The best wireless headphones of 2025

Master & Dynamic MW09: Master & Dynamic headphones and earphones have always featured a unique, eye-catching design that incorporates premium materials such as aluminum, sapphire glass and Kevlar. Its latest flagship true wireless earphones MW09 ($349) look quite similar to its earlier MW08 earphones, but have some improvements on the inside that provide better performance, especially when it comes to noise cancellation. The headphones sound great, but are mysteriously out of stock everywhere, so we dropped them from the best list. If they come back in stock we will add them back to this list.

Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS: What makes the Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS earphones special is that they sound surprisingly good for a relatively cheap open-back headphone – they’re pretty close to what you get from Apple’s AirPods 3 for sound (they’re a bit more than the AirPods 4, which offer improved sound from AirPods 3). They also support Sony’s LDAC audio codec for devices that offer it. Not many cheap open headphones sound good, but these Soundpeats have good bass response and clarity. They are also good for making calls and have a low latency gaming mode. Battery life is rated at 5 hours at moderate volume levels and they’re IPX4 splash resistant. (Apply the code WINGS2AI at checkout to receive an additional 13% discount).

Sennheiser CX: If you can’t afford Sennheiser’s flagship Momentum True Wireless 3 headphones, the CX are a good alternative. They feature very good sound, plus decent noise cancellation and voice call performance. The only problem is that they stick out a bit from your ears and may not fit some smaller ears. This model, which often sells for less than $100 on Amazon, lacks active noise cancellation, but the upgraded CX Plus does ( CX Plus also good value, especially when on sale).

Beats Studio Buds: The Beats Studio Buds look a lot like the rumored stemless AirPods that some people have been waiting for. Aimed at both iOS and Android users, they’re missing a few key Apple features (no H1 or W1 chip), but they’re small, lightweight true wireless headphones that are comfortable to wear and offer really good sound. Their noise cancellation isn’t as good as the AirPods Pro, but they have a transparency mode and are decent for making calls. Read our Beats Studio Buds review.

JBL Live Free 2: As of Live Pro 2JBL’s new Live Free 2 headphones are surprisingly good. With 11 mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicone tips, they combine a comfortable fit together with strong noise cancellation, very good sound quality and voice call performance. Features include multi-point Bluetooth pairing and wireless charging, and it’s rated for up to seven hours with IPX5 (splash-resistant) water resistance.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer improved noise cancellation along with very good sound and voice call performance, plus support for high-resolution wireless audio streaming if you own a Galaxy device with the right setup. Their biggest improvement might be their new design and smaller size, which makes them more suitable for more ears. Apart from their somewhat high price, their only drawback is that some of their main features only work with Samsung Galaxy devices. Read our full review.

JBL Tour Pro 2: JBL’s Tour Pro 2 headphones have gotten a lot of attention because they bring something new to true wireless headphones: a full-color touchscreen display built into the case that lets you access key headphone functions and control playback as well as adjust volume levels. the sound. It’s a bit of a gimmick, but also useful. While the headphones could sound a little better for their list price, overall the JBL Tour Pro 2s are very good headphones that offer a good fit, solid feature set, strong battery life, plus solid noise cancellation and voice call performance .

Sony LinkBuds S: Unlike the “open” LinkBuds, the LinkBuds S are traditional noise-canceling true wireless earbuds with tips that sit in your ears. They are more compact and lighter than Sony’s former flagship WF-1000XM4 and also feature Sony’s V1 processor (Sony released the more compact WF-1000XM5). While their sound suppression and noise cancellation doesn’t match either the XM4 or XM5, they’re still pretty good. They are the Sony headphones for people who can’t afford Sony’s flagship headphones but want 80% of the features and performance of these headphones for significantly less. Read more about them in our Sony LinkBuds S hands-on review.

Sony WF-1000XM4: Released in 2021, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 won the CNET Editors’ Choice award. They are still excellent headphones, but Sony has now released the next generation WF-1000XM5. They might be a good option if you find them at a good discount.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3: The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 were among the best new true wireless headphones of 2022. They’re still among the best truly wireless headphones out there, but Sennheiser has released the upgraded Momentum True Wireless 4. Also, the newer AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF -1000XM5 buds are arguably better, so look to only buy the Momentum True Wireless 3 when they are significantly reduced.

Beyerdynamic Free Byrd: Beyerdynamic may have been late to the game, but it’s finally introduced its first truly wireless headphones that feature active noise cancellation, up to 11 hours of battery life (with noise cancellation turned off), and impressive sound quality. Read our Beyerdynamic Free Byrd review.

Master & Dynamic MW08: These tips may not fit everyone’s ear equally well, but they certainly have a different look as well as excellent sound and great listening if you manage to stick them in tight (I was able to achieve a secure fit with the largest tip). They deliver a more than audiophile sound profile, with smooth, well-balanced sound and well-defined bass.

State between 3ANC: The Status headphones aren’t exactly the sleekest or most attractive headphones you can buy, but if you don’t mind their utilitarian look and giant handles, you’re getting a great-sounding set of earbuds. The Between 3ANC, the company’s first noise-cancelling true wireless headphones, also do a good job of canceling out ambient sound, though they don’t quite reach the noise-canceling level of the Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones. They performed very well in my voice call test, cutting out much of the background noise around me on the streets of New York while picking up my voice clearly, or so the callers told me.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX: Bang & Olufsen’s $399 Beoplay EX headphones are the company’s best truly wireless headphones. They feature a comfortable, secure fit (except perhaps for those with really smaller ears), premium build quality, great sound, good noise cancellation and improved voice call performance compared to B&O’s EQ headphones, with three microphones in each earpiece with which they help reduce background noise when picking up your voice. They’re out of most people’s price range, but they’re arguably the best earbuds with handles and offer slightly better sound than the AirPods Pro 2 with better clarity, deeper, more powerful bass, and richer, more -accurate sound.

JBL Live Pro 2: JBL has released some decent true wireless headphones over the years, but nothing that really excited me. That has finally changed with the arrival of Samsung’s new brand Live Pro 2 and Live free 2 pimples. Both sets of buds – the Live Pro 2 has handles, while the Live Free 2 has a pill-shaped design – offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise cancellation, very good sound quality and voice call performance, plus a robust feature set including multi-point Bluetooth pairing, IPX5 splash protection and wireless charging.

Sony Linkbuds: LinkBuds are, in a way, Sony’s answer to Apple’s standard AirPods. While they don’t sound as good as Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM4 or the Linkbuds S noise-cancelling headphones, they offer a discreet, innovative design and a more secure fit than AirPods, as well as decent sound and very good voice call performance. Like third-generation AirPods, their open design lets you hear the outside world—that’s what the ring is all about. Read our Sony Linkbuds review.

Amazon Echo Buds 2023: 2023 The Echo Buds impressed me in a few ways I didn’t expect. For starters, they sound good for a cheap open-back headphone, providing decent clarity and rich bass. But they also have a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, Alexa hands-free, and ear-detection sensors that stop your audio when you take one or both earbuds out of your ears. Their sound does not reach that of Apple’s AirPods 3which provide fuller bass and an overall fuller, smoother sound (they do better with more complex music recordings with many instruments playing at the same time). AirPods 3 cost about $150 and offer only about 15% to 20% better audio. In short, if you’re looking for open-back headphones — or “semi-open,” as these types of headphones are sometimes called — the Echo Buds are a good value at their $50 list price, and even easier to recommend when they go on sale for $35.