Whether or not you are listening to playlists in your day by day commute or zoning out with a podcast at house, wi-fi headphones could make your audio expertise rather more snug. With no cords to untangle or get caught in your bag, they’re an excellent choose for anybody who needs comfort with out compromising on sound high quality. If consolation and immersive audio are excessive in your precedence record, over-ear wi-fi headphones are sometimes the best way to go — they wrap round your ears to assist block out the world and ship wealthy detailed sound that earbuds can generally miss.
There’s a variety of over-ear wi-fi headphones to select from, whether or not you need energetic noise cancellation, lengthy battery life or a comfortable match for marathon listening periods. In fact, if you happen to’re after one thing just a little extra compact or tailor-made to a particular use case, we additionally have you ever lined with our purchasing guides for the greatest earbuds, the greatest gaming headsets and the greatest funds earbuds. But when wi-fi headphones with top-tier sound and a snug, over-ear design are what you are after, learn on — we’ve examined the highest choices that will help you discover the suitable pair.
Desk of contents
Finest wi-fi headphones for 2025
Billy Steele for Engadget
Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 30 hours | Weight: 0.55 kilos | Water resistance: None | Assistant assist: Bixby, Siri, Google Assistant | Colour choices: Black, Platinum Silver, and Midnight Blue
Learn our full Sony WH-1000XM6 assessment
Sony’s 1000X line has been our high choose for greatest wi-fi headphone for a very long time now. Till one other firm can pack in as many premium options as Sony, and accomplish that with a mixture of glorious sound high quality and efficient ANC, the crown is secure. With the WH-1000XM6, Sony subtly redesigned its flagship headphones, making them far more snug to put on for lengthy durations of time. This is a crucial issue to think about when buying over-ear headphones. We additionally seen in our assessments that the corporate made noticeable enhancements to the energetic noise cancellation, due to a brand new QN3 chip. There at the moment are 12 whole ANC mics as properly – the earlier mannequin solely had eight. This all combines to raised block background noise at medium and excessive frequencies, together with human voices.
The M6 additionally has improved sound high quality, due to new drivers, some assist from mastering engineers and spatial audio upmixing. Its battery life stays the identical 30 hours as its predecessor, which is greater than sufficient to get you thru a number of days of labor or lengthy worldwide flights. Converse-to-Chat nonetheless reduces quantity and prompts ambient sound if you speak and the M6 can robotically change noise settings primarily based in your location or exercise. The one actual draw back is that they’re $50 greater than the WH-1000XM5 at full worth ($450).
- Improved sound
- Higher ANC efficiency
- Tons of helpful options
- Supremely cozy
- Worth has elevated once more
- Converse-to-Chat nonetheless wants work
- Name high quality suffers in loud environments
Billy Steele for Engadget
Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 60 hours | Weight: 11.5 ounces | Water resistance: None | Assistant assist: Google Assistant, Siri | Colour choices: Black/Silver
Learn our full Noble Audio FoKus Apollo assessment
Noble Audio makes use of a singular driver configuration to supply extra detailed sound than the competitors. As a substitute of a single driver, the corporate makes use of two: one dynamic and one planar magnetic. The result’s the FoKus Apollo getting one of the best of each, with thick bass, clear highs and excessive readability.
You gained’t discover plenty of options right here. There may be respectable ANC efficiency, but it surely’s nowhere close to one of the best. You’ll additionally get glorious battery life, which is the second greatest purpose to purchase these headphones. Nonetheless, you’re paying primarily for the unimaginable sound high quality, which might not be sufficient for the excessive worth.
- Ridiculously good sound high quality
- Premium design and supplies
- Lengthy battery life
- Cozy match
- Very costly
- Restricted options
- Common ANC efficiency
Billy Steele for Engadget
Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 30 hours | Weight: 10.58 ounces | Water resistance: None | Assistant assist: Not specified | Colour choices: Anthracite Black, Canvas White, Indigo Blue
Learn our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 assessment
Bowers & Wilkins continues its run of stellar audio high quality on the Px7 S3. The corporate made tweaks to its sound platform with new 40mm bio cellulose drivers, discrete headphone amps and a TrueSound mode. There are additionally upgrades to ANC and slight design modifications. Plus, the corporate continues to be understating its battery life figures, so that you’ll get greater than anticipated by way of longevity right here.
