We found the battery life here to be solid. The UX3000 lasted for 35 hours from a single charge when we had ANC switched off, and 25 hours when it was switched on. During our testing we found that, from flat, they can be fully charged in around two-and-a-half hours. We’re aware that it’s no good expecting perfection from a 30-quid pair of true wireless headphones - but we don’t think it’s asking too much for the hard plastic they’re built from to be the hardest things about them, rather than the sound they make. These environments include home offices, parks, gyms and while commuting, and if there are any audio dropouts in busy places like train stations, this is duly noted. A similar range of environments is used to test other areas of performance, including audio and microphone quality and noise cancellation. Final Audio's wireless, noise-cancelling, over-ear headphones may not look or feel particularly special, but their specification, which includes aptX wireless, long battery life, and active noise cancellation make up for it.

There's a lot to love about the Apple AirPods Max. The things we rated highest during our testing were: the standout active noise cancellation, superb audio quality, and a design that sets them apart from most noise-cancelling headphones on the market. What it boils down to is that every one of us is different, so there's no such thing as one pair of headphones everybody should buy. It's about balancing the price and the features so that you get the best possible audio experience at the best possible price. Which is exactly what our guide here is designed to help you with. First of all, the design really matters. Comfort is crucial when you're wearing wireless headphones: if they don't feel great for a long listening session that defeats the point of having them. So we'd recommend looking for generously padded ear cups for comfort, and strong headbands to help them survive everyday life.WIRELESS REAL STEREO EXPERIENCE & IPX5 PROTECTION: With a wireless design, you will no longer be disturbed by cables or tangled wires. A perfect choice for running, jogging, cycling, working out at the gym and you don’t have to worry about Bluetooth headphones getting mixed with your hair. IPX5 protects your headphones from sweat, water, rain etc. LD13 The Sony XM4 are crammed with features, including impressive audio upscaling, and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format, which delivers spatial audio on stereo headphones, plus the LDAC codec that can send a bitrate of up to 990 kbps. However, they don't aptX or aptX HD, so your hi-res audio support mileage may vary.

Given their lightweight design, in-ear headphones are typically the best choice for running and other forms of exercise. They’re also very easily transported, which makes them a great choice for general day-to-day use. The downsides are that they’re generally less comfortable to wear for longer periods of time and they have less battery life than on- and over-ear headphones.Last but not least, we considered the cost. We're well aware that premium headphones can be too expensive for some; we're also aware that for some music fans, there's no such thing as an acceptable corner to cut when it comes to audio quality. So we've considered both kinds of listener here, and as a result we believe that every pair of headphones in our guide will make you feel you've spent your money wisely to get the best possible audio experience for you. Although there are plenty of reasons why we enjoyed testing the Momentum 4 Wireless, it's the battery life that stands out as exceptional, especially compared to the competition. You'll get 60 whole hours, even with ANC on. For comparison, Sony's XM4 wireless headphones at the top of this list, as well as its newer XM5s, offer only half that at 30 hours. That said, there are some pretty safe bets out there. Apple's headphones are a good option for teaming with Apple hardware; Sony makes a range of excellent all-rounders; and as you'd expect from the firm that popularized noise cancelling headphones in the first place, Bose makes some of the best noise cancelling headphones and earbuds you can buy.

This is not a mistake – even though the newer WH-1000XM5 now exist, we still rate the XM4 as a better buy for most people. The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones deliver excellent noise-cancellation and sound quality in a wireless design that we found extremely comfortable and lightweight throughout every step of our testing.The XM5 do all of this better, no question, but they also do it for a lot more money, and we think the XM4 are the better balance right now.And in practice, the EP-T21S are a determinedly inoffensive listen (which is by no means a given with earbuds at this sort of money). Their sound is a bit two-dimensional, sure, and the midrange is squeezed awkwardly between bass and treble, but the Aukey extract decent amounts of detail and manage rhythms and tempos pretty well. ‘Not a disaster’ at this sort of money has to count as a small win.

Excellent sound quality: with the high-sensitivity Bluetooth 5.0 antenna and high-sensitivity speaker, these Bluetooth headphones capture all the details of the music and transmit rich sounds with clear treble and decent bass. The cVc 6.0 noise cancellation technology reduces ambient noise and echoes and ensures clear sound reproduction, whether you want to listen to music or make calls. LD13 For Android users, however, the AirPods Max don't have the same features as on iOS, so we can't justify the high price of these headphones if you won't be connecting them to Apple hardware. These are on-ear headphones rather than over-ears, and one result of that is that the soundstage isn't quite as immersive as with a pair of over-ears.You might also hear some ambient sounds too, but for those who work in an office or need to stay alert at home this could be a plus point rather than a criticism. Not everyone finds these as comfortable for long periods too.

How we tested

And it's not just about the sound. As stamina claims go, 80 hours is impressively insatiable in almost any arena, but particularly concerning wireless headphones – and we actually gleaned just over 90 hours from these in practice.