despite launching over two years ago, the Sony WH-1000XM5 over-ear headphones remain the best sounding headphones at their price point.
Although there are alternative headphones that boast better active noise cancelling (ANC), such as the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra, the WH-1000XM5 still offer strong noise-cancelling, brilliant call quality and useful customisation options.
At 250g the WH-1000XM5 weigh the same as their predecessor, the WH-1000XM4, however the headband is thinner and feels more comfortable thanks to the synthetic soft leather underside.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are fitted with numerous functions that make using the headphones seamless. There’s the speak-to-chat function which intelligently pauses music when you start speaking (and restarts once you’ve stopped), a choice between built-in voice assistants Google Assistant or Alexa, and Adaptive Sound Control which detects frequently visited places and creates a custom sound profile accordingly.
They can also be seamlessly connected to both iPhones and Android devices, thanks to support for Apple’s Made for iPhone and Google Fast Pair tech.
Their ANC is supported by eight microphones which are able to dull sharp, screeching sounds, making them much less noticeable. We also found Ambient Mode to be a huge improvement from the WH-1000XM4, as there’s much less noise from the microphones, resulting in clear and natural sound.
We found that the WH-1000XM5 surpassed the likes of Bose, Sonos and Sennheiser in terms of audio quality, with a richer, more detailed and dynamic sound performance. In fact, thanks to the 30mm driver, the WH-1000XM5 sound more accurate and precise to a level that the WH-1000XM4 can’t match.
If you’re a frequent traveller then you’ll be pleased to know that the battery life boasts up to 30-hours with noise-cancellation switched on and jumps to a whopping 40-hours when the mode is switched off.
For such feature-packed headphones, with some of the best sound quality we’ve experienced and solid noise-cancelling, you’d be hard pressed to find a better pair at this price.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony WF-1000XM5
Sony’s WF-1000XM5 knocks the previous holder of best true wireless (the WF-1000XM4), with a terrific, across the board performance.
The audio performance is an improvement on its predecessor in terms of detail and sharpness, the new Dynamic Driver X ushers in a more balanced performance across the frequency range. Low end depth does take a hit, but to our ears the WF-1000XM5 sound more detailed and clearer with its bass performance even though it loses a sense of fun.. The midrange is also better, much better at showcasing fine detail in music, while there have been gains with the high frequencies, which are sharper, clearer and more detailed.
Elsewhere, noise-cancelling performance is better, able to suppress voices and environmental noise better than than before, though the QuietComfort Earbuds II suppress sounds slightly better noise-cancelling performance, though in the Sony’s favour is that it cancels noises with a more natural tone. The transparency mode is clear and detailed, although the WF-1000XM4 sounds slightly clearer and more open to our ears.
Battery life is the same with 8 hours per earbuds and 24 in total with the charging case. Wireless performance is good in both AAC and LDAC playback modes, though it is less prone to stutter when streaming audio in AAC. There are too many features to list in this paragraph, but in terms of customisation, breadth, and convenience, no other true wireless is as comprehensive as the WF-1000XM5 in our mind.
Call quality is decent but has a tendency to leak in background noise whenever we spoke. We wouldn’t rate as being as good as the AirPods Pro 2 for call performance.
Finally, the design is smaller and lighter for a more favourable and comfortable fit, something that users felt was an issue with the XM4 model. The introduction of an extra small ear-tip size means more room to fit a wider range of ears.
Though it’s not perfect, and there are still areas where its rivals have a leg-up on them, in terms of overall performance, the Sony WF-1000XM5 still rank as our favourite true wireless.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WF-1000XM5
Bowers and Wilkins Px8
There’s a growing selection of headphones that offer a premium performance for a premium price, and if your budget allows you to go around the £500 mark, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 is an excellent choice at £599 / $699.
The Px8 exude class in terms of the appearance with the Black and Tan leather versions. The build quality is excellent, and we found they were comfortable to wear over long periods of time.
They support adaptive ANC and while the performance not as strong as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort 45, they’re effective at suppressing noise on the Underground, as well as hushing voices and managing wind noise when you’re above ground. We found it to be a strong enough ANC performance to usher in a sense of calm wherever you are.
