The best headphones for travel in 2024

Beats Fit Pro: While the Beats Fit Pro aren’t technically AirPods, they’re built on the same technology platform as the AirPods Pro (yes, Apple owns Beats). Unlike the earlier and cheaper Beats Studio Buds and new-for-2023 Studio Buds PlusBeats Fit Pro includes Apple’s H1 chip and has the most AirPods Pro features, including active noise cancellation, surround sound and Adaptive EQ. I’d dare call them the sporty AirPods you’ve always wanted. Learn more about Beats Fit Pro with our hands-on review here.

JBL Live 670NC: The JBL Live 670NC is one of the relatively few on-ear headphones that offer active noise cancellation. It’s something of a value model – no carrying case included – but it has memory foam ear cushions that allow you to comfortably fit the headphones on your ear. It delivers clear sound with punchy bass, features 32mm drivers and improves on its predecessor’s battery life, offering up to an impressive 70 hours (or 44 hours with ANC on) and an extra three hours of battery life with just five minutes of charging. This model includes the latest Bluetooth 5.3 (with LE Audio) and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. It also has JBL’s Ambient Avare (transparency mode) and TalkThru features. It is available in black, white and blue and comes with a cable for wired listening.

Master & Dynamic MV75: The MV75 are Master & Dinamic’s best full-size headphones to date. Needless to say, they’re expensive at $599; most people will be quite happy with the $400 Sony VH-1000XSM5, which is lighter and more comfortable and offers best-in-class voice calling and noise cancellation. The MV75’s build quality is hard to beat and they offer superb sound for a wireless model (I thought they sounded better than Apple’s AirPods Max), plus strong voice calling and noise cancellation performance. With their support for aptX Adaptive, they have added appeal for Android users, who can get better sound with the right setup. I was also quite happy to stream music from my iPhone 13 Pro using the AAC codec.

Master & Dynamic MV09 (Update: Sold Out): Master & Dinamic headphones and earphones have always had a unique, eye-catching design that incorporates premium materials such as aluminum, sapphire glass and Kevlar. Its latest MV09 flagship headphones look quite similar to its earlier MV08 headphones, but have some upgrades on the inside that deliver better performance, especially when it comes to battery life and noise cancellation (it’s now very close to what Bose and Sony offer, though not quite on their level for the ANC).

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer improved noise cancellation along with very good audio and voice call performance, plus support for high-resolution wireless audio streaming if you own a Galaxy device with the right setup. Their biggest upgrade may be their new design and smaller size, making them more comfortable for more ears. Apart from their somewhat high price, their only downside is that some of their key features only work with Samsung Galaxy devices. To find out their compatibility, see ours Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review.

Beats Studio Buds Plus: Alas, for those of you who bought the original Beats Studio Buds, which remain on the market for now, I’m sorry to say that these new Plus buds are vastly improved, with better sound, noise cancellation and battery life. In addition, they now provide superior voice call performance. Read our full Beats Studio Buds Plus review for more information on upgrading.

Google Pixel Buds Pro: Pixel Buds Pro are Google’s first headphones with active noise cancellation. While it’s nice to finally have a feature that most true wireless earbuds have had for a while, what ultimately sets the Pixel Buds Pro apart and makes them worth considering—especially for Android users—is their distinct design and winning fit. This helps improve their performance on both the audio and noise-cancelling fronts. Although not quite elite for voice calls, they also performed well as a headset for making calls. Read ours Google Pixel Buds Pro review.

Watch this: These are the best wireless noise canceling headphones

08:35