What are the best Bluetooth (wireless) headphones in 2024?

Are you looking for the best Bluetooth headset and you don't know which one to choose in this jungle of references? Here are our recommendations for finding the wireless headset that suits you, both in terms of price and features.

Top 3 best Bluetooth headsets in 2024

The jack socket is increasingly rare on smartphones: purchasing a Bluetooth headset (or wireless headphones ) to listen to your music is now almost an obligatory step. The best references today have serious arguments to make, such as good noise reduction or even aptX or LDAC codecs.

Brands change infrequently in this segment. Sony and Bose are still there, with Apple as a luxury challenger, and JBL for more affordable references. Unlike other areas, developments are quite slow, both from a software and hardware point of view. At the end of the year, these are perfect products to make good gifts.

In this selection, you will find the best Bluetooth headsets of the moment, those that will flatter your eardrums for a long time. We focused here on high and mid-range headsets.

The best Bluetooth headphones of 2024: Bose QuietComfort

This new model replaces the QuietComfort 45 — and is better. With top sound quality, very effective ANC, and impeccable comfort, it is a real success. Bose once again marks its superiority in the field of wireless headphones.

All in matte plastic, this new model is exemplary sobriety. Very light, with very soft cushions, it will adapt to all heads. There are physical buttons on the left and right. Daily, it can be worn for several hours without discomfort.

The sound quality is there. It covers a very wide frequency range, so you will hear the deepest bass as well as the finest treble perfectly. It covers a very large soundstage, the sound is generous, ample, and joyful.

The dedicated app is very classic, allowing you to create different sound profiles or even adjust the noise reduction level. Active noise reduction is particularly effective in all situations, placing itself as one of the best at the moment.

Autonomy is also there: more than 25 hours are reached with ANC activated. Everything recharges in two hours. The Bose QuietComfort is sold at 349 euros upon release and is, according to some users, the best Bluetooth headset on the market in 2024.

The best value for money Bluetooth headset: Sony WH-1000XM4

The WH-1000XM4 is a logical follow-up to the 1000XM3 and is the best Bluetooth headset from Sony. If it takes the basics of its predecessor, it can now connect to any Bluetooth source in addition – and simultaneously – to your smartphone. It also integrates Google Assistant and Alexa, just like the Bose QC 35 II and Headphones 700.

It has touch controls that allow you to turn on the headphones, manage listening, and active noise reduction. It also includes the Quick Attention function to instantly reduce the volume of your music and be able to follow a conversation without removing the headset from your head. Practical on paper, but as is often the case with tactile surfaces, it can cause some confusion.

Obviously, the sound reproduction is excellent, with a signature that emphasizes the bass, the headset is therefore called “bassy”. This may be displeasing, but you can reduce the emphasis by opting for the “clear bass” mode. Unlike the Headphones 700, the LDAC codec is present and multipoint Bluetooth is finally making its appearance at Sony. Depending on your priorities, the 1000X4 may be considered better than Bose's work.

Its battery allows it to be used for 30 hours, even with noise reduction activated. It is also compatible with fast charging. The Sony Bluetooth headset is an iterative update, it brings few radical advances compared to the M3. It is a very good product and it remains one of the market leaders. It's an excellent choice.

The Sony WH-1000XM5

Note that Sony has now released the successor to the 1000XM4, the WH-1000XM5. This is also a great Bluetooth headset, with even improved noise reduction. However, the latter is sold for around 100 euros more and ultimately offers very few new features: we therefore always prefer to recommend the WH-1000XM4. Above all, the model loses the possibility of being folded, a major ergonomic flaw for this type of product. Keep an eye out for price drops though.

The best noise reduction: Bose Headphones 700

Bose obliges, this headset shines with its excellent active noise reduction, to the point of doing better than the QC35 II. We find the Bose audio signature called “W” emphasizing the mids (whereas Sony prefers the bass). The Bluetooth headphones improve noticeably on the treble, however. Overall, the sound reproduction is excellent.

Beyond the audio quality, it offers good multipoint Bluetooth support. This allows the Bluetooth headphones to connect to several sources at the same time and thus switch from one to the other in the blink of an eye. You will be able to listen to music from your phone on public transport, and then your computer once at your workstation seamlessly.

This is a real plus in everyday life which almost makes you forget that the headset does not support the aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. Do we only find AAC or SBC? Didn't you understand anything? Remember that better codecs exist, but the difference is slight, if not non-existent for almost all ears. Only the most seasoned eardrums will see a difference. In short, we prefer the practical side of multipoint Bluetooth, which is much more useful in everyday use.

The Bose Headphones 700 is also pretty good on battery life, with around 20 hours of continuous use with active noise reduction. It charges via USB-C. Be aware, however, that this headset has the unfortunate habit of seeing its pads degrade after a few months of use. Even if these are easily changed, this is a disadvantage to be aware of before your purchase.

