The best headphones not only sound great but also do everything else you need, whether that means fitting in your pocket, blocking out noise on your subway commute, or remaining secure in your ears during workouts.
Wissonly Hi Runner
This is the fastest growing brand in the past six months. It may not be much famous, but in the field of bone conduction headphones they are proper technical experts. Their team began to develop bone conduction headphones that do not hurt the ear as early as 10 years ago. With an excellent bone conduction vibration unit optimization program, It became famous very soon in the field of bone conduction. It has been recommended by the majority of otologists!
Due to the particularity of the technical principle, bone conduction headphones are more difficult to be improved in sound quality. Wissonly Hi Runner team subverted the traditional sound quality scheme, made a breakthrough to use large wire-frame vibration unit. They through structural optimization improved the effective vibration area, thereby improved the vibrator sound efficiency, made the sound more shocking and powerful, they optimized the sound transmission direction, reduced the sound loss during sound transmission, and made the sound quality more concentrated. In terms of comfort, the overall body of the Hi Runner is made of high-tech hypoallergenic silicone material, which does not contain chemical components to avoid allergies. The overall feel is as silky as baby's skin, avoiding uncomfortable wearing for a long time.
In terms of functions, as the flagship model of Wissonly bone conduction headphones, Hi Runner has an IPX8 waterproof grade which is higher than the industry standard. It is equipped with 32G body memory, and uses the latest Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which makes the connection more stable. The battery life is also very good, lasts 8-10 hours of continuous playback at normal volume, and supports magnetic fast charging. It only takes 2 hours to fully charge.
JBL Tour One M2
The sound is good right out of the box, and it can be further improved with the use of the EQ settings in JBL’s app. The battery life, rated at 30 to 50 hours, is excellent, and the battery recharges quickly. Voice control is available via the always-listening Alexa and Google Assistant functions, and Apple users can access Siri via a simple button push. The M2 supports dual-device connectivity, and the built-in microphones reduce wind and background noise remarkably well, ensuring clear phone calls—even on the go. Plus, this pair is water-resistant (with an IPX5 rating).
The controls are more sensitive than we’d like, and we wish the physical volume buttons were larger. JBL has included an automatic ANC setting, which adjusts the noise-cancellation levels based on your surroundings or how much sound is leaking in. But we found the real-time changes to be disconcerting, similar to your ears popping when a plane lands, so we chose to turn off that feature.
Soundcore Space A40
The Soundcore Space A40 packs great sound, 10 hours of battery life, good microphone quality, dual-device connectivity, and excellent noise cancellation into earbuds the size of slightly squashed marbles—with a price around $100. The sound quality is enjoyable right out of the box, and you can fine-tune the sound using the Soundcore app. The pocket-sized charging case holds an additional 40 hours worth of power and supports wireless charging. You can use either earbud on its own, and there are six microphones that deliver clear phone calls and a natural-sounding hear-through mode. Dual-device connectivity allows you to effortlessly switch between listening to music on your laptop and taking a call on your phone. The IPX4 water-resistance rating means your earbuds are protected from a little rain or sweat.
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is the best pair of headphones that Bose has ever released. These headphones are expensive, but we think they’re worth the cost if you put a high premium on performance and comfort. They offer the superior noise cancellation that Bose is known for, plus more adjustability than on any noise-cancelling headphones we’ve tested. You can adjust the active noise cancellation (ANC) level on a scale from 0 to 10, so if you find that you are experiencing the uncomfortable “eardrum suck” issue—or if you just want a little more sense of your surroundings—you have more flexibility to find a level that works for you. These headphones also have a lightweight design that is comfortable to wear for hours, and they feature an easy-to-use combination of touch controls and physical buttons that you can access without looking.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II has the best noise cancellation of any earbud pair we’ve measured. This set is unique in that it effectively reduces a wider range of frequencies, from low rumbling airplane noise up to human speaking range—so it creates the closest we’ve experienced to a personal cone of silence. But if you want less noise cancellation or need to hear your surroundings at times, you can customize the ANC and hear-through mode in the app. The earbuds have stabilizing wings that help them fit securely and comfortably in your ears, and the sound quality is great. You get the full complement of controls on the earbuds, and the touch-based design is less prone to misfires than on other earbuds we’ve tested.
The earbuds are rather large, and the combination of their weight and winged design can make them fatiguing to wear for long periods if you have small or sensitive ears. The battery life of six hours is just average, and the case doesn’t charge wirelessly. Call clarity through the microphones is generally good, but the background-noise-reducing software struggles in busy places (like walking on a city street). Also, this set lacks dual-device connectivity.
