The 5 Best Wireless Headphones For Every Budget, According To Experts – BGR

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Wireless headphones have transformed everyday listening. Not only do they eliminate the need to grapple with a wire, but they’ve also advanced so much that they now offer features like active noise cancellation (ANC), long-lasting battery life, and intuitive touch controls. As a result, you can enjoy high-quality audio on a treadmill, on a bus, or while driving, without your environment bothering you.

However, with so many wireless headphones flooding the market, finding the right pair isn’t always straightforward. While the features you need have a massive say in what headphones you get, the selection process really starts with deciding the budget you’re comfortable with. Just like the best laptops, smart TVs, and mobile phones, there’s a great wireless headphone at every price point. Contrary to what many think, a high price tag doesn’t always equate to high performance, which can make choosing the perfect wireless headphones even trickier.

To cater to every user, this guide compiles the best wireless headphones across all budgets, from premium options like the Focal Bathys and Sony WH-1000XM6, to mid-range favorites such as the Sennheiser Accentum Plus. Even budget picks like the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro HQ51 and TOZO HT2, despite their low price, don’t skimp on features or usability.

With metal grills featuring circular cutouts, 40mm patented aluminum and magnesium drivers that ensure top-tier audio quality regardless of how you connect, and an unmistakable design, the Bathys are exactly what we’ve come to expect from Focal. No matter the color you pick (black, grey, or “dune”), they’re instant attention grabbers, much like the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s orange color. Of course, a subtle appreciation of color isn’t why we recommend splurging nearly $600 on a pair of headphones. No, the Focal Bathys are, quite simply, the best an audiophile can get. 

If all you care about is the most crisp and clear sound quality a pair of headphones can deliver, and money is no barrier, these are an easy recommendation. The five physical buttons and a slider under the earcup make it easy to adjust volume and playback, switch listening modes, and trigger voice assistants. You also get a dedicated app, where you can play around with different EQ presets to tune the sound to your liking. However, the Focal Bathys’ focus on servicing sound purists means it doesn’t have the best noise cancellation. According to RTings, you’ll have to put up with the occasional murmur from the world around you.

Also, with up to 29 hours of battery life with ANC on and comfortable ear cups, the Focal Bathys can easily support long listening sessions. However, at 350g, they’re the heaviest on this list, which is why we find them hard to recommend for exercising or other active use.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 is widely regarded as the best wireless headphones on the market right now. It tops the charts of many expert publications, including RTings, SoundGuys, and What Hi-Fi, all of which praise its class-leading noise cancellation. ANC is even better than the previous generation, thanks to Sony’s new QN3 chip and four additional microphones. Together, they help silence even the noisiest environments.

The headphones also feature a unique “look-ahead noise shaper” that can sense upcoming changes in sound and adapt to deliver a more consistent listening experience. As for the sound quality, the bass is dynamic, the mids are clear, and the highs are all crisp. Whether you want to crank up the volume on an Eminem album or listen to a podcast, the WH-1000XM6 makes for a perfect companion.

In addition to a more durable and comfortable design, thanks to a slightly wider headband and softer ear cups, the XM6 also offers a long list of features designed to enhance the user experience. These include built-in voice assistant support, head gesture controls to accept or decline incoming calls, and intuitive touch controls housed on the right ear cup. For instance, if you’re suddenly shoulder-tapped by a colleague who wants to say something, you can just cup your hand over the right ear cup to instantly kill the volume.

As perfect as the XM6 is, it’s not without its flaws. Its 30-hour battery life, while decent, pales in comparison to the Sennheiser Accentum Plus, which claims up to 50 hours. Finally, there’s the price: At $400, the XM6 is a premium purchase. However, if that’s your biggest concern and you still want a high-end pair of Sony headphones, you can grab the XM5 used/refurbished for around $100 less.

Priced at under $150 on sale ($250 MSRP), the Sennheiser Accentum Plus Wireless cracks the mid-range segment like very few others can, striking an excellent balance between affordability and high-end functionality. It’s worth noting that the original Accentum was introduced as a lower, more affordable variant of the company’s premium Momentum 4 headphones. However, the Accentum Plus, at roughly $15-$30 more than its predecessor, is a much stronger offering. It adds welcome upgrades such as touch controls, a protective case that can also store your cables, and aptX Adaptive support.

