Wirecutter - I’ve tested over 1,750 headphones

On my fifth birthday, my parents gave me a secondhand Fisher Price cassette player. It was boxy and made of plastic in shades of tan and brown that evoked about as much cheer as a manilla envelope. But I loved that hunk of analog possibilities. I made radio game shows, interviewed my friends, and sang cringingly earnest original songs based on some very big feelings.

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While “professional audio reviewer” might sound like an unusual vocation, I’ve essentially been training for the job my entire life.

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In the 10 years I’ve been at Wirecutter, I’ve tested over 1,750 headphones. After all that listening, here’s what I’ve learned about how to find a pair that makes you happiest. 

To find your perfect headphones, you need to know three key things:
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1. Where are you using them? Knowing what you’ll be doing while wearing your headphones helps to narrow down the most important features to prioritize, like water resistance, console compatibility, or noise cancellation.
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2. What is your budget? A sense of what you are willing to spend will focus your search. You don’t need a lot of money to get good earbuds. We have great options for $50 or less.
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3. How can I tell if my headphones sound good? When you’re new to the language of sound, the audiophile world is a bit daunting. Many reviews are filled with flowery descriptions or confusing frequency-response charts. Our experts help break down what constitutes “good” sound, and how you can evaluate audio, too. Once you get a better sense of what you like, it’ll be easier to seek out your best headphones match.

Now that you’ve considered what you want: We have recommendations for headphones that fit a variety of preferences—from a pair that’s just right for jogs to noise-cancelling options that will shut out the world during your commute.

Explore all of Wirecutter’s favorite headphones→