With new headphones coming to the market all the time, it can be difficult to fight through the noise and decide which ones are best for you. Should you get wired or wireless? Open back or closed back? Over-ear or in-ear? There are a ton of different options, and even then, you still have to find a brand and model that fits within your budget. We’ve spent countless hours listening to hundreds of different headphones here at Audio Advice over the last 40 years with the goal of cutting through the noise and curating the best options from the top brands in the industry.

This guide will provide an in-depth breakdown of each category you should consider when buying headphones. After going through this guide, you can shop our curated selection of headphones at the link below. If you need additional help, call or chat with our headphone experts!

Connection (Wired/Wireless)

We like to begin by asking customers if they would prefer a wireless or wired connection to their headphones. While wireless headphones are extremely popular, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of each style before choosing one.

Wireless

Wireless headphones, especially the in-ear variety, allow for great freedom of movement, as there is no cord to restrict you. Most wireless headphones transmit sound using Bluetooth, which compresses the audio spectrum. Thus, you will not get CD-quality (16-bit/44.1kHz) sound.

However, Bluetooth tech has been improving over the years. With the right Android phone and headphones, you can get Bluetooth AptX Lossless audio (16-bit/44.1kHz, over 1mbps bit rate), which can give you close to CD quality over Bluetooth, but it’s still very limited. Keep in mind that you also need a music streaming service that is capable of delivering lossless CD quality or Hi-Res audio, such as Qobuz or Tidal.

A lot of newer headphones are more likely to have Bluetooth AptX Adaptive (24-bit/96kHz, scales dynamically between 110kbps and 620kbps bit rate) and LDAC (24-bit/96kHz, up to 990kbps bit rate, but typically is 660kbps) codecs for Android users and AAC (24-bit/96kHz, 256kbps bitrate) codecs for iPhone users. While these are better, they are still not CD quality.

While Bluetooth improvements are slowly coming to market, wireless headphones will not give you the same audio quality that a pair of wired headphones can. In addition, it’s important to consider battery life for wireless headphones. Most will last anywhere from 10-30 hours, but it will vary depending on how loud you listen to your music and if you use ANC (active noise cancelation). So, you need to ask yourself if the convenience of wireless is worth it for you and what environments you plan to use your headphones.

Our guide reveals the best wireless over-ear headphones on the market.

Wired

Wired headphones are exactly what they sound like. They will use a cable to connect from your headphones to your music source, like your phone or your headphone amp. (More on headphone amps later on) Some of the more high-performance headphones use a balanced cable. This means there are two cables: one going to the right side and another to the left. Many high-performance headphone amps and portable high-resolution music players provide a balanced connection system for optimal audio quality.

Theoretically, a wired headphone will deliver the exact quality of the stream you give it without compression. This gives you much better audio quality if your audio source is great and allows you to never worry about battery life. If you plan to use your headphones at a desk without much movement or just want the best quality possible, we recommend going with a wired pair of headphones.

Note: Some wireless headphones are capable of becoming wired for higher quality performance, but most will disable all other features, such as ANC while using it in wired mode.

In-Ear vs. On-Ear vs. Over-Ear

Next, you’ll want to consider the headphone's ergonomics. In the world of headphones, there really isn’t a “one size fits all.” It’s important to think about how you plan to use them and what your listening environment will be. For example, open-back headphones typically offer the best musical experience at home, but for on the go you have to remember people sitting nearby will be able to hear what you are listening too. So, let’s take a look at the different ear coupling designs and go over what listening environments they usually work best in.

In-Ear

In-ear headphones, also known as earbuds, are designed to fit snugly inside your ear opening or ear canal. Most models include an assortment of foam or silicone tips in various sizes, allowing you to customize the fit for optimal comfort and sound isolation. This personalized fit not only enhances comfort but also helps seal out external noise. Some ultra high end models will even make a custom mold to fit your ears. When paired with noise-canceling technology, they make an excellent choice for environments where you want to block out distractions.

Thanks to their compact design, in-ear headphones are the most portable option, easily slipping into a pocket or small case. Their snug fit makes them ideal for active lifestyles, such as exercising, commuting, or traveling, where other headphone types might shift or fall off.

On-Ear

On-ear headphones, also known as supra-aural headphones, feature ear cups that rest directly on top of your ears. While they come in a range of sizes, they are typically smaller and more lightweight than over-ear headphones, making them a practical choice for those who want great sound without the bulk. Many are also designed to be travel-friendly, featuring foldable hinges for easy storage in bags or backpacks.

They generally offer decent isolation from external noise, though not nearly as much as over-ear headphones. Their lighter design makes them comfortable for extended wear and easy to slip around your neck when not in use—perfect for situations where you might need to pause your music to talk or be aware of your surroundings.

