Best Audio of 2026
The audio our reviewers rate highest, ranked by score, with the reasoning behind every pick.
Buy links earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Every position here is our reviewers' own scores.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
51 reviewTwelve microphones and the QN3 processor retuning the cancellation in real time is the quietest floor you can buy this year, and the mastering-tuned 30mm carbon-fiber drivers give that silence something worth filling. LDAC and 30 hours on a charge leave nothing on the spec sheet to want.
Apple AirPods Pro 3
4.51 reviewThe AirPods Pro 3 are the rare upgrade where every spec moved at once — doubled ANC, fitness-grade sensors, and translation in your ears. If you're in the Apple ecosystem, this is the endgame earbud.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)
4.51 reviewBose optimizes for the eighth hour rather than the spec sheet, and it shows. This is still the comfort benchmark of the category, now with 30 hours of playtime and spatial audio that puts the mix in the room instead of the middle of your skull. Sony gives you more to adjust; Bose gives you less to think about.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Headphones
4.51 reviewSixty hours is not a rounding trick, and ten minutes on the charger buys about six more. The 42mm transducers carry Sennheiser's signature tuning, so the stamina is not paid for out of the sound. Raw cancellation is the one benchmark where Sony and Bose stay ahead.
Soundcore by Anker Space Q45 Headphones
3.81 reviewAdaptive ANC rated to cut up to 98% of noise, and the product is explicitly positioned around commute/lecture-hall use where ANC matters most. Half-point held back since this is a manufacturer-rated figure, not independently verified.