Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! We’ve reviewed a lot of great gaming headsets, and more than a few of them have excellent microphones. Read on for our picks of the best gaming headsets with good microphones.

Editor’s note: this post was updated on June 26, 2023 to adjust Notable Mentions entries, repair broken links, edit style.

The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is a fantastic multipurpose headset

The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is a high-quality gaming headset with a versatile set of features. The detachable microphone and relatively accurate sound make it ideal both for gaming and for daily wear, while the variety of connection options make it ready for anything.

          

EPOS H3PRO Hybrid

8.2

The H3PRO delivers excellent playback sound quality, hitting very close to what we consider the ideal frequency response curve. The bass and low-mids are slightly emphasized, with some minor roll-off to notes below 40Hz (nearly inaudible). This makes it great for both gaming and music listening. It also works with different surround sound solutions, including the PlayStation 5’s new 3D Audio and Windows Sonic in wired mode. The microphone is quite good too as you can here in this standardized sample.

This headset also features active noise canceling (ANC), making it a standout option for people playing games in louder environments or shared living spaces, as well as on the go. To complement this, you can adjust the microphone’s noise gate using the app. It sports a wide array of connectivity options including wired and wireless USB options, a 3.5mm cable, and Bluetooth 5.2.

Considering EPOS’ previous effort, the H3 Hybrid, the H3PRO is an exciting step up in quality that performs admirably in nearly any instance. If the price isn’t a deterrent to you, this is one of the best options on the market.

If you want a great mic without stretching a cord across the room, look to the Corsair Virtuoso Wireless SE

The Virtuoso Wireless SE is the most premium gaming headset Corsair has ever released. Featuring aluminum construction, comfortable ear pads, RGB lighting, and a generous selection of included accessories, the product aims to deliver a high-end gaming experience for people willing to spend nearly $200 USD on a headset.

     

Corsair Virtuoso Wireless SE

8

As its name implies, this gaming headset supports wireless connections via its included 2.4GHz USB dongle, which is compatible with the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PCs. Plus, it has a 20-hour battery life which means that you’ll never have to worry about this headset dying out on you mid-game.

In regards to playback sound quality, the Corsair Virtuoso Wireless SE won’t please everyone. Under-emphasized bass notes like kick drums and bass synth lines, will come across as too quiet for EDM and hip-hop fans. However, it handles sound effects, dialogue, and musical scores with ease, delivering a listening experience that is ideal for gaming.

Looking for something you can just plug in and play with? Consider the Audio-Technica ATH G1

The Audio-Technica ATH G1 gaming headset brings the straightforward build and stellar sound this company’s become known for to the gaming space. It lacks the bells and whistles of a lot of the other headsets on this lists, but that’s a small price to pay for raw audio quality.

   

Audio-Technica ATH-G1

7.9

This 3.5mm gaming headset works well with anything that supports TRRS plugs, which is basically everything in the gaming space. You’ll need to use its included splitter if you want to use the microphone for games other than Fortnite and Warframe on Nintendo Switch, though. The headset’s 45mm dynamic drivers output very good sound, though they’re definitely tuned to match an Olive-Welti curve, rather than the neutral frequency response you’d find with Audio-Technica’s studio headphones.

The Razer Barracuda X (2022) is an excellent affordable gaming headset

Razer took its already good Razer Barracuda X made it even better. For only $99 USD, the Razer Barracuda X (2022) features Bluetooth, 2.4gHz, and wired connectivity options, good sound quality, long battery life, and a great microphone. You can use the Barracuda X (2022) with pretty much any device you can play a game on, and its light at only 250g, so you can comfortably game anywhere you want. In our testing at a consistent audio output peaking at 75dB(SPL), we found that the battery lasts 59 hours, 53 minutes, so you can reliably game throughout the week without charging the headset.

      

Razer Barracuda X (2022)

7.7

The frequency response varies from ours in the highs and lows quite a bit, with the mids being quite close to our consumer curve. This might not be ideal for some music, but for gaming it’s perfectly fine. The isolation isn’t the best either, but it’s pretty typical for closed-back headsets. Don’t expect this headset to block out noise roommates or vacuums, but it should at least dampen some higher pitched sounds like a fan running.

For a great-sounding no-frills headset, check out the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX

The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX is a comfortable, straightforward wireless gaming headset that connects to PC and consoles alike via a 2.4GHz wireless USB dongle. The dongle has a switch on the side for alternating between Xbox and USB modes. It has rock-solid audio output, comfortable memory foam ear pads, and a great mic that can fold into the headset. The battery life of the Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX is also fantastic, lasting 78 hours, 23 minutes in our testing.

     

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX

7.2

The frequency response of the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX does deviate from our consumer curve in the lows, as well as some areas of the highs. You can EQ the sound a bit via the controls built into the headset. The isolation isn’t the best, but higher pitched sounds should be reasonably quieted. And the microphone’s response is just as accurate as you could hope to get from a gaming headset.

How is the Corsair HS65 Surround for gaming?

The Corsair HS65 Surround isn’t anything too special, but the microphone makes it worth it.

The Corsair HS65 Surround is a good gaming headset overall, though most of what it offers isn’t that special or notable. The microphone is the absolute best part about it, with very clear audio and great noise suppression. It even quiets echo and reverberation from room reflections well. Whether you’re chatting on Discord, in-game chat, or doing a video call for work, everyone will hear you perfectly well with this headset.

Other aspects of the headset include 7.1 virtual surround sound capability through Corsair’s iCue software, and lots of sound profile customization as well. The base sound profile is a bit wonky, with a big boost in the bass and high frequencies. But for gaming this isn’t bad, and iCue has sound profile options for different types of games that help a ton. The headset connects using a 3.5mm TRRS connection, but it also comes with a USB-A dongle for PC, which is needed for the software to work with the headphones.

Is the Logitech G Pro X a good gaming headset?

You won’t be recording any podcasts with the G Pro X, but if you’re one of the many people who play Dungeons and Dragons on the internet it could be the perfect thing.

The Logitech G Pro X is overall a great gaming headset, with good sound quality, multiple connectivity options, and comfort standing out as key features. The headset does, however, rely a lot on software, making it less ideal for console gamers. The Logitech G Hub app is only available on PC, but it helps you by giving you a surround sound feature and letting you change the EQ of the headphones, as well as modifying the microphone with Blue VO!CE.

Should you get the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro?

There’s also a wired version for cheaper, if you want to save money.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is a great wireless gaming headset, with a good sound profile, great microphone, and lag-free wireless connectivity through a 2.4GHz USB dongle. The headset is also compatible with Razer Synapse 3, so you have access to THX virtual surround sound, and EQ settings for the mic and headphones. The headset is very comfortable too, with memory foam ear pads wrapped in leatherette for a good seal and long-term comfort. It’s one of the best gaming headsets out there, and for $179 USD, it’s definitely worth it for the great features.

The best gaming headsets with good microphones: Notable mentions

The Audeze Mobius has a seriously flexible band.

• Audeze Mobius: This premium gaming headset is quite expensive, but it offers features such as 3D audio, 7.1, and stereo audio settings, and its sound quality is unmatched. The microphone accurately relays vocals all along the frequency spectrum.
• Audeze LCD-GX: Though incredibly expensive, this headset boasts one of the best mics out there for gamers.
• Beyerdynamic Team Tygr 300 R: Though this is one of the pricier gaming headsets out there, its mic quality bridges the gap between gaming and podcasting because it’s just that darn good. It also has great sound quality, is easy to use, and has comfortable velour padding on its ear pads.
• Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset: Not only does this headset have a great microphone, but it is a true luxury pair of headphones equipped with active noise canceling and a super comfortable fit. If you have money to spare, this is a great choice.
• Corsair Void RGB Elite: If something wireless is what you’re after, but the Thresher Ultimate is just too steep, have a look at the Corsair Void RGB Elite. It’s a little bit looser than I’d like and it over-emphasizes the bass like nobody’s business, but this headset is a very solid choice for anyone aiming for under $100.
• HyperX Cloud Flight S: This wireless headset is compatible with PC and PS4. Its microphone quality is pretty good, but only for people with relatively high voices. It offers surround sound technology, has a great battery life, and the sound quality is very good.
• Logitech G733 Lightspeed: Just like the Logitech G Pro X, the microphone’s hardware by itself on this headset is only average, but it comes with the Blue VO!CE app which can dramatically improve the sound quality. If you don’t need Blue’s software, you can save a few bucks with the G435 Lightspeed.
• Razer Kraken V3: For gamers wanting a wired headset at a reasonable price point, the Razer Kraken V3 is an excellent option. Featuring the same Razer Synapse features as the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, the Razer Kraken V3 includes THX Spatial Audio and EQ settings. A solid detachable microphone combined with good sound quality makes for an excellent choice. If you want the same headset with haptic feedback, check out the Kraken V3 HyperSense.
• Roccat Syn Pro Air: A wireless gaming headset with a great microphone, solid audio, and a comfortable, lightweight build for $150 — What’s not to like? The only thing really keeping this headset out of the main picks of this list is that its software is still in beta and only partially functional right now, which puts a bit of a damper on the whole experience (At least on PC).
• Turtle Beach Recon 70: Turtle Beach has made something of a habit of putting accurate microphones in just about all its gaming headsets. The Recon 70 sports a microphone that sounds great, plus it’s comfortable and runs for about $40 — pretty much any Recon headset will scratch this itch just as well, but this one’s the cheapest.
• Turtle Beach Stealth Pro: This is an excellent headset, but it narrowly misses our “best” title because of somewhat less-decent audio quality. The mic is quite good, however.
• HyperX Cloud Core: This is a great affordable gaming headset option. The sound profile is pretty close to our consumer curve, except for some deviation in sub-bass and the highs, but the frequency response is great for gaming. The headset is also super simple to use, since it only connects via 3.5mm, so there’s no extra software or setup required, you can just plug it in and play. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use headset, this is it.

What you should know about gaming headset microphones

There are some things to bear in mind when you’re shopping for a gaming headset with good microphone. The first is mic type. Different kinds of mics have different pick-up patterns. Most gaming headsets use cardioid and hyper-cardioid microphones, which primarily pick up sound coming from in front of the microphone. Gaming headset microphones are pretty much all meant to pick up one source of audio (you) from about three inches away, so this makes sense — picking up sound from the room you’re sitting in can negatively impact call quality.

The V-MODA BoomPro X is a detachable boom mic that includes a Y-splitter, extension cable, and five microphone covers.

Some headsets come with an omni-directional microphone, which probably isn’t ideal if you’re just looking for something to wear sitting on your couch or at your computer. If you’re having problems with getting enough level, there are ways to boost your mic audio on every platform.

Why you should trust SoundGuys

We test headsets in the lab and in real-world use cases.

When it comes down to it, we don’t just review gaming headsets because we’re passionate about good audio. Pretty much everybody at SoundGuys has been a gamer our whole lives. You name it, we’ve probably played it. We know what kind of audio features are important for different kinds of games, and maybe more importantly: which ones aren’t.

The gaming headset space, much like many other parts of the audio industry, is rife with exaggerated language and gimmicky features that often don’t add much of anything to your experience. It’s easy to get caught up in the flashy lights and promises of immersive audio and bass so intense it’ll rupture your eardrums (in a good way, somehow), but most of that stuff flat-out doesn’t matter. When we’re talking about gaming headset mics in particular, there’s a lot of guff out there. Too many gaming headsets run into the same problems and pitfalls, all while boasting clear, undistorted audio. That’s why we review headsets, and why we have lists like this.

Frequently asked questions

Bose might be well-known for its noise canceling headphones and home audio products, but the brand’s outdoor-focused Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker aims to bring similar quality to the trails. With a robust exterior and the ability to survive drops into water, this speaker seems to have the perfect set of features for adventurers.

Does it sound good enough to earn a spot on your carabiner?

Editor’s note: this Bose SoundLink Flex review was updated on June 26, 2023 to ensure the timeliness of the information within.

What’s it like to use the Bose SoundLink Flex?

The Bose SoundLink Flex can survive a dunk in salt water, but sand can also get through the front grille.

The design and build of the Bose SoundLink Flex reflect its intended outdoor use cases. Bose boasts its grille is steel and powder-coated, and it is indeed sturdy. Dropping it on the pavement will give it a few scuffs, though. Overall, the speaker feels solid, with no odd shapes or extra bits sticking out to snag on your clothes or vegetation while hiking.

Bose claims this Bluetooth speaker floats—that’s a stretch. If you were to drop it in a lake or accidentally kick it into a pool, you could quickly grab it again, but you can’t exactly play music in the middle of the deep end like you can with the UE WONDERBOOM 2. However, the ability to survive a quick plunge in water is useful because this speaker gets dirty rather quickly. It picks up smudges and fingerprints, and dust can get through the front grille—all things a quick dunk can wash off. However, once sand or other non-dissolvable debris makes it behind the grille, removing it is difficult—I still hear a little sand rattling around this unit whenever I shake it.

The Bose SoundLink Flex puts all its buttons on top, but there is no clear physical distinction between each one.

The Bose SoundLink Flex weighs only 589g despite the solid build, but it might add more bulk than you want for intense mountaineering. For leisurely treks and beach trips, however, it certainly won’t get in the way. A carrying strap on the right side of the speaker lets you attach the SoundLink Flex to a backpack, jacket, and many other items. You’ll have to supply your own carabiner or clip, though. It can also twist around and end up facing backwards, a position that muffles the sound. An integrated clip would avoid this problem, but also remove some flexibility. You can’t replace the loop yourself if it breaks or frays, either. Finally, you’ll find the USB-C charging input on the left side.

How do you control the Bose SoundLink Flex?

