Buying wireless headphones can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not a tech-savvy person who knows what to look for in a pair. You may opt for the highest-priced models, mistaking expensiveness for quality, and you may regret your decision later – expensive doesn’t always mean excellent quality. Although there are many aspects to look out for when buying a pair of wireless headphones, brand reliability should be at the top of your list.
Knowing which brands are the most reliable can save you from buyer’s remorse down the line because it tells a story about the company, including the quality of its products. It’ll also help you filter out newer or unknown brands, making your purchase decision much easier. But knowing which brand is reliable and which is not is yet another challenge.
Fortunately, Consumer Reports has done all the hard work on your behalf by ranking companies that make wireless headphones based on how their products hold up in the long run. Because you shouldn’t just buy a pair that sounds good — it should also be sturdy enough to serve you for a while — brand reliability is as important as ever, especially now with headphones getting more expensive every year. So before you splurge on one of the top-rated headphones, be sure it comes from a reliable brand.
Audio-Technica
Audio-Technica is one of the most well-known brands in the audio equipment space. Part of the reason why it’s well-known is that it has been around for over 60 years since its founding in 1962. The company sells a variety of audio equipment, ranging from turntables to microphones, cartridges, headphones, and earbuds. For headphones, the company has a wide range of options in its portfolio, including studio models like the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, which have been well-received by reviewers as great options for audiophiles and even for professional use.
While its wireless headphones, like the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 (a wireless version of its beloved ATH-M50x headphones), don’t rank as high as other models in some areas, they are described as “well-built” by RTings. The more budget ATH-S300BT has also been praised for offering a robust build by Tom’s Guide, and even Audio-Technica’s cheap headphones don’t compromise on quality.
Sure enough, Audio-Technica is the highest-ranking brand when it comes to reliability, according to the latest data from Consumer Reports. That means the company’s products hold up well for long-term use compared to other wireless headphone brands on the market. That’s a clear indicator that the company doesn’t take shortcuts when it comes to build quality.
Sennheiser
If you’re an audiophile, you probably know Sennheiser as one of the most recognizable brands for high-fidelity headphones. In fact, internet listicles of the best headphones for audiophiles rarely fail to include a model from Sennheiser. For example, as of this writing, RTings’ list of the best audiophile headphones includes three models from the company (Sennheiser HD 800 S, HD 490 PRO, and HD 560S) out of a total of six. That shows you how respected the brand is in the headphones space.
Outside of its audiophile-grade HD series headphones, Sennheiser’s high-end Momentum series and budget-friendly Accentum series are great picks if you want a wireless set of headphones from the company. The Sennheiser Momentum 4, Accentum Wireless, and Accentum Plus have solid owner satisfaction ratings, per Consumer Reports, and all three have an excellent score on sound quality.
The Momentum 4 Wireless headphones are so good that they rival Sony’s 2025 WH1000XM6 in sound quality, even though they launched in 2022. According to Consumer Reports, Sennheiser is second only to Audio-Technica in reliability, although it has the same rating as Bowers & Wilkins.
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) is a headphone brand that was founded in the U.K. and has been around for decades. The company’s soundbars, headphones, earbuds, and speakers target the high-end segment of the market or those who prioritize excellent audio quality and premium builds above all else. The company sells both over-ear headphones and earbuds, but only has two distinct product lineups: Px for headphones and Pi for earbuds.
The company’s latest flagship Px8 S2, for example, is described as classy-looking and feels luxurious with premium materials and a design to match, according to What Hi-Fi. The site adds that the Px8 S2 feels even more premium than flagships from Sony and Bose. That shows you how the company pays attention to creating headphones with premium quality.
Because of its focus on premium design and high-fidelity sound, its headphones and earbuds don’t come cheap — as of this writing, its cheapest headphone models are the Px7 S2e, which cost $399. Despite the price tag, if you’re someone who likes to have both excellent sound and build quality, you can’t go wrong with the Px7 S2e, as they’re one of the best headphones for audiophiles. And as Consumer Reports’ reliability ratings reveal, the brand pays great attention to the longevity of its products. B&W ties with Sennheiser in the second spot in reliability.
Bose
Bose was founded in 1964 and is best known for pioneering noise-canceling technology intended for use when flying. Interestingly, Bose still sells aviation headphones to date. The company was also the first to introduce noise-canceling technology in consumer headphones.
The company has a wide selection of audio equipment in its portfolio, ranging from speakers to soundbars and home theater systems. Bose also has a portfolio of wireless headphones and earbuds. The company’s latest flagship wireless headphone is the second-gen QuietComfort Ultra, which has been praised for its remarkable battery life and noise-canceling capabilities.
In fact, many reviewers consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra to be one of the best noise-canceling headphone models that you can buy. If the latest figures from Consumer Reports are anything to go by, Bose is quite reliable. Bose is the third-highest-rated headphone brand on the list and is just a few points off Bowers & Wilkins and Sennheiser in reliability rankings.
Sony
Sony is a Japanese conglomerate that makes and sells various kinds of consumer electronic products. In the audio segment, the company sells different products, including soundbars, earbuds, speakers, and headphones. It’s a well-known brand in the headphones category thanks to its ability to pump out quality products in the premium segment with its WH-1000XM series. The company launched its first pair of headphones in 1964 and continues to release new models.
In fact, it has grown to become one of the go-to brands for anyone who wants quality headphones in terms of overall build and sound quality. Just take the recently launched Sony WH-1000XM6 as an example. As follow-ups to the 2022 WH-1000XM5, they were well received among reviewers and users alike, with describing them as “pretty much the complete package when it comes to noise-canceling headphones.”
It also earned a perfect 5/5 score in What Hi-Fi’s review on all the key aspects that actually matter in day-to-day use (sound quality, available features, and comfort). According to Consumer Reports, Sony ranks among the highest-rated wireless headphone brands — it’s also one of the most reliable smart TV brands per the site’s experts.
Methodology
Our list of the most reliable brands in the wireless headphones market comes from Consumer Reports. The site surveys users who have purchased different headphone models from different companies in the past few years and asks them about their experience. To predict a brand’s reliability, Consumer Reports asks users about problems they’ve experienced with their pair of headphones.
Then Consumer Reports uses this data to calculate a reliability score for each brand. Headphone brands whose users experienced fewer issues rank higher in reliability, while those with more problems rank lower. Consumer Reports has reliability ratings for dozens of headphone brands, but we only considered the top five.
Our discussion lists headphone brands from the most to least reliable. But keep in mind that this isn’t to say that the last option on this list (Sony) is not reliable. All the brands we’ve included in this list have excellent brand reliability ratings, hence great options if you’re looking to buy a pair of wireless headphones.
