I've tried dozens of pairs of headphones over my years of testing, so when it comes to picking the best headphones – whether over-ear or in-ear options – there are stacks of amazing buys available.
In this guide I've rounded up a top 10, as fully reviewed by T3's expert team – so you know you're looking at the best-of-best headphones you can buy in 2024. I've highlighted key sells per product, too, so whether it's best ANC, utmost comfort, or just the longest battery life – there are options for all.
There are also expert guides for the best active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones, the best earbuds, the best high-end wired-only headphones, and even the best running headphones if you have a specialism. In this particular guide I've made sure there's something for everyone, from affordable to luxury, so know that this select list has every base covered.
T3's Top Picks
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones excel in every area, from the superior construction to the gorgeous audio fidelity, and these headphones are our pick for the best pair overall.
The prestigious Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2e are our pick for the best premium headphones, mostly down to their awesome performance: they're pricey, but they're worth every penny.
The best budget headphones are the Nothing Ear (2). Looking for in-ear true wireless that won't break the bank? This award-winning pair are definitely worthy of your consideration.
With top-notch sound, decent battery life, and high-level comfort, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds impress in every area – but especially in their amazing noise cancellation capabilities.
The first pair of headphones that Sonos has ever put out sound fantastic, and look great – and they're also extremely comfortable to wear, thanks to the design and material choices.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 offer superb sound, superb ANC, and a superb finish – they're a superb and a worthy investment that, while not budget, are worth every penny and a great upgrade.
Best overall
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are not only ultimate at audio, their active noise-cancelling is unrivalled too – and there's a lot of strong competition. There's also a fantastic Immersive Audio (spatial audio) feature to enhance your sound.
The QC Ultra Headphones are versatile too, and exceptional for travel – the great carry case and folding design are testament to that – which makes these Bose over-ears ideal for those on the go, as well as those who want to listen at home.
As we said in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: "All hail the noise-cancelling king! If you're looking for incredible travel headphones then you can do no better." Give your ears a real treat with our pick for the best headphones overall.
Best premium
Our premium pick are the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e headphones: they're not the cheapest out there, but the audio quality is undeniable. You get superb dynamics and details from this pair, and a prestige sound to match this prestige brand name.
The build quality and the materials used here are top-notch too, at the expense of a little extra weight that we don't think most people will mind. There are easy-to-use on-board controls, as well as the option of a wired connection if you need it.
Add in the 30 hours of battery life between charges, and it's a fantastic deal. As we said in our Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e review, these headphones represent a "marvellous ensemble of sound quality, luxurious build and sublime comfort".
Best budget
If your budget is a little more limited, the second-generation of Nothing's earbuds, the Ear (2), knocked the T3 team's socks off (well, ears off). These affordable in-ears bring with them top-notch sound and app management, plus great battery life.
Indeed it's hard to find fault with these affordable ANC-ers – unless, that is, you don't particularly enjoy the transparent design and motifs. But in a sea of otherwise black and grey/creme colours, we think the Ear (2) stand out – and for all the right reasons.
"ANC earbuds don't come more complete than this," we wrote in our Nothing Ear (2) review. We don't think you've going to find any wireless earbuds that give you this much bang for your buck, across features, sound quality, and innovative design.
Best ANC earbuds
We can well understand those of you who prioritise active noise cancellation (ANC) above everything else, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are our winners here: pricey sure, but excellent at blocking out extraneous noise to the extreme.
As we put it in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review, "if you're in the market for one of the best-sounding pairs of earbuds, these sit in scarce company". The accompanying app is really well done too, adding to the appeal of the headphones.
It's hard to find anything to complain about with the build quality, the design, and the comfort of these wireless earbuds either. While we've highlighted the ANC in particular here, these are earbuds that score highly in just about every category.
Best comfort
The Sonos Ace headphones are the first pair we've seen launched by Sonos, and while it's quite a surprise that they don't offer full integration with existing Sonos Wi-Fi speaker systems, there's an awful lot to like about what's on offer here.
First and foremost, the Sonos Ace offer a superior level of comfort, thanks to the memory foam headband and snug fit. In our Sonos Ace review, tech editor Mike Lowe called them the most comfortable pair of headphones he's ever worn.
It's not just that they're super comfy though – the Sonos Ace pump out a fantastic level of audio quality, feature some really well thought out design choices, and bring with them a very respectable amount of battery life between recharges as well.
Best when on offer
With every iteration of its WH-series noise-cancelling (ANC) over-ear headphones, Sony has dramatically improved the listening experience – but the XM5 cans have taken everything to a whole new aural level altogether.
The WH-1000XM5 deliver an expansive soundstage and the very best ANC that Sony has ever produced. As we say in our Sony WH-1000XM5 review: "Sony has delivered a pair of headphones that can deal with virtually any external sound short of an HGV moving off from the lights."
Comfort and build quality are top notch too, and the new design is beautifully minimalist. Even in the middle of a very competitive market, the WH-1000XM5 headphones are able to stand out and offer a compelling proposition.
