Wireless Headphones

Top 10 Wireless Headphones in 2016

With companies like Apple and Motorola ditching the 3.5mm headphone socket on their latest flagship smartphones, there's never been a better time to cut the cord than now.

Sure, you can use Lightning headphones, or whatever gets bundled in the box, but if you have to move on from your old 3.5mm headphones, then embracing Bluetooth means convenience and pretty much universal compatibility with most devices. In many cases, you also get a cable in the box, so if you want to use them wired, you're free to do so.

Bluetooth has often been seen as an inferior option when it comes to headphones, but with the advent of newer devices and more sophisticated audio processing, there are plenty of Bluetooth headphones that will serve you well when listening on the move or at your desk.

Here's a rundown of some of the best Bluetooth headsets that are available to buy. There's plenty of variety with these cans, whether you're looking for on ear or over ear, so browse the list given below and see what your next wireless headphones could offer you.

1. Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7BK

     Price: $244.02(amazon.com)

The Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 are serious headphones designed primarily for portable use. While they're positioned as being the perfect accompaniment for Hi-Res Audio files, we think they're something even better.

Audio-Technica has taken the audio brilliance of the ATH-M50X, improved it and made the design stylish enough to go head-to-head with pairs like the Beats Studio and Sony MDR-1A.

There are a few little giveaways that Audio-Technica isn’t quite a style guru, but they've set new audio standards for a ‘style’ headphone, along with providing sound that’s good enough for for real enthusiasts to use at home. $245 isn’t pocket money for a set of headphones, but these should keep many of you satisfied for years.

2. Bose QuietComfort 35

    Price: $ 349.00(amazon.com)

Bose is synonymous with top-notch noise-cancelling headphones, and the QuietComfort 35 are no exception. The difference lies in the fact that these are Bose's first active noise-cancelling headphones alongside the QuietControl 30 that feature wireless capabilities. Now that more and more smartphones are doing away with the 3.5mm headphone jack, it seems a rather timely move.

Being released from the leash makes the QuietComfort 35 more versatile than ever. With a refined design, clear and balanced sound and impressive battery life, these are some of the best over-ear noise-cancelling headphones you can buy and a great follow-up to the wired QuietComfort 25.

3. Sony MDR-1000X

    Price: $398.00(amazon.com)

Wireless over-ear headphones with active noise cancellation. This is hardly a new territory for a company of Sony's stature, but nonetheless this is a decided move to dominate this end of the market. The Sony MDR-1000X is here to take down the ubiquitous Bose, whose headphones are a common sight on every plane and train.

It's pretty good timing, too. The iPhone 7 has done away with the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, and those who don’t want to faff about with adaptors will be needing a good cord-cutting alternative. The demand for good wireless headphones has never been higher.

Sony’s biggest obstacle is the Bose QuietComfort 35, which have all but claimed this turf. But Sony isn’t simply offering silence and freedom of movement: it also has some clever tricks to give you greater control over playback and isolation. These skills make Sony a formidable challenger to the throne. Sorry Bose, the Sony MDR-1000X are the new headphones to beat.

4. V-Moda Crossfade Wireless

    Price: $269.98(amazon.com)

V-Moda's Crossfade Wireless Bluetooth headphones have the sleek, angular look the company is known for, and a powerful sound signature to match. At $270, these are not cheap headphones, but they offer a luxurious, bass-forward listening experience for low-end lovers with some money to spend. In addition to the very sculpted, yet balanced, sound signature, the Crossfade Wireless ship with a cable for wired, passive listening. It's also possible to customize the look of the headphones on V-Moda's site. There's plenty of competition in this price range, but the Crossfade Wireless manage to hold their own.

5. Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless

    Price: $399.95(amazon.com)

B&W has been reworking its popular headphones ranges with wireless models, the P7 the latest to receive a Bluetooth update.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Bowers & Wilkins offering compared to all the others is the design and the feel. The weight, the soft leather, that brushed-aluminium and steel construction - all of which exude an aura of class and justify their price point.

Not only are they compact enough to want to wear out on the street - although you might do better with the smaller P5 or P3 models, if you’re more into on-ear and lightweight design - they're spot on for the home too. Especially now, without the wires.

6. Plantronics BackBeat Pro

    Price: $269.41(amazon.com)

Time has been an added blessing for these Plantronics headphones, as their price point has dipped to a very reasonable point considering everything on offer. The BackBeat Pro cram in a lot of features - including auto pause when removing them from the head - while being comfortable to wear.

Controls are simple, active noise-cancelling works well, the build is sturdy, the battery lasts for an age, and sound is well balanced. The design is bland and plasticky, though, but at their current price these are well worth of attention - or go smaller and more logo-crazy with the AKG, also in this list.

7. AKG Y50BT

    Price: $149.95(amazon.com)

If you're working on a more modest budget then these AKGs offer plenty. Comprising metal, leather and glossy plastic in just the right amounts, it's the kind of construction many big-name competitors would charge twice as much for.

Super comfortable to wear straight out of the box, the AKG Y50BT on-ears sound great too. Sure, the abundant use of the oversize AKG logo may put some off, and we'd like a little more snap to the mid-range, but at this price point these cans represent budget brilliance with few equals. Although you might want to consider the more subtle looking Plantronics, also on this list.

8. Skullcandy Grind Wireless

    Price: $62.99(amazon.com)

Skullcandy, a brand that was once known for cheap earbuds and lackluster headphones, has been full of surprises these days.

First, it put out the excellently priced Skullcandy Grind, a wired headset with exceptional sound quality and comfortable padding. Now, it's followed that with a wireless version that packs in everything we loved about the original.

And, more importantly, Skullcandy has done it without tacking on an extra zero to the price tag.

The headphones, as you might guess, are called the Skullcandy Grind Wireless and retail for $62.99.They're available in six different colours and patterns and sound better than 95% of the wireless headphones in the sub-$100 category.

9. Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H8

    Price: $428.00(amazon.com)

The priciest headphones in our list are also up there among the best. However, the Bluetooth listen is quieter than some of the competition, so if you like your music blazingly loud then many of the other listed options will be a better match.

Still, we can’t take away from the H8’s magnificence. They even won the Pocket-lint Awards 2015 for best headphones, so good is the sound when at volume. We’d much rather take these tighter fit cans over the floaty and not-as-good-sounding H7 cans, too, as the step between them in quality is significant.

10. Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless on-ear

      Price: $229.91(amazon.com)

Cut the cord in style. The Sennheiser Momentum M2 AEBT over-ear headphones will look majestic to some, overkill to others. But their aesthetic doesn't take-away from their high points: ultra-comfort, rumbling bass, ample volume, on-device controls and decent overall sound.

They are rather large in size and price, though, but those big ear cups are ultra-comfortable. Add great noise-cancellation and long-lasting battery life and, assuming you can cope with wearing them out in public for extended periods of time and their overall expense, these are well-rounded Bluetooth over-ears well worthy of consideration.