• Upgraded design with wider headband and slightly more comfortable fit
• Dual-hinge allows you to fold headphones up and fit into a new, smaller case
• Best-in-class noise-canceling and natural-sounding transparency mode
• Excellent sound quality with enhanced detail, clarity and bass performance
• New, more powerful QN3 chip (seven times faster than previous QN1)
• Top-notch voice-calling performance with six beam-forming microphones
• Spatial audio with head tracking using 360 Reality Audio technology

• Premium price point that's $50 higher than previous model
• No USB-C audio option for digital wired listening
• Spatial audio implementation lacks clear on/off controls

Why I like them

Over the last several years, Sony has made some of thebest noise-canceling headphones on the market, so it's a big deal when the company comes out with a new flagship model, like the WH-1000XM6, which arrives three years after the release of the WH-1000XM5. Though the XM5 was -- and still is -- one of thetop over-ear Bluetooth headphones, there's always room for improvement. With the XM6, Sony has fixed the small design flaws of its predecessor while bumping up the overall performance. The result is a headphone that's arguably edged just ahead of the competition and is now at the top of its class.Read my WH-1000XM6 review.

Reasons to buy

The WH-1000XM6 are excellent for frequent travelers, remote workers and commuters who demand top-tier sound quality, noise cancellation and call quality in a very comfortable headphone. If you can afford the high price, you'll appreciate what Sony has achieved here.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

If you're budget-conscious or already own Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones, you should hold off until they go on sale. They offer some significant improvements over the XM5s, but not enough to justify rushing to upgrade at full price.

• Lightweight, comfortable design with dual-hinges that fold both up and flat
• Superb noise canceling that rivals Sony's for ANC on the market
• Slightly improved sound quality with new immersive-audio Cinema Mode
• USB-C audio
• Excellent voice-calling performance with minimal background noise
• Intuitive mix of physical buttons and touch controls

• Unclear what hardware changes Bose has made and this model looks almost identical to the previous model
• Pricey
• Immersive audio mode hurts battery life (30 to 24 hours)

Why I like them

While the new-for-2025 Ultras look almost exactly the same as the originalQuietComfort Ultra Headphones that were released in 2023 -- and it's unclear exactly what's changed from a hardware standpoint -- this second-gen model features several enhancements, including slightly better sound, improved noise cancellation, USB-C audio, a new immersive-audio Cinema Mode and improved battery life (it's now rated for up to 30 hours instead of 24 hours and the headphones can now be charged during use via the USB-C port).

For noise canceling, these are neck-and-neck with Sony's new WH-1000XM6 headphones as the two companies battle it out for ANC supremacy. Before this 2nd-gen model arrived, I had the Sony XM6s slightly ahead, but with the small but noticeably improvements Bose has made, it's hard to say which headphone is better. It may come down to how they feel on your head -- both are quite comfortable though.

Reasons to buy

They're a good choice for frequent travelers, commuters and professionals who want comfortable, well-designed headphones with impressive overall performance, including superb noise-muffling capabilities.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Those who are on a tighter budget should obviously look toward more midrange and budget headphones options.

• Eye-catching, premium design is made out of premium material and is slightly slimmer and lighter
• Upgraded ear pads for more comfortable fit
• Upgraded biocellulose drive units powered by discrete amplifier improves the sound quality
• Improved noise-canceling and voice-calling performance with 8 microphones
• USB-C audio for lossless wired connection

• Premium price ($50 more expensive than PX7 S2)
• Noise canceling isn't quite up to the level of Sony's and Bose's
• Headphones fold flat but not up (no dual-hinge)
• At default setting, treble may be a touch too aggressive (forward) for some folks

Why I like them

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 may not be the company's flagship headphones (the newPX8 S2 are), but they're arguably the better value as the PX8 S2 cost a whopping $799. While that step-up model does have a little swankier finish, as well as upgraded drivers that make the headphones sound better (the PX8 S2 do sound superb), the two headphones are quite similar looking. Like the PX8 S2, the PX7 S3 offer improved sound quality and superior noise canceling in a trimmer design (300 grams) that fit my head more comfortably. As I said, the drivers aren't the same as the PX8 S2's carbon cone drivers, but the redesigned 40mm biocellulose drive units have an improved chassis, voice coil, suspension and magnet that, according to B&W, deliver "lower coloration and distortion, improved resolution and superior dynamics."Read my review.

Reasons to buy

The sleekly designed, swanky Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 are excellent noise-canceling headphones that are a clear improvement over their predecessor. That said, the biggest reason to buy these over Sony's WH-1000XM6 headphones, which carry the same list price, is that you like their look better. They also feature USB-C audio, while the XM6 don't.

