The best wireless headphones to buy in 2020

It is a good time to buy a pair of true wireless headphones. Whether your top priority is sound quality, comfort, battery life, quality of voice calls, or noise cancellation, today’s field of products is full of great options. I’ve spent a lot of time testing dozens of wireless headphones from Apple, Samsung, Jabra, Sony, Anker, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and the best wireless headphones for you will depend on what you hope to get from them.

There is no one set of headphones that is perfect for everything. For general everyday listening, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus are the best wireless headphones. You have an Iphone? Nothing beats AirPods Pro. If you’re focused on productivity and multitasking during these work-at-home days, the Jabra Elite 75t are the best wireless headphones for those jobs. If you’re looking for something more sporty, that’s where the Powerbeats Pro win. For people who demand the best sound quality, Sennheiser is the ideal choice. And if you’re looking for headphones that are great for the price, the Sony WF-XB700 is your favorite.

Remember that getting the most out of headphones requires a good seal on your ear. Always try the different ear tip sizes that come with the buttons you buy, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different sizes on each ear. Ears are fun as well. Many of these headphones have apps that you can install on your phone to further customize your sound and control the way you want.

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Best overall wireless headphones

Samsung got the Galaxy Buds Plus so right that it’s an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a reliable set of true wireless headphones at a fair price. With up to 11 hours of continuous battery life, they can last longer than any other set of headphones in this overview. And whenever the time comes to rejuvenate them, you can leave the case in a wireless charger.

Galaxy Buds Plus feel light in the ears, but remain firmly seated and comfortable to wear for extended periods. They come in a range of colors, unlike Apple’s AirPods, and the sound quality improves markedly over its predecessors. Samsung’s two-way drivers deliver emphatic bass and boost mid frequencies in a way that other headphones often skimp. Music plays seamlessly across a variety of genres, from pop to EDM to classical music. You can customize that EQ tuning (and adjust ambient sound preferences) using Samsung’s companion mobile app, which is available on both Android and iPhone.

Samsung also improved the microphone system on the Galaxy Buds Plus; these are much better at handling voice calls than the original Galaxy Buds. Its sweat resistance isn’t quite up to par with other headphones in this price range, and they lack noise cancellation, but those are the only bumps I can take on the Galaxy Buds Plus.

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The best wireless headphones for iPhone owners

If you are in the Apple ecosystem, there is no way to beat the AirPods Pro. From the perfect setup to the quick switch between your iPhone, iPad or Mac, the experience is fantastic. Pro AirPods fit more ears than regular, one-size-fits-all AirPods, and active noise cancellation helps drown out your surroundings when you just want to hear your tunes. When it’s time to listen to what’s going on around you, Apple’s transparency mode offers the most natural amplification of ambient noise I’ve ever heard.

AirPods Pro are known for balanced and clear audio. However, they cannot compete with Samsung, Jabra, or others (including Apple’s own Powerbeats Pro) in the bass category. With 4.5 hours of battery life with noise cancellation enabled, the battery life is decent if you’re not a class leader, but the case has enough power to recharge multiple times. The quality of voice calls is second to none, making these (and standard AirPods) the ideal choice if you often chat with people through your headphones.

Apple plans to update the AirPods Pro with new features this fall, including seamless and automatic switching between Apple devices. (Don’t worry: incoming iPhone calls will always take priority, even if you’re doing something on your iPad or Mac.) The other new addition is spatial audio, which will use head tracking to deliver “theater-like” surround sound. experience.

Here’s a tip: If none of the included ear tips provide a perfect seal, I recommend a set of memory foam tips like Comply’s or Dekoni.

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The best wireless headphones for multitasking (and lots of bass)

Jabra headphones have an advantage that is still rare among true wireless headphones: You can use them with two devices simultaneously. All other products on this list require you to switch from one paired device to another, but with Jabras, you can listen to tunes on your laptop while staying connected to your phone in case you get a call.

The Elite 75ts deliver powerful, full-bodied sound with an extra dose of bass. You can adjust the equalizer using the Jabra application, which also includes many other functions to adapt the headphones to your liking. Its physical controls are easy to use, and the 75ts are comfortable for long periods of time. Jabra backs them up with a two-year warranty, a longer support period than most, in case you experience any hardware issues. (One of my 75-ton outbreaks recently stopped taking a load out of nowhere, so it can happen.)

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The best wireless fitness headphones

You still can’t beat the Powerbeats Pro if you’re looking for a set of headphones for your workouts or races. Their ear hook design keeps them planted in your ears during intense exercise, they can withstand your sweatiest workouts, and the nine hours of continuous battery life should help you beat almost any marathon. And the sound quality is excellent, with plenty of bass and a surround sound stage that will keep you motivated on every set.

This spring, Apple released a new batch of Powerbeats Pro colors. Although the company did not make any significant hardware changes, I have not come across some of the annoyances, such as a headset that won’t charge or turn off when removed from the box, which I have with my original pair. Maybe it’s luck, or maybe Apple quietly made some corrections.

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The best wireless headphones for sound quality

If you consider yourself an audiophile and rank pristine sound above all else, it’s worth taking a look at Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2 headphones. The audio is lush, detailed, and sublime. Active noise cancellation helps keep you lost on your favorite albums, even if Sennheisers lag behind our other top picks in areas like battery life and ease of use.

The biggest downside is that Sennheiser charges a premium price for that premium sound: True Momentum wireless headphones cost $ 300, which puts them at a higher price level than anything else on this list.

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6. Sony WF-XB700

The best wireless headphones on a budget

Sony’s entry-level headphones were released without much fanfare a few months ago, but I think they are truly outstanding. They’ve already seen sale prices under $ 100, and for that, you get a pair of headphones that can hit the powerful bass and snag on the ears with remarkable stability – no fins or support hooks are required. There’s no frills here: These headphones don’t have an surround sound mode, they won’t pause your music when you take them out, and they lack any kind of mobile app support for EQ settings.

But in the time I’ve spent using them, I haven’t really cared about any of that. The WF-XB700 headphones sound downright terrific for the price, the stability of the connection is rock solid (no audio sync issues when watching videos), and its clever charging case always makes it clear that everything is charging as It should, thanks to a slightly transparent lid. You really can’t ask for better battery life than the nine hours you’ll get from these, and they’re IPX4 sweat and water resistant. The textured finish probably won’t appeal to everyone, but it means you won’t have to put up with scratches or smudges on your headphones or case.

I can’t call them the best true wireless headphones you can get, but I think many people would be perfectly happy with the WF-XB700 if they wanted to save some money. They are a true gem and nail that price / performance balance terribly.