Best Headphones 2025 - Expert Roundup Review: Bose vs Sony vs Anker vs Sennheiser vs Apple

Transcript

0:00 Speaker A: Lets talk headphones Best noise cancelling headphones. Speaker B: Overall last 60 hours with ANC on. Speaker C: And closer to the Sony than you might expect. Speaker D: Welcome back to Real Review, where we watch older reviews so you don't have to Today we're diving deep into the packed market of wireless headphones to see which cans the experts are calling the best of 2025. Speaker D: Finding the right pair means balancing noise cancellation, sound quality, comfort, battery life and price. Speaker D: Let's hear who the big contenders are. Speaker A: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are the best noise canceling headphones overall.

0:29 Speaker B: The Sony XM5s are the newest model to come out after the XM3 and 4. Speaker B: Year after year they improve their products and the sound quality remains good as usual. Speaker A: Get the XM5s if you want the best sound, meaning balanced and smooth sound from the bottom of the frequency range to the very top with good rhythmic expression that gives the music so much room to soar. Speaker A: If battery life is your biggest concern first and foremost, then the best noise canceling headphones for you are the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless.

0:56 Speaker E: Then we've got Apple's AirPods Max. Speaker E: Sleek, smart and seamlessly integrated into the Apple ecosystem. Speaker F: In the fourth slot I have another $200 model, the Soundcore by Anker Space One Pro. Speaker F: This is a headphone that didn't totally impress me out of the gate, but has grown on me over time. Speaker D: Alright, so Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, Apple and Soundcore are clearly the names dominating the conversation, but which pairs reign supreme overall?

1:21 Speaker D: Let's dive into the best overall category. Speaker D: According to the reviewers, our best overall. Speaker C: Pick is the Bose QuietComfort Ultraw Wireless. Speaker C: Over the years, Bose has become a household name in the audio realm and not without reason. Speaker C: The QC series delivers exactly what it says on the Peace and Serenity through excellent noise canceling and a plush fit. Speaker G: I highly recommend checking out the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones. Speaker G: One of the biggest reasons why the Bose QC Ultra headphones are our best pick is because of how comfortable they are.

1:51 Speaker G: As the name implies, these are very comfortable headphones. Speaker A: This all comes in a modern and lightweight package that's really comfortable enough to be worn for hours. Speaker A: Personally, I've used these for many long flights. Speaker H: The Bose Quadcom from the Ultra has been the most impressive premium headphones in the past year. Speaker H: It's got top noise cancelling, amazing mic pickup and transparency mode and it sounds great. Speaker H: Very clean, detailed with tight, rich bass and crisp vocals.

2:20 Speaker G: Not only that, the Bose QC Ultra headphones are also one of the best noise cancelling headphones we've ever tested, which I think they're able to Cancel out what, 85% of outside noise, which is really good. Speaker A: When it comes to active noise canceling headphones, there are multiple levels of noise cancellation to balance the level of quiet with aware mode or transparency to suit your surroundings. Speaker A: But that's not all. Speaker A: This new model throws in immersive audio tech and plenty of extras.

2:45 Speaker D: Strong consensus on the Bose QC Ultra as the top overall pick, winning for the best in class comfort and noise cancellation, but the Sony XM5 always right there in the conversation, often highlighted for its sound and features. Speaker D: How do they stack up directly? Speaker A: These over ear headphones deliver excellent sound quality in every respect, plus great noise cancellation and I happen to think they look quite nice. Speaker B: Some of them performed pretty well and some of them did not for us.

3:12 Speaker B: Sony had the best noise canceling of them all, but Apple, JBL and Bose were right up there and almost on the same level. Speaker B: Sennheiser was decent, but Bang and Olufsen, Jabra and Beats were not up to our standard. Speaker I: Now we have the Sony WH1000XM5. Speaker I: This one is a bit higher. Speaker I: They did improve the mid range response a bit and the noise canceling quality on it is also pretty good. Speaker I: So I'm going to put it kind of in line with the AirPods Max here and some of these other ones.

3:39 Speaker B: The sound is also really premium. Speaker B: It's the one we actually like the most, excluding the Apple AirPods Max. Speaker B: They're also pretty light compared to how they look. Speaker A: Finally get the XM5s if you're big on battery life, these are good for 30 hours between charges with ANC switched on and that will rise to as much as 40 hours if you turn it off. Speaker D: So it often comes down to prioritizing the Bose QC Ultra. Speaker D: Superior comfort versus Sony XM5's strong sound quality, feature set and solid battery life both remain top tier.

