Update July 2017

5 Best Bluetooth Headphones That Will Blow You Away

Diligently searching for the “perfect” pair of Bluetooth Headphones is not as easy as shooting fish in a barrel with over a million perspectives and hundreds of brands offering amazing products. What makes the task even more challenging is that no headphones are strictly speaking “bad”. However, keep it in mind that you can only take one (or two if you are a mega audiophile!) home, here is a list of 5 of the best Bluetooth Headphones in the market today.

So What Goes Into The 5 Best Bluetooth

Before getting down to the main agenda, let’s address the elephant in the room! Keep it in mind that almost every Bluetooth headphone in the market satisfies some of the most basic necessities such as a decent range of connectivity and minimum levels of treble, mid and bass that makes it passable, the list of criteria that we used to select these 5 were on a more serious note. Being a music aficionado and a certified audiophile, we like our headphones to do justice to an artist’s efforts. We would love to hear every single detail in the track from the slightest jingles on the high hats to the heart thumping bass. However, besides this, here is a list of parameters we ticked off, before narrowing down the list from hundreds of candidates to the five best Bluetooth Headphones.

How We Decided

  • PROS
    Reasons why we would put the headphones in our cart
  • BATTERY LIFE
    For long music streaming sessions
  • COMFORT
    How comfortable the headphones feel on my ears (for in-ear and on-ear variants)
  • CONS
    Reasons why we would not put the headphones in our cart
  • CONS
    Reasons why we would not put the headphones in our cart
  • TOUCH SCREEN
    For quick access and being tech savvy
  • BUILD QUALITY
    How sturdy the headphones are and how reliable they seem
  • FEATURES
    For those who like to know EVERYTHING before they buy something!
  • COST
    The value the product offers
  • ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION
    So that surrounding ambient noise does not interfere with your listening
  • WEIGHT
    So it feels like headphones and not headgear!
  • SOUND CLARITY
    The clarity of the music you hear including the mid, bass and treble
  • BOSE
    QuietComfort 35 Wireless
  • SENNHEISER
    Momentum 2.0 Wireless
  • B&O
    Beoplay H9 Wireless
  • JABRA
    Move Wireless Stereo Headset
  • JABRA
    Elite Sport Wireless In-Ear Headphones

BOSE THE VERY BEST

QuietComfort 35 Wireless

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If you don’t want to get your hands on anything less than the best, then check out the cream of the crop- BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 35. I cannot hear a single noise even though I am in the nosiest bus!

Staff Review

For those who have no issues in owning the best Bluetooth Headphones even if it costs a significant amount, the Bose QuietComfort 35 is a must have pair of headphones. The headphone is available in black and silver variants. Though the design does look good, we are people who likes our headphones to be on the sleek side, and unfortunately, QC 35 is a bit bulky for our liking. However, putting that aside, the headphones weighs 236 grams which is pretty justified for the features it packs.

One of the major reasons why our editors recommend QC 35 as the very best Bluetooth headphone, is because of Bose’s active noise cancellation feature. Being someone who travels quite a bit (and not in luxury sedans but commuter buses!), we honestly had a jaw dropping effect when we started streaming. The active noise cancellation is so perfect that we could not hear a single sound, despite the bus being as noisy as ever, and this made us silently whoop in joy! The sound clarity was perfect, so was the voice quality when we made a few calls.

We were surprised to see that the active noise cancellation feature worked even for phone calls. Thrilled, we played our test songs to see how good the QC 35 gets. We first played the Great Gig in the Sky. The QC 35 beats the experience due to the added noise cancellation feature. However, when we played the Seven Nation Army, we were shocked. We found some tonal distortions when playing a bass intensive track at high volumes. We looked into reviews by other users and found that this is a persistent problem with 10 – 20% of the QC35 users. However, when we lowered the volume a notch, this problem no longer persisted.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 comes with a hard case which is a boon for people who frequently travel. Also, Bose has an exclusive app for QC 35 users, which lets you use presets and other EQ effects which enhance your listening experience. Considering that we all use music apps to stream, we found the Bose app convenient and more packed with features. The app also has an auto shutdown feature, which turns off the device automatically, and we found this extremely useful at night because we could nod off without a care in the world! The device has a playback time of 20 hours, and it comes with a 2.5mm audio jack cable which can be plugged in for wired usage when the battery is running low.

For those who do not mind dishing out over $300 for an awesome headphone which certainly worth the money, the Bose QuietComfort 35 is the best Bluetooth headphone that you can have.

SENNHEISER

Momentum 2.0 Wireless

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Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2.0 is a classy Bluetooth headphone, with long lasting battery life and incredibly impressive sound quality. Although a little expensive for me, it is a bang for the bucks.

