Top Headphones of 2025: Best Models for Everyone

Looking for the best headphones? Explore our list of top recommendations for 2025, featuring options for all preferences and budgets!

Introduction to the Best Headphones of 2025

Whether you’re on the hunt for versatile Bluetooth headphones with added features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), or you’re a discerning audiophile searching for the ultimate sound quality, there’s something for everyone on the market. However, navigating through hundreds of available products can be quite overwhelming. Some headphones seem to have similar specs but come with drastically different price tags. How do you decide which pair is right for you?

We’ve tested over 820 pairs of headphones and compiled our recommendations for the best models you can purchase.

Best Headphones of 2025: In Detail

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 8.1
• Commuting/Traveling: 8.3
• Sports/Fitness: 7.5
• Office: 8.2
• Wireless Gaming: 6.3
• Wired Gaming: 7.3
• Phone Calls: 7.7
• Type: Over-ear
• Body: Closed-back
• Wireless Connectivity: Yes
• Transducer: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: Yes
• Microphone: Yes

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless headphones take the crown as the best we’ve tested. These premium over-ear headphones offer fantastic noise isolation due to their active noise cancellation (ANC) capabilities. Like other models from this manufacturer, they effectively block a wide range of surrounding sounds, from the roar of bus and airplane engines to conversations and loud computer fans. With ANC turned on, the battery lasts for up to 29 continuous hours of playback. They also sit comfortably, allowing you to wear them for long periods without fatigue.

Thanks to their bass-heavy sound profile, they add volume and depth to your mixes. If you prefer a different sound, you can customize it to your liking using the graphic equalizer and presets within the companion app. The app also offers an Immersive Audio feature that tracks your head movements, creating a more expansive and immersive sound experience. Additional features enhance their versatility: you can connect them to two devices simultaneously, and they support aptX Adaptive, a Bluetooth codec that adjusts to your content, ensuring low latency while watching videos and high audio quality when listening to music. With a stable connection, they also support aptX Lossless for even higher sound quality.

Best Mid-Range Headphones

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 7.4
• Commuting/Traveling: 8.1
• Sports/Fitness: 7.2
• Office: 7.7
• Wireless Gaming: 5.8
• Wired Gaming: 7.4
• Phone Calls: 6.6
• Type: Over-ear
• Body: Closed-back
• Wireless Connectivity: Yes
• Transducer: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: Yes
• Microphone: Yes

If you're looking for premium over-ear headphones at a more accessible price, consider the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless. Although Sony has released a newer model, the WH-1000XM5 Wireless, most users find them less comfortable, and their ANC system doesn’t block low-frequency noise as effectively as their predecessor. Plus, if you're after premium performance at a lower price point, the WH-1000XM4 is cheaper than its newer counterpart.

The XM4 headphones feature an excellent noise-canceling system that effectively filters out ambient sounds, including engine noise and background chatter, making them great for commuting or traveling. They provide about 37 hours of battery life with noise cancellation activated, so you don’t have to worry about them dying during long days out. However, the microphone quality isn’t top-notch, resulting in your voice sounding a bit quiet and muffled during calls.

Like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, they support pairing with multiple devices and have a bass-heavy sound profile that emphasizes deep and booming sounds in genres like EDM and hip-hop. Sony also offers a versatile app that includes a virtual sound stage feature called 360 Reality Audio, which analyzes the unique shape of your ear to create personalized immersive audio. However, you’ll need a subscription to services like Amazon Music Unlimited that support this feature. Nonetheless, Bose headphones are generally considered more comfortable, and some users prefer their more subdued bass.

Best Mid-Tier Headphones

Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 6.9
• Commuting/Traveling: 7.8
• Sports/Fitness: 7.0
• Office: 7.6
• Wireless Gaming: 5.8
• Wired Gaming: 7.0
• Phone Calls: 7.3
• Type: Over-ear
• Body: Closed-back
• Wireless Connectivity: Yes
• Transducer: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: Yes
• Microphone: Yes

As we move into this pricing tier, Anker dominates the market. Their Q series spans a wide range of prices from mid-range to budget-friendly, and most options are difficult to ignore due to features like noise cancellation, multi-device connectivity, and support for a companion app. Their flagship Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless headphones are significantly cheaper than the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless. While they lag behind the aforementioned models in build quality and comfort, they still pack some of the same features: their adjustable noise-canceling mode efficiently suppresses a wide range of sounds. Unfortunately, the noise cancellation isn’t flawless and can generate noticeable white noise, which might be annoying depending on your sensitivity.