Reason to skip/keep looking

From an aesthetic standpoint, I prefer the design of the PX7 S3 to the Sony WH-1000XM6. But I can't say the PX7 S3 are any more comfortable or sound better (I slightly preferred the sound of the Sony, in fact). The Sonys offer slightly better noise canceling and voice-calling performance, along with some extra features such as Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention mode. If you already own the earlier PX7 S2e, it's probably not worth shelling out full price for PX7 S3. The same is true if you own Bowers & Wilkins' flagship PX8, which could get the S2 treatment this year. The PX7 S3 sounds more exciting than the PX8, but it's debatable whether it sounds better. I would give the slight nod to the PX8 but that's just my personal taste.

• Comfortable fit with an attractive, sturdy design
• Affordable price
• Very good sound for the price
• Decent noise-canceling and voice-calling performance
• Strong battery life
• Hard case included

• Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio mode doesn't really improve the sound
• Noise canceling could be a little better
• No USB-C audio or ear-detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off

Why I like them

Baseus has two new-for-2025 earbuds -- the Inspire XP1 and Inspire XC1 -- and one set of full-size headphones (the Inspire XH1) that feature Sound by Bose, and they're all good values. They have impressive sound for their price, a more premium design than most "value" headphones and good performance overall. The XH1 are not only fairly lightweight (275 grams) and comfortable to wear, but they have decent build quality, respectable noise canceling and voice-calling performance, as well as very good battery life. I also liked how they not only fold up but fold flat and come with a carrying case and a 3.5mm cable for wired listening. Their controls for playback are also good, though I had to dig into the instructions to figure out that you hold down the volume buttons to advance tracks forward and back.Read review.

Reasons to buy

You're looking for a comfortable, well-designed set of noise-canceling headphones that sound good and cost a lot less than premium models from Sony, Bose and others.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Premium flagship models from Bose and Sony offer better sound and noise-canceling performance. In other words, you can only expect so much from headphones at this price.

• Design upgrades to the buds and ear tips improve their fit
• Noise cancellation has been upgraded and is now top-notch
• They sound better with improved bass response and more clarity
• Built-in heart-rate monitoring with new sensors
• Excellent voice-calling performance (upgraded microphones)
• Battery life rated for up to 8 hours (up from 6 for AirPods Pro 2)

• They still use the H2 chip found in the AirPods Pro 2
• Heart-rate monitoring is buried in fitness apps
• While they work with Android, many of their features are exclusive to Apple devices
• Some new colors would be nice

Why I like them
While I didn't get a new H3 chip and I was hoping that the charging case would be able toconvert into a Bluetooth transceiver to use the buds on a plane with an inflight entertainment system, I did get most of what I was looking for in the AirPods Pro 3. The changes may seem incremental to some folks, but all the key elements such as fit, sound quality and noise cancellation have been noticeably leveled up along with single-charge battery. They're about as close as earbuds get to being complete: excellent noise cancellation, strong voice-calling performance and sound quality that rivals the very best. Few buds excel in all three areas -- and the Pro 3s manage it while packing in plenty of extra features, including their new heart-rate monitoring feature.Read my full review.

Reasons to buy
As I said, these buds are significantly improved in the four most important areas: fit, sound quality, noise cancellation and battery life. The result is that you don't feel like you're making any compromises when buying the AirPods Pro 3 if you're an Apple user.

Reasons to skip/keep looking
While they work with Android devices, you lose many of the AriPods 3's extra features if you're not using them with Apple devices and its iPhones and iPad in particular. They also may just be a little too expensive for many folks.

• Relatively lightweight and comfortable
• Not only fold flat but fold up into a nicely designed crossbody travel bag
• Very good sound after tweaking EQ settings
• Well-designed physical controls
• Good noise-canceling and voice-calling performance
• THX spatial audio with head tracking
• Strong battery life (up to 50 hours with ANC on)

• No USB-C audio
• Fairly pricey
• No support for LDAC and AptX audio codecs (AAC and SBC only)

Why I like them

We reviewedSkullcandy's wired Aviator Roc Nation headphones all the way back in 2011. Now Skullcandy's brought the Aviator design back in a wireless noise-canceling model called the Aviator 900 ANC headphones. They kind of surprised me because Skullcandy is better known for its Crusher headphones, which deliver bone-rattling bass but not so-called premium-sounding headphones. However, the Aviator 900, developed in partnership with THX, deliver surprisingly impressive sound. They're not so great out of the box, but after you make some tweaks to the EQ in the app and turn on the THX spatial audio, the sound improves dramatically and is arguably more exciting than the newNothing Headphone (1)'s sound and more fun to listen to.