The control buttons go across the center of the top of the speaker. They’re mushy, and no backlights illuminate them, but the power and Bluetooth sync buttons have small white LEDs to indicate that the speaker is on and connected. The multi-function center button lets you play, pause, and skip content, while volume down and up flank it to either side. This looks sleek, but there is no physical distinction between the buttons. I’d appreciate more distinct controls—as it stands, it’s possible to accidentally tap the multi-function button when looking for something else.

How do you pair the Bose SoundLink Flex and use the Bose Connect app?

The Bose SoundLink Flex distinguishes between instruments and vocals well, which is good for listening to tunes at home with the speaker nearby.

The Bose Connect app (iOS/Android) syncs the Bose SoundLink Flex with your phone and other devices. It’s pretty easy to use. When you tap the “Bluetooth” icon, it lists your currently connected devices, other devices the app remembers, and a button to edit the list. Note, too, that the Bose Connect app is not the same as the Bose Music app that some of its other products require.

You can use the app to enable Party Mode, which allows two compatible Bose Bluetooth speakers to connect and play the same content. It’s not strictly necessary, though, as pressing the Bluetooth and volume up buttons simultaneously also allows you to connect to other Party Mode devices. You need to enter Party Mode before enabling stereo mode.

Within the app’s settings, there’s a product tour feature, which is useful for studying the controls. An auto-off timer is sure to be helpful for those who like to fall asleep listening to music. Plus, you can enable or disable voice prompts here. Pressing and holding the center button activates your phone’s assistant, but it’s not that useful, especially if you’re closer to your phone than the speaker. You could just say “OK Google” or “Hey Siri” to your phone instead. If you tend to stream content from a device farther away than your phone and don’t want to leave your seat, it could be useful (as long as that device has its own virtual assistant). There is no EQ in the app, so if you want to adjust your tunes, you’ll have to choose a third-party option.

What Bluetooth codecs does the Bose SoundLink Flex support?

The Bose SoundLink Flex supports Bluetooth multipoint, but it does not reliably switch between devices.

The Bose SoundLink Flex uses Bluetooth 4.2 and supports only the standard SBC Bluetooth codec. The maximum range according to Bose is up to 9 meters. While the speaker itself retains a reliable Bluetooth connection, the Bose Connect app is flaky. Sometimes it says there’s no connection even though music is playing through the speaker. Additionally, there is no aux input available if you want to overcome the shortcomings of codecs in general.

The speaker also struggles to switch between devices over Bluetooth multipoint. Like many other speakers and headphones, you must manually pause and play content; there is no automatic switching. As a result, sometimes the speaker never realized content had paused on one device and did not switch over to another.

How long does the battery last on the Bose SoundLink Flex?

The Bose SoundLink Flex supports USB-C charging, but there is no aux input.

Bose claims that the SoundLink Flex can last for up to 12 hours on a fully charged battery. There is a USB-C to USB-A charging cable inside the box, but you have to supply a power adapter. Our standard battery test uses music played back continuously with a 75dB (SPL) maximum output level measured 1 meter from the front of the speaker—the Bose SoundLink Flex lasted 11 hours, 59 minutes. That means Bose’s claimed battery life is quite accurate and the speaker will last a day at the beach or through a long hike in the mountains.

How does the Bose SoundLink Flex sound?

The SoundLink Flex struggles to produce any sub-bass notes, like all portable speakers of this size.

The Bose SoundLink Flex sounds fine for what it is: an outdoor speaker meant for the trail with a small group of friends. I also have a JBL Flip 5, and the Bose speaker reproduces all frequencies with relatively the same volume level compared to JBL’s speaker. This kind of frequency response makes it easy to hear all instruments on a track.

The main drivers are on top of the speaker, and the bass driver sits at the bottom of its backside. So be careful not to let this speaker sink into soft surfaces, or you may lose out on some low notes. Bose claims its “PositionIQ technology” helps the speaker detect its orientation to adjust the sound accordingly. Whether that’s a marketing spin or not, like any speaker moving through space, the sound will change slightly as it swings from your backpack, for example.

As long as you remember that most Bluetooth speakers aren’t for audiophiles with studio monitors, you’ll enjoy how the SoundLink Flex sounds.

Lows, mids, and highs

The Bose SoundLink Flex’s volume levels and design fit the use case of a hiking speaker well.

The South Asian-style violins in Duniya Te Pyar Mile come through without sounding too quiet or even distorted, which happens with many other speakers. Noor Jehan’s vocals stand out, and the bass drum does not mask the clapping. The strings of the sitar come through distinctly from the beats of Alla Rakha’s tabla and Prodyot Sen and Kamala’s tanpuras in Ravi Shankar’s Raga Khamaj. You might notice the lack of sub-bass notes at a party, however, because people tend to expect these when they think of dance tunes.

On the other hand, in the orchestral qawwali Man Kunto Maula as sung by Abi Sampa, Sampa’s vocals are easy to hear, but the handclaps that keep the time of another concurrent rhythm get lost. In fairness to the Bose SoundLink Flex, these claps usually only come through particularly clearly with an accurate pair of headphones, like the AudioTechnica ATH-M50x.

Can you use the Bose SoundLink Flex for phone calls?

The Bose SoundLink Flex does its best if it’s close to you, but it won’t energize a loud indoor party or big outdoor gathering.

Yes, the Bose SoundLink Flex works for voice calls. The microphone lets you leave intelligible voicemails, but it transmits pretty much all background noise. You can press the center button during ringing to answer the phone or hold it to reject the call. Pressing it during conversation ends the call. The microphone also works to contact your voice assistant when you press and hold the middle multi-function on the Bose SoundLink Flex.

There is no dedicated “place a call” button, however. Bose claims the SoundLink Flex can be a “speakerphone,” but to do that, you’ll still have to dial using your phone or ask your voice assistant via the center button.

Bose SoundLink Flex microphone sample (Wind):

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As of December 21, 2022, nearly 75% of votes fell into either the “OK” or “Good” categories with almost 1000 votes total. That’s pretty standard for most Bluetooth speakers.

Should you buy the Bose SoundLink Flex?

The SoundLink Flex is a durable speaker and a fine adventure buddy.

If you enjoy outdoor adventuring, throwing small parties, or singing in the shower the Bose SoundLink Flex makes for a good companion. It distinguishes between instruments and vocals quite well, and its loudness levels suit hikes in nature. Furthermore, the microphone and ability to pull up your voice assistant via pushing and holding a button are both handy. However, don’t expect this speaker to pump out enough oomph for a big party.

Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Speaker

• IP67 rating
• Powerful Bass
• Highly portable

The Bose SounLink Flex is a sturdy Bluetooth speaker with IP67 rating for water and dust protection. It can travel well in your backpack and is loud enough for a mimi party and provides powerful bass to pump up your tunes. Bose is also using a feature called PositionIQ to ensure the speaker can be used in all sorts of positions.

$129 at Amazon

Save $ 20.00

$149 at Best Buy

$149 at Bose

$149 at Walmart

What should you get instead of the Bose SoundLink Flex?

The JBL Flip 5 is a similarly rugged and outdoorsy Bluetooth speaker, but note that it does not sound as clear as the Bose SoundLink Flex. You don’t get a microphone, but it is cheaper than the Bose. Heck, you can even get the newer JBL Flip 6 for less than the SoundLink Flex and you get the same IP67 rating.

The Clip 4 doesn’t include many features but it’s a rugged everyday speaker.

Similarly, the JLB Clip 4 is designed for outdoor adventures and boasts an IP67 waterproof rating. It’s smaller than the Bose and does not have a microphone, either, but it fits the niche of a hiking speaker and shower buddy quite well. Be aware that it cannot pair together two speakers as the Bose does. Bose also offers the SoundLink Micro, which has a microphone and a similar form factor to the Clip 4.

Frequently asked questions about the Bose SoundLink Flex

Whether you’re commuting to the office or trying to block out some of the people in the office, noise canceling headphones are a great tool to have. The problem is that if you want some of the best noise canceling headphones around, you will have to break open your piggy bank and start counting pennies. But that isn’t always the case. There are plenty of solid noise canceling headphones under $100 USD that might be worth picking up if you’re in the market for a new pair of cans.

Editor’s note: this list was updated on June 26, 2023, to add FAQ.

Why is the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 the best pair of cheap noise canceling headphones for most people?

Anker continues to redefine the budget audio market with the update to its popular budget noise canceling headphones: the Soundcore Life Q30.

Best overall

  

Anker Soundcore Life Q30

Like its predecessor, the Soundcore Life Q30 Bluetooth headphones feature a lightweight construction with plush ear cups, making these headphones very comfortable to wear during long playback sessions. Like the Soundcore Life Q20, this updated version is touted to deliver up to 40 hours of playback with ANC on, making battery life a non-issue.

The Soundcore Life Q30 also features improved active noise cancellation. Though its performance can’t hold a candle to the likes of Sony or Bose, it’s better than nothing. Sound quality is what you’d expect from a pair of sub-$100 headphones: it’s consumer-friendly with amplified bass notes.

For the best on-the-go headphones, get the Sennheiser HD 450BT

You can always rely on Sennheiser to prioritize great sound quality, and that holds true with the Sennheiser HD 450BT. While this headset doesn’t quite fit the budget if you buy it new, you can find it renewed for a lower price and it will work just as well. For people who are constantly on the go, the HD 450BT offers affordable active noise canceling, which is perfect for drowning out the world on your way to work. It also has a portable design with ear cups that fold inward for compact travel. The headband could stand to be a little more comfortable as it does have a really strong clamping force, but it should loosen up over time.

Best portable

        

Sennheiser HD 450BT (Renewed)

7.5

The sound quality of the HD 450BT is very good, delivering a relatively neutral frequency response that pleasantly reproduces mid-to-high frequency sounds like strings and vocals. Bass and upper-midrange frequencies are very subtly emphasized in a way that makes most genres sound good.

The noise canceling is decent, muting low-frequency noises to about half their regular volume, and the passive isolation is quite effective. However, its ANC performance is not as impressive as higher-end headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM4 or Apple AirPods Max.

Redefine budget ANC with the Monoprice BT-600ANC

If you prioritize ANC above everything else, including things like EQ customization, consider the Monoprice BT-600ANC. We gave this headset an Editor’s Choice Award for its excellent (for any price) ANC performance. The lone frequency response is very consumer-friendly, and you can’t adjust it. For instance, you might notice it doesn’t offer the clearest sound quality.

Best value

      

Monoprice BT-600ANC

8.1

The BT-600ANC has no obnoxious logos or outlandish colorways, making it discrete and surprisingly expensive-looking. You get the aptX HD Bluetooth codec for a better wireless audio experience than the standard fare AAC and SBC, though it’ll support that too. Headphones costing hundreds more don’t necessarily have high-res codecs like that.

We got an impressive 36 hours, 20 minutes on a single charge during testing. Monoprice does not include a quick charge option, however, you can connect with an audio cable if your battery dies. For a hair under $100 USD, the BT-600ANC does basically everything.

The Skullcandy Hesh ANC is a great headset for bass lovers

Do you like bass? Good, because the Skullcandy Hesh ANC delivers a uniquely bass-heavy sound, with certain sub-bass frequencies sounding about 15dB louder than what our consumer curve suggests. Since the bass is so boosted here, we consider the Hesh ANC a niche product despite its reasonable $99 USD price.

Best bass

      

Skullcandy Hesh ANC

Bass response aside, the headset has very good active noise canceling that renders low and midrange frequencies one-half to one-quarter their original perceived loudness. The ANC can’t compete with the very best headsets from Bose and Sony but it’s good enough for your daily train commute. Thanks to the long battery life of nearly 23 hours, you can also use this headset on your next intercontinental flight, just be sure to top it up beforehand.

There’s not too much to say about the Hesh ANC and its plain design. Those with larger-than-average ears may not find these headphones comfortable though, because the ear pads only have 4cm by 6cm of clearance. If your ears will fit within those dimensions, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised with performance from these cheap headphones.

The Philips PH805 is very comfortable

When it comes to Bluetooth headphones, there aren’t many options if you want to spend less than $10o USD. It’s even harder to find budget headphones with features like voice assistant integration, High-Res audio certification, touch controls, and active noise canceling. The Philips PH805 has all of these bells and whistles and is extremely comfortable.

Best comfort

   

Philips PH805

The headset has a dedicated smart assistant button for accessing Siri or Google Assistant. If you need to send a text or set a reminder without reaching for your phone, the PH805 is there for you. This headset has a High-Res audio certification, which means that if you connect the 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable to a High-Res audio source you can listen to lossless audio (this is true for any wired headset). The headphones’ sound quality emphasizes bass for a consumer-friendly sound but not so much that it detracts from the rest of the frequencies.

The Philips PH805 has a built-in microphone with echo cancellation. The ear cups can fold inward or lay flat for easy storage and transportation. You can use the touch controls to toggle volume as well as activate ANC and Awareness Mode which has the opposite function of ANC. This is definitely a headset for the budget-minded shopper to consider.

The best noise canceling headphones under $100: Notable mentions

• AKG N700NC M2: This is the successor to AKG’s original entry-level noise canceling headphones. Although it’s currently priced above $100, these cans are still worthy of your consideration thanks to its overall balanced sound signature and competitive noise-canceling performance—all at a price tag that is still much lower than Sony or Bose’s offerings.
• AUKEY EP-N12: If your primary goal is super cheap ANC and aren’t too fussed about perfect audio reproduction, the EP-N12 offers impressive noise cancellation for well under $100 USD, and a long battery life.
• Edifier W828NB: Don’t need to make any phone calls? Good, this headset has no onboard mic, but it does have a long battery life, comfortable ear cups, and aptX and aptX HD codecs for better-quality streaming. Older tech like microUSB charging can annoy single cable users who have moved on to USB-C.

What you should know about the best noise canceling headphones under $100 USD

To adjust noise canceling and ambient mode intensity, a user must download the ShurePLUS Play app.

