Best headphones 2020: super-charge your listening with the world's top headphones

From true wireless to noise-cancelling, these are the best headphones for music fans of all stripes.

If you're serious about music, you probably already own quite a few pairs of headphones – wireless headphones to wear without getting tangled in cables, in-ear headphones for working out as well as rocking out, and noise-cancelling headphones to block out the world. But what are the best headphones bar none? Well, we'll answer that question shortly with our round-up of top cans.

Spending your hard-earned cash on the right headphones is a big deal. Some of you may think it's enough to spend the equivalent of a round of drinks. Sadly, that's a mistake – and your music collection will hate you for it. While it’s not impossible to find a decent pair for £30-ish, most cheap headphones at that level will make Tool sound like the Teletubbies.

If you're anything like us, you almost certainly do most of your music listening via in-ears, on-ears or over-ears, so shouldn't you invest in the best headphones you can afford? The answer is ‘yes’, people, so read on to find the ideal headphones for your listening habits and budget (however small or juicy).

Best headphones: The Louder Choice

Best headphones 2020: super-charge your listening with the world's top headphones

Given the abundance of different styles of headphones available, you might be surprised that both of our strongest recommendations for the best headphones for listening to music are on-ear style and use Bluetooth rather than a cable.

What’s our reasoning? Well, many people find in-ear headphones a tad uncomfortable, and find wires a pain – that's why there's been such a big rise in budget wireless headphones – particularly as so many phones now do without a headphone socket.

Our two recommendations are split by price. The Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones are without doubt the pair to buy if your budget is £300-ish. They sound awesome, are more comfortable than a silk dressing gown, and have the best noise-cancelling headphone tech in the business.

But if you don’t have £300 to spend, the AKG Y50BT headphones are what you’re looking for. Available for well under £100, they combine smart looks and excellent portability with exciting, wireless sound.

How to buy the best headphones for you

There are so many decisions to be made when choosing your next pair of headphones. The best approach is to think about when and where you’re going to be doing most of your listening and what specific requirements you have.

Desperate to block out the banal nattering in your office and fill the resulting silence with some Metallica-style meditation? You want a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Looking for some Meshuggah-shaped motivation for your next run? There are some fitness-specific true wireless in-ears with your name on.

Do all of your listening at home and value outright sound quality over any concerns for your cohabitees? Some classic, wired, open-backed on-ears will give you a sound to rival the world’s very best loudspeakers.

Fit matters a huge amount, too, particularly in terms of in-ears. Our lug-holes are all different, you see, and failing to ensure that your chosen headphones fit yours correctly could result in them not only falling out, but also sub-standard sound. If possible, try before you buy, but also feel free to return a purchased pair if you don’t feel that you’re getting the fit or sound that you should.

If you’re looking at wired headphones, make sure the cable is the right length for your intended use. Short lengths are best for portable use as they resist tangling, while long lengths are best when at home so that you can listen from the other side of the room to your hi-fi.

If going wireless, consider the battery life being offered and which version of Bluetooth is being used. The later the version (we’re now on 5.0), the more battery-friendly and potentially better sounding it is. AptX Bluetooth, meanwhile, is specifically for audio and suggests that sound quality has been prioritised at least somewhat.

The best headphones to buy right now

1. Sony WH-1000XM3 Headphones

Digital meets analogue in these ace, wireless, noise-cancelling cans

Awesome all-round sound
Excellent noise-cancelling
Comfortable
Fiddly touch controls

Sony’s third-generation noise-cancelling cans are simply brilliant and are our top pick for the best headphones in the world right now. Not only do they block out more noise than practically any rival, they sound better, too, thanks to the introduction of analogue amplification.

There’s an app that you can use to tweak the amount of noise-cancelling provided, from ‘I don’t want to hear anything but my own heartbeat’ to ‘I’d quite like to know if a car’s about to run me over’, and you can even set the headphones to adapt the noise-cancelling to the environment.

The exhaustive battery life means even the longest of long-haul flights is covered, and the sound can even be optimised for altitude, ensuring you’re always getting the best quality. The only tiny issue is that the touch controls can take a little getting used to, although they are pretty accurate once you do.

2. AKG Y50BT Headphones

The best headphones with Bluetooth for a very reasonable price

Dynamic, punchy and fun sound
Lightweight
Portable
More outlay = better sound

A close second in our best headphones round-up, we've been fans of the wired AKG Y50s (which you’ll see below) since they were first introduced back in 2014, but there was no guarantee that a wireless pair would be as good (losing the wires often reduces audio quality).

Thankfully the Y50BTs sound just as good as the wired Y50s, which means they’re punchy, dynamic, detailed and downright fun to listen to. From Soundgarden to Slipknot, whatever you chuck at them sounds authentic and exciting just as it should.

