I love headphones. They're one of my favorite ways of listening to music thanks to their immersive soundscapes and, when compared to earbuds, less invasive fits. They also provide better sound at lower prices than cheap speakers.
The best noise-canceling headphones are the pinnacle of the form factor, letting you listen to your music without disturbance in even the busiest of environments.
But which model should you be buying based on your given budget? It's easy to say what the best headphones are, but not everyone is looking at the $400-$500 price range. To help you out, I've selected my favorite headphones in a range of different budgets.
$50-$100 — 1More Sonoflow Pro
The 1More Sonoflow Pro are a very solid set of cans that won't set you back a huge amount of money. At $87, they're about as cheap of ANC headphones you can buy before you get to the stuff that's best left in the Amazon warehouse.
Their design isn't unique, but there are some nice color options to choose from plus the carrying case is a nice addition often not found at this price point. They're built well too, and feature some solid cushioning for a pretty comfortable fit.
They sound excellent for the price and rival some expensive options from more premium manufacturers. Get some music playing and the ANC is robust enough to silence a keyboard, a busy office, or an air conditioning unit.
For $80 the Sonoflow Pro feel like a bargain. If you're in the $50-$100 price bracket, these are the cans for you.
$100-$200 — Sennheiser Accentum Wireless
The Sennheiser Accentum are a wonderful pair of headphones at a very good price. They're the step up in ANC and sound quality that you'd expect by breaking the $100 barrier, although thanks to some fairly consistent deals, you'll often find them for much less than their $189 MSRP.
The battery life is exemplary. With ANC turned on, you'll get 50 hours of staying power in return, meaning they last longer than pretty much any of the top headphones you can buy today.
Overall, they're a great pair of headphones if you're looking to grab something in the $100-$200 space, although I'd perhaps recommend waiting for them to appear in a deals event like Prime Day. Or just buy them at the time of publishing — there's a very solid deal on them at the moment.
$200-$300 — Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
This is a great option if you've got more than $300. They sound unlike anything else in the sub-$400 price bracket, packing in a spacious stereo soundstage that's incredibly immersive. They're one of my favorite pairs of headphones of all-time as a result, and I might even recommend them over something more expensive.
Battery life is exemplary, coming in at 60 hours with ANC turned on, and the noise cancelling itself is very good considering it's Cambridge Audio's first attempt at over-ear headphones.
I did find the headband a bit stiff, but it wasn't enough to dull the luster of what are some of the best headphones I've ever tested. In the $200-$300 price bracket, they're a must-buy.
$300-$400 — Marshall Monitor III
As a guitarist, I have a big soft spot for anything that comes out of a Marshall design room. I've loved the brand's amplifiers for a long time, and that love's only compounded when I gaze upon its consumer audio gear.
The Monitor III ANC headphones are, I think, my favorite Marshall product, thanks to their features and battery life that make them a more compelling option than some of their more established competition.
They have a 'rock n' roll' sound signature that's more heavily weighted towards fans of guitar and bass-heavy music, but almost everyone is going to be well-served by their top-notch audio quality. The earcups have been specially engineered to be as comfortable as possible as well, and I've been able to wear them for hours and hours on end as a result.
This is the price bracket when some of the Sony and Bose flagships start to appear to try and vie for your attention, but I'd still argue the Monitor III are a better bet in the $300-$400 space.
$300-$400 — Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5? What about the WH-1000XM6? Don't get me wrong the new headphones are good, but the older model is still a better buy. They sound better in some ways, the noise canceling is not far off, and the feature set is almost identical.
For $50 less than their newer cousin you get a fairly similar pair of cans. I actually really like their ANC, even if it isn't quite as good as the Bose alternatives. Color selection is nice too.
This is on the top end of the $300+ price band, but they often drop in price to find themselves closer to the lower end. Either way, they're a classic option at this price point for very good reason.
$400-$500 — Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3
The PX7 S3 are the best headphones that you can buy right now, without a question in my mind. They outperform the XM5, XM6, and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones with some of the best sound around and a supremely comfortable fit, all while featuring a standout luxury design.
The ANC is very good, and the protective case that comes in the box is one of the best around, too. There are some features that remain "coming soon," like spatial audio, but the package as it stands is a truly epic pair of headphones.
If you're shopping for headphones in the $400-$500 price bracket, you're in the perfect spot. This is the point when anything more expensive becomes more focused on sound quality rather than features.
$400-$500 — Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
For a very long time, Bose's best noise cancelers had a permanent place in my backpack. Their noise canceling is simply better than anything else you can buy right now, keeping out the world and everything that might disturb you. It's remarkable to this day, and it still wows me whenever I put them on my head.
They sound pretty good too, although not as good as the Bowers & Wilkins reccomendation that I've made above. With some quick EQ changes you can get them sounding great though.
It's an alternative option to the headphones above, and it's the very best way to block noise no matter where you are. They're comfy, they look good, and feature a very useful app — a great way to spend $449.
$500-$700 — Focal Bathys
The Focal Bathys contain some excellent features if you're an audiophile looking for your next pair of wireless headphones. An excellent, comfortable fit is first on the menu thanks to Focal's use of plush foam and luxurious leather. That also means these are no-go for vegans — sorry, guys, no luck beyond $550 for you.
Sound is the name of the game here, and to that end, they absolutely succeed. They sound heavenly, with an audiophile sound signature that's just as interested in giving you plenty of bass as it is providing excellent detail. The DAC mode steps things up, enabling more high-definition playback.
Competition from Bowers & Wilkins and Bang & Olufsen is strong at this price point, but the Bathys provide a wonderful experience that's well-worth the high sticker price. These are my pick for the $500-$700 price point.
$700+ — Dali IO-8
This is a money-no-object pick for all intents and purposes — the Dali IO-8 are a truly game-changing pair of headphones. They sound immaculate, balancing impeccable detail with incredibly articulate and full-sounding bass for a sound signature that's unlike just about anything else you can put on your head.
They're small, so large heads might not like them much, but they're otherwise a comfortable pair of headphones. ANC isn't the name of the game, but it's more than serviceable, and to me, the lack of an app makes them super simple to use.
They're an incredibly expensive, that's for sure, but they're easily some of the best wireless headphones you can buy when you start to look at the really big bucks.
Want to spend even more and get even better sound? Look at the mind-blowingly expensive Dali IO-12. Your ears will thank you, but your wallet will scream.
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