If you want to learn more about noise canceling headphones, you’ve come to the right place. Be sure to expand the boxes below to dive right in!

How does active noise canceling (ANC) work?

Constructive and Destructive Interference Sound waves of equal amplitude, offset at half wavelengths result in compression waves with an amplitude of 0—canceling out the sound.

Active canceling headphones use destructive interference to attenuate external noise, so droning sounds are significantly blocked out. Passive isolation tackles incidental, high-frequency sounds like conversations and loud children. In order to achieve optimal noise canceling, you’ll need the best fit possible. With headphones, this means the pads shouldn’t create gaps between your skull, and with earbuds, it means the tips should create a seal to your ear.

What is the benefit of noise canceling headphones?

Noise canceling headphones can make your daily commute more pleasant by drowning out the distracting sounds around you. ANC can also protect your hearing because when background noise is less audible, you’re less likely to increase the volume to dangerous levels to hear your tunes. Since your brain spends less of its energy processing a ton of auditory stimuli with ANC headsets, it’s actually easier for your brain to perceive how your music sounds!

What Bluetooth codecs should you pay attention to when buying ANC headphones?

Represented is the max transfer rate (kbps) of each respective Bluetooth codec (greater is better). Each waveform depicts a transfer rate of 100 kbps.

If you have an Android phone, you should look for a Bluetooth headset with aptX or LDAC support, though LDAC isn’t technically high-res. These codecs give you reliable, high-quality audio over Bluetooth, which you don’t always get with AAC on Android. iPhone owners should grab headphones with AAC support for high-quality audio since iPhones only support SBC and AAC.

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SoundGuys is our daily grind and our mission is to leave our readers more informed and interested in the world of audio. We understand that audio is both an objective and subjective experience. In order to account for the former, we run as many products as possible through our objective testing methods.

We test headphones in and out of the lab to give you a holistic idea of how it performs.

Ultimately, we want you to glean as much information from these lists and the linked features as possible. While our site does operate on affiliate links, we are transparent about our ethics policy.

Frequently asked questions about cheap noise canceling headphones

If you’re looking for the best headphones on the market, it’s tough to get a straight answer. What works for some people doesn’t work for others, and few product categories are as diverse as headphones. In-ears, on-ears, over-ears — there’s just so much to choose from, and it’s hard to tell what’s right for you.

However, because the needs of every person out there vary so wildly, we’re going to run down the best options for most people — not necessarily the best headphones by objective performance.

Editor’s note: This list was updated on June 26, 2023, to highlight the Anker Soundcore Space Q45, add the Grell Audio TWS 1 to the Notable mentions, and update formatting.

Why is the Sony WH-1000XM5 the best pair of noise canceling headphones?

Now that Sony has released the Sony WH-1000XM5, it takes the crown as the best active noise canceling (ANC) headphones. This new model outperforms its closest competitors in noise attenuation and microphone quality. The default frequency response is a bit bassier than what we typically recommend, but you can easily equalize this from the Sony Headphones Connect app (iOS/Android) or your preferred third-party equalizer. To see frequency response and isolation charts for any of our top picks, scroll to the end of each photo gallery.

Best noise canceling

    

Sony WH-1000XM5

8.7

The WH-1000XM5 offers top-of-the-line specs and features, including a custom equalizer, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, and auto-pause/play sensors. The Sony WH-1000MX5 includes speak-to-chat, which pauses your media when you are speaking to someone and resumes playback 30 seconds after so you don’t miss the person’s response. You also have Bluetooth multipoint which is a great productivity feature for those who like to keep an ear on their phone while connected to their laptop. The microphone system is among the best we’ve seen in a headset like this and cancels out background noise effectively no matter the conditions. Take a listen to two of our microphone demos below!

Sony WH-1000XM5 mic demo (Ideal):

Sony WH-1000XM5 mic demo (Wind):

If the price tag of the WH-1000XM5 is just a bit too high, you also can’t go wrong with the older Sony WH-1000XM4 ( $348 at Sony ) which was previously our pick for best noise canceling headphones.

Sony WH-1000XM5

• ANC performance
• Outstanding microphone
• Useful app features

Although its predecessor set the high water mark for excellent performance, the Sony WH-1000XM5 pushes it ever higher. Now featuring new drivers, it's an intriguing set of headphones among the flagship active noise-cancelling (ANC) devices on the market. Not only is it full of useful features, but it also excels in travel or at the office, in particular.

$398 at Amazon

$398 at Best Buy

What are the best-sounding ANC headphones?

That honor would belong to the Focal Bathys, though this product costs [adp product="4564" style="in-text" default="on the product’s website"/]. Definitely not for the light wallet. We generally recommend the best products for a lower price point than that, but if you want the best: there they are

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) is the best set of wireless earbuds for iPhone owners

True wireless earphones took the market by storm after being dominated by the Apple AirPods for so long. Now there’s plenty of competition, much of which offers a more compelling experience than most of Apple’s audio products. However, with the company’s latest release, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) is back on top of the pole for iOS users. These buds offer great ANC, sound quality to match, and sound better than the AirPods (3rd generation) simply by virtue of the fact that they can seal your ear canal.

Best iPhone

      

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

7.4

These earbuds bring a big improvement to ANC and battery life, and the retain the same IPX4 rating, which now also covers the charging case. Speaking of the charging case, that’s where a lot of the more notable changes come. The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) charging case features Apple’s new U1 chip, which makes it compatible with Apple’s Find My service and the new integrated speakers will emit a noise to help you find it, plus the H2 chip in the buds.

Much like all the other AirPods, this is best used with Apple devices. It only supports SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, so there’s no high quality codec for android users. Also, many of the earbuds’ software features are found in the iOS settings app, so you’ll miss out on other platforms in that respect too. Still, this is about as good as it gets for wireless earbuds for Apple users.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

• Impressive ANC
• Comfortable fit
• Wireless charging

The second generation of AirPods Pro features top-quality active noise cancelation in a water-resistant package.

$229 at Amazon

Save $ 20.00

$249 at Best Buy

Don’t lose pace with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless

Sennheiser combines most of what you want in a great set of over-ear Bluetooth headphones in the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless. With support for a variety of high quality codecs like AAC, aptX, aptX, and aptX Adaptive, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C listening, you’ll hardly ever get caught without a connection. You even get Bluetooth multipoint. More to the point, a stellar 56 hours and 21 minutes of battery life (with ANC on) outperforms most headphones.

Best connectivity

         

Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless

8.5

While the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless doesn’t beat out the Sony WH-1000XM5 on noise canceling, the ANC onboard is still rather effective and adjustable. That sound experts at Sennheiser tune the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless to sound frankly great, is unsurprising. It gets very close to our target curve with just a bit more bass. However, if that sound is not your preference, you can utilize the Smart Control app to adjust EQ. In addition, you can create automatic listening settings for different locations and adjust ANC.

The touch controls are intuitive, and little luxuries like on-ear detection contribute to the overall flagship worthy experience of the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless. That you get a carry case and an airplane adapter means you don’t have to shell out for accessories either. Plus, the Sennheiser cans undercut the price of most premium headphones without significant compromises.

Sennheiser Momentum 4

• App for EQ changes
• Simple, elegant design
• USB-C charging

If you need total immersion in your music, you need some ANC over-ears. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 focus on style and comfort while delivering the core features high-end shoppers need with their headphones.

$279.85 at Amazon

Save $ 70.10

$349.98 at Best Buy

Can’t go wrong with the new “old standby” AKG 371

Though people have been picking the Sony MDR-7506 for decades, a true successor in the “budget monitor headphone” category has finally taken center stage. The AKG K371 offers a really good baseline for what constitutes good sound in the consumer market.

Best sound

      

AKG K371

8.1

That’s not because these are super bassy, or that they’re flashy—if anything they’re the opposite of both. This pair of headphones sounds excellent for what it is and provides a really good double-life as a dependable studio monitor. Sure, these are wired cans with a rather cumbersome cable. But if you’re listening at home, mixing a track, or working at the coffee shop: these are the headphones you want.

AKG K371

• Excellent sound
• Replaceable parts
• Great sound

The AKG K371 is one of the best over-ear headphones combining sound quality, comfort, functionality, and portability. The ear pads are rotatable and replaceable.

$157.97 at Amazon

Save $ 21.03

$175 at Sweetwater

Save $ 4.00

$175 at JBL

Save $ 4.00

The HiFiMan Sundara is an excellent pair of high-end headphones

Sure, you could spend thousands of dollars on headphones that may or may not sound better, but the HiFiMan Sundara is at the perfect crossroads between affordability and top-tier performance. Sure, that sounds a little weird to say for a set of $300 USD planar magnetic headphones, but our testing shows the Sundara does an excellent job at providing listeners with good sound quality when compared to its closest competitors.

Best high-end

       

HiFiMan Sundara

7.9

However, many headphones in this bracket are very heavy and uncomfortable, and the Sundara has this issue to an extent. However, the choice to use cloth in the padding of the ear cups and the form-fitting band do a lot to make this product far more comfortable to use for those who wear eyeglasses. If you don’t wear eyeglasses, all the better.

Of course, as open-back headphones, these let in just about every sound around you. So be sure to note that before you start spending like crazy. Additionally, if you’d like to equalize these headphones: you’re probably going to want an amplifier of some sort to avoid volume issues.

HiFiMan Sundara

• Excellent sound
• 3.5mm TRS jack
• Low sound distortion

The HiFiMan Sundara is an open-backed headset that diminishes the resonance issues in the bass and offers an excellent, natural-like sound.

$299 at Amazon

The Anker Soundcore Space Q45 treats your bank account well

Although imperfect, the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 might be best for budgets without too many compromises.

We all work within budgets, so with that in mind, the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 ticks most budgets for the price. The Bluetooth or wired equipped over-ear headphones supply good codecs: AAC and LDAC, and sound pretty good. You also get decent noise canceling as well. These don’t exactly boot any of our top picks, but they ought to satisfy a great many music fans. Plus, Anker has good customer support, which is always important.

Anker Soundcore Space Q45

• Full-bodied audio
• Good ANC
• Customizable EQ

$149.99 at Amazon

$149.99 at Best Buy

$149.99 at Soundcore

Why should you consider the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700?

The Bose NCH 700 features touch controls and have three buttons in total, one of which is for pairing, another is for controlling the level of ANC, and a third which activates Google Assistant.

While the ANC on the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 may not be quite as impressive as the company’s Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, Bose has shown commitment to users by improving the ANC with comprehensive firmware updates.

We also like the NCH 700 for its sleek design and seemingly perfect touch controls. Many companies make calibrate their headsets’ touch panels to be too sensitive, resulting in many misfires, but Bose’s headphones are a breeze to operate. The default frequency response (chart) is excellent and requires little fixing, but you can change it directly from the Bose Music app (iOS/Android) if you’d like.

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700

• Excellent ANC
• Lightweight design
• Rotable ear pads

If you want some of the best ANC you can get, Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 have you covered.

$379 at Amazon

$379 at Bose

$379 at Best Buy

Audiophiles should consider the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX

Premium headphones like the Sennheiser HD 6XX don’t offer many features, but they do pack performance.

If you’re looking for the absolute best way to spend money on headphones for the computer, Drop’s partnership with Sennheiser brought a legendary audiophile option — the HD 650 — down to roughly half the original asking price with the HD 6XX. Budget-conscious audiophiles would be doing themselves a disservice by not giving these a spin.

There are a few minor differences between the HD 6XX and the HD 650 ( $304.78 at Amazon ), but most are cosmetic in nature and more plasticky on the HD 6XX. The performance of the HD 6XX is top-notch, and is much lighter than it looks. If you’re the kind of listener who spends a lot of time at the computer, this is the kind of headphones you should be looking for. Just be aware that the open back is a double-edged sword: it allows for better sound quality and clarity, but it also lets in all the outside noise around you.

Sennheiser x Drop HD 6XX

• Sound quality
• Removable/replaceable cable
• Open back

If you're looking for a set of headphones to stay by the computer, few offer a better price-to-performance ratio than the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX. Based on the design of the legendary Sennheiser HD 650, the HD 6XX is a steal at half the price.

$199 at Drop

Save $ 40.00

The best headphones: Notable mentions

The Sennheiser HD 660S2 is one of the best if you’ve got the funds.

We can’t highlight every headset the way we’d like, so instead, we’ve put together a bulleted list of alternative standouts that didn’t quite make the best headphones cut.

• Apple AirPods Max: iPhone owners who want something beefier than the AirPods Pro for international flights should invest in the AirPods Max. We do mean invest: this set of headphones goes for $479.99 at Amazon but occasionally goes on promotion for less. This has some of the best ANC we’ve seen and excellent sound quality. If you have an iPhone you can take advantage of the headset’s H1 chips for hands-free Siri access, automatic device switching, Adaptive EQ, and more.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2: Enthusiasts sing the praises of the original ATH-50x for its rugged build and reliable performance. The second-generation Bluetooth version carries over everything we love about the tried-and-true wired model with LDAC support and excellent battery life for $199 at Amazon . At under $200 USD, this is a solid headset.
• Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X: If wired is your sole interest with a studio style frequency response, this is a great pick. The open back design wears comfortably, it gets very close to our ideal sound without reaching astronomical pricing ( $249 at Amazon ). Its closed back companion, the DT 700 PRO X, has less treble on tap and is another great choice.
• Bose QuietComfort 45: As an incremental update over the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, it’s not exciting, but the QC 45 offers improved ANC that’s up there with the best. At release, it was too trebly, but you can easily use the Bose Music app EQ to fix that. It’s still one of the most comfortable headphones out there for $329 at Amazon .
• Grado SR80x: If you can’t shell out for top of the line open back headphones, these unique Brooklyn built on-ear headphones (for $125 at Amazon ) are comfortable with repairable parts and a more trebly frequency response.
• Sennheiser HD 600: Long considered one of the best headphones on the market, not much has changed in the last thirty years for the HD 600. It missed our top picks due to cost, that’s it — though you can sometimes get lucky $399.95 at Sennheiser .
• Sennheiser HD 660S2: Certainly not the cheapest of the wired open back headphones on our list ( $599.95 at Amazon ), this set offers a very pleasant and analytical frequency response. Like most open back designs, it’s not for bass heads. If you find its predecessor, the HD 660S, for less cash it is equally good. The Sennheiser HD 600 is also a tried and true choice in the same style with replaceable parts.
• Sony WH-1000XM4: Sure, it’s not the newest set of Bluetooth headphones on the block, and the WH-1000XM5 outpaces it by basically every measurement, however, the WH-1000XM4 costs less money ( $348 at Sony ) and gets you most of the way there.

