Decide first where you will use them. A headphone that is perfect in a quiet room can be useless on a train or a call.
Closed, open, or in-ear
- Closed-back headphones block outside noise and keep your music to yourself. The right choice for offices, homes with other people and travel.
- Open-back headphones sound more spacious and natural, but they leak sound both ways. Best in a quiet room on your own.
- Earbuds are portable and good for calls on the move; comfort over long sessions varies by ear shape.
Noise cancelling (ANC)
- ANC removes steady noise such as air conditioning, engines and fans very well, and voices less well.
- For focus at home, a good closed headphone plus ANC is the biggest single upgrade.
Calls
- Wireless headphone microphones are fine for meetings. For podcasts or streaming, use a separate microphone (see Desk Setup) or a headset with a boom mic.
- Multipoint Bluetooth connects to a laptop and a phone at once, so a call on either comes through.
Wired audiophile headphones
- Impedance: high-impedance headphones (around 250–300 ohms) need a headphone amplifier to sound their best; low-impedance ones (under about 50 ohms) run from a laptop or phone.
- Look for detachable cables; they are the first thing to break.
Comfort decides whether you wear them for eight hours. Check weight and clamping force in reviews, and if you wear glasses, look for soft, deep pads.