Headphones — the original wearable tech — have grown up. They've also become specialized; there's a pair for every use, from sweat-resistant fitness headphones to commuter-friendly active noise-cancelling cans. And each of those types comes with different fit options: on-ear, over-ear or in-ear. Heck, there are even bone-conduction headphones, that sit behind your ear instead of over or in them.
Just to shake things up even further, Apple has ushered in a new era of headphone jack-less smartphones thanks to its latest smartphones that are causing wireless and Lightning-based headphones — including the company's own AirPods — to thrive.
And while some headphones might be on the pricier end of the spectrum like our top-rated Bose QuietComfort 35 IIs, you can find get surprisingly good audio out of a pair of earbuds that cost less than $20 as we discovered with our top value pick, the Smartomi Q5 Wireless Earphones. So, with so many options, which is right for you? The following page lists our best picks and few helpful tips for choosing the right headphones/earbuds for you.
What Headphones Cost
Depending on the features, fit and design, a solid pair of headphones can sell for as little as $5. Mid-tier cans can range between $150-$250 while high-end models can cost upwards of $1,000.
What to Look For
- When it comes to headphones, you have several different types of fit including on-ear, over-ear, in-ear. Make sure to choose something that you'll feel comfortable wearing for long periods of time.
- Check the headphones features. If you're looking for sports headphones, make sure they're sweat-resistant. Or if you have a loud commute, try to get something with good active or passive noise cancelling technology.
- Shopping for Bluetooth headphones? Make sure you get something with at least 12 hours of battery life so you're not charging your cans every few days.
- Expensive doesn't always mean good. There are plenty of inexpensive headphones and earbuds that can give you solid audio quality with a fair number of features.
News and Updates (March 2018)
- We reviewed the Beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless headphones and were impressed with its design and its technology designed to protect your hearing.
- The Jabra Elite 65t wireless earbuds were named bonafide AirPods killers in our latest review.
- Bragi is the latest headphone maker to jump on the A.I. bandwagon. The company claims the its new Dash Pro earphones can translate over 40 languages in real time. The buds will also track your heart rate and steps, store up 1,000 songs and last five hours of battery life.
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.
Editor's choice
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
Best Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
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.
HC-RET InEar Earbuds
Best Earbuds Under $20
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.
Behringer HPS3000 Studio Headphones
Best Headphones Under $30
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.
Jabra Move Wireless
Best Headphones Under $100
The Bowers & Wilkins PX headphones are the company's first Bluetooth cans to feature active noise-cancellation technology, and offer smart sensors for automatic pause and play. There's also a companion app that allows quiet-seeking music lovers the option of adjusting active noise cancelling modes as well as how much ambient noise the cans let in. The premium price tag nets you great audio quality, up to 22 hours of battery life, and a pair of cans just as pretty as they are sturdy.
Editor's choice
Bowers & Wilkins PX Wireless Headphones
Best Wireless Headphones
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.
Editor's choice
Jabra Elite 65t
Best Truly Wireless Earbuds
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.
Sennheiser CX 686G Sports
Best Running Earbuds
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
Editor's choice
Bose QuietComfort 20i
Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds
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.
Editor's choice
Sol Republic Shadow Wireless
Best Wireless Earbuds
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.
Editor's choice
SmartOmi True Wireless Earbuds
Best Truly Wireless Earphones Under $60
How We Test Headphones
To help you separate the wheat from the chaff when shopping for headphones, Tom's Guide evaluates the following criteria: design, comfort, features, performance and value. We employ a rigorous review process, comparing products with similar fit, features and pricing.
Each pair is worn over the course of a week for 2 hours at a time. During this testing period, the staff is evaluating comfort, ease of use and, of course, audio quality. We listen to several predetermined sample tracks that span a number of genres, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical and R&B, and we evaluate the volume, clarity and fullness.
In terms of features, we test the effectiveness of active noise cancelling, Bluetooth range and battery life. For the fitness-focused models, we test to see how they stand up to vigorous workouts, evaluating both how securely they fit while we exercise and how well they handle ambient noise from things like falling weights and gym machines.
Once we complete our testing, we rate headphones based on our ten-point system (1 = worst, 10 = best). If a product is truly exemplary, it's awarded an Editors' Choice.
And now that more streaming music services are offering high-resolution resolution audio, be sure to read our audio codec FAQ for everything you need to know about FLAC files, MP3s and everything in between.
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Summary
About the author
Companies should be looking at these as the bar to beat. Not something 3 times bigger with no added benefits or even less options. I know when I read these articles to see what is the newest best thing, I just skim it to see if I see the bullet of one of the knockoffs. If I don't see it I just move along assuming they didn't do their homework.
And heads up. I have bought a few versions of these. One brand starts with an S and runs like 300+ for the pair and charger, Rowkin makes the same for just under half that and there are a few versions under 100 for a pair of 2 and the same bigger pocket charger. There is no real difference. I have the first 2 mentioned and one total knockoff for sure. All 3 kick butt. The cheapest I didn't like as much because the button to turn on and off is flush and not as easy to push because of that. Since the whole bud is so small it does make a difference. If the button looks round and not a bar, then that is the one I didn't like. Overall quality was the same though.
Also, I have seen these up to bluetooth 4.2 and not 5 yet.
Anyway, want me to take an article serious, include these so I know where your limits of good are at.
Oh, you can find multiple versions of these on eBay from the expensive to the cheaper version. I think they are on Amazon too. If you feel more pride in something the more you pay, knock yourself out and go for it. I thought they were all 3 very comparable. There are more than 3 brands though. I just wouldn't do the 340 price tag again. Seriouly no difference justifying that