The Best headphones of 2024

By: Daniel Osakwe

Last Updated on May 1, 2024 by Daniel Lawrence

Headphones are a great choice for listening to music. But not all headphones sound the same or will give you the real sound of all the instruments being played in a song. This is why it’s necessary to get the best headphones.

There are a variety of headphones on the market to choose from, they come in more styles and types than ever before. And if you’re not careful, you might pick the wrong choice.

Here, we’ve reviewed, tested, and approved these headphones listed below. So you’ll rest assured you’re buying the best headphones.

We’ve also included a number of well-known best headphones brands such as Sony and Bose, as well as a few you might not have heard of before like Rock Jaw and Nuraphone. So whatever it is you are looking for in a headphone, we have it all covered right here.

Types Of Headphones

Apart from your budget, one of the most important things to do before buying a headphone is to know the type of headphone you want to buy.

Actually, there are three types of headphones. And among these headphones, there’s another category of headphones. They’re all listed below.

In-ear – Small, lightweight, and generally inexpensive
Over-ear – Comfortable and space to house larger drivers
On-ear – A good balance of the above

Now here are more options or categories:

Earbuds – Another way of saying in-ear headphones
Wireless earbuds – In-ear headphones that have Bluetooth
True wireless earbuds – The above but are not connected to each other with a wire
Neckbuds – Wireless headphones connected together with a section designed to sit around the neck

How do I choose headphones?

Steps

Decide between earbuds or headphones.
Remember that you get what you pay for.
Evaluate the headphones sound isolation
Investigate the frequency range.
Don’t always look for noise-canceling features unless you’re willing to shell out the big bucks.
Test them out if possible
Look for the impedance of the headphones.

Is higher impedance better for headphones?

Headphones with higher impedance from 25 ohms and over, approximately demand more power to deliver high audio levels. As a result, they are protected from damage caused by overloading. However, headphones with low impedance from 24 ohms and below are more susceptible to “blowouts” when using more powerful amplifiers.

So it’s best to go for headphones with high impedance.

Best headphones 2019

Sony WH-1000XM3

If you need a headphone with great sensitivity, long battery life, and 100% noise cancellation then the Sony WH-1000XM3 is for you.
That’s because Sony has spent their time perfecting audio playback while simultaneously creating an adaptability algorithm that doesn’t just create a single sterile sound barrier, but multiple kinds that can adapt to whatever situation you’re in.
Apart from its noise cancellation feature, Sony’s headphones are also Hi-Res Audio-ready, sporting aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC codecs, and offer Google Assistant support right on-board. Therefore, If you need a headphone that can live up to any challenge and excel in any environment, as well as having a good design and quality sound, this is just it.

Read the review: Sony WH-1000XM3

Reasons To Buy

Outstanding noise cancellation
Fantastic sound quality
30-hour battery life

Reasons To Avoid

Mediocre call quality

RHA S500 Best Headphones

If you love good sounds and a balanced audio quality, then the RHA S500 Headphone is for you. These headphones sound quality is well balanced but has a slight mid-bass bump. The bass is slightly emphasized but not egregiously and features good impact while maintaining good control. In addition, they are lightweight, well designed, and have a good response rate.

Read the review: RHA S500 Best Headphones

Reasons To Buy

Excellent build quality
Balanced, rich audio

Reasons To Avoid

Sibilant at times
Narrow soundstage

Grado SR60e Best Headphones

If you’re looking for an entry-level set of headphones, you can’t search any better than the Grado’s SR60e. The Grado SR60e is the best and most refined headphone. Its open-backed ear cup was designed to make them more breathable and even better than what most on-ear headphones can deliver. In addition, this headphone is well designed, comfortable, and doesn’t cost much.

According to its users, they said, this is our gold standard when it comes to on-ears.

Read the review: Grado SR60e

Reasons To Buy

Very comfortable
Impressive definition for the price
Highly recommended

Reasons To Avoid

No in-line controls

Urbanears Plattan II Best Headphones

If you need simple, comfortable, and cheap headphones, the Urbanears Platta II is for you. Urbanears wasn’t satisfied with their previous version of ( Plattan I) so they took customer feedback to heart and addressed many complaints about comfort, sound quality and isolation. In no time, they came up with the Urbanears Plattan II. which was able to address all complaints about sound quality and comfort.

The Plattan II is a unique headphone with little or no features. But, you get a good-sounding pair of wired headphones for significantly less than you would otherwise.

Read the review: Urbanears Plattan II

Reasons To Buy

Very comfortable
Good value

Reasons To Avoid

Narrow soundstage
No volume controls

Bowers & Wilkins P9 Signature

The Bowers & Wilkins P9 Signatures are simply one of the best headphones with a high-quality sound I’ve ever used. They have a tight, refined sound that offers an almost unmatched level of detail. In addition, they offer features like noise-cancellation and Bluetooth connectivity.

So if you need a pair of headphones with high-quality sound, comfortable, lightweight, you should think of the P9 Signature headphone. It’s expensive though, but it’s worth the price, and it’s also great for travelers.

Read the review: Bowers & Wilkins P9 Signature

Reasons To Buy

Exceptional level of detail
Clarity across the board
Comfortable for long periods

Reasons To Avoid

Lacking in extra features
On the expensive side

Bose QC 35 II Best Headphones

Without an iota of doubt, the Bose QC35 II is the best all-around headphones you can get at the moment. Offering stylish design, sound quality, usability, and features. In addition, they have a good battery life, lasting up to 10 hours, they are comfortable, and lightweight.

