The best headphones in 2025

Read our full review of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.

If you want good ANC but also value clear and well-rounded sound, these are your headphones. Whether you really like to blast your music, or just want to hear the lows, highs, and mids of a song, the WH-1000XM5s are the headphones on our list most likely to deliver.

Sony's flagship noise-cancelling headphones produce a balanced sound that let your music shine, while giving you enough ANC to block ambient noise.

Here's what Mashable Deputy Shopping and Reviews Editor Miller Kern had to say about listening to Brandi Carlile’s “Right on Time” on the XM5 headphones: "The vocals and instruments all got to shine, and the headphones made it feel like I was there in the studio. These are probably the best-sounding headphones I’ve ever tried." That audio quality, combined with their comfort and effective noise cancelling, is what earned them a Mashable Choice Award. And if you're intimidated by messing around with an equalizer, the app presets, along with the "Find Your Equalizer" feature, make it easy to find the sound settings that hit just right.

Their portability factor could be a little better — the ear cups don't fold in — but chances are, you'll want to be listening to them most of the time, anyway. When you are on the go, the microphone is another standout feature. Kern relayed that even on a walk home in New York City, she could hear who she was calling perfectly, and be heard herself without any background noise getting in the way. As an added bonus, they have a battery life that beats the Bose QC Ultras by a good six hours, offering some of the best battery we've seen from premium over-ear headphones.

Apple products are pricey but Apple users know why. Apple’s ever-evolving tech sets the standard, from laptops to earbuds. It’s little wonder then that the Apple AirPods Pro 2 make it to the upper tier of this list. As far as earbuds go these are close to unbeaten. And for Apple users they're almost a lifestyle choice.?You’ll realise just how smart they are straight out of the box.?

Apple's audio tech range has come a long way since those little wired buds that came free with your iPhone and leaked sound to the whole train carriage. Powered by Apple’s H2 chip, the AirPods Pro offer a more elegant sound than ever before and solid noise cancellation.?

Their first port of call is to scan your ears and tell you whether the tips you’re using (they come with three size options) fit properly. The tips have an internal taper, which conforms to the shape of your ear, securing them with tight seal. But they’re so lightweight, you’ll barely notice them in your ears.?

Already blocking out external sounds with their tightly-sealed design, the AirPods Pro add active noise cancellation, which uses both inward and outward facing microphones to keep you fully immersed. There’s a transparency mode too. The ANC even adapts to the geometry of your ear. The sound quality is similarly designed — Adaptive EQ automatically tunes and tweaks the music to suit the shape of your ear.

They’re brilliantly simple to use, too. Just give the stems a little squeeze for playback and to activate noise cancellation features. Other features include Siri, Audio Sharing — which allows two sets of AirPods to connect to the same audio — and a charging case for 24 hours’ worth of juice.

The German-built Sennheiser brand has been perfecting the art (and it very much is art) of masterful audio technology for generations. The family-owned manufacturer is well known for highly durable craftsmanship. Their headphones are built both to last and excel in performance. It’s no coincidence than Sennheiser is a go-to brand for serious audiophiles.?

We've already hailed previous models from their Momentum series as some of the best headphones around. With this upgrade, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, the company has outdone itself once again — a five-star set of headphones that are as good as anything you'll find from any of the top brands.

And upgrade is certainly the word. These headphones outstrip their predecessor with a 60-hour battery life, which is the best you'll find on this list by a significant margin. That's double Sony's best effort.

They're feature packed, too, with nice touches that include adaptive noise cancellation — which you increase or lower by swiping your fingers over the ear cups — plus the ability to set EQ and noise cancellation levels for specific location, which kick in whenever you enter said location. Everything's adjustable from with the easy-to-use Sennheiser Smart Control app.?

Most important for an audiophile pair such as these is the sound quality. And sound doesn't get much better than you'll get with these: Big, nuanced, and full of character. They pick out details within a rich, full-bodied soundscape. The audio is further bolstered by high-end codecs and the souped-up ANC.

As with other Sennheiser models, headphones like this are not made for fitness, so if exercise is part of your listening routine these aren’t for you.

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are an update of Beats’ first ever fitness earbuds, which combined the booming audio smarts of Beats and all the tech brilliance of Apple. The big upgrade is an optical heart rate sensor in each ear. The heart rate sensor obviously works with the iPhone Health app but will also sync with other fitness apps for Android users.

Powered by Apple’s H2 chip, they boast Beats’ best ANC performance so far, including an excellent transparency mode, as well as spatial audio with head tracking and easy syncing with all tour Apple devices. That includes support for Apple Vision Pro. It goes without saying that the sound quality is excellent. That’s the crux of Beats’ rep in the premium audio world.

The reinforced design means they’re super secure. And let’s be honest: Most earbuds, even fitness-specific models, come a little loose during workouts. But these will hold on no matter what type of exercise you’re bossing at the time. Running, gym, CrossFit, whatever. They stay put thanks to a flexible silicon arm that clings on to the back of the ears. But they’re also pleasingly unobtrusive — not to mention sweat resistant for when the workout gets seriously hot and heavy.

These buds also packing plenty of power — up to 10 hours on their own or 45 hours with the charging case. Other bonuses include intuitive controls, access to Siri, and a far interesting selection of colours (including electric orange and hyper purple) than you get with most headphones.