- Glorious sound high quality
- Cozy match
- Refined design
- Costly
- Awkward button places
- A scarcity of superior options
Audio-Technica
Noise cancellation: No | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 60 hours | Weight: 1.42 kilos | Water resistance: None | Assistant assist: Not specified | Colour choices: Black, White
Audio-Technica has launched reasonably priced wi-fi headphones prior to now, and whereas they didn’t supply energetic noise cancellation, they’re nonetheless value contemplating. The corporate’s newest is the M20xBT, a Bluetooth model of the A-T’s well-liked M20x wired cans. For simply $79, you may count on a snug match and as much as 60 hours of battery life. Bluetooth multipoint connectivity permits you to hook up with a number of gadgets without delay and bodily buttons present dependable on-board management. The design isn’t as refined as the corporate’s pricer fashions just like the M50xBT2, however you get the majority of what makes Audio-Technica’s cheaper choices so good.
- Reasonably priced
- As much as 60 hours of battery life
- Multipoint connectivity
- Design is not as refined as opponents’
Photograph by Billy Steele / Engadget
Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 24 hours | Water resistance: None | Assistant assist: Google Assistant, Siri | Colour choices: Black, White Smoke, Lunar Blue, Deep Plum
Learn our full Bose QuietComfort Extremely assessment
Bose’s distinctive tackle spatial audio could be the headline function on its QuietComfort Extremely Headphones, however the firm didn’t overlook ANC on this mannequin (Make no mistake — Sony takes the crown right here for greatest ANC, however this Bose mannequin is an in depth second.) Described as “the quietest quiet” accessible on any of its headphones but, the ANC right here is noticeably higher than the Bose 700 and iconic QuietComfort Headphones. That is due partly to microphone enhancements that additionally enhance name high quality. The modifications are particularly obvious when coping with the hard-to-combat frequency vary of individuals speaking. The corporate additionally provides presets that blend ANC, transparency mode and its spatial Immersive Audio, permitting you to rapidly change the sound to match your environment. And if that wasn’t sufficient, the contact controls make these over-ear headphones a breeze to make use of — so that you get good noise cancelation, good sound and further comfort bundled on this package deal.
Whereas the spatial sound function is a little bit of a combined bag, the inventory tuning on the QuietComfort Extremely Headphones continues to be good – even earlier than you turn on Immersive Audio. Bose has usually lagged the competitors by way of sonic prowess, however these over-ear headphones present that hole is narrowing. There’s a touch extra bass to boost a default sound profile that’s hotter, clearer and extra inviting than earlier Bose fashions, leading to good sound general. When Immersive Audio hits, it’s wonderful and the audio high quality is really outstanding. However, the corporate is counting on sign processing reasonably than specifically crafted content material so the outcomes fluctuate.
- Glorious ANC
- Improved audio
- Clearer transparency mode
- Cozy
- Costly
- Immersive Audio is inconsistent
- No USB-C audio
Technics
Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 50 hours | Weight: 0.65 kilos | Water resistance: None | Assistant assist: Amazon Alexa | Colour choices: Black, Silver
Again at CES 2022, Panasonic introduced the EAH-A800: a brand new set of energetic noise canceling headphones beneath the long-lasting Technics model. Whereas many of the options are what you see on any variety of wi-fi headphones, one determine stood out. The corporate says you may count on as much as 50 hours of battery life on the A800, and that’s with energetic noise cancellation enabled. Whereas we’ve not put them by means of the total assessment evaluation, I’ve already examined them on an extended flight. The ANC is spectacular they usually’re snug sufficient to keep away from changing into a burden after a number of hours or many lengthy listening periods. Sound high quality can also be fairly good (there’s LDAC assist, too) and there are sufficient options right here to justify the premium price ticket.
- 50-hour battery life with ANC turned on
- Snug design
- Good sound high quality
MASTER & DYNAMIC
Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Battery life: 28 hours | Weight: 0.75 kilos | Water resistance: None | Assistant assist: Suitable with native voice assistants | Colour choices: Silver Steel / Brown Leather-based, Black Steel / Black Leather-based, Silver Steel / Navy Leather-based, Silver Steel / Black Leather-based, Gunmetal / Black Leather-based, Gunmetal / Navy Leather-based, Silver Steel / Gray Leather-based
Whereas Grasp & Dynamic is understood for its design prowess, the corporate’s over-ear headphones had been due for a refresh. With the MW75 that debuted in June, the corporate opted for a glance that takes cues from its MG20 gaming headphones and mixes them with a combo of aluminum, leather-based and tempered glass. The corporate’s trademark sound high quality returns with a number of ANC modes and ambient sound choices for a spread of conditions. At $599, the high-end appears don’t come low cost, however if you happen to’re searching for one thing past the pure plastic vogue of most headphones, M&D has you lined.
