From budget to premium options, here are our favorite picks.
By
Bethany Allard
Lead Shopping Reporter
Bethany Allard is a Los Angeles-based shopping reporter at Mashable covering beauty tech, dating, sex and relationships, and headphones. That basically means she puts her hair through a lot, scrolls through a lot of dating apps, and rotates through a lot of different headphones. In addition to testing out and rounding up the best products, she also covers deals for Mashable, paying an especially obsessive amount of attention to Apple deals and prices. That knowledge comes in handy when she's covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, which she's now done for three years at Mashable.
and
Samantha Mangino
Shopping Reporter
Boston-based Shopping Reporter, Samantha Mangino, covers all things tech at Mashable, rounding up the best products and deals. She’s covered commerce for three years, spending extensive time testing and reviewing all things home, including couches, steam irons, and washing machines. She thoroughly vets products and internet trends, finding out if those cozy gamer chairs are really as comfortable as TikTok claims.
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Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
In 2025, a pair of headphones or earbuds is pretty much non-optional. That's why there are hundreds of different headphones and earbuds in varying shapes, sizes, styles, colors, and, of course, prices. And these days, you can grab a random pair off the digital shelf without too much research and find that they do the job just fine. However, if you're tired of settling for "just fine," then it's worth investing in the best headphones available. But be warned: The latest generation of flagship noise-cancelling headphones from the likes of Sony and Bose will set you back $450, though we have options to recommend for every price range.
Below, you'll find our favorite headphones and earbuds, chosen after hours and hours of careful listening and everyday use, from the newly-released Sony XM6 headphones and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) to old favorites for under $100.
Overview
Table of Contents
The Good & The Bad
- Extremely comfortable
- Audio settings include Quiet, Immersive, and Aware
- Easy to connect with Bluetooth
- All-day battery life even with ANC engaged
- Great adjustable ANC
- Wired playback with USB-C cable and auxiliary cables
- Sound quality isn't quite as dynamic as competition
- Spatial audio isn't the most impressive
- Not too different from previous generation
Our review
Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones (2nd gen).
Who it's for
For anyone who's yet to buy into the Bose QuietComfort Ultra line, but wants noise-cancelling headphones that can easily handle long hours of wear, there's no better choice than the second generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones.
Why we picked this
The best noise-cancelling headphones aren't much use if they squeeze your head too tight or prevent you from wearing accessories like earrings or glasses comfortably. In other words, comfort is key — we were big fans of Bose's first gen QC Ultra headphones for exactly this reason.
With the second generation of the headphones, Bose makes minor improvements to the soundscape, noise-cancelling, and somehow the wear. They also fixed other bugs that detracted from the otherwise premium experience of using the QC Ultras.
As a first step, Bose upped the battery life from 24 to 30 hours per charge with ANC. They also added options for wired playback with the USB-C cable (which can simultaneously charge the headphones) or the auxiliary cable for passive playback (which wasn't available on the first gen headphones). In tandem with the battery life, these headphones become much stronger contenders for travel.
For day-to-day use, Bose's noise cancelling remains as solid as ever (though Sony's XM6s are ever so slightly more adept at handling high pitched frequencies), while offering an easy adjustment on 10 different levels of ANC via the companion app. As for the listening experience, the immersive audio remains as lackluster as it did on the first gen, but the overall sound profile came through richer and more robust when we compared the headphones side by side. Bose also added quality of life adjustments like better wear detection, and a lay flat mode that puts the headphones into a low power mode when they're placed face down. Overall, it's hard to beat this blend of sound quality, ANC, and comfort, making the second iteration of the QC Ultras one of our top picks for headphones.
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Improved audio quality, particularly with vocals
- Phenomenal active noise cancellation
- Comfortable headband and earcups for long-term wear
- Headphones fold and come with travel-friendly storage case
- Support for LDAC high-resolution audio
- More microphones for improved ANC and call quality
- More expensive than previous model
- Improvements are more iterative than innovative
- No improvements to battery life
Our review
Read our full review of the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.
