Specs are thorough, with noise-cancelling tech, an Ambient Mode, twin mics for voice calls, and battery life that totals 19.5 hours (6.5hrs from the buds and 13hrs from the charging case). The RZ-S500W are the company's first foray into wireless noise-cancelling earbuds and they're sensational performers for their outlay. Panasonic isn't a brand that immediately springs to mind when you think of cheap wireless earbuds. If you buy one pair of true wireless earbuds this year, make it the WF-1000XM4. IPX4 water resistance is included, as are clever features such as Quick Attention and Speak-To-Chat which both allow you to have a conversation without removing the earbuds. Combine this with brilliant noise cancelling courtesy of Sony's Integrated Processor V1 and the WF-1000XM4 are difficult to fault. The Sonys are comfortable to wear too, with touch-sensitive controls and ear tips that provide excellent noise isolation. The wireless charging case also extends this by a further 16 hours. Those who prioritise battery life in their AirPods alternatives should find the eight hours promised by the Sonys more than sufficient. You can't help but be carried away by their sense of musicality.
There's dynamics and detail in spades and it's a balanced performance, with taut, precise bass notes and refined, sophisticated vocals. With the new WF-1000XM4, Sony's managed to build on the huge success of the WF-1000XM3 (a few spots below) and produce a sensational pair of true wireless earbuds. There’s no denying that they cost a lot more than typical products in this class but, if sound quality is king, there’s equally no denying that they’re worth it. Their authenticity, detail, crispness and spaciousness elevate them so far above the previous best in the wireless noise-cancelling class that the comparison starts to become a little redundant and you instead begin to consider them alongside proper hi-fi products. They will work with non-Apple products using standard Bluetooth 5.0, but you’ll miss out on many of their unique features.Īssuming you are a keen Apple user, the AirPods Max are the best wireless headphones you can buy – and not by a small margin. You need an iPhone or iPad to get the most out of them.
The unexpectedly huge price of the Apple AirPods Max makes them considerably dearer than the great majority of premium (if we can even still call them that) wireless noise-cancelling headphones but they really do justify that extra outlay. which is where this page comes in.īelow is a round-up of the best-quality headphones on the market right now. You might then want to delve into one of our specific buying guides, or perhaps take a glance at our very favourite pairs across all styles, feature offerings and price points.
If you're still not sure which way to go, take a look at our guide on how to choose the right pair of headphones. Lastly, if you're a fitness fiend who wants to prioritise a secure fit and waterproofing, you're better off going for a pair of sport headphones. These days, wired noise-cancelling headphones are a rare breed. Noise-cancelling helps isolate you from the world by actively blocking ambient noise, and these days the feature is becoming more and more popular on premium wireless pairs. Then there are noise-cancelling headphones, which may be high on your hit list if you're looking for a pair to silence the outside sounds of everyday life.