Add a lightweight and very portable design, good looks and excellent comfort, and you’ve got a killer pair of headphones for the cash.

3. Sony WF-1000XM3

Simply stonking true wireless in-ears for music fans

Gloriously open, detailed sound
Quality sound
The pinnacle of true wireless
No volume controls

Meet the current pinnacle of true wireless in-ear headphones. The Sony WF-1000XM3 has an all-new Bluetooth chip that sharpens up music synchronization and a noise-cancelling processor that vastly improves noise-cancellation.

There’s better in-ear grip than before too but, more to the point, these just sound great. They’re clear, rhythmic, detailed and deliver all the musical energy you could need to get you through the morning commute and tedious day in the office. To listen is to fall in love with your tunes all over again. A truly brilliant contender for best headphones.

4. Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd

The best headphones for big sound at a smaller price

Balanced, detailed sound
Comfortable to wear
Ace price
Nothing at this price

Yes, you can buy a pair of wired in-ears for a tenner these days, but they’ll sound as pleasant as a nail through the foot and will last as long as a Buzzcocks song. The same can be said for whatever buds came with your latest phone (if it came with any at all). It really is worth paying more, particularly if you do most of your listening on the move.

That’s where the weirdly monickered Soul Byrds come in. Easy to listen to but interesting and captivating, too, they’re great for all genres of music.

They’re also dead comfortable to wear, burrowing into your ears far less than most rivals, and have an integrated mic and controls that work with iOS and Android phones alike.

5. AKG Y50 Headphones

The best headphones if you want stylish on-ears for under £50

Great sound for the money
Portable and stylish
Comfy and secure fit
Might need to turn up the volume

The original, wired version of the Y50BTs above, the Y50s represent brilliant value for money and show that the best headphones don't have to cost a packet. For less than £50, you get a great-looking, great-sounding, super-portable pair of on-ear cans.

They’re available in loads of colours (and black), fold up small enough to slot into a pocket (there’s also a fabric case in the box), and fit securely but comfortably. There’s no noise-cancelling here, but there is a mic and control unit housed along the cable.

Sound is clear, detailed and punchy, so you hear your music as it was intended, with plenty of rhythmic fun to be had. The only tiny issue is that they’re not super-sensitive, so you might find that you need to turn the volume up more than expected.

6. Grado SR325e Headphones

Incredible hi-fi headphones for luxurious at-home listening

Gloriously open, detailed sound
Hard-wearing
Not suited for portable use
Don’t look like they cost £250+

They might look more like the sort of headset that a 50s telephone exchange operator might use than a pair of luxury headphones, but these Grados are utterly unbeatable at this price.

The 325es are open-backed and leak noise like a sieve leaks water, so are completely unsuited to use on a train or bus, but that allows them to deliver a really open, airy and spacious sound that’s more akin to listening to a great pair of hi-fi speakers.

And we really are talking great. The sound here is transparent, detailed, rhythmic and downright glorious. If you take your music listening seriously, this is the pair to get.

7. Jaybird Vista

These best headphones for rockers who run

Runner-friendly fit
Meaty and energetic sound
Sweat-resistant
Can be beaten for detail

No longer the stuff of sci-fi fantasy, truly wireless in-ear headphones are now a reality. In fact, they’re all over the place, which can make it a bit tricky to choose a pair. If you enjoy running (as if anyone, anywhere has every ‘enjoyed’ running), you should definitely check out the Jaybird Vistas.

Like most in this category, they consist of two entirely wireless buds and a case that doubles up as a charger. You get six hours of use out of the buds, and an extra 10 hours from the case. The fins, meanwhile, keep the earphones snug and secure as you lumber around the park.

Best of all, the sound has all of the energy you need to keep motivation levels up as you gasp for air, and there’s plenty of meaty bass to keep the blood pumping.

8. Shure SE425 Headphones

Hit the road with these band-approved, durable in-ears

Tougher than a tank
Glorious midrange
Not the bassiest
No fancy frills

If a pair of headphones is good enough for Megadeth, it’s got to be good, right? Not that Dave Mustaine’s crew are the only musicians to use Shure headphones – it seems that practically every band in existence uses the company’s in-ear monitors when on stage.

There are two big reasons Shure’s earphones are so prevalent: they’re supremely tough and durable and they sound really neutral and authentic.

The SE425s are the highlight of the current range, offering a supreme sound that, while a bit bass-light, is brilliantly detailed and textured through the midrange. There are no frills here - no mic, no controls, certainly no Bluetooth - but that’s because they’re serious, pro monitors, and all the better for it.