Best headphones: Our top picks for personal listening

Whether you listen to music on a smartphone, a CD player, a gaming console, a computer, or a DAC, a set of high-quality headphones will deliver the most intimate experience with the fewest intrusions from the outside world.

These are our top picks in on-ear, over-ear, and in-ear headphones across all budget categories, followed by a shoppers’ guide to help you decide which type is right for you. We also have a similar but separate story for our top recommendations of noise-cancelling headphones at the preceding link.

Updated November 14, 2023 to add a link to our Puro Sound Labs BT2200 Plus review, our top pick in headphones designed for children, which feature noise-limiting technology to protect young children’s hearing.

The best headphone for every preference and budget

Headphone types

Over-the-ear (aka circumaural) headphones are the audiophile gold standard for high-fidelity, critical listening. And for good reason: This type of headphone fully covers your ear, creating a stable arena of sound.

They come in two designs: closed and open back. Closed-back models help seal out ambient noise and prevent sound from leaking into the environment. Closed-back headphones tend to have better, more visceral bass response than open-back designs. Some closed-back headphones from Bose, Sony, JBL and others also feature active noise cancellation (ANC) technologies to greatly reduce ambient noise during air travel or noisy commutes (not if you’re the driver, obviously).

Open-back designs typically have a perforated screen that allows air to pass between the ear cups and the outside world. With an open-back design, you can hear your surroundings and anyone near you can easily hear the music you’re playing. Choose an open-back design for a deeper soundstage and a sense of space with musical recordings. These types of headphones liberate your music in a fashion that’s similar way to listening to free-standing loudspeakers.

We should also note that over-the-ear headphones tend to feature three different technologies: dynamic driver, planar magnetic, and electrostatic. We explain these technologies further down.

On-ear headphones

The smaller cups that on-ear (aka supra-aural) headphones use are designed to sit on top of your outer ears. This enables them to approach the sound quality of over-the-ear headphones, but in a more compact form factor.

You’ll do well to test how on-ear models fit. Some models are too tight and others far too loose. While tight-fitting models can help reduce external noise, they can become fatiguing and painful to wear for extended periods. 

In-ear headphones

In-ear-headphones (aka in-ear monitors or IEMs), fit into your ear canal and create a seal with either a silicone or memory-foam tip. Because they’re delivering audio almost directly to your ear drums, IEMs tend to deliver a smaller sound stage than either in-ear or on-ear headphones.

Their compact size make IEMs perfect for travel and exercising, and models that include microphones (either wireless or in the cord of wired models) can be used with your smartphone. Some active-lifestyle models even feature IPX ratings certifying their water (and sweat) resistance.

Getting a good fit and tight seal with IEMs critical to achieving the best audio performance. An in-ear-headphone’s bass response is dependent on the quality of the seal. If the seal is too loose, bass will sound anemic.

Because of their superior ability to seal, memory-foam tips that expand to the unique shape of your ear canal will not only fit better, they’ll also block ambient noise—in some cases, by 25dB or more—and they’ll increase an in-ear monitors’ perceived bass response (delivering too much of a good thing in some cases).

Memory-foam tips create a superior seal. Some third party companies, including Comply, sell high-quality memory-foam tips for various brands of in-ear monitors.

Higher-quality over-the-ear and on-ear headphones come with detachable cables, so you can replace them if they’re ever damaged or simply wear out. That’s not always the case with in-ear headphones; however, some recent IEMs now come with detachable cables that conform to the MMCX (Micro Miniature Coax Connector) standard, so you can use any compatible MMCX cable with them. Replacing a cable is a much better alternative to throwing away an otherwise perfectly serviceable set of headphones.

Earbud headphones

Earbuds are similar to in-ear-headphones, but they are designed differently. Earbuds sit in the outer part of your ear (the concha, specifically) as opposed to fitting inside your ear canal.

Earbuds don’t block ambient noise, and you might find you need to increase the volume on your source device to overcome the noise floor of your surroundings. This could result in the people around your hearing whatever you’re listening to.

A major benefit of earbuds is that one size fits all. You don’t need to find the just the right silicone or memory-foam tip to fit the unique shape of your ear. The most common complaint about earbuds is that they fall out of your ears too easily, especially while you’re running or exercising.