Like the Nothing Headphones (1), the Aviator 900 ANC also list for $300 and have a translucent theme. However, the Aviator 900 is lighter (289 grams) and more comfortable to wear. Plus, it not only folds flat but folds up into a well-designed crossbody travel bag (you can remove the strap) and has some nifty physical control buttons (I also liked the integrated mini LED display, though it's value is dubious because you can't see it while you have the headphones on). It, too, features good noise-canceling and voice-calling performance, though the Nothing Headphone (1) may have a slight edge in those departments. Even so, I slightly preferred Skullcandy headphones for their fit and sound, especially after a firmware upgrade fixed an early issue that some people experienced with the sound distorting at higher volumes.

Reasons to buy

The Aviator 900 ANC headphones offer a comfortable fit and strong overall performance in a unique, eye-catching design. They also seem to regularly go on sale for $200, which makes them significantly more affordable than the Sony WH-1000XM6 and other premium noise-canceling headphones.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The headphones are fairly pricey, so you may want to wait for them to go on sale. They've dipped to as low as $200 during Amazon Prime Day, and I suspect we'll see them sporadically discounted to near $200 as we head into the holiday buying season.

• Surprisingly comfortable for their weight
• Impressive sound and build-quality
• Adaptive noise canceling is top-notch and so is transparency mode
• Good headset performance for calls
• Spatial audio virtual surround for iPhones and iPads is a sweet bonus feature
• Automatic switching between iOS devices on your iCloud account (multipoint Bluetooth)

• Expensive, heavy and the smart case may be too smart for its own good
• No cable included for wired use
• Android users lose a couple of key features
• People around you can hear what you're listening to if you have the volume up (they leak some sound)
• Equipped with Apple's H1 chip, not the newer H2

Why I like them

In late 2024, Apple updated the AirPods Max with USB-C charging -- instead of Lightning -- and added new color options but didn't upgrade the headphones in any other ways that we're aware of. Yes, they're expensive, but the AirPods Max deliver impressive sound quality, excellent noise canceling, very good voice-calling performance, as well as high-end build quality (aluminum ear cups and stainless steel telescoping arms) and Apple's virtual surround spatial audio feature with head tracking. While they're heavy, they manage to be surprisingly comfortable, though I did have to adjust the mesh canopy headband to sit a little more forward on my head to get a comfortable secure fit when I was out walking with them. It's also worth noting that Appleenabled USB-C audio for the AirPods Max in March of 2024.Read my review of the original Lightning-enabled AirPods Max.

What that means is that you can use the included USB-C charging cable to connect the headphones to your USB-C-equipped PC, phone or tablet to get lossless audio (the sound quality is slightly improved with wired listening, especially if you're listening to lossless audio files). While Apple doesn't include a USB-C-to-3.5mm cable -- yes, such a cable should be included with headphones that cost this much -- it will sell you one for $39.

Reasons to buy

Yes, they're pricey, but the AirPods Max remain top-notch noise-canceling headphones that are right there with Sony's and Bose's flagship models. Like other AirPods, they have some Apple-only only features, including spacial audio with head-tracking and automatic switching between Apple devices, that Apple users will appreciate.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

While the AirPods Max were updated with USB-C connectivity, which has some advantages, they haven't been substantially upgraded since their release in 2020. I'd like to see them at least updated with Apple's more powerful H2 chip (they're equipped with the H1 chip) that delivers some additional features and is available in the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, as well as the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. Could we get an AirPods Max 2 in 2026? Maybe.

• Sleek, sturdy design and comfortable fit
• Excellent sound quality with rich, well-balanced audio
• Very good noise canceling and strong voice-calling performance with effective background noise reduction
• Spatial audio with head-tracking for both iOS and Android
• USB-C audio for digital lossless wired connection
• TV Audio Swap feature for Sonos users

• Premium price point
• Not true Wi-Fi headphones, despite having Wi-Fi chip
• TV Audio Swap can be a little glitchy

Why I like them

A lot of people expected Sonos' first headphones to be able to stream lossless audio over Wi-Fi in your home and then use Bluetooth outside your Sonos home network. However, Sonos reps told me that listening to music over Wi-Fi would greatly reduce the headphone's battery life and the company opted to leave that feature off. So even though they're equipped with a Wi-Fi chip so you can tap into a Sonos sound bar at home for private late-night viewing (Sonos refers to this as the TV Audio Swap feature), they're not really Wi-Fi headphones and are first and foremost noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones -- and I was mostly quite impressed by them.Read my Sonos Ace review.