- Luxurious design made with premium supplies
- A number of ANC modes
How to decide on one of the best wi-fi headphones for you
With regards to looking for an excellent pair of wi-fi headphones, the very first thing you’ll have to determine on is put on type. Do you favor on-ear or over-ear headphones? For the needs of our purchaser’s information, we deal with the over-ear type as that’s what most noise-canceling headphones are these days. Certain, you will discover on-ear fashions with ANC, however over-ear designs are rather more efficient at blocking sound. Talking of noise cancellation, you’ll need to decide early on if you happen to even need that. If you happen to continuously crank up the beats in noisy environments, you’ll need to not solely be sure it’s there, but additionally be sure it’s good, ideally with adaptive ANC. If you happen to plan to make use of your new headphones in quieter areas, skipping ANC can prevent some cash.
The following space to think about is options. We advocate attempting to get essentially the most bang in your buck, however as you’re buying round you need to decide which gadgets are must-haves and what you may stay with out. And don’t take basic items like computerized pausing and Bluetooth multipoint connectivity without any consideration, as not all corporations embody them. We additionally recommend studying critiques to see how properly an organization’s extra superior options work. It will aid you determine if these are one thing you’re keen to (possible) pay additional for. Keep watch over higher battery life estimates to keep away from disappointment, as some producers promise extra hours than real-world testing delivers. And don’t be simply swayed by lofty guarantees about name high quality with out verifying them.
Sound could be subjective, so we advocate attempting before you purchase if in any respect potential. We perceive this isn’t simple at a time after we’re doing most of our buying on-line. However attempting on a set of headphones and listening to them for a couple of minutes can prevent from an costly case of purchaser’s regret. We additionally advocate being attentive to issues like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, 360 Actuality Audio and different immersive codecs. Not all headphones assist them, so that you’ll need to be sure a perspective pair does if that type of factor excites you. If you happen to plan to make use of your headphones for different media apart from music, checking for latency can also be a should — some delay can influence playback for issues like films or video games, even when most true wi-fi headphones now supply minimal lag.
How we check over-ear headphones
The first means we check wi-fi headphones is to put on them as a lot as potential. We choose to do that over a one- to two-week interval, however generally embargoes don’t permit it. Throughout this time, we take heed to a mixture of music and podcasts, whereas additionally utilizing the earbuds to take each voice and video calls. Since battery life for headphones could be 30 hours or extra, we drain the battery with looping music and the amount set at a snug stage (often round 75 p.c). As a result of longer battery estimates, we’ll sometimes energy the headphones off a number of occasions and go away them throughout a assessment. This simulates real-world use and retains us from having to consistently monitor the method for over 24 straight hours.
To guage one of the best Bluetooth headphones, we deal with higher-quality audio by listening to quite a lot of genres and paying shut consideration to how every type sounds. We additionally check at each high and low volumes to examine for consistency within the tuning. To evaluate the standard of telephone calls, we’ll document audio samples with the headphones’ microphones in addition to have third events name us.
With regards to options, we do an intensive assessment of companion apps, testing every function as we work by means of the software program. Any holdovers from earlier fashions are double checked for enhancements or regression. If the headphones we’re testing are an up to date model of a earlier mannequin, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older set. Ditto for the closest competitors for every new set of headphones that we assessment.
Different wi-fi headphones we examined
AirPods Max
Apple’s AirPods Max are premium, well-designed over-ear headphones that incorporate all the greatest options you discover on normal AirPods: stable noise cancelation, spatial audio and simple Siri entry. Nevertheless, their $550 beginning worth makes them nearly prohibitively costly, even for Apple customers. There are higher choices accessible at decrease costs, however if you happen to can choose up the AirPods Max at a steep low cost, they may be worthwhile for the most important Apple followers amongst us.
