Best Headphones 2018

Having a good set of active noise-cancelling headphones can make the difference between a peaceful commute or flight and a chaotic one. Enter the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones, which keep the sleek design, best-in-class noise cancelling and crystal-clear audio quality and add a dedicated button to activate Google Assistant. Some of the best headphones on the market just got a whole lot smarter.

The HC-RETs deliver sound quality typically found in much more expensive earphones. The buds reproduced thunderous bass, tight mid-ranges and natural highs that made us feel bad for people who paid way more for their high-end buds.

The Behringer HPS3000 Studio Headphones deftly deliver light, airy vocals with sparkling strings, crisp percussion and booming lows, depending on the song.Despite the bulky design, the headphones are surprisingly light and come with a 1/4-mm jack in case you want to plug them into a stereo system, mixing console or guitar amp.

Who says you have to shell out a small fortune to get a quality pair of headphones? The $99 Jabra Move Wireless headphones offer a fun, colorful design that is also very durable. You can expect clear, balanced audio that doesn't go hog wild on the bass. The wireless cans last up to 12 hours on a charge, which means you can rock out for a full workday and still have power to burn.

Powered by Sony's all-new HD Noise Cancelling Processor, the QN1, and offering an advanced soundstage, tons of sound-customization options and a thinner design, the feature-rich WH-1000XM3 headphones are engineered to compete with and, in certain categories, outperform the best. The improvements in audio fidelity alone place these headphones on a par with, if not above the QC35 II. They deliver a powerful low-end punch suited for their target demographic, bass lovers, and grant listeners a suite of sound-optimizing options accessible through the Connect app.

Jabra's packing a hell of a lot of value and functionality into the Elite 65t. For $169.99, you get a pair of wireless buds with a sleek, durable and comfortable design and up to 5 hours of battery life on a charge. Delivering consistently clean detail and warm, lively instrumentals and vocals, the Elite 65t might be one of the best-sounding truly wireless buds on the market.

When you just need to tune in and zone out during a run, the Sennheiser CX 686G Sports In-Ear Headphones will do the trick. These earbuds offer high-quality, full and balanced audio worthy of the Sennheiser name, as well as a slide-to-fit ear-wing design that makes them easy to adjust on the fly. With their $69 price tag, they're also an affordable choice.

Blocking out the noise of the world has never been easier than with the Bose QuietComfort 20i. These buds have extreme noise-cancelling powers, locking in your sound and keeping out disruptions. Just in case you need to let something in, the inline remote will let you control how much ambient sound you can hear. As their name suggests, these buds are comfortable to wear during a long flight and even while sleeping, and you'll get up to 16 hours of noise-cancelling goodness out of them. At $299, the Bose QuietComfort 20i are worth every penny for those who need a pair of in-ears to zone out with

The Sol Republic Shadow Wireless Earphones provide everything a good pair of Bluetooth music makers should. Their solid audio quality will keep your head bumping, while their chic design will let you wear them as a complement to any outfit. They also have dual-device connectivity, meaning you can hook them up to two gadgets at once and switch back and forth to listen to tunes. Plus, the Shadow Wireless earbuds won't break the bank.

The Smartomi Q5 earphones provide responsive bass, clean highs and solid mids typically found in more costly wireless earphones. Battery life came in around 4 hours, making these buds a good choice for anyone who endures long commutes to work or who wants to enjoy extended jam sessions.