Sleekly designed, at 312 grams, they're not as light as the 254-gram Sony WH-1000XM6s or the 253-gram Bose QuietComfort Ultras, but they're considerably lighter than the 385-gram AirPods Max and I found them quite comfortable to wear, with a relatively small gap between the headband and my head (they hugged my head nicely with just the right amount of clamping). I also appreciated tat their chrome metal yoke allows the headphones to swivel in multiple directions -- the hinge is hidden - and the ear cups adhere magnetically like they do on the AirPods Max and are replaceable, which is good.

All in all, the Sonos Ace headphones perform very well across the board with strong noise canceling, excellent sound quality and very good voice-calling performance. Well balanced, they're clean sounding with nice detail and sparkle in the treble along with punchy, powerful bass that doesn't get boomy. Vocals sounded natural and the headphones have a relatively wide soundstage. It's also good to see that the headphones have USB-C audio support (wired listening with a USB-C cable) and spatial audio with head-tracking.

Reasons to buy

The Sonos Ace are one of the top noise-canceling headphones on the market, rivaling flagship models from Sony, Apple and Bose. Now that they've been out for more than a year, we're seeing some good discounts on them, which makes them a better value, and a potential alternative to Sony's new WH-1000XM6 headphones. While you don't have to be an owner of Sonos speakers to buy them, Sonos soundbar owners can leverage the TV Audio Swap feature for private late-night viewing (the Ace delivers virtual surround sound in this mode).

Reasons to skip/keep looking

You can make the argument that Sony's new WH-1000XM6 are slightly better overall for around the same price (I'm talking list price -- and yes, they're too pricey for some folks). But with the Ace selling for as low as $330, they're an easier sell.

• Excellent sound and improved noise-canceling that's truly impressive
• Fit Kit ear tips and stabilizer system gets you a secure, comfortable fit
• New Immersive Audio Cinema mode for video content that also improves speech clarity for spoken-word content
• Slightly improved voice-calling
• Wireless charging has finally been added

• Hardware changes don't really amount to a true 2.0 product
• Immersive Audio mode hurts battery life

Why I like them

As far as the hardware goes, the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) look exactly the same as the original QC Ultra Earbuds, although Bose has added a new plum color to the line. There are two small changes. The 2nd Gen Ultra Earbuds now support wireless charging, a feature that should have been available with the originals. The included ear tips now have wax guards, a fancy way of saying there's a silicone mesh that now covers the holes in the tips.

The reality is, they don't seem like a true 2.0 product. But they do feature improved adaptive noise canceling that's truly impressive (it's neck-and-neck with the Apple AirPods Pro 3's noise canceling for the best ANC in a set of earbuds), along with some sound quality enhancements, including a new spatialized immersive audio Cinema mode that widens the soundstage and makes "video content more lifelike" with clearer dialog. The mode also helps with spoken-word audio content like podcasts and audiobooks.

New features available in both the original QC Ultra Earbuds and Gen 2 model include:

• Bose SpeechClarity
• Spotify Tap
• Turn capacitive controls on/off
• General connectivity and stability improvements

Feature upgrades available exclusively to the Gen 2 model include:

• Enhanced adaptive noise cancellation
• Reduced noise floor (the faint hiss in noise-canceling mode)
• Case battery reporting
• Cinema Mode 

Reasons to buy

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra offer a comfortable, secure fit and feature superb noise canceling and excellent sound quality. While the improvements to this model are incremental, it's good that Bose has made some upgrades to an already great set of noise-canceling earbuds. They also work well with both iOS and Android smartphones.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

They're pretty pricey and a little bigger than some earbuds like the AirPods Pro 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.

• Refined sound profile with more balanced, accurate sound
• Enhanced noise canceling does a better job muffling a wider range of frequencies
• Light (250 grams) and comfortable to wear for long periods with breathable, synthetic-leather ear pads
• Excellent voice-calling performance with impressive noise reduction
• Robust feature set

• Higher price tag than the previous model
• Somewhat bulky carrying case (single-hinge design means headphones fold flat but not up)
• Some XM4 users may prefer the more energized bass performance of that model
• The WH-1000XM6 offers noticeably design and perfomance improvements

Why I like them

Sony has released its new-for-2025 WH-1000XM6 headphones, but its former flagship model, the XM5 is still an excellent headphone that's often on sale for closer to $300. Their noise-canceling, voice-calling and sound isn't quite as good as what the XM6 offers (the XM6 sounds a little more detailed with improved bass performance) and the XM6 has a dual-hinge design that allows them to fold up, not just fold flat. As a result, the XM6's case is a little smaller. Additionally, the XM6 is powered by a new QN3 chip that Sony says delivers 7 times the performance of the QN1 chip found in the XM5s. All that said, while the jump in performance from the XM5 to the XM6 is certainly noticeable, it isn't huge; the XM5 still offers very good sound, noise-canceling and voice-calling performance that should satisfy most people.Read my Sony WH-1000XM5 review.

