Why I like them

Over the last several years, Sony has made some of the best noise-canceling headphones on the market, so it's a big deal when the company comes out with a new flagship model, like the WH-1000XM6, which arrives three years after the release of the WH-1000XM5. Though the XM5 was -- and still is -- one of the top over-ear Bluetooth headphones, there's always room for improvement. With the XM6, Sony has fixed the small design flaws of its predecessor while bumping up the overall performance. The result is a headphone that's arguably edged just ahead of the competition and is now at the top of its class. Read my WH-1000XM6 review.

Reasons to buy

The WH-1000XM6 are excellent for frequent travelers, remote workers and commuters who demand top-tier sound quality, noise cancellation and call quality in a very comfortable headphone. If you can afford the high price, you'll appreciate what Sony has achieved here.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

If you're budget-conscious or already own Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones, you should hold off until they go on sale. They offer some significant improvements over the XM5s, but not enough to justify rushing to upgrade at full price.

Why I like them

While the AirPods Max 2 look the same as the Max (USB-C), they now include a new "dynamic range" amplifier and Apple's H2 chip (the original Max was powered by the H1), which adds a host of features already available in the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4 and helps improve the headphones' performance in a few key ways. While Apple didn't upgrade the microphones, the H2 chip supports Apple's Voice Isolation feature, which helps with voice-calling and video-calling performance. On top of that, both the sound quality and noise-canceling are improved. Read my full AirPods Max 2 review.

Reasons to buy

Before the Max 2 arrived, I probably would have told you to get Sony's WH-1000XM6 headphones instead of the Max, which just seemed a little behind the times. But now that the Max 2 are here, they do offer some real advantages to Apple users from a features and usage standpoint. As long as you're good with the Max 2's fit, they're a pretty safe choice if you can afford them.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Aside from their high price, the other potential downside is their heavy weight. Although I found them comfortable, some people may have trouble with that.

Why I like them

While the new-for-2025 Ultras look almost exactly the same as the original QuietComfort Ultra Headphones that were released in 2023 -- and it's unclear exactly what's changed from a hardware standpoint -- this second-gen model features several enhancements, including slightly better sound, improved noise cancellation, USB-C audio, a new immersive-audio Cinema Mode and improved battery life (it's now rated for up to 30 hours instead of 24 hours and the headphones can now be charged during use via the USB-C port).

For noise canceling, these are neck-and-neck with Sony's new WH-1000XM6 headphones as the two companies battle it out for ANC supremacy. Before this 2nd-gen model arrived, I had the Sony XM6s slightly ahead, but with the small but noticeably improvements Bose has made, it's hard to say which headphone is better. It may come down to how they feel on your head -- both are quite comfortable though.

Reasons to buy

They're a good choice for frequent travelers, commuters and professionals who want comfortable, well-designed headphones with impressive overall performance, including superb noise-muffling capabilities.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Those who are on a tighter budget should obviously look toward more midrange and budget headphones options.

Why I like them

The Collexion is the top pair of headphones I've tested this year and easily one of the top pairs of wireless headphones out there. Obviously, they're also quite expensive. But like Bowers & Wilkins with its flagship PX8 S2, Sony is catering to an audience willing to pay big bucks for headphones with a true luxury vibe and that extra bit of elevated sound quality. Most people can't afford The Collexion, and it's debatable whether they're worth $200 more than Sony's WH-1000XM6, but there's no denying they're great wireless headphones. Read the full review.

Reasons to buy

If you can afford their exceptionally high price, this is arguably the top wireless headphone out there. It features a very comfortable fit and sleek design; plus, it has great sound, noise canceling and voice-calling performance.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

If you can live with the slightly inferior WH-1000XM6 or another very good premium headphone that costs a few hundred dollars less, you may want to skip these because of the price.

