The buyer's guide
Headphones
Reviewed by
Eran Yorkovsky · Founder, PickGrade
Past a certain point, pricier headphones buy brand and small refinements more than better sound. We'll find where your money stops buying more music.
Almost every headphone here is good — so the real question is how you listen, not which has the best spec sheet. Four things decide it: the form (over-ear comfort, pocketable earbuds, open-back home sound, or an open-ear sport fit), where you'll use them (a noisy commute rewards strong ANC; calls reward a good mic), your devices, and budget — which here runs from about $90 to $450.
For most people the Sony WH-1000XM6 is the do-it-all pick: class-leading noise canceling, comfort, and calls. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra is the comfier alternative for hours-long wear. iPhone owners want the AirPods Pro 3; Android and mixed-device buyers get most of the way for less with the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro; the Sony WH-CH720N brings real ANC for around $100; runners want the open-ear Shokz OpenRun Pro 2; and for pure sound at home, the open-back Sennheiser HD 660S2 delivers.
We rank on sound, noise control, comfort and fit, mic and calls, battery and features, and value — not frequency graphs. Not sure where you land? Take the quiz. To dig in, compare the two best ANC headphones in XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra and AirPods Pro 3 vs Liberty 5 Pro, or read what matters for travel and work calls.
6 questions · about a minute
