The best headphones & earbuds, ranked by owners

Wireless and wired headphones and earbuds, ranked by what their owners report after months of listening.

Each product's Owner Score is the share of credible owners who recommend it, from public posts on YouTube, Hacker News, Bluesky, Lemmy and enthusiast forums, with bots and sponsored posts filtered out. Only products with at least 25 owner reviews are ranked, so a few loud opinions can't top the list. How we score

What owners focus on: Headphone owners tend to raise comfort over long sessions, how noise cancelling holds up, battery wear, microphone quality on calls, and hinges or ear cups that crack with use.

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1. 1

   Sony MDR-7506

   25 owner reviews · medium confidence

   Owners like the sound.

   97
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2. 2

   Sennheiser Momentum 4

   41 owner reviews · medium confidence

   Owners like the sound. Watch for build & durability.

   92
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3. 3

   Sony WH-1000XM4

   47 owner reviews · medium confidence

   Owners like the noise cancelling. Watch for software & ai.

   83
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4. 4

   Apple EarPods

   107 owner reviews · high confidence

   Owners like the sound. Watch for performance.

   80
5. 5

   AirPods Pro 2

   91 owner reviews · high confidence

   Owners like the price & value. Watch for software & ai.

   76
6. 6

   AirPods Pro

   43 owner reviews · medium confidence

   Owners like the price & value. Watch for camera.

   75
7. 7

   Nothing Ear

   37 owner reviews · medium confidence

   Owners like the sound.

   74
8. 8

   AirPods Pro 3

   62 owner reviews · high confidence

   Owners like the noise cancelling. Watch for battery & charging.

   73
9. 9

   AirPods 4

   30 owner reviews · medium confidence

   Owners like the noise cancelling. Watch for battery & charging.

   73
10. 10

    Pixel Buds Pro 2

    38 owner reviews · medium confidence

    Owners like the noise cancelling. Watch for connectivity.

    70
11. 11

    Sony WH-1000XM5

    38 owner reviews · medium confidence

    70
12. 12

    AirPods Max

    115 owner reviews · high confidence

    70
13. 13

    Sony WH-1000XM6

    36 owner reviews · medium confidence

    65
14. 14

    Sony WF-1000XM5

    35 owner reviews · medium confidence

    63
15. 15

    Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

    42 owner reviews · medium confidence

    56