Best Headphones 2024: Brilliant Audio Options to Suit Every Budget

Selecting the best headphones from the countless options available can be a daunting task.

First, you need to select what style of headphones you want. Next, you’ll want to set yourself a budget and work out which features you require before reading up on pairs that fit the brief. Or, you could have us do the hard work for you.

We’ve tested a huge number of headphones across every price bracket and compiled a list of our favorites in a range of popular categories. Below that list, there’s a comprehensive buying guide detailing the pros and cons of the different styles of headphones and a breakdown of their key features.

You can jump to that buying guide or keep scrolling to discover what we deem the best headphones the industry has to offer. Whether you’re after headphones with audiophile-grade sound quality or headphones to help you drift off at night, we’ve got you covered.

Best headphones: At a glance

How we test headphones

Our testing process is kept as consistent as possible across various types of headphones, though different styles do occasionally require slightly different testing conditions.

We start formulating judgments about how well made a product is as soon as it’s removed from its packaging, and build quality and durability are assessed throughout. Wearing the headphones for extended periods is the only way to properly evaluate how comfortable they are, so we’ll spend a great deal of time with them in, on, or over our ears.

Sound quality is the most important aspect of headphone performance, and we spend a significant proportion of our testing time listening to audio content of various types. We stream music from services such as Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music, play locally stored high-resolution audio files, and watch videos on YouTube and movies on platforms such as Apple TV Plus and Netflix. If the headphones support a specific audio format, such as Dolby Atmos or Spatial Audio, we’ll put them through their paces while listening to and watching plenty of compatible content.

We also test every other feature a pair of headphones has available, covering everything from voice controls and touch gestures to noise cancelation and customizable graphic equalizers found in companion apps. Noise cancelation is tested in home environments using household appliances such as kettles and washing machines, as well as in more hectic scenarios such as busy commutes into the city. Where possible, we’ll compare similarly priced headphones of the same style to see how they measure up against each other.

Phone calls, virtual meetings, and voice recordings are used to analyze microphone quality. To test IP resistances, we expose headphones to situations that challenge their ability to withstand sweat and water such as trips to the gym or rainy runs in the park. In the case of some bone-conduction headphones, we’ll even go swimming with them. Throughout testing, we keep close tabs on how long we’ve been using the headphones for, so we’re able to give an estimate of battery life compared with the figures stated by the manufacturer.

READ NEXT: Best Noise-Canceling Headphones

The best headphones you can buy in 2024

1. Sony WF-1000XM5: Best true wireless earbuds

Price when reviewed: $298 | Check price at Amazon

Sony’s latest flagship earbuds deliver in all the important areas. Audio quality is great – there’s Hi-Res Audio support if you’re using Sony’s proprietary LDAC codec. The WF-1000XM5’s noise cancelation is highly effective thanks in no small part to ambient sound control, which adjusts ANC automatically based on your location and actions.

With hands-free support for Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, useful features such as wear detection and Speak-to-Chat, and an IPX4 rating for water resistance, the Sony WF-1000XM5 are exceptional all-round. These buds are our recommendation if you’re after wireless earbuds and have a healthy budget.

Key specs – Type: True wireless earbuds; Connections: Bluetooth 5.0; Weight: 0.2oz per earbud, 1.4oz charging case; Cord length: N/A

2. Anker Soundcore Life Q30: Best budget noise-canceling headphones

Price when reviewed: $80 | Check price at Amazon

When it comes to value-for-money over-ear headphones, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 can’t be beaten. They offer three levels of effective active noise-cancelation that outperform many of their more expensive rivals, have outstanding battery life, and are comfortable to wear for long periods.

Their default sound signature is overly bassy to the point where the earcups vibrate noticeably on tracks with a beefy low-end, but pop into the Soundcore companion app and you can customize audio to your heart’s content. There are no fewer than 22 different EQ presets available covering just about every genre imaginable, along with an eight-band graphic equalizer that enables you to create your own sonic profiles. With a little bit of tinkering around, you’ll be able to find a sound that suits your listening preference and comfortably enjoy distraction-free audio for hours on end.

Key specs – Type: Over-ear, wireless; Connections: Bluetooth; Weight: 9.4oz; Cord length: 3.3ft

3. Sennheiser Accentum Plus: Best over-ear headphones under $200

Price when reviewed: $180 | Check price at Amazon

The Sennheiser Accentum Plus are brilliant mid-range over-ear headphones that blew us away with their refined sound quality, effective noise cancelation, and intuitive touch controls during testing.

They’re an upgrade to the highly acclaimed Accentum and make improvements in a couple of key areas: noise cancelation is now of the adaptive variety, and codec compatibility has been expanded to include aptX Adaptive. There’s also support for auto-pausing when you remove the headphones, smart functionality in the form of location-based adjustment of EQ and ANC settings, and battery life clocks in at a bumper 50 hours with noise canceling engaged.

Some may find the analytical default sound profile lacking excitement and the EQ controls a little fiddly, while there’s room for improvement where the quality of the built-in microphones is concerned. Nevertheless, you won’t find better wireless over-ear headphones for the money.

Key specs – Headphone type: Over-ear; Connections: Bluetooth, 2.5mm to 3.5mm jack; Weight: 8oz; Cord length: 4.9ft

4. Sony WH-1000XM5: Best over-ear headphones

Price when reviewed: $348 | Check price at Amazon

The WH-1000XM5 cost slightly more than their predecessors did at launch but are a superior product, with improved noise cancelation, more detailed audio, and a new design. The WH-1000XM5’s design improves comfort and helps reduce the impact of wind on noise-canceling performance. On the downside, the headphones can no longer be folded up, but on balance, this is a sacrifice worth making.

