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Headphones Reviews

Westone W40 top headphones

Westone W40 review

Westone’s newest class of hi-fi consumer headphones is led by the W40, a powerhouse of four balanced armature drivers compressed into a light and succinct earbud. But can these tiny buds produce a sound signature worthy of their aristocratic price tag?
Shure SRH 1540 front

Shure SRH1540 review

The Shure SRH1540 are designed as a premium set of headphones, and they’ve certainly got the price tag to match. But can headphones lacking features like active noise-cancelling or Bluetooth be worth the investment? We explain in this review.
Klipsch Status headphones full size 2

Klipsch Status review

Klipsch continues its slow but steady rollout of excellent headphones with the Status, a slightly glitzy, yet super-durable set of travel-friendly headphones, sure to please those who love to rock.
Turtle Beach i60 review headphones angle

Turtle Beach Ear Force i60 review

Turtle Beach has broken away from the traditional gaming headset market with two very apple-centric headsets. Here, we review the i60, which offer wireless performance at home and on the go.
TurtleBeach i30 MEM

Turtle Beach Ear Force i30 review

Turtle Beach’s Ear Force i30 may be marketed at Apple device users, but this headset is a solid choice for anyone with a Bluetooth device. Noise cancelling, Bluetooth and a host of added features make the i30 worth considering.
Beats Studio Wireless review side 1

Beats Studio Wireless Review

Aside from an $80 hike in price over the standard Studio headphones, the addition of Bluetooth functionality brings differences in user operation/interface. What came as a surprise, however, was a variances in sonic performance.
Phiaton Chord MS530 front

Phiaton Chord MS 530 review

Phiaton’s Chord MS530 are, by a good margin, the best travel headphone we’ve tested yet. Their near-perfect blend of high fidelity, outstanding noise canceling, wireless flexibility, and comfortable fit make them one of the strongest headphone offerings in their class.
SMS Street by 50 Cent folded

SMS Street by 50 ANC review

Once again, SMS pulls off celebrity-style without the celebrity excess. The Street by 50 ANC headphones deliver quality sound, solid (but not excellent) noise cancellation and just the right amount of style.
Beats by Dre Studio 2013 front angle

Beats by Dre Studio review

We review the re-vamped Beats Studio, a pair of over-ear noise-cancelling cans that Beats says has been tuned to be more accurate and balanced. Is this version better than the one released five years ago? We find out.

Monster Inspiration (Active Noise Canceling) Review

Monster ditches the bass-bloated Beats brand for a more balanced approach with the sonically accurate Inspiration.

Monster Inspiration (Passive Noise Isolation) Review

Monster ditches the bass-bloated Beats brand for a more balanced approach with the sonically accurate Inspiration.
SoundPeats Opera05 in charging case.

SoundPeats Opera05 review: golden earbuds for golden ears

With a triple-driver design and LDAC support, the SoundPeats Opera05 are a hi-res audio bargain — as long as you don't mind gold.
Ifi Go Link headphone amp/DAC plugged into an iPhone 14 and Sennheiser HD 560S - with magenta LED indicating MQA playback.

Ifi Go Link DAC/amp review: a $59 on-ramp to lossless, hi-res audio

Curious about the world of hi-res and lossless audio? The Ifi Go Link lets you explore the benefits on any device, without breaking the bank.
Jabra Elite 4 Active.

Jabra Elite 4 Active review: Workout buds that won’t make your budget sweat

Jabra's latest workout earbuds manage to find a sweet spot between features and price that will make budget-conscious athletes very happy.
Jabra Elite 4 in an open charging case held by a hand.

Jabra Elite 4 Review: everyday carry wireless earbuds

With Bluetooth Multipoint and excellent noise cancellation, the Jabra Elite 4 are a great set of daily-driver earbuds.
The Nothing Ear 2 earbuds inside the case.

Nothing Ear 2 Review: this time, it’s personal — in a good way

Nothing is back with its second pair of in-ear true wireless earbuds, the Ear 2, and this time, it's personal, in a good way, as we found out in our review.
master and dynamic mh40 wireless headphones review 00011

Master and Dynamic MH40 Wireless headphones review

On the fifth anniversary of its first product, Master and Dynamic is back with a new wireless version of its classic MH40 headphones. All of the original details remain, but the $299 MH40 Wireless are much lighter and now have an 18-hour battery life to power their Bluetooth connection to your devices.
NuraTrue Pro inside charging case, held by hand.

NuraTrue Pro review: come for the lossless audio, stay for the sound

As one of the only wireless earbuds to support aptX Lossless, the NuraTrue Pro are aimed at audiophiles. Is that enough to justify their lofty price?
Man wearing Sennheiser HD 660S2.

Sennheiser HD 660S2 review: I’m an open-back believer

When you want to really explore the detail and depth of your favorite tracks, the Sennheiser HD 660S2 are the perfect tool for the job.
JBL Endurance Peak III in their charging case, hand-held.

