enter value/s in increments of 1 between 40 and 1199
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Type of fit
In-ear headphones are often called "buds". On-ear headphones, which sit against your ear, and over-ear headphones, which surround your ear, are often called "cans".
Wired or wireless
Wired headphones connect to your device or stereo via a cable. Wireless headphones connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but have a band or cable connecting each can/bud. True wireless headphones connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and do not have a cable connecting each earbud (such as the Apple AirPods).
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
Active noise cancellation (ANC) uses microphones and audio software to actively capture and cancel out environmental noise. This is better than passive noise cancellation which relies on the headphones' fit to try and block incoming noise. Models without active noise cancellation may still offer some degree of passive cancellation.
Designed for sports (claimed)
As claimed by the manufacturer. This refers to a fit designed to keep headphones in place during rigorous activity, and water/sweat resistance.
Sound quality score
A panel of five experts assess sound quality by listening to classical, jazz, pop and a podcast. If the headphones support Bluetooth and a cabled connection, they are primarily tested with a Bluetooth connection. Active Noise Cancellation is on during the assessment if available and tested in environments with varying levels of noise. Technical assessments are also conducted.
enter value/s in increments of i between 47 and 96
Shop Ethical rating
Shop Ethical rates the environmental and social impact of the company (not the product) using independent sources. This rating is not included in our CHOICE Expert Rating. The rating ranks from A (highest) to F (lowest); N/A means there is no rating for that company.
Battery life score
Two charging and discharging cycles are carried out. The total discharge time is recorded and the score is calculated based on expected runtimes. These are: in-ear: 110 – 660 minutes, on/over-ear: 180 – 3000 minutes.
enter value/s in increments of i between 26 and 100
Active noise cancellation score
A technical test assesses active noise cancellation performance in five environments: continuous noise (air conditioning, aircraft noise), cyclical noise (passing cars), a restaurant where people are talking, a silent location and other typical environments as determined by the expert tester. Sound isolation is also tested.
enter value/s in increments of i between 34 and 97
Comfort score
A panel of five experts assesses how the headphones feel when putting them on and taking them off, wearing them at room temperature for 30 minutes, and wearing them in motion. They also assess fit and adjustments.
enter value/s in increments of i between 44 and 85
Plane adaptor included
Planes use a special plug to connect to in-flight audio and entertainment. Some headphones include a compatible converter in the box.
Detachable audio cable
Some wireless headphones also give you the option to plug in a cable for wired connectivity. This can be plugged in and removed as required.
USB-C charging
Weight (g)
Weight of the headphones in grams.
enter value/s in increments of i between 7 and 522
Availability
A Similar model is identical in most aspects except for a few. This means that a majority of its test results are identical so you can reasonably expect to get the same results from the model we tested, but for those aspects which aren't identical, we'll note these as "Not Tested" in the Compare tables.
A Tested model refers to a model that is still current and available in the Australian market. You should be able to order this model through your local retailer, or find it online.
These models can't be found in retailers or online or are no longer manufactured. You may still find them on second-hand websites, or in second-hand dealers. Test methods may change over time, so criteria which can't be directly compared will contain an N/A.
An Identical model is exactly that. Performance characteristics will be identical and the only difference will be something trivial such as colour, which won't have an impact on performance.
These are models we haven't yet tested but that are available.
Included in this review
- CHOICE Expert Rating
- Recommended
- Sound quality score
- Comfort score
- Active noise cancellation score
- Battery life score
- Ease of use score
- Cleaning score
- Durability score
- Microphone quality score
- Measured battery life
- Battery life after a 15-minute charge
- Number of headphone charges from case battery measured
- Usable after battery dies
- Good points
- Bad points
- Price
- Shop Ethical rating
- Type of fit
- Wired or wireless
- Active noise cancellation (ANC)
- Designed for sports
- Voice assistant support
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth multi-pairing
- Number of simultaneous multi-paired devices
- Audio pauses when headphones are removed
- Waterproof or water-resistant claims
- Detachable audio cable
- Cable length (cm)
- Plane adaptor included
- Travel case
- Foldable
- GPS tracking
- Left/right inscription
- Braille left/right inscription
- App available
- Additional Bluetooth codecs
- Weight (g)
- USB-C charging
- Lightning port
- Silicon tip sizes
- Onboard controls
- Control type
- Bluetooth version