Best Headphones for 2023: Top Picks for All Styles
With so many headphones and earbuds available, we’ve had to create a number of best lists here at CNET to cover all the various model types and use-case scenarios. For this list, I’ve taken the best of the best headphones from several categories, including wired and wireless (that includes true-wireless earbuds) and distilled that information into a top overall headphones list. We either fully reviewed or had hands-on time with every model on the list.
While many of the headphones on the list are premium models that cost a lot of money, we also like to highlight headphones that are a good value. These more affordable models can still deliver excellent quality at a good price. Regardless of budget or use case, this list will help you find the best headphones for you.
Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2023
What are the best headphones right now?
There’s a lot of debate around this question, and it’s hard to name one single model as the best overall headphones, which also includes in-ear headphones or earbuds. But a few models do stand out a bit from the rest of the pack, which is why we’ve given them our prestigious CNET Editors’ Choice Award. From 2022, these include the Sony WH-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 and Apple AirPods Pro 2, and I’m sure we’ll see some worthy Editors’ Choice candidates arrive in 2023.
We tend to highlight more-affordable headphones — or at least models that cost $500 or less. But if you’re looking for fantastic sound quality, some high-end models, like the Focal Bathys, Bowers & Wilkins PX8 and Beyerdynamic’s Xelento Wireless (2nd generation), deliver outstanding sound quality. The new Technics EAH-AZ80 true-wireless earbuds also sound great, and we’re expecting Sony’s upcoming WF-1000XM5 earbuds to be top notch.
I’ve fully reviewed or had hands-on listening time with all headphones and earbuds on this list. My recommendations are updated regularly as I test new models that hit the market.
Best headphones of 2023
How we test headphones and earbuds
We test headphones and earbuds based on six key criteria. These criteria include design, sound quality, noise-canceling performance, voice-calling performance, features and value.
- Design: Evaluating design, we assess not only how comfortable the headphones and earbuds fit (their ergonomics) but their build quality and how well the controls are implemented. When it comes to earbuds, we also look at water- and dust-resistance ratings.
- Sound quality: We evaluate sound quality by listening to a set playlist of music tracks and comparing the earbuds to top competing products in their price range. Sonic traits such as bass definition, clarity, dynamic range and how natural the headphones sound are key factors in our assessment.
- Noise-canceling performance: If the headphones we’re testing feature active noise canceling (ANC), we evaluate ANC performance by wearing the headphones in the same spot indoors near a noisy HVAC unit to see how well they do at muffling lower frequencies.
Then we head out to the streets of New York to test the headphones in a real-world environment where we see how they do muffling not only street noise but people’s voices.
- Extra features: Some great-sounding noise-canceling headphones and earbuds aren’t loaded with features, but we do take into account what extra features are on board. These include everything from quick-access awareness to transparency modes (your music pauses and the headphones open up to the outside world so you can have a conversation) to special sound modes to ear-detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off your ears. We also take a look at the companion app for the headphones if there is one and how user friendly it is.
- Voice-calling: When we test voice-calling performance, we make calls in the noisy streets of New York and evaluate how well the headphones or earbuds reduce background noise and how clearly callers can hear our voice.
- Value: We determine value after evaluating the strength of the headphones and earbuds against all these criteria and what they’re able to deliver compared to other models in their price class.
Headphones FAQ
Are headphones are better: Sony or Bose?
Are over-ear or in-ear headphones better?
Do wireless headphones sound as good as wired headphones?
Does noise canceling matter?
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Hands-on With Focal’s Bathys, $799 Wireless Headphones Aimed at Audiophiles
Focal’s Bathys share the same design aesthetic as the company’s more expensive wired headphones.
David Carnoy/CNET
French audio company Focal is known for its high-end speakers and headphones. You might call it the Bowers & Wilkins of France. And now it’s finally done what a lot of high-end audio companies have had to do in this age of on-the-go wireless music listening: make active noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones.
Over three years in development, the Bathys cost $799 (£699, AU$1199) and feature not only wireless connectivity but a built-in DAC (digital-to-analog converter) for USB wired listening with any computer, smartphone or tablet with USB-C. They are easily one of the best-sounding wireless headphones.
See at Crutchfield
Focal makes some hefty wired headphones for home listening, including the $3,000 Stellia that weighs in at 435 grams. For the Bathys, it created headphones that shared a similar design aesthetic but are more compact and weigh in at more reasonable 350 grams with a magnesium yoke used to help cut the weight. By comparison, the AirPods Max weigh 384. 8 grams.
