Headphones comparisons

Over-ear noise-cancelling headphones have become a daily-commute essential, and the top models are closer than ever. We compare noise cancellation, rated battery life, weight, Bluetooth version, supported codecs, multipoint pairing, foldability and launch price across the most-searched flagship headphones.

6 headphones · 5 published comparisons · Scoring weights: Sound 30%, Comfort 20%, Battery 20%, Value 30% · Updated October 2026

Headphones comparison

Popular pair of headphones comparisons

Headphones in our database, ranked by VersusAnything Score

  • Beats Studio Pro76/100The Beats Studio Pro work equally well with iPhone and Android, offering USB-C lossless audio, ANC and a 40-hour battery.
  • Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless68/100The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless pairs audiophile-grade tuning with a class-leading 60-hour battery and aptX Adaptive support.
  • Sony WH-1000XM552/100The Sony WH-1000XM5 set the benchmark for noise cancellation with eight microphones, LDAC support and a 30-hour battery.
  • Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones52/100The Bose QuietComfort Ultra combines Bose's famously comfortable fit with Immersive Audio spatial sound and some of the strongest ANC available.
  • Sony WH-1000XM642/100The Sony WH-1000XM6 brings back the folding design, adds a faster QN3 processor with 12 microphones and improves call quality over the XM5.
  • Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)10/100The AirPods Max with USB-C are Apple's aluminium over-ears with the H1 chip, Spatial Audio with head tracking and seamless iPhone switching.

Compare any two headphones

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How we score headphones

Every pair of headphones is scored on the same rows: active noise cancellation, bluetooth codecs, driver size, weight, folds flat/inward, rated battery (ANC on), bluetooth version, multipoint pairing, launch price (USD). Measurable rows are normalised across the category and weighted (Sound 30%, Comfort 20%, Battery 20%, Value 30%); rows without a sensible direction are explained, not scored. Full rules on our how we score page.