Who it's for
After three years, Sony's flagship wireless headphones finally got an update. If you love Sony headphones and have an old pair of XM4s, then we can definitely recommend an upgrade. However, if you just purchased a pair of XM5s, then it might be harder to justify an instant upgrade. That said, the active noise cancellation is better than ever, and there are noticeable improvements to audio quality (even if they lose out by a smidge to the latest Technics AZ100 earbuds). Besides music lovers, travelers will also appreciate the new Sony cans, as they fold up and come with an improved travel case.
Why we picked this
Mashable's Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth reviewed the XM6 headphones ahead of their launch, and he was impressed with the overall quality. As Werth wrote in his review, "The new Sony headphones offer impressive audio quality, and they definitely improve on the XM5 models. The active noise cancellation is particularly phenomenal...I really appreciated the overall balance, depth, and quality of the audio. For the XM6, Sony audio engineers worked with music mastering engineers here in the United States, and the results are clear when you listen to music. Like all headphone reviewers, I have a dedicated playlist for testing new audio products, and I found that vocal-heavy tracks sound particularly great, with noticeable improvements over the XM5s."
Sony introduced (or, rather, brought back) a major design change for the XM6 headphones — they fold up for easier storage. They're definitely more compact and easier to travel with compared to the previous-gen model. The overall design looks similar, so if you're a fan of the Sony aesthetic, you'll still appreciate how they look.
We do wish there had been slightly bigger improvements after a three-year wait, and the battery life (30 hours with ANC engaged) is the same as the XM5 model, which we also loved. These headphones did arrive with a higher sticker price, so if you can't quite swing the $448 price tag, look for the excellent XM5 headphones on sale.
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Great value and frequently on sale around $50
- Decent ANC that's adjustable with the app
- Excellent battery life
- Button controls are customizable via the app
- Well-balanced sound, especially for the price point
- Might be uncomfortable with long wear time for some users
- Some creaking with head movement (though less noticeable with music playing)
- The app can be incredibly laggy
- Might have to play with the equalizer to get the best sound possible
Who it's for
If you don't particularly care to have the most premium pair of headphones on the market (or care to spend several hundred dollars on them), the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones more than get the job done. They have functional ANC, decent comfort, great sound balance, and a killer battery life, all with a design that doesn't feel overtly budget-friendly.
At their regular sale price of around $50, these are about a ninth the price of the latest Sony headphones, and a seventh of the price of the Bose QuietComfort headphones, which feel like these headphones' premium analogue.
Why we picked this
With budget headphones, it's good to understand what you're trading off from the jump. In the case of these JLab headphones, the ANC will dampen a good amount of environmental sound, from talking coworkers to loud fans, but it won't completely silence the world around you. The app can lag some (we had to exit out of it a few times during testing when it froze), and the fit of these headphones might not be for everyone. For one of our testers, these headphones squeezed their head more than usual (though some users on Reddit called these the most comfortable headphones they've tried). Regardless of the fit, you're likely to hear some creaking from time to time when you move your head around.
At $80, these are all cons that may not be ideal, but are fair for the price point. At these headphones' frequent sale prices that hover in the $50 to $55 range, these cons are even easier to swallow, especially when you consider how these headphones actually sound.
To be clear, you'll likely need to play around with the EQ some to find your perfect settings — we found the first preset to be on the bass-heavy end. Once you do, it's impressive the way these headphones can balance a song. Every part of Panic! At The Disco's "Northern Downpour" shone through, from the vocals, lead guitar, bass, and piano. For budget headphones, we might expect some muddying through these elements, but the JLab JBuds held up great. If we're being nitpicky, The Beatles' "In My Life" came through somewhat dimmer sounding than expected, but not necessarily muddy.
