© Lemon squeezer
For several years now, a relevant comparison allowing you to choose the best bluetooth headset has been one of the things we are asked for most often. To stand out from the crowd, brands are constantly improving on-board technologies.
In 2024 the best bluetooth headphones offer active noise reduction. The offer is growing and now includes big names in tech like Apple, Sony and Bose as well as other audio specialists.
The best Bluetooth headset delivers a battery life of around 20 hours – which generally allows you to use the device for several days without having to recharge it. Some headsets offer simplified Bluetooth pairing which allows you to use your headset more quickly when you put it on your ears.
Note, however, that these pairing systems are generally exclusive to ecosystems. For example, you will not be able to use the simplified pairing of AirPods on an Android smartphone. Conversely, simplified pairing of devices like the Sony WH1000-XM4 will not work on iPhone.
There is also the question of audio quality, reinforced by quality headphones and the design of the headset (circum or over-ear). But also comfort, because the headband of certain headphones can quickly become uncomfortable after a few hours of listening.
You should also know that Bluetooth still remains a more limited technology than most users think in terms of audio quality. The best Bluetooth headsets therefore have special codecs like aptX or DHSEE which allow you to overcome the bandwidth limit of the Bluetooth connection to a certain extent.
We help you see things more clearly in our comparison of bluetooth headsets in 2024.
Top 5 best bluetooth headphones 2024:
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sony WH-1000XM4
- Bose Headphones 700
- Apple AirPods Max
- Bose QC45
The best bluetooth headphones 2024 for active noise cancellation
© Sony
The Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones surprised when they were released with the quality of their active noise cancellation system and the quality of the audio rendering… clearly above the previous reference of its kind, the Bose QC-35. The WH-1000XM4 remained the undisputed king of the market thanks to an even better proposition.
But the latest WH-1000XM5 model released in 2024 promises a new leap forward in the department. Now the active noise cancellation of the headphones relies on no less than 8 microphones to better filter unpleasant sounds in the mids and highs.< /p>
To this, Sony adds a new automatic active noise cancellation optimizer, called Auto NC Optimizer: the system thus constantly adapts to the surrounding conditions and to what you wear. The WH-1000XM5 also features new 30mm speakersall in a new polyurethane design which reinforces passive noise cancellation, particularly in low and high frequencies.
The headset is also equipped with LDAC technology which allows approximately 3 times more data to be transmitted than conventional Bluetooth (990 kbps) – We're not quite on lossless yet, but it's getting close. For the rest, the autonomy is 30 hours with active noise cancellation and up to 40 hours without. The device has been available since May 20, 2024 at price of 419 euros.
L’other best bluetooth headset 2024
© Sony
Impossible to start this comparison without mentioning the Sony WH-1000XM4, undoubtedly the best bluetooth headset from the manufacturer – and in our opinion the best bluetooth headset on the market, period. With the WH-1000XM3, Sony already offered an almost flawless Bluetooth headset.
Its successor therefore logically takes the same bases and is adorned with new sound processing and noise reduction algorithms. The result is even better, so the XH-1000XM4 stands out as the current reference.
Firstly thanks to excellent sound quality with a good balance between treble and midrange but above all excellent bass management. But above all thanks to its impeccable active noise reduction.
Its use is extremely simple thanks in particular to the touch controls on the right earpiece. The companion app is also well designed. Finally, the WH-1000XM4 is compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa. It also supports multipoint Bluetooth, the main weakness of its predecessor.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 is available at a price of 349 euros. It comes in black and silver. For smaller budgets, the WH-1000XM3 is a good alternative. Less expensive, there are few differences between these two models.
L’other best Bluetooth headset 2024
© Amazon
The latest in the Bose family has little to envy of the Sony model. Highly anticipated, the successor to the QC 35 II is here. With its Headphones 700, the American wanted to mark the occasion by completely reviewing the design of its best Bluetooth headset. A success.
Among its main strengths, noise reduction is at the top. It must be said that Bose's primary business was to create headphones in the field of aviation.
Bose is also a sound quality praised by all specialists. The 700 therefore inherits this know-how. Unlike Sony headphones, the Bose signature is distinguished by a sound more focused on the mids. Enough to delight fans of podcasts for example.< /p>
Like the WH-1000XM4, the Bose Headphones 700 supports multi-point Bluetooth connections. Finally, note that this headset shines with its excellent battery life.
