The best wireless headphones for 2023 from Bose, Sony, 1More and more

Wires are truthful aged school, particularly erstwhile it comes to headphones. Unless you're an audiophile who must person nan highest imaginable hi-res sound quality that, with a fewer exceptions, tin only beryllium achieved pinch a group of wired headphones, past getting yourself a brace of nan champion wireless headphones is an absolute must. Don't misunderstand us: wireless headphones sound fantastic, and they're packed pinch features specified arsenic active sound cancellation (ANC), transparency modes for proceeding nan extracurricular world nan measurement you want to, excellent telephone quality, Bluetooth multipoint connectivity and more.

We're ever looking for nan champion wireless headphones, and we besides return comfort, audio quality, and artillery life seriously. For this roundup, we're focusing connected wireless headphones of nan over-ear variety. For the champion wireless earbuds, we've sewage a roundup of those, too.

That said, we deliberation that Sony's latest WH-1000XM5 are truthful bully that they presently return nan apical spot connected not conscionable this list, but besides our picks for nan best noise-canceling headphones and nan best headphones, period. They're light, very comfortable, person fantabulous sound cancellation and sound quality, and are packed pinch premium features.

But if you person thing other successful mind, for illustration a set of earbuds aliases thing a small much affordable, we person you covered pinch a assortment of further wireless headphones to compare.

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends / Digital Trends

Sony WH-1000XM5

The champion wireless headphones overall

The erstwhile leader of this database was Sony's WH-1000XM4, and nan WH-1000XM5 person everything that made those headphones amazing, positive a spot more.

Let's break them down. shall we? The creation has gotten an update pinch smaller drivers and a slimmer, much elegant style that besides makes nan headphones a small lighter to wear. The artillery life of these caller cans is almost unchanged, providing 30 hours pinch progressive sound cancellation (ANC) connected and 40 hours without (the XM4s were conscionable a tad down that past number pinch 38 hours). And while Sony says it has improved its package algorithms and hardware erstwhile it comes to progressive sound cancellation, nan 1000XM5 are fundamentally nan aforesaid arsenic nan XM4 — excellent.

Like nan XM4s, Sony's WH-1000XM5s see Bluetooth multipoint connection, allowing them to beryllium connected to 2 different devices astatine nan aforesaid time. The deterioration sensor continues to beryllium a useful addition, automatically pausing contented erstwhile you region nan headphones. Sony's Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) Extreme tech that upscales compressed integer sound sources utilizing artificial intelligence continues to get nan astir retired of your audio files, too.

In summation to nan updated creation and improved ANC, nan headset now includes much mics to bump up nan telephone and chat accuracy. Are they worthy an other $50 for nan upgrades? Absolutely: We still haven't seen a contender that tin hit this headset line.

Bose

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

Best for comfortableness and convention calls

While nan Sony WH-1000XM5s are our favourite brace of full-sized wireless cans overall, Bose steps successful for calls pinch its Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 (which we’ll conscionable telephone nan Bose 700 from present connected out), a stalwart favourite connected this database for immoderate clip arsenic they're conscionable that good. In testing, we recovered that nan microphone connected nan Bose 700 consistently matched, and sometimes outclassed, nan 1 built into nan phone. Get fresh for productive calls, arsenic those connected nan different extremity won’t person to give precious brainpower to deciphering garbled dialog.

Perfect for business users and those connected predominant squad calls, nan Bose 700 has capable sound cancellation for cleanable indoor conversations. They aren't precisely arsenic bully for convention calls connected nan spell aliases outside, but if you're successful an agency you'll emotion their capacity erstwhile communicating pinch others and proceeding responses clearly.

The Bose 700’s controls are convenient, pinch 3 tactile buttons mixed pinch a touch interface to springiness you one-touch entree to measurement and playback functions (another use during convention telephone management). One of those buttons allows you to set nan noise-canceling strength connected a standard from zero to 10 aliases outright disable nan characteristic altogether. There’s besides a fastener dedicated to calling up your favourite virtual assistant.

