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Ditch the wires and opt for high-quality, rich-sounding Bluetooth headphones from Bose, Sony, Beats and more
It’s rare to see someone with anything bigger than tiny earbuds plugged into their lugholes these days but, while wireless earbuds offer compact convenience, nothing comes close to the great sound, comfort and noise cancellation you get from the best wireless headphones.
Wireless headphones have come a long way since the 2010s, when early Bluetooth technology saw our music cutting out, lagging and sounding – let’s face it – really awful. Thanks to new Bluetooth codecs such as aptX adaptive providing an overall lower-latency, lower bitrate and higher-quality audio experience, it’s no longer necessary to buy a pair of wired headphones if you want premium-sounding cans.
However, as the headphones market has become swamped with more and more wireless cans, all boasting that killer new feature, it’s becoming more and more of a struggle to figure out whether a pair of headphones are up to snuff.
We’ve been testing headphones here at The Independent for years, and are constantly reviewing the latest pairs to find the very best for all budgets.
Keep reading to find out which ones had us singing their praises.
To test the headphones included in our list, we listened to a wide range of audio genres – from gentle orchestral music to bouncy radio-friendly pop tunes, explosive audio dramas and a spot of Netflix – at home and in the wild. Ambient mode tests consisted of us rudely trying to have conversations with transparency toggled on, while noise-cancellation tests consisted of us attempting to drown out the sounds of the Tube when out and about.
While most of the wireless headphones below have active noise cancellation, we also have a guide dedicated solely to finding the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market. We’re constantly updating this list and putting more and more wireless headphones to the test, so, stay tuned.
Wireless headphones are usually battery operated and work by pairing with a device via a radio or infrared signal. Many devices are equipped with Bluetooth technology, meaning connection is easy and the audio is high quality.
There are two types of wireless headphones: wireless and true wireless.
The latter means there is a complete lack of connector between the earphones – such as with the AirPods pro or Marshall mode II. Whereas, where ordinary wireless headphones are concerned, the earphones are still connected via a headband, like those we have reviewed here.
Connecting wireless headphones differs depending on the device you’re using. For example, connecting to a TV will be different from a mobile phone. But, for the latter, make sure your Bluetooth and headphones are on and discoverable, then open your Bluetooth settings on your mobile phone and your headphones should appear there.
Pretty much all consumer headphones are wireless these days, thanks to the departure of the 3.5mm headphone jack. Rest in peace – we miss you, old friend. But while we love being wire-free, there are a few minor disadvantages to wireless headphones.
First of all, there’s latency. Connecting via wireless modes like Bluetooth will always mean that there is a tiny delay between the audio playing on your device and the audio being transmitted to your headphones. This normally isn’t much of a concern unless you’re a gamer – and gaming headsets are the only part of the audio market where wires are still a prominent option.
The second disadvantage is battery life. With wired headphones, your music can run and run, but with wireless headphones, you might get a day’s use out of them. That said, wireless headphones are always being improved and the above issues are slowly becoming less of a problem.
The short answer to this question is yes, you can use wireless headphones on a plane. Because Bluetooth headphones are short-range, there should be very minimal interference between your headphones and the plane’s signals. That said, some airlines restrict the use of headphones on their flights – whether that’s during the entire journey or just during take-off and landing, so just be aware of the rules if you bring them onboard.
The other question is: can you use your own wireless headphones with in-flight entertainment systems? If the airline’s entertainment system is set up with Bluetooth access, then you should be able to connect your headphones fairly easily. If they aren’t, you need to buy a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver, which acts as a conduit between your headphones and the in-flight system, letting you watch movies with your wireless ANC cans. Some of the headphones on this list come with Bluetooth transmitter/receiver in the box, so you won’t need to buy one for your flight.
The top all-round wireless headphones are Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones. They might be a mouthful to say out loud, but they offer up a whole host of neat features, absolute comfort, divine sound quality and exceedingly good noise cancellation. If you want the very best active noise cancellation, look no further than the Bose QuietComfort ultra headphones.
Nipping at Sony’s heels are Apple’s all-dancing, all-singing AirPods max, which have some impressive spatial audio, making your music sound like it’s on another plane of existence.
For a decent budget pair, you can’t go wrong with JBL’s headphones or the Sennheiser headphones, which are great for the daily commute.
More headphone recommendations:
If you still prefer the freedom a pair of earbuds give you, check out our round-up of the best wireless earbuds for quality sound and noise cancellation