Over the past few years of testing headphones, I’ve seen Bluetooth audio quality evolve from good enough to really, really good. Updated codecs, improved on-board processing, and audiophile-grade components such as planar magnetic drivers deliver wired quality without those cumbersome and pesky cables getting in the way. Add in astonishing battery life, all-day comfort design, and active noise cancellation (ANC) and you’ve got cans that are as suited to commutes and long-haul travel as they are peaceful home offices.
In this guide, I’ve cut through the marketing fluff and tried out these headphones to find my favourite pairs — no mean feat given how competitive and cutting-edge this market can be, with each manufacturer bringing its own strengths to its headphones. I’ve highlighted how each set of headphones performs in terms of comfort, build, sound, and ANC, and compared their prices — but if you want great quality for even less (and don’t mind wires!) it’s worth checking out my best budget audiophile headphones guide.
Ready to find your next set of Bluetooth headphones? Join me on a sonic voyage …
Sennheiser HDB 630
Comfort: The earpads of these cans have been thoroughly cushioned, making long listening sessions a joy. The clamping pressure is well-judged, providing a secure fit without exerting too much pressure. 5/5
Build: While they're not the lightest headphones, they're sturdy and solidly made, with a premium feel to the materials. The touch controls are reasonably intuitive, and Sennheiser has gone big on battery life, with 60 hours playtime! 5/5
Stock/EQ sound: Out of the box, you get that classically neutral Sennheiser sound. The bass punches through without being overbearing, and mids and trebles are clear and distinct. Hi-res 24-bit/96kHz audio meets a wide selection of Bluetooth codecs. The EQ is where things get interesting; new Parametric EQ allows for incredibly precise fine-tuning of your sound, allowing you to customise it completely to your tastes using the app. For audiophiles, it doesn't get better. 5/5
ANC: Sennheiser’s Adaptive Noise Cancellation system generally works very well, monitoring background noise levels and adjusting accordingly. There's also a transparency mode if you need to retain some awareness of your surroundings. 4.5/5
Cost: At an asking price of around $500, these are the most expensive cans on my list. Having tested them, I do think they're worth it, but there are other options if your budget won't stretch. 4.5/5
Total score: 24/25
Sennheiser Momentum 4
Comfort: While Sennheiser's more affordable headphones look a bit plainer than the HDB 630s, they still offer buckets of comfort, with a wide headband that exerts a sensible level of pressure for comfy listening. 5/5
Build: While they're arguably lacking in aesthetic flair, it's hard to fault the Momentum 4 headphones for being everything they need to be. The on-cup touch controls work reliably well, and once again you get that 60-hour battery. 4.5/5
Stock/EQ sound: There's a LOT of sub bass in the out-of-box sound of these headphones. It may not be to everyone's tastes, but proper bass-heads will be in heaven. The five-band EQ allows you to rein in that bass, revealing a sound that's really quite spectacular, full of richness and detail. The Sennheiser app offers plenty of customisation potential. 5/5
ANC: Very good indeed. While newer headphones do have a bit of an edge when it comes to tackling big noises, the Momentum 4 headphones put a solid shift in, keeping you firmly in the zone. 4.5/5
Cost: At a current asking price of around $230, these are the cheapest cans on my list. Even though they're previous-gen, they still offer excellent value for money, and are well worth snapping up while you can. 5/5
Total score: 22.5/25
Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Comfort: A delightfully comfortable, premium-feeling pair of headphones, with a faux-leather finish for the earcups and headband interior that makes them easy to wear for long periods of time. 5/5
Build: The folding design makes the headphones easy to throw into a bag and take everywhere with you. Though the 24-hour rated battery life lags behind most rivals, especially the class-leading Sennheisers. 4/5
Stock/EQ sound: The stock sound offers a strong level of sub-bass – I'd put it as better than the Sony XM6 cans, and not quite as good as Apple's AirPods. Take control with the three-band EQ, and you can produce a truly excellent sound, with tons of detail. 4.5/5
ANC: Bose's ANC is very effective, swiping away the noises of the outside world to leave you in a musical bubble. But, I'll be honest, I did notice a very slight hiss when using it. 4.5/5
Cost: At a cost of around $390, these are upper-band headphones. The premium materials do help you feel like you're getting your money's worth. 4/5
Total score: 22/25
Sony WH-1000XM6
Comfort: Perfectly fine to wear for long periods, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones exert a solid but not overwhelming level of pressure. The cups are a nice size, and very soft. 4/5
Build: Newly foldable, unlike the XM5s, the headphones make use of an unusual asymmetrical design, making it easy to tell left from right at a glance. 4/5
Stock/EQ sound: The stock sound gives big bass that is a little undefined for my taste. It's not overly clear, and the mids get drowned out. Happily, a 10-band EQ makes this eminently correctable, and you can get these things sounding really damn good. The newly developed 30mm drivers deliver exceptional detail retrieval and dynamic range that's simply sensational. 4/5
ANC: Outstanding. The best of any cans here. If you want to sink into a completely isolated bubble with your music and brook absolutely no intrusion from the outside world – here you go. 5/5
Cost: At around $390, they're on about the same pricing level as the Bose QuietComfort headphones. Pricey, but not outrageous. 4/5
Total score: 21/25
Focal Bathys MG
Comfort: The Focal Bathys MG feature the same high-quality (real) leather and microfiber cups as their predecessor, the Focal Bathys. At 350g, they sit at the heavier end of the Bluetooth headphone scale, but they’re engineered to feel a lot lighter. They can shift a little on your head if you’re moving around, so these are better suited to stationary listening than walking/running/pogoing. 3.5/5