The Bose 700s person nan powerfulness to spell arsenic agelong arsenic 20 hours erstwhile sound cancelation is engaged, and that runtime doubles to 40 hours pinch it off. Even if you’re an unusually dense listener, a 15-minute complaint pinch nan included USB-C cablegram tin get you 2 other hours, truthful you should ne'er consciousness nan request to enactment tethered.

Riley Young/Digital Trends

Apple AirPods Max

Best for iPhone users

Yes, their value is high. In fact, astatine $549 (less elsewhere), they're nan astir costly headphones connected this database by a mile. But if you're consenting to make that investment, Apple rewards you pinch a beautiful design, high-quality materials, and a characteristic group that will please nan astir discerning listener.

Where nan AirPods Max genuinely radiance is their ANC, transparency, and telephone quality, each of which is best-in-class for wireless headphones. That's saying thing considering conscionable really bully nan title (Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700) is. The noise-canceling is sublime, and our reviewer believes their transparency mode is nan closest point you tin get to not wearing headphones astatine all.

Apple has besides done its accustomed "it conscionable works" magic pinch nan AirPods Max's controls. The integer crown knob whitethorn look a small different perched connected apical of nan correct earcup, but it's intuitive and moreover a small addictive. The dedicated fastener for ANC/transparency is besides perfectly positioned and useful for illustration a charm.

The innovative mesh materials utilized connected nan headband and receptor cushions are comfortable, but they can't rather dress up for nan AirPods Max's 1 awesome drawback: Their weight. Considerably heavier than immoderate different models connected this list, you whitethorn find that they're simply excessively weighty for agelong listening sessions.

Battery life is connected nan debased extremity astatine 20 hours, but this number mightiness beryllium conservative. At little measurement levels, it could easy widen to 25. Pairing pinch and switching betwixt Apple devices is simply a snap. The only point we deliberation Apple has to rethink pinch nan AirPods Max is nan protective recreation case, which is neither very protective nor very useful for travelers. Thankfully, there's nary shortage of AirPods Max accessories to remedy that fact.

It's been much than 2 years since Apple updated nan AirPods Max, and nan rumor mill is spinning that a second-gen whitethorn beryllium connected nan way, truthful you mightiness want to hold — for nan caller tech and for nan first-gen to spell connected sale. That said, here's what we'd for illustration to see pinch a refreshed AirPods Max.

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Urbanista Los Angeles

Best for nan eco-minded euphony fan

This Urbanista headset offers a fascinating proposition: Wear them retired successful nan sun, and they'll recharge automatically acknowledgment to nan star cells successful nan headband. Leave them retired agelong enough, and they'll capable up an tremendous 80-hour artillery reserve you tin usage for days. While that's a very climate-dependent use (they're called "Los Angeles" for a reason), those successful nan correct areas person plentifulness to use from.

Solar powerfulness is acold from nan only point nan Los Angeles offer. The headset besides delivers competent ANC, pinch an ambient sound mode (aka transparency mode) truthful you tin perceive nan extracurricular world while you're moving around, positive complete app controls that let you to show operation, set volume, and cheque connected nan star sensor.

The headset supports Google Assistant, Siri, and Bluetooth 5.0 connections. The receptor ammunition creation uses vegan leather for sound-canceling foam for a comfortable (if simple) design. Of course, outdoor users will get a batch much retired of nan headset than others, but it's still an eager — and clever — consequence from Urbanista.

Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends

1More SonoFlow

Best fund wireless headphones

When we database nan champion features of nan SonoFlow, we cognize it sounds for illustration a headset good complete $100, particularly pinch ANC and a transparency mode included. But no, these wireless headphones are incredibly affordable compared to different options and travel packed pinch desirable features – including particularly bully sound value astatine this price.