If you want more portable options, check out these earbuds

The new stabilizers help give the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 a more universal fit than its predecessor.

• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: In typical Bose fashion, the QC Earbuds has excellent sound quality to boot and some of the best ANC around, except for the WF-1000XM4 from Sony. These earbuds are pretty bulky, as is the case, but they still fit comfortably because of the StayHear Max ear tips. You can pick it up for $189.99 at Amazon . Due to the tuning of the updated QuietComfort Earbuds II, we still prefer the originals.
• Google Pixel Buds A-Series: For the Android user seeking a good set of earbuds with Google Assistant integration can get these for $93.02 at Amazon . Those looking for ANC and some extra luxuries like spatial audio should check out the Google Pixel Buds Pro.
• Grell Audio TWS 1: These buds are somewhat specialized in that they aim to address sound quality concerns chiefly. They go for $99 at Drop . For the money you get a competent app and excellent ANC, but they’re a bit chunky.
• Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: This is a truly great pair of wireless earbuds with solid sound and features like direct Spotify for easy listening. You get excellent ANC and 360 Audio too. Pick your favorite colorway for $189.99 at Amazon . Battery life per charge could be better, but it’s not bad.
• Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3: This is among the best wireless ANC earbuds you can buy and it has a premium design with an IPX4 rating. The Smart Control app lets you adjust the sound quality and you can find a very secure fit with the included ear and wing tips. The main downside, like many premium wireless earbuds, is the price ( $199.95 at Amazon ).
• Sennheiser IE 200: Folks looking to get a set of in-ear monitors that also sound great for general listening, can take a look at these premium wired buds for $149.95 at Amazon .
• Shure SE215: If you can forego true wireless for strictly wired earbuds, this set balances great sound, comfort, and Shure’s industry renowned reliability for only $99 at Amazon .
• Sony WF-1000XM4: These premium priced ( $178 at Amazon ) wireless earbuds have active noise canceling, a decent microphone, and best of all sound excellent. Their battery life isn’t the best, but they offer quick charging to make up for it. These earbuds support SBC, AAC, and LDAC. When you download the Sony Headphones Connect app you can EQ the sound signature and enable adaptive sound control.

What you should know about the best headphones

Open-back headphones are really only for at-home use, limiting their functionality compared to closed-back ones.

Calling something “the best” at anything is controversial at best, so we create our best lists with the caveat that your experiences will almost certainly vary from our own. Sometimes people have a unique set of needs that can’t be satisfied by going to a list of “best headphones” because the article doesn’t address what the best headphones out there are… for you. Consequently, we encourage all of our readers to write down all the things they want out of their headphones first before rolling the dice on a pick. This list has a lot of all-time greats, but if you need something a little bit more tailored to your needs, definitely keep reading our other lists and features to arm yourself with enough knowledge to make the right purchase.

Think hard about what types of headphones you like (in ears? over ears? on ears?), and also try to figure out what features you need. Maybe you need to go to the store to see how they fit on your head. Do you wear glasses or have ear piercings? Maybe you should look into getting velour pads instead of leather! It’s possible you just want the best sounding headphones at the expense of all other factors. These are all things covered in our reviews and other best lists.

Are wired headphones better than Bluetooth headphones?

Wired headphones like the Monolith by Monoprice M1070C have their place but they also come with compromises to portability and convenience.

This list has a few wired options if you want great sound, but we also have a few wireless options if you prefer convenience. If you opt for a Bluetooth pair, there are a few things you should know. First and foremost, the rumors you’ve heard are true. Bluetooth just can’t party with wired headphones, at least as it pertains to sound quality. Even some of the best codecs available aren’t as great as they seem at first glance. AAC basically only plays its best if you’re on an iOS device which means Android users should probably stick to aptX, and LDAC isn’t truly Hi-Res. The good news is that you most likely can’t hear any of the details in the data that are being dropped, but it’s still not a great selling point. Of course, if you do think that you have superhuman hearing feel free to test yourself with our simple hearing test.

There is hope, though: Bluetooth SIG announced LE Audio and the LC3 codec, an efficient alternative to SBC. We’re excited to see the benefits to the hard-of-hearing community play out in the real world, and know that LC3 will provide a 50% increase in audio quality relative to SBC. What’s more, headphone stutters will be lessened as packet-loss-management is improved, so instead of hearing annoying, intermittent drops, the dropout process will be much smoother. Even the best headphones will benefit from the new codec.

How does active noise canceling work?

If you were wondering how active noise cancelation works, don’t worry you’re not alone. There’s a lot that goes into it and some companies like Bose and Sony have their own ways of achieving it technologically, but it all comes down to basic physics. Active noise canceling is actually something called destructive interference. If you take one wave with an amplitude of +1 and combine it with another wave that has an amplitude of -1, you’re left with zero.

Constructive and Destructive Interference Sound waves of equal amplitude, offset at 1/2 wavelengths result in compression waves with an amplitude of 0—canceling out the sound.

Active noise canceling headphones take advantage of this by using tiny microphones to hear what sounds are around you and then creating an opposite sound wave to cancel that before it reaches your ears. Of course, this isn’t perfect and works better for long, droning sounds than sudden, screeching ones. So don’t expect ANC headphones to block out that crying baby on your next flight. But when you combine noise canceling technology with good isolation, you can get pretty close to completely blocking the outside world.

This is harder to achieve when it comes to earbuds, as they don’t completely cover your ear. So instead, a solid pair of memory foam ear tips might be worth looking into as they do a better job at isolating sound than the silicone ones that come with most buds.

How we choose the best headphones

If it’s a gaming headset we game with it, if it’s a workout headset we work out with it, and so on.

If you’ve seen this list before, you’ll probably notice that it’s completely different than it was in years past. Now it’s a perpetually updated piece. Gone is the Sennheiser HD 800, and the rest of the exorbitantly expensive headphones. That’s because we realized that what’s “best” objectively, isn’t what’s “best” for everyone… so our selections needed a bit of tweaking.

Just like it is with power tools and kitchen utensils, different headphones are built for different purposes. Using the right tool for the job is important, and ensures that you get the best experience possible. You wouldn’t use a chainsaw to cut butter any more than you’d use a set of AKG K7XX on an airplane.

We tested the Sony WH-1000XM5 in the lab with state-of-the-art equipment like the B&K 5128.

In that light, we took extra time to take into account how most people actually use headphones. What makes a good pair of gym earbuds? What makes a good pair of wireless earbuds? What’s the good in having a best headphones list that doesn’t help most people buy headphones they like?

While we took the time to highlight some Bluetooth headphones, active noise cancelers, and open-backed cans — be sure to read the descriptions to see if they’re right for you. Many people want a set of headphones that will do everything, but those models are few and far between. It’s more about what people actually want.

Why you should trust SoundGuys on the best headphones

In short, you should trust us because we show our work, strive to provide as much unimpeachable information to you and pin our revenue model on the happiness of our readers with our recommendations. If you return the product we suggest, we don’t see a dime.

We do what it takes to test the best headphones, including napping.

When it comes to audio, the SoundGuys team has years of experience reviewing products between them (and even more listening to them). So, if a product makes the best headphones list it’s because we were genuinely impressed by them and had some hands-on experience with them (or at the very least put in hours of research).

Frequently asked questions about the best headphones

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is another new set of active noise canceling earbuds (ANC) on the market, competing with lots of great performers out there. One of the best is the Sony WF-1000XM4, renowned for its noise canceling, comfort, and software. After spending a week with each pair of earbuds, we’ve put the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM4 side by side to see how they compare.

Editor’s note: this article was updated on June 26, 2023, to address a software update from Samsung.

What’s it like to use the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro compared to the Sony WF-1000XM4?

Both the case and the earbuds of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are made of a soft finish, matte plastic. The material shows scratches and lint, and marks won’t buff out well. The earbuds have three ear tip sizes to choose from for getting the best fit, and you can double-check the fit in the Galaxy Wearable app (Android). Samsung’s earbuds also have an IPX7 rating, and the case is unrated. With the case, you get the same jewelry box design that dates back to the Galaxy Buds Live, and it’s easy to open singlehandedly. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro comes in Graphite, White, and Bora Purple.

The buds are IPX7 rated for waterproofing, which should cover most wet activities or environments where you’d take the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds and case are similarly made of black matte plastic, though Sony adds flair with some gold accents to the black and white colorways. It comes with three polyurethane foam ear tips, making for a more comfortable fit and better seal. Like the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, you can take an ear tip fit test in Sony’s app to ensure you’ve chosen the best tips. The earbuds have an IPX4 rating and are exercise-friendly, and the case lacks any kind of water resistance.

While both earbuds have water-resistant ratings, neither has stabilizing wing tips, so there’s always a chance the earbuds will jostle around or fall out of your ear while you exercise. If you’re in search of the best wireless workout earbuds with noise canceling, we recommend the Jaybird Vista 2 or Beats Fit Pro (though the latter has prevalent ANC issues).

How do you control the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM4?

The capacitive touch controls are straightforward but somewhat customizable.

To control the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, you have a touch panel on each earbud. The sensitivity of the touch panels is great. Unlike other Samsung Galaxy Buds, making fit adjustments doesn’t cause misfires. When you tap the earbuds, a sound emanates to alert you that the buds registered your command. It’s not without issues, however: when our reviewer wears the buds for extended periods of time, the touch commands no longer register. This can be solved by re-pairing the earbuds to your device, which is inconvenient.

Controls aren’t solely via touch, as you can also pause music by removing both earbuds. Unlike other wireless earbuds with automatic wear detection, you must reinsert the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and then tap one bud to resume playback. You also get hands-free Bixby access when the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is paired to a Samsung device.

Controlling the Sony WF-1000XM4 is similar since it also features touch controls. It also has automatic ear detection, so you can auto-pause your music by taking out an earbud. Unlike the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, media playback automatically resumes when you reinsert the earbud. You don’t get direct voice access to any smart assistants on the WF-1000XM4, but a long press will do the trick.

Should you use the apps of either the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or the Samsung WF-1000XM4?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro uses the Galaxy Wearable app, only available on Android. The app will ask for a lot of permissions upon downloading and won’t work until you allow all permissions, which is a pain if you care a lot about data privacy. After that, you will be able to control listening modes, monitor the battery level, conduct an ear tip fit test, choose between EQ presets, update firmware, and more. The controls are customizable in a very limited manner, and you can’t make your own custom EQ. Since the app is only available on Android, iPhone users won’t be able to access any of these features.

The Sony Headphones Connect app is the software for the Sony WF-1000XM4, which is available on both Android and iOS. In the app, you can test your fit, change your EQ, customize touch controls, optimize Sony 360 Reality Audio, and more. One of our favorite features of Sony’s app is the ability to prioritize connection stability over streaming quality, and vice versa. Since the app is available on any OS and doesn’t have any differences in experience, the Sony WF-1000XM4 will work the same everywhere. You won’t miss out on anything just because of the phone you own, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

How do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4 connect?

The indicator light blinks red, blue, and green when in pairing mode.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro uses Bluetooth 5.3, and supports the SBC, AAC, and Samsung Seamless codecs. Only people with Samsung Galaxy devices can listen to music using Samsung Seamless Codec. The Seamless Codec is different from Samsung’s Scalable Codec, and this time around those with devices running One UI 4.0 and later can enjoy 24-bit audio. You can also auto-switch between Samsung devices you’re signed into with the same Samsung account.

On the Sony WF-1000XM4, you get Bluetooth 5.2, and it supports the SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs. Since LDAC is part of the Android Open Source Project, you can listen to high-quality audio with LDAC on any Android device.

Is battery life better on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or the Sony WF-1000XM4?

The battery life is quite a bit longer on the Sony WF-1000XM4.

In our battery testing, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro lasted 4 hours, 50 minutes with ANC on. It charges using USB-C, and also supports wireless charging using a Qi mat, or Wireless PowerShare atop a Samsung Galaxy device.

On the other hand, the Sony WF-1000XM4 lasts 7 hours, 43 minutes in our testing and so outdoes the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Another benefit to longer battery life is that the battery is likely to keep a fuller capacity over its lifetime for longer than the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. This is because you won’t have to charge the Sony earbuds and case as much as you would the Samsung ones. If you care about battery waste and its environmental impact, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is the slightly more eco-conscious choice. The WF-1000XM4 also charges using USB-C and supports Qi wireless charging.

Does the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or the Sony WF-1000XM4 block noise better?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro cancels out noise better in the low end, but the Sony WF-1000XM4 blocks out more high-end frequencies.

This is where the competition ramps up a bit more. The ANC on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is excellent, especially in the low end. Isolation is just fine, though that is very reliant on getting a good fit in your ear. Without a proper fit, you risk turning up the volume too high to make up for the lack of isolation, heightening your risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

Sony’s earbuds don’t do quite as much to eliminate low frequencies compared to Samsung’s, but passive isolation is much more effective. This means the WF-1000XM4 earbuds will do more to passively block out incidental, high-frequency noise due to the memory foam ear tips that seal any shape of ear canal, unlike silicone ear tips. But that’s not to say the WF-1000XM4 has poor low-frequency ANC: it does a great job here too, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro just happens to be particularly good in this department.

