The best headphones 2022: tops cans from Sony, Bose and more
The best headphones are essential for anyone who loves their music, podcasts, and movies. Headphones are also essential if you travel a lot, have a lot of video calls at work, or if you need music when you work out.
Despite the many options and so many different types out there, finding the ideal headphones or earbuds for you is easy, even if you’re not familiar with brands and features. We’ve tested hundreds of different earbuds and headphones, including the most of the top and most popular models on the market, so we know what we are listening for.
The best headphones 2022
SPECIFICATIONS
Acoustic design: Closed
Weight: 253g
Frequency response: 4Hz to 40kHz
Drivers: 1.57-inch dome-type
Battery life: 30 hours
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
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REASONS TO BUY
+
Improved noise-cancellation over previous model+
DSEE Extreme audio upscaling+
Allows for multipoint pairing
REASONS TO AVOID
–
Not water-resistant
The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones deliver excellent noise-cancellation and sound quality in a design that we found comfortable and lightweight throughout our testing. They don’t look different from their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM3. However, new features, including multipoint pairing, DSEE Extreme upscaling, conversational awareness and auto-play/pause using a built-in sensor, mean they’re a significant upgrade.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones also support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format, which delivers spatial audio on stereo headphones, plus the LDAC codec that can send a bitrate of up to 990 kbps. However, it no longer supports aptX or aptX HD, so your hi-res audio support mileage may vary.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 are a wonderful pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones. They deliver exactly what they promise and then some thanks to their exceptional noise cancellation and cutting-edge codec support.
2. Sony WH-1000XM5
The best Sony headphones if you don’t mind paying the price
SPECIFICATIONS
Acoustic design: Closed
Weight: 250g
Frequency response: 4Hz to 40kHz
Drivers: 1.18-inch dome-type
Battery life: 40 hours / 30 with ANC on
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Superb noise cancelling+
Excellent audio performance+
Useful ambient features
REASONS TO AVOID
–
More expensive-
Not a huge upgrade over the XM4s
These new Sonys would be at the top of our table if it weren’t for the fact that right now the outgoing model, the WH-1000XM4, is substantially cheaper and does almost everything the newer Sonys do. These are better headphones, but at the moment the XM4s are the better buy.
In our Sony WH-1000XM5 review we said that the XM5s are “the best headphones in the world thanks to their class-leading noise-cancelling features and well-balanced audio”. However, “a steeper price point and similar functionality to earlier models make the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones an ever-so-slightly tougher sell than before.”
The new design is more elegant and contains slightly smaller drivers than before, and while there’s less wind distortion the trade-off is that they don’t fold neatly like the previous model did. The noise cancelling is best-in-class, doing an excellent job of muting the higher pitched sounds that ANC headphones tend to find challenging, and sound quality is exemplary. Your co-workers or fellow commuters won’t take a dislike to you either: these headphones don’t leak as badly as some over-ears do.
The other headline feature here is battery life, which is now 10 hours longer: expect up to 40 hours with the ANC off and 30 with it on.
If you don’t already have noise cancelling headphones, these are as good as it currently gets – but the older, cheaper model is almost as good and better value as a result.
3. Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Earbuds
The best true wireless earbuds
SPECIFICATIONS
Acoustic design: Closed
Weight: 7.3g
Frequency response: 20-40,000Hz
Drivers: 6mm
Battery life : 8 hours (earbuds) 16 hours (charging case)
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Rapid, full-bodied and eloquent sound+
Truly useful features+
Impressive call quality
REASONS TO AVOID
–
Unremarkable battery life-
No aptX support
With the Sony WF-1000XM4s, Sony has combined performance, ergonomics, and build quality more effectively than ever before in a noise-cancelling true wireless package. During our testing we found that compared to their predecessors, the Sony WF-1000XM3, the newer wireless earbuds offer enough quality-of-life features to make them worth upgrading to, even if they are a little more expensive. Features like auto-pause and being able to tune the buds to the shape of your ears are truly useful.
While other true wireless earbuds surpass the Sony WF-1000XM4 in particular areas – in terms of noise cancellation, for example – no other model comes close to offering such excellent quality across the board. That’s why the Sony WF-1000XM4 are hands-down the best true wireless earbuds you can buy today.
4. 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone
The best wired in-ear headphones
SPECIFICATIONS
Acoustic design: Closed
Weight: 18g
Frequency response: 20-40,000Hz
Drivers: Dynamic
Battery life: N/A
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Lush sound quality+
Excellent build and design+
Unmatched value
REASONS TO AVOID
–
Plastic remote feels cheap
After testing the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones for a few weeks, we’re certain that they deliver fantastic sound and equally fantastic value for money. That’s why we consider them to be the best headphones for those who prefer wired earbuds.
For $100 / £100 (about AU$168), it’s hard to find a better-sounding and more well-built pair of earphones than the 1MORE Triple Drivers – although if you want a little extra refinement and more luxurious materials, the same firm’s 1MORE Quad Drivers are even more impressive, albeit at twice the price.
But at this price, and with such excellent build and design, it’s hard to fault the Triple Drivers. The inbuilt remote feels a little cheap, but that’s more than made up for by the lush sound quality offered by these luxe-looking earbuds. For the price, you can’t do better than 1MORE’s Triple Driver in-ear headphones.
5. Sony WH-CH510
The best budget on-ear headphones
SPECIFICATIONS
Acoustic design: Closed
Weight: 132g
Frequency response: 20Hz-20,000Hz
Drivers: 30mm dynamic
Battery life: 35 hours
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Incredibly affordable+
Solid audio and battery life+
REASONS TO AVOID
–
No 3.5mm jack or USB audio
Testing the Sony WH-CH510, we were amazed that wireless on-ear headphones could cost this little while delivering really decent sound, a USB-C port, and 35 hours of battery life. If you’re looking for headphones at this price point, you’re likely already willing to make a few sacrifices. Thankfully, most of the compromises Sony has made with the WH-CH510 haven’t been too crucial – the lack of analog input mirrors, the loss of the 3.5mm port on most modern smartphones – and while the construction is a little plasticky they’re lightweight, portable and comfortable.
While they won’t have the superb clarity, balance, and sense of space that their WH-1000XM4 siblings deliver, the sound these on-ear headphones produce is much better than you’d expect from their size and price. You’ll find most genres perform well here, although tracks that already have low mids and bumped treble might get uncomfortably exaggerated.