Apple's Bluetooth headset: Apple Airpod Max

After the in-ear, Apple decided to attack the wireless headset market with an ambitious model whose price would raise more than one eyebrow. The AirPods Max, that's its nickname, is therefore a closed, wireless circum-aural headset offering, unsurprisingly, active noise reduction.

At this price, Apple had to offer an impeccable design and finish. The contract is fulfilled, with a helmet giving pride of place to metal. This logically makes it quite heavy, but the load is very well distributed. Be careful though, we are in the presence of a headset designed to be used comfortably seated rather than while playing sports. In terms of ergonomics, the controls consist of a button for noise reduction and an Apple Watch-style crown. The result works quite well even if the crown is a little too sensitive.

That leaves the elephant in the room: the cover. Beyond its questionable look, it doesn't serve much purpose and doesn't even perform its main task of protecting the helmet well. The headband and its fragile mesh fabric remain exposed.

From a sonic point of view, there is no denying that the performance is top-notch. Despite the absence of any high-resolution codec, the rendering is simply excellent and very pleasant. Be careful though: Apple's priority was not to achieve high fidelity, but to offer a sound that pleases. A big difference for audiophiles.

Nothing to say about the active noise reduction which stands out as the best on the market, with the bonus of a transparency mode of formidable effectiveness. Unsurprisingly, however, you will need to be in the Apple ecosystem to fully exploit this very good Bluetooth headset. So, some functions like multipoint simply don't work on Windows or Android.

Nothing that will prevent wealthy aficionados from jumping on it. Proof that Apple has had a bit of a heavy hand on prices, we find it almost constantly around 580 euros.

Do you want spatialized sound, but not an Apple product? Check out Bose. The QuietComfort Ultra, which replaces the Headphones 700, represents the top of the range from Bose. It features spatial audio for immersive sound, some of the best active noise reduction, and a whopping 30 hours of battery life. We will just regret a sound signature that lacks treble, and which will have to be adjusted via the equalizer. Not to mention that you will have to pay the price!

Headphones for audiophiles: Shure Aonic 40

In the category of excellent audio headphones gifted in all areas, the Shure Aonic 40 does well in our selection. The American manufacturer, already recognized in the audio sector, offers a very complete product with its Aonic 40.

It starts with a design with modern lines while being pleasant to wear every day. The headset is a circum-aural type, which means it covers your ears. The ergonomics allow you to change your music in a single gesture.

The sound quality offered by the product is fair and precise. The signature highlights deep and powerful bass. The mids and highs are also highlighted. If you enjoy your sound without ANC then each category will be enhanced. As you can see, the Shure Aonic offers a very balanced performance.

In terms of autonomy, the headphones offer a lifespan measured at 38 hours. In terms of connectivity, Bluetooth is present, but that's not all. A jack port as well as a USB line. Active noise reduction is also to be highlighted, as is the mobile application.

Shure released a successor to the Aonic 40 in 2023, the Aonic 50 Gen 2. All in all, this is an excellent headset, particularly in terms of design, ergonomics or record battery life, and particularly effective fast charging. We would therefore like to fully recommend it, but it fails to achieve the results of Sony and Bose in terms of active noise reduction. In addition, the most problematic remains its price, which is still too high, especially compared to the Aonic 40 model.

The high-end Philips Bluetooth headset: Philips Fidelio L4

Philips is also trying its hand at Bluetooth audio headsets with the Fidelio L4. The construction exudes comfort and solidity. The whole thing is covered with memory foam while the earcups are designed to adapt to all body shapes. The touch zone is also well-designed to interact in a few seconds. Comfort is ensured so that the Fidelio L4 can be worn for several hours.

For everyday use, the “Philips Headphones” control application allows you to manage several features via touch controls. You are also entitled to useful functions such as Spatial Audio mode to reinforce the immersion of your listening. The icing on the cake is the presence of Multipoint Bluetooth to allow the headset to connect to several devices.

As with any Bluetooth headset, audio quality is expected. In our test, we were able to notice a very balanced sound signature. The bass is generous while the treble is fluid. The Fidelio L4 benefits from pleasing dynamic behavior. Each instrument is entitled to its moment of glory when a piece of music is played.

A final word on the autonomy offered by the headset. The latter can last 40 hours with active noise reduction. In terms of price, the Fidelio L4 is 349 euros. This is an excellent Bluetooth headset on the market that can compete with the best models on the market despite a lagging ANC.

A good old-fashioned Bluetooth headset: Audio Technica M50xBT2

If wireless headphones have reached new heights in recent years, we must admit that most of them choose a very mainstream sound approach, with specific colors for each brand. This M50XBT2 takes the more nuanced approach since it is above all a wireless version of a reference monitoring headset.

