Headphones — you can barely leave the house without them anymore. I'm no different. I always have a pair of earbuds and headphones nestled in my backpack, each focused on a different use case.
I also get asked a lot which headphones people should be thinking of buying when they go to grab some a new pair of over-ears or a set of earbuds.
So, to give you a better idea of what an Audio Editor would recommend overall, here are my top two picks.
The headphones: Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3
I've been lucky enough to try out headphones that cost thousands of dollars, with feature lists that could span the Atlantic and exotic materials that would make a Saudi Prince blush. And yet, it's the "save up for a few months and pick these up" Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 that are the headphones that I use the most, and recommend to the most people.
They're not a pair of cans that have been around for all that long, but they've more than cemented themselves into my daily use case. It's mostly down to their incredible sound.
They're a very rich-sounding pair of headphones, with a warmer sound signature. But, unlike other headphones that cost a similar amount, they don't forget that you also want to hear all the detail in your music.
As a result, they've got a bass-weighted (but otherwise fairly neutral) sound that works well for pretty much any genre that you might want to throw at them.
ANC might not be quite as good as that which you'll find on the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but I've found it's more than adequate for blocking out noisy trains and bus journeys. Transparency mode is useful too, especially when I had to go and buy my train ticket before heading on a trip to The City.
Interestingly, it's the comfort that really helps them hit home. They've got well-judged, padding on the earcups and the headband, and the clamping force that keeps them in place without becoming too tight.
They're not the cheapest pair of headphones at $449, but they present such a great package that I think they're a better option than similarly priced competitors. I recommend them to everyone who's looking for a pair of excellent travel cans.
The earbuds: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
There are plenty of earbuds that I use on a day-to-day basis. The Noble Amadeus and Noble Rex5, along with Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 buds. But it's the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds that have solidified themselves a place in my pocket whenever I leave the house.
Do they sound the very best? No, that honor goes to the other pairs that I've mentioned above. Do they have the most features? No, that'll be the Sony WF-1000XM5. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra find themselves in my pocket at the top of my recommendations thanks to their unbelievable ANC. It's truly like magic.
I put them in my ears, they connect immediately, and the noise canceling kicks in to completely block out the noise of my environment. I've had some of the most comfortable rides on public transport thanks to the QuietComfort Ultra and their excellent cocoon of sound.
There's more to it than just the ANC, of course. The sound is good once you've dialled it with the EQ settings, and they're incredibly comfortable for long periods of time, thanks to their silicone fitting wings.
The Immersive audio feature and the battery life could be better, but it doesn't stop them from being my most-used pair of buds. Whenever people ask me which they should buy, I almost always recommend that they pick them up.
It's all about what you value most
My choices and recommendations are based on my own experiences, but also on what I value most in my headphones or earbuds. When I use over-ear headphones, I'm looking for standout sound quality, and all-day comfort, for example.
Other people value different things when it comes to their headphones and earbuds, and so it's important to tailor recommendations based on their expectations.
If you'd like more tailored recommendations so as to more realistically fit your needs and wants, make sure you check out our detailed buying guides — they're all based on our extensive testing.
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