With dozens of different varieties of headphones and an overwhelming number of articles on which ones are the best, picking the right one for you can be exhausting. After pouring through as many possibilities as possible, there is a consensus on which ones are the most recommended, and we can verify that these choices all sound great, whether you need great-sounding earbuds or over-ear headphones.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Amazon
The newest AirPods from Apple are the best yet, with better noise-canceling, battery life, and sound thanks to a new, improved internal design. If you are already a dedicated Apple user and have approved of their tech in the past, this is the easiest earbud choice you will ever make.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 is the cheapest option on this list. If you want decent sound quality, $200 should be a minimum for your headphone budget. Look out for a better dive into cheap options on future Streaming Now articles soon!
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 retail for $199.99 and are available to purchase here.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
Amazon
Not everyone swears by Bose, but the long-standing company’s popularity is hard to argue with, and improvements on their newest QuietComfort brand put these at top-notch status. The second generation of QuietComfort Earbuds features a gorgeous sound that will satisfy many audiophiles for the price, and their adjustable Active Noise Cancelation makes for superior customization.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II go for $299.99 and are available to purchase here.
Bose QuietComfort 45
Amazon
Supporters of the QuietComfort line occasionally will boldly recommend these over-ear headphones over similar, more expensive ones from brands like Sony. Though pretty much a toss-up between this and the final recommendation, the over-ear QuietComfort headphones are worth the price with a great mix and customizable EQ settings.
Bose QuietComfort 45 are currently around $329.00 and are available to purchase here.
Sennheiser Momentum 4
Amazon
For the uninitiated, Sennheiser is a well-loved audiophile brand that has slowly branched more into a modern, trendy look. The Momentum 4 is a perfect mix of essential headphone history with a universally accepted sleek look. Even wireless, the sound of Sennheiser playing most genres of music (excluding those who want heavy bass only) is hard to beat. Since this standout company makes headphones over five times the price as these, the average citizen will be impressed with the sound and price of this comparatively low-end choice.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones are on sale for $290.59 and are available to purchase here.
Sony WH-1000XM5 / Sony WH-1000XM4
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Like with any tech, new modifications of headphones come out every year or two, and in 2023, headphone reviewers cannot seem to agree on whether to recommend the XM4 or the newer XM5 of Sony’s WH-1000 series. While both are stellar, the discrepancy comes from only slight improvement over the XM4, according to about half the articles circling the web. Since both are on this list, you can test them yourself to make the final call; with the newer model only being about $50 more expensive than the XM4 model, both are almost equally top-tier selections.
Sony WH-1000XM5: $384.99, purchase here.
Sony WH-1000XM4: $348, purchase here.