Reasons to buy

The biggest reason to buy the XM5 is if you can't afford the XM6 and find the XM5 substantially discounted. It's still quite competitive with the Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, the Sonos Ace and Apple's AirPods Max.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

It's always a little hard to buy a previous-generation headphone that was released three years ago (2022) when you know a newer, better model (the XM6) exists and will eventually go on sale.

• Sturdy, eye-catching design with translucent elements
• Clean, clear sound with well-defined bass that's enjoyable to listen to
• Strong noise-canceling and voice-calling performance
• Excellent controls that are intuitive to use
• USB-C audio
• Nice carrying case (although some find the zipper problematic)

• Headphones are a ltitle heavy and not quite as comfortable as some competing models
• They fold flat but don't fold up
• Sound quality is good but not a wow
• The ear pads are not easily removable and it's unclear whether they're replaceable

The Nothing Headphone (1) ended up being more impressive than I thought it would be. Nothing has always been a good marketing company that usually does a bang-up job hyping its products. Its first earbuds were a little more style over substance (the performance has improved with more recent models), but this headphone's sturdy, eye-catching design is backed by strong performance. While I have some quibbles with the headphone being a little heavy and slightly prefer the sound quality of some competing models, this is one of the best new headphones of 2026. It will be interesting to see if its price can come down a bit to make it an even more compelling premium noise-canceling headphone option. Read Nothing Headphone (1) review.

• Eye-catching design with decent build quality and easily swappable ear pads
• Good sound quality for sub-$100 headphones with strong bass performance
• Decent noise-canceling performance
• Support the LDAC audio codec for Android devices
• Good battery life

• Voice-calling performance could be a little better
• No USB-C audio
• A cloth carrying pouch is included but not a hard carrying case
• No ear-detection sensors to automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off

Why I like them

Nothing started out with a few different wireless earbuds but has now branched into the over-ear headphones market with its eye-catchingNothing Headphone (1) and the budget-oriented CMF Headphone Pro, which also have a pretty unique look and feature interchangeable ear pads in a few different color options.

I was expecting all that much from these headphones, but after using them for a week, they check a lot of boxes for a top value headphone, including a comfortable fit (they pretty lightweight at 283 grams), decent build quality and good sound quality that's highlighted by powerful bass that can be dialed up or down with a slider control on the left ear cup (you can also tweak the sound in the companion app). The Skullcandy Crusher 2 headphones have a similar slider, but the CMF's bass doesn't get to head-rattling levels (the Crusher 2's bass literally makes the headphones vibrate).

The CMF Headphone Pro don't offer quite as good sound quality (they lack a little bit of clarity) as the Baseus Inspire XH1 , which cost a little more and come with a hard carrying case instead of a cloth pouch and not only fold flat but fold up (the CMF Headphone Pro only folds flat). But like the Inspire XH1, they have support for the higher-resolution LDAC audio codec for Android users and strong battery -- up to 100 hours with noise canceling off at moderate volume levels.

I should also point out that the noise cancellation is decent and that you get a good amount of passive noise isolation from the plush memory foam ear pads. While voice-calling performance is decent enough (I give it a B or even a B-), it's far from top tier in terms of reducing background noise while picking your voice up clearly. And I felt the same way about the transparency mode. A cable is include for wired listening but there's no USB-C audio.

Reasons to buy

The CMF offer a better design, fit and sound quality than many budget noise-canceling headphones that cost a little less. While they're not exceptionally good in any one area, they're solid all-around headphones that deliver good bang for the buck, especially when they go on sale for $15-$20 less. They also have customization options with the swappable ear pads.

Reasons to skip, keep looking

Not everybody will love the look of these headphones and you can only expect so much from a set of headphones in this price range from a performance standpoint (they sound quite good for the price but not great).

