Rank 01
8.3
/10
Sennheiser
Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless
- Battery Life60 h
- Multipoint✓
- Weight293 g
SBCAACaptXANC
From
198€
[COMPARISON] · WIRELESS HEADPHONES
Wireless Headphones Comparison
Updated · May 2026
Mute Zone tests wireless over-ear and on-ear headphones from Vannes, aboard TGV trains from Paris to Rennes and in open-plan offices with saturated mid frequencies. 70 models from 2023 to 2026 gathered here, rated on a weighted grid for the headphone format: audio signature and long-term comfort weigh more than on an in-ear earbud, IP water resistance and sports attachments disappear.
The editorial team cross-references manufacturer data sheets with measurements published by RTINGS, SoundGuys and Les Numériques. When a field measurement exists (ANC-on battery life, noise attenuation depth, gaming latency), it takes precedence over marketing claims. The noise reduction ranking relies on decibels and percentages, not superlatives.
Current Top 5
Rank 02
8.3
/10
Sonos
Sonos Ace
- Battery Life30 h
- Multipoint✓
- Weight319 g
SBCAACaptX LosslessANC
From
299€
Rank 03
8.2
/10
Philips
Philips Fidelio L4
- Battery Life40 h
- Multipoint✓
- Weight360 g
SBCAACLC3ANC
From
240€
Rank 04
8.1
/10
Sony
Sony WH-1000XM4
- Battery Life30 h
- Multipoint✓
- Weight254 g
SBCAACLDACANC
From
348€
Rank 05
8.1
/10
Beyerdynamic
Beyerdynamic AVENTHO 100
- Battery Life40 h
- Multipoint✓
- Weight220 g
SBCAACaptX AdaptiveANC
From
169€
FILTERABLE COMPARATOR
Filter, compare, find your headphones
70 headphones filterable by brand, price range, ANC presence and adaptivity, over-ear or on-ear form, battery life, codecs and multipoint. Default sorting follows the overall score, but you can switch instantly to price or ANC-on battery life.
70 models · showing 1-12
8.3
/10
Sennheiser
ANC
With
Battery
60 h
Weight
293 g
Type
Over-ear
8.3
/10
Sonos
Sonos Ace
ANC
With
Battery
30 h
Weight
319 g
Type
Over-ear
8.2
/10
Philips
Philips Fidelio L4
ANC
With
Battery
40 h
Weight
360 g
Type
Over-ear
8.1
/10
Sony
Sony WH-1000XM4
ANC
With
Battery
30 h
Weight
254 g
Type
Over-ear
8.1
/10
Beyerdynamic
ANC
With
Battery
40 h
Weight
220 g
Type
On-ear
8.1
/10
Sennheiser
Sennheiser HDB 630
ANC
With
Battery
60 h
Weight
311 g
Type
Over-ear
8.0
/10
Bowers & Wilkins
ANC
With
Battery
30 h
Weight
300 g
Type
Over-ear
8.0
/10
Beyerdynamic
Beyerdynamic AVENTHO 300
ANC
With
Battery
50 h
Weight
320 g
Type
Over-ear
8.0
/10
Sony
Sony WH-1000XM6
ANC
With
Battery
30 h
Weight
254 g
Type
Over-ear
8.0
/10
Dyson
Dyson OnTrac
ANC
With
Battery
55 h
Weight
451 g
Type
Over-ear
8.0
/10
JBL
JBL Tour One M3
ANC
With
Battery
40 h
Weight
278 g
Type
Over-ear
7.9
/10
Nothing
ANC
With
Battery
75 h
Weight
310 g
Type
Over-ear
SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON
Compare up to 4 headphones
Select two to four headphones to visualise line-by-line differences in audio, ANC, battery life, connectivity and comfort.
01
Sennheiser
Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless
8.3
/10
02
Sonos
Sonos Ace
8.3
/10
03
Add a headphone
04
Add a headphone
Overall Score
Sennheiser
Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless
Sonos
Sonos Ace
—
—
—
—
Audio
Overall Score
8.3
/10
8.3
/10
n/a
n/a
Codecs
SBCAACaptXaptX Adaptive
SBCAACaptX Lossless
n/a
n/a
Hi-Res
No
Yes
n/a
n/a
ANC
Effective ANC
Yes · adapt.
