What 6 headphones products score on
We scored 6 products in this category on the same 6 criteria, weighted the same way. That makes them comparable, which lets the set say things no single review can — where products genuinely differ, and where the thing they are all marketed on turns out not to separate them at all.
Where they differ most
Battery life
Scores run from 3.0 to 5.0 across 6 products — a 2.0-point spread. This is the criterion worth reading closely before buying.
Where they're all much the same
Build quality
Every product lands between 3.0 and 4.0. A solved problem in this category, and a poor reason to pay more.
Every criterion, across the category
| Criterion | Weight | Average | Range | Spread | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ComfortWhether they can be worn for hours. Clamp, weight and heat are the complaints that turn up again and again. | 20% | 3.9 | 3.0–5.0 | 2.0 | 6 |
| Battery lifeReal endurance against the advertised figure, and how fast they charge when it runs out. | 15% | 4.2 | 3.0–5.0 | 2.0 | 6 |
| Sound qualityHow they actually sound across music, calls and video, and how owners describe them after months rather than on day one. | 30% | 4.3 | 3.5–5.0 | 1.5 | 6 |
| Noise cancellationHow much of the world they shut out, and whether owners find it holds up on planes, trains and open-plan offices. | 20% | 4.4 | 3.5–5.0 | 1.5 | 6 |
| ValueWhat you get for the price against what else is on the shelf at that money. | 5% | 3.6 | 3.0–4.5 | 1.5 | 6 |
| Build qualityMaterials, hinges and cable strain — the parts that decide whether they last two years or five. | 10% | 3.7 | 3.0–4.0 | 1.0 | 6 |
The underlying data
Every product and every score behind the figures above, so the findings can be checked rather than taken on trust.
| Product | Overall | Sound quality | Noise cancellation | Comfort | Battery life | Build quality | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Apple AirPods Pro 3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Headphones | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Soundcore by Anker Space Q45 Headphones | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| Bose Headphones 700 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
How this was put together
Each of the 6 products is scored out of five on every criterion above by a named reviewer, with the reasoning published beside each number. The overall figure is those scores weighted by the shares shown.
The scores come from published manufacturer specifications and from what verified owners consistently report across the retailers selling the product. We do not test products ourselves, and no figure on this page should be read as a measurement. What it is instead is a large body of owner reporting and specification, read against one consistent rubric — which is something no individual review can tell you and something the manufacturers will not.
Averages are the mean across products, counting each product once however many reviews it has. A dash means nobody has scored that product on that criterion yet, and it is left out of that criterion's figures rather than counted as a zero.
Figures current as of publication and updated as reviews are added. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.