• Upgraded design
• Very comfortable
• Improved noise-canceling and sound quality
• Robust feature set
• Good voice-calling performance
• Smart Tx audio transmitter included

• Pricey
• Some people may find Smart Tx audio transmitter not that useful

Why I like them

JBL's new flagship noise-canceling headphones, the Tour One M3 Smart Tx, are a nice step up from the company's earlier Tour One M3. Not only are the more comfortable (they weigh 278 grams and have an upgraded ear cup design), but they feature better noise cancellation, slightly improved sound quality and good voice-calling performance. The headphones also come with an accessory that isn't included with competing premium noise-canceling models: the JBL Smart Tx audio transmitter, which enables you to wirelessly deliver audio to the Tour One M3 from any USB-C or analog audio source such as an inflight entertainment system, PC, tablet or television. It has a touchscreen LCD that allows you to control the Tour One M3's features, including music playback, call management and EQ Settings JBL says the Smart Tx -- it's rated for up to 18 hours of battery life -- also has the ability to broadcast any audio source to an unlimited amount of Auracast-enabled devices.

JBL's previous two Tour One models fell a little short of Sony's and Bose's premium noise canceling offerings. But its upgraded and more refined third-generation Tour One M3 headphones are more viable alternative to those models, though they would be more enticing if they were priced closer to $300. Equipped with newly designed 40mm Mica Dome drivers, the sound is well-balanced and dynamic, with well-defined bass and some sparkle in the treble. The mids, where vocals live, could sound a tad more natural and clear, you can make some tweaks to those aforementioned EQ settings to dial in a sound profile that's optimized for your hearing and specific musical tastes. In the end, the Tour One M3 are very good noise-canceling headphones, with a robust feature set, including JBL Spatial Sound with head tracking, 8 mics (4 on and in each ear cup) and support for the LDAC audio codec for Android devices. Their only issue is that their sound and noise canceling doesn't rise above the competition in this price range. So, as I said, they probably need to cost a $50-$100 less for someone to choose them over Sony, Apple or Bose.

Reasons to buy

JBL's Smart Tx audio transmitter is a distinguishing feature and the headphones are nicely design and offer very good performance overall.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

From a sound quality perspective, the Tour One M3 aren't quite as great as some other headphones in this price range, including the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3.

When Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds came out in 2021, we awarded them a CNET Editors' Choice. And while they're excellent, we had some quibbles -- they're on the large side and aren't a good match for certain ears. Clearly, Sony took those gripes to heart when it set out to design its next-generation WF-1000XM5 flagship noise-canceling earbuds. Not only are the XM5s smaller, but they also offer improved performance pretty much across the board, with better noise canceling, sound and voice calling. Are the XM5s perfect? Not quite. And at $300 -- $20 more than their predecessor -- they're costly too. But overall they're really impressive -- easily among the very top earbuds on the market.

• Lightweight and comfortable
• Good sound with very good noise-canceling and ambient-sound mode
• Good voice-calling performance
• Multipoint Bluetooth
• 35 hours of battery life
• Robust EQ settings

• No carrying case or pouch included
• Missing more advanced features like ear-detection sensors, LDAC audio codec support and Sony's Quick Attention and Speak-To-Chat

Why I like them

Sony's improved entry-level noise-canceling headphones, the CH-720Ns, have a bit of a plasticky budget vibe, but they're lightweight (only 192 grams) and very comfortable. Part of me was expecting them to sound pretty mediocre, but I was pleasantly surprised, as these headphones offer good overall tonal balance with punchy bass, decent clarity and a fairly wide soundstage (the headphones are suitable for a variety of music genres. They also offers decent noise-canceling and good voice-calling performance.

No, they don't sound as good or perform as well as Sony's WH-1000XM5 or new WH-1000XM6 headphones. But they sound more premium than they look -- and feel -- and their overall performance is a step up from their predecessor, the CH-710Ns. Are they worth $150? Maybe -- or maybe not. But the good news is that, like the CH-710N and WH-XB910 before them, these frequently are discounted to closer to $100, which makes them a good value.

Reasons to buy

Budget-conscious buyers seeking Sony quality at an accessible price point will find these offer a significant step up from truly entry-level headphone options.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The main reason not get these is that you simply want a more premium noise-canceling headphone that not only offers better build quality but better overall performance along with more advanced features like ear-detection sensors, LDAC audio codec support and Sony's Quick Attention and Speak-To-Chat features. Sony also leaves out any sort of carrying case or pouch with these headphones, which is slightly disappointing.