Build: The "MG" in the product name stands for magnesium and for this unit, Focal has shifted away from an aluminium-magnesium alloy dome to pure magnesium. The build is impeccable, with a deep black finish that’s more wear-resistant than its non-MG ancestor. 5/5
Stock/EQ sound: The move to pure magnesium drivers and domes has done wonders for the midrange timbral accuracy, removing the metallic twang of aluminium and replacing it with a more natural sound. Plug it in via USB, and you can take advantage of a 24-bit/192kHz DAC, which is the best wired implementation in the industry. 5/5
ANC: Focal’s updated noise-cancelling algorithms perform better than before, especially when it comes to human speech, which is universally recognised as the most annoying of all sounds. However, the cans are still a half-step behind Sony’s newest QN3 chip. 4.5/5
Cost: Those magnesium drivers have also added to the price tag, bringing them up to £999/$1,299 and shifting them into the very-expensive price bracket. However, the luxurious design is matched by the sumptuous sound. 3/5
Total score: 21/25
Audeze Maxwell 2
Comfort: Audeze has addressed the Maxwell 1's comfort issues with a wider, more breathable headband that distributes the weight more evenly. They are heavier (560g vs the 490g of their predecessors), but the comfort outweighs the heft. 3.5/5
Build: These are built for pro gamers, so they’re designed to survive the remorselessly hostile world of e-sports arenas. Reinforced with spring steel and aluminium, this is a set of cans that’s nigh-on indestructible, but new magnetic “ReSkin” side plates allow for customisation. 4.5/5
Stock/EQ sound: Spatial imaging can be the difference between life and death in a pro Counter-Strike match, but thankfully, Audeze has nailed this tech in the Maxwell 2s. The new SLAM technology preserves clarity at high volumes, so you can accurately pinpoint your opponent’s footsteps. If you do want to tweak the sound, Audeze’s HQ app has 10-band equalisation. 5/5
ANC: Bluetooth headphones don’t have to have ANC, and here Audeze relies on heavy passive isolation via the earcups and overall design. They do, however, feature incredible AI-powered background noise removal for the microphone, and there is an ANC version in the pipeline for 2026. 3/5
Cost: While Audeze’s Maxwell 2s have gamers in their sights, the sound here will please audiophiles and help professional creators produce great results. Genuine planar magnetic technology is a rarity on headphones under £350, and they outperform music-oriented headphones that cost twice as much. 5/5
Total score: 21/25
Apple AirPods Max
Comfort: Not everyone agrees, but I find the AirPods Max to lag behind other headphones in comfort stakes. The huge earcups can feel a little draggy. 3.5/5
Build: Nicely made, as you'd expect from Apple. The anodised aluminium earcups feel a significant cut above the likes of Sony and Bose, as does the steel headband. At 384g they're noticeably heavy, and their inability to properly turn off (they only enter low-power mode) means battery management requires attention. 4.5/5
Stock/EQ sound: The stock sound is excellent, with good sub and mid bass, and lovely clear mids with bags of detail. But of course, there's no option for app-based EQ, which is going to limit the AirPods' appeal for serious audio-heads. 4.5/5
ANC: Fantastic. Rivals the Sony cans for its ability to keep out the world beyond your sound. Also worth noting that Apple has one of the best transparency modes in the business – hugely effective. 5/5
Cost: You pay the inevitable Apple premium, and an asking price of about $430 is quite a lot for a pair of headphones with no EQ, and that aren't necessarily comfortable for everybody. 3/5
Total score: 20.5/25
FAQs
What are the best-sounding Bluetooth headphones?
You say tomato, I say low-THD-during-high-amplitude-bass-passages. This might not quite be the right analogy, but my point is that everyone’s hearing is different, and we all have different preferences: your “crisp” might be my “sharp.” Add in the distinct audio profiles of musical genres, and you’ll find that headphones are rarely one-size-fits-all. Which is great, because it ensures healthy competition in the market.
Having said that, we do have something pretty close to a one-size-fits-all in the shape of the Sennheiser HDB 630, which is my pick for best-sounding Bluetooth headphone. While its stock tuning is neutral and detailed, it wins because of its class-leading 10-band parametric EQ. With this level of granularity, you can tailor the frequency response to your exact preferences, whereas most rivals limit you to basic three or five-band adjustments. With the Sennheiser app, you can even save adjustments based on location, so you can up the bass in a loud office or switch to a neutral tuning at home.
What is the best ANC headphone?
Sony’s vast R&D budget really has paid off here, and there’s a reason their Bluetooth headphones have become so popular with commuters: they offer the best ANC on the market. The latest, the Sony WH-1000XM6, is the best implementation to date, creating a completely isolated bubble that masks everything from the ambient hum of a jet engine to unpredictable chatter in offices and cafes.
Does weight matter for long-term use?
Absolutely. While luxury sets like the AirPods Max (384g) or Maxwell 2 (560g) offer superior build quality, the keys to long-term comfort are weight and clamp force. For all-day wear, a lighter set is usually preferable to avoid pressure hot spots on the crown of your head. However, how a headphone is designed is also crucial, as weight is distributed more efficiently with some designs (Maxwell 2) over others (Apple AirPods Pro)
It is also worth noting that battery life is a major contributor to a headphone's heft. To achieve the massive 60-hour runtimes seen in modern Sennheiser sets, manufacturers must use larger, denser battery cells. If you prioritise a featherlight feel for long editing sessions, you may have to sacrifice some of that week-long battery life in favour of a smaller, lighter internal power source.
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