Ultimately, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro scores a little bit higher on ANC, but the Sony WF-1000XM4 still performs excellently and has much better passive isolation.

Does the Sony WF-1000XM4 sound better than the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sounds quite good, coming close to our target curve in our testing. Notably, there’s a boost in the bass and sub-bass frequencies, as well as a boost above 10kHz. The boost in the highs can make upper harmonics sound prominent, though most listeners won’t mind this. You can cycle through six EQ presets, but you can’t set your own. If you need to go beyond the presets offered, you’ll need a third-party EQ app.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro has more lows than the already-bass-boosted Sony WF-1000XM4.

With the Sony WF-1000XM4, the bass area is still a bit boosted, but less so than the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. The highs are under-emphasized, which can make vocals and harmonics a bit quieter, as well as affecting the overall tone. If you don’t like the sound profile, you can change the EQ in the Sony Headphones Connect app, either using an EQ preset or by setting your own custom EQ.

Both the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM4 have virtual surround sound modes, with Samsung having Samsung 360 Audio, and Sony having Sony 360 Reality Audio. You can enable either in the headset’s respective app.

Does the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or Sony WF-1000XM4 have a better microphone?

The embedded microphones on the Sony WF-1000XM4 are good enough for a call in ideal conditions, but not a lot more than that.

The microphone in the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is fine, though the processing applied can sometimes makes it sound like your voice has a lisp, or can make plosives (sounds like the letter “P”) sound unnatural, specifically with deeper voices. A big positive is that the noise suppression is good, so noisy weather or streets won’t mask your voice on a phone call.

While noise suppression is good on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the same can’t be said for the WF-1000XM4. Wind noise makes voices a lot less audible, so phone calls outside with this microphone won’t be as well received. In ideal conditions, the mic is just fine for phone calls, but it’s not good for much more than that.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro microphone sample (Ideal conditions):

Sony WF-1000XM4 microphone sample (Ideal conditions):

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro microphone sample (Windy conditions):

Sony WF-1000XM4 microphone sample (Windy conditions):

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Should you get the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or the Sony WF-1000XM4?

As you can probably tell by now, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is great if you have a Samsung phone, though it’ll also work well with Android phones in general. Samsung users get the Samsung Seamless codec and seamless switching between Samsung devices, making for a better, more integrated experience. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is also one of the best sets of ANC earbuds, especially considering how well it blocks out low frequencies. It’s also the more affordable option of the two, coming in at $230 USD.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro

• Comfortable fit
• Enhanced noise-cancelling technology
• Satisfying battery life

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds provide great sound and feature active noise canceling. They meld a great fit and comfort with a vast range of ear tips. Efficient ANC and five hours of battery life sweeten the deal.

$189.99 at Amazon

Save $ 40.00

$154.99 at Samsung

Save $ 75.00

If you want to be able to use great earbuds on any device almost equally, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is the best out of the two for that. You can adjust the EQ to your liking in the app so you can personalize your listening experience, and the ANC is really great, even if it falls a bit short in the low-end when compared to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. The only thing tied to OS is the LDAC codec, which is unavailable to Apple users. The WF-1000XM4 is pricier at $279 USD, but that extra price for memory foam ear tips, a great app, and excellent ANC make it well worth it.

Sony WF-1000XM4

• Great ANC
• IPX4 rating
• 360 Reality Audio

The Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds are some of the best on the market. High-quality sound is matched by top-notch ANC. Well designed ear tips provide an excellent seal, improving noise isolation, and call quality.

$178 at Amazon

Save $ 101.99

What should you get instead of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4?

The Pixel Buds Pro is a good option for Android users.

Android phone owners may enjoy the Google Pixel Buds Pro. The ANC isn’t quite as good as the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or the WF-1000XM4, but it’s still effective. The earbuds are IPX4 water-resistant, and the case is IPX2, so you can even get the case a little wet without damaging it. The battery life is between the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and the WF-1000XM4, coming in at 7 hours, 6 minutes. It’s also cheaper than both of them, coming in at $192.5 at Amazon . It’s also supposed to get spatial audio added in Fall 2022, making it a lot more similar to the other two.

iPhone owners should consider the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation), since it integrates perfectly with iOS. You get good ANC, Spatial Audio, and quick switching between Apple devices due to the H2 chip. It’s also IPX4 water-resistant like the Sony WF-1000XM4. At $229 at Amazon , the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) is similarly priced to the other options mentioned here. You can also read our more in-depth comparison between the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Another iOS-friendly option is the Beats Powerbeats Pro, which has an H1 chip. The ear hook design keeps your earbuds in place if you’re working out, and it has IPX4 water resistance as well. It also has a long battery life of 10 hours, 52 minutes. It doesn’t have ANC, but it does have decent isolation. The PowerBeats Pro is available for $179.95 at Amazon .

The new stabilizers help give the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 a more universal fit than its predecessor.

If you want an OS-agnostic option with ANC, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 is a really good option. It has multiple ear tips and ear fins to keep the buds in place, it has good noise canceling, and it supports the aptX and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs alongside SBC and AAC, so there’s a higher quality audio option for Android users too. It also has an IPX4 rating, so with that along with the stable fit, this pair of earbuds is great for athletes and for regular use as well. The price sits between the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and WF-1000XM4 at $199.95 at Amazon .

Frequently asked questions about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4

Google has created the Pixel Buds A-Series for those who don’t want to think about their earphones while using them. For a reasonable price, Google packs in a bevy of features like touch controls and a good fit into this Android-friendly set of earbuds to make productivity and life easier. When we first used the Google Pixel Buds A-Series, we found one significant flaw that might make you pause, but Google has since resolved this issue. How does this pair of budget earphones hold up to the competition?

Editor’s note: this Google Pixel Buds A-Series review was updated on February 21, 2023, to address a FAQ about updates and suggest the Jabra Elite 4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro as Alternatives.

What’s it like to use the Google Pixel Buds A-Series?

Super lightweight, the Google Pixel Buds A-Series has a design that invites you to take it anywhere.

The Google Pixel Buds A-Series is cheerful in its execution, from the Tamagotchi-esque charging case to the lightweight earbuds with wings resembling bug antennae. This is the most achievable aesthetic when working with a somewhat budget product. White is the color labeled on the box, but it’s not a pun on translucence. They’re opaque with a G on the housing where the touch controls reside. Dark Olive is the other colorway.

The exterior of the Pixel Buds A-Series charging case is plastic, as are the earphones, with rubber hits where necessary. The rather flimsy lid doesn’t exactly inspire long-term confidence, but it hardly feels disposable. All told, it’s a pretty lightweight affair. It feels like Google has done you a favor by trimming excess weight, though I wouldn’t drop the case from great heights. The charging case has a USB-C connection, and I was surprised to discover it also has a magnet, meaning it won’t get yanked off your PC tower by the cable, and you can hang your niece’s artwork on the fridge with it. That’s pretty neat.

The compact case fits discreetly in any pocket.

The box and supplied guide provide very little information for a company whose mainstay is organizing information. I had to Google everything, including how to pair the earphones. Once connected, though, these are some of the most comfortable earbuds I’ve ever worn. The Pixel Buds A-Series is light enough that it sometimes feels like there’s nothing in my ears, and the earbuds’ pressure vents ensure long sessions don’t leave you with vertigo. It ships with small, medium, and large silicone ear tips, so you’ll have some leeway to figure out the right fit.

Equipped with an IPX4 rating, you can feel safe knowing you won’t destroy the A-Series during a sweaty workout. The buds can’t take a dip in the pool or officially resist dust, but this rating will save you from the occasional splash of water. Designed like a jack-of-all-trades, the Google Pixel Buds A-Series does a little of everything, aiming to be your one main set of true wireless earphones at a budget price. It almost achieves this, but it’s just too quiet (more on that in a bit).

How do you control the Pixel Buds A-Series?

With properly sensitized touch panels, you can control your music and field phone calls directly from the Pixel Buds A-Series, without the need to draw your phone. When you pair the Pixel Buds A-Series to an Android device, you can even access the Google Assistant with just your voice, so long as you download the Pixel Buds app (more on this in the next section).

The touch controls work effortlessly, though you can’t customize them. Google Assistant activates through voice commands or by pressing and holding either earbud’s G logo. On an iPhone, your mileage may vary, as you’re limited to out-of-the-box settings.

Should you get the Pixel Buds app?

Pixel Buds for Android devices clearly show features like battery life monitoring and how to access the A-Series functions.

You don’t have much choice in the matter: Google makes you download the Pixel Buds app (Android only). It automatically pops up when you pair the A-Series to your Android phone, and it’s one of the best aspects of these earphones. Seamless Android integration is one of the selling points of the Pixel Buds A-Series.

Like the Apple AirPods Pro series, you can track your earphones’ location, which is excellent for such a small item. The app lets you turn on Bass Boost, activate in-ear detection, and learn touch controls. It’s Google, so remember that it’s collecting data when you allow access to features like Find Device, which tracks the location of your buds. All of these features work as intended.

Adaptive sound is Google’s solution to noise cancelation.

Using the Pixel Buds app is the only way to adjust EQ modes and toggle the Adaptive Sound setting.

Adaptive Sound is available in the Pixel Buds app and compensates for the auditory masking that occurs naturally while out in the world by — get this — using auditory masking. This is a practice we all do already: when you’re in a loud subway, you turn your music up. These buds do it for you, turning up the volume of your audio as your environment gets louder and turning things down as it gets quieter. It’s also probably why the buds don’t have any manual commands to adjust the volume.

Other earphones use a combination of sound isolation and active noise cancelation (ANC) to solve this problem, effectively reducing how much noise is competing with your ears. By contrast, Adaptive Sound competes with outside noise by being louder than it. I have a real love/hate relationship with its implementation.

For phone calls, Adaptive Sound works well. Since many of us aren’t making phone calls from ideal environments, an algorithm that knows to crank the volume in response to a noisy truck driving by is smart — it lets you stay focused on the conversation.

For music, I find Adaptive Sound distracting. It wrecks musical dynamics because it’s like constantly turning the volume knob back and forth. If a song’s chorus arrives just as I leave a loud construction zone, suddenly, the music will sound disproportionately quiet as the volume drops in response to the environment. Finally, Adaptive Sound also turns on with a perceptible delay, which makes the volume changes all the more noticeable, and it’s best toggled off.

How does the Google Pixel Buds A-Series connect?

With a solid connection and integration with your Android device, the buds allow you to work or play anywhere.

It connects quickly and stays connected using Bluetooth 5.0. During subsequent uses, it easily connects to my Android device and maintains stability throughout.

Your Bluetooth codec options are AAC and SBC, which are okay, but nothing to write home about. Most people wouldn’t notice a difference between codec performance on the A-Series, particularly if you’re streaming lossy audio. It only poses a real problem when you introduce video streaming and latency, which is more difficult to predict from one device to another.

[/faq]

How’s the battery on the Google Pixel Buds A-Series?

Google claims you get 5 hours of music playback and 2 hours, 30 minutes of talk time. A 90-minute phone call will leave the buds a little more than 50% charged. Our battery test yields 4 hours and 44 minutes with constant music playback peaking at 75dB(SPL), which lands at the lower end of the average for wireless earphones.

Again, it charges via USB-C but doesn’t support wireless charging. For that, you’ll need the newer, more premium Google Pixel Buds Pro.

Does the Google Pixel Buds A-Series block out noise?

The majority of the isolation is somewhat effective in the upper-frequency range.

It’s clear that isolation is not a priority of the A-Series, but then again, it never really was on any model of the Pixel series. The pressure vents might compromise the seal, even more so than other earbuds with the same technology, like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or Sony WF-1000XM4. Since these earbuds never promised any real isolation, it’s not surprising there is very little. Google has designed the A-Series to keep you aware of your surroundings rather than isolated from them.

How does the Google Pixel Buds A-Series sound?

The Google Pixel Buds A-Series sounds okay if your buds run firmware version 233 or later. Initially, the A-Series volume output was way too quiet before firmware version 233 (which we address in the next section).

Through the mids, the A-Series (in cyan) does a solid job but gets a little wobbly in the highs and seems to abandon the bass.

The A-Series has two frequency response options, one with Bass Boost off and one with it turned on. You don’t get any other EQ adjustments. Throughout the higher mids, the default setting follows our headphone preference curve (the pink line on the chart). The treble frequencies past 3kHz are a little wonky, while mids and bass below 400Hz are surprisingly quiet. If you could turn it up to an adequate volume, treble notes would sound too loud relative to the bass and mids.

One suspects this default frequency curve isn’t for music — it’s for speech. Imagine wearing the Google Pixel Buds A-Series during a Zoom call. You want to hear people’s voices and cut out the sibilance (those ear-piercing s sounds). Speech intelligibility doesn’t come from the bass region, so there’s no point in having an especially audible low end. If anything, turning down the bass means de-emphasizing the sounds of folks loudly jostling in their desks during meetings.

This might be the first time we recommend you turn on Bass Boost with any earphones.

Turning on the Bass Boost adds a bit more oomph to the audio. It adds a little more than the SoundGuys ideal, but this EQ is still much more suited to music than the other one. Due to the pretty neutral mids of the A-Series, I don’t find it too obnoxiously amplified, even with added bass. Maybe the bass and treble sound is a bit hyped for more analytical listeners, but some people like that.

Lows, mids, highs

With the default EQ, Free by SAULT sounds inaccurate on the A-Series. There is an overemphasis on the highs and a one-dimensionality that results from not being able to hear any low end. With Bass Boost activated, I can suddenly hear the kick drum, the bass line, and more emphasis on the pad synthesizer during the chorus.