• Significantly improved sound quality with better clarity, definition and tighter bass
• Durable, seamless faux-leather earpads for excellent comfort and acoustic seal
• Improved noise cancellation and more natural sounding transparency mode
• Very good voice-calling performance
• Spatial audio with head tracking for Apple users
• USB-C audio for lossless wired listening

• Uses custom Beats chip rather than Apple's H2 chip (limits future feature upgrades)
• No ear-detection sensors to automatically pause/resume audio
• USB-C listening mode disables noise cancellation and transparency features

Why I like them

Love 'em or hate 'em, Beats Studio headphones are among the most popular headphones of all time, launching as a wired headphone back in 2008. This is the fourth generation of them, and they carry the same list price as their predecessor and look very similar on the outside but have some big changes on the inside that make them significantly better headphones. I'm tempted to describe them as more affordable plastic versions of the AirPods Max. However, that's not quite accurate due to a choice in chipsets and one notable missing feature. But read myfull review to find out what makes this a very good headphone with some small caveats.

Reason to buy

The Studio Pros are the best Beats over-ear headphones, geared toward both Apple and Android users. Android users get multipoint Bluetooth pairing with automatic switching between devices linked to your Google account, while Apple users link to their iCloud account but have to manually switch between devices. For Apple users, there's spatial audio with head tracking when watching videos and hands-free Siri access. IThose who prefer a more exciting, forward sound signature over more laid back options will find these appealing, and they should work well with a variety of music genres.

Reason to skip/keep looking

The one big miss here is the lack of ear-detection sensors -- most $350 over-ear headphones have this feature, meaning your music doesn't automatically pause when you take the headphones off. I also think it was a mistake for Beats not to power these with Apple's H2 chip, as going forward you won't get feature upgrades designed for that chip. Android users don't get spatial audio with head tracking or hands-free Siri. 

• Comfortable fit for long wear
• Good sound with punchy bass for their low price
• Decent noise-canceling and voice-calling performance with two levels of ANC
• Support LDAC audio codec for compatible devices
• Included cable for wired listening

• ANC disabled when in wired mode
• Lacking a bit of sound clarity

Earfun has made some very solid budget earbuds, and now it's entered the full-size ANC headphone space with its new-for-2024 Wave Pro headphones. They list for $80, but click the $20-off instant coupon on their product page and add the codeEWPROCNET at checkout for some sweet discount. While they may not sound as good as premium noise-canceling headphones from Bose or Sony, they're comfortable to wear, feature decent sound with punchy bass (they're a bit lacking in clarity and bass definition compared to more expensive models), and they offer respectable noise canceling (you can toggle between two levels of ANC) and voice-calling performance. I found them to be a step up from the Soundpeats Space headphones, which sometimes cost a little less.

They're rated for up to 80 hours of battery life with noise-canceling off and 55 hours with it on and support multipoint Bluetooth pairing as well as Sony's LDAC audio codec for Android smartphone and other compatible devices. I also like that they come with a hard case and a cable connection for wired listening (though noise-canceling is disabled when you go wired, which is a bit of a bummer).

• Well-designed and comfortable to wear
• Good sound quality and noise-canceling performance
• Strong feature set
• Strong battery life

• Voice-calling suffers in windy environments
• Carrying pouch leaves headphones vulnerable to damage

Why I like them

The well-designed and comfortable JBL Live 770NC offers some modest improvements over its predecessor, including better battery life (up to 65 hours with ANC off and 50 hours with ANC on) and Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio (via a future firmware upgrade). Equipped with 40mm drivers, you get bold, nicely defined sound with powerful bass that's relatively tight. JBL's Ambient Aware and TalkThru features are on board along with multipoint Bluetooth pairing (the one feature that's missing is ear-detection sensors that pause your music when you take the headphones off). I thought the headphones' noise muffling capabilities were good and callers said they could hear me well even in noisier environments except when the wind picked up around me. The headphones fold up and a simple carrying pouch (no hard case) is included along with a cable for wired listening.

Reasons to buy

If you can't afford premium noise-canceling headphones from Bose, Sony and Apple, the JBL Live 700NC are a good alternative, offering good performance for a more modest price.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

These are easier to recommend when they're on sale for less than $200 (or even less). They're a bargain in the $150-$170 range.

• Excellent sound with punchy bass, wide soundstage and clear treble with equipped 42mm drivers
• Improved noise canceling and voice-calling performance with two beam-forming microphones on each ear cup
• Good sound personalization features in user-friendly companion app
• Comfortable design with plush memory foam earbads that fold flat for better portability

• Ho-hum design that only folds flat, not up
• Noise cancellation may not quite match Sony and Bose competitors
• Heavier (293 grams) than competitors despite less premium feel
• Early connectivity issues with some iPhone models

Why I like them

Sennheiser's previous-generation Momentum Wireless headphones have always had a pretty distinct look that was part retro, part modern and stood out for the exposed metal on their headband. For better or worse, that's all gone now, and the new Momentum 4 Wireless, Sennheiser's flagship noise-canceling headphones, look a bit more subdued and also a bit more like some of their competitors.