Wireless headphones

Wireless headphones are super convenient, and the best will deliver audio performances rivaling wired phones. They’re particularly useful when you’re exercising. If this is the type of headphone you’re shopping for, these are the most important features you’ll want to consider:

Battery life

Wireless headphones use Bluetooth to connect to a source device (smartphone, digital audio player, laptop, or even a soundbar). They typically rely on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can last anywhere from four to more than 20 hours. If the battery runs dry on in-ear and earbud headphones, you won’t be able to use them they’ve been recharged. Many on-ear and over-the-ear models come with a 3.5mm audio cable, so you can plug them into your source device and use them in wired mode.

Wireless audio support

A wireless headphone’s audio quality relies significantly on the audio codecs it supports. Codec stands for compression/decompression: Digital audio is compressed at the source, so the information can be transmitted to the headphone without wires, and decompressed at the destination, so you can hear it. Some codecs deliver higher fidelity than others, but the codec must be supported at both end: by the source device and by the headphones. These codecs are among the most common in wireless headphones:

• SBC: All Bluetooth devices support the SBC codec, which offers maximum bandwidth of 328Kbps. While functional, the SBC codec doesn’t support high-resolution audio, and it tends to exhibit high latency. This could result in soundtracks falling out of sync with video. 
• aptX: A high-quality, low-latency audio codec from Qualcomm that promises to deliver near CD-quality audio over Bluetooth. Qualcomm has more recently developed a newer version of this codec, called aptX Adaptive, that enables audio encoded in up to 24-bit resolution with sampling rates as high as 48kHz to stream over a Bluetooth connection.
• AAC: If you use Apple products and services, such as iTunes, you’ll need support for this codec. You’ll also encounter it in some gaming consoles, high-resolution digital audio players, and in automotive entertainment systems. AAC delivers higher-fidelity audio than the more common MP3 codec at the same bit rate.
• LDAC: Developed by Sony, LDAC offers bandwidth of as much as 990Kbps to wirelessly deliver audio encoded in up to 24-bit resolution with sampling rates as high as 96kHz.
• Bluetooth LE and the LC3 codec: LC3 is the latest audio codec associated with Bluetooth audio. The “LE” stands for “Low Energy,” referring to the lower amount of electrical power required to send data. Requiring less electrical power carries the benefit of longer battery life. While the LC3 codec, introduced with Bluetooth 5.2, is not exclusive to Android devices, that’s the only ecosystem you’ll find it supported in right now. The LC3 codec is a big step up from SBC, the OG lossy codec associated with Bluetooth, it’s not in the same fidelity class as aptX or LDAC.

Wireless remote control

Many wireless headphones provide wireless controls. In-ear headphones typically come with some type of inline remote control, like their wired counterparts, while on-ear and over-the-ear headphones usually have remote functions on the ear cup.

Make sure the control navigation fits your style: Some manufacturers outfit their headphones with physical buttons on the right or left ear cup, in locations that feel natural to your fingertips. Some go further and provide tactile cues, so you can be confident you’re pressing the right button.

Other manufactures provide what’s called a gesture pad, a touch-sensitive surface on one ear cup that responds to taps and directional swipes. Swiping your finger from the back to the front might move to the next track in your playlist, for example, while swiping up or down adjusts the volume. As you might expect, some gesture pads work better than others. 

Headphone technologies explained

You will encounter lots of other jargon—and no shortage of marketing hype—when you shop for headphones. Here are explanations of some of the most common terms:

Dynamic driver: Most headphones on the market today use dynamic drivers, which are similar to the round cones or tweeters you see in loudspeakers.

Balanced armature: You’ll find balanced armature designs in in-ear monitors. First developed for hearing aids, a balanced-armature architecture relies on an electrical signal to vibrate a small reed or paddle thousands of times per second.

The reed is “balanced” between two magnets, hence the name “balanced armature.” Some headphones have multiple armatures, each functioning within a certain frequency range for better performance. Balanced armature drivers don’t reproduce bass frequencies well. You’ll typically see balanced armature designs using a dynamic driver for the bass frequencies.

Planar magnetic drivers: A planar magnetic design uses an extremely thin and light diaphragm to reproduce sound. A magnetic system drives the entire surface of the diaphragm evenly in a pull-push manner.

Planar magnetic designs are typically found in over-the-ear headphones and have the reputation for being able to resolve fine musical details and creating a sense of space and depth in the music. The drawback to some planar magnetic models is that they present high impedance to the source device and are thus too difficult for some mobile devices to drive. Check the capabilities of your source device before you buy this type of headphone. You can also use them with a headphone amplifier.

