Latest headphone reviews

Bang and Olufsen's Beoplay brand is renowned for its more consumer friendly approach (read that as just about affordable), and the E8 premium bring truly wireless earphones into the fold.By focusing on design and sound quality rather than a spec sheet... Read more

Sony's MDR-1000X headphones are an exceptional set of noise-cancelling cans. We adored them when they launched in 2016 and we love their successors - the Sony WH-1000XM2 - even more.It was to our great delight therefore, that Sony announced a third generation... Read more

There's a saying about busses: you wait ages for one and then three turn up at once. Although we can't apply that loose analogy to Honor specifically – the brand has had a steady stream arriving three-monthly for seemingly forever (Honor 10, Honor View... Read more

Looking at the earphone market, we're now at the point where a large number of companies are building completely wire-free earphones. Even the low-cost Chinese manufacturers are shipping them via Amazon. But when you look back, it was Bragi that initially... Read more

The world of over-ear headphones can be an interesting place. There are so many different variations in design, materials and styling that each recognisable brand seems to have its own look. You have the trendy plastic seamless Beats, bulky comfort of... Read more

English amplifier extraordinaire Marshall is back with another pair of headphones: the Major III Bluetooth. As the name suggests, these cans are the third-generation in the largely successful Major headphones lineup.As standard with Major there are Bluetooth... Read more

Wireless headphones are having their moment in 2018. Thanks to many phones dropping the conventional 3.5mm headphone socket and increasing connectivity from devices like smartwatches, there's never been a better time to be looking at a set without the... Read more

Samsung was among the first to join the wire-free revolution with its Gear Icon X wireless in-ear earphones. The product didn't exactly set the world alight, though, so the company followed it up at the end of 2017 with a newer, bigger pair with better... Read more

There's something rather familiar about the OnePlus Bullets Wireless design. Take one look at Apple-owned Beats portfolio and you'll immediately see what we mean. Except these OnePlus wireless in-ears cost significantly less than what you'd need to pay... Read more

Commuters and frequent flyers may demand the very best noise-cancelling headphones with the plushest materials on the planet, but what if you could get great audio performance from a simpler and comfy pair of cans that look effortlessly cool?That's exactly... Read more

How can audio progress in today's market? With digital streaming, the proliferation of Hi-Res Audio slowly making inroads, and the advancement of wireless technologies, there's increasing demand for quality.Audio-Technica's answer is the ATH-DSR9BT: the... Read more

Brainwavz may not be a brand you're all that familiar with, but if you're looking for a pair of affordable earphones that offer you the best sound possible for the money, it's a savvy choice indeed (as we found out with our first pair, the B200, last... Read more

When Marshall-branded headphones first started appearing on the market, sceptics would undoubtedly see it as an crude effort to milk the Marshall brand's strength. Surely a pair of headphones could never be as brilliant as the amplifiers used by the world's... Read more

How do you improve upon a pair of noise-cancelling headphones regarded as the market leader? That's the challenge Bose faced with the QuietComfort 35 Mark II. The best Bluetooth headphones 2018: Top on-ear or over-ear wireless headphones Best Google Assistant... Read more

Taking music on the move presents a particular problem when you're in busy places. On one hand there's the school of thought that noise cancelling is the way forward - removing the external noise, so it's just you and your music. On the other hand you... Read more

There's diametric opposition in the DJ world: you're either behind Sennheiser, with its HD25 on-ears; or you're on team Pioneer, with its over-ear HDJ-X line.Which adorns your ears - or perhaps, more accurately for most, ear singular - most likely depends... Read more

What do you want from a pair of headphones? Luxe design, ultra comfort and aesthetic appeal? Or all the new-fangled wireless tech in a glossy, shiny package?If it's the former then the Master & Dynamic MH30 are an incredibly well-built pair of on-ear... Read more

In the wire-free market there tends to be something of a compromise required to get the type of performance or design that you want. If you want great sounding audio and stylish looks, you have to sacrifice battery life and get the Sony WF-1000X. If you... Read more

Towards the beginning of 2017, Sennheiser launched an impressive pair of neckband earphones: the Momentum In-Ear Wireless. These super-comfortable in-ears offer superb sound and can last up to 10 hours on a single charge. Clearly, one for inclusion in... Read more

When Apple launched the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in 2016, it sparked a wave of change. Gone was the 3.5mm auxiliary headphone jack that has featured on countless smartphones as a means of connecting headphones to listen to music.To connect a pair of... Read more

Love them or hate them, it looks like neckband earphones are here to stay. Sony has launched a couple of pairs already, but it hadn't released a truly high-end pair.Then came the WI-1000MX. On paper, these neckband-design earphones promise a lot, but... Read more

Not everyone can afford a personal coach to get them progressing in training. Likewise, most people soon get bored by the pre-recorded, not context-aware tips given by the usual training apps, like the Couth to 5K apps, for example.What if there was something... Read more

Wireless Bluetooth headphones have received a lot of attention lately. It's thanks in no small part to several smartphone manufacturers choosing to ditch the long-standing 3.5mm auxiliary jack in favour of either USB-C audio or the Lightning connection,... Read more

Google devices are usually hit or miss. The company has a long history of launching its own hardware, but many of those products have gone nowhere, such as the Nexus Q streaming media device, Google Glass wearable, Nexus 7 tablet, and Pixel C convertible.... Read more

For the past few years, RHA has built itself a reputation for offering audiophile grade sound in an affordable and well-made earphone.Up until now, however, all this audio goodness has been delivered using a physical wire. With the 3.5mm jack slowly disappearing... Read more

