The best headphones of 2025 – CNET

Mark Levinson No. 5909: The 5909 are Mark Levinson’s first premium-sounding headphones, and yes, they’re really expensive at $999. They’re also really good. They have a sturdy design without feeling heavy on your head (read: they’re big but not too heavy), and they’re comfortable to wear for long periods thanks to the well-padded (and replaceable) leather-covered ear cups. Gangs. Read our Mark Levinson hands-on #5909.

Technologies EAH-A800: There’s a bit of an old-school vibe to the Technics EAH-A800 — and it’s not just the Technics brand, which Panasonic has revived in the past few years. Their design is a throwback but the headphones are comfortable and can be folded or folded flat. It has a big, lively sound with strong bass and good detail (it takes a day or two to break in).

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3: Featuring excellent sound, improved noise cancellation and voice calling performance, plus a smaller, more precise design that includes stabilizing fins (so the earbuds stay in your ears more securely), the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 are among the best true wireless earbuds in earbuds, giving Sony The WF-1000XM4 is a run for the money. Read our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 review.

Sennheiser 450 BT: Sennheiser has updated its highly regarded 4.50BTNC noise-canceling headphones for 2020. The new headphone model is called the 450BT, and it has some notable upgrades, including better battery life (up to 30 hours with noise cancellation), A USB-C charging port, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX support for devices like Samsung Galaxy smartphones that support it, and more comfortable earpads. The 450BT noise-canceling headphones cost $200, but typically cost around $125 although they’ve dropped to as low as $100 on flash sales (which is good value at this price).