Call quality is among the best we’ve heard from any headphones recently. Voices coming across clearly and background noises are kept to a minimum. The wireless connection is another aspect of these headphones performance that is superb with barely any dips in the signal, and the battery is respectable at thirty hours, although the likes of the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4 can offer more.
With angled 40mm dynamic full-range drivers, the Px8 offers a large and expansive soundstage, taking a neutral approach to the frequency range, giving low frequencies good definition and punch, with a sharp and clear midrange and the high frequencies are distinctive and bright. There is an alternative such as the Focal Bathys, which we feel sound a little better, but the noise-cancellation isn’t quite as good.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Bowers & Wilkins Px8
Mark Levinson No. 5909
The Mark Levinson No. 5909 hit the definition of a premium pair of headphones with their $999 / £999 price tag. That will buy you almost four pairs of Sony’s WH-1000XM4 over-ears.
They feel like a properly premium product with their anodized aluminium composition and supremely comfortable memory foam padding that allowed us to wear them for hours on end. From that perspective the build quality of the No. 5909s feel their asking price.
It’s on the front of audio where the No. 5909s where our reviewer found they offered began remarkable levels of detail, alongside a low end with plenty of extension. It’s in the midrange where these cans shined during testing, bringing crispness and clarity to vintage songs for an expressive sound; the soundstage is reasonably expansive with plenty of space for instruments to reside within in it.
In terms of their feature set, there’s not a huge amount of features compared to the WH-1000XM5, especially for the price tag. There’s a comprehensive set of Bluetooth codecs supported with SBC, AAC, LDAC and aptX Adaptive that opens the headphones to accepting higher quality tracks from the likes of Tidal and Qobuz. The battery life is strong, with 30 hours with ANC enabled and up to 34 with it off for a few days’ worth of charge. The ANC here won’t cancel every unwanted noise but deals with a good proportion well, although you can get better for much less.
Other premium alternatives include the Dali IO-12, although those headphones don’t come with as many features, they may appeal to those who want a simpler experience.
Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Mark Levinson No. 5909
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
While the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless didn’t manage to defeat the Sony WH-1000XM5, they have a lot to commend them, especially if you’re after a pair of headphones around the £300 mark
The Momentum 4 Wireless aren’t as flashy as the previous model, losing a sense of style and attractiveness in the process. However, we didn’t mind that change as there were gains in ergonomic terms with the headphones very comfortable to wear with no annoying obstructions and bulky earcups to deal with. They cannot be collapsed to be more compact, following the trend set by the likes of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and AirPods Max by opting for a simpler design that reduces wind noise.
The noise cancellation is very good, though not quite as good as the Sony or Bose QuietComfort 45 are. They deal with crowd noises very well and hush voices with confidence but both the Sony and Bose eke out a more comprehensive noise cancelling performance. The Transparency mode is one we felt was very clear and detailed, sounding natural in tone when piping the outside world to our ears.
The battery life is a phenomenal 60 hours, it took a week of using the headphones heavily to get them down from 40% to zero. It could take a few weeks to use up all the battery, which means fewer charges over the course of the headphones’ lifetime. The wireless performance has been very good, with only one moment of instability during our week of using the headphones that caused us any worries.
The sound quality is not as energetic as the Momentum Wireless 3, taking a more refined and balanced approach to music. There is less emphasis to bass frequencies than we remember, but the soundstage is bigger in scope than it is on the Sony, filled with detail with instruments and vocals conveyed with lots of clarity. They aren’t quite as dynamic in sound as the Sony, losing a couple of points in terms of energy and vibrancy but their more neutral approach does aid them in producing a consistent performance across a range of music genres.
The Sennheisers are good all-rounders, perhaps not the best in any category, but among their close price rivals below the £300 mark, they are the best headphones we’ve come across.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Sony WH-CH720N
The WH-CH720N are Sony’s least expensive wireless over-ears, and in our opinion, they beat the competition with their audio performance.
The sound quality is a smooth, energetic and bassy performance. The levels of detail is better than it is with the Final UX300 in its ANC mode, as well as the Soundcore Space One. Bass is punchy, the midrange is clear and detailed, and the upper frequencies and bright and clear for the price, but it’s the level of energy and excitement that put the Sony above its peers
The noise-cancellation is fine for the price, which focuses on reducing the impact low frequency sounds and clearing away ambient noise. For daily commutes and journeys in cities, they’ll be fine, but if you’re looking for a quieter performance, you’ll need to up your budget.