This descendant of the ATH-M50X has an almost identical design. So here we find a very comfortable, solid, and not exactly pretty model. Nothing to complain about the finish, however, the machine is particularly solid. There are a few buttons on the edges for controls, but they are not practical to use.

Although it retains the same transducers as the previous version, this model is now equipped with a dedicated DAC. The result for the user is a clear and extremely balanced sound. The latter is not completely neutral but appears less marked than average. As a bonus, the dynamics are excellent. Be careful though, no active noise reduction is present. However, this allows it to reach 50 hours of autonomy.

Audio Technica delivers here a headset that goes against the grain of current trends. Here, no active noise reduction, the manufacturer focuses above all on good sound.

The best cheap Bluetooth headset: JBL Tour One M2

With this M2, the American manufacturer JBL offers a high-end Bluetooth audio headset. The JBL Tour One M2 remains quite classic with a circumaural format and memory foam. The helmet is designed to be worn for a long time with good ergonomics. The quality of the finishes is impeccable.

Daily, you can control the headset via a touch zone on the right earcup. This allows you to manage music playback and calls. The JBL Headphones mobile app offers a wide range of features, including spatial audio and other elements to enhance your experience. Multipoint Bluetooth will allow you to perfectly enjoy your music or series on different devices.

You are also entitled to a 2.5 mm jack socket. During our test, we were able to notice a very balanced sound curve. For its part, the sound signature allows the three frequency registers to be well served. No matter the type of audio listened to, the JBL Tour One M2 headphones will meet all your expectations.

In terms of autonomy, our test highlighted a good autonomy of 31 hours with ANC activated. The full charge is done in two hours, but if you want to recover five hours, 10 minutes of charging is enough. Active noise reduction is good but is not flawless during calls. External noises can intervene.

For 329 euros, the Bluetooth audio headset is an interesting product and versatile enough for daily use with good performance.

Some honorable mentions in our Bluetooth headset comparison

As with many tech products, the headphone market has reached maturity. The Frandroid editorial team tests many excellent products and not all of them necessarily find a place in the sun in our selection of the best Bluetooth audio headsets on the market. Here is an anthology of some of the products concerned:

• The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2: excellent headphones that make sense once plugged in, a paradox! With a high price, but some failing functions, the Px7 S2 nevertheless remains difficult to fully recommend.

• The Sony WH-1000XM5: in line with the Japanese manufacturer's headsets, it offers the best possible performance. However, it suffers in comparison with the WH-1000XM4, still the benchmark in this price bracket.

• The AiAiAi TMA-2 Studio Wireless +: this is a product with a very particular philosophy with an impeccable and modular design. Comparison with market references suffers from a sound signature that is far too marked.

• The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4: the manufacturer's new high-end headset makes immense progress in its active noise reduction, but falls into the category in terms of design. It suffers from too much competition from Bose and Sony.

Which Bluetooth headset to choose?

What are the points to consider before buying headphones for my music?

As with every purchase, you must first think about how you are going to use the headset. A headset with significant battery life will be an interesting choice if you regularly make long trips. On the contrary, if you are more used to listening to music in noisy environments occasionally (like in the subway for example), headphones with active noise reduction will better suit your needs. Generally speaking, comfort and sound quality are the priority criteria.

What is an audio signature?

The audio signature corresponds to the frequencies highlighted by the headset. Schematically, a headset will be able to accentuate the bass, midrange, or treble, this is what will determine the signature of the product or even of the brand. So-called “monitoring” headphones are not supposed to reinforce any frequency. Each signature has its advantages and disadvantages, it is generally a matter of taste.

What is an audio codec?

There are different Bluetooth codecs, which transmit audio digitally with more or less compression to offer better quality sound than the Bluetooth A2DP standard. One of the most famous is LDAC, it allows transfer with very little loss, up to 990 kb/s, and is capable of processing signals in 24 Bits/96 kHz (which corresponds to the Hi-Res audio standard ). The others are the Qualcomm aptX codec which uses a bandwidth of 350 kb/s and its big brother, the aptX HD which offers a maximum bandwidth of 576 kb/s.

What is active noise reduction (ANC)?

The principle of active noise reduction (ANC) is simple: a microphone picks up the ambient sound, and the headphones produce an opposite sound to cancel it. This works very well with continuous sounds like airplane or car engines but is much less effective with sudden noises. However, it is a real daily plus that we highly recommend if you can afford the extra cost.

Bluetooth headphones or earphones?

The market trend is between Bluetooth headsets and earphones. The latter seem to be becoming more and more popular, in particular thanks to their wearing comfort and especially the ease of everyday transport. In terms of advantages, Bluetooth headsets have much more refined audio quality to offer excellent performance.