While these headphones look fairly generic, Sennheiser focuses on what’s under the hood, which is what ultimately matters. The sound is decent, with warm bass, clear mids, and balanced highs that work well for everyday listening. ANC is enabled by default, and the headphones use adaptive noise cancellation, something the base Accentum lacked. Of course, neither the sound quality nor the ANC here matches high-end Sony or Bose models, but they won’t leave you dissatisfied, even in challenging environments like a noisy train station.

A real standout of the Accentum Plus Wireless is its 50-hour battery life with ANC enabled. Even better, there’s a fast-charging option for crunch time, delivering a whopping 5 hours of playback from just 10 minutes of charging. The headphones also ditch the clutter of multiple physical buttons and instead feature just a single power/pairing button on the right ear cup. Everything else, from volume control to playback and call controls, is handled through touch controls on the same ear cup.

Launched in 2013, 1MORE quickly carved out a strong reputation for low-priced, high-quality audio products. Its latest release, the 1MORE Sonoflow Pro HQ51, might just be the company’s best yet. These headphones may not set the gold standard in any single category, but they do a lot of things right. Combined with a very compelling price tag of $88, they’re a top choice for bargain hunters.

The design here is fairly unassuming, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You get all the essentials, from a comfortable headband and nicely cushioned ear cups, to foldable hinges that ensure the headphones don’t weigh down your travel backpack. While the build is all plastic, it’s more than sturdy enough to last you a long time. Reviewers at Headfonia found that the Sonoflow Pro HQ51 features a bass-heavy sound profile, consistent with other 1MORE products. That said, you can tweak the sound to your liking using the EQ settings in the 1MORE Music app.

Despite its modest price, the HQ51 boasts the longest battery life of all the wireless headphones on this list. With LDAC and ANC turned off, you can eke out 100 hours of playback. Even with ANC enabled, which is the more practical option, 1MORE claims you can still get up to 65 hours of battery life. That’s over twice the battery life of the Sony XM6 and Focal Bathys, and enough for over two weeks of use at roughly five hours a day.

If you’re a student, a daily commuter, or simply someone who doesn’t care about diving into the nitty-gritty of pristine sound quality, perhaps isn’t the most delicate with gadgets, and is happy with a sub-$40 price tag: The TOZO HT2 is hard to pass on.

It’s a pair of headphones that, well, simply work. It won’t make traffic disappear like you’re sitting in a quiet therapy room, nor does it come with over-the-top styling or any extra design flair. However, the balance and depth of its sound, from the bass through the mid-range and into the treble, are all above par, says GearLab. The padding on the ear cups doesn’t leave you wanting for more, and the clamping force feels just right, like a warm hug rather than a device strapped to your head. Above all, the TOZO HT2 doesn’t feel like a $40 pair of headphones, and that’s the whole point.

Sure, there are some cost-cutting measures: The ear cups are mostly plastic, and the headphones don’t ship with a case. But the cups swivel and fold, and despite the lightweight build (just 254.5g), they don’t feel flimsy or squeak, even when you’re out and about. While the manufacturer claims up to 40 hours of battery life with ANC on, thorough testing by GearLab managed to extract around 25 hours. This isn’t a major gripe, though, since 25 hours is still within the industry average, especially considering the TOZO HT2’s ultra-low price tag.

We looked through dozens of wireless headphones, drawing on our own independent testing, customer reviews, and coverage from well-known audio-focused outlets such as RTings, What Hi-Fi, and GearLab to identify the best picks across every price range. We also prioritized products from the most reliable wireless headphone brands, including Sony and Sennheiser.

Our goal was to select headphones that, regardless of price, cover all the bases, including excellent sound quality, long-lasting battery life, strong build quality and comfort, and a solid set of features such as sound customization and touch controls. This ensures that no matter which product or price range you choose from our list, you’re getting a well-rounded experience.