Over-Ear

Over-ear headphones, also known as circumaural headphones, completely encompass your ears with large ear cups, creating a seal that enhances sound quality and immersion. Known for their superior comfort, most models feature generously padded ear cups and headbands, making them ideal for extended listening sessions without discomfort.

The larger size of over-ear headphones allows for the inclusion of advanced and more refined transducers (drivers). These drivers deliver a wider soundstage, richer bass, and highly detailed audio, offering an unparalleled listening experience that can transport you into the heart of your favorite music or media. This makes them the go-to choice for audiophiles, gamers, and anyone who values top-tier sound quality.

Over-ear headphones excel in creating passive noise isolation due to their fully enclosed ear cups. Many models also incorporate active noise cancellation (ANC) technology, making them ideal for blocking out distractions in noisy environments like airplanes, trains, or busy households. Their immersive qualities are perfect for focusing on your music, podcasts, or movies without interruption.

Other Alternatives

There are a few other alternatives to headphones that have been released, such as bone conduction, ear hooks, clip-ons, neckbands, open-ear or even sleep headphones. These are more specialty headphones for a very specific purpose and are usually aimed to be more convenient without sounding nearly as good as standard in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear headphones. For that reason, we won’t touch too much on these.

Open-Back vs Closed-Back

All headphones fall into one of two categories: open-back or closed-back. This refers specifically to the design of the earcups. Every headphone will have one or more drivers that create the sound. The designer has a choice of sealing off the backside (closed-back) or leaving it open for the driver to interact with the room (open-back). There are pros and cons to each, but the headphone enthusiasts here at Audio Advice put their money on open-back to deliver the very best sound. However, since not all listening situations suit themselves to this design, there is certainly a time and place for closed-back headphones.

Open Back

Open-back headphones give you a different presentation of music. Rather than the sound streaming straight into your ears, you’ll get more of the sense that it’s coming from the room. For most listeners, this experience is more realistic and sounds closer to live music.

Also, the soundstage presented with open-back headphones seems more complex and effortless. Soundstage is how big the music sounds from left to right and front to back. To get an idea of what this means, close your eyes and draw an imaginary line from front to back and left to right. With an open-back headphone, those lines will be wider and deeper.

The con of open-back is that you will be able to hear external sounds, which can taint your music enjoyment in loud environments, and those around you will be able to hear your music playing at a low level. A nice open-back set may sound fantastic at home in a quiet room but not so great in a commuter environment, as the external noises will interfere with your music. However, since open-back headphones are open to the outside world, you can simply mute the volume and carry on a conversation without removing them if you need to do so.

Closed Back

Closed-back headphones, especially the over-ear type, have the ability to completely seal you off from the outside world. This is a big benefit if you are in an office, library, or otherwise quiet environment where you don’t want to disturb others with your music because the sound is mostly contained inside the earcups instead of leaking out like an open-back headphone may. Plus, they are great for commuting on a bus or plane because you can more easily tune out any background noises or conversations.

One con of closed-back headphones is that they have a smaller soundstage than most open-back models. The feeling created by wearing a good pair of over-ear, closed-back headphones is one of very nice isolation. If you want to use your headphones around others or in a noisy environment, closed-back is the way to go.

Noise Canceling

With so many headphones offering noise canceling these days, it will be one of your major decisions when picking out a pair of headphones. Noise-canceling headphones work by listening to the sounds of the outside world with tiny microphones and feeding them back in reverse (out of phase) to your headphones. It’s like adding +1 and -1: the result is zero.

Learn all about the different kinds of noise-canceling headphones how they work with our guide.

The amount of reduction on quality noise-canceling headphones is astonishing, especially on a plane where you can hear the engine noise or on a subway where you can hear the wheels rumble on the tracks. Loud office environments are another useful place for noise-canceling headphones. If you often find yourself in these types of environments, noise-canceling headphones can protect your hearing by eliminating the need to crank up the volume to overcome outside noise.

Noise-canceling headphones consume more of your battery life, so its a good idea to always carry your recharging cable.

If this all sounds great, there is a con to noise-cancelling headphones. The headphones use digital processing to accomplish this. This means your incoming signal gets converted to digital, and you are using the DAC on the headphones. This is why almost all very high-performance headphones do not use noise cancelling, as it can downgrade the original sound, especially if you like to use headphones with vinyl.

This is why we see many people have a great pair of open-back headphones for use at home and a second pair of closed-back noise cancelling headphones for travel and office work.

Transducer/Driver Type

As you dive deeper into higher-end headphones, you’ll want to start considering a few more things, such as the types of drivers they use. There are three basic types of headphone drivers: dynamic, balanced armature, and planar. Planar has subcategories, but all are similar in terms of operating concepts, so we won’t spend time unpacking them.