Anker's new-for-2026 Soundcore Space 2 headphones ($130) are a definite upgrade from their predecessor, the first Space. Not only do they feature a more sleek and comfortable design, but they also have improved sound and noise canceling. At around a quarter of the price of Sony's $450 WH-1000XM6 and Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Gen 2), they're an excellent, more affordable alternative to those models. While they're more of a B-plus for overall performance, they earn an A-rating in the value department. Read the full review.

Why I like them
While I didn't get a new H3 chip and I was hoping that the charging case would be able to convert into a Bluetooth transceiver to use the buds on a plane with an inflight entertainment system, I did get most of what I was looking for in the AirPods Pro 3. The changes may seem incremental to some folks, but all the key elements such as fit, sound quality and noise cancellation have been noticeably leveled up along with single-charge battery. They're about as close as earbuds get to being complete: excellent noise cancellation, strong voice-calling performance and sound quality that rivals the very best. Few buds excel in all three areas -- and the Pro 3s manage it while packing in plenty of extra features, including their new heart-rate monitoring feature. Read my full review.

Reasons to buy
As I said, these buds are significantly improved in the four most important areas: fit, sound quality, noise cancellation and battery life. The result is that you don't feel like you're making any compromises when buying the AirPods Pro 3 if you're an Apple user.

Reasons to skip/keep looking
While they work with Android devices, you lose many of the AriPods 3's extra features if you're not using them with Apple devices and its iPhones and iPad in particular. They also may just be a little too expensive for many folks.

Why I like them

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 may not be the company's flagship headphones (the new PX8 S2 are), but they're arguably the better value as the PX8 S2 cost a whopping $799. While that step-up model does have a little swankier finish, as well as upgraded drivers that make the headphones sound better (the PX8 S2 do sound superb), the two headphones are quite similar looking. Like the PX8 S2, the PX7 S3 offer improved sound quality and superior noise canceling in a trimmer design (300 grams) that fit my head more comfortably. As I said, the drivers aren't the same as the PX8 S2's carbon cone drivers, but the redesigned 40mm biocellulose drive units have an improved chassis, voice coil, suspension and magnet that, according to B&W, deliver "lower coloration and distortion, improved resolution and superior dynamics." Read my review.

Reasons to buy

The sleekly designed, swanky Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 are excellent noise-canceling headphones that are a clear improvement over their predecessor. That said, the biggest reason to buy these over Sony's WH-1000XM6 headphones, which carry the same list price, is that you like their look better. They also feature USB-C audio, while the XM6 don't.

Reason to skip/keep looking

From an aesthetic standpoint, I prefer the design of the PX7 S3 to the Sony WH-1000XM6. But I can't say the PX7 S3 are any more comfortable or sound better (I slightly preferred the sound of the Sony, in fact). The Sonys offer slightly better noise canceling and voice-calling performance, along with some extra features such as Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention mode. If you already own the earlier PX7 S2e, it's probably not worth shelling out full price for PX7 S3. The same is true if you own Bowers & Wilkins' flagship PX8, which could get the S2 treatment this year. The PX7 S3 sounds more exciting than the PX8, but it's debatable whether it sounds better. I would give the slight nod to the PX8 but that's just my personal taste.

Why I like them

Baseus has two new-for-2025 earbuds -- the Inspire XP1 and Inspire XC1 -- and one set of full-size headphones (the Inspire XH1) that feature Sound by Bose, and they're all good values. They have impressive sound for their price, a more premium design than most "value" headphones and good performance overall. The XH1 are not only fairly lightweight (275 grams) and comfortable to wear, but they have decent build quality, respectable noise canceling and voice-calling performance, as well as very good battery life. I also liked how they not only fold up but fold flat and come with a carrying case and a 3.5mm cable for wired listening. Their controls for playback are also good, though I had to dig into the instructions to figure out that you hold down the volume buttons to advance tracks forward and back. Read review.

Reasons to buy

You're looking for a comfortable, well-designed set of noise-canceling headphones that sound good and cost a lot less than premium models from Sony, Bose and others.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Premium flagship models from Bose and Sony offer better sound and noise-canceling performance. In other words, you can only expect so much from headphones at this price.

