Best Wireless Headphones (2025): Tested for many hours

Wireless headphones are the default these days, and there are about a gazillion of them (and counting). We do our best to check them all, but what we check may not make the big list. Here are some other great options to try.

Soundcore Space A40 for $60: Although they’ve dropped from our original list, the Space A40 are still among the best earbuds you’ll get for the money. Their stylish, premium-looking design belies solid features, clear and detailed sound, and excellent sound for the price.

Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 for $280: These earbuds from Jabra (7/10, Wired review) compared to very expensive alternatives that sound better (and cancel noise). This is Jabra’s last pair of consumer earbuds, so new features are unlikely. We like that they have a wireless transmitter case, like the Bowers and Wilkins Pi 8, which provides latency-free connectivity to non-Bluetooth sources (looking at you, airplanes).

Sonos Ace for $350-450: The Sonos S (8/10, Wired recommends) is a pricey but impressive first effort from Sonos, with excellent noise cancellation, great sound, and one of (if not the) most comfortable designs ever. D comfortable) you will find in the game. A few early software bugs hampered their performance at release, including problems with the TV Swap feature that lets you pass sound from one Sonos soundbar to the Ace, but it seems stable, making them an excellent choice—especially for those already invested in the Sonos way.

Beats Solo 4 for $150: We love Beats headphones these days, but this pair was a little lacking in features for us at its standard $200 price point (7/10, Wired recommends) now that they’ve dropped, we can wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for a pair of wireless headphones that don’t have noise cancellation.

Technics EAH-AZ80 $298: AZ80 (9/10, Wired recommends) great earbuds. Their most notable feature is conveniently pairing with three devices at once, but they finish strong with good noise-canceling technology, high-level sound quality and seven different ear tip options for an exceptionally comfortable fit.

Beats Studio Pro for $350: Studio Pro (7/10, Wired recommends) offers quality performance with amazingly clear sound, good noise cancellation, and a refreshing natural clarity mode. The design feels a bit cheap, and they skip features like auto-break, but extras like hands-free Siri and head tracking with spatial audio help pad their value—especially since their selling price is sometimes about half the original’s $350 MSRP. Goes down

Sony WH-CH720N for $150: These Sony cans may have a silly name, but their sheer value makes up for it. They’re not as flexible as the top options and don’t come in a case, but their sound quality and noise-canceling are great for the money. They’re built to last and have battery life that lasts, making them a great option for discerning shoppers.

Sony WH-1000XM4 for $267: Sony’s XM4 (9/10, Wired recommends(even after being replaced by the fancy XM5) remains a top headphone. For a fairly large price drop, you get still-great noise-canceling technology, great sound, and luxurious comfort in a great portable package.

Master and Dynamic MH40 for $399: M&D’s second-gen MH40 (8/10, Wired recommends) pack fantastic sound into an equally gorgeous design with luxurious trappings like sheepskin leather and metal parts in place of plastic. Their lack of advanced features, even aside from noise cancellation, makes them an expensive portal for minimalism, but they’ve got style for days.

Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT for $199: The original ATH-M50X (9/10, Wired recommends) provide balanced sound and great durability, making them ubiquitous in music and film studios. But what if you want to take them with you? Enter the ATH-M50XBT, which partners a wired studio connection with Bluetooth for wireless freedom. They don’t offer noise cancellation or other advanced features, but they’re great for melding art and playing.

Sony Linkbuds for $128: linkbuds (8/10, Wired recommends) has a neat trick: speakers with holes in the middle that let in the world around you for environmental awareness. They’re not so hot for noisy environments, making them a bit of a one-trick pony, but they’re one of the best options in the growing open-ear trend. They have been updated to the new Linkbuds Open (7/10, Wired recommends), which is currently more expensive but offers some new features and a more stable fit.

JLab Jbuds Mini for $40: These are Micro-buds from JLab offer so much sound, but their cute teenage design that fits on a key ring makes them a fun accessory for those who need some cheap buds on the go.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2 for $160: Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Buds (9/10, Wired recommends) are getting a little long in the tooth, but they’re still among the best buds for Galaxy phones, offering solid noise cancellation, clear and vibrant sound, and a few Samsung-only features. Their app won’t work with non-Samsung phones, though, and their battery life of just five hours is now the bottom of the barrel.