Their sound is rich, making them well-suited for genres like pop and rock, as they highlight bass and percussion while maintaining vocal and instrumental clarity. You can also customize the sound with the graphic equalizer in the companion app. These full-size headphones offer around 27 hours of playback without interruption and support multi-device connectivity, allowing you to connect to both a PC and smartphone simultaneously. However, call quality is mediocre due to the microphone, which makes speech sound thin, muffled, and unclear, though it does a decent job of blocking background noise.

If you want similar headphones with better microphone quality, consider the Sony ULT WEAR. These noise-canceling headphones come with a higher-quality microphone, slightly better build quality, and longer battery life. They’re also tuned for a bass-heavy sound and can be adjusted with a graphic equalizer in the app. However, despite their excellent noise cancellation, they don’t block low-frequency rumble as well as Anker headphones.

Best Budget Headphones

Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 7.0
• Commuting/Traveling: 7.7
• Sports/Fitness: 7.0
• Office: 7.3
• Wireless Gaming: 5.7
• Wired Gaming: 6.9
• Phone Calls: 6.8
• Type: Over-ear
• Body: Closed-back
• Wireless Connectivity: Yes
• Transducer: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: Yes
• Microphone: Yes

If you’re looking for more affordable headphones, check out the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless. While they lack the durability and versatility of the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless, they still feature noise cancellation and are comfortable for prolonged listening. These budget-friendly over-ear headphones offer longer battery life than their pricier counterparts—over 44 hours on a single charge. This means you can use them during long trips or at the office without worrying about recharging.

By default, they produce a bass-heavy sound that suits genres like rock and pop. However, the extra bass can muddle mixes, and the emphasis on high frequencies may make vocals and instruments a bit piercing. That said, you can adjust the sound using the graphic equalizer and presets in the companion app. Unlike the Q45, they don’t have adaptive noise cancellation that automatically adjusts to the environment, but they do feature three noise-canceling modes tailored for different scenarios. They also support multi-device pairing, allowing you to connect to two devices simultaneously.

Best Sounding Wireless Headphones

Focal Bathys Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 7.9
• Commuting/Traveling: 7.7
• Sports/Fitness: 7.2
• Office: 7.6
• Wireless Gaming: 6.0
• Wired Gaming: 7.1
• Phone Calls: 7.2
• Type: Over-ear
• Body: Closed-back
• Wireless Connectivity: Yes
• Transducer: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: Yes
• Microphone: Yes

If you want the best sound quality while using Bluetooth, consider the Focal Bathys Wireless. They are significantly more expensive than previous wireless headphones, but these over-ear headphones come equipped with features designed to enhance sound quality. Like our top pick, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless headphones, they support the aptX Adaptive codec, allowing for high-quality audio streaming over Bluetooth. While their active noise cancellation isn’t as powerful as our top choice, their sound is more balanced. When using these headphones wired, you can also take advantage of their USB DAC, which converts digital signals into analog using built-in hardware. They provide over 29 continuous hours of use with noise cancellation, and their ear cups fit snugly, making them suitable for long listening sessions.

When using the Dynamic EQ preset in wireless mode, they deliver a balanced sound profile that offers rich bass without overshadowing vocals and instruments. The companion app features a graphic equalizer and additional presets to help you tailor the sound to your liking. These closed-back headphones do have a more limited passive sound stage, which may not feel as spacious or natural compared to the Sennheiser HD 800 S below. However, they support simultaneous connection to multiple devices, allowing you to stay connected to a computer and smartphone at the same time, making them ideal for on-the-go music listening without sacrificing sound quality.

Best Headphones for Audiophiles

Sennheiser HD 800 S

• Neutral Sound: 8.6
• Commuting/Traveling: 4.0
• Sports/Fitness: 5.5
• Office: 4.8
• Wireless Gaming: 4.9
• Wired Gaming: 6.9
• Phone Calls: 1.7
• Type: Over-ear
• Body: Open-back
• Wireless Connectivity: No
• Transducer: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: No
• Microphone: No

The best headphones for audiophiles we tested are the Sennheiser HD 800 S. Their esteemed lineage is well-deserved. Unlike the closed-back Bluetooth Focal Bathys Wireless headphones, these wired headphones feature an open-back design, allowing sound to flow out of the ear cups and interact with the environment, creating a spacious sound stage. However, they are meant for indoor use as they do not block out background noise. You’ll also need a high-quality amplifier if you want to use them as intended, which may be an additional investment if you don’t already have one. If you simply want to dip your toes into the audiophile world, you might want to try entry-level headphones like the Philips SHP9500, which are significantly cheaper but not as durable.

