The Best Headphones & Earbuds for 2026, Curated
"Best headphones" means five different things depending on whether you're silencing a flight, saving money, taking calls, or fragging at 2 a.m. This hub pulls the top pick from each of our audio buying guides into one place, so you can find the right category fast and dive into the full evidence when it matters.
Start with the category that fits you
Sony WH-1000XM6 — ~$450
The class leader for silencing a plane or an open office: independent tests put its ANC a hair ahead of everything else, and it sounds a touch better than its main rival. If comfort over long sessions matters most, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen, ~$429) is the co-favorite. Both are broken down in our ANC guide.
Read the noise-cancelling guide →Sony WH-CH720N — ~$150
Roughly 80% of the flagship experience — solid ANC, light weight, long battery — for a third of the price. Want to spend even less? The Anker Soundcore Space One / Q45 (~$79) is the budget standout. Both rank in our sub-$200 headphone guide.
Read the headphones-under-$200 guide →Soundcore Liberty 4 NC — ~$100
The best all-rounder under $100: strong adaptive ANC, LDAC hi-res audio, and long total battery. For call-heavy days the Jabra Elite 4 (~$80) leads on mic quality, and the Soundcore Space A40 (~$60) is the value pick. All three are in our earbuds guide.
Read the earbuds-under-$100 guide →HyperX Cloud II — ~$100
The consensus value pick: comfortable for long sessions and a broadcast-quality mic. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 (~$60) wins on mic clarity, and the Razer BlackShark V2 X (~$50) is the budget standout. Ranked in full in our gaming headset guide.
Read the gaming headset guide →The whole lineup at a glance
| Category | Top pick | Approx. price | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship ANC | Sony WH-1000XM6 | ~$450 | ANC → |
| Value over-ears | Sony WH-CH720N | ~$150 | Under $200 → |
| Everyday earbuds | Soundcore Liberty 4 NC | ~$100 | Under $100 → |
| Call earbuds | Jabra Elite 4 | ~$80 | Under $100 → |
| Gaming headset | HyperX Cloud II | ~$100 | Gaming → |
Go deeper: the Sony flagship, reviewed
Wondering whether to save money on the outgoing flagship? Since the WH-1000XM6 launched, the previous-generation Sony WH-1000XM5 has become the value flagship — frequently discounted well below its original price while still delivering near-top-tier ANC. Our Sony WH-1000XM5 review weighs it against both the newer XM6 and the older XM4 so you can decide whether the latest generation is worth the premium.
How to choose in 60 seconds
Pick by the problem you're solving. If you commute or work somewhere loud, spend on flagship ANC — it's the upgrade people feel immediately. If budget is the constraint, the value over-ears give you most of the experience for a third of the cost. If you want something pocketable for the gym or calls, go to the earbuds guide. And if the priority is teammates hearing you clearly, the gaming headset guide is built around mic quality, not just sound.
Bottom line
There's no single "best" pair — there's the best pair for your ears, your budget, and your noise. Two upgrades change your day the most: real noise cancellation and a mic that makes you sound like yourself on calls. Start with whichever of those you need, then use the guides above to spend exactly where it counts and nowhere it doesn't.