The 13 best headphones of 2026: We tested the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats

How to choose the best headphones We won't beat around the bush: There's no definitive "best" product here.

Sure, elite audio brands put out high-quality products across the board, but even within each of those brands, you'll find different tiers of products.

Some will deliver better value, and some will deliver better hardware and active noise cancellation.

All this to say, the best pair of earbuds or headphones largely comes down to personal preference and how you plan to use them.

Some listeners swear by over-ear headphones, while others prefer the minimalism of earbuds — one is not necessarily better than the other.

Athletes who like to use headphones at the gym will appreciate waterproof materials and the best open earbuds , while frequent fliers will prefer devices with long battery life, comfort, and portability.

Finally, music lovers and audiophiles will want to invest in premium features like a custom equalizer, spatial audio, or best-in-class active noise cancellation.

To help you pick your pair, we tested all of the headphones in this guide (and a lot that didn't make the cut).

Here, you'll find the top headphones of 2026 for noise cancellation , music, price, and wired connections.

What about wired headphones? We focused primarily on the best wireless headphones for this guide.

While wired headphones have their fans , wireless headphones are just more convenient for most of us.

If we had to pick, we'd recommend the Marshall Mode earbuds as our top wired pick.

Some of us are also fans of Apple's EarPods .

Other headphones we've tested Most recently, we tested the Marshall Monitor III , JBL Tour One M3 headphones and the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC , and though they had their merits, fell short of winning the best of the best spot on this guide.