Staff Review

In our hunt to find the Best Bluetooth Headphones in the market today, we came across the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2.0 which we could very easily compare with the Bose QuietComfort 35. We would even go far enough to say Sennheiser tried to give Bose a run for its money, and sadly it backfired! The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2.0 despite being a great competitor for QC 35 is a bit overpriced at over $ 400. The headphone is available as black and white variants, and we got the black variant. The second we got the headphones, we could not help but notice the minimalistic and elegant design approach. The larger-than-ear ear-cups and headband have a leather finish to them. This gives the headphone a classy appearance.

We then checked out the sound quality of the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2.0, and we found that it works like a charm for both bass intensive music and tracks filled with mid and high notes from the likes of Vivaldi and Coldplay. The sound quality was great, and the active noise cancellation kicked in the second we started streaming music on our daily way to work. Just like the QC 35, we could barely hear a noise but music and was thrilled to see there were no distortions at any volume levels.

The Captune app is a music streaming app from Sennheiser specially built for the likes of some of the best Bluetooth Headphones like the , and it has a bunch of presets and EQ settings to amp up the listening experience. What puts this headphone in the list of the best Bluetooth Headphones is the sound design and crystal clear clarity even in conventional phone calls, which uses a Voicemax microphone. However, the active noise cancellation seems to be everywhere, including quiet rooms (where it is completely unnecessary!) and can be an unwanted source of battery draining.

Since the Momentum Wireless 2.0 packs a battery with average playback time per charge at 22 hours, this issue is not of much consequence. However, we sometimes wonder if this feature being user controlled could have extended the battery life even more! Sennheiser has considered almost all possibilities and the possibility of your music streaming stopping with a low battery is tackled too! The headphone has an optional cable that can be plugged in for wired usage. Even the cable keeps with the minimalistic design, and we found this great.

We did a bit of research as to how Sennheiser could build a Bluetooth headphone that offers such great clarity and found that it uses the aptX codec. This codec enhances audio clarity for Bluetooth streaming. What makes Sennheiser one of the best Bluetooth Headphones is the built-in voice prompt which tells you when you are powering your device on or off and when the battery is running low. The headphone has easily accessible controls on the right earcup, and we could distinguish the power on/off and volume adjustment keys with ease.

If you are looking for classy Bluetooth Headphones, and do not mind paying the price for it, then the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2.0 deserves your deep consideration.

B&O

Beoplay H9 Wireless

Buy Now

While keeping high-standard sound clarity of B&O products, Beoplay H9 features active noise cancellation compared to its predecessors. With luxurious materials, it looks expensive and really collects head turns on the way to work!

Staff Review

For those folks familiar with the Beoplay H7, the H9 is an upgraded variant that has put the Beoplay flagship of wireless headphones in the list of the best Bluetooth Headphones. The Beoplay H9 features the ANC feature which was prominently missed in the H7 counterpart, and this added feature gives the headphone a charm it never had before. The headphone is available in black and brown variants. Usually, any headphone with less than three color variants is looked down upon by us. However, the design and looks of the Beoplay H9 are too good to be true, and we are going to let this one slide since the brown and black variants are close to perfect in its aesthetic looks. We got a brown variant to try out, though we are more inclined to favoring black on our gadgets. That was until we counted 34 heads turn and took notice of our headphone on the way to work!

The Beoplay H9 has an active noise cancellation feature which was lacking in B&O products which made it open to criticism since the headphones could not power over ambient noise. However, the ANC in H9 bids adieu to this issue. The active noise cancellation technology uses an intuitive method of detecting noise frequencies which have a potential to interfere with music streaming. It then emits a counter signal along with the music, such that the noise from surroundings is effectively canceled. Since ambient noise is a form of white gaussian noise that consists of all kinds of frequencies, implementing an ANC design is no child's play. B&O has done a great job with the H9 in this aspect and has successfully put it on the list of the best Bluetooth Headphones. However, the ANC quality is a notch below the likes of Bose and Sennheiser.

We found the battery life to be satisfactory and a single charge lasted for a course two working days. This roughly came to about 14 hours, and we found the headphone pushing 16 hours when we used the ANC intermittently. The Beoplay H9 has no fancy voice prompts to warn you of a low battery when you power on and off your device. However, the headphone has a sleep mode that can be enabled to power it off automatically after 15 minutes.

The Beoplay H9 has a touch control interface which is becoming quite the trend in some of the best Bluetooth Headphones in the market. The touch control, however, did have a few glitches, which was not to our liking. Coming at a price of $500 the B&O could have at least ensured that the headphone is without glitches. We tried the headphone with two of our standard test tracks to measure the performance for bass and higher frequencies. Surprisingly we found the headphone to exhibit great clarity, consistent with B&O standards.