Battery life can go as far as 40 hours from our tests with noise-cancelling on, and the Sony comes with a range of convenient features such as a transparency mode, Bluetooth multipoint, app support (which provides more customisation) and voice assistants in the form of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Build quality is decent with no noticeable creaks or groans when we bent the frame. The use of plastic also keeps the headphones lightweight at 192g making for a comfortable wearing experience. These aren’t a particulalry flashy pair of headphones, but they’re terrific value for money.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-CH720N
SoundMagic P23BT
It’s been a while since we last heard from budget headphone specialists, SoundMagic, but we shouldn’t have worried as the P23BT are another pair of excellent value headphones from the company.
As usual, they’re affordable at just £49.99 and while they’re not big on features, SoundMagic has made some sensible choices as these headphones offer good level of convenience, too.
There’s no escaping the on-ear design, which may work better for some than it does for others. Issues include pinching around the ear and leaking noise for the outside world that could interrupt your music listening session. If you’re not too bothered by the latter, some may even prefer to be aware of what’s around them, and you’re not affected by the former issue, then the SoundMagic can be comfortable enough to wear thanks to their soft-padded earcups.
They integrate touch controls, which work surprisingly well in terms of how responsive they are, and their compact, lightweight and foldable design make them, in our opinion, easy to wear and even easier to store when not in use.
You won’t find features such as noise cancellation or transparency mode here. You get a battery life that’s estimated to be around 54-60 hours, which is nearly double that of the Status BT One on-ears, but lags behind the Marshall Major IV, which have 80+ hours in reserve. They also pack aptX-HD Bluetooth, which allows for Hi-res music playback from the likes of Tidal and Deezer music streaming services.
The sound quality is far more balanced and mature than we expected for the price, our reviewer found the headphones offered a subtle, well-balanced listen with its detailed midrange performance, sharp high frequency playback and bass that features a decent amount of depth. If you do prefer a bassier sound to your headphones, you may want to give the Marshall Major IV a try as an alternative.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: SoundMagic P23BT
AirPods Max
The Apple AirPods Max represents the best wireless over-ears available if you have an iPhone, MacBook or iPad.
Their design is typically Apple with a modern aesthetic that’s unlike any other pair of headphones we’ve tested. They borrow cues from both the Apple Watch and HomePod Mini to create a set of cans that look and feel excellent, with smooth rounded metal earcups and a mesh headband with memory foam earcups that made them immensely comfortable. At 385g, they are quite heavy, and there’s no IP rating for use in the rain or exercising, if that’s of interest. The case isn’t the most thoughtful, as it offers zero protection, and causes irritation as it’s the only way for the AirPods Max to turn off.
The feature set here is great for Apple users. For instance, Spatial Audio offers a more immersive and 3D-like sound profile that’s only available on iOS devices, and while the feature is clever, it’s availability is limited to several apps such as Apple TV+, Netflix and Disney+.
During testing, we found the noise cancellation to be very good, similar in performance to the Sony WH-1000XM4 and marginally better than the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, with its transparency mode that sounded perfectly natural. We also found the battery life to match Apple’s claimed 20 hours, and while it’s less than what the competition can offers, it’ll be more than enough for long haul flights or a few days of use.
The AirPods Max’s sound takes a balanced approach. It features plenty of bass and low end rumble, alongside clean vocals and sparkly highs that don’t sound harsh. The balanced profile lent itself to the fact Apple’s premium over-ear contenders worked well with a variety of music, and the presence of Spatial Audio is useful within Apple Music with a well-mastered track. These headphones don’t support Hi-Res Audio, which is disappointing for the price, but if you’re within the Apple ecosystem, these over-ears are you best bet for an excellent experience.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple AirPods Max
We also considered…
FAQs
Our nomination for the best wireless headphones would be the Sony WH-1000XM5. They sound great, feature excellent noise cancellation and come with useful and convenient smarts such as the Speak to Chat function that pauses music when the wearer starts talking.
We’d recommend the Sony WH-CH720N, which offer good noise cancellation and rich and vibrant audio for less than £100. They sound very good for the money and come with a host of convenient features.