Yes · adapt.
n/a
n/a
ANC (dB)
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Transparency
Yes
Yes
n/a
n/a
Battery Life
ANC on
60 h
30 h
n/a
n/a
ANC off
60 h
30 h
n/a
n/a
Fast Charge
5 min → 4 h
3 min → 3 h
n/a
n/a
Connectivity
Bluetooth
5.2
5.4
n/a
n/a
Multipoint
Yes
Yes
n/a
n/a
Spatial Audio
No
Yes
n/a
n/a
EQ
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Build
Form Factor
over-ear
over-ear
n/a
n/a
Weight
293 g
319 g
n/a
n/a
Acoustic Type
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Best value in each row
BY USE CASE
The best-placed headphones for each use case
A headphone is not judged in absolute terms. The editorial team isolates eight editorial profiles, each rewarding a different combination of measurable criteria: audiophile listening, long-distance travel, extended remote work, Apple environment, pure noise reduction.
Best
Overall Score
8.3
/10
Sennheiser
Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless
The headphones that score best across all categories.
198€
SBC
Best
Apple Ecosystem
7.5
/10
Apple
Apple AirPods Max (2nd Gen, H2)
Spatial Audio compatibility, head tracking and proprietary H/W chip.
499€
SBC
Best
Audiophile
8.3
/10
Sonos
Sonos Ace
Planar or BA driver, open-back design or premium lossless codec.
299€
SBC
Best
Music Listening
8.0
/10
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
Best audio signature + hi-res codecs + spatial audio.
399€
SBC
Best
Noise Reduction
7.9
/10
Bose
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)
Deepest adaptive ANC among flagships.
336€
SBC
Best
Travel
8.2
/10
Philips
Philips Fidelio L4
Foldable + multipoint + strong ANC-on battery life.
240€
SBC
Best
Remote Work
8.0
/10
Sony
Sony WH-1000XM6
Multipoint, long-term comfort and clear voice capture.
250€
SBC
Best
Luxury / Hi-Fi
7.9
/10
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
High-end flagship from 600 €.
604€
SBC
DETAILED TABLE
Top 10 Side by Side
All comparable specs on a single line per model.
| Model | Score | Price | ANC (dB) | ANC-on Battery Life | Codecs | Multipoint | Type | Weight | Bluetooth | Fast Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless Sennheiser | 8.3 /10 | 198€ | - | 60 h | SBCAACaptXaptX Adaptive | Yes | - | 293 g | 5.2 | 5 min → 4 h |
| Sonos Ace Sonos | 8.3 /10 | 299€ | - | 30 h | SBCAACaptX Lossless | Yes | - | 319 g | 5.4 | 3 min → 3 h |
| Philips Fidelio L4 Philips | 8.2 /10 | 240€ | - | 40 h | SBCAACLC3LDAC | Yes | - | 360 g | 5.3 | 15 min → 14 h |
| Sony WH-1000XM4 Sony | 8.1 /10 | 348€ | - | 30 h | SBCAACLDAC | Yes | - | 254 g | 5.1 | 10 min → 5 h |
| Beyerdynamic AVENTHO 100 Beyerdynamic | 8.1 /10 | 169€ | - | 40 h | SBCAACaptX AdaptiveaptX Lossless | Yes | - | 220 g | 5.4 | 15 min → 15 h |
| Sennheiser HDB 630 Sennheiser | 8.1 /10 | 399€ | - | 60 h | SBCAACaptXaptX HD | Yes | - | 311 g | 5.3 | 10 min → 7 h |
| Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Bowers & Wilkins | 8.0 /10 | 399€ | - | 30 h | SBCAACaptXaptX HD | Yes | - | 300 g | 5.3 | 15 min → 7 h |
| Beyerdynamic AVENTHO 300 Beyerdynamic | 8.0 /10 | 200€ | - | 50 h | SBCAACaptX AdaptiveaptX Lossless | Yes | - | 320 g | 5.4 | 10 min → 5 h |
| Sony WH-1000XM6 Sony | 8.0 /10 | 250€ | - | 30 h | SBCAACLDACLC3 | Yes | - | 254 g | 5.3 | 3 min → 3 h |
| Dyson OnTrac Dyson | 8.0 /10 | 250€ | 40 dB | 55 h | SBCAACLHDC | Yes | - | 451 g | 5.0 | 30 min → 9 h |
METHODOLOGY
How We Rate
Each headphone goes through seven rating axes calibrated specifically for the over-ear and on-ear format. Audio is evaluated on transducer type, hi-res eligibility, support for LDAC, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codecs, and tonal coherence measured on test benches. ANC is assessed in decibels of attenuation and percentage of noise reduction, not superlatives.
