Best wireless headphones (2025): Tested over several hours

Wireless headphones are the default pair these days, and there are nearly a million of them (and counting). We try our best to test them all, but not everything we test can make it to the big list. Here are some other great options worth trying.

Soundcore Space A40 for $60: Even though they’ve moved from our main list, the Space A40 are still among the best earbuds you’ll find for the money. Its sleek, premium design is enhanced by powerful features, clear, detailed sound, and excellent noise cancellation for the price.

Jabra Elite 10 2nd generation, priced at $280: These earbuds are from Jabra (7/10, Wired review) are very expensive when compared to options that sound better (and cancel out sound). This is Jabra’s last pair of consumer earbuds, so new features are unlikely. We’d love for them to have a wireless transmitter box, like the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, which provides latency-free connectivity to non-Bluetooth sources (looking at you, planes).

Sonos Ace for $350-450: ace sonos (8/10, WIRED recommends) is an expensive but impressive first effort from Sonos, with great noise cancellation, great sound, and one of the most comfortable designs (if not the More comfortable) you will find in the game. Some initial software bugs hampered the device’s performance upon release, including an issue with the TV Swap feature that lets you pass audio from a device Sonos speakers To the ace, but that seems to stick, making it an excellent choice – especially for those already invested in the Sonos method.

Beats Solo 4 for $150: We love Beats headphones these days, but this pair was lacking in some features for us at its standard $200 price (7/10, WIRED recommends). Now that they’re out, we can highly recommend them for people looking for a pair of wireless headphones that don’t have a noise-cancelling feature.

Technologies EAH-AZ80 for $298: AZ80(9/10, WIRED recommends) are great earbuds. The most noteworthy feature is comfortably pairing with three devices at once, but it packs a punch with good noise cancellation technology, top-notch sound quality, and seven different ear tip options for a remarkably comfortable fit.

Beats Studio Pro for $350: studio pro (7/10, WIRED recommends) delivers high-quality performance, including surprisingly clear sound, good noise cancellation, and a refreshingly natural transparency mode. The design feels a bit cheap, and they skip features like auto-pause, but extras like Hands-Free Siri and head tracking with spatial audio help boost their value — especially since their selling price sometimes drops to about half their original MSRP. Adult $350.

Sony WH-CH720N, $150: These Sony boxes may have a silly name, but their sheer value makes up for it. It’s not as flexible as the best options and doesn’t come with a case, but the sound quality and noise cancellation are excellent for the money. It’s also built to last and has a long-lasting battery life, making it a great choice for careful shoppers.

Sony WH-1000XM4, $267: Sony XM4 (9/10, WIRED recommends) remains the best headphone, even after being replaced by the even more amazing XM5. For a fairly significant price cut, you get great noise-cancelling technology, great sound, and luxurious comfort in an ultra-portable package.

Master and Dynamic MH40 for $399: M&D 2nd Generation MH40 (8/10, WIRED recommends) Pack great sound into an equally great design, with luxurious embellishments like lambskin and metal parts instead of plastic. Its lack of advanced features, other than noise cancellation, makes it an expensive gateway to simplicity, but it’s style for days on end.

Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT is $199: Original ATH-M50X (9/10, WIRED recommends) provide balanced sound and great durability, making them a ubiquitous presence in music and film studios. But what if you want to take it with you between shots? Enter the ATH-M50XBT, which partners a wired studio connection with Bluetooth for wireless freedom. It doesn’t offer noise cancellation or other advanced features but is great for combining art and play.

Sony Linkbuds for $128: Link buds (8/10, WIRED recommends) You’ve got a cool trick: speakers with holes in the middle that let in the world around you for environmental awareness. They’re not very suitable for noisy environments, making them a one-trick pony, but they’re among the best options in the growing open-ear trend. They’ve also been updated in the new Linkbuds Open (7/10, WIRED recommends), which are more expensive nowadays but offer some new features and a more stable fit.

JLab Jbuds Mini for $40: these JLab mini buds They deliver great sound, but their adorable little design that fits on a keyring makes them a fun accessory for those who need some cheap buds to take on the go.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2, $160: Best Samsung Galaxy Headphones (9/10, WIRED recommends) has gotten a bit long, but they’re still among the best headphones for Galaxy phones, offering strong noise cancellation, clear, vivid sound, and some Samsung-only features. Their app won’t work with non-Samsung phones, and their battery life of just five hours is now pretty bottom-of-the-barrel.