Other earbuds may do certain things better than the WF-1000XM4 – the Bose QC Earbuds are more effective at reducing the impact of external sound, for instance – but no earbuds get quite as much right as Sony’s most recent in-ear offering. They also come with an all-important IPX4 rating for water resistance, so are a solid choice for exercise both at the gym and outdoors, while the range of customisation options with the Sony Headphones Connect app is extensive. You can personalise touch controls, create custom EQs and have the earbuds switch sound and noise-cancelling profiles on your location and what you’re doing. It also means you don’t have to be in the same room as your output device – as long as you’re within Bluetooth range, you’ll be able to continue listening at your leisure. These factors make for a far more user-friendly experience, particularly if you’re using your Bluetooth headphones while out and about or exercising. Are there any disadvantages to Bluetooth headphones? READ NEXT: The best bone-conduction headphones to buy How much should I spend on Bluetooth headphones?

Xawy Bluetooth Headphones, Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Earphones in Ear Stereo Sound Microphone Mini Wireless Earbuds with Headphones and Portable Charging Description The latest iteration of Sony’s flagship over-ear headphones is its best yet, with improved sound quality, more effective noise cancellation, and a new “noiseless” design. That design may not be for everyone, but we love the XM5’s minimalist aesthetic and they’re ridiculously comfortable, too. Noise-cancellation tests are conducted both at home and further afield. Basic tests include using appliances such as boiling kettles and washing machines to assess how well headphones attenuate more mundane external distractions, while we also put them through their paces in more demanding environments such as at airports or on the London rail network. If you’ve got the budget for the OpenRun Pro we recommend going for them, but the OpenMove are a solid entry point into the world of bone-conduction audio if you’re wanting to see whether the technology is right for you.Finally, bone-conduction headphones create sound in a different way, using vibrations on your cheekbones to trigger nerve impulses that are sent to the brain and converted into sounds we’re able to hear. If you find other styles of headphones uncomfortable these may work best, and they allow you to be more aware of your surroundings too, which is very handy. Sound quality suffers as a result but that’s a tradeoff worth making for some. The best Bluetooth headphones to buy (bone-conduction) 8. Shokz OpenRun Pro: Best bone-conduction headphones Things do get slightly more complicated, as there have been different Bluetooth standards released over the years. The later versions allow music to be transmitted in higher quality and use less battery power. Don't worry though: if the headphones and the music source are both compatible they'll automatically use the higher-quality version.

The other disadvantages of wireless headphones relate to Bluetooth connectivity. In busy areas such as train stations, you may find experience audio dropouts or stuttering. This is becoming less of an issue with every new Bluetooth version though, so isn’t something you should worry about too much. Similarly, wired headphones can deliver superior audio quality via their cabling, but improvements to Bluetooth technology and the advent of advanced Bluetooth codecs are helping close the gap. What type of Bluetooth headphones should I buy? Wireless connectivity is integral to Bluetooth headphones so we begin testing by evaluating how easy it is to connect the headphones to your audio source and assess the stability of the connection in a variety of environments. Multipoint pairing: This allows simultaneous Bluetooth connection to multiple devices, which is useful in numerous situations. Not all that many Bluetooth headphones support it, though. 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. If you’re after the best bone-conduction headphones money can buy, look no further than the Shokz OpenRun Pro. They’re the only headphones in Shokz’s lineup to use its ninth-generation technology and deliver the best audio quality of any bone-conduction options we’ve tested. They also boast class-leading battery life, a comfortable and stable fit and vibrate less on your cheekbones than their predecessors.Sonically, the Elite 45h’s 40mm drivers are capable of delivering some serious sound: maximum volume is ear-splittingly loud so you’ll want to be careful on public transport as there’s significant sound leakage as a result of the on-ear design. Overall audio quality is impressive with vocals and trebles especially well-articulated and there are a range of customisation options in the Jabra Sound+ app. These include the ability to create your own EQ, choose from six presets or have Jabra create a personalised sound profile for you. The latter option, which Jabra calls MySound, didn’t sound that different to the default profile during our testing but both proved thoroughly enjoyable listens. The best Bluetooth headphones have surged in popularity over the past few years. People are ditching wired headphones in favour of their wireless counterparts and you’ll be hard-pushed to find a manufacturer that doesn’t include at least one pair of wireless headphones in its product lineup. We’ve not reviewed the Shokz OpenMove but are happy to recommend them as they’re essentially the same as their AfterShokz namesakes. Pretty much, yes. The vast majority of wireless headphones – and all the models featured in the tables above – use Bluetooth to connect wirelessly to your phone. Bluetooth is a universal standard, so you'll be able to transmit music from any Bluetooth-enabled phone, laptop or tablet to any pair of Bluetooth headphones. Most wireless headphones work using Bluetooth. The best Bluetooth headphones are comfortable and have enough battery to see you through several long-haul flights. Most importantly, they don’t sacrifice sound quality for wireless convenience.

The reasons are complicated but, in short, yes, wireless headphones can sound just as good as a wired pair for most people's purposes. The thing that matters most for sound quality is the physical design of the headphones. The best wireless headphones are capable of playing music in CD quality and above, and it's a matter of scientific debate whether we can even hear differences in quality above this. How does Which? test and recommend wireless headphones? The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 are an affordable pair of over-ear headphones brimming with features. Chief among those features is active noise cancellation, which is very effective for the money and a match for many more expensive alternatives. There are three levels of ANC available and they’re easily switched between via the Anker Soundcore app.

Support eTeknix.com

Looking for more recommendations and buying information? See our expert guide to the best headphones. Best wireless over-ear headphones When testing sound quality, we listen to audio across a range of content types (music, TV shows, audiobooks and films) and multiple genres to ensure we gain an appreciation of how the headphones handle sound across the frequency spectrum. Whichever Bluetooth codecs are supported will be tested extensively, as will support for other audio formats such as Spatial Audio or Dolby Atmos and any audio options like EQ presets or a customisable equaliser. Most headphones will charge from a standard USB charger plug like those supplied with mobile phones. For example, if you already have an Apple 5W USB power adapter for charging your iPhone, you can also use it to charge your Apple AirPods headphones. Choose any reputable brand for the adapter - it rarely needs to match the brand of your headphones. Some headphones will support higher power adapters for faster charging. Can wireless headphones sound as good as wired?