01RANK
Sony
Sony WH-1000XM6
Best overall / travelThe default flagship: class-leading noise cancelling, comfy for all-day wear, and a tuning most people love out of the box.
From flagship noise cancellers to open-back audiophile cans and studio workhorses - ranked on measured sound, build, value and features.
| # | Pick | Best for | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Sony Sony WH-1000XM6 | Best overall / travel | $$$ | Amazon → |
| 02 | Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra | Best noise cancelling | $$$ | Amazon → |
| 03 | Sennheiser Sennheiser Momentum 4 | Best battery life | $$$ | Amazon → |
| 04 | Beyerdynamic Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X | Best open-back for mixing | $$$ | Amazon → |
| 05 | Sennheiser Sennheiser HD 660S2 | Best for critical listening | $$$ | Amazon → |
| 06 | Audio-Technica Audio-Technica ATH-M50x | Best closed studio headphone under $200 | $$ | Amazon → |
| 07 | Beyerdynamic Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro | Best for studio / monitoring | $$ | Amazon → |
| 08 | Sennheiser Sennheiser HD 599 | Best comfortable open-back for the money | $$ | Amazon → |
The default flagship: class-leading noise cancelling, comfy for all-day wear, and a tuning most people love out of the box.
If silence is the priority, Bose still sets the bar - plus the comfiest clamp in the category.
A warm, easy-listening signature and a monster ~60-hour battery - the long-haul pick.
Open-back mixing headphone that runs off a laptop: the DT 990 sound with the treble tamed and a 48 ohm driver.
Open-back, wired, and unbothered by trends - reference-grade detail and a deeper sub-bass than the HD 650 lineage.
The closed-back studio headphone half the industry learned on: punchy, detailed, folds flat, and the cables detach.
The studio standard for tracking - closed, durable, and brutally honest. A two-decade classic for a reason.
Open-back, wired and easygoing: a wide, warm sound that never tires, and light enough to forget for an afternoon.
Rankings reflect our editorial scoring of sound, build, value and features - see how we pick.