The Bose 700 is available at a price of 320 euros and is available in three colors: black, silver and midnight blue. If your budget is smaller, you can turn to the Bose QC 35 II, still an excellent headset at the end of 2020.
The best bluetooth headphones 2024 Apple
© Apple
The arrival of Apple on the wireless headset market caused a lot of noise. With the AirPods Max, the Californian giant makes a sensational entrance since it positions its headset at a high price.
Marketed at 629 euros, the AirPods Max stands out above all for its design that is the polar opposite of what you can find at Sony or Bose. No plastic on the best Apple Bluetooth headset, but aluminum and steel for a decidedly elegant result.
The other side of the coin is that the AirPods Max is heavy. And if the soft fabric headband makes wearing the headset pleasant, its plumpness is felt during prolonged listening.
And the sound in all this ? Despite limited compatibility with AAC and SBC codecs, Apple succeeds in taming sound frequencies brilliantly.< /strong>Spatial Audio technology (already available on certain content) and the arrival of Apple Music with Lossless titles promise great things. Be careful though, to benefit from this premium quality you will need to connect the headphones to the transmitting device with a cable.
The best bluetooth headset 2024 in the footsteps of the QC35 II
© Bose
Bose has just launched a new model in the QuietComfort range, the QC45. The new headset is one of the brand's best Bluetooth headsets. It delivers an exceptional autonomy of 24 hours for a complete recharge which is completed in 2h30 – 15 minutes of charging is enough to deliver 3 hours of listening.
In terms of audio quality, it improves the quality of active noise reduction. The headset will feature two modes, “Aware” and “Quiet”. The first mode is in fact a variation of the “transparency” that we find on competing models.
The sound picked up by the set of external microphones is directly amplified and retransmitted into the headset so that we have the impression that it is not sits more on your ears. Quiet mode is of course the mode that activates active noise reduction.
This has been reinforced and improved, especially in the mid frequencies – which represent the bulk of annoying sounds in planes, trains, and busy places.
The best bluetooth headset 2024 if you're looking for a nice surprise
© Nura
We didn't see this one coming. And yet, it has cause for concern among market references. Doctors in acoustic engineering, the creators of the Nuraphone have developed one of the best bluetooth headphones in a way very different from anything you have seen until today.
To deliver the best possible sound to your ears, the headphones can analyze your acoustic resonance. In summary, the headset scans with expert precision the constitution of your ear canal for excellent sound reproduction.
To achieve this, the creators therefore imagined a headset that is both circum-aural and in-ear. This design not only allows it to deliver excellent quality sound but also to ensure incomparable immersion.
For the rest, the Nuraphone comes with a very ergonomic and complete application. Its autonomy has nothing to envy of references of the genre either. We only criticize it for a slight tendency to heat up the ears and an underuse of the tactile keys. Otherwise, it’s flawless.
The Nuraphone is available at the price of 399 euros in a single black color.
Apple Music has just joined Tidal on the issue of lossless – lossless audio. The songs you listen to regardless of the platform are normally compressed to deliver high rendering quality, while accommodating bandwidth limits.
But your data and mobile connectivity is not the only reason why almost everything you listen to on your smartphone must normally be compressed. In fact, after having pushed the adoption of Bluetooth headphones for years, manufacturers, Apple in the lead, are now complaining about the constraints of the standard.
Available bandwidth has indeed become a real bottleneck that prevents manufacturers of audio accessories from going beyond a certain quality. So, whatever model you choose, you will not be able to listen to lossless audio via Bluetooth. Buying the AirPods Pro Max or a pair of AirPods Pro 2 won't change anything.
These two models remain incompatible with the lossless format, quite simply because Apple relies on the standard Bluetooth protocol without proprietary technology. But the firm's engineers seem to be preparing a technology that would ignore these limitations. The future of Bluetooth could thus be called UWB. But that's another story.
If you really need to listen to lossless content, opt for a very high-end model that offers a wired connection to your smartphone. You may also need to invest in a separate DAC or preamplifier. It's impractical and sad, but for the moment, it's all that exists, before probably a quick transition to something better.
As we can see, choosing the best Bluetooth headset comes down a lot, in 2024, to your budget. It is possible to choose with your eyes closed among the most premium Sony, Bose and Apple models. But as we go down in the comparison, each model has its own characteristics that should be evaluated to be sure that the device will meet your expectations.
This guide to the best wireless headphones ends here. Of course, we will update it as manufacturers launch new models. So, which headset do you like best? Share your feedback in the comments!
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