All of this is, unfortunately, undercut by the fact that these are just about the quietest earbuds I’ve ever tried. The Google Pixel Buds A-Series is often too quiet with my phone, even at max volume. You’ll be constantly straining to hear things completely.

How’s the microphone on the Google Pixel Buds A-Series?

Tap the buds for touch controls, including one to play/pause, two to skip, and three to return to the previous track.

Each earbud has two mics, and they pick up voices well. Voices come through sounding more or less like how they sound in real life, with a drop in overall resolution. The buds also do a good job of blocking out external noise. They do such a good job that sometimes they might mistake your voice for noise. In the demo, the A-Series rejects off-axis noise from a fan, but with fan noise, it also cuts out part of the voice. In a quiet environment, this would not be an issue.

Google Pixel Buds A-Series microphone demo (Non-standardized):

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Should you buy the Google Pixel Buds A-Series?

While Android integration is excellent, and the comfortable wings make the A-Series a great proposition, it’s offset by the disappointingly quiet volume.

Unfortunately, many of the issues we had with the previous two iterations of the Pixel Buds series are still unresolved with the new A-Series, and this wouldn’t be our first choice to recommend. However, if you’re deep into Google’s Android ecosystem, you won’t hate these earbuds — you may like other pairs better. However, These earbuds offer some advantages over AirPods, especially when considering the A-Series has superior isolation. Whether or not it’s worth the money comes down to what you value in a set of earphones.

The connectivity is great and seamless. There’s integration for features like Google Assistant and finding your earbuds if lost. The Google Pixel Buds A-Series is lightweight and comfortable, which makes it easy to wear for long periods. However, the difficulties we ran into alongside some performance tradeoffs are things you should consider before buying.

Google Pixel Buds A-Series

• Terrific Android integration
• Low price
• Multiple fun colors

Rich sound, for less.

If you like the Pixel Buds line but think they are too pricey, the Pixel Buds A-Series should be on your radar. They have the core features you need at a price you'll love.

$93.02 at Amazon

Save $ 5.98

$99.99 at Best Buy

$99.99 at Verizon

$99.99 at AT&T

How does the Google Pixel Buds A-Series compare to the Google Pixel Buds Pro?

The earbuds have pressure-relief vents to mitigate any discomfort while wearing them.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro looks closely related to the Pixel Buds A-Series and comes in four colors (Coral, Fog, Lemongrass, and Charcoal). It also represents Google’s first foray into earbuds with active noise canceling. A $192.5 at Amazon price tag indicates that the Google Pixel Buds Pro is set to compete with the AirPods Pro (1st generation and 2nd generation), and finally go head-to-head with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

The Pixel Buds Pro has a very different frequency response than the A-Series. With Google’s “Pro” earbuds, you get a uniquely boosted bass and treble response right out of the gate. You can’t create a custom EQ through the Pixel Buds app, and Google ditches Adaptive Sound in favor of a new Volume EQ feature on the Pixel Buds Pro. With Volume EQ, the bass and treble response changes as you increase or decrease the volume.

Low-frequency noise canceling is quite good and renders frequencies below 200Hz anywhere from one-half to one-twelfth as loud as they would sound without earbuds. The passive isolation is a bit inconsistent, and you’ll notice it’s harder to get a good fit with the Pixel Buds Pro than with the A-Series because the Pro earbuds lack any securing ear wings.

With ANC on, the battery life lasts just over seven hours on the Pixel Buds Pro, significantly longer than the Pixel Buds A-Series. When ANC is off, you can squeeze up to 11 hours of battery life from the Pixel Buds Pro, which more than doubles our Pixel Buds A-Series’ battery life. The case supplies an extra 13 hours of playtime (ANC on), and you can recharge the case via USB-C or wireless charging mat—the latter of which is absent from the A-Series.

The ear tips are easier than most earbuds to swap out and fit on the Pixel Buds Pro.

The earbuds have plenty of sensors that measure the pressure in your ear canals to mitigate that plugged-ear feeling. Other sensors take care of in-ear detection for automatic play/pause functionality. You can also enable Transparency mode to hear your surroundings. Google includes an IPX4 rating on the buds and an IPX2 rating for the case, meaning both are water resistant to some degree.

While the Pixel Buds Pro is double the cost of the A-Series, Google fans may find the new ANC, wireless charging and better battery life are all worth it. The fit feeling less secure on the “Pro” version maybe makes it less worth it if you plan on running.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

• Active noise-cancelling
• Android integration
• Google Assistant features

How premium sounds.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro are the first in the line to offer active noise canceling. Obviously, they also have tight integration with Android and tons of support for Google Assistant commands, including the popular translation features.

$192.5 at Amazon

$199.99 at Best Buy

$199.99 at Verizon

$199.99 at AT&T

$199.99 at Crutchfield

What should you get instead of the Google Pixel Buds A-Series?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is a good value for Android smartphone owners.

If the easy integration with Android and Google Assistant appeals to you about the Google Pixel Buds A-Series, try the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2. This runs for $109.99 at Amazon , with frequency response tuned by AKG and multiple EQ presets. Unlike the A-Series, we haven’t encountered any volume issues with the Galaxy Buds 2. With a capable microphone and decent ANC, it’s a solid choice for Android. If you have a Samsung device, it might be worthwhile to pony up ( $189.99 at Amazon ) for the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for improved ANC.

Listeners who want a more affordable, more durable headset should look at the Jabra Elite 3 ( $79.99 at Amazon ). This pair of buds use Bluetooth 5.2, supports aptX and SBC, and boasts an IP55 rating. While the lack of AAC support is sub-optimal for iPhone owners, this is a great set of basic earbuds for Android smartphone owners. Alternately, if you want some noise canceling, consider the Jabra Elite 4, which goes for $99.99 at Amazon . These support aptX and SBC as well, but not AAC for Apple.

Frequently asked questions about the Google Pixel Buds A-Series

Skullcandy wants you to know that you don’t have to “flex” with expensive cans to enjoy active noise cancelation (ANC). Though it appears fairly plain, the Skullcandy Hesh ANC sets out to rival pricier noise canceling headphones. We spent a week with the Hesh ANC to find out if the headset succeeds.

Editor’s note: This review was updated on June 23, 2023, to add the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 to Alternatives.

What’s it like to use the Skullcandy Hesh ANC?

The Skullcandy Hesh ANC is an over-ear noise canceling headset made of plastic, with a memory foam cushion on the band and thick memory foam ear pads wrapped in faux leather. The ear pads fit snugly but are comfortable around my ears. Anyone with bigger ears may have difficulty with a proper fit. Interior ear pad dimensions measure just 40mm by 60mm. For comparison, Sony WH-1000XM4 ear pads are about 50mm by 70mm.

The ear cups swivel 180 degrees and fold up toward the band, so you can easily transport the headset.

On the right ear cup, you’ll find everything of interest. There’s a row of buttons to control media playback or answer calls, and below that, you’ll find a recessed port that houses the USB-C input and headphone jack. Unlike the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, you don’t get button and touch controls. Instead, the Hesh ANC is a tactile-only experience.

Skullcandy includes a 3.5mm jack cable for wired listening, as well as the shortest USB-A to USB-C cable I’ve seen. It also comes with a thin fabric carrying pouch. The pouch won’t protect from a tumble down the stairs, but it prevents the plastic ear cups from scratching up too much.

Track your Skullcandy headphones with Tile

The Hesh ANC comes with a carrying pouch, 3.5mm cable, and the tiniest charging cable.

Tile tracking integration appears on the Hesh ANC, which we’ve seen with more modern headsets like the Skullcandy Grind Fuel. You can pair the Hesh ANC to the Tile app, so you are always able to track it down, whether you left it on top of the fridge or on the bus. Tile needs to use location data to do this, so if you’re extra careful about privacy, pass on this feature.

How do you control the Skullcandy Hesh ANC?

The right ear cup has buttons for controlling the Hesh ANC.

The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has controls on the right ear cup, with a hollow circular button as the ANC button, a plus and minus button for volume up and down, and a multi-function button between the two. All buttons have a rubberized coating to help differentiate them from the headphone’s plastic. Our table below illustrates all of the buttons’ various functions:

How does the Skullcandy Hesh ANC connect?

The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has support for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs.

The Skullcandy Hesh ANC connects wirelessly over Bluetooth 5.0, using the SBC or AAC Bluetooth codecs. When you want to tap into your lossless media library, you can use the 3.5mm wired connection. The Hesh ANC lacks a reliable high-quality Bluetooth codec for Android phones like aptX, but that’s expected at this price.

How long does the Skullcandy Hesh ANC’s battery last?

Skullcandy advertises a 22-hour battery life with the Hesh ANC, which is close to our test results. In our battery testing of consistent music output peaking at 75dB(SPL), the Skullcandy Hesh ANC lasts 22 hours, 58 minutes. This is longer than the Sony WH-1000XM4 battery life of about 20 hours, and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 battery life is 21 hours. Like other headsets, the Hesh ANC has quick charging. You can get three hours of listening time from just 10 minutes of charging with the USB-C cable.

How well does the Skullcandy Hesh ANC cancel out noise?

The noise canceling cuts low and midrange frequencies, and passive isolation is average.

The Skullcandy Hesh ANC does a pretty great job canceling out noise for such a cheap set of headphones. I frequently run a loud portable air conditioner, and the ANC completely blocks and filters out the low droning noises.

The isolation is just okay, and I can still hear a lot of incidental noises like typing, snapping fingers, and clanking dishes. You’ll want to get the best fit around your ears you can to block out the most noise, and ensure optimal ANC performance. I can hear voices clearly when someone is right next to me with ANC on, though it’s a bit muffled.

How does the Skullcandy Hesh ANC sound?

This sub-bass response is much louder than we recommend.

The frequency response chart for the Skullcandy Hesh ANC shows a major boost in the sub-bass, and a big boost in the treble frequencies compared to our consumer target curve. This means low bass frequencies will be louder compared to the music producer’s intent, and this could result in bass loud enough to negatively impact the mid range frequencies. If you want to hear your music without excessive amounts of sub-bass enhancement, you likely won’t enjoy this frequency response.

Lows, mids, highs

Music sounds good through the Skullcandy Hesh ANC. With bass being boosted, genres like EDM or hip hop will sound a lot more bassy, and if that’s your cup of tea, you’ll really enjoy the sound of the Hesh ANC.

Last Nite by The Strokes has a pretty prominent bass line and loud kick drum, but there are no issues with bass frequencies masking mids or highs. The kick drum is enjoyably prominent, Julian Casablancas’ voice comes through among the bass line throughout, and the guitar part is still very audible.

The sub-bass in Lose Yourself To Dance by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams is very loud through the Hesh ANC, enough that it’s a bit jarring. The song still sounds good overall, but the sub-bass is a bit distracting to me. If you really like to “feel” your music with heavy sub-bass, you’ll enjoy how Daft Punk and other EDM sounds with the Hesh ANC.

Can you use the Skullcandy Hesh ANC for phone calls?

The microphone does a reasonable job with the essential speech frequencies, and won’t sound at all “hi-fi”.

The microphone on the Skullcandy Hesh ANC isn’t the best, but it’s certainly fine for phone calls. When taking calls on it, make sure there’s not too much background noise, because the noise suppression isn’t that great on this headset. It does an okay job of suppressing background noise, but unpredictable sounds still make it through.

Skullcandy Hesh ANC microphone demo (Ideal):

Skullcandy Hesh ANC microphone demo (Office):

Skullcandy Hesh ANC microphone demo (Street):

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Should you buy the Skullcandy Hesh ANC?

These are affordable noise canceling headphones.

The Skullcandy Hesh ANC are fine noise canceling headphones for their price. You get effective active noise canceling, decent battery life, fairly muted aesthetics, and a comfortable build. Although microphone quality could be better, that’s par for the course in this price bracket. The sound profile will mainly appeal to bass heads and those willing to mess with a third-party EQ app, but it’s a small price to pay for an otherwise complete package.

There are a lot of decent ANC headsets out there, but this is worth considering if you don’t want to spend serious money.

Skullcandy Hesh ANC

• Good ANC
• Built-in localization app
• Memory foam ear pads

The Skullcandy Hesh ANC is an effective noise-canceling wireless headset. It has a 22-hour battery life and fast charging capabilities.

$85.99 at Amazon

Save $ 49.00

$134.99 at Best Buy

What should you get instead of the Skullcandy Hesh ANC?

Monoprice’s headset supports aptX HD and AAC.

One of the best affordable noise canceling headphones out there is the Monoprice BT-600ANC. It has great ANC and isolation, an amazing 36-hour battery life, and support for aptX HD. The sound quality is bass-heavy here too, but if you’re looking for super cheap and ANC, this is a great option ( $69.99 at Amazon ).

Another really nice noise canceling headset at a similar price point to the Hesh ANC is the Anker Soundcore Life Q35. It has LDAC support, a 52-hour battery life, and a bassy frequency response. The noise canceling isn’t quite as good as the Monoprice BT-600ANC, but it’s solid for the price ( $109.99 at Amazon ).

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 folds up to make it portable.

Skullcandy upgraded its Crusher series with the newest Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 ( $229.99 at Manufacturer site ). If bass is where you’re at, these deliver via a dial that directly controls the Crusher (low end volume) mode. Besides the hefty low end, the headphones feature noise canceling and a competent app too. Per-function buttons are fully editable and reassignable as well for the tinkers out there. Still, these are definitely bassy.

What is the best pair of noise canceling headphones?

The Sony WH-1000XM5 (left) diverges from the WH-1000XM4 (right) with its new headband adjustment system and cleaner design.

If you have more money to spend on noise canceling headphones, consider the Sony WH-1000XM4 ( $299 at Amazon ), or even the newer WH-1000XM5 if you’re feeling particularly flush ( $398 at Amazon ). Both headsets have top-of-the-line noise canceling and excellent sound quality, and great mics too. You can read how the two headphones compare in our detailed versus article.

