The best headphones for music in 2023 (best earbuds)
The TOP of the best headphones for music (best earbuds) in 2023 includes wired and wireless models, the best in sound quality for their price (prices from $8 to $2000). In total, we tested 570 headphone models and only 15 of them recommended headphones for music made it to this music headphone rating.
If you’re used to choosing the very best, then we’ve got more reviews of the best bufget laptops of 2022, as well as smartphones with the best cameras.
5 main criteria for choosing good headphones (best earbuds):
- What headphones are you looking for (application)? 🎶. Universal headphones for music / home wired headphones for music (best headphones for music) / headphones for games and computer / headphones for sports. If your choice is universal or home headphones, these are the top best headphones for you, go further down the list.
- Which design will be comfortable for you 🎧? Full size/vacuum/on-ear/in-ear. Design affects sound, usability, and more.
- Prices 💸:
🎖️ Up to $50 – budget, maximum sound quality for your money.
🥇 From $50-300 – the golden mean of price and quality, you get a balance: headphones with good sound, high-quality headphones in terms of materials and ease of use.
🏆 $300 and more are expensive models, you get a top device with the best: sound, functionality, durability and comfort. - Wired 🔌 or wireless headphones 🔋? Wired ALWAYS win in sound under equal conditions (for the same price). Wireless ALWAYS win in ease of use and functionality (noise reduction, ease of control, etc.).
- Source for headphones 📱. If your rage fell on wired headphones, then choosing a source is also no less important than the headphones themselves. For wireless, this is less important, modern smartphones are good in terms of sources for any Bluetooth headphones.
The best earbuds for your phone under $500 - expensive headphones for music
Specifications:
| Brand | Shure |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | 3.5mm |
| Model Name | AONIC 5 |
| Form Factor | Earbuds |
Shure AONIC 5 – The best quality headphones for phones under $500. This is a full-fledged audiophile model: 3 reinforcing radiators in each case, excellent fast sound, rich set. At the same time, there is a remote control on the wire that is suitable for Android and iOS phones – there is a switch.
But these are definitely not inexpensive headphones for music. Shure AONIC 5 needs a good player for full disclosure.
Price: Check price here
Vacuum headphones with good bass and clear sound - metal with a good set. Recommended headphones for music
Specifications:
| Brand | HiFiGo |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Form Factor | In Ear |
| Headphones Jack | 2.5mm Jack, 3.5mm Jack |
| Material | Stainless Steel, Aluminum |
Dunu Zen are expensive and high-quality vacuum headphones with good bass and clear sound. Comfortable, reliable (metal cases), with a good bundle. All the hallmarks of an audiophile model.
The price plus or minus is justified by the sound quality. Of the unusual, these headphones with good bass and sound boast interchangeable plugs. 😎
Price: Check price here
The best wired quality earbuds under $150 - closed model for music
Specifications:
| Brand | Sennheiser Consumer Audio |
| Ear Placement | Over Ear |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Model Name | HD 569 |
The Sennheiser HD 569S are the best quality wired headphones under $150. Full size open. They build a wide and high-quality stage, please with high detail and bright presentation. In addition, these good wired headphones for music can be confidently called comfortable, you can sit in them without discomfort for a long time.
Perhaps, these are still the best wired headphones under $150 recommended headphones for music in terms of the totality of all qualities. Of the full size, at least.
Price: Check price here
Wireless headphones for music (2020)
Specifications:
| Brand | HUAWEI |
| Ear Placement | In Ear |
| Color | Sliver |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Form Factor | In Ear |
Huawei FreeBuds Pro – completely wireless headphones for music with good sound, new in October 2020. Vacuum TWS model from Huawei with active noise reduction, unusual control, autonomy up to 7 hours and other features. And these high-quality headphones are very similar to AirPods Pro (why would that be? 😛 )
Price: Check price here
The best wired headphones for music - the most budget model in the ranking
Specifications:
| Brand | Panasonic |
| Color | Purple |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Model Name | RP-HJE125-V |
| Form Factor | In Ear |
The Panasonic RP-HJE125 are the best wired headphones for music under $10. If you don’t want to spend more than 10 bucks on earplugs, then this is the same model. There is no the highest detail and other audiophile stuff, but these budget quality headphones just win back every penny. Listening to music in the background and not thinking about how bad it sounds is what they are made for.
Of course, expensive high-quality wired headphones give out much better sound, but the prices are different there. 😉
Price: Check price here
The coolest true wireless (TWS) headphones in 2022
Specifications:
| Brand | Sennheiser Consumer Audio |
| Ear Placement | In Ear |
| Color | White |
| Connectivity Technology | Wireless |
| Model Name | Momentum True Wireless 2 |
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 is a vacuum fully wireless headphones with great sound, aptX support, active noise cancellation, up to 7 hours of autonomy, smart features and chic design, cool headphones, in general. 😉 One minus is the price. But it would be strange if such a model was inexpensive. Weird and suspicious 😉
Price: Check price here
Headphones with good sound - hybrids with 4 drivers and sound settings
Specifications:
| Brand | FiiO |
| Ear Placement | In Ear |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Form Factor | In Ear |
Fiio FH5s Pro are wired vacuum headphones with good sound. This is a four-driver model with 2 dynamic and 2 armature radiators per channel. It features the ability to adjust the sound (there are controls on the cases) and interchangeable plugs. These headphones surprised me at one time with a good sound: bright and high-quality, excellent for their money.
