The 4 Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones of 2025

Over the years, we’ve tested hundreds of pairs of headphones for this guide, so we can’t include notes on every pair here. Below, we provide our thoughts on some recently tested and high-profile models. If there is a specific model you’re curious about that’s not listed, our full testing notes are available in this spreadsheet.

1More SonoFlow: This pair is our former budget pick. The sound quality is pleasant and adjustable, and the design is lightweight and comfortable, though it doesn’t feel as sturdy as the Soundcore Space One. The 50- to 70-hour battery life is impressive for a model in any price range. The noise cancellation is effective, but it was bested by that of the Soundcore Space One. And the ANC does not work in wired mode, so if you’re on a plane that requires a wired connection to the in-flight entertainment system, you’ll either have to go without ANC or pick up a Bluetooth transmitter.

1More Sonoflow HQ51: This pair has strangely positioned controls, middling noise cancellation, and a muffled transparency mode. The pair we tested had a strong, offensive plastic/chemical odor when we took it out of the box.

1More SonoFlow SE: A bare-bones edition of the SonoFlow, this set has similar battery life/quick-charge capabilities, app-adjustable tuning, and a lightweight design. But the SE lacks its sibling’s water resistance, software-driven noise-cancelling microphone, and ability to listen wired. The noise cancellation doesn’t sound as effective as that of the original pair, and the hear-through mode sounds muffled, but the microphone does a pretty good job of reducing background noise. We think spending a bit more for our budget pick is worth it for the extra functionality.

Baseus Bowie 30 Max: The noise cancellation is average, but the sound is inconsistent—the balance changes when you turn the ANC on or off. Whichever way you listen, this pair isn’t able to play very low notes: The range from 20 to 35 Hz is just a toneless thump, and the bass level from 35 to 80 Hz is very low in volume.

Beats Solo 4: On-ear headphone designs are a rarity these days, so if that’s what you prefer, the Solo 4 is one of the few options. Overall, this set performs well but is severely lacking in features for the $200 price. The sound quality is good, though bass notes are a bit restrained for hip-hop and electronic music. The physical controls are easy to use. The microphone quality is clear and can handle mild background noise. The fit is lightweight and comfortable, even for (most) glasses-wearers. The 50 hours of battery life is solid, and we appreciate that the Solo 4 can play audio and charge via a USB-C cable. Apple users will enjoy the always-listening Siri, “Find My” capabilities, spatial audio head tracking, and automatic pairing across Apple devices. Unfortunately, there’s no ANC, hear-through mode, app-based EQ, IP-rated water or sweat resistance, or dual-device connectivity. The vented design doesn’t passively block out noise all that well, either.

Beats Studio Pro: For every positive, this pair has an equally disappointing downside. The noise cancellation and hear-through modes sound great, but neither is adjustable. It’s easy to use the larger physical buttons, but the power/ANC toggle button is inexplicably small. The foam earpads are soft but not replaceable. Android users get a dual-device connection feature; Apple users do not. There are three EQ settings, but they’re only accessible when listening via USB-C. But most importantly, the sound quality is dramatically impacted by use of the spatial audio: When it’s turned on, the lower bass is emphasized, and higher-pitched sounds have an artificial sharpness. With spatial audio off, the bass is notably diminished.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones: These are good headphones, but they aren’t remarkable enough to justify the $350 price. The build is very comfortable, with a lightweight feel and squishy earpads that should accommodate many glasses arms. These headphones utilize physical buttons rather than the touch controls, and the buttons are easy to learn and find. The hear-through mode sounds natural, and music sounds good, albeit slightly bass-forward out of the box. The Bose app provides an EQ feature that can adjust the tuning, but it consists of only three faders, which is too simplistic. The microphones sound very clear in a quiet room, but background noises in the human vocal range, like a sink running nearby, will be pronounced. The ANC is not as effective as what the rest of the current Bose line can deliver. In fact, at the highest intensity, these headphones reduced less noise in the airplane band than our budget pick. We do love that Bose includes a cable with a three-button remote and mic—a rare old-school nicety.

Cambridge Melomania P100: This pair provides above-average noise cancellation, powerful bass, and superb clarity for phone calls. Out of the box, the low notes were too intense for our taste, and the high frequencies had a slight whistle-like quality to them, but after we made some adjustments to the app’s EQ settings, the P100 sounded really great. What we didn’t like was that the P100’s build is on the heavier side, and its case is sizable—making it tougher to fit in a bag. The side tone that you’ll hear when you talk while wearing these headphones sounds as though your voice is coming through a paper-towel tube. We also wish there were a way to disable the auto-play feature. Overall, these are minor flaws in an otherwise great set of headphones.

Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI: This pair is solid but unexceptional. The noise cancellation is good, but not superlative. The same can be said about the sound. And the earcups are very shallow, so people with larger or protruding ears will feel the pressure.

Dyson OnTrac: This snazzy-looking pair is disappointing to use. The noise cancellation is on par with $100 sets, the three sound profiles are all flawed, and the toggle control is tricky to use. Unfortunately, these headphones are hefty as well, so the headband begins to press uncomfortably after an hour or so of wearing them.