Read more: Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for 2022
While they’re not quite as comfortable to wear as the lighter Bose QuietComfort 45 or Sony WH-1000XM5, I did find them comfortable to wear over longer listening sessions. They didn’t feel too tightly clamped, and the headband didn’t create any pressure points on the crown of my head.
The name, by the way, is inspired by the bathyscaphe, the first submarine exploration vehicle, with the headphones being the “embodiment of calm, depth and absolute silence,” according to Focal.
While they may be more compact than Focal’s other headphones, they’re still pretty large.
Focal
I haven’t had enough time with the Bathys to post a full review but here are some quick first impressions:
- While they’re more compact than Focal’s wired headphones, the Bathys are still large headphones and will look that way on your head. I liked how Focal’s flame symbol lights up on each ear cup when the headphones are turned on (you can turn off the lighting).
- The noise-canceling is good though not excellent, with a low and high mode (“silent” and “soft”) as well a transparency mode. ANC has a tendency to degrade the sound so there’s always a delicate balance adding ANC when sound quality is the priority.
- The Bathys are equipped with Bluetooth 5.1 and have multipoint Bluetooth pairing (so you can pair them to two devices like a smartphone and computer simultaneously). I had no problem driving them with iPhone and Android devices and they do support AptX Adaptive on Android and other devices that are compatible with that audio codec. (They use the AAC audio codec for iPhones.)
- I streamed music using the Qobuz app, which does offer high-resolution files. I connected the headphones via USB-C to a couple of Android phones as well as a MacBook Pro (you switch into DAC mode to go wired). Focal threw in a USB-C to Lighting adapter with my review sample so I could go wired with iOS devices, but that adapter isn’t included with the retail version of the headphones, which is a shame (a pack of two Apple MiFi-certified adapters costs $20 on Amazon).
- Going wired gives you a slight bump up in sound quality (it does help to stream high-resolution audio files for optimal sound). In wired mode, the headphones deliver up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution. But the headphones also sound quite impressive in wireless mode with excellent clarity, detail, accuracy and powerful, well-defined bass. They have a spacious soundstage (for a closed-back headphone) and allow you to hear each instrument distinctly in complicated tracks where several instruments are playing at the same time. They’re what I call “revealing” headphones that will make bad recordings sound worse and good recordings sound even better.
- The Bathys use Aluminum-Magnesium speaker drivers while Focal’s higher-end wired headphones have Beryllium drivers that offer even more clarity and accuracy with the right setup.
- The headphones fold flat (but don’t fold up) into a nice carry case. Along with the USB-C to USB-C cable you also get a standard 3.5 mm analog headphone cable for use with in-flight entertainment systems.
The cables are of basic quality and do not match the premium look of the headphones.
- Overall, I was pleased with the voice-calling performance. Callers said I sounded good and could hear me well on the noisy streets of New York, where they heard some background sound leak in, but the noise reduction was good. They measure up well to the Master & Dynamic MW75 ($599) for voice calling and while they may not be exceptionally good like the Sony WH-1000XM5 for voice calls, you shouldn’t be disappointed with the telephony performance. That can sometimes be the case with headphones that tout sound quality first.
- With a press of button, they offer access to either Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or other phone voice assistant (Siri or Bixby, for instance).
- An equalizer in the companion app for iOS and Android allows you to tweak the sound profile. Since these are an audiophile headphone, you can expect a flat default sound profile. Depending on what I was listening to, I ended up boosting the bass a bit.
- Battery life is solid at up to 30 hours, with a quick charge feature that gives you 5 hours of use with a 15-minute charge.
- The headphones can’t be used in passive mode. You have to power them on, so if the battery dies, you need to charge them to use them.
The headphones fold flat but don’t fold up. A nice carrying case is included.
David Carnoy/CNET
In recent months, we’ve seen an increasing number of “high-fidelity” active noise-canceling wireless headphones released following the launch of Apple’s AirPods Max, which list for $549 but frequently sell for $479 or less. There’s the aforementioned Master & Dynamic MW75, the Mark Levinson No. 5909 ($999) and the just-announced Bowers and Wilkins PX8, which I haven’t tried yet but lists for $699.
They’re all great headphones but in terms of pure sound quality, the Bathys may be the best of the bunch and I particularly liked the built-in DAC and the ability to switch easily between wired and wireless modes.
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The best wireless in-ear headphones
The best wired and wireless in-ear headphones: features and price
We have already explained how to choose the best headphones based on your needs in each case. So, in this article, we are going to show you some of the best options that you have between in-ear headphones0445 . If you’re thinking about buying one of these types of headphones, keep reading because you have options for every type of use.
Index
- 1 How to choose in-ear headphones?
- 1.1 What benefit are you going to give them?
- 1.2 Comfort above all else?