Why I like them

The Momentum 5 Wireless is in the same chassis as the Momentum 4 Wireless, but Sennheiser has significantly boosted its noise-canceling performance. It's also added spatial audio with head tracking, along with a user-replaceable battery and a few other small feature updates. The result is an excellent set of headphones that's a good alternative to Sony's WH-1000XM6, particularly for fans of Sennheiser's appealing, clean and accurate sound. Read the full review.

Reasons to buy

The much-improved noise canceling is really the biggest change to the Momentum 5 Wireless, fixing its predecessor's biggest weakness and making the Momentum 5 a worthy alternative to flagship models from Sony, Bose and Apple.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

Sennheiser will need to get the price of the Momentum 5 Wireless down to more like $300 or $325 to create some price separation and make it easier for consumers to choose them over those competing models.

Why I like them

A lot of people expected Sonos' first headphones to be able to stream lossless audio over Wi-Fi in your home and then use Bluetooth outside your Sonos home network. However, Sonos reps told me that listening to music over Wi-Fi would greatly reduce the headphone's battery life and the company opted to leave that feature off. So even though they're equipped with a Wi-Fi chip so you can tap into a Sonos sound bar at home for private late-night viewing (Sonos refers to this as the TV Audio Swap feature), they're not really Wi-Fi headphones and are first and foremost noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones -- and I was mostly quite impressed by them. Read my Sonos Ace review.

Sleekly designed, at 312 grams, they're not as light as the 254-gram Sony WH-1000XM6s or the 253-gram Bose QuietComfort Ultras, but they're considerably lighter than the 385-gram AirPods Max and I found them quite comfortable to wear, with a relatively small gap between the headband and my head (they hugged my head nicely with just the right amount of clamping). I also appreciated that their chrome metal yoke allows the headphones to swivel in multiple directions -- the hinge is hidden -- and the ear cups adhere magnetically like they do on the AirPods Max and are replaceable, which is good.

All in all, the Sonos Ace headphones perform very well across the board with strong noise canceling, excellent sound quality and very good voice-calling performance. Well balanced, they're clean sounding with nice detail and sparkle in the treble along with punchy, powerful bass that doesn't get boomy. Vocals sounded natural and the headphones have a relatively wide soundstage. It's also good to see that the headphones have USB-C audio support (wired listening with a USB-C cable) and spatial audio with head-tracking.

Reasons to buy

The Sonos Ace are one of the top noise-canceling headphones on the market, rivaling flagship models from Sony, Apple and Bose. Now that they've been out for more than a year, we're seeing some good discounts on them, which makes them a better value, and a potential alternative to Sony's new WH-1000XM6 headphones. While you don't have to be an owner of Sonos speakers to buy them, Sonos soundbar owners can leverage the TV Audio Swap feature for private late-night viewing (the Ace delivers virtual surround sound in this mode).

Reasons to skip/keep looking

You can make the argument that Sony's new WH-1000XM6 are slightly better overall for around the same price (I'm talking list price -- and yes, they're too pricey for some folks). But with the Ace selling for as low as $330, they're an easier sell.

Why I like them

As far as the hardware goes, the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) look exactly the same as the original QC Ultra Earbuds, although Bose has added a new plum color to the line. There are two small changes. The 2nd Gen Ultra Earbuds now support wireless charging, a feature that should have been available with the originals. The included ear tips now have wax guards, a fancy way of saying there's a silicone mesh that now covers the holes in the tips.

The reality is, they don't seem like a true 2.0 product. But they do feature improved adaptive noise canceling that's truly impressive (it's neck-and-neck with the Apple AirPods Pro 3's noise canceling for the best ANC in a set of earbuds), along with some sound quality enhancements, including a new spatialized immersive audio Cinema mode that widens the soundstage and makes "video content more lifelike" with clearer dialog. The mode also helps with spoken-word audio content like podcasts and audiobooks.