Dyson On-Trac
The On-Trac headphones have an nearly infinitely customizable design, and that’s what’s most unusual about them. The sound profile provides some good element, however lacks dynamic vary general. ANC is common at greatest and there aren’t any superior options that can make your life simpler. Nicely, apart from the listening to well being monitor which is definitely helpful. All instructed, that’s not quite a bit in a set of $500 headphones.
Sonos Ace
The Sonos Ace is a wonderful debut for the corporate’s first headphones. The mix of refined design, nice sound high quality and residential theater tips creates a singular method. Nevertheless, ANC efficiency is simply okay and key performance continues to be within the works for a lot of customers.
Sony ULT Put on
If most headphones don’t have the extent of bass you need, the ULT Put on is an choice to think about. The low-end thump isn’t for everybody, however there are additionally loads of helpful options and a refined look to make the $200 set extra compelling than many on this worth vary.
Sony WH-CH720N
Whereas the WH-CH720N are an excellent reasonably priced choice, we choose the Audio-Technica within the funds class. Sony’s cans are light-weight with good sound high quality, however ANC struggles at occasions they usually’re made with plenty of plastic.
Beats Studio Professional
The Studio Professional lacks fundamental options like computerized pausing, and multipoint connectivity is just accessible on Android. Furthermore, they’re not very snug for folks with bigger heads. General sound high quality is improved, although, and voice efficiency on calls is properly above common.
Bose QuietComfort Extremely headphones
Bose’s newest flagship mannequin has quite a bit to supply, however its trademark Immersive Audio function could be inconsistent throughout several types of music. There’s nonetheless world-class ANC, glorious consolation and a clearer transparency mode, however for the worth, the non-Extremely mannequin is a more sensible choice proper now.
Grasp & Dynamic MH40 (2nd gen)
The MH40 are an excellent set of headphones if you happen to favor crisp, clear and pure sound that isn’t overly tuned. This pair showcases the corporate’s affinity for leather-based and metallic too, however restricted customization and brief battery life for non-ANC cans stored this set from making the reduce.
Bowers & Wilkins Px8
The corporate’s trademark pristine sound is on show right here, however the Px8 are dearer and never almost as snug because the Px7 S2.
Wi-fi headphones FAQs
How will you inform the standard of wi-fi headphones?
I sometimes take a look at three components: design, sound high quality and options. By way of design, I’m often trying to see if the construct high quality of the headphones feels low cost and plasticky. Loads of corporations use plastic, however they’ll accomplish that in a means that doesn’t look or really feel like funds fashions. For sound high quality, I need to hear a pleasant, even tuning the place highs, mids and lows are all properly represented. No overly boomy bass or scooped out mids. I additionally need good readability the place you may choose up high-quality particulars and an open, immersive soundstage. Options is usually a distant third, but when an organization doesn’t cowl fundamental performance (computerized pausing, transparency mode, multipoint Bluetooth, and so on.) it may be a sign of general high quality.
How do I select the very best quality wi-fi headphones?
“Finest” could be fairly subjective, however I all the time advocate going to a spot the place you may take heed to the headphones you’re excited about shopping for earlier than you commit. Generally this isn’t potential, so that you’ll need to examine return insurance policies. I additionally advocate doing a little analysis to find out what your priorities are in a brand new set. Are you an audiophile who needs one of the best sound high quality? Is highly effective energetic noise cancellation (ANC) crucial? Would you reasonably have conveniences like computerized pausing?
Which model has one of the best wi-fi headphones?
Sony persistently tops our record with its 1000X line. That is largely because of the mixture of sound high quality, ANC efficiency and the truckload of options these headphones pack in. I’ll be the primary to inform you that there are higher sounding choices and different corporations, like Bose, supply more practical noise cancellation. However if you add the whole lot up, nobody comes near the total slate of instruments Sony places in its premium headphone line.
Do costly wi-fi headphones sound higher?
Exorbitant worth tags don’t imply higher audio high quality. Bowers & Wilkins’ headphones are on the excessive finish for wi-fi noise-canceling fashions they usually sound wonderful. Nevertheless, Audio-Technica’s M50xBT2 is rather more reasonably priced and doesn’t have ANC, however these headphones have a heat, pure sound profile that I discover very inviting. On the finish of the day, it can come down to private desire, however you don’t want to spend so much to seek out nice headphones.