Dynamic

You’ll find dynamic drivers in all of the three main types of headphones. If you have ever looked at a speaker, you have seen a dynamic driver. In a typical headphone, electrical signals arrive at the dynamic driver all around its circumference, causing it to move in and out to create the sound you hear. The dynamic drivers in most headphones are fairly small in diameter. One driver will typically cover the entire frequency range. Dynamic drivers are known for their outstanding bass response and warm sound.

Balanced Armature

Balanced armature is only found in in-ear headphones. These were originally developed for voice applications in the 1920s and are quite popular in hearing aids due to their small size. This design puts a small arm inside a coil of wire surrounded by magnets. Another arm is placed at a 90-degree angle and is centered in a tiny diaphragm. This allows manufacturers to design their drivers to cover a specific frequency range well. However, the overall range is somewhat limited. A single in-ear headphone can have as many as eight different drivers, creating a sound that is very clear and detailed.

Planar

Planar-type drivers are normally only found in open-back, over-ear designs. Planars have some subcategories but all of them share one thing in common: a relatively large, ultra-thin driver that does not come in contact with anything that moves. Planar speakers have been a choice of music enthusiasts for over 50 years, and the same holds true in the headphone world. The driver in a planar headphone weighs almost nothing and is extremely fast in response. The downside is that it can be somewhat hard to drive, creating the need for a headphone amp. However, a nice pair of headphones with planar-type drivers provides an incredible soundstage with amazing detail.

Electrostatic

Electrostatic drivers are considered a subset of planar and work by applying a static electric charge onto an ultra-thin film, which causes it to “float” freely between two perforated metal plates where opposing forces then act on the film. These forces “cling” and “repel” the film, causing the entire diaphragm to move all by itself.

Similar to planar drivers, electrostatic systems use an ultra-thin film that doesn’t make contact with anything that moves. One area where these differ from planar drivers is in how thin they are. The film in an electrostatic headphone is so thin it can weigh less than the air around it and has nothing to resonate. It’s called "static" because the electric charge on the film doesn’t move. With nothing to resonate with and no energy to store, this technology provides the most accurate transient responses available with virtually no distortion.

The downside with these is they require special high-voltage power supplies. This usually means they’ll need an amplifier that plugs into the wall. They can also be some of the most expensive headphones on the market. The upside is they lack distortion, and many users love their very clear and detailed sound.

Headphone Specs

While weight, dimensions, cord length, and Bluetooth range are fairly easy to understand, you should review two important and more complex headphone specs before purchasing a new pair: impedance and sensitivity.

Impedance

Fully explaining impedance would require a two-hour, 300 level class. But for now, just imagine it like a water valve, with the water being the sound coming out of the amp and the valve being your headphones. An impedance of zero would be if the valve were completely open, offering no resistance to the sound coming through.

Most headphones will have an impedance of under 50 ohms. Since many people use headphones with portable devices, and these types of devices can only deliver 3-5 volts, a lower impedance headphone can be easily driven to loud levels. But most on our staff feel that higher impedance headphones sound better in most cases, offering more defined bass, cleaner sound, and a wider soundstage.

We encourage you to avoid getting hung up on impedance and think a 200-ohm is better than a 100-ohm. In reality, anything much above 50 will not play very loud and will sound compressed on a portable device but should work fine with a decent headphone amplifier be it built in or separate. This has brought about a whole aftermarket for small headphone amps to couple with your portable device, which allows stellar high-impedance headphones to do their job while on the go.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity is a measure of how efficiently the headphone can convert electrical energy into sound. You will find ranges of around 80 to as high as 125. If you see a number in the low 80s and an impedance near 50, this headphone may not get to decent volume levels on a portable device. Conversely, plugging a high-sensitivity model into a powerful separate headphone amp has a risk of damaging both your ears and the headphones as it will play incredibly loud. When shopping for headphones, remember that not all manufacturers reveal the sensitivity spec. This is why we see many people have a great pair of open-back headphones for use at home and a second pair of closed-back noise cancelling headphones for travel and office work.

Enjoy the Music!

As you can see, there is no “one size fits all” for headphones. Just like one pair of shoes is not going to cover all your style needs, one pair of headphones is certainly not going to cover all of your music needs. If you’re like the music lovers at Audio Advice, you’ll want a pair of in-ear for going mobile, working out, or enjoying the outdoors; a second pair of over-ear or on-ear closed-back for travel and the office; and a great pair of open-backs for enjoying your favorite music at home.

We hope you have fun on your headphone purchasing journey. While enjoying your music, please remember to refrain from cranking up the volume too loud for extended periods, as you want to continue to be able to enjoy your music for many years to come.

If you’re ready to select your next set of headphones, we encourage you to take advantage of our carefully curated headphone selection to narrow down your search. Overwhelmed by all of the options presented in our buyer’s guide? We’ve done all of the legwork for you in order to provide you with your perfect fit. Happy listening!