The best wireless Bluetooth headphones you can buy
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Bluetooth headphones get rid of those annoying wires and increase convenience. Of all the headphones we've tested, the Sennheiser HD 1 Wireless over-ear headphones are the best ones you can buy, and they sound amazing.
Headphones are evolving. When Apple first announced the new iPhone 7, which drops the headphone jack in favor of a wireless connection, many were more than a little frustrated. Traditionally speaking, wired headphones have been of a higher quality, both sound-wise and when it comes to reliability. Now, however, that’s changing, and the gap in sound quality is closing.
If you’ve decided you want to ditch those annoying wires in favor of wireless headphones, there are a number of things to consider. The first thing you’ll need to decide is what form-factor you prefer. Do you want over-ear headphones, on-ear headphones, or in-ear headphones? Over-ear headphones generally sound better and are more comfortable, while in-ears are far more portable, and on-ear headphones attempt to strike a balance between those two.
You’ll also want to consider whether you want noise-cancellation, which helps cut out the background noise while you’re listening. Last but not least, you’ll want to think about your budget. These days, there are great Bluetooth headphones across most price ranges, but as is the case with most things, the more you have to spend, the better headphones you'll get.
We’ve been testing as many wireless Bluetooth headphones as we can get our hands on over the past few months, and we’ve put together this list of the best wireless headphones we've tested. We'll continue to add to this list as we test more models and different types of wireless headphones.
You can also read about more epic headphones that we've tested in the following articles: 24 headphones that are actually worth your time, the great on-ear headphones we've tested, the headphones we wear every day, the great over-ear headphones we've tested, the four most comfortable headphones, and much more on Insider Picks.
Although the Sennheiser HD 1 Wireless over-ear headphones are our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider the Bose QuietComfort 35, the AKG N60 NC Wireless, the Jaybird X3, and the JBL E55BT headphones.
The best wireless headphones overall
Sennheiser/FacebookWhy you'll love them: The Sennheiser HD 1 Wireless headphones don’t just look great – they’re extremely comfortable and sound like a dream, too.
Which Bluetooth headphones should you get if you want the best of the best? In our testing, the best wireless headphones money can buy are the Sennheiser HD 1 Wireless over-ear headphones.
There are a number of things that make these headphones so good. For starters, they look beautiful. The headphones are built with premium leather, along with a strong metal frame and a rustic look. It’s a great combination, but the build doesn’t just make them good-looking – it also makes them nice and strong.
While the headphones do have an over-ear design, they are somewhat portable. They fold up and fit into a nice strong case, which is included in your purchase. The case is great for those of you who want to take your cans on the go. The Sennheiser HD 1 headphones are comfortable, too. They have nice memory foam in the ear-cups, and while we would have liked to see a little more foam in the headband, that’s not a deal-breaker by any means.
Then there’s the sound, which is the highlight of these headphones. The Sennheiser HD 1 Wireless over-ear headphones boast a deep, rich low-end, along with a well-tuned and accurate mid-range and crisp high-end. They also have noise cancellation, and while it’s a little annoying that you can’t deactivate it if you want, it well help keep that extra noise out so you can listen to your music in peace.
We’re not the only ones who love the Sennheiser HD 1 Wireless headphones. They scored 9/10 in a review from Headphone Review, and their predecessor, the Momentum Wireless 2.0 headphones scored 9/10 on Trusted Review and 4/5 on CNET. The main downside to these headphones is that they’re not cheap. To get them, you’ll need to shell out a cool $500, but if you do, you won’t be sorry.
Pros: Beautiful design, relatively comfortable, excellent sound quality
Cons: Expensive, could use more padding in headband
Buy the Sennheiser HD 1 Wireless over-ear headphones on Amazon for $499.95
The best noise-canceling wireless headphones
BoseWhy you'll love them: The noise cancellation technology on the Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones is the best around, but the headphones also sound great and are extremely comfortable.
Bose is a powerhouse in the headphone world and has been especially successful when it comes to noise canceling headphones. In our testing, the headphones with the best noise cancellation technology are the Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones. When these cans are on, the noise cancellation is almost eerie.
The headphones aren’t just great for noise cancellation. They’re extremely comfortable and sound great, too. Sure, the design isn’t all that interesting, but for many people that doesn’t matter as much as the noise cancellation technology and sound quality. If you're into customizing your cans to suit your personality, you can design your own headphone on Bose's website.
The Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones also come with everything you’ll need to take them on planes and around town, including a nice carry case, plane adapter, and an aux cable for when you want to use them in wired mode. Speaking of which, wired mode is, unfortunately, the only time you can use these headphones without noise cancellation on. There’s no switch to turn it off when they’re connected through Bluetooth.
Plenty of reviewers loved the headphones besides us. Trusted Reviews gave them 9/10, CNET gave them 4.5/5, and Headphone Review gave them 9/10. They are a little pricey, coming in at $350, but paying that will get you the best noise canceling headphones around.
Pros: Excellent noise cancellation, great sound quality, very comfortable
Cons: Expensive, slightly boring design
Buy the Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones on Amazon for $349
The best wireless headphones for taking on the go
AKGWhy you'll love them: The AKG N60 NC Wireless headphones have an excellent design, feel comfortable, and sound great, but they’re also super portable and live safely in an included carry pouch.
Looking for something a little more portable than the over-ear Sennheiser HD 1 Wireless headphones? The AKG N60 NC Wireless headphones could be the ones for you.
The headphones feature a super sleek design with a black and silver color scheme, along with an on-ear form factor, which makes them a lot more portable than over-ear headphones. They’re made even more portable with their swiveling earcups, which help the headphones fit nice and snugly in the included carry bag.
The AKG N60 NC headphones are comfortable, too. There's a good amount of memory foam in both the earcups and the headband. The best thing about these headphones, however, is that they sound great. There’s a ton of low-end frequencies, though the bass doesn’t go overboard. The high frequencies are nice and clear, too, which helps the music sound crisp.
Next up is the fact that these headphones also feature noise cancellation that's better than you’ll find on many other headphones. It’s not quite as good as the Bose QuietComfort 35’s tech, but it's good nonetheless. The headphones aren’t perfect. In the pair we tested, there was a small amount of Bluetooth noise, which came in the form of a very faint buzzing in the background. You couldn’t hear it while music was playing, but it was a little annoying.
Others liked the N60 NC Wireless headphones, too. While they’re relatively new and haven’t gotten a ton of reviews just yet, they scored 8.7/10 on Headphone Review. The Verge also liked them during their preview, PCMag gave them 4 out of 5 stars, and Time also praised them. The headphones are a little pricey at $300 but more affordable than our top pick.
Pros: Portable, good noise cancellation, great sound, nice look
Cons: Bluetooth noise
Buy the AKG N60 NC Wireless on Amazon for $199.95 and up (price varies)
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