- 1.3 Do you want to isolate yourself from the world?
- 1.4 What matters most is sound quality?
- 2 The best in-ear headphones for every user
- 3 Wired headphones
- 3.
1 Sony MDRXB50APB.CE7
- 3.2 ATH-ANC33iS
- 3.3 Sennheiser Momentum
- 3.4 Oneplus Bullets 2 9045 wireless bullets 5
- 3.5 Sony MDRXB50BSB.CE7
- 3.6 Bose SoundSport
- 3.
- 4 Wireless headphones
- 4.1 Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 headphones
- 4.2 Jabra Elite Active 65t
- 4.3 True Air Buds 2
- 4.4 Sony WF1000XM3
- 4.5 Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
- 4.6 Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
- 4.7 Powerbeats Pro
- 4.8 Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8
- 4.9 Jabra Elite 75t
- 4.10 Apple AirPods Pro
- 4.11 AirPods (3rd generation)
- 4.12 Bose Quiet Comfort
- 4.13 Nothing Ear 1 and 2
- 4.14 Sony WF-1000XM4
- 4.15 Samsung Buds Live
- 4.16 Beats Fit Pro
- 4.17 JBL Stream
- 4.18 Huawei FreeBuds 5i
How to choose in-ear headphones?
Before explaining to you which models we recommend you buy due to the different features, we would like to provide you with a small guide that can serve as your reference. Make no mistake choosing the model that best suits your needs . Obviously, the price is the deciding factor, but not the most decisive one, so we are going to list in detail everything you should pay attention to before giving up on the euro.
What benefit are you going to give them?
If these are helmets that you will take with you everywhere, then you should take into account the autonomy of , battery life and case (if any). This way you will know if he will arrive to use it in public transport, at work and at home.
Comfort above all else?
It is very important that they fit perfectly in the ear, are not too big or small and fit like a glove. Both excess and deficiency are always a problem. Try on in-ear headphones with ear pads at the store, if possible, to make sure they don’t hurt or irritate you for some reason.
Do you want to isolate yourself from the world?
In the case of active noise canceling helmets, it is possible that the helmet is able to isolate us thanks to the microphones and the technologies it contains, while passive ones simply use a cushion that tries to isolate our ears. If you have a good budget we always recommend Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
Sound quality, the most important thing?
Obviously this aspect cannot be missed, which you can only feel when you read product reviews on the purchase page or, why not, read or watch videos in which an expert shows what level we can get. Within this aspect, we can count the number of transducers, the filters that can be applied, or the frequency range.
The best in-ear headphones for every wearer
Have you already decided on the type of helmet you need? Well then you have a selection of the best models available right now on the market.
- Sony MDRXB50APB
- Audio-Technique ATH-ANC33iS
- Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 headphones
- Sennheiser Momentum
- Powerbeats Pro
- Oneplus Bullets 2 Wireless Bullets
- Sony MDRXB50BSB
- Bose SoundSport
- Jabra Elite Active 65t
- Real buds Air 2
- Sony WF1000XM3
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
- Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8
- Jabra Elite 75t
- Apple AirPods Pro
- Apple AirPods (3rd generation)
- Bose Quiet Comfort
- nothing ear
- Sony WF-1000XM4
- Samsung Galaxy Buds Live
- Beats Fit Pro
- JBL thread
- Huawei FreeBuds 5i
These types of hearing aids may be those that offer la the best balance of quality, comfort and isolation of in this market. This is because while some of the options don’t include active noise cancellation, diving into the earpiece of the headset causes the passive noise cancellation to kick in and improve the experience. Although there are many users who are not very committed to this with their silicone pads.
In any case, understanding that if you are reading this, then you are interested in them, in this article we are going to show you the 11 best in-ear headphones on the market.
Wired headphones
If you prefer wired in-ear headphones, this choice leaves you with the best on the market today.