4:08 Speaker D: Overall recommendations from multiple reviewers okay, top tier is great, but what if you don't want to spend $350 to $400? Speaker D: Let's look at the best budget and value Options where Soundcore, JLab and even older discounted models shine. Speaker A: If you want to talk about value, I really, really like the Soundcore Space One. Speaker A: For under $100 you get a whole slew of premium features that are usually reserved for headphones that cost three or four times the price in the four slot. Speaker F: I have another $200 model, the Soundcore by Anker Space One Pro, Anker touts how it folds up into a compact package, which is kind of cool.

4:40 Speaker F: But it's more important that the headphones are comfortable to wear, sound quite good, and have good noise canceling and voice calling performance along with strong battery life. Speaker C: The Brown Soundcore Q series covers everything from as cheap as a couple of cocktail options to the top of the line space Q45 though a step down from the XM4s in most respects, the Q45 are much cheaper and closer to the Sony than you might expect in terms of performance. Speaker A: Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec support, customizable sound, multipoint technology and some of the strongest quick charging out there, just to name a few.

5:13 Speaker A: Oh, and the 40 hours of battery life with ANC enabled is a major plus. Speaker G: The lower end of the price spectrum. Speaker G: We've got the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones for under how much? Speaker G: I think they're under $70 right now. Speaker G: You're actually getting a really impressive pair of noise canceling headphones. Speaker G: In our labs they had really good ANC performance for the price. Speaker G: They have excellent sound quality, they've got a really nice design that kind of tapers and is shaped closer to your ears. Speaker J: Oneodio have proved that with these Focus A5s.

5:41 Speaker J: These are just 69.99 in the US and 59.99 in the UK and you get a lot for your money money. Speaker J: With that they've got a frankly bonkers 75 hours of battery life, adaptive noise canceling with up to 45 decibels of external noise, cut out LDAC support for high res audio and a transparency mode that I think rivals a lot of the competition in this list. Speaker F: For my last pick I'm going with a more affordable budget model, the Edifier W830NB which cost a little less than $70 on Amazon.

6:09 Speaker F: And this new for 2024 model has been slightly improved all around with a little more premium looking design and a tad better performance. Speaker F: The sound quality and noise canceling don't quite measure up to what you get with more premium headphones, but what you get for the price is impressive. Speaker G: There's one more pair of headphones that I think will give you the best bang for buck when they go on sale, and that is of course the Sony WH1000XM4. Speaker G: We often find that throughout the year.

6:34 Speaker G: These headphones go down to below $200 for the retail price and when you can find the XM4s on a sale price, it's a great buy because they still provide a great portable design and excellent sound quality. Speaker G: Excellent ANC performance and the Sony Sound Connect app is feature packed. Speaker D: Lots of great options if you're watching your wallet, Soundcore, JLab, Oneodio, Edifier are all delivering impressive features for well under $150, often much less, while the older Sony XM4 becomes fantastic value when discounted below $200.

7:04 Speaker D: Now a major reason why people buy these is for active noise cancellation. Speaker D: We heard Bose and Sony are top contenders, but how do others like Apple fare in silencing the outside world peace. Speaker C: And serenity through excellent noise canceling? Speaker C: Their stellar headband and ear cup padding keeps them comfortable enough to be worn for an entire long haul flight. Speaker C: Plus their ANC has got your back even if the passenger next to you is obliviously playing Instagram reels at full volume. Speaker H: When I was in transit, its noise cancelling was top notch.

7:33 Speaker H: What I also really like about them is that you can have great spatial audio with head tracking playing audio from any source. Speaker H: And this is at a point in time when most headphones either don't have spatial audio or restrict spatial audio to certain devices and apps. Speaker A: Similarly, Want to get these if you want effective anc, there's virtually no trace of external sound when you have your music going.

7:59 Speaker A: Although there's only one level of active noise cancellation on the ultra premium AirPods Max, it works like a charm. Speaker A: These cams do a great job at blocking out ambient sounds, especially at the lower end of the frequency spectrum. Speaker A: Dare I say, it's almost as good as Bose's ANC, which is an impressive feat. Speaker E: AirPods Max takes ANC to the next level. Speaker E: This is easily the strongest noise cancellation of the three. Speaker E: It silences the world around you.

8:27 Speaker C: The Q45's amazing ANC blocks out everything from rumbly train engines to to office chatter. Speaker C: And they don't leak much audio either. Speaker C: With a microphone that actually does a better job than the Sony at separating your voice from any noise around you,. Speaker D: Bose QC Ultra consistently gets the top nod for ANC effectiveness and comfort during use. Speaker D: Sony XM5 remains a very strong performer and Apple's AirPods Max also deliver powerful noise cancellation, particularly impressive given its single ANC mode.