The various convenience features that made their predecessors such a success make a return, including Speak-to-Chat, Quick Attention mode, and wear detection. These, along with Sony’s Adaptive Sound Control, which automatically adjusts settings based on where you are and what you’re doing, ensure Sony remains ahead of the chasing pack when it comes to over-ear noise-canceling headphones.

Key specs – Type: Over-ear, wireless; Connections: Bluetooth; Weight: 8.8oz; Cord length: 3.9ft

5. SoundMagic E11: Best cheap wired earphones

Price when reviewed: $70 | Check price at Walmart

The SoundMagic E11 are the successor to SoundMagic’s excellent E10 earphones. They’re slightly pricier but are sonically and aesthetically superior. The earphones have a better soundstage, a more energetic treble, and a tamer low-end, delivering a balanced sound signature throughout. There are better-sounding wired in-ear headphones out there, including the vastly more expensive Sennheiser IE200 below, but in terms of value for money the E11 can’t be beaten.

Key specs – Type: In-ear, wired; Connections: 3.5mm jack plug; Weight: Unknown; Cord length: 3.9ft

How to choose the best headphones for you

The sheer number of headphones on the market can make selecting the right pair a tricky task. Things become a lot easier if you’re able to narrow down your options by choosing your preferred style and working out which features are essential to your use case.

Which style of headphones is right for me?

Headphones fall into three main categories: over-ear, on-ear, and in-ear, with a fourth – bone conduction – gaining in popularity. Each has its pros and cons, so make a decision based on the style you find most comfortable to wear and that best suits your listening needs.

Over-ear headphones completely envelop your ears, creating a seal around them. This helps reduce the impact of external sound on your listening experience – referred to as sound isolation – but the earcups can be rather bulky as a result. Fortunately, many are foldable to enable easy transportation.

On-ear headphones sit on your ears rather than over them. Because their earcups are smaller, on-ear headphones are usually more compact and lighter than their over-ear counterparts. However, they don’t isolate sound nearly as well, and some people find the force applied to their ears uncomfortable.

In-ear headphones are inserted into your ears and are either shaped to rest there without falling out or come with eartips to help secure them in place. They take a number of forms and are the best choice if you’re after a portable, lightweight audio solution.

Neckband earphones operate wirelessly but the earpieces remain connected to one another via a wire that runs behind your neck. True wireless headphones and earbuds – the fastest-growing area of the headphones market – get rid of wiring altogether and rely solely on Bluetooth for connectivity.

Bone conduction headphones rest on your cheekbones and create mini vibrations that move through bones in your skull and into the inner ear. For those with damaged eardrums or those wanting to be more aware of environmental sound, bone conduction headphones are a fantastic choice, though they’re not recommended if you’re after total immersion in your audio.

Are the best headphones wired or wireless?

There’s no easy answer to this as both have advantages and disadvantages. Wired headphones connect directly to your audio source via a physical connection, be that a 3.5mm jack, USB-A, or USB-C input. This physical connection means the headphones don’t ever need charging, which is a big plus, and audio quality is typically superior to that produced over a wireless connection.

Depending on the devices you wish to use your headphones with, you’ll want to choose wired headphones that offer a compatible connection. For example, Apple’s recent iPhones use a proprietary Lightning port so headphones sporting a 3.5mm connection won’t work with them without an adapter.

As Bluetooth connectivity has developed, we’ve seen more and more of the best headphones making the switch to wireless functionality. Connect your smartphone or laptop to your headphones over Bluetooth and you can enjoy audio without the need for any wiring to connect them. This means the headphones will need to be charged regularly but, in the case of earbuds, you get a portable charging case to help boost battery life. If you’re specifically interested in wireless headphones, check out our list of the best Bluetooth headphones available.

Active noise cancelation (ANC): ANC technology is designed to drown out external noise. It’s an essential feature if you want to zone out from the rest of the world when on a noisy commute. Read our list of the best ANC headphones for more details.

Integrated microphone and voice assistant: You’ll be hard-pressed to find a pair of headphones that don’t come with some kind of microphone built-in, but it’s well worth checking before you buy. A significant number support the use of your voice assistant, so if Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri are essential to your daily routine, make sure the headphones you buy have voice assistant support.

Touch controls: Touch controls allow you to control your audio without needing to access the device playing it. Over-complicated touch controls can be off-putting, but make sure the key commands, namely volume up/down and play/pause, are available.

Bluetooth codecs: Codecs determine how data is transmitted from your audio output to your headphones, and not all of them are created equally. SBC is pretty much universal and works well enough, but if you want an optimal wireless experience you should look out for codecs capable of transmitting high-resolution audio such as Qualcomm’s aptX HD. Bear in mind that not every device supports every codec, so check for compatibility before buying. It’s also worth noting that both your headphones and the audio source must support a codec for you to be able to use it.

Waterproofing: Having some level of sweat/waterproofing is always welcome. Be on the lookout for IP certification – anything higher than IPX4 means your headphones will survive a sudden downpour and are cut out for use in the gym or while running. It’s rare to find IP certification on over-ear and on-ear headphones, but most of the best headphones designed to fit in your ears will have it.

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