Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Best Sennheiser noise-canceling wireless headphones
Best Wireless Headphones for 2023 – CNET
In all honesty, there’s no single best pair out of headphones out there, because a lot of that is subjective, based on your individual needs. But that doesn’t mean some headphones aren’t better than others. To help you narrow the field and find the best wireless headphones for your needs, I’ve rounded up some of the top of the crop right now. Whether you’re looking for premium over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones or some rugged true-wireless earbuds, I’ve got you covered with some solid options for just about any budget.
I’ve tested all the models on this list and have fully reviewed several of them. If you’re looking for more-refined headphones and earbuds best lists, you can also check out our roundups of best wireless earbuds, best noise-canceling headphones, best workout earbuds and headphones and best open wireless earbuds, among many others. I’ll update this list as new top wireless headphones hit the market.
Best wireless headphones of 2023
Battery Life Rated up to 32 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint YesHeadphone Type Over-ear wireless headphonesWater-Resistant No IP rating
When you have a product that a lot of people love, change can be risky. Such is the case for Sony’s WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series headphones, which were first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and have become increasingly popular as they’ve improved with each generation. Over the years, Sony has made some tweaks to the design, but nothing as dramatic as what it’s done with the WH-1000XM5. Other than the higher $400 price ($50 more than the WH-1000XM4), most of those changes are good, and Sony’s made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance as well as even better noise canceling and more refined sound.
<div data-id data-cy="shortcodeListicleSmallImage" data-location="LIST" edition="us" superlative="Top midrange noise-canceling headphones" type="Best list" imagegroup="{"alt":"The Sony CH-720N has improved sound and noise canceling performance","caption":"
The Sony CH-720N headphones have physical buttons for both touch controls like the step-up WH-1000XM5.
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The Sony CH-720N headphones have physical buttons for controls, bot touch controls like the step-up WH-1000XM5.
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The Sony CH-720N headphones have physical buttons for both touch controls like the step-up WH-1000XM5.
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The Sony CH-720N headphones have physical buttons for both touch controls like the step-up WH-1000XM5.
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Best high-end|They’re big and expensive, but Apple’s AirPods Max over-ear headphones impress with their sound quality and features.
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Best high-end|They’re big and expensive, but Apple’s AirPods Max over-ear headphones impress with their sound quality and features.
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Best high-end|They’re big and expensive, but Apple’s AirPods Max over-ear headphones impress with their sound quality and features.
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Battery Life Rated up to 20 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone Type Over-ear wireless headphonesWater-Resistant No IP rating
Yes, they’re expensive, but the AirPods Max deliver richer, more detailed sound than lower-priced competitors from Bose, Sony and work very well as a headset for making calls. While I wouldn’t recommend them for Android and Windows users, they’re the best wireless headphones for iOS and Mac users who want to switch easily between their Apple devices.
The design of 1More’s SonoFlow headphones reminds me a little of some earlier Sony headphones and also the newer Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4. They’re a bit generic-looking but sleek enough and more importantly, comfortable to wear. They also feature very respectable sound quality. While it doesn’t quite measure up to more premium models like the Momentum Wireless 4, it isn’t that far off. The SonoFlow headphones deliver smooth sound with good clarity and relatively well-defined bass; they’re just not quite as rich or dynamic sounding as those premium models I mentioned. They also have support for the LDAC audio codec.
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These headphones are excellent for making calls since you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously.
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These headphones are excellent for making calls since you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously.
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These headphones are excellent for making calls since you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously.
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Battery Life Rated up to 25 hoursMultipoint YesHeadphone Type Over-ear wireless headphonesWater-Resistant No IP rating
The QuietComfort 45 has virtually the same design as its predecessor, the QuietComfort QC35 II, which many people considered one of the most comfortable over-ear headphones — if not the most comfortable. It has the same drivers, according to Bose, and the buttons are in the same place. However, there are small but notable changes. First off, these thankfully have USB-C instead of Micro-USB.
If you can’t afford Sony’s WH-1000XM5 or Bose QC45, the Soundcore by Anker Space Q45 (yes, there’s a bit of copying going on here) is a good alternative for $150, and we should see occasional discounts on it. While it may not fit some smaller heads, it’s comfortable to wear, with nicely padded ear cups and a dual-hinge folding design. Sound quality is very good and the headphones offer better noise canceling than the step-down Q35, as well as multipoint Bluetooth pairing (these are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3) and support for the LDAC audio codec for streaming high-resolution music tracks over Bluetooth, if you have a device that supports LDAC. Many Android phones do, although Samsung’s Galaxy phones don’t.
Available in three color options (gray, blue and black), Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 headphones offer some significant improvements over the first-generation version. Not only are these headphones more comfortable — they tip the scales at 307 grams — but they sound better and have better noise-canceling and voice-calling performance with improved noise reduction. I don’t necessarily think they’re a better option than the lighter and even more comfortable Sony WH-1000XM5. But the PX7 S2 certainly looks and feels luxurious, with its sturdy design, and delivers very good sound with better voice-calling performance thanks to an upgraded microphone setup.