8:54 Speaker D: Even budget options like the Soundcore Q45 offer surprisingly effective ANC for the price. Speaker D: Noise cancellation is crucial, but what about sound quality? Speaker D: It's often a trend trade off which of these ANC headphones actually deliver the best listening experience, according to the reviewers. Speaker B: Like I said, the results varied from listener to listener but there were some points that we agreed on, the most important being that the Apple AirPods Max were just really good regardless of the genre.

9:19 Speaker B: There were three more that were pretty much at that top level. Speaker B: The Sony XM5s, the Sennheiser Momentum 4s, as well as the Bang Olufsen Beoplay. Speaker E: H95PX8 from Bowers and Wilkins is the most audiophile focused of the bunch. Speaker E: The Bass is tight and punchy without overpowering. Speaker E: Mids are full of texture and life, and the Treble has sparkle and clarity. Speaker E: It's very precise, very analytical and perfect for critical listening.

9:48 Speaker J: If you haven't heard a pair of Bowers and Wilkins headphones, you are missing out for that price. Speaker J: There's nothing that sounds as good as these. Speaker J: They always prioritize sound over noise cancelling, so these are definitely not the best noise cancelling headphones on this list. Speaker J: If you've never heard of Focal before, they're basically better known really for their audiophile and professional audio stuff. Speaker J: These are their first ever noise cancelling consumer ish headphones.

10:14 Speaker J: They sound utterly amazing, better than anything on this list. Speaker J: Apart from the Noble Focus, the Batista. Speaker I: Is one of those that's aiming more for that audiophile crowd. Speaker I: The way that the Treble is handled here is more articulate and more engaging than many of the other ones on this list. Speaker I: The one standout thing about the Batiste that I do have to mention though, is that it's one of the few noise canceling headphones that actually has ear cups and ear pads that are big enough for human ears.

10:41 Speaker I: Now we're on to the Sennheiser Momentum 4. Speaker I: The sound quality is way better than most of the headphones on this list. Speaker I: Like it's the sound quality here is one of its standout features. Speaker I: Now, the bass is too much when you get it out of the box, similar to the Bose QC Ultra, but you can attenuate that a little bit in their app. Speaker I: And the app is very good. Speaker A: The Momentum4 Wireless uses Adaptive technology to automatically adjust the level of noise cancellation to your surroundings.

11:06 Speaker A: In testing, we found it doesn't affect the overall sound quality or frequency balance, and you should be totally unaware of the technology having any impact on your listening to the AirPods Max. Speaker A: We found that there's something to appreciate about the AirPods Max's soundstage across all kinds of musical genres, but our favorite aspect comes from spatial audio. Speaker A: Although there's only one level of active noise cancellation on the Ultra Premium AirPods Max, it works like a charm.

11:32 Speaker D: So While most ANC headphones involve some audio compromise, reviewers suggest that Sony XM5 offers a great balance. Speaker D: Bowers and Wilkins and Focal cater more to audiophiles, prioritizing sound fidelity, potentially sacrificing some anc strength. Speaker D: Sennheiser Momentum 4 provides excellent sound, especially with EQ adjustments and AirPods. Speaker D: Max delivers a clean sound signature enhanced by its spatial audio capabilities for long flights or work sessions, comfort is king which headphones did reviewers find most comfortable for extended wear?

12:02 Speaker A: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Speaker A: Really comfortable enough to be worn for hours? Speaker A: I mean, I personally have used these for many long flights. Speaker C: Their stellar headband and ear cup padding keeps them comfortable enough to be worn for an entire long haul flight, and their 29 hour battery life means that they'll go the distance. Speaker H: It's foldable and pretty comfortable also, which makes them a very compact travel companion. Speaker H: In fact, I like them so much that I even brought it with me on my recent trip.

12:28 Speaker B: The Sennheiser Momentum 4. Speaker B: Joining the sound quality though, is a pretty comfortable experience with a nice fit. Speaker B: I especially like the feel of the pads on my ears, though they do give the feeling that they might become a bit sweaty after constant use with. Speaker J: These focus A5, they're incredibly comfortable, incredibly light, and there's loads of cushioning on the pads on the headband. Speaker J: They're one of the most comfortable pairs of headphones I've ever used, which again, for the money is a surprise.

12:54 Speaker D: Bose consistently gets praised for comfort across its Quiet Comfort line, making the Ultra and standard QC models top picks for Travel. Speaker D: The Sennheiser Momentum 4 also scores well and even the budget Oneodio Focus A5 impressed reviewers with its comfort. Speaker D: If you're constantly on the move, battery life is essential. Speaker D: Which headphones last longest? Speaker B: Sennheiser is the winner as it lasts 60 hours with ANC on. Speaker B: 60 Hours for headphones is a really long time.