Beyond the sound signature, these headphones have a reasonable amount of customization with the app, especially for their price point. You can adjust the button commands on one of the three on-ear buttons, adjust the ANC intensity with a slider in the app, and create your own custom EQ settings. Multipoint pairing is available, as are spatial audio, music, and movie modes.
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Almost always on sale for under $100
- Surprisingly good ANC and sound for the money
- Sony app makes it easy to adjust EQ settings
- 50+ hours of battery life
- Easy and reliable connectivity
- Multiple colorways available
- Some signature Sony audio technologies are missing
- Mediocre build quality
- Microphones could be better
Read our review
Check out our full guide to the best Sony headphones.
Who it's for
The new price of entry for flagship noise-cancelling headphones? A cool $450, at least. So, if you're looking for wireless headphones with true active noise cancellation but don't want to spend more than $100, then go with Sony's mid-range noise-cancellers. They have Sony's signature sound (and signature all-plastic design, sadly), and you can almost always find them on sale for under $100 at Amazon and other retailers.
Why we picked this
These headphones perform much better than you'd expect a pair of $100 cans to perform. They have surprisingly impressive ANC and multipoint pairing, as well as impressive sound — hardly a surprise with a pair of Sony headphones.
As our reviewer Alex Bracetti wrote, "The WH-CH720 employs 30mm drivers and exclusive brand technologies to broaden sound performance. Expect a vibrant mix of impactful bass with striking mids and highs. Turning on DSEE raises fidelity on poor-quality recordings, which many luxury headphones can’t do. You can tweak the sound to your liking via the EQ, though the headphones sound great on their default setting."
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Class-leading noise cancellation
- Some of the most comfortable earbuds on the market
- Wireless charging
- Well-rounded sound profile with option for spatial audio
- Battery life is just OK
- Multipoint connection can be lacking
Our review
Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).
Who it's for
While they're not the perfect all-around earbuds, the high price of entry for the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds is worth it for getting the absolute best noise cancellation on the market.
They're also an excellent option for anyone who has difficulty finding earbuds that are both comfortable and secure.
Why we picked this
Even compared to over-ear headphones, these earbuds provide standout active noise cancellation. Turning them on feels like turning down the volume dial on the world around you, and that's before you start streaming any audio. Whether you're in an office, cafe, at home, or on your commute, these earbuds are sure to impress you with their ANC.
When you do start streaming audio, your equalizer options are a little limited compared to other premium options, but these buds do have a relatively well-balanced sound profile out of the gate. It's not the best we've ever heard, but it's still fair for the price point. If you're a fan of spatial audio that offers plenty of resonance, not unlike live music, you'll likely be pleased with what the Ultras offer.
Even more of a standout than the sound is the way these earbuds fit. The stabilizer band and ear tip work together to keep the earbuds secure, though they never caused us any ear fatigue or soreness. Finding that just-right fit helped boost the passive ANC power on these buds, and makes them a viable option for working out (along with their IPX4 rating).
For all that they do very well, the second-gen Ultra earbuds do have some drawbacks. For one, they're not too different from their predecessors: the ANC and sound improvements are minor, with the most significant changes coming in the form of a wireless charging case, a better transparency mode, and noticeably better voice clarity on calls. We would've liked to see Bose fine-tune its multipoint pairing some more (which can occasionally be spotty with two devices connected) or improve the battery life, which is starting to lag behind compared to other noise-cancelling earbuds. That said, these still offer the best ANC money can buy on a pair of earbuds.
Details
The Good & The Bad
- Excellent active noise cancellation
- Easy connectivity on iOS
- Wireless charging
- Built-in heart rate monitor
- Five sizes of ear tips
- Not as convenient for Android users
- No custom equalizer
Our review
Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 3.
Who it's for
Whether you're an Apple user looking for earbuds that'll connect easily to your devices and have excellent ANC or you're simply someone who appreciates a pair of well-rounded earbuds, the AirPods Pro 3 have got you covered.
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