Electrostatic drivers: Electrostatic drivers consist of a thin electrically charged diaphragm. The diaphragm is normally suspended between two perforated plates, and an electrical signal is then passed through the plates to move the diaphragm in a push-pull manner towards one of them. Like planar magnetic designs, some electrostatic headphones present high impedance levels to the source and are therefore hard to drive. Here again, check the capabilities of your source device before you buy this type of headphone or use a headphone amplifier.

Headphone types

Over-the-ear (aka circumaural) headphones are the audiophile gold standard for high-fidelity, critical listening. And for good reason: This type of headphone fully covers your ear, creating a stable arena of sound.

They come in two designs: closed and open back. Closed-back models help seal out ambient noise and prevent sound from leaking into the environment (and nearby microphones, if you’re in a recording studio). As a general rule, because of their design, closed-back headphones tend to have better, more visceral bass response than open-back designs. Some closed-back headphones from Bose, Sony, JBL and others also feature active noise cancellation (ANC) technologies to greatly reduce ambient noise during air travel or noisy commutes (not if you’re the driver, obviously).

Open-back designs typically have a perforated screen that allows air to pass between the ear cups and the outside world. With an open-back design, you can hear your surroundings and anyone near you can easily hear the music you’re playing. The best place for open-back headphones is in a quite place at home, as opposed to a noisy environment or in library where you’ll disturb others.

Choose an open-back design for a deeper soundstage and a sense of space with musical recordings. These types of headphones liberate your music in a fashion that’s similar way to listening to free-standing loudspeakers.

The biggest drawback of over-the-ear headphones is their size and bulk. Models that can fold up, such as the Bowers&Wilkins P7 and P9 Signature, the V-Moda Crossfade 2, and the Focal Listen Wireless are still bulkier than on-ear models. Some models don’t fold at all. 

We should also note that over-the-ear headphones tend to feature three different technologies: dynamic driver, planar magnetic, and electrostatic. We explain these technologies further down.

On-ear headphones

The smaller cups that on-ear (aka supra-aural) headphones use are designed to sit on top of your outer ears. This enables them to approach the sound quality of over-the-ear headphones, but in a more compact form factor. Many models, including the AKG N60NC wireless shown below, fold up for travel.

You’ll do well to test how on-ear models fit. Some models are too tight and others far too loose. While tight-fitting models can help reduce external noise, they can become fatiguing and painful to wear for extended periods. 

In-ear headphones

In-ear-headphones (aka in-ear monitors or IEMs), fit into your ear canal and create a seal with either a silicone or memory-foam tip. Because they’re delivering audio almost directly to your ear drums, IEMs tend to deliver a smaller sound stage than either in-ear or on-ear headphones.

Their compact size make IEMs perfect for travel and exercising, and models that include microphones (either wireless or in the cord of wired models) can be used with your smartphone. Some active-lifestyle models even feature IPX ratings certifying their water (and sweat) resistance.

Getting a good fit and tight seal with IEMs critical to achieving the best audio performance. An in-ear-headphone’s bass response is dependent on the quality of the seal. If the seal is too loose, bass will sound anemic.

Because of their superior ability to seal, memory-foam tips that expand to the unique shape of your ear canal will not only fit better, they’ll also block ambient noise—in some cases, by 25dB or more—and they’ll increase an in-ear monitors’ perceived bass response (delivering too much of a good thing in some cases).

Memory-foam tips create a superior seal. Some third party companies, including Comply, sell high-quality memory-foam tips for various brands of in-ear monitors.

Higher-quality over-the-ear and on-ear headphones come with detachable cables, so you can replace them if they’re ever damaged or simply wear out. That’s not always the case with in-ear headphones; however, some recent IEMs now come with detachable cables that conform to the MMCX (Micro Miniature Coax Connector) standard, so you can use any compatible MMCX cable with them. Replacing a cable is a much better alternative to throwing away an otherwise perfectly serviceable set of headphones.

Earbud headphones

Earbuds are similar to in-ear-headphones, but they are designed differently. Earbuds sit in the outer part of your ear (the concha, specifically) as opposed to fitting inside your ear canal.

Earbuds don’t block ambient noise, and you might find you need to increase the volume on your source device to overcome the noise floor of your surroundings. This could result in the people around your hearing whatever you’re listening to.

A major benefit of earbuds is that one size fits all. You don’t need to find the just the right silicone or memory-foam tip to fit the unique shape of your ear. The most common complaint about earbuds is that they fall out of your ears too easily, especially while you’re running or exercising.

