Strap these bad boys on for maximum audio fidelity!
Over-ear headphones are not exactly a new invention… they’ve actually been around since the 1880s with the invention and proliferation of the telephone. Originally it was a single earpiece held to the appendage by a clamp. Two-ear headphones started emerging in the 1890s, and a mere year later, French engineer Ernest Mercadier patented the revolutionary design concept of in-ear headphones.
It was the advent of wireless telegraphy that really developed the widespread use of headphones as the likes of telegrams and even radio necessitated the need for handless earpieces. By 1902, the devices were formally called ‘head telephones’ but as is often the way with modern language, it was eventually in a very short period of time contracted to ‘headphone’ which is still the commonly-used term even today.
With technology ever advancing into bigger, bolder, and better areas, headphones are no exception. The advent of wireless headphones has completely freed up the listening experience, unencumbered as they are with limiting connection wires. And not only that, but also include cutting-edge audio resolution and ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) capabilities, all contributing to a clean, clear, crystalline listening experience.
There are very many models of wireless headphones, so if you’re thinking of getting a pair, which ones do you choose? For this article, we have consulted with tech expert professionals familiar with the wireless headphones market and have used their advice in listing what we believe to be the best 5 wireless headphones available now.
Plug ‘em in, turn it up, and let’s go…
1. Sony WH-1000XM5
Probably the best line of wireless headphones from the best manufacturer on the market today, Sony continues the peerless line of XM1000 headphones with the latest in that prestigious dynasty, the XM5.
Boasting a sleek new redesign, to make them comfy on the ears for potential long listens, the XM5 also boasts enhanced ANC capabilities thanks to the inclusion of a V1 chip in addition to the QN1. Sony has really gone to town on ANC mics for the XM5 – 8 in total – all but guaranteeing any outside potential noise won’t penetrate your private soundscape.
Features include 30 hours of battery life, crystal clear and finely-balanced audio, and even a neat feature wherein the audio automatically pauses once you start speaking. A $400 price tag puts it at the mid-range of headphones, but if a wireless headset is what you’re looking for, look no further than this.
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2. Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2
Although a solid manufacturer in their own right, few expected B&W to emerge with a wireless headset that can take on the best and mightiest of them… but that’s just what they’ve gone and done with the Px7.
Noticeably lighter in weight than its predecessors, the Px2 adds cushioned comfort for the earpieces to ensure its easy on the ol’ plugholes. A strong 30-hour battery life, with more traditional physical EQ controls rather than touch controls (a net positive in this author’s opinion!), and an all-new, patented “acoustic platform” to reduce distortion in audio, resulting in a smoother listening experience. ANC is rock-solid throughout, and with a decent $320 price tag, the Px7 is definitely one to be recommended.
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT
If you’re looking for a solid and reliable pair of wireless headphones but at a budget price, then look no further than these babies. Retailing at a cool $79, don’t be fooled by the price tag though, they may be inexpensive but cheap they most certainly ain’t!
With the budget price tag, it’s absolutely a no-frills set of headphones, so no ANC for you, BUT an absolutely stupendous 60 hours of battery life, the ability to connect to multiple devices at any one time, crystal clear audio, and reliably traditional physical buttons all add up to a no frills, no fuss, no muss headphones set that will do what you ask of it, no worries.
4. Master & Dynamic MW75
If you’re an audiophile purist and looking for the absolute best and most high-end listening experience available through wireless headphones, then Merry Christmas, these bad boys are definitely for you, good sir/madam!
With an eye-watering $785 price tag, you’d expect the MW75 to deliver the goods, and then some… luckily, it’s more than up for the challenge. With a sleek exterior design that comes in either Gun, Black, or Silver Metal colors, the MW75 comes loaded for bear with a fearsome ANC range that all but shuts out life itself from your listening time, along with soft lambskin leather covers for the earpieces to make your appendages feel like they’re in a 5-star hotel for comfort, 28 hours of battery life, but – most importantly – a high-resolution dynamic range audio soundscape that puts its rivals in the outhouse! High-end price, high-end performance… ladies and gentlemen, I give you the MW75.
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5. Sennheiser Momentum 4
While at the headphones game for a while, Sennheiser have always been a reliable mark of quality, but hoo-boy have they pulled out the stops for this one.
Don’t let the very basic aesthetic fool you, this baby has it where it counts under the hood! Soft leather earpads for maximum comfort, reliably traditional physical controls, LED lights to denote battery level, a wide range of EQ settings, an Adaptive ANC feature that automatically adjusts to surrounding environment noise, and frankly a whole host of other cracking sound features that brevity prevents me from listing in detail here, but rest assured, for audio excellence and adaptability, the Momentum has it in spades
60 hours of battery life, a warm, rich, dynamic soundscape for audio quality, and a thoroughly decent $270 price tag all add up to an exceptional and prime piece of tech that comes with our highest praise and recommendation.
Happy listening!