Left to right: Apple AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
(Credit: Christian de Looper)
Whether in-ear, on-ear, or over-the-ear, PCMag rigorously evaluates headphones and earphones to determine which sound best. But what exactly does that mean? Here's how we test every pair we review.
Evaluating Headphone Styles and Designs
There are several different types of headphones and earphones, and it goes much deeper than just earbuds and cans. Circumaural, or over-ear, headphones have large earpads that completely cover the ears and are generally the most comfortable. They're also excellent for isolating sound. Supra-aural, or on-ear, headphones have smaller earpads that just press against the ears; they're lighter and block out less noise. Earbuds are small speakers that fit into the outer ear, but are not inserted into the ear canal. In-ear headphones are small like earbuds, but have soft silicone or foam tips that are inserted into the ear canal and can block outside noise like over-ear headphones.
Fit is a highly important factor in judging headphones and earphones. We evaluate how on-ear and over-ear headphones feel on the head and whether they remain comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Some headphones can feel too tight or too heavy or put too much pressure on the ears or scalp; few can be worn for hours on end without discomfort.
We assess the controls. Are they easy to reach and use? Do they work as intended? Or are they confusing in some way? Can you reassign their functionality? These factors affect how you'll interact with them over time.
We also look at what the headphones include as part of the package. Many headphones come with detachable cables and carrying cases, and earphones often include multiple sets of eartips so users can find the most comfortable fit, in addition to a charging case. The accessories (and with them, functionality) you get for the price is an important factor when evaluating headphones.
Testing Features and Connectivity
Some headphones and earphones incorporate active noise cancellation (ANC), which employs built-in microphones to measure outside sounds and produce an opposing signal to counter that noise. If a pair of headphones has ANC, we determine how well the feature works and how much it disrupts the audio playing back. In addition, we also check if the headphones can be used passively and unpowered, or if they become unusable when the battery is dead.
Headphones can also function as headsets for phone calls if they include a different microphone in an earcup, on a boom extending from the earcup, or in a small module on the headphone cable. We evaluate how well the microphone picks up voices and, if the microphone has a noise-cancelling feature, how well it blocks out street noise from a call.
Typically, wired headphones use a 3.5mm connection, and most wireless headphones use Bluetooth. We look over all connection options for each pair of headphones, including whether a wired connection is available on wireless headphones (via USB-C or 3.5mm).
For Bluetooth headphones, we look at how easy it is to pair them with various mobile devices and how reliable the connection is. If they work with an app, we evaluate how much value the app brings to the table. A user-adjustable EQ is a big plus in our book. We also determine what Bluetooth codecs are supported, which can make a big difference depending on your phone and music streaming service of choice.
We also consider the battery life of wireless earbuds and any additional battery life the charging case can hold (and how convenient or unwieldy it might be).
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Testing Headphones With Music
To evaluate audio quality, we play multiple tracks from multiple genres to determine weaknesses and strengths. Since headphones often heavily boost or sculpt deep bass, we test deep low-end reproduction with The Knife's "Silent Shout," a track with deep bass synth and kick drum hits. The Roland TR-808-style bass kick in the song is a rite of passage through which all speakers and headphones must endure, and only the strong ones can reproduce it with a sense of power, without crunchy, unpleasant distortion as we turn the volume up.
Besides the bass test, we cycle through songs in the jazz, classical, rock, metal, and dance genres to get a better idea of how each is handled. Every genre of music tends to have its own emphasized instruments and frequency ranges, like the low rumble of an upright bass on a Miles Davis recording, or the deep-but-crisp baritone vocals on a Bill Callahan track. Depending on a headphone's response across the entire audio spectrum (usually between 20Hz and 20kHz), a given model might make a synth-heavy dance track sound amazing, but classical and jazz music ends up muddled or even too bright, just to give one possible example. Similarly, even though a pair of headphones might accurately capture the guitar riffs and screeching vocals of a heavy metal banger, they might lack enough low-end force or speed to faithfully reproduce bass-heavy funk songs.
Songs can vary heavily in balance based on how they were mixed, so we don't randomly shuffle through tracks, either. The songs we play are ones our reviewers have listened to hundreds of times across dozens of different speakers and headphones, including high-end models, so we know exactly how they should sound, and exactly what is being reproduced well or poorly. At this point, every PCMag editor has "Silent Shout" etched into their brain.
For more, our guides to the best cheap headphones, the best exercise-friendly headphones, and the best studio-focused headphones can help you narrow down the top models for your needs. Once you pick the perfect pair, check out our five easy tips to extend the life of your headphones.
About Our Expert
I’m PCMag’s home theater and AR/VR expert, and your go-to source of information and recommendations for game consoles and accessories, smart displays, smart glasses, smart speakers, soundbars, TVs, and VR headsets. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and THX-certified home theater technician, I've served as a CES Innovation Awards judge, and while Bandai hasn’t officially certified me, I’m also proficient at building Gundam plastic models up to MG-class. I also enjoy genre fiction writing, and my urban fantasy novel, Alex Norton, Paranormal Technical Support, is currently available on Amazon.
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