13:20 Speaker A: You I really, really like the Soundcore Space One. Speaker A: Oh, and the 40 hours of battery life with ANC enabled is a major plus. Speaker C: The Brown soundcore Q series covers everything from as cheap as a couple of cocktail options to the top of the line space Q45, almost 28 hours of battery life and a fun customizable sound profile that's pretty hard to beat. Speaker J: We have the Noble Focus Apollo. Speaker J: They have 80 hours of battery life, which is amazing, but that's not the main selling point.

13:48 Speaker J: The main selling point is the sound. Speaker J: These features Focus A5s. Speaker J: They've got a frankly bonkers 75 hours. Speaker D: Of battery life the Sennheiser Momentum 4 leads the mainstream pack with its incredible 60 hour battery life, but the budget Oneodio Focus A5 and Premium Noble Focus Apollo boast even higher numbers at 75 and 80 hours respectively. Speaker D: Soundcore models also offer very impressive longevity for their price point.

14:13 Speaker D: Finally, for those deep in the Apple ecosystem, seamless integration is a big deal. Speaker D: Which headphones cater best for iPhone, iPad and Mac users? Speaker A: The biggest selling point about them is that they're designed with as much convenience as possible for iPhone, iPad and Mac users. Speaker A: But besides easy setup and handoff between all your Apple ecosystem devices, we found that there's something to appreciate about the AirPods Max's soundstage across all kinds of musical genres. Speaker E: But what really makes the AirPods Max stand out is a deep iOS integration, switching between your iPhone, iPad and Mac Instant.

14:45 Speaker E: And for online meeting or calls, nothing beats the built in microphones on the AirPods Max. Speaker E: If Zoom and teams are part of your daily routine, this could be a game changer. Speaker G: The Beats Studio Pro, which I reviewed very recently, those are really good headphones with excellent sound quality, really good ANC performance, and it works well on both. Speaker J: Android and iOS because they're technically made by Apple.

15:10 Speaker J: You get Spatial Audio support, you get Dolby Atmos, which means they're fantastic for watching movies and TV shows, and they've got fast pairing for Android and iOS. Speaker J: Apart from those Bose Quiet Comforts, these are a brilliant pair of all rounder headphones. Speaker D: Unsurprisingly, the AirPods Max offer the deepest and most seamless integration for Apple users, though they come with that premium price tag and the infamous case. Speaker D: The Beats Studio Pro, also under the Apple umbrella, offer good cross platform compatibility including key Apple features like Spatial Audio.

15:42 Speaker D: So wrapping up the headphone hunt for 2025, the reviewers paint a pretty clear picture across different needs and budgets for the best overall experience. Speaker D: Balancing top tier noise cancellation, great sound and class leading comfort, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is a frequent top pick, closely rivaled by the feature Rich Sony WH1000XM5. Speaker D: If budget and value are key, Soundcore models like the Space 1 and the Q45, along with impressive offerings from JLab, JBUZ, Lux, ANC Oneodio's Focus A5 and Edifier WA30NB deliver remarkable features for under 150 doll, often much less.

16:18 Speaker D: And don't forget the older Sony WH1000XM4 when it dips below $200 on sale, is still fantastic value when it comes to pure noise cancellation effectiveness. Speaker D: Bose QC Ultra, Sony XM5 and Apple Airports Max remain the benchmarks to beat for prioritizing sound quality within the ANC category. Speaker D: The Sony XM5 offers a great all around profile. Speaker D: Audiophile focused options like the bowers and Wilkins PX7s 2s and the focal Badis deliver higher fidelity sound, though often at a premium and with potentially different ANC trade offs.

16:49 Speaker D: The Sennheiser Momentum 4 is also praised for its sound, especially after tweaking the bass. Speaker D: Comfort for travel is almost synonymous with Bose. Speaker D: Both the QuietComfort Ultra and the standard QuietComfort models are being lauded for long wearability. Speaker D: The Sennheiser Momentum 4 and the budget Oneodio Focus A5 also receive positive mentions for comfort and for sheer battery Life. Speaker D: The Sennheiser Momentum 4's 60 hours is a standout, though the One Focus A5 75 hours and the Noble Focus Apollo 80 hours offer even more for specific users.

17:20 Speaker D: Finally, for the dedicated Apple EcoSystem user, the AirPods Max provides an unparalleled integration, while the Beats Studio Pro offers a solid alternative with many Apple centric features. Speaker D: Ultimately, the best headphones depend on your specific priorities and how much do you want to spend, but hopefully hearing directly from the experts helps you zero in on the perfect pair. Speaker D: That's it for our ultimate roundup to the best wireless headphones. Speaker D: Please find links to the full videos and the products down below and and come back for more re reviews where we watch all the reviews so you don't have to.