The Momentum 4 Wireless offers superior performance over the Momentum 3 Wireless in every regard, although the biggest gains are with noise canceling and voice-calling performance as well as battery life, which is outstanding -- up to 60 hours at moderate volume levels. There's also a transparency mode that allows ambient sound in, and they have the ability to create a custom sound profile in the Smart Control app for iOS and Android using the built-in EQ, sound modes and a new Sound Personalization feature that "assesses the user's listening preferences and adjusts the listening experience according to their taste." 

Equipped with 42mm drivers, Sennheiser says the Momentum 4 Wireless offers "best-in-class" sound, which is debatable. I'd say the Momentum 4's sound quality is right there with other models in this price range -- they sound excellent, with the requisite well-defined, punchy bass, relatively wide soundstage (they sound pretty open) and smooth treble that brings out some of the finer details in well-recorded tracks. They're a pleasure to listen to.

Reasons to buy

The Momentum 4 Wireless costs less than flagship models from Sony, Bose and Apple and offer excellent sound and good build quality.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

While I'm fan of the Momentum 4 Wireless and like their sound a lot, they're noise canceling and comfort level isn't as good as what you get from the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Sony WH-1000XM5 or WH-1000XM6.

• Classic QuietComfort design with very comfortable fit
• Very good sound and noise canceling with new Wind Block feature to reduce wind noise during outdoor use
• Good voice-calling performance
• Included cable with integrated microphone for wired calls (and wired listening)

• Higher price than earlier QC45 model despite minimal changes
• Lacks Immersive Audio feature and premium materials found in the Quiet Comfort Ultra model
• Value proposition is questionable with fewer advanced features compared to similarly-priced competitors

Why I like them

When Bose released its new flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in late 2023, it also replaced the QuietComfort 45s with a new, slightly updated model simply called the QuietComfort Headphones. Like the QC 45s, this model carries on the very comfortable tried-and-true legacy QuietComfort design that's been around for a few generations that a lot of people continue to love. The QC Ultra Headphones add Bose's new Immersive Audio feature and have a more refined design with some metal parts (they also have Bluetooth 5.3 instead of Bluetooth 5.1). But the QuietComfort Headphones still feature very good sound (the Ultras offer a small step up in sound quality), excellent noise canceling and strong voice-calling performance.

As for differences between these and the QC45s, Bose says it adjusted some of the electronics to improve battery life (now 24 hours vs. 22 hours) and adjusted the logos to make the products "visually distinguishable and more in line with its latest design language." It also added an inline microphone to the auxiliary cable to "help with some users who may prefer a plug-and-play solution rather than Bluetooth pairing." There's also a Wind Block feature and some additional small performance improvements due to software upgrades. Finally, the headphones come in several new color options, including pink. Some colors may only be available at bose.com.

Reasons to buy

If you're a fan of Bose's earlier "iconic" headphones design starting with the QC35 (or maybe even the QC25), this is the Bose headphone for you. Cheaper than the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, they also regularly go on sale for $250 or less, marking them a more attractive value.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are better headphones overall with improved all-around performance and a more premium design.

• Lightweight and comfortable
• Improved sound quality and noise-canceling performance
• Upgraded microphones
• Quick attention mode returns

• Bass can get a little boomy, especially with ULT button engaged
• Headphones look a little big
• No USB-C audio

The ULT Wear (WH-ULT900N) is the successor to Sony's popular extra bass model, the WH-XB910N, and features upgraded drivers (better sound) along with improved noise canceling and voice-calling performance. Both Sony's flagship WH-1000XM5 and entry-level CH-720N offer more balanced sound, but the ULT Wear deliver on their promise of delivering dynamic, powerful sound with deep bass. The only downside is that bass can get sometimes get a little too boomy, especially when you engage the bass boost mode with the ULT button.

• Relatively comfortable for an on-ear headphone
• Good sound quality
• Decent noise-canceling and voice-calling performance
• Excellent battery life

• No carrying case

The JBL Tune 670NC is one of a relatively small number of on-ear headphones to offer active noise cancellation. It's something of a value model -- no carrying case is included -- but it does have memory foam ear pads that get you a comfortable fit for an on-ear headphone. Deliver clear sound with punch bass, it has 32mm drivers and improves on its predecessor's battery life, offering up to a whopping 70 hours (or 44 hours with ANC on), and an extra three hours of battery with just five minutes of charge. This model includes the latest Bluetooth 5.3 (with LE Audio) and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. It also has JBL's Ambient Aware (transparency mode) and TalkThru features. It's available in black, white and blue and comes with a cord for wired listening.