Another thing we liked about the Beoplay H9 was the removable battery feature. This lets you swap batteries even if the device runs low on power. The Beoplay app for both iOS and Android allows you customize EQ and effects which let you modify things to your liking. Furthermore, the app also substitutes for the voice prompt feature seen in some of the best Bluetooth Headphones on the list.

The Beoplay H9 is a great Bluetooth headphone and shows remarkable design and feature enhancements compared to its predecessors. Priced at $500, the headphone certainly looks expensive and is comfortable to use.

JABRA BUDGET FRIENDLY PICK

Move Wireless Stereo Headset

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Light, comfortable and stylish, Jabra Move Wireless is a surprise for Bluetooth Headphones at this level of price. However, it does not feature an active noise cancellation design, so it is not a best choice for use on noisy streets or buses.

Staff Review

The reason why the Jabra Move Wireless owns a place among brands like Bose and B&O is that we found that it is a product of promising value for money and excellent features that are competitive with other brands.

The most amazing feature that struck us was that the Move Wireless had crystal clear clarity and base tonal quality in spite of its price. We tested the headphones with a fast bass track (the Seven Nation Army remix by the Glitch Mob) and was honestly surprised with the clarity. We then moved on to progressive tracks (Great Gig in the Sky by Pink Floyd) known for the ultimate highs and mid ranges. The Move Wireless certainly proved its mettle to be on the list of the best Bluetooth Headphones.

We then tested out the headphones in varied environments right from the calm and quiet in our room to streets with mild traffic and finally a commuter bus. Since the headphone features a supra-aural (on-ear) design, most of the noise went unheard (even in the commuter bus). However, since the headphone does not feature an active noise cancellation design, we could hear a background buzz very clearly in noise intensive environments.

Moving around with the Jabra Move Wireless was pure bliss. The headphone features a lightweight, sleek and stylish design and has excellent build quality. The Move Wireless just weighs 150g which is considerably lighter than all the Bluetooth Headphones we reviewed. Available in red, black and blue, we did notice many heads turn and look inquisitively at our black variant.

One of the things we noticed on the go was the battery life of the headphone. It lasted for about 8 hours, and considering that we blast music into our ears, this was pretty good. We believe the battery should last more for people who listen to music at moderate or light volume levels. However, considering that the headphone is meant to be wireless and made for people on the go, we were slightly disappointed with the battery life.

The Bluetooth headphone comes with a wire option, which can simply be hooked into the device so that it works just like conventional headphones. We found this feature to be especially handy when the battery was running out. This way we could still listen to music, though the “wirelessness” function was compromised.

JABRA

Elite Sport Wireless In-Ear Headphones

Buy Now

It fits perfectly in the ear and plays high-quality music when I work out wet in sweat. But I am a little afraid of misplacing them since they are so small and light.

Staff Review

What we like about the Jabra Elite Sport is that it is handy and is just 13 grams. The only thing that we have to be worried about is misplacing them. This is Jabra’s most advanced Bluetooth Headphones without a doubt and is also one of the best Bluetooth Headphones. Before we get to the sound quality, let us talk a bit about the design and other features. It fits snugly inside our ear but doesn’t cancel out the noise a lot. There is a cool feature called HearThrough which lets in ambient noise so that we can engage in conversations without removing the headphones.

Jabra Elite Sport is a sports headphone and not meant for long hours of playback. It can give you around 3 hours of quality music before it runs out of juice. A nifty little feature is that you can use the headphones’ case as a charger. Simply put the earphones back inside the case, and it will charge by induction and can give you two additional charges for a total of 9 hours, which is good enough.

Another thing that we liked about the Jabra Elite Sport is that it is IP67 rated. So, our intense sweaty workouts will not affect these bad boys. It can even survive underwater to a depth of 1m for about 30 minutes. We love the Jabra Sport Life app and it so easy to hook it up. People who are into running can track their VO2 max levels, which is the amount of oxygen they use while engaging in intense workouts.

Each headphone houses a microphone, out of which one is used for calls and the other one is for active noise cancellation. Coming to the sound quality, it is pretty darn good on the Elite Sport. We do not like it when manufacturers concentrate only on bass and Jabra has done a splendid job in keeping everything intact, whether it be the lows or the highs. Even if we are listening to a thumping song and getting ready for our workout or something soothing to calm myself, the sound quality is just gorgeous. There is a perfect balance, and Jabra has hit the bulls-eye in terms of sound quality and is one of the best Bluetooth Headphones.

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