How to choose and buy headphones: Avoid buying the wrong headphones on Black Friday with our handy guide.

With Black Friday sales and then Christmas sales around the corner, choosing the best headphones is becoming a priority for many people – and there’s never been a better choice for iPhone and Android users.

Unlike the best headphones, the best wireless headphones, and the best in-ear headphones, earbuds fit right into your ear (and their case fits right into your pocket) and have many other benefits thanks to this design style.

Today we’ll look at how to choose and buy the right headphones for your needs, based on over 600 hours of testing by our expert team of reviewers, who push each pair to the absolute limit in their quest to find the best headphones. best.

For Apple users, the AirPods Pro 2 are arguably the best choice on the market, offering almost every benefit plus a new hearing aid feature – it’s hard to beat. But they’re expensive… and Apple’s cheaper AirPods (even the newest noise-canceling AirPods 4) may not actually represent the best value for money, as we’ll soon discover.

For everyone else – and curious iPhone users – there are fantastic options from Bose, Sony, Nothing and many other top brands. Let’s dive in.

Sony WF-C510 on the table

(Image credit: Sony)

How to choose and buy headphones: size matters

While it may not matter in other areas of life, the size of headphones does matter, especially for those of us with smaller ear canals or uniquely shaped ears.

Many headphones come with different sized silicone tips, which can be helpful, but it’s worth checking the specs of each of our best headphones if this is a consideration.

For example, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are great for active noise cancellation, but may not be suitable for users with small ears. Our guide to the best headphones for small ears can help here, but very quickly: Sony is a great name to consider if you have small ears.

Sony WF-C510 blue

(Image credit: Sony)

Consider when you will use them and with what device.

Perhaps the biggest difference between headphones is whether they are made by Apple and therefore ideal for iPhone users, or Sony, Bose, Nothing and many other brands that are compatible with Android.

For iPhone users, AirPods are truly the most popular headphones, and which one you choose will depend on your budget and whether you want the AirPods Pro 2 to have more exciting features available. We also have a page dedicated to Black Friday AirPods deals. so keep an eye on them.

Android users have many more headphone options to choose from, including the excellent and inexpensive Nothing Ear(a), released in 2024.

Each headphone naturally has its strengths and weaknesses, and we recommend checking out our reviews, based on hours of use and listening to many different genres in different scenarios, to find the best pair.

Other factors to consider include the IP rating, if you commute to work and need comfort over long distances, call reception and microphone quality, noise rejection or resolution, and whether you want to swim with them, which will likely require headphones that use bone conduction.

Nothing Ear(s) Headphones in a case, a frog is inexplicably climbing on the case

(Image credit: Nothing)

How to choose and buy headphones: Budget

In our testing of the best budget wireless headphones, the Sony WF-C510 recently emerged as a buy if you’re on a budget and don’t care about ANC (or are just looking for a good deal).

If money is no object, the best headphones we’ve tested recently are the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8. But, as with the excellent Technics EAH-AZ80, this sound quality comes at a price…

We also recommend the Sony WF-C700N, JLab Go Pop ANC and EarFun Air Pro 3, which offer great sound quality without breaking the bank, and recommend reading our guide to the best budget wireless headphones.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

(Image credit: Bose)

Noise: to cancel or not to cancel?

Noise cancellation is sometimes like a marmite: non-negotiable for some and disorienting for others, some of whom may even feel unsafe using it. Where you fall on this spectrum is the key to choosing the best buds.

If you’re not bothered by ANC, there are plenty of budget headphones available, such as the Sony WF-C510, which we rate as the best budget non-ANC headphones on the market that offer excellent sound quality and a comfortable fit.

On the other hand, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are the best active noise canceling headphones, as the name suggests, and will help you isolate yourself from a noisy group of people on a train, from people on the subway, or from noisy neighbors.

Of course, almost all of our best headphones feature ANC, and their physical design (being in the ear) naturally results in blocking out some noise, while headphones with ANC can sometimes feel bulky.

AirPods Pro

(Image credit: Future)

Do you want music or sound around you to turn your head to?

Next: Spatial audio. For the uninitiated, spatial audio is a standout feature of many premium headphones, designed to create an immersive three-dimensional listening experience, enhancing audio by placing sounds in a virtual space, making them feel like they are coming from all directions. .

LG (see LG Tone Free T90S), JBL (see Live Beam 3), Bose and, of course, Apple offer proprietary head-tracking spatial audio filters that dynamically adjust audio as your head moves.

Apple’s version, unlike others, is exclusive to its devices and works seamlessly with AirPods when paired with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and is especially effective for movies, games, and even certain music tracks that support spatial audio.

Sony 360 Reality Audio takes a different approach, offering personalized spatial audio that works with select in-ear headphones and headphones, using object-based audio technology to position individual sound elements in a 360-degree sphere, creating an enveloping soundstage – and you can get it even in the cheaper Sony WF-C700N.

But you don’t need to buy any specific headphones to get spatial audio without head tracking. It’s becoming increasingly available through music streaming services like Apple Music and Amazon Music, which offer regular spatial audio tracks mixed in Dolby Atmos that can be played on a variety of headphones without any brand-specific requirements.

Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones

(Image credit: Bose)

Sound quality and codec support

Sound quality will likely be the deciding factor when choosing headphones, and codec support plays a big role in determining the level of sound quality you’ll be able to enjoy.

For starters, Sony’s LDAC codec streams high-resolution audio at up to 990 kbps for exceptional clarity and detail, but it’s only useful if you’re using an Android or Sony device since Apple devices don’t support LDAC .

For wider compatibility, many headphones support Qualcomm aptX codecs, which are a popular choice for high-resolution, low-latency audio. Options like aptX Adaptive and aptX HD are designed for audiophiles who want consistent, high-quality audio from streaming services or high-resolution downloads.

Those using Snapdragon-powered devices can take advantage of Snapdragon Sound, a suite designed to optimize wireless audio quality and reduce latency. Whether you’re streaming from a premium service like Tidal or Qobuz, or playing lossless files, codec support ensures your headphones get the most out of your audio content.

Best MP3 Player: The best high-definition portable music players for every budget, tested by our experts.

Apple hearing test

(Image credit: Aplpe)

Hearing testing, artificial intelligence and much more

In 2024, brands like Apple, JBL, Denon (see Denon PerL Pro) and Nothing will include hearing testing and sound tuning features directly into their headphones.

For people with special hearing needs, Apple AirPods Pro 2 includes a hearing aid feature that can amplify sounds and provide accessibility support. For many, these features can likely replace hearing aids in most common scenarios.

JBL’s Personi-Fi (found in both Live Beam 3 and Tour Pro 3) also uses otoacoustic testing to create a personalized audio profile tailored to your hearing capabilities, ensuring you get the most out of your music. Likewise, Nothing’s top-tier in-ear headphones offer audio personalization features that customize the sound to suit your unique hearing profile.

AI is also finding its way into headphones. Nothing Ear and Ear(a) offer ChatGPT integration—provided you have a Nothing phone—and Apple AirPods 4 support gesture-based AI interaction, allowing you to nod or shake your head to discreetly respond to Siri requests.

Is everything too much? If hands-free controls or AI integration don’t appeal to you, you can stick with simpler models without sacrificing core features.

How to choose and buy headphones: Avoid buying the wrong headphones on Black Friday with our handy guide.

Archives

Categories