Tried and tested: the best headphones

Appreciate the sound of silence or prefer booming bass? These five premium sets of headphones can provide it.

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 headphones offer adaptive noise cancellation.

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.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones feature touch-sensitive controls, active noise-cancellation and balanced sound.

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's latest premium, active noice-cancelling headphones, the WH1000XM5.

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.

The Razer Kraken BT Headset features Hello Kitty style.

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's unusually shaped headphones, the AirPods Max, promise to deliver active noise cancellation, computational audio, and special audio.

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