Frequently asked questions about the Skullcandy Hesh ANC

Workout earbuds can be expensive, and it’s hard to know what features are worth your money and what features to go without. The latest entry to Jabra’s extensive true wireless earbud lineup brings active noise canceling (ANC) and a durable build for just under $100. Porting over the key performance characteristics from the more expensive Elite 7 Active, the Jabra Elite 4 Active cuts the frills by stripping out a lot of features the company considers non-essential.

Without many of the fancy bells and whistles that the competition offers, is the Jabra Elite 4 Active worth the money?

Editor’s note: this Jabra Elite 4 Active review was updated on June 23, 2023 to add information about the Jabra Elite 4, and to include the Beats Studio Buds Plus in the Alternatives section.

What is it like to use the Jabra Elite 4 Active?

The buttons on the side of the earbuds are extremely hard (and sometimes painful) to press.

Overall build quality of the Jabra Elite 4 Active is slightly less premium than the Jabra Elite 7 Active or Elite 7 Pro. Still, the all-plastic construction is typical compared to similarly priced true wireless earbuds. There are no ear wings and you don’t get a grippy coating to secure the earbuds in place, but Jabra includes three sizes of silicone ear tips in the box.

The shape of the earbuds inserts the ear tips deep into the ear canal, creating a secure fit in most people’s ears. The earbuds feel secure in my ears, but your experience may vary depending on your ear shape.

The charging case is slightly larger than other Jabra earbud models, but still small enough to fit in most pockets. You can listen in mono mode to a single earbud while the other earbud remains inside the case to charge. Wireless charging is absent from the Jabra Elite 4 Active, as is Bluetooth multipoint for connecting to multiple devices.

How do you control the Jabra Elite 4 Active?

The outside housing of each earbud functions as a button to control music playback. Unfortunately, the buttons require a lot of force to press, which shoves the earbuds into the ear canal, causing some pain or discomfort. Buttons along the top like on the Master & Dynamic series, or a touchpad might be a more elegant solution. There’s no in-ear detection to auto-pause your music when you take an earbud out. The Elite 4 Active doesn’t have any voice indicating pairing mode or listening modes—have fun memorizing what all the different beeping noises mean.

One of the more “budget” aspects of the Elite 4 Active shows in that you can’t customize the controls. Here’s what all the different combinations of button presses do:

Should you download the Jabra Sound+ app?

Jabra often adds features to its true wireless earbuds after launch, so it is important to download the Sound+ app to stay up to date with the latest firmware. Beyond installing firmware updates, the app also has a number of useful features and customization options.

From the home screen, you can toggle ANC or HearThrough (also known as transparency) listening modes, create a custom EQ, and see battery indicators. Digging further into the app settings opens up options to adjust the amount of noise reduction on the active noise canceling mode, or the amount of noise boosted on the HearThrough mode. There’s an option to adjust sidetone voice volume on calls, as well as the Find My Jabra functionality to locate the last location your earbuds were connected to your device.

How long does the battery last on the Jabra Elite 4 Active?

USB-C is the only way to power up the charging case.

In our battery testing of continuous playback at 75dB(SPL) with ANC turned on, the Jabra Elite 4 Active lasted 7 hours and 17 minutes. This is above average among true wireless earbuds, especially at this price. One upside of a longer battery life is that fewer recharges extends the overall life of a product. The charging case provides an additional three charges for up to 28 hours of total playback.

There’s no wireless charging support, so you have to plug in the charging case via USB-C to power up. Fast charging the earbuds provides 60 minutes of playback time from 10 minutes of charging inside the case.

What Bluetooth codecs does the Jabra Elite 4 Active support?

The 6mm drivers in each earbud deliver pretty good sound.

The Jabra Elite 4 Active supports Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX and SBC. This varies slightly from some of Jabra’s other true wireless earbud offerings, which often have AAC instead of aptX. In general, AAC offers better streaming quality on Apple devices, while aptX provides high-quality streaming on Android devices. SBC still works fine with an iPhone and I don’t experience any connection problems, but it seems the Elite 4 Active is targeted at Android users primarily.

Google Fast Pair instantly pairs the earbuds to an Android phone. Since there’s no Bluetooth multipoint support, you’ll have to manually connect your earbuds each time you switch devices.

How well does the Jabra Elite 4 Active cancel out noise?

Solid ANC pairs with good passive isolation to block out a significant amount of noise.

ANC performance is okay for earbuds in this price category. Sure, the Jabra Elite 4 Active doesn’t block out noise as well as the Sony WF-1000XM4 or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, but these earbuds still provide a noticeable amount of attenuation to surrounding noise. What’s unusual is that the ANC targets noises between 100Hz and 4kHz, with not terribly much below 100Hz. Typically ANC works on low frequency noises, so those really bassy drones will receive little attenuation here. On the other hand, some of the more midrange and high pitched noises will gain adequate filtering out.

Since the ear tips insert deep into the ear canal, a tight seal passively blocks out a lot of ambient noise. Even without turning on ANC, most noise will sound about one-half to one-quarter as loud. Enabling ANC provides an average of an additional 5-10dB of attenuation from 100Hz-3kHz on top of the attenuation from passive isolation.

To contrast this, you get HearThrough mode, which pumps external noise into the earbuds so you are aware of your surroundings. The amount of noise added is adjustable from within the app, and you can also select whether or not activating this mode will pause your music. This feature is great for outdoorsy athletes, while the ANC is great for commuting. Both ANC and HearThrough allow you to adjust the intensity or volume (in the case of HearThrough) which is handy for times when you want a little, but not a lot of either.

How does the Jabra Elite 4 Active sound?

The Jabra Elite 4 Active (cyan) follows our target consumer curve (pink), with a slightly greater dip in the mid-range.

Out of the box, the Jabra Elite 4 Active has a similar sound to many other consumer earbuds. There’s no significant under or over-emphasis of frequencies across the audible range, and the frequency response roughly follows our target consumer curve. You ought to hear the majority of your music very well and without exaggerations. If you don’t like the sound of the earbuds, it’s easy enough to change the EQ preset or make your own using the custom five-band equalizer in the Sound+ app.

Lows, mids, and highs

In the chart above, the frequency response starts to taper off below 50Hz; this is at the very edge of the human hearing range and likely won’t be noticeable to most people. From 50-100Hz there’s a slight emphasis in sub-bass notes (relative to the other frequencies), which gives extra intensity to the 808 bass line in Cigarettes by Juice WRLD.

The earbuds under-emphasize mid-range frequencies from 200-700Hz by a couple of decibels. This is where the fundamental frequencies of most musical notes live, so vocals in tracks such as Kiss Me More by Doja Cat sound a bit quieter than they should.

The custom EQ allows you to adjust the sound of the earbuds to your liking

While high frequencies sound slightly more emphasized than mids, it’s not overbearing or painful to listen to at high volumes. The hi-hats in Toxic by BoyWithUke don’t sound out much louder than the vocals and backing ukulele.

How good is the microphone on the Jabra Elite 4 Active?

Microphone quality on the Jabra Elite 4 Active is adequate for taking calls, though you shouldn’t expect studio mic quality from these affordable earbuds (or any affordable earbuds, for that matter). As you can hear in the second microphone demo below, the earbuds struggle to attenuate background noise in a simulated office environment. People may fail to hear you on the other end of the line when you find yourself in noisy environments. Still, vocal reproduction is fine. For the frequent caller, the sidetone function will be especially useful to offset the oddness of hearing your muffled voice with isolating buds in.

As of August 25, 2022, 53% of readers rate the Elite 4 Active microphone as “good.” An additional 27% and 14% rate it as “okay” and “perfect,” which is slightly above average for true wireless earbuds.

Jabra Elite 4 Active microphone demo (Ideal):

Jabra Elite 4 Active microphone demo (Office):

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Should you buy the Jabra Elite 4 Active?

The Jabra Elite 4 Active is a solid all-around performer for athletes and us common folk alike.

While these earbuds may not have flashy stand-out features, the Jabra Elite 4 Active delivers where it matters most. Good isolation and decent noise canceling, along with a pleasant frequency response ensure you will enjoy how your music sounds in any environment.

At this price point, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any other true wireless earbuds that offer the level of durability and customization of the Jabra Elite 4 Active. Athletes and the physically disinclined alike will appreciate the all-around performance of these earbuds.

Depending on your ears, you may experience some comfort issues, especially when using the onboard earbud controls. You also don’t get some quality of life features like wireless charging or auto-pause, though at this price beggars can’t be choosers.

If you care about durability, sound quality, and blocking out all the distractions around you, go ahead and pick up the Jabra Elite 4 Active; the performance at this price is worth the money.

Jabra Elite 4 Active

• Bluetooth 5.2 support
• Active noise-canceling
• IP57 rating

Advanced audio engineering.

The Jabra Elite 4 Active are active noise-canceling earbuds that cater to workouts and other heavy activity. Their IP57 rating keeps them sweatproof and Jabra spent a lot of time designing the buds so they stay put in your ears.

$79.99 at Amazon

Save $ 40.00

$89.99 at Jabra

Save $ 30.00

$89.99 at Best Buy

Save $ 30.00

What are some alternatives to the Jabra Elite 4 Active?

Fast pairing takes much of the inconvenience away from pairing manually.

If for some reason you want something besides the many choices Jabra produces, you have some options.

The Beats Studio Buds Plus ( $169.95 at Amazon ) offer good sound in a small, lightweight, and comfortable package. Noise canceling performance sees an improvement over the original Beats Studio Buds. Unlike most other Beats, these buds are also OS agnostic, working just as well with Android as with Apple.

You might consider the Anker Soundcore Space A40, one of the best lower priced ( $99.99 at Amazon ) wireless earbuds with legitimately good ANC. These boast nearly 8 hours of battery life, good app support, and a fairly subdued default frequency response.

The Sony WF-C500 sports a good frequency response and a low profile case.

For music oriented folks, the Sony WF-C500 are not necessarily exciting visually, but it sounds very good. Its battery case is slim and the buds last an impressive 9 hours and 46 minutes to a single charge. As a straight forward experience, the WF-C500 is a great choice for a reasonable $58 at Amazon . However, it does not have any ANC.

To achieve a more secure fit and noise canceling, you can try the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC. Selling for ( $89.98 at Amazon ) around the same price as the Jabra Elite 4 Active, it features an over-ear hook design to keep the buds in. It also has AAC or SBC codecs, pleasing iPhone users. Rather than buttons, JLab uses touch controls (though they are imperfect) and it’s similarly durable with an IP66 rating.

What are some frequently asked questions about the Jabra Elite 4 Active?

Editor’s note: this article was updated on June 22, 2023, to update the style, formatting, and timeliness of the content.

Audio content is more accessible than ever. You can play any song instantly from a pocketable device, so it’s surprising that the concept of collecting physical media hasn’t gone the way of the VHS tape. So what is it about these antiquated, fragile discs that hold such allure?

Vinyl may be an underdog to streaming, but it has outlasted the CD. Data from RIAA.

On the face of it, records are just another consumer product developed to distribute and sell music to the masses. But the record pressing process catapulted audio just as the printing press did the written word. Vinyl does therefore hold something of a cultural and historical significance for music lovers. The iconic status and longevity of the record as a music format cannot be ignored.

Is this resurgence a case of rose-tinted consumer nostalgia, or is there really something magical about the sound of vinyl? Let’s take a look at the underlying technologies.

How do record players and digital music players work?

Lena Kudryavtseva Old technology vs new technology

Regardless of the final delivery medium, a recording has to be made in the first place. Producers capture signals using microphones or directly from instruments, and these recordings are mixed and mastered—more on this process later.

To create a vinyl record, the finished recording is sent electronically to a lathe that cuts into a piece of lacquer. The music’s waveform dictates the shape of the grooves the lathe carves. This lacquer disc is then coated with metal to create the metal master (or “mother”) and is used to create the “stamper” (just a negative version of the mother). The stamper is loaded into a hydraulic press and pressed into vinyl stock, which creates the actual vinyl records.

During playback, your record player’s needle (or stylus) follows the record’s groove and produces an electrical signal using a tiny electromagnetic generator called a cartridge. This can be either a moving magnet (MM) or moving coil (MC)—both use magnets and coils of wire to generate the signal. Once passed through a corrective equalizer and amplified, the electric current generated can create the physical movement of the speakers, which effectively reproduces the recorded sound in an all-analog playback chain.

Ksenia Chernaya Some turntables have an integrated preamp, while others require an external amplifier.

Vinyl has several physical limitations to consider. If the frequency of the recorded audio is low and the amplitude is too high (loud), the needle becomes prone to bouncing out of the groove and causes the record to skip. Audio engineers apply specific mixing rules to music recorded to vinyl to prevent skips and tracking errors. A standard technique is to pan the bass in the center of the stereo mix.

High-frequency sounds mean the etched groove features very tightly spaced detail, and the needle has to skate around these waves and turn extremely tight corners which cannot consistently be replicated accurately. This can produce objectionable “sibilance,” an unpleasant hissing sound associated with “s” sounds and other high-frequency components.

Compare this to digital audio, where the captured audio signals are sent through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) so that the computer recording program can process it as a series of ones and zeros. The conversion’s resolution depends on the sample rate and bit depth. For example, CD-quality audio has a sample rate of 44.1kHz, meaning the sound is sampled 44,100 times per second, and 16 bits of data are recorded per sample. Data rates are typically higher than this during the recording, mixing, and mastering process. Playback involves reading this digitally encoded data and feeding it through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) before passing the amplified signal to headphones or speakers.

Now that we have this basic understanding of how both formats work let’s see if one is sonically better than the other.

What are the sound quality differences between vinyl and digital?