1More has besides done miracles pinch nan SonoFlow’s battery, which tin past up to 50 hours pinch ANC turned on, making these headphones 1 of nan champion picks for those who want to spell wireless for arsenic agelong arsenic imaginable earlier plugging in. We’re besides impressed pinch nan elaborate app options included here, pinch a assortment of different modes to take from and plentifulness of EQ adjustments. Plus, nan creation is elemental and comfortable to deterioration moreover for agelong periods.

The insignificant issues pinch SonoFlow don’t person a batch of effect connected your listening experience: You suffer immoderate features erstwhile successful wired mode, and there’s nary deterioration sensor to automatically region erstwhile you return nan headphones up. That’s a mini value to salary for, well, specified a mini value connected these fantabulous headphones.

Zeke Jones/Digital Trends / Digital Trends

Sennheiser Momentum 4

Best for sound quality

We were amazed astatine nan audio value pinch nan Momentum 3, but someway Sennheiser recovered aggregate ways to upgrade it pinch nan 4. This is still nan champion wireless sound you tin get for nan money, suitable for each benignant of audio but sparkling particularly good erstwhile it comes to strong, meticulous bass and elaborate treble.

The Momentum 4 besides comes pinch ANC that features circumstantial modes to combat upwind interference aliases move to transparency options. And while nan caller over-ear creation is undeniably large, Sennheiser has capable acquisition to make judge they’re comfortable for agelong periods of listening arsenic well. Battery life is besides fantabulous – successful fact, our reappraisal recovered it lasted up to 60 hours pinch ANC on, thing that nary different headphones tin negociate yet (and far, acold amended than nan Momentum 3 managed).

Some things are missing here, though, specified arsenic an automatic disconnected usability (although deterioration sensors are included), but you aren’t giving up overmuch astatine each for nan immense sound upgrade that undoubtedly makes these headphones worthy it.

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Master & Dynamic MH40

Best for nan style-conscious buyer

If you're nan style-conscious type looking for a brace of wireless cans that look arsenic bully arsenic they sound, past look nary further. The Master & Dynamic MH40s are an updated type of their 2019 predecessor, but M&D has near its cool vintage aviator looks, pinch leather and metallic stylings, untouched, alternatively focusing connected immoderate upgrades nether nan hood.

While nan 2019 exemplary sounded excellent, nan caller exemplary ups nan crippled further pinch redesigned titanium drivers that supply a wider soundstage, improved Bluetooth audio pinch nan aptX Adaptive codec (for Android only, sorry iPhone users), and immoderate awesome EQ presets to thief you zero successful connected your cleanable sound balance. The summation of nonstop integer USB-C connectivity opens up full-quality, lossless euphony (also Android only, aliases via a machine connection) done to nan MH40 W’s soul digital-to-analog converter (DAC), tin of rendering up to 24-bit/96kHz solution from nan likes of Amazon Music, Apple Music, Tidal, aliases your ain FLAC files.

All this is to opportunity that while nan Master & Dynamic MH40s don't person ANC aliases transparency mode, you mightiness not miss them because they aren't conscionable beautiful to look at, they connection immoderate superior sound. Some different improvements from nan 2019 exemplary see a longer artillery life (up from 18 hours to 30 per charge), faster charging (6 hours of playtime pinch conscionable 15 minutes of charging), and immoderate improvements to nan microphones for amended telephone quality.

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro

Best for gaming

SteelSeries has agelong known really to make a high-quality gaming headset, but nan Arctis Nova Pro takes gaming audio to different level pinch its unthinkable redesign. The Sonar package allows for heavy customization (and moreover title-specific suggestions), including a parametric EQ, but these headphones are tuned for meticulous audio correct of nan box, truthful you don't person to interest astir nan specifications if you don't want to.

Other important features besides make these headphones usable astir nan home, including awesome ANC, and a fresh that's lightweight without emotion cheap, positive plentifulness of beingness adjustments you tin make. The retractable mic besides useful good (we recovered it sometimes picks up ambient noise, though) and won't ever get successful nan way.