New features available in both the original QC Ultra Earbuds and Gen 2 model include:

• Bose SpeechClarity
• Spotify Tap
• Turn capacitive controls on/off
• General connectivity and stability improvements

Feature upgrades available exclusively to the Gen 2 model include:

• Enhanced adaptive noise cancellation
• Reduced noise floor (the faint hiss in noise-canceling mode)
• Case battery reporting
• Cinema Mode 

Reasons to buy

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra offer a comfortable, secure fit and feature superb noise canceling and excellent sound quality. While the improvements to this model are incremental, it's good that Bose has made some upgrades to an already great set of noise-canceling earbuds. They also work well with both iOS and Android smartphones.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

They're pretty pricey and a little bigger than some earbuds like the AirPods Pro 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.

The Nothing Headphone (1) ended up being more impressive than I thought it would be. Nothing has always been a good marketing company that usually does a bang-up job hyping its products. Its first earbuds were a little more style over substance (the performance has improved with more recent models), but this headphone's sturdy, eye-catching design is backed by strong performance. While I have some quibbles with the headphone being a little heavy and slightly prefer the sound quality of some competing models, this is one of the best new headphones of 2026. It will be interesting to see if its price can come down a bit to make it an even more compelling premium noise-canceling headphone option. Read Nothing Headphone (1) review.

Why I like them

Sony's improved entry-level noise-canceling headphones, the CH-720Ns, have a bit of a plasticky budget vibe, but they're lightweight (only 192 grams) and very comfortable. Part of me was expecting them to sound pretty mediocre, but I was pleasantly surprised, as these headphones offer good overall tonal balance with punchy bass, decent clarity and a fairly wide soundstage (the headphones are suitable for a variety of music genres. They also offers decent noise-canceling and good voice-calling performance.

No, they don't sound as good or perform as well as Sony's WH-1000XM5 or new WH-1000XM6 headphones. But they sound more premium than they look -- and feel -- and their overall performance is a step up from their predecessor, the CH-710Ns. Are they worth $150? Maybe -- or maybe not. But the good news is that, like the CH-710N and WH-XB910 before them, these frequently are discounted to closer to $100, which makes them a good value.

Reasons to buy

Budget-conscious buyers seeking Sony quality at an accessible price point will find these offer a significant step up from truly entry-level headphone options.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The main reason not get these is that you simply want a more premium noise-canceling headphone that not only offers better build quality but better overall performance along with more advanced features like ear-detection sensors, LDAC audio codec support and Sony's Quick Attention and Speak-To-Chat features. Sony also leaves out any sort of carrying case or pouch with these headphones, which is slightly disappointing.

Why I like them

Love 'em or hate 'em, Beats Studio headphones are among the most popular headphones of all time, launching as a wired headphone back in 2008. This is the fourth generation of them, and they carry the same list price as their predecessor and look very similar on the outside but have some big changes on the inside that make them significantly better headphones. I'm tempted to describe them as more affordable plastic versions of the AirPods Max. However, that's not quite accurate due to a choice in chipsets and one notable missing feature. But read my full review to find out what makes this a very good headphone with some small caveats.

Reason to buy

The Studio Pros are the best Beats over-ear headphones, geared toward both Apple and Android users. Android users get multipoint Bluetooth pairing with automatic switching between devices linked to your Google account, while Apple users link to their iCloud account but have to manually switch between devices. For Apple users, there's spatial audio with head tracking when watching videos and hands-free Siri access. Those who prefer a more exciting, forward sound signature over more laid back options will find these appealing, and they should work well with a variety of music genres.

Reason to skip/keep looking

The one big miss here is the lack of ear-detection sensors -- most $350 over-ear headphones have this feature, meaning your music doesn't automatically pause when you take the headphones off. I also think it was a mistake for Beats not to power these with Apple's H2 chip, as going forward you won't get feature upgrades designed for that chip. Android