EarFun Free Wave Pro: This affordable pair sounds good for the price, and given the inclusion of multiple EQ presets and a hearing-test-based tuning process, most people should be able to find a sonic balance they like. However, the ANC isn’t as powerful as that of the Soundcore Space One, the hear-through mode doesn’t sound as natural, and the headband transfers some noise when you bump it.

Edifier Stax Spirit S5: Just like the S3 pair we love, this newer set sounds incredible, with detailed highs and defined low notes, and it produces a moderately larger sense of space than the S3. The S5 also boasts noise-reducing microphones, Google Fast Pair capabilities, and an updated version of Bluetooth (5.4 vs 5.2 for the S3.) The S5’s app is more streamlined than the S3’s, eliminating the pushy sales aspect. However, this pair has larger earcups and weighs around 55 grams more than the S3 (for reference, 55g is a smidge more than the AirPods Pro earbuds weigh in their case). That may not sound like much, but if you’re especially sensitive to how over-ear headphones feel, you will notice the added weight. But, most importantly, the S5 is significantly more expensive, averaging $100 more than the S3. As much as we love this pair, we don’t think the upgrade in features is worth the increase in cost—at least not as long as the S3 remains available.

Final UX2000: This pair was disappointing. The sound is muffled, the ANC is only average, and there’s no app to make any adjustments.

Marshall Major V: If you prefer an on-ear headphone design and like the gritty, warm sound of Marshall amps, the Major V is a solid, no-frills pair of headphones. The fit is comfortable, the physical controls are easy to use, and Spotify subscribers will enjoy the customizable button that can be set to call up a favorite playlist. The microphone utilizes noise-reduction software to reduce background sounds, but it compresses your voice. Although there are several EQ presets and a fader-based adjustment system to tinker with frequency balance, the tone of the Major V remains rock-amp grungy, which won’t appeal to everyone.

Raycon Everyday Headphones Pro: This pair is unoffensive but also unremarkable. The ANC is middle of the road, and the three EQ settings are all exaggerated, with a harsh twang to piano sounds and a compressed soundstage (though the Bass mode could be fun if like a bumping hip-hop feel). The microphone sounds clear in a quiet room, but it picks up every little high-pitched background noise and gives your voice a sibilant quality.

Sennheiser Accentum Plus: This pair has smaller earcups that feel refreshingly streamlined, but they might be a touch too small for folks with larger ears. Out of the box the sound is quite nice, with an extra bass bump that is most noticeable with hip-hop and rap tunes. There’s also extra intensity in the highs that could be perceived as either added detail or sibilance, depending on your ears. If you want to EQ the sound, you’ll need to create an account in the app and take an unusual sound-preference test that asks how loud you like drums or strings. There’s no option to use faders to fine-tune the sound yourself. The active noise cancellation isn’t as effective as what our picks deliver, and the microphone quality makes you sound compressed, like you’re on an old-school landline.

Sennheiser Accentum Wireless: The headband on this pair is tight, so those with large or sensitive heads won’t enjoy the fit. The noise cancellation is only average, and the sound contains unrestrained low notes and high-frequency sibilance around 8 kHz—neither of which can be addressed through the app’s EQ tool.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2: This pair isn’t for most people. The sound is bass-heavy to begin with, and when the “crusher” setting is enabled, it adds vibration and reverb to a ridiculous degree. You can adjust the sound via EQ or a hearing test, but you can’t make the adjustments in the app while your music is playing, so it’s hard to find the ideal sound preference. Also, the noise cancellation is minimal.

Skullcandy Icon ANC: On-ear headphones are a rarity these days, so we were disappointed to discover that this pair is incredibly tight and the earcups don’t swivel. Worse still, the noise cancellation is barely effective.

Sonos Ace: This pair is lightweight and comfortable, with a look that’s minimalist and elegant. However, the sound leans toward being bottom-heavy with less intensity in the highs—a response frequently described as “warm” or “dark.” The Sonos app does provide EQ capabilities, but there are only two clumsy faders that fail to resolve any issues. The ANC didn’t measure as well as we’d hoped (read more in our noise-cancelling headphones guide), and the surround sound effect is akin to reverb in a large auditorium—it may work when watching explosions or fight scenes, but it muddies quiet dialogue so much that I occasionally struggled to understand what was being said. The Ace can connect to the Sonos Arc soundbar, and you can swap TV sound between the two; but the setup process can be buggy. We wish that the Ace could perform the same trick with other Sonos devices, but for now you’ll need to connect to other devices via the traditional Bluetooth pairing process, since this pair lacks Wi-Fi capabilities.

Sony ULT Headphones: This set has a lot of the design niceties of the Sony WH-1000XM5—palm-to-earcup hear-through activation, Alexa compatibility, and excellent noise cancellation. The build isn’t quite as lux as the XM5’s, but the overall design is similar. However, bass notes sound boomy out of the box and downright unhinged when you press the ULT button. Maybe because we’ve never been the sort to purchase seat-rattling subwoofers for our cars, we weren’t fans of the sound.

Soundmagic P58BT: The sound is dull with coarse highs, and there is no app to adjust it. The ANC is intense in a narrow band, and people who are prone to eardrum suck will feel the effect immediately.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.