And while price might be off-putting — it’s a big price for such little buds — these are investment for staying motivated with great sounding workouts. Though it's also a shame you can't connect these to multiple devices at once.

There are some advantages to closed-back headphones, such as noise cancellation and immersive sound, but open-backed headphones offer a more authentic, organic sound.?Open-back headphones make it sound like the band is playing in the same room as you, not just pumping into your ears.

For a great pair of open-backed headphones, we recommend the GRADO SR80x. The Brooklyn-based Grado really know their stuff and they're highly rated among audio purists. They're expert level headphones.

And for mid-level headphones, the Grado SR80x create a truly relaxed experience. They deliver warm tones with full-bodied vocals and smooth and dynamic sound.??You won't just hear the music, you'll feel it too.

The drawbacks are that they’re wired and — due to the open-backed design — they will leak sound. That means these are best used in your dorm when you’re alone. But that’s just part and parcel of getting that superior sound.

There are wireless headphones available from Grado but they'll cost pretty much double, which isn't very student friendly.

You simply cannot talk about the best headphones without giving at least an appreciative nod in the direction of JBL — it has emerged as one of the most popular headphone brands, enjoying the kind of popularity that ranks it alongside more expensive names.?JBL caters for different price points, but where it really pulls ahead is in the mid-level range. Its more affordable options really strike that balance of price and performance. ?

The JBL Tune 660NC are wireless Bluetooth headphones that look the part, with premium style and hard-wearing plastic. Large, over-ear cups create a comfortable seal that blocks out external sound — that's before you've switched on active noise cancellation. The cups swivel and fold inwards for storage and portability. The padding can handle plenty of listening action. They can last literally years before you notice any wear and tear.?

The crucial part is performance. The sound is solid and packed with bass. Some reviewers have argued too much bass. That's good if bass is your thing, but not so much if you’re precious about picking out nuances in the mids and highs.?

The ANC is as good as it gets at this price. Just one push of the button and the ANC activates — you’ll immediately hear the difference. Add to that Ambient Aware technology for transparent mode, plus a TalkThru feature that lowers the music while amplifying voices.

The buttons on JBL headphones can be slightly fiddly — they're not quite as intuitive as some headsets — but you’ll soon feel your way around them.?Plus, they have a handy multi-point pairing feature, which means these can hook up with two devices at once. At this price, these 'phones are incredible value.

The British-made Bower & Wilkins are continuously breaking ground and upping the quality of high-end, crystal-clear headphones. Even if you’re used to the very best names in audio tech, you’ll find the specs of the Bower & Wilkins PI7 to be very competitive.

The sound is exceptional — in fact, Bower & Wilkins rival the likes of Sennheiser for audio quality. The Bowers & Wilkins P17 have Dual Hybrid Drive units with individual amplifiers. These are designed by the same technicians who produced Bowers & Wilkins’ high-performance Diamond Series speakers (as used in the iconic Abbey Road Studios).?

They’re also packed with six microphones for perfect sound and call quality — plus, adaptive noise cancelling, which uses these tiny microphones to react in real time to stop external noise from ever reaching your ears. Be warned, however: If top-of-the-range noise cancellation is a deal breaker, there are better performing noise cancellation headphones out there.

The?Bower & Wilkins PI7 are especially good if you’re a fan of watching Netflix and other streaming apps on your phone. They support aptX Adaptive, one of the best, most up-to-date codecs around. The aptX Adaptive codec has an always-adjusting bitrate, which means the best possible sound at an impressively low latency. The codec keeps everything in sync and ensures your movies and shows are both lag and glitch-free.?

There’s another nice feature for watching. The charging case acts as a unique retransmission system, which can be plugged directly into an audio source and will retransmit the sound to your earbuds. For instance, if you’re on a flight, the case plugs straight into the in-flight system. The sound just flies.

Read our full review of the Sony ULT Wear headphones.

If you don't need a fancy custom equalizer to know you like punching up the bass ten out of ten times, the new Sony ULT Wear headphones are made for you. Our reviewer praised these headphones for offering balanced sound and powerful bass, a rare combo. These are also a great pick for those looking for a more affordable alternative to the WH-1000XM5s.

Sony released the ULT line in April 2024 (and added to it in April 2025), and considering the price, they're some of the best Sony headphones ever made. They're designed for anyone who's a fan of bass. In addition to the equalizer in the app, the headphones have a dedicated ULT button that lets you bump up the bass on demand. The 40-millimeter driver keeps it sounding clear and not crispy, making these headphones a worthy competitor to the WH-1000XM5s, our top pick for the best-sounding noise-cancelling headphones.

When testing the two headphones side by side, Kern found that while both headphones sounded great, "the ULT Wear’s sound was fuller and felt more like surround sound. And even on the standard setting, the bass sounded richer on the ULTs." We still stand by the WH-1000XM5s as a better pick for audiophiles, but Kern makes a strong case for buying these over the XM5s. "[To] the average person, I’d say the ULT Wears are the winners — especially for those who prioritize bass and fullness in their audio." For $100 cheaper, these are a more than fair alternative to Sony's flagship headphones.