Over-ear, noise cancelling headphones offer the best mix of sound quality, noise reduction, comfort and extra features that you can get today. But there are dozens to choose from now as the space has gotten more saturated over the past few years. That\u2019s a good thing in part because it\u2019s brought more affordable options with compelling feature sets, but nevertheless, deciding how to spend your money has gotten a bit harder. Engadget reviews dozens of wireless headphones<\/a> every year and we test out even more to keep our finger on the pulse. In this guide, we\u2019ve highlighted our top picks for the best wireless headphones based on the best mix of features, including overall audio quality, ANC performance, Bluetooth connections, advanced audio tools and more. Our six favorites, which have remained the same since the start of 2024, offer all of the conveniences we\u2019d expect in a set of high-quality wireless headphones, with a range of prices to help you stay within your budget.<\/p>\n When it comes to shopping for a good pair of wireless headphones, the first thing you\u2019ll need to decide on is wear style. Do you prefer on-ear or over-ear headphones? For the purposes of our buyer\u2019s guide, we focus on the over-ear style as that\u2019s what most noise-canceling headphones are nowadays. Sure, you can find on-ear models with ANC, but over-ear designs are much more effective at blocking sound. Speaking of noise cancellation, you\u2019ll want to determine early on if you even want that. If you frequently crank up the beats in noisy environments, you\u2019ll want to not only make sure it\u2019s there, but also make sure it\u2019s good. If you plan to use your new headphones in quieter spaces, skipping ANC can save you some money.<\/p>\n The next area to consider is features. We recommend trying to get the most bang for your buck, but as you\u2019re shopping around you should determine which items are must-haves and what you can live without. And don\u2019t take basic things like automatic pausing and Bluetooth<\/a> multipoint connectivity for granted, as not all companies include them. We also suggest reading reviews to see how well a company\u2019s more advanced features work. This will help you decide if those are something you\u2019re willing to (likely) pay extra for. Pay close attention to battery life estimates and don\u2019t be easily swayed by lofty promises about call quality.<\/p>\n Sound can be subjective, so we recommend trying before you buy if at all possible. We understand this isn\u2019t easy at a time when we\u2019re doing most of our shopping online. But trying on a set of headphones and listening to them for a few minutes can save you from an expensive case of buyer\u2019s remorse. We also recommend paying attention to things like Spatial Audio<\/a>, Dolby Atmos<\/a>, 360 Reality Audio and other immersive formats. Not all headphones support them, so you\u2019ll want to make sure a perspective pair does if that sort of thing excites you.<\/p>\n The primary way we test wireless headphones is to wear them as much as possible. We prefer to do this over a one- to two-week period, but sometimes embargoes don\u2019t allow it. During this time, we listen to a mix of music and podcasts<\/a>, while also using the earbuds to take both voice and video calls. Since battery life for headphones can be 30 hours or more, we drain the battery with looping music and the volume set at a comfortable level (usually around 75 percent). Due to the longer battery estimates, we\u2019ll typically power the headphones off several times and leave them during a review. This simulates real-world use and keeps us from having to constantly monitor the process for over 24 straight hours.<\/p>\n To judge the best Bluetooth headphones, we consider audio quality by listening to a range of genres, noting any differences in the sound profile across the styles. We also test at both low and high volumes to check for consistency in the tuning. To assess the quality of phone calls, we\u2019ll record audio samples with the headphones\u2019 microphones as well as have third parties call us.<\/p>\n When it comes to features, we do a thorough review of companion apps, testing each feature as we work through the software. Any holdovers from previous models are double checked for improvements or regression. If the headphones we\u2019re testing are an updated version of a previous model, we\u2019ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older set. Ditto for the closest competition for each new set of headphones that we review.<\/p>\nHow to choose the best wireless headphones for you<\/h2>\n
How we test wireless headphones<\/h2>\n
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