Best Headphones for 2025

It’s 2025, and if you’re looking for an indicator that you should get a new pair of headphones, let this listicle be the sign you’ve been looking for.

Our CNET audio experts know their way around when it comes to headphones and earbuds. Not only do we have a multitude of best lists, including best ANC earbuds, best open earbuds, best workout headphones and many more. But we also have this list: which showcases the best headphones overall and includes some top earbuds too. It should be noted that, I’ve thoroughly reviewed or had hands-on listening time with all headphones and earbuds on this list — so none of the headphones included on this list have been left up to chance.

We offer various headphone options at different price points, focusing primarily on more affordable models, with only a few exceeding $500. Recent additions include the Noble Fokus Apollo and Sony MDR-M1 (wired headphones).

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What are the best headphones overall?

There are so many different options to choose from when it comes to headphones that finding the best for you might be tricky. Thankfully, I’ve singled out a few models that we think are the best headphones overall. The Sonos AceSony WH-1000XM5, Sony WF-1000XM5Apple AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. If you’re looking for the best sound and have the budget, you can choose options like the Focal Bathys, Bowers & Wilkins PX8 and Beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless (2nd generation), which deliver outstanding sound quality.

Over the last 20 years, I’ve reviewed hundreds and hundreds of headphones and earbuds — and all of them having their pros and cons that make them worth considering. As the year goes on, I’ll continue reviewing new models and updating this list accordingly.

Best headphones of 2025

9.2

Bose’s new flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones may not be a huge upgrade over the company’s Noise Cancelling 700 headphones, they feature a more premium design along with Bose’s new Immersive Audio feature, which delivers some sound-quality enhancements. Along with excellent sound and great noise canceling, the QC Ultra Headphones are also superb for making calls, with top-notch background noise reduction. All that adds up to a worthy adversary to Sony’s highly rated WH-1000XM5 and Apple’s AirPods Max.

CNET Score Breakdown

9.2 /10

SCORE

9.2

9.2

When you have a product that a lot of people love, change can be risky. Such is the case for Sony’s WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series headphones, which were first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and have become increasingly popular as they’ve improved with each generation. Over the years, Sony has made some tweaks to the design, but nothing as dramatic as what it’s done with the WH-1000XM5. Other than the higher $330 price tag ($80 more than the WH-1000XM4), most of those changes are good, and Sony’s made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance, as well as even better noise canceling and more refined sound.

CNET Score Breakdown

9.2 /10

SCORE

9.2

Watch this: Bose QC Ultra vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Kings of ANC

9.2

When Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds came out in 2021, we awarded them a CNET Editors’ Choice. And while they’re excellent, we had some quibbles — they’re on the large side and aren’t a good match for certain ears. Clearly, Sony took those gripes to heart when it set out to design its next-generation WF-1000XM5 flagship noise-canceling earbuds. Not only are the XM5s smaller, but they also offer improved performance pretty much across the board, with better noise-canceling, sound and voice calling. Are the XM5s perfect? Not quite. For $20 more than their predecessor — they’re costly, too. Overall, they’re really impressive; they are easily among the very top earbuds on the market.

CNET Score Breakdown

9.2 /10

SCORE

9.2