Tried and tested: the best headphones
Appreciate the sound of silence or prefer booming bass? These five premium sets of headphones can provide it.
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The world of headphones can be overwhelming but Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson has done the research for you and lists the top headphones to buy this year.
JBL Tour One
Comfortable wireless headphones to suit commuters
$350, jbl.com.au
PROS
Self-adjusting sound
Hi-res audio support
Reliable touch controls
CONS
Boring, black design
Ambient Aware needs work
Average sound quality
Cancelling outside noise might not be helpful when you’re at a train station, unaware of announcements. JBL Tour One can balance both worlds with adaptive noise-cancellation that can determine your environment and how much you want to hear. For the most part, Ambient Aware works well, highlighting voices nearby and important traffic noise. These cans feature external controls to change sound when you need to do it manually. Audio can be punchy, though not as clear and balanced as some.
Sennheiser Momentum 4
A stylish new take on headphones for audiophiles
$550, sennheiser.com.au
PROS
Detailed, balanced sound
Sophisticated new look
Improbably long battery life
CONS
Won’t cancel all noise
Missing former retro style
Don’t fold up for travel
The market for premium headphones is crowded but these deserve a prominent place. They’ve ditched the retro look for sophistication, with a woven headband and touch-sensitive controls. Sound is what you’d expect from the German brand and price, with incredible detail and a pleasant mix of bass and treble, and extra features to handle how your voice sounds during calls. And they’ll work for 60 hours on one charge.
Sony WH-1000XM5
The industry standard just got another upgrade
$548, sony.com.au
PROS
Noticeable bass boost
Best ANC on the market
Sleek, comfortable redesign
CONS
Don’t fold as much
No water resistance
Plastic shell
If you’ve got noisy neighbours, chattering colleagues, or just need to focus, Sony’s newest headphones are the most efficient (and polite) way to deal with it. The company, which claimed the market leader title from Bose two editions ago, doesn’t make huge improvements in its fifth model but they do come with a slick redesign that improves wind resistance, adds more microphones for better noise-cancellation, and makes them slighter lighter. These cans also feature surprisingly punchy bass and the smart features old fans know, like adaptive sound and speak-to-chat.
Razer Kraken BT Hello Kitty
If you want to look adorable on video calls
$199, jbhifi.com.au
PROS
The cutest design
Glowing Kitty icon
Well padded ear cups
CONS
No noise-cancellation
No sound modes
Average audio delivery
These special edition Hello Kitty models are adorable. The Sanrio collab is obvious with a bright pink bow, pink sides, and glowing Hello Kitty icon. These Bluetooth headphones are designed for mobile phone use, rather than games, but they’re well padded and comfortable. They don’t offer the same sound quality as others in their price range and have no noise isolation or cancellation.
Apple AirPods Max
Headphones with a unique twist only Apple could deliver
$899, apple.com/au
PROS
Spatial audio as you move
Crisp, detailed sound
Comfortable pads you can swap
CONS
On the heavy side, at 384g
Need a cover to turn off
High price
Apple’s first headphones have an unusual design with sleek, coloured aluminium and matching woven fabric. AirPods Max are not new but they have fresh features, including support for Spatial Audio that makes music sound as if playing from speakers around you. Audio is detailed even at high and low volumes, active noise-cancellation is effective, and playback can be controlled with two buttons.
Originally published as Tried and tested: the best headphones
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