Another most outstanding feature of the Bose QC35 II is the Google Assistance plus an unrivaled noise-canceling combined with excellent sound quality. If there’s anything you’ll need in a headphone, the Bose QC35 has it all. This makes it one of the best Headphones ever. But be warned, it’s expensive.

Read the review: Bose QC 35 II

Reasons To Buy

Class-leading noise cancellation
Incredibly comfortable

Reasons To Avoid

No instant mute
Plastic build, plain design
Expensive

Beyerdynamic Amiron

Another headphone that offers a great quality sound is the Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless Headphones. Their sound is spacious, detailed, and makes you want to rediscover your music library. Although the design might not be great for some individuals and the average noise isolation make them terrible for travel. But if you’re looking for the best sound from a wireless headphone, and won’t cost much, then the Beyerdynamic Amiron is for you.

Read the review: Beyerdynamic Amiron

Reasons To Buy

Excellent build quality and comfort
Detailed, dynamic, spacious sound
Sounds just as good wired

Reasons To Avoid

Not ideal for travel

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 is also known as the traveler’s best friend. This headphone was named so because it can hold charge up to 24 hours and offers a 100% noise cancellation. In addition to that, it has a great sound quality, it’s lightweight and very durable. It also has a power-saving ability-it turn it’s self off when idle.

Again, Let us introduce you to the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2, one of the few headphones on the market that can do all of the above and cost less than half as much as one of the bigger names like Beats, Bose and Sony.

Without a dough, the BackBeat Pro 2 offers an excellent travel headphone with incredible battery life, supreme comfort, the ability to pair two devices at once, and, most importantly, good sound quality for the cost.

Read the review: Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

Reasons To Buy

Incredible 24-hour battery life
Multi-point Bluetooth
Amiable sound

Reasons To Avoid

Styling not for everyone

Focal Stellia Best Headphone

Luxury cans with a luxury price tag to match. A bit big
Another headphone that offers a great sound is the Focal Stellias. The sound it generates is absolutely fantastic. Their wide-open soundstage and detailed, accurate sound treatment mean they make any genre of music sound brilliant.

If you like luxurious things, then you would like the full-grain leather cups, woven cables, brushed copper accents, and matching carrying case the headphone has to offer.
That luxury feel is translated right down to the presentation of the user manuals in a neat little leather-style wallet – and you may well expect to find this level of detail in exchange for parting with a good sum of money. In conclusion, this headphone is one of the best headphones in the market and it’s highly recommended if actually, you can afford it.

Read the review: Focal Stellia

Reasons To Buy

Stunning, precise sound
Open soundstage
Comfortable

Reasons To Avoid

Opulent design
Extremely expensive

RHA MA390 Wireless

Although this is not like the normal Headphones, but we decide to add this to our list because it has qualities that matches that of some good and quality headphones. After reviewing the RHA MA390 Wireless earbuds, we came away extremely impressed with the package RHA came up with.

The earbuds are built extremely well, have a fun sound signature, and can take a beating. In addition, they are have a good battery life, they are durable and are very affordable.

Reasons To Buy

Excellent build quality
Dynamic sound
Great value

Reasons To Avoid

Not ideal for exercise

Nuraphone Best Headphone

If you need a well designed headphone that offers great bass sound, then this is for you. Although it’s probe has a wired design, which a lot of people won’t like. But then, these headphone sound incredible. Probably due to the innovative dual-driver setup, which means unique sounding bass. Other features include aptX, good battery life and a number of options for connectivity.

The G2 software update now means they have noise cancelling and other improvements which makes them more attractive and durable.

Reasons To Buy

Good battery life
Lightweight
Incredible sound quality

Reasons To Avoid

Wired probe design

Features to look out for

Depending on how you like to listing to your music or what you want to use the headphone for, here are few things to look out for before buying one.

Excellent sound quality

Definitely, the sound quality is first thing you need to consider before anything else. Can you hear the words clearly when you are listening to podcasts and/or audio books? Do you get a great sonic experience as you listen to your favorite music? Keep this in mind as you go shopping for your next pair.

Superior comfort

Apart from good sound, also look out for comfortabilty – make sure they feel comfortable in your ears and don’t make you feel uncomfortable as you wear them. Choose one that doesn’t let sound pressure build in your ears to prevent ear fatigue and temporary or permanent deafness. Also make sure they are lightweight.

Extreme durability

Instead of buying a cheap headphone that won’t last, why not invest in a more durable headphone that would last a long time. On top of all these, you may need to consider using an earphone that keeps you aware of what’s happening around you.

You may not be aware of it but there is an increasing trend in the number of accidents involving pedestrians who use noise-isolating and noise-cancelling earphones while on the move. So to protect yourself choose a headphone that keeps you aware of your environment and as well giving you great entertainment.

The Best headphones of 2024

Types Of Headphones

How do I choose headphones?

Is higher impedance better for headphones?

Best headphones 2019

Sony WH-1000XM3

RHA S500 Best Headphones

Grado SR60e Best Headphones

Urbanears Plattan II Best Headphones

Bowers & Wilkins P9 Signature

Bose QC 35 II Best Headphones

Beyerdynamic Amiron

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

Focal Stellia Best Headphone

RHA MA390 Wireless

Nuraphone Best Headphone

Features to look out for

Excellent sound quality

Superior comfort

Extreme durability

Resources

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