The Arctis Nova Pros person a swappable artillery creation that's made for switching nan existent artillery connected nan alert — truthful you person 1 connected platform charging astatine each times. But a USB-C larboard does let for on-ear charging, albeit a spot awkwardly, arsenic noted by our elder gaming writer, Jacob Roach, in his afloat review. Two artillery packs are included pinch nan headset — which is good, because artillery life is little than past SteelSeries headsets astatine 22 hours astatine only 2.4Ghz wireless, and 18 hours erstwhile utilizing 2.4GHz and Bluetooth astatine nan aforesaid time, pinch with ANC on.

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Puro PuroQuiet

Best for kids

When we opportunity “best wireless headphones for kids,” we aren’t talking astir nan cutest aliases astir colorful — though we could spot a lawsuit being made for nan PuroQuiet being referred to arsenic such. Instead, what we mean are nan safest headphones for kids. As reviewers of audio equipment, proceeding harm and nonaccomplishment rank beautiful precocious connected our database of fears, truthful we tin empathize pinch parents looking for nan safest brace for their kids. In this department, nan PuroQuiet can’t beryllium beaten.

The PuroQuiet are noise-canceling headphones designed for kids that travel pinch a difficult measurement limit to forestall your child’s mini ears from getting damaged.

Despite children’s products being stereotyped arsenic low-quality (rightfully so, successful galore cases), Puro hasn’t trim corners connected nan PuroQuiet, which punch good supra their weight erstwhile it comes to looks and build quality. The headphones characteristic rectangular-shaped earcups that are made retired of robust metallic and travel successful vibrant colors for illustration electrical bluish aliases agleam pink. They’re blocky and colorful, arsenic kid worldly often is, but don’t look aliases consciousness childish, if that makes sense.

They besides onslaught a equilibrium betwixt comfortableness and design, pinch a plush, information headband coated successful soft imitation leather. Even nan accommodation conception of nan headband, which is besides metal, feels coagulated and strong, and nan headphones are durable capable to return a beating, too.

However, nan standout characteristic present is nan Puro PuroQuiet headphones’ custom, built-in package limiter. It’s designed to support euphony beneath 85 decibels while maintaining a balanced sound signature. This intends that your budding audiophile tin crank them each nan measurement up, and you’ll still ne'er person to interest astir them blasting their ears out. And acknowledgment to 16 hours of artillery life, your kids tin perceive for arsenic agelong arsenic they (by which we mean you) want.

Image utilized pinch support by copyright holder

Mark Levinson No. 5909

Best price-is-no-object wireless headphones

In Simon Cohen's review, he called these Mark Levinson headphones “hard to recommend,” not because they are bad – they’re incredibly high-quality headphones – but because they’re conscionable excessively costly for nan mean buyer, moreover those consenting to crockery retired hundreds of dollars for astonishing audio. But if value really is nary entity and you want headphones that tin crockery retired awesome sound while looking incredible, these $1,000 cans will beryllium everything you desire.

Their features see immoderate of nan champion wireless sound we person ever heard, paired pinch a comfortable, elite creation that features heavy padding and earcups to some optimize audio and fto others cognize that listening to euphony is superior business for you: It has a prestigious automobile vibe complete pinch chrome accents and auto-inspired overgarment job.

The headphones besides see important features for illustration bully ANC pinch a transparency mode included, automatic receptor discovery for pausing, and easy onboard buttons for playback, answering calls, and bringing up your sound assistant. In-app controls let for a number of different customizations, but it’s nan Bluetooth support that really impresses us: As you’d expect from highest-end wireless headphones, it supports codecs including aptX Adaptative, LDAC, and SBC, and AAC. That’s fantabulous for streaming high-resolution sound from devices for illustration Android phones, though nan champion support hasn’t travel to iPhone yet, truthful Apple users whitethorn want to enactment distant for now.

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