Best for sports
We've picked the Jabra Elite 8 Active as the best headphones for sports right now, and that's down to a number of factors – including the durable, premium-level quality of their construction, and the tight fit offered by these wireless earbuds.
Of course it's not all about the tough design: these Jabra Elite 8 Active headphones are able to pump out some fantastic-sounding audio as well. Whether you're on a morning jog or an evening workout, you won't be disappointed by the soundscape.
Read our full Jabra Elite 8 Active review and you'll see that we described these earbuds as "brilliant workout buds, the most rugged on the market, with excellent sound" – which is quite an advertisement if you're looking to make a purchase.
Best Apple
The AirPods Pro 2 have been out a while now (and were just re-released with new USB-C port for charging), but the noise-cancelling earbuds are still some of the best headphones for Apple devices (and they'll work with other gadgets too).
Not only do they have handy automatic pairing and switching ideal for those embedded in the Apple ecosystem, but they’ve also got wireless charging functionality, as well as handy IPX4 water resistance so you can head to the gym and not have to worry.
The audio still massively impresses, with solid noise-cancelling and decent battery life as well. We described them as a "big win" for Apple in our Apple AirPods Pro 2 review, which may be part of the reason they haven't been replaced yet.
Best luxury
Yes, the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are pricey, but these are the Premier League of headphones: if you want luxe materials and finish and hours of comfortable wear, not to mention all the top-flight codec compatibility, not much else compares.
As said in our full Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: "If you’re prepared to spend big on a new pair of headphones, but want to hear as well as see and feel where all that money has gone, you need to check out these Bowers & Wilkins."
These are our top picks when it comes to luxury feel and audio, and even at this high price, you're getting a lot of value back from your money. The sound you get from these is quite simply superb, as is the thought that's gone into their construction.
Best luxury in-ears
In our Denon PerL Pro review we said these headphones offered "sound quality that's out of this world", which gives you some idea of what we're dealing with here: earbuds worthy of being our number one picks in the luxury earbuds category.
As well as the astonishing sound, the Denon PerL Pro earbuds also bring with them some clever personalisation options, excellent build quality, and a stylish look – though we suspect their aesthetic isn't going to fully chime with everyone.
Okay they're pricey, but the five-star rating that we gave the Denon PerL Pro earbuds is fully justified – and when you pop them in your ears, we think you'll understand why. Headphones to consider if you want the best quality money can buy.
How we test
At T3 how we test our headphones is beautifully simple: We listen to them a whole lot. And not just when sitting in a quiet room. We do it out in the street. On public transport. On planes. When out shopping. That way we can judge seal and active noise-cancelling (ANC) where applicable.
We also like to test out multiple genres of music to make sure we can hear the full spectrum of sound, which is different for rock or underground compared to, say, classical. The full soundstage, from treble to bass and everything in between, is analysed to ensure we get the most accurate real-world impression.
Such testing also means we get a good impression of battery life based on real-life scenarios. Not just imaginary ones. When a manufacturer promises a given amount of time using ANC, for example, we want to make sure that's achievable.
We also get that people's lives often mean music isn't the entirety of their wants and needs: that's why we test call quality, where applicable, to see just how well headphones can deliver voice. Whether in quiet or in noisy conditions, it's another key part of a headphones feature set.
All that combines, as does consideration to the design and comfort factors, to cumulate into a score out of a maximum 5-stars. We only rate in full stars, no halves, here at T3, so only the best-of-best get the full marks.
How to choose
When it comes to picking the best headphones for you personally, thankfully for your budget you don’t always have to go for the most expensive option. Firstly, it's important to think about where you want to use your headphones. Are they for exercise? Wearing in the office? Or maybe to put the mute into your morning commute? Dreadful puns aside, if you do want the rest of the world to disappear, you definitely want to invest the extra in a pair of active noise-cancelling headphones, and if you're a gym bunny you'll really want something sweat proof.
Once you've worked out what you need, your next choice is what style of headphone you want. And truthfully it's all about comfort and subjectivity. Maybe you want the subtlety of a pair of true wireless in ear buds or maybe you want the world to know you are actively listening to music. We've given you the best headphone for all budgets, all you need to do is choose what's right for you.
Reviewer panel
T3's Tech Editor, Mike Lowe, has been writing about headphones for over a decade now. With a massive personal interest in sound and music, the best over-ear headphones are his go-to – and many of the top selections in the list above have been reviewed by his learned ears.
There isn't much that T3 Staff Writer Sam Cross doesn't know about technology – it's part of the reason we hired him – and that detailed knowledge extends to earbuds, of which Sam has seen many models for review. Whether that's budget phone-maker brands, or high-end in-ears, Sam's canals have met with dozens of pairs right across the range.
As T3's Active Editor, Matt's work focuses on fitness, training, running shoes and the like. But when doing all those workouts, a good pair of earbuds for sweaty scenarios is his forte, which is why the fitness and running headphones fall into his remit. He's also been testing Apple's AirPods since the product's inception, as our in-house expert in that regard too.
