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2019 Gift Guide: The 14 Hottest Wireless Headphones

By on November 20, 2019

There are as many models of headphones as there are heads to wear them, or so it seems. On Ben’s, we’ve posted thousands of headphone deals over the years, and there’s probably a fervent supporter for each one of them. Headphones are as personal as the head that wears them, and headphone aficionados and casual users alike will argue their preferences and favorites to the end of time.

With that in mind, we’ve endeavored to catalog the hottest wireless headphones of 2019, not necessarily the best… and broke them down into 4 categories: true wireless earbuds (Mugatu: so hot right now), true wireless (workout edition), over-ear headphones and gaming headsets.

Watch for price drops and deals on Ben’s in the coming weeks (set deal alerts here)!

True Wireless Earbuds

1. Apple AirPods Pro

Street price: $249.

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: 4 to 5 hours (5+ without noise cancellation); plus 19 extra hours with case (3 add’l full charges).

Charging case: Wireless (1.78″ x 2.39″ x 0.85″, 1.61 oz).

Color: White.

Pros: Best sound of all AirPods… now with active noise canceling. Water-resistant (IPX4, splash-proof). Interchangeable silicone tips with Ear Tip Fit Test to find best seal. Siri voice assistance.

Cons: High price. Noise canceling is, at best, 70% to 80% of comparable over-ear models. Battery life is not that great. Only one color choice.

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2. Apple AirPods (2nd Generation)

Street prices: $149 (standard) and $179 (wireless charging case).

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: 4 to 5 hours; plus 19 extra hours with case (3 add’l full charges).

Charging case: Lightning (1.4″ x 2.1″ x 0.8″, 1.3 oz.) or wireless (1.7″ x 2.1″ x 0.8″, 1.4 oz).

Color: White.

Pros: Lightweight, universal fit form factor sits outside the ear canal which might be more comfortable for users who don’t like in-ear tips. Siri voice assistance.

Cons: No sweat- or water-resistance. No noise canceling. Only one color choice.

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3. Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones

Street price: $229.

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: 5 to 6 hours (up to 8 without noise cancellation); plus 18 extra hours with case (3 add’l full charges).

Charging case: USB-C (3.1″ x 2.1″ x 1.1″, 2.8 oz).

Colors: Black or silver.

Pros: Best noise-canceling true wireless earbuds on market (same ANC processor as the over-ear model). Built-in Google Assistant. Excellent sound quality and design. Interchangeable tips.

Cons: Pricey. No water-resistance rating. Big case. Noise canceling still compromised by form factor, i.e. over-ear form factor is still best for airplane flights.

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4. Amazon Echo Buds

Street price: $130.

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: 4 to 5 hours; plus 15 extra hours with case (3 add’l full charges).

Charging case: microUSB (2.2″ x 3.0″ x 1.4″, 2.5 oz).

Color: Black.

Pros: Cheaper price. Built-in Alexa. Water-resistant. Like many top earbuds, has automatic ear detection, so if you take out one earbud, the audio stops.

Cons: Sound and noise reduction are just OK. Big case. Some connectivity bugs (see our full review).

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5. Samsung Galaxy Buds (SM-R170)

Street price: $130.

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: 4 to 6 hours; plus 7 extra hours with case (1 add’l full charge).

Charging case: Wireless (2.8″ x 1.5″ x 1.0″, 1.4 oz).

Colors: Black or silver.

Pros: Best true wireless earbuds for Android ecosystem. Sweat resistant (IPX2 rating).

Cons: Charging case doesn’t give you much more battery life.

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True Wireless (Workout Edition)

6. Apple Beats Powerbeats Pro

Street price: $249.

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: Up to 9 hours; plus extra 14 hours with case (1-2 add’l full charges).

Charging case: Lightning (3.04″, 3.8 oz).

Colors: Black, ivory, moss and navy.

Pros: Great battery life.Water-resistant (IPX4, splash-proof). Good sound. On-ear volume controls. Eartips with 4 size options.

Cons: Ginormous case. May be uncomfortable fit for some. No active noise cancellation.

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7. Jabra Elite Active 65t

Street price: $150.

Release year: 2018.

Battery life: 4 to 5 hours; plus extra 10 hours (2 add’l full charges).

Charging case: microUSB (2.83″ x 2″ x x 1.04″, 2.3 oz).

Colors: Titanium black, copper black, navy, copper red and gold beige.

Pros: Sweat proof (IP56 rating). Secure fit (includes eartips with 3 size options). Accelerometer to track running (with app).

Cons: No active noise cancellation.

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Over-Ear Headphones

8. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

Street price: $399.

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: 20 hours.

Charging cable: USB-C.

Colors: Black or silver.

Pros: Fantastic Bose noise cancellation (11 levels!). Modern design. Built-in Alexa (hands-free) and Google Assistant and Siri (button). Better sound than QC35 II. Optional 3.5mm cable.

Cons: High price. Not water-resistant.

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9. Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones

Street price: $349.

Release year: 2018.

Battery life: 30 hours.

Charging cable: USB-C.

Colors: Black or silver.

Pros: Industry-leading noise cancellation. Great battery life. Lightweight (9 oz) and comfortable fit. High quality sound (including calls). Optional 3.5mm cable.

Cons: Expensive. Not water-resistant.

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10. Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones II

Street price: $349.

Release year: 2017.

Battery life: 20 hours.

Charging cable: microUSB.

Colors: Black, silver or rose gold.

Pros: Beloved by many for its noise-cancellation and sound quality.

Cons: A bit long in the tooth now—passed technology-wise and looks-wise by the Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000XM3. Not water-resistant.

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11. Jabra Elite 85h

Street price: $299.

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: Up to 35 hours.

Charging cable: USB-C.

Colors: Copper black, gold beige, navy and titanium black.

Pros: Better price compared to Bose and Sony. Incredible battery life. Good, but not best, noise canceling. Water-resistant coating.

Cons: Doesn’t support AAC, aptX or LDAC codecs. Slightly heavier (10.4 oz) than the Bose and Sony models.

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Bonus: Gaming Headsets

12. SteelSeries Arctis 7 Headset

Street price: $113.

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: 20 hours.

Charging cable: microUSB.

Colors: Black or white.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch (with USB adapter); Xbox One (3.5mm cable only).

Pros: Awesome battery life and great sound. DTS Headphone: X (PC). Lightweight and comfortable.

Cons: Surround sound only supported for Windows. No wireless with Xbox One.

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13. Logitech G935 Wireless 7.1 Surround Lightsync Headset

Street price: $100.

Release year: 2019.

Battery life: 13 hours (8 hours with RGB).

Charging cable: microUSB.

Color: Black.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch (with USB adapter); Xbox One (3.5mm cable only).

Pros: Followup to the popular G933 model. DTS 7.1 (PC). RGB lighting. Retractable mic.

Cons: Not as svelte as more modern-looking headsets (13.4 oz). Surround sound only supported for Windows. No wireless with Xbox One.

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14. Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Headset (Xbox One)

Street price: $100.

Release year: 2017.

Battery life: Up to 15 hours.

Charging cable: microUSB.

Colors: Black or white.

Platforms: Xbox One (also available separately for the PlayStation 4).

Pros: Works directly with propietary Xbox Wireless, so no dongle required. Windows Sonic/Dolby Atmos support.

Cons: No 3.5mm option. Can be used with PC but requires the $25 Xbox Wireless Adapter (not included). No DTS 7.1.

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About Joe Warner

I'm the senior editor of The CheckOut. I am an aficionado of shiny gadgets and classic Hollywood movies and can also tell you the names of the late '80s Swedish Davis Cup team members.

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