JBL Endurance Peak 3 review: pure sports

For earbuds that will hold onto your ears and never let go, the JBL Endurance Peak 3 can outgrip and outlast almost any activity you throw at them.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 earbud next to its open case.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review: cool buds with a talent for music

Which do you value more, musical performance or active noise cancelation performance? The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 force you to make a choice, as we found out.
Earfun Air Pro 3 in charging case.

Earfun Air Pro 3 review: three is a magic number

Earfun keeps refining its budget earbud formula, and the Air Pro 3 are proof that it's a winning formula indeed.
Amazon Echo Buds 2 in charging case.

Amazon Echo Buds 2 review: Better buds for Alexa fans

Amazon's new Echo Buds are a nice upgrade for folks who want easy access to Alexa while out of the house, but some features are still a work in progress.
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9.

Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 review: like AirPods Pro with hi-fi sound

Audio-Technica's new ATH-TWX9 flagship earbuds might look a little like the AirPods Pro, but their sound and style set them apart.
Eargo 6 seen beside a traditional hear aid.

Eargo 6 hearing aid review: A tiny taste of what’s to come

Eargo recently released the newest version of their invisible hearing aids, the Eargo 6. Here's how they stack up after a couple weeks of testing.
Campfire Audio Orbit charging case, lid open.

Campfire Audio Orbit review: out of this world sound

Campfire Audio's first wireless earbuds may be short on features, but they make up for it with massive, powerful sound.
Anker Soundcore Sleep A10 earbuds loose in front of case.

Anker Soundcore Sleep A10 review: if they fit right, you’re out for the night

Anker takes its first stab at creating a pair of sleep earbuds in the Soundcore Sleep A10, though you can listen to any audio you want to help you pass out.
The Jabra Enhance Plus earbuds snap together magnetically.

Jabra Enhance Plus review: Hear what you’ve been missing

Jabra's new Enhance Plus hearables promise to enhance your hearing for clearer conversations and music.
Close-up of Master & Dynamic MW75's earcup and hinge.

Master & Dynamic’s MW75 headphones sound incredible but cost a small fortune

Master & Dynamic's MW75 wireless headphones take luxury, style, sound quality ... and price to all new highs.
Full view of the Monoprice SYNC-ANC headphones.

Monoprice Sync-ANC review: good sound, with some cut corners

The Monoprice Sync-ANC fall flat when canceling noise, yet otherwise sound good, making these cheaper cans more about the sounds you actually want to hear.
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 earcup close-up.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 review: pure headphone luxury

If you can stomach the price, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 sound terrific and are some of the most luxurious and comfortable wireless headphones in the world.
The Nothing Ear Stick's case alongside a smartphone.

Nothing Ear Stick review: the coolest ‘buds you’ll ever see

It's impossible not to love the way the Nothing Ear Sticks look, but do they have the right sound to back the looks up? We find out in our review.
1More Aero wireless earbuds.

1More Aero review: head-tracking spatial audio at a wallet-friendly price

1More's Aero are packed with features, including one that isn't normally found on budget earbud: head-tracking spatial audio.
V-Moda Crossfade 3 Wireless.

V-Moda Crossfade 3 Wireless review: Great cans leave you wanting more

V-Moda's third-gen Crossfade 3 Wireless headphones make almost no changes to the original formula, but that might not be such a good thing.
Senior Editor, A/V

John Higgins is Digital Trends’ Senior Editor and section lead for A/V. After receiving his Bachelor in Music with an Audio Production focus from Ithaca College and Master of Music in Keyboard Collaborative Arts from the University of Southern California, he began working for Home Theater Magazine in 2003. His time in the print and online publishing world has been spent as a writer, editor, copy editor, researcher, and test lab technician. Most recently, Higgins was the Managing Editor of Tech at Reviewed, part of the USA Today network, where he led the website’s tech coverage. He has previously written for Wirecutter, IGN, Projector Central, T3, Sound & Vision, and Home Theater Magazine covering projectors, televisions, headphones and earbuds, sound bars and speakers, and monitors. He is a yearly attendee at CES and an ISF level 3 certified calibrator.

In addition to his career in publishing, Higgins has been a professional musician since the late 90s, having performed on piano in solo recitals, as a collaborative partner with various singers and instrumentalists, and with the Pacific Symphony. He also is an accomplished guitarist and, with his pop/rock band, has played such hallowed L.A. venues as the Troubadour, Roxy, Viper Room, and House of Blues. For 10 years, he was a teacher and music director at a private school in Los Angeles, and following his teaching career spent some time in the film industry as a post-production sound editor and composer.

Originally from just outside Boston, Higgins has been a Los Angeles resident since 2001 where he lives with his wife, son, two rescue dogs, and parrot. When not working, he spends his time watching TV shows about cooking and serial killers, preparing for his next D&D session, ignoring the growing list of games in his Steam gaming library, and building Legos with his son.