Sony MDRXB50APB.CE7
One of the cheapest options is Sony MDRXB50APB.CE7 . Some wired headphones are signed by Sony, which offer the brand’s usual sound quality. They also have this company’s EXTRA BASS bass boost. They are available in multiple colors and are quite comfortable and lightweight.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC33iS
Another well-known brand in the audio sector is Audio-Technica . included in the catalog of wired in-ear headphones, offering a premium feature such as active noise cancellation for less than 35 euros. They also have a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz and a remote control that will act as a speakerphone for calls.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Sennheiser Momentum
these Sennheiser Momentum These are quality wired in-ear headphones. They have a noise cancellation system, although the manufacturer does not indicate if this cancellation is active. Its design is quite elegant, and the construction materials give a feeling of solidity. We will also have a small keypad to control everything related to music and calls.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Oneplus Bullets 2 Wireless Bullets
Another in-ear option for sports is the Oneplus Bullets 2 Wireless Bullets . With them, we can enjoy high definition sound with up to 10 hours of listening time. They have fast charging, which with just 10 minutes of connection will allow us to continue enjoying another 10 hours of playback. If you want to know everything about them, you can watch our video review that we leave you below.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Our video analysis:
Sony MDRXB50BSB.CE7
Sony also has several alternatives for athletes, including: Sony MDRXB50 BSB.CE7 . They have splash protection so you can do any physical activity without worrying about sweat. They have a range of up to 8.5 hours of continuous use and the right sound quality, boosted by this brand’s EXTRA BASS.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Bose SoundSport
Bose is another well-known acoustics and headphones in the world. The Bose SoundSport These headphones are, as the name suggests, designed for athletes. They have NFC for faster pairing and very balanced sound. In addition, we can control them with our smartphone with the Bose Connect app in order to adapt its various features to our tastes.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Wireless headphones
These are the best wireless headphones you can buy right now.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 Headphones
Exceptional quality models, with 7mm driver, active noise cancellation, 7 hours duration per headset, 28 hours total counting case, and touch panels to control them without having to touch the mobile screen phone.
View offer on Amazon
Jabra Elite Active 65t
Now on to the in-ear headphones, these Jabra Elite Active 65t might be a great option. This company is known for its good value for money, and, of course, it could not be less in this case. They are available in several colors and have an autonomy of up to 15 hours with the shipping box. They have IP65 protection, so we can forget about dust, water and sweat.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Realme Buds Air 2
Another very interesting model if you don’t want to spend too much money on headphones is Realme Buds Air 2 . In-ear headphones available in two finishes: white and silver or black. They have active noise cancellation, enhanced bass and IPX5 water resistance. Through the control app on our phone, we can activate the low latency mode if we need it, in addition to changing many other interesting options here. If you want to learn more about them, you can watch our video analysis on YouTube.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Sony WF1000XM3
Once again, Sony WF1000XM3 This is another bet from the brand on in-ear headphones, but in this case, push-button ones. These are Sony’s best wireless headphones, offering excellent sound quality, as well as a noise canceling system that works very well. If you want to know everything about them, you can watch our video review that we leave you below.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Our video analysis:
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Available in stores at the end of August 2022. these new Galaxy Buds2 Pro are the logical continuation of the most premium line. Koreans when it comes to wireless headphones. This time we will have 24-bit HIFI audio, Active Noise Cancellation, 3 SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) microphones, Voice Detection to improve call outcomes, and 360-degree audio with 5. 1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos surround sound emulation options. Amen add by tracking our head to find the source of sound at the point we specify. Comprar en Amazon <<
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
This is the evolution of Buds Live, which appeared with the new Galaxy S22 from the Koreans. They have active noise cancellation and a very compact design. which are barely visible when we wear them. In addition, together with the case, they achieve almost 30 hours of battery life to listen to what we want for more than a whole day.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Powerbeats Pro
Moving on now to more activity oriented headphones, we have this Powerbeats Pro . Available in a variety of colors, these wireless headphones from the Beats brand offer up to 9 hours of range (depending on manufacturer), water and sweat resistance. Also, they have an Apple h2 chip, so if you have an iPhone, it will be very easy to sync it.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8
Bang & Olufsen is one of the brands for audio connoisseurs and in this case they have beoplay e8 in their in-ear catalog. In addition to a very thoughtful design, these headphones have a touch surface that allows you to control them without having to approach our phone. In addition to its own autonomy, the charging case gives us two additional full cycles.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Jabra Elite 75t
Another interesting model Jabra is Elite 75t . Very comfortable headphones that adapt well to the auditory pavilion and have good sound, as this manufacturer taught us. We tell you about our experience in your video review.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Our video analysis:
Apple AirPods Pro
And what about Apple AirPods Pro . The headphones are known both for their sound quality and for the design that this company puts into all their equipment. They have an active noise cancellation system that we can adjust to our liking from the phone.
>> Buy on Amazon <
AirPods (3rd generation)
The third generation of the legendary Apple headphones. move to the new design, more inspired by the Pro models, but with active noise cancellation and ear pads removed. Of course, we will enjoy the famous spatial sound, and they finally have a touch surface to control the playback of everything we hear.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Bose Quiet Comfort
Bose has one of the best in-ear headphones on the market, with top notch sound quality and exceptional noise cancellation. Although, perhaps, its main drawback Bose Quiet Comfort is its size. If you want to know more about this, you can watch our video analysis on YouTube.
>> Buy on Amazon <
Our video analysis: