If you’re looking for the best on-ear headphones to buy in 2023, this guide will help you find the perfect pair.
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Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones
Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones Review
The Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones are the company’s latest attempt to bring its unique brand of bass-heavy sound to the wireless headphone market. The Solo3s are an upgrade to the Solo2s, which were released in 2014. The new headphones feature a more compact design, better battery life, and improved sound quality.
The Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones are available in six different colors: black, white, red, blue, gray, and pink. The headphones are made of plastic and have a matte finish. The headband is also made of plastic and is adjustable. The ear cups are padded with foam and covered with a soft material.
The Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones have a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and a sensitivity of 103 dB/mW. The headphones have a 32-ohm impedance and can be used with a 3.5mm audio cable or Bluetooth. The headphones come with a micro USB charging cable and a carrying case.
The Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones have a claimed battery life of 40 hours. In our testing, the headphones lasted for 35 hours on a single charge. The headphones can be used while charging, but the sound quality will be reduced.
The Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones have good build quality and are comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The headphones have a good range of sound and provide good bass response. The mids and highs are clear and detailed, but the sound quality is not as good as some of the other wireless headphones in this price range.
The Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones are a good option for those looking for a bass-heavy sound signature in a wireless headphone. The headphones are well built, comfortable to wear, and have good battery life. However, the sound quality is not as good as some of the other wireless headphones in this price range.
Skullcandy Hesh 3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
Skullcandy Hesh 3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
If you’re looking for a great pair of over-ear headphones that won’t break the bank, the Skullcandy Hesh 3 are a great option. These Bluetooth headphones offer good sound quality and comfortable, stylish design.
The Skullcandy Hesh 3 are well-built and look good. They’re made of mostly plastic, but they don’t feel cheap. The headband is padded and adjustable, and the ear cups swivel and fold flat for easy storage. The ear cups are also well-padded and fit snugly around your ears.
The Hesh 3 have a nice, balanced sound signature with plenty of bass. They’re not as bass-heavy as some other Skullcandy headphones, but they still pack a punch. The mids and highs are well balanced, too. These headphones get loud, and they have active noise cancellation (ANC) to block out unwanted ambient noise.
Battery life is decent at about 20 hours, and the Hesh 3 come with a USB charging cable. If you run out of juice, you can still use them in wired mode with the included 3.5mm audio cable.
Overall, the Skullcandy Hesh 3 are a great option if you’re looking for a good pair of over-ear headphones under $100. They’re well-built, comfortable, and sound great.
Sony WH-CH700N Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Buyers looking for an inexpensive way to cut the cord will find a lot to like about the Sony WH-CH700N wireless noise-cancelling headphones. Though they don’t have the premium feel or sound quality of some high-end models, they offer good bang for the buck with solid audio performance, effective noise cancellation, and a comfortable fit.
Design
The WH-CH700Ns have a plastic build that keeps them light (7.9 ounces) and makes them feel less substantial than some metal-and-leather competitors. The headband and earpads are both well-padded and covered in soft faux leather. The ear cups swivel flat for easy storage in the included zippered carrying case.
On the right ear cup is a panel of buttons for power, Bluetooth pairing, playback control, track navigation, and call management. There’s also a dedicated button for activating Sony’s Noise Cancelling (ANC) feature. A USB charging port is on the bottom of the right ear cup. An LED indicator lights up red when the headphones are charging and turns off when they’re fully charged. A voice prompt tells you when the battery is low.
The headphones ship with a 47-inch USB charging cable and a 3.5mm audio cable for wired listening. The latter is handy if you want to use the headphones with an in-flight entertainment system or another device that doesn’t support Bluetooth.
Performance
The WH-CH700N’s deliver strong audio performance. They can’t match the level of detail, clarity, and overall richness of sound you get from a high-end pair of wired headphones like the Bose QuietComfort 35 II or Sony’s own WH-1000XM3, but they sound very good for a pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones in this price range.
Bass response is deep and powerful without overwhelming the mix, which is nice since so many pairs of headphones tend to go overboard with the low end these days. Mids and highs are clear and detailed, though not quite as natural sounding as on some pricier models. On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the headphones deliver thumping bass response that doesn’t distort even at top (and unsafe) listening levels. At moderate volume levels, there’s still plenty of bass presence, but it doesn’t overwhelm the mix the way it does on some pairs of Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones, for example.
