How we test headphones

We test more than 50 headphone models each year in our specialist laboratory for sound quality, noise cancelling, comfort and more. Our testing is thorough, so each model goes through more than 240 checks and assessments, before we share our verdict.

Which? examines everything that matters for headphones, including sound quality, noise cancelling, comfort and how well they work in real life – so you'll know exactly what to expect. 

We put all the headphones through the same tests in our specialist laboratory, so they’re accurate and our reviews are scientifically backed. This lets us provide you with honest advice and recommendations – and if a product isn't any good we'll say so. 

Which? works for you, providing trustworthy advice without a hidden agenda. We buy the headphones we test and never accept freebies from manufacturers or retailers, so our reviews remain fully impartial. 

See the best headphones from our extensive testing.

Sound quality: Is music balanced and rich?

To test sound quality, we use a listening panel of five experts, made up of testers of varying ages and genders. 

The panel assesses each pair of headphones using four audio tracks, covering a range of music and radio genres, including classical, pop, rock, jazz and spoken word.

The panel assesses the sound quality, including the range, balance, clarity, richness and more, giving a detailed assessment of the results. 

We also use an artificial ear for technical testing, where we measure how loud the sound is and whether there is any distortion in its frequency.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

Headphones with a five-star sound quality rating offer rich, well-balanced sound across different genres. Rock songs have a head-banging bass, while you can clearly hear the highs and lows in classical tunes, and vocals are clear. A one-star sound rating, on the other hand, means the headphones produce poor sound – music may sound muddy, weak and lack bass. 

Noise cancelling: Do they block out distractions?

We've found noise cancelling so poor you'd barely notice it's working at all, so we test it in our laboratory in two ways. 

Firstly, our lab uses a synthetic reference ear to test noise cancelling under lab conditions. For headphones that have Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), this is done with both ANC enabled and disabled. 

Secondly, our listening panel tries out the noise cancelling themselves and gives their verdict. 

We test sound quality with no ambient noise and then again after introducing sound (such as air conditioning, traffic and restaurant speech) to find out if sound quality is as good in a busy environment. We also check for inherent noises during the listening tests, such as crackling caused by the noise cancelling. 

We also test for sound leakage; for example, if you’re commuting, you wouldn’t want to buy a pair that’ll annoy those around you. The headphones are set up to play music at a loud volume (around 85 dB, so that out tests are consistent), and then our expert panel rates the level of leakage. 

What separates a good result from a poor one?

A five-star rating for noise cancelling means the headphones block out external sounds such as background chatter and appliances, so you can have distraction-free listening. 

However, we've found noise cancelling so poor you'd barely notice it's working at all, so it's important to know the best pairs to choose, particularly since many noise-cancelling headphones cost well over £100. Those with a rating of two stars or under hardly reduce background noise – you’ll barely notice a difference. 

When it comes to sound leakage, we’ve tested headphones that let you listen in private, while others with a poorer rating can disturb people nearby.

Mic quality: Is speech clear and coherent?

A panel of three experts assesses the clarity of calls and flags anything unusual, such as distortion or muffled speech. 

To measure the mic quality, one person reads a sentence while a panel of three experts rates how clearly the headphone microphone reproduces it. The test is carried out in both quiet and noisy conditions, so we can test how the quality differs if you were at home compared to in a busy café. 

The same sentence is repeated across all of our headphone tests and the volume level is similar, so each model gets a fair and consistent score. 

By using real people, we can keep our test lifelike and assess what people would actually hear on the receiving end. 

What separates a good result from a poor one?

If the headphones are rated poorly for mic quality, then speech intelligibility was terrible in our tests. When you’re on the receiving end of a call, the speech may sound robotic, muffled or distorted, and the volume may fluctuate, making it difficult to understand what’s being said. But if the headphones are rated five stars, speech is clear and coherent, enabling you to have a pleasant conversation whether at home or in a noisy environment.

Comfort: Do the headphones fall out?

How the headphones sound isn't our only consideration – we also assess them for comfort and how adjustable they are.

Our lab experts rate these aspects, taking into account placing them in position, removing them from your ear, and how secure they are, including the potential of the headphones to accidentally fall out of your ear.