Price: Check price here
High-quality bluetooth headphones with noise reduction - the most popular among wireless
Specifications:
| Brand | Sony |
| Ear Placement | Over Ear |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | Wireless |
| Model Name | WH1000XM5/B |
Sony WH-1000XM5 are popular and high-quality bluetooth noise-canceling headphones. Smart features, useful app, support for SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD and LDAC, and quite good sound. Maybe these are not the most popular headphones in the world, but it is difficult to find someone who is interested in headphones in principle and has not heard about this model. And this, despite not the most easily pronounceable name. 😉
Need good Bluetooth headphones for music with all the modern features? It’s them. 😎
Price: Check price here
The best rebar headphones before - for quality music in FLAC
Specifications:
| Brand | Westone |
| Ear Placement | In Ear |
| Color | Silver, Black |
| Form Factor | In Ear |
| Item Weight | 0.45 Pounds |
Westone W80 v3 are the best rebar headphones. 8 reinforcing emitters in each housing, wide range of equipment and a proven manufacturer. But the main thing is high-quality sound. They may not be the best sounding headphones in principle, but in their price category they are good. The sound is detailed, precise, authentic and balanced. Even the lack of bass is not felt.
Price: Check price here
Headphones for high quality music - full size model for phone and player
Specifications:
| Brand | PHONON |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Form Factor | In Ear |
| Item Weight | 250 Grams |
Phonon SMB-03 are wired over-ear headphones for high quality music. The sound is balanced, accurate and energetic, it justifies the rather high price. These are universal headphones: for the player and for the phone. Yes, they will be revealed best from a high-quality player, but it will also be pleasant to listen to them from the phone.
These high-quality headphones for music also look stylish: concise, minimalistic, but interesting. For walking around the city – a great option.
Price: Check price here
The best sound among wireless headphones - universal Bluetooth headset for music
Specifications:
| Brand | Sennheiser Consumer Audio |
| Ear Placement | Over Ear |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | Wireless |
| Model Name | Momentum 3 Wireless |
The Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless are arguably the best wireless headphones for music. High-quality powerful bright sound with support for aptX codecs is really good here. In addition, these headphones are the best (or one of the best) in terms of technology chips and smart features: active noise cancellation, turn on when unfolded, wide application options and more.
In general, looking for the best headphones is a pointless task. Especially among wireless ones. Given the subjectivity of understanding sound quality and the active development of the industry, there will always be a model that is better at least in some way. 😉
Price: Check price here
Three Driver Earphones with Linum BAX T2 Detachable Cable, True Low-end sub bass, Pristine Frequency Response
Best Home Headphones for Sound Quality Under $400 - Comfortable Audiophile Headphones
Specifications:
| Brand | HIFIMAN |
| Ear Placement | Over Ear |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Model Name | Sundara |
Hifiman Sundara are the best home headphones for sound quality under $400. A beautiful, comfortable model with a smooth and natural sound, isodynamic radiators and a reliable design. These are open headphones for audiophiles who love uncolored sound: there are no accents here, but everything is authentic. For the money, these are the best headphones in terms of sound.
Price: Check price here
Best Headphones for Sound Quality Under $1500 - Portable Hi-End Headphones
Specifications:
| Brand | Sennheiser Consumer Audio |
| Ear Placement | In Ear |
| Color | Silver |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Model Name | IE 900 |
The Sennheiser IE 900 are the best headphones for sound quality under $1500. These are vacuum dynamic headphones. Not even multi-driver armatures. But everything is done so well that one 7mm driver (in each cabinet) produces a very authentic lively and accurate sound. Among their own kind, these are the best headphones in terms of sound.
Of course, in such a price range, it is important not only that these are the best sounding headphones, but also “luxury chips” are appreciated and warm the soul. 😉 And everything is there: 3 cables included and a personal certificate from the production line.
Price: Check price here
The best headphones for music in 2022
Specifications:
| Brand | Sennheiser Consumer Audio |
| Ear Placement | Over Ear |
| Color | Black |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Model Name | HD 820 |
Sennheiser HD 800S full-size open-wired audiophile headphones are the world’s best headphones for live acoustic music. And not only. 😉 A wide stage with a very precise elaboration, chic detail and naturalness: these are not just words here, it is these features that cause a “wow effect” and can immerse you in your favorite music for many hours in a row.
These best wired headphones are also very comfortable. Which is not surprising. After all, they are clearly homemade and created for long “music sessions”. 😎
Price: Check price here
Bonus. Sound source on which a lot depends
It is important to choose the right device, such as a portable Hi-Fi player
It often happens that a person buys expensive headphones (some multi-driver armatures for several hundred dollars, for example), and then writes reviews everywhere: the sound is not worth that kind of money, my $50 earplugs sound no worse, if not better.
And this may be true to some extent: after all, most likely, he listened to them from a regular smartphone, but he cannot unlock the potential of high-quality headphones. He’s just not designed for that. Playing music is far from the main function of the phone, so this part of its functionality is implemented “for change”.
The best headphones for music with the highest customer rating
If these headphones do not suit you, then you can see the best-selling headphones, as well as headphones with the highest customer ratings:
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