The original Sony MDR-1000X blew us away back in 2016. Those over-ears quickly became our preferred headphones, they won awards and awards and awards, they created a buzz that saw talk of noise-cancelling headphones shift from Bose to Sony.When Sony announced... Read more

Jaybird is a company with sports in its DNA. Company founder Judd Armstrong is an athlete, his intention with Jaybird to create a whole range of fitness-orientated headphones and wearables.But the sports headphone market is an ever-increasing one, with... Read more

Bowers & Wilkins always takes its time over things. It is never one to rush out a speaker or pair of headphones simply because a new technology has popped up. It would rather do something well or not at all.That has been evidenced in almost all of its... Read more

We're fortunate enough to test all manner of headphones at Pocket-lint, branching across a wide variety of feature sets and price points. What's particularly striking about the Urbanista Seattle Wireless is the subtle yet elegant design - achieved at... Read more

With so many sound technologies now available in headphones, lots of over-ear models cram in all the bells and whistles features - which typically sees the price skyrocket.Not so the Focal Listen. These over-ear cans are wired only, meaning no fancy Bluetooth... Read more

B&O BeoPlay headphones are all about comfortable wear, luxury materials, considered style and, well, everything that its Danish parent company, Bang & Olufsen, represents.That said, we've actually found the range of BeoPlay H-series headphones to have... Read more

The in-ear headphones market is never short of new pairs vying for your attention. The latest pair of affordable in-ears we've put under scrutiny for review is the B200, from Hong Kong-based manufacturer Brainwavz.We'll admit, it's not a company we've... Read more

In 2016 Beats upgraded two of its most popular headphones - the Powerbeats and Solo - and released the all new Beats X. All three came equipped with the same W1 chip that makes the Apple AirPods so convenient to pair for iPhone users.For 2017 it's... Read more

The wire-free earphones race is hotting up, with some of the bigger-name audio companies getting in on the action. For the Sony WF-1000X, however, it's not just about a great sounding pair of earphones, it's about killing the noise with excellent in-ear... Read more

For many there's probably the temptation to use whichever headphones you happen to have lying around for your workouts, but that's really not the best strategy. Picking a pair that are designed to cope with getting sweaty and rained on, to take the abuse... Read more

It's no surprise that wire-free earphones are here to stay, we're pleased to say. Technology has been on a mission to eradicate wires ever since we realised wireless is more convenient. What's more, with Apple bringing the concept to mass market with... Read more

When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones for travellers there are many premium options. The AKG N60NC Wireless cut the necessity for wires in these established noise-cancellers — although a 3.5mm cable is included, as backup — in a lightweight,... Read more

There's no denying it, the age of the wire-free earphones is here, almost to the point of becoming an established norm. While we can thank Apple AirPods for stoking the fire and assisting with enabling this mass-market position, there are lots of other... Read more

We love going to gigs and concerts. Seeing our favourite bands and artists belt out our most memorable songs, there are few feelings that come close. And with its ATH-LS70iS in-ear monitors, Audio-Technica is hoping to bring the live experience direct... Read more

Denon is on a mission with its new C-series of headphones, a mission to bring exceptional sound quality to the masses at affordable prices. We've seen the company's flagship C821R in-ear headphones, which use a Dual Air Compression driver to deliver... Read more

V-Moda has won accolades and superlatives from all sectors for its big on-ear and over-ear headphones. The in-ears have been around a little while, but somehow have been a little outshone by the bigger sibling. And with the V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless,... Read more

Products in their "Mark II" rendition tend to just throw a new lick of paint at the original in the hope that you'll want to buy. Not so the V-Moda Crossfade II Wireless over-ear Bluetooth headphones: these bass-prominent cans have undergone a total rework... Read more

You might not have heard the name 1More before. This Taiwanese-based audio manufacturer has been distributing headphones in the UK for less than a year - and having already seen the C1002 in-ears, we thought the company was off to a promising start, despite... Read more

Don't let the name mislead you: the Marshall Mid headphones aren't all about the mid-range, they're about the full spectrum of sound, from bassy low-end to sparkling high-end.The English company is well known for its stage monitors and amplifiers, which... Read more

Audeze caught our imagination last year with Sine, the superb planar magnetic on-ear headphones. When the iSine in-ear model was announced, we got rather excited at the prospect of the first ever planar magnetic in-ears. Would they sound as good as the... Read more

Sony has been in the earphone business as long as time can tell, with its current range including some fantastic over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, and in-ear headphones to suit any budget. For the sporty types, there's the XB80BS Extra Bass, which... Read more

New Balance is no stranger to fitness, with sports gear and footwear already established, but gadgets are a newer complement to its product rosta.In 2017 we've already seen the company's RunIQ Android Wear smartwatch to assist fitness and workouts -... Read more

Sennheiser launched the Ambeo mic in 2016, taking a step into devices that were designed for 3D audio, or audio to support the sort of sound experience you'd expect in VR applications. The Ambeo VR mic does exactly this, capturing sound from all directions... Read more

Bose is one of those brand names that invokes a response from most consumers. They'll know first hand, or through others, that the name is synonymous with quality audio - especially those products with top-notch noise-cancelling, such as the QuietComfort... Read more

Momentum headphones from Sennheiser are among the most well regarded on-ear and over-ears cans on the market. For 2017, the company has added a whole new take for the range: a neckband-equipped in-ear version. At £169, the Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear... Read more

Having spent a couple of years wowing consumers in the US with its wallet-friendly earphones, Jaybird has finally brought its popular X3 Bluetooth earphones to the UK market.With two previous generations earning praise for their audio quality, stay-in-ability... Read more