The Sennheiser headphones offer a well-balanced sound suitable for most audio content. While they don’t reproduce low bass exceptionally well, the high bass is sufficient to ensure bass lines sound warm and full. Their mid-range is flat, meaning vocals and lead instruments are reproduced clearly and accurately. They also boast excellent build quality and remain comfortable for extended listening.

Best In-Ear Headphones

Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 7.1
• Commuting/Traveling: 8.2
• Sports/Fitness: 8.3
• Office: 7.5
• Wireless Gaming: 5.6
• Wired Gaming: 5.5
• Phone Calls: 6.6
• Type: In-ear
• Body: Closed-back
• Wireless Connectivity: Truly Wireless
• Transducer: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: Yes
• Microphone: Yes

If you’re after a lighter and more portable pair of headphones than those we previously recommended, try the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless. Their compact size makes them easy to slip into your pocket when on the go. They effectively isolate noise thanks to their active noise cancellation feature and memory foam ear tips that passively block sound. With ANC activated, they last nearly nine hours on a charge, and you can quickly recharge them in the case if needed. You can also turn off ANC to extend battery life, as the ear tips do much of the work independently.

By default, they deliver a warm sound that you can customize to your liking with the graphic equalizer and presets in the companion app. However, not everyone will appreciate the memory foam ear tips, which might press into the ear canal. If you're searching for more comfortable noise-canceling headphones, consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless. Their ear tips fit less snugly and exert less pressure on the ear. However, unlike Sony headphones, they don’t support simultaneous connection to multiple devices, so you won’t be able to stay connected to several devices at once.

Best Headphones for iPhone

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

• Neutral Sound: 7.4
• Commuting/Traveling: 8.3
• Sports/Fitness: 8.3
• Office: 7.3
• Wireless Gaming: 5.6
• Wired Gaming: 5.5
• Phone Calls: 6.4
• Type: In-ear
• Body: Closed-back
• Wireless Connectivity: Truly Wireless
• Transducer: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: Yes
• Microphone: Yes

Looking for something that can rival the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless but offers additional features for iOS users? Then the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) is an excellent choice. Their active noise cancellation feature blocks more low frequencies than the already impressive Sony headphones, making them among the best in their class for noise cancellation. Designed for compatibility with the Apple ecosystem, these popular headphones come equipped with the H2 chip for easy pairing and switching between MacBook or iPhone. They also support spatial audio technology, which creates a more immersive sound experience when playing compatible content.

These convenient, well-constructed headphones come with an IP54 rating, confirming their resistance to splashes and dust. Unfortunately, they lack sound customization features to adjust the sound to your taste. Some users have noted that over time, the headphones may slip out of the ears, which can be annoying. If you plan to make many calls or prefer a more open design, consider the Apple AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation, as they feature a higher-quality microphone than our picks and some people may prefer their less intrusive design. That said, the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) offer slightly longer battery life and a much superior noise cancellation feature. If you’re using iOS 18 or later, Apple also provides software solutions to enhance call quality, such as the Voice Isolation feature that helps separate your voice from background noise in certain applications.

The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are available in two charging case options: one with a Lightning port and another with a USB-C port. However, the Lightning port version has been discontinued, replaced by the USB-C port variant.

In conclusion, selecting the right headphones can be a complex task, but our detailed guide should help streamline your decision-making process. Which headphones caught your eye? Are you leaning towards comfort, sound quality, or additional features? Don't forget to check out our store to shop for your favorite album cover poster at Architeg Prints!

• What features should I look for in headphones?
  Look for noise cancellation, sound quality, battery life, and comfort for extended listening.
• Are wireless headphones worth the investment?
  Yes, especially if you value convenience and portability without compromising audio quality.
• Can I use headphones for gaming?
  Absolutely! Look for headphones designed for gaming, which typically offer low latency and surround sound features.
• How do I maintain my headphones?
  Clean them regularly, store them properly, and avoid exposing them to extreme temperatures for longer life.
• What is the best type of headphones for exercising?
  In-ear or secure-fitting over-ear headphones are great for workouts since they stay in place and often have sweat resistance.