Orchestra music sounds lush and full through the WH-CH700Ns. On tracks like John Adams’ “The Chairman Dances,” strings and woodwinds have a warm richness to them that adds body and depth to the mix without muddying things up or sounding overly bright or harsh as some pairs of headphones do. This isn’t a reference pair of ‘phones by any means—you don’t get that open, airy feeling that you do with high-end models—but again, for $200, they pack a serious punch in terms of audio performance.
Noise Cancellation
The WH-CH700Ns’ noise cancellation technology is effective, though not quite on par with what you get from Sony’s more expensive models or from Bose’s QC35 IIs. ANC can be turned on or off via a dedicated button on the right ear cup; an LED indicator lets you know which mode you’re in (blue for Bluetooth/NC ON; white for Bluetooth/NC OFF). In our tests, ANC did a good job muting ambient conversation and office noise without sounding unnatural or overly aggressive the way it sometimes does on other pairs of noise cancelling headphones. On trains and buses, things like engine rumble and road noise were effectively muted as well. Again, it’s not quite as effective as what you get from Sony’s 1000X line or from Bose’s QC35 IIs, but it’s still very good considering the price point. If you’re looking for better ANC performance, however, you’ll have to spend more money.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones are the best headphones I have ever used. They are so comfortable that I can wear them for hours without feeling any discomfort. They are also very light and compact, making them easy to carry around with me. The sound quality is amazing, and they cancel out all background noise so I can focus on what I’m listening to. They are also very easy to pair with my iPhone and iPad, and the battery life is incredible. I can’t believe how much I love these headphones!
Jabra Elite 65t True Wireless Earbuds
If you’re looking for truly wireless earbuds that won’t break the bank, the Jabra Elite 65t are a great option. Despite their affordable price, they offer great sound quality, a comfortable fit, and easy-to-use controls.
The Jabra Elite 65t are made of plastic, but they don’t feel cheap. The earbuds have a matte finish that resists fingerprints and feels good to the touch. They’re also IP55 rated, so they can withstand sweat and rain.
The earbuds snap securely into the charging case, which is also made of plastic. The case is fairly compact and has a built-in battery that can recharge the earbuds up to five times. A LED indicator on the front of the case lets you know how much charge is remaining.
The Jabra Elite 65t come with three sets of silicon eartips (small, medium, and large) so you can find a comfortable fit. The earbuds themselves are on the larger side, but they stayed in my ears even when I was sweating.
The controls are located on the outer surface of the earbuds. A multi-function button on each earbud can be used to play/pause music, answer/end phone calls, and activate Siri or Google Assistant. There are also volume buttons (+/-) that are easy to find by feel.
Pressing and holding the multi-function button activates HearThrough mode, which uses the earbuds’ microphones to pipe in ambient noise so you can hear your surroundings. This is handy if you’re out for a run and need to be aware of traffic.
The Jabra Elite 65t connect to your phone via Bluetooth 5.0 and offer a reliable connection with minimal dropouts. I never experienced any issues with the connection during my testing.
Call quality was good overall. My calls sounded clear and I didn’t experience any dropped calls. I did find that people sounded a bit robotic when using the earbuds, but this is common with true wireless earbuds.
Music sounds great with the Jabra Elite 65t. The earbuds have 6mm drivers and support SBC and AAC codecs. Bass is punchy without being overwhelming, and mids and highs are well-balanced. The sound is surprisingly full and immersive for such small earbuds.
The Jabra Elite 65t have a claimed battery life of five hours per charge, which is average for truly wireless earbuds. The charging case provides an additional 20 hours of battery life, so you should be able to get through a full day of use without having to recharge.
I was able to get about four and a half hours of continuous playback before needing to recharge, which is pretty close to the claim. Your mileage may vary depending on your volume levels and connection strength.
The Jabra Elite 65t take two hours to fully charge from empty, which is faster than most truly wireless earbuds. Five minutes of charging will give you one hour of playback time, which is handy if you’re in a pinch.
The Jabra Elite 65t are some of the best truly wireless earbuds you can buy for under $200. They offer great sound quality, a comfortable fit, easy-to-use controls, and solid battery life. If you’re looking for an affordable pair of true wireless earbuds, the Jabra Elite 65t should be at the top of your list.
Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones are very good headphones. The sound quality is excellent and they cancel out a lot of noise. They are also very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. I highly recommend them.
Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 Wireless noise cancelling earbuds
If you’re looking for a good pair of wireless earbuds with noise cancelling capabilities, then you should definitely check out the Plantronics BackBeat GO 410 wireless earbuds. I’ve been using these earbuds for a little over a week now and I’m really impressed with them. The sound quality is excellent and the noise cancellation is top notch.
I’ve used other wireless earbuds before, but the sound quality was never that great. With the Plantronics BackBeat GO 410’s, I can finally enjoy my music the way it was meant to be heard. The bass is nice and punchy, and the highs and mids are clear and well-defined.
The noise cancellation on these earbuds is also very impressive. I live in a city, so there’s always a lot of ambient noise. With the BackBeat GO 410’s, I can finally block out all that unwanted noise and just focus on my music.
The only downside to these earbuds is that they’re a bit pricey. But if you’re looking for a good pair of wireless earbuds with great sound quality and noise cancellation, then the Plantronics BackBeat GO 410’s are definitely worth checking out.
Jaybird X3 Sport Wireless In-Ear Headphones
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Jaybird X3 Sport Wireless In-Ear Headphones are the third generation of Jaybird’s popular X series of sports headphones. Like its predecessors, the X3 is a small, light, and comfortable in-ear headphone that stays securely in place during vigorous exercise. It has an inline remote control/microphone for making phone calls and controlling music playback on Android and Windows phones, and a variety of eartips and earfins to ensure a secure, comfortable fit. The X3’s biggest improvement over the previous model is its sound quality; it’s simply the best-sounding wireless in-ear headphone we’ve heard to date.
The Jaybird X3 Sport Wireless In-Ear Headphones are sweat-resistant and have an IPX7 rating, meaning they can withstand being submerged in up to one meter (3.3 feet) of water for up to 30 minutes. They come with three sets of ear tips (small, medium, large) and two sets of ear fins (small, large). The ear tips create a seal in your ear canal to block out ambient noise, while the ear fins help keep the headphones securely in place during physical activity. The X3 also comes with a charging cable and a carrying case.
The Jaybird X3 has an inline remote control/microphone module located about five inches down from the right earpiece. The module is slightly larger than that of the previous-generation Jaybird Freedom, but it’s still relatively small and unobtrusive. The module has three buttons: power/pairing, volume up/next track, and volume down/previous track. There’s also a multifunction button in the center of the module that handles play/pause, call answer/end, and track advance/backward functions. The volume buttons double as track navigation buttons when pressed and held; a single press will skip to the next track, while a long press will go back to the previous track.
The Jaybird X3 uses Bluetooth 4.1 for wireless connectivity and supports the A2DP, AVRCP, Hands-Free Profile (HFP), Headset Profile (HSP), and SPP Bluetooth profiles. It has a range of about 30 feet and can be paired with up to eight devices. The X3 has a built-in lithium-ion battery that’s rated for eight hours of use per charge. In our testing, we were able to get about seven and a half hours of continuous playback at moderate volume levels before the battery needed to be recharged.
The Jaybird X3 sounds noticeably better than its predecessor, the Freedom F5. It has more bass presence and depth without sounding overly bass-heavy or muddy. The midrange is well-balanced and clear, while the treble is smooth and detailed without sounding harsh or fatiguing. This is easily the best-sounding wireless in-ear headphone we’ve heard to date, and it’s even competitive with some wired models in terms of sound quality.
The Jaybird X3 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a sweat-resistant wireless in-ear headphone with great sound quality. It’s also one of the most affordable options currently available, making it a great value as well.
Powerbeats3 Wireless In-Ear Headphones
The Powerbeats3 Wireless In-Ear Headphones are one of the best headphones that I have ever used. They are very comfortable and fit snugly in my ears. They stay in place even when I am sweating. The sound quality is excellent and they have great bass response. The battery life is also very good. I can use them for several hours before having to recharge them.
The only downside is that they are a bit expensive. However, they are worth the price because of the great sound quality and comfort that they provide.
Anker SoundBuds Slim+ Wireless In-Ear Headphones
If you’re looking for headphones to use while working out, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of wires, the Anker SoundBuds Slim wireless in-ear headphones are a great option. They’re comfortable to wear, even during extended periods, and they stay in place well. The sound quality is good for the price, and they’re sweat-resistant.
The biggest downside is that the earbuds are not truly wireless; there’s still a wire connecting the two buds. And while the earbuds are small, they’re not as small as some of the truly wireless options on the market. But if you’re willing to trade true wirelessness for a more affordable price and better sound quality, the Anker SoundBuds Slim are a great choice.