Wireless headphones

Wireless headphones are super convenient, and the best will deliver audio performances rivaling wired phones. They’re particularly useful when you’re exercising. If this is the type of headphone you’re shopping for, these are the most important features you’ll want to consider:

Battery life

Wireless headphones use Bluetooth to connect to a source device (smartphone, digital audio player, laptop, or even a soundbar). They typically rely on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can last anywhere from four to more than 20 hours. If the battery runs dry on in-ear and earbud headphones, you won’t be able to use them they’ve been recharged. Most on-ear and over-the-ear models come with a 3.5mm audio cable, so you can plug them into your source device and use them in wired mode.

Wireless audio support

A wireless headphone’s audio quality relies significantly on the audio codecs it supports. Codec stands for compression/decompression: Digital audio is compressed at the source, so the information can be transmitted to the headphone without wires, and decompressed at the destination, so you can hear it. Some codecs deliver higher fidelity than others, but the codec must be supported at both end: by the source device and by the headphones. These codecs are among the most common in wireless headphones:

• SBC: All Bluetooth devices support the SBC codec, which offers maximum bandwidth of 328Kbps. While functional, the SBC codec doesn’t support high-resolution audio, and it tends to exhibit high latency. This could result in soundtracks falling out of sync with video. 
• aptX: A high-quality, low-latency audio codec from Qualcomm that promises to deliver near CD-quality audio over Bluetooth. Qualcomm has more recently developed a newer version of this codec, called aptX HD, that enables audio encoded in up to 24-bit resolution with sampling rates as high as 48kHz to stream over a Bluetooth connection.
• AAC: If you use Apple products and services, such as iTunes, you’ll need support for this codec. You’ll also encounter it in some gaming consoles, high-resolution digital audio players, and in automotive entertainment systems. AAC delivers higher-fidelity audio than the more common MP3 codec at the same bit rate.
• LDAC: Developed by Sony, LDAC offers bandwidth of as much as 990Kbps to wirelessly deliver audio encoded in up to 24-bit resolution with sampling rates as high as 96kHz.

Wireless remote control

Many wireless headphones provide wireless controls. In-ear headphones typically come with some type of inline remote control, like their wired counterparts, while on-ear and over-the-ear headphones usually have remote functions on the ear cup.

Make sure the control navigation fits your style: Some manufacturers outfit their headphones with physical buttons on the right or left ear cup, in locations that feel natural to your fingertips. Some go further and provide tactile cues, so you can be confident you’re pressing the right button.

Other manufactures provide what’s called a gesture pad, a touch-sensitive surface on one ear cup that responds to taps and directional swipes. Swiping your finger from the back to the front might move to the next track in your playlist, for example, while swiping up or down adjusts the volume. As you might expect, some gesture pads work better than others. 

Headphone technologies explained

You will encounter lots of other jargon—and no shortage of marketing hype—when you shop for headphones. Here are explanations of some of the most common terms:

Dynamic driver: Most headphones on the market today use dynamic drivers, which are similar to the round cones or tweeters you see in loudspeakers.

Balanced armature: You’ll find balanced armature designs in in-ear monitors. First developed for hearing aids, a balanced-armature architecture relies on an electrical signal to vibrate a small reed or paddle thousands of times per second.

The reed is “balanced” between two magnets, hence the name “balanced armature.” Some headphones have multiple armatures, each functioning within a certain frequency range for better performance. Balanced armature drivers don’t reproduce bass frequencies well. You’ll typically see balanced armature designs using a dynamic driver for the bass frequencies.

Planar magnetic drivers: A planar magnetic design uses an extremely thin and light diaphragm to reproduce sound. A magnetic system drives the entire surface of the diaphragm evenly in a pull-push manner.

Planar magnetic designs are typically found in over-the-ear headphones and have the reputation for being able to resolve fine musical details and creating a sense of space and depth in the music. The drawback to some planar magnetic models is that they present high impedance to the source device and are thus too difficult for some mobile devices to drive. Check the capabilities of your source device before you buy this type of headphone. You can also use them with a headphone amplifier.

Electrostatic drivers: Electrostatic drivers consist of a thin electrically charged diaphragm. The diaphragm is normally suspended between two perforated plates, and an electrical signal is then passed through the plates to move the diaphragm in a push-pull manner towards one of them. Like planar magnetic designs, some electrostatic headphones present high impedance levels to the source and are therefore hard to drive. Here again, check the capabilities of your source device before you buy this type of headphone or use a headphone amplifier.