Long-term comfort and build quality matter more than they would for in-ear earbuds. The editorial team records comfort during Vannes-Paris round trips, checks headband pressure, earpad breathability, and the possibility of replacing cable, earpads or even battery. A flagship whose wear parts are sealed loses a tier here, even at a high price.
Field measurements always take precedence over manufacturer claims. When a brand announces 60 hours and an independent test records 47, the measured value enters the grid. The factual ANC ranking (Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2, Sony WH-1000XM6, AirPods Max H2) serves only to differentiate the noise-reduction segment, never to weight the overall score.
Sources: RTINGS, SoundGuys, Les Numériques, r/headphones.
RATING CRITERIA
Seven Axes, Weighted for Headphone Format
The weighting below is not a copy of the earbuds grid. The emphasis placed on audio (30 %), comfort (15 %) and build (15 %) reflects the reality of a circum-aural headphone worn for several hours at a stretch, where IP water resistance and sports attachments disappear.
Weightings
Audio30%
ANC18%
Comfort15%
Build15%
Battery Life12%
Smart5%
Spatial5%
0130%
Audio
The dominant weight. Mute Zone evaluates transducer type (40 mm dynamic, planar magnetic, hybrid), support for LDAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless and LC3 codecs, hi-res listening eligibility and tonal coherence measured across cross tests. A headphone that saturates the mids or shows a marked dip around 3 kHz is penalised, even with a flagship driver.
0218%
ANC
Active attenuation is measured in decibels, not superlatives. The editorial team cross-references RTINGS (Common Sounds) and SoundGuys (noise reduction %) to rank flagships, and factors in adaptive behaviour (automatic environmental adjustment) as well as transparency mode quality on nearby voices.
0315%
Comfort
On an over-ear model, comfort is measured in hours, not grams alone. Mute Zone retains the long-term comfort score observed on TGV trains and in open-plan offices, headband pressure, earpad breathability (fabric, perforated faux leather) and the possibility of replacing wear parts.
0415%
Build
Headband materials (aluminium, reinforced polycarbonate), hinges, assembly quality, presence of a spare 3.5 mm jack cable and standardised earpads. A headphone whose battery is not user-replaceable loses a tier here, even at 800 €.
0512%
Battery Life
ANC-on battery life (the figure that matters on a Paris-Vannes journey) and ANC-off, five-minute fast-charge duration, and estimated cycle longevity. The editorial team favours field measurements over marketing claims whenever available.
065%
Smart
Multipoint (ideally three simultaneous devices for Mac + iPhone + Android remote work), parametric EQ in the companion app, Auracast support, personalised hearing profile (Sony 360 Upmix, Mimi, Bose Personalized Sound).
075%
Spatial
Native support for a spatial format (Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio, Apple Spatial Audio, Yamaha Cinema DSP), head-tracking management, and real-world rendering quality on spatially mixed soundtracks. A secondary argument, yet decisive for home cinema use.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An over-ear or on-ear headphone is not judged on the same criteria as an in-ear earbud. Long-term comfort, headband quality, wide soundstage audio signature and wear-part modularity (earpads, cable) play a decisive role, whereas IP water resistance and sports attachments are marginal.
Mute Zone therefore applies two distinct algorithms. For headphones, **audio weighs 30 %** and **comfort 15 %**, versus 25 % and zero dedicated points on the earbuds grid.
See also: wireless earbuds comparison
Top 8 by use case, filterable comparator and multi-comparison across 130+ in-ear and open-ear earbuds.
Earbuds Comparison