Wireless headphones have reached a point where you can get a great pair without spending a fortune. These days, you can even find affordable options with premium features like active noise cancellation and customizable equalizer settings. The drawback to having so many headphones on the market is that it can be tough to find the newest and most reliable ones.
The first piece of advice is to stick with a relatively reputable manufacturer. That doesn’t mean you have to look exclusively at electronics giants like Bose and Sony (you can, of course, but they don’t always offer the best value). There are a good number of brands that have emerged as mid-range and budget-friendly headphone suppliers in recent years.
One rule of thumb is to consider the brand name itself. If it’s a jumble of letters that you can’t pronounce and haven’t heard of, do more research into it or look for a more well-known company. Examples of some affordable headphone manufacturers with expanding selections and market shares include Anker, SoundPeats and Treblab, among others.
Bluetooth 4.0 isn’t entirely outdated or seriously inferior to Bluetooth 5.0, but it is a sign that a pair of headphones hasn’t been updated in the last year or more. For that reason, it’s better to start by considering options with version 5 of the ubiquitous wireless protocol. Bluetooth 5.0 offers longer range, better battery life, and a more robust connection than the older version. It also offers features such as multipoint connectivity, which lets you connect two pairs of wireless headphones to the same device or treat a pair of true wireless earbuds as two separate mono headphones, which can greatly reduce latency.
Aside from the Bluetooth version, consider which codecs you need. The codec is the algorithm that devices use to encode and decode compressed audio data, and the most common is called SBC or the Standard Bluetooth Codec. In the case of sub-$100 headphones, the most advanced codec you’ll usually see is Qualcomm aptX. There are codecs with higher resolutions and theoretically better audio quality, but they’re found mostly in more costly headphones and, in reality, most people can’t notice the difference anyway.
In hands-on testing, these turn out to be some of the best moderately priced cans on the market, with consistent performance across the entire spectrum. While not the company’s absolute newest release, their active noise canceling is actually more effective than the more recent model.
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Utilizing Bluetooth 5.0 and the Qualcomm aptX codec, they offer just about the most consistent connectivity and highest-resolution playback of anything in their price range. They’re resistant to sweat and rain and come with a durable carrying case.
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From a company known for high-fidelity office headsets, you can rest assured that the noise-canceling microphone inside this pair delivers clear voice quality on every call. Their minimalist design is stylish, and the mated smartphone app offers in-depth equalizer control.
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One of the best deals you’ll find, they strike an excellent balance between price and performance and their active noise canceling works surprisingly well. They also have one of the longest battery life ratings ever seen.
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These are actually on-ear rather than over-ear headphones, so they’re considerably better ventilated and in some cases more comfortable. They charge quickly using a USB-C cable and are compatible with both Siri and Google Assistant.
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Some quick research into the best earbuds shows that every pair has some naysayers when it comes to short-term reviews. A big reason behind this is that everyone’s ear canals are shaped differently, and when it comes to earbuds, how well they seal and how securely they stay put in your ears are both incredibly important to sound quality and convenience.
Most quality earbuds come with three or more pairs of simple silicone tips in different sizes, but many users aren’t satisfied with them. Some users find success with flanged silicone tips, but the most popular are probably Comply Isolation Plus foam tips. They come in a few styles, so you’ll need to do some research to make sure to get the right one for your earbuds. If those are too firm or block too much outside noise, Comply also makes a softer Comfort version that fits on a wide range of models.
Long-term owners and expert reviewers agree that these are some of the best-sounding, most comfortable and most robust earbuds available. They’re equipped with advanced features normally reserved for premium headphones, such as a transparency mode while using ANC and sensors that stop playback when you remove the earbuds.
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Equipped with hybrid dual drivers, Bluetooth 5.2 and the Qualcomm aptX Adaptive codec, these are some of the most technologically advanced in-ears yet released. A total of four microphones with CVC 8.0 noise reduction technology makes them great for phone calls.
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In addition to actively blocking a good amount of outside noise, many users find these bean-shaped buds to fit more comfortably in the ear than those with silicone tips. They come in four shiny colors and feature drivers tuned by audio giant AKG.
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With multiple sizes of removable tips as well as external stems, these are some of today’s stablest earbuds. A six-microphone array ensures your voice can be heard clearly on video and voice calls.
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These in-ear speakers stand out because they have a long battery life, great call quality and advanced active noise cancellation, despite their impressively low price. You can even customize their convenient touch controls using the smartphone app.
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A rugged on-ear clip and IP68 dust and moisture protection make these some of the best for working out, indoors or out. They come with eight pairs of tips so you’re sure to get the perfect fit.
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
