Over-ear and on-ear headphones from Sony, Apple, Beats and others, with and without noise cancelling. Check the codec before paying for it: iPhones stream Bluetooth audio in AAC, so Sony’s LDAC, which only Android phones use, adds nothing there.
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Top picks
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Sony WH-CH520 Wireless On-Ear Headphones, WhiteUp to 50 hours a charge, and 3 minutes of charging gives 90 more
Skip if they need noise cancelling: these are plain on-ears
$19.00
The splurge
Apple AirPods Max 2, MidnightFor the audiophile: lossless over USB-C, up to 20 hours a charge
Skip for an Android user: the best features need an iPhone
Unexpected
Master & Dynamic MW50+ Wireless HeadphonesSwappable pads turn them from on-ear to over-ear; beryllium drivers
Skip for a commuter who wants quiet: no active noise cancelling
For long sessions: 53 mm drivers, memory-foam pads, a detachable mic
For the commute: Sony’s best noise canceling, up to 8 hours a charge
For game nights: 50 mm drivers, 7.1 surround, a mic that detaches
Folding wired headphones on a 1.2 m cable; this version has no mic
Side by side: Wireless Headphones Compared
For flights and loud offices: Sony’s 1000X noise cancelling, over-ear
For iPhone users: twice the noise canceling of Pro 2, per Apple
Up to 40 hours a charge, 24 with noise canceling on, lossless on USB-C
Volume capped at 85 dBA, with a port so a friend can plug in too
Up to 50 hours a charge, and 3 minutes of charging gives 90 more
For the audiophile: lossless over USB-C, up to 20 hours a charge
Swappable pads turn them from on-ear to over-ear; beryllium drivers
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You’ve seen it all.
20 photos tagged Headphones, in a new mix each day. Mostly from Tech & Desk.