Flickr user: tessawatson Sound quality parameters are pretty simple to quantify

To establish baseline definitions for this discussion, “vinyl” refers to a new, well-made vinyl record played back using the best equipment available. When we say “digital,” we mean a CD or 16-bit/44.1kHz lossless file played using the best equipment available. Higher-quality digital audio options are available, but the 16/44.1 file is the most commonly available commercially. Any increase in sampling frequency or bit-depth will only improve on digital sound quality metrics discussed here.

Frequency response and distortion

Vinyl records can easily cater to the entire frequency range of human hearing and beyond. Quoted limits range from as low as 7Hz to as high as 50kHz, depending on the hardware and any low frequency (rumble) filters applied. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. Specs vary within the context of the record itself. As the needle moves from the outside towards the record’s center, it becomes harder to pick up high-frequency detail accurately as the spiral gets tighter. Over time, the inner grooves can end up holding less spectral content than the outer grooves due to wear.

Konstantinos Hasandras Performance characteristics can change depending on where on the record the needle is playing.

The point at which pleasant, “warming” distortion becomes irritating distortion will be different for everyone. Still, some distortion is considered part of the deal with vinyl: it can vary from 0.4% to 3% total harmonic distortion (THD)—DACs typically have values of less than 0.001% THD. If you play records on a poorly set up deck, the inner grooves will suffer from the most pronounced distortion artifacts.

Dynamic range

Digital files allow over 90dB of difference between the loudest and softest sounds, compared to vinyl’s 70dB dynamic range. Digital files, therefore, offer over ten times the dynamic range of vinyl recordings, meaning a much larger difference is possible between the quietest and loudest parts of a recording before noise becomes an issue.

Channel separation

Roxanne Joncas Soundstage determines the stereo image width you perceive between the speakers.

The separation between the left and right channels on vinyl is 30dB, compared to digital files, which exceed 90 dB. This gives vinyl a far more limited soundstage compared to its digital counterpart.

Mechanical noise and surface noise

Turntables generate a low-frequency sound called “rumble,” often caused by the bearings in the drive mechanism. Even with the best turntables, rumble can be generated by warped records or pressing irregularities. It can come through as low-frequency noise, and it’s a serious problem when playing records on audio systems with a good low-frequency response. Even when not audible, rumble can cause intermodulation distortion, interacting with and creating other audible frequencies.

Dust particles that find their way into the record’s grooves can cause playback crackles and pops. With time and repeated replays, the needle can press dust into the vinyl, meaning crackles and pops can get ingrained in the record. Digital files and CDs don’t have these issues since they are read by light beams and use error correction.

Speed variations

Drop x Audio-Technica You can adjust the dynamic anti-skate control with the Drop x Audio-Technica Carbon VTA turntable.

The turntable can introduce slight, frequent changes in playback speed known as “wow and flutter.” Wow is a slower rate variation and flutter is at a higher rate. A good turntable will have wow and flutter values of less than 0.05% variation from the mean speed value. Variations can also be present in the original recording due to imperfections in the analog recording devices. Since digital systems use precision oscillators for their time reference and data buffers, they are not subject to wow and flutter.

A good turntable can achieve impressive playback specs, given how long ago the discs became standardized. However, compared to the basic specs of an audio CD, the difference in performance is quite clear: digital is objectively more accurate and consistent.

What’s so good about analog sound?

Ortofon The Ortofon 2M Red is a moving magnet cartridge.

Vinyl has some serious sound quality downsides based on the technical specs, but less-than-ideal specs don’t mean it’s obsolete: some people like the sound of imperfection. In contrast, digital audio has sometimes been criticized as being “cold” or lacking the “warmth” of analog systems. However, this thinking doesn’t align well with how music is produced today.

There are relatively few instances these days where a recording is made solely using analog equipment. For example, an album may be recorded on 2-inch tape but bounced to a digital audio workstation (DAW) for mixing and mastering. Another might be recorded and mixed entirely in the digital domain but then mastered using analog gear. Which will sound best?

How does mastering affect the music we hear?

Caught In Joy Dynamics processors are extensively used in the mastering process

Although there are no advantages in measured audio quality, vinyl can offer some benefits when the source material is subjected to proper mastering. Mastering is the process by which the final mix is prepared for the delivery medium. It gives albums consistent levels, appropriate gaps between tracks, and an overall sound profile that will translate well across playback systems.

Over the past few decades, due to the removal of the physical limitations of vinyl media and the spread of digitized music, songs have become increasingly loud. A shift occurred in the mid-1990s when artists and their labels wanted their tracks to stand out based on the premise that louder equals better. This was achieved in practice by excessively using dynamic compression and limiting at the mastering stage.

Roman Kraft Handling vinyl is part of the joy for many.

This means that the overall amplitude of the sound wave becomes compressed, forcing the quieter parts of a song to become relatively louder, with a reduction in the dynamic range used within the context of a song. The average level of the audio signal is raised while limiting the peak value at or close to 0dBFS; the maximum level digital media can represent.

labels wanted their tracks to stand out, based on the simple premise that louder equals better

Because of this trend, most commercial music releases became embroiled in a completely unnecessary “loudness war,” forcing them to increase loudness to remain competitive with contemporary releases. It became noticeable that the increased use of compression and limiting resulted in a loss of detail and nuance in the end product. Prominent audio engineers criticized this state of affairs, and it’s often quoted as an argument in vinyl’s favor. Some people prefer vinyl for this reason: music properly mastered for the medium is relatively immune to the effects of the loudness war, meaning good dynamics are left somewhat intact on releases carefully mastered for vinyl.

Does this whole analog vs. digital debate even matter?

Format alone does not ensure quality: you could listen to the most expertly crafted vinyl record in the world, but it wouldn’t matter if you played it through a portable record player with built-in speakers. Likewise, you could have access to uncompressed studio master FLAC files, but it wouldn’t mean much if you were listening over your laptop speakers or via a Bluetooth connection.

Despite the shortcomings we’ve described, the vinyl record is an incredibly durable and elegantly simple medium. Because vinyl requires physical objects to store the music on locally instead of just streaming it from a server, you’ll need to buy and keep hard copies of every album you want to listen to, and that space—and price tag—adds up fast. It’s even worse when you realize that cartridge needles wear down and that your budget for music listening will have to increase if you contract the vinyl bug.

People like vinyl for the experience; it’s a deep, physical connection to music. Some listeners prefer the experience of dusting off the record, lining it up, dropping the needle, and kicking back, instead of just scrolling and tapping a screen. Listeners are more likely to engage in the listening process, and the medium encourages the consumption of a complete album as a piece of work. Sometimes it’s just nice to collect, even if it’s never listened to.

What matters most is supporting your favorite artists. Whether you listen to CDs, MP3s, FLAC files, vinyl, or cassette tapes, it all comes down to making sure your hard-earned cash contributes to those creating great content. Even though digital files are demonstrably superior, it’s totally fine if you enjoy vinyl’s idiosyncrasies. In reality, analog audio is now prized more for its imperfections than its accuracy.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on June 22, 2023, to remove errant formatting, update links, and note which rules to follow.

How do you equalize Bluetooth headphones using the manufacturer’s app?

Bluetooth headphones, like the Sony WH-1000XM4, are convenient, and many offer EQs as part of their mobile apps.

Chances are that if you bought your Bluetooth headphones within the last few years — even a cheaper pair — the manufacturer offers an app that’ll let you equalize them. The specifics vary based on devices, brands, and software versions, but here’s a guide to some of the most popular models.

In general, the same rules for equalizing wired headphones will apply here. Most software will automatically adjust to best handle any boosts you apply to your profile, so you don’t need to even think about adjusting preamp gain correctly before listening to your tunes.

How do you equalize Sony headphones?

Sony Bluetooth headphones compatible with the Headphones Connect app let you easily EQ them. First, ensure they’re synced up properly, then:

1. Open the Headphones Connect app and tap the “Sound” tab
2. Select Equalizer
3. Select a preset that you like to use that sound profile
4. Certain headphone models allow you to edit the presets, too, for a more tailored sound

How do you equalize Bose headphones?

Bose offers an equalizer as part of its Bose Music app. Depending on the model of your headphones, the specifics may vary — headphones like the Bose QuietComfort 45 and QuietComfort 35 II don’t have access to the feature. In general, first make sure your headphones pair up properly, then:

1. Open the Bose Music App
2. Tap on the name of your headphones
3. Tap EQ
4. Adjust the levels as you wish or select a preset

How do you equalize Sennheiser headphones?

The Sennheiser Smart Control mobile app contains a handy equalizer.

Compatible Sennheiser headphones support the Smart Control app and its equalizer. First, ensure everything is synced correctly, then:

1. Open the Smart Control app
2. Tap Equalizer
3. Select a preset or adjust the levels as you wish

How do you equalize V-MODA headphones?

The V-MODA app contains a built-in EQ. First, sync up your mobile device and compatible headphones properly, then:

1. Open the V-MODA app
2. Navigate to the Sound section
3. Under Equalizer, you can select a preset or manually adjust the levels
4. You can configure the equalizer itself by tapping on Equalizer Settings

How do you equalize Audio-Technica headphones?

If you own a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones from Audio-Technica, first, you must download the company’s Connect mobile app. Then, after everything is synced properly:

1. Open the Connect app
2. Tap on Equalizer
3. Select a preset or adjust the levels as you wish

How do you equalize Apple AirPods?

Whether you get the AirPods (3rd gen), AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max, you don’t get an EQ as part of a mobile app, so that means using other options.

Things get more complicated with the Apple AirPods. We recommend that you use these earbuds only within the Apple ecosystem. Partly, that’s because the AirPods don’t offer an EQ that can be applied universally. Instead, it comes as a part of iOS via the Music app. No such option exists on Android, and we don’t recommend using AirPods with anything but Apple devices anyway. To EQ your media on iOS:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Music
3. Under the Playback section, tap EQ
4. You can select from one of 24 presets (no manual mode available)
5. The selection remains in effect until your AirPods and iOS device disconnect or you switch off the EQ here yourself

These EQ settings may be rooted in the Apple Music app but affect all media playing on your phone. Your AirPods also won’t retain these settings after disconnecting, so equalizing AirPods with anything other than an iOS device will require a third-party EQ app.

How do you equalize Jabra headphones?

The Jabra Sound+ app is easy to understand and lets you customize the sound.

Jabra headphones supporting the Jabra Sound+ app have two kinds of equalization available. Jabra calls its EQ “Moments,” and you can create a personalized sound profile with “MySound.” After everything is synced correctly, you can access them following:

1. Open the Jabra Sound+ app
2. Tap on the name of your Jabra headphones
3. Select Moments to pick a preset or adjust levels as you wish
4. Select MySound to create a personalized listening profile

How do you equalize Jaybird headphones?

Dating back to the Jaybird Freedom, Jaybird’s app has offered a custom EQ option.

Jaybird offers the Jaybird App to EQ your headphones. After you get them synced, it’s pretty straightforward:

1. Open the Jaybird App
2. Tap on the name of your headphones
3. Tap Presets
4. Select the preset you want or customize them as desired

How do you equalize Shure headphones?

The ShurePlus PLAY app offers an equalizer, and with recent updates, it now saves the EQ preset directly to the headset rather than to the app itself.

The ShurePlus PLAY app lets you EQ locally stored content with compatible Shure headphones. Get everything synced properly, then:

1. Open the ShurePlus PLAY app
2. Tap Equalizer
3. Select from one of the presets or tap Add New Preset or Manual to customize your own

How do you equalize Bluetooth headphones with third-party apps?

Spotify (left) offers graphical EQ controls, while Apple Music (right) only provides you with a list of presets.

If your Bluetooth headphones don’t offer an equalizer, or you find the official option limiting or otherwise unhelpful, all hope is not lost. Some of your favorite media-playing apps include EQ features of their own. For example, Spotify comes with an EQ, as does YouTube Music (also somewhat limited), and the Apple Music EQ settings apply to any headphones, not just AirPods. Most of these EQs are in the app’s settings somewhere.

If your preferred playback app does not offer an EQ either, are you out of options? Thankfully, no. Plenty of third-party options exist to equalize your Bluetooth headphones, and they might also work with synced-up speakers and soundbars.

How do you equalize with third-party Android apps?

Our friends at Android Authority have already covered the best EQ apps you can find. Some are free, but you may consider paying the (usually pretty cheap) price for the more advanced options if you want to get many features and customization. Your phone manufacturer might also offer an EQ as part of its customized Android OS, so check your settings.

How do you equalize with third-party iOS apps?

We can’t vouch as much for the options available on iOS devices like iPhones and iPads. Some of our favorite Android apps mentioned by Android Authority above might exist for iOS, though — for example, you can try Equalizer FX. Other iOS options include Equalizer+ HD and Boom, but we haven’t tested these.

How do you equalize with third-party Windows apps?

Microsoft Surface Earbuds’ mobile and desktop apps let you equalize the sound.

Your audio drivers may include an equalizer if you’re on a desktop or laptop. Check the manual and in the audio settings of your operating system. The Microsoft Surface Earbuds also offer an app of its own that includes an EQ feature.

Plus, there are plenty of third-party options available for these platforms. For instance, there’s Boom3D, which has both free and paid versions and EqualizerPro. We haven’t tested them, but through some trial and error, plus Googling, you’ll likely find one you prefer. Furthermore, many of your favorite playback apps have equalizers themselves—even VLC packs in EQ, among many other features.

How do you equalize Bluetooth headphones with third-party macOS apps?

Apple Music includes an equalizer on macOS, too. You’ll find it in its menu bar under Window > Equalizer. If you want to use another app for EQ, options like VLC and EqualizerPro also exist for macOS. Similarly, you can try a third-party Mac-specific EQ such as eqMac.

Whether you choose to EQ your Bluetooth headphones through the manufacturer’s app or a third-party solution, the process is well worth it. You’ll get to experience the sound that you like and feel more immersed in all your music.