We do a normal wear test, so our experts put on the headphones for 30 minutes (while listening to music) and assess how well they fit, if there’s any heat build-up or if they’re too heavy. We check to see how comfortable they are for glasses wearers, too. 

We also test how well they stay in place during intensive motion to replicate how you might use them during exercise and sport. Our testing experts pop on the headphones for 20 minutes and do a short exercise routine, including jumping jacks, to find out if the headphones slip or fall out, and their general comfort.  

We also check how visible the left and right markings are, how easy Bluetooth setup is and other factors, such as replacing ear tips. 

What separates a good result from a poor one?

If you’re checking out headphones with a five-star comfort rating, they should be easy to put on and off, and fit securely on your head or in your ear. They shouldn’t feel too tight or too loose, or get excessively hot. They’re also more likely to stay put during movement, so you can use them for sports or exercise. Those rated one star for comfort are the opposite – they don’t fit well at all, according to our testing, and they’re likely to slip off while listening or during exercise. 

Durability: Are they well built?

We rate the quality of the material used to construct the headphones, their charging case, and any areas of obvious concern. 

The solidity of the cables, earpieces, buttons, and connectors is tested to make sure they're strong enough.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

Headphones with a five-star durability rating are manufactured to an excellent standard with smooth edges, reliable button reactions, and they’re easy to grip or remove from the case. They should also be securely attached; for example, most in-ear headphones are held in the charging case with magnets. The headphones would have passed our drop tests, too. 

Those with a poor durability rating look and feel low quality – they may have defects, such as jagged edges; in-ear headphones may fall out of the case and they wouldn’t survive our drop tests. 

Battery life: How long does the battery last?

Manufacturers make all sorts of battery life claims, but you shouldn’t always believe them – our real-life independent tests show they can be greatly different in reality.

In our tests, we fully charge the headphones and then use them until the battery runs out – we measure the time it takes for the battery to lose charge completely. 

If the headphones have noise cancelling or ANC, we will see what impact this makes on the battery life. We’ve found headphones that will barely last a couple of hours per charge, and some that’ll last 80 hours or more.

We also note the time it takes between the first low battery warning and when they lose charge completely. 

The overall battery life score also takes into account charging time. When the headphones have lost battery completely, we time how long it takes to charge them and record how much juice you'll get from a 15-minute charge. 

What separates a good result from a poor one?

Headphones with a five-star rating will give you plenty of listening time, while those with a one-star battery rating will need frequent recharges and won't be suitable for long journeys. 

We’ve tested wireless in-ear headphones that run for around 26 hours, compared to the lowest with a runtime of just over 3 hours. 

Over-ear headphones tend to have a longer battery life in comparison to in-ear – the highest recorded battery life we’ve tested is more than 100 hours, while the shortest is just shy of 20 hours. 

To find the ideal model, filter our headphone reviews by sound quality, noise cancelling, battery life and more of our expert test results.

How we calculate the scores

We give every pair of headphones an overall Which? test score so you can see which are the best and worst, and make comparisons between models. 

The headphone score is based on the following criteria:

• 50% sound quality
• 10% ANC quality
• 15% battery life
• 20% ease of use and wearing comfort
• 5% durability

How we choose the products

Our market analyst ensures we’re testing headphones from a variety of brands and those that our members are most interested in. This includes manufacturers that have been designing and developing audio equipment for decades, to rising stars.

Some may be budget models without extra features such as smart apps or noise cancelling, while others are at the premium end of the market or appeal to audiophiles. We also test headphones at different prices, for example, from under £50 to more than £600, so we can recommend models that suit every budget. 

As well as carrying out extensive market research, both online and in-person at trade events, we keep in close contact with manufacturers to ensure our reviews are timely and to be the first to hear about product launches and new innovations. 

Are they Best Buy headphones? What our verdicts mean

Best Buy-recommended headphones

The headphones that excel the most in our tests, and that score at least 72%, are named Best Buys. 

But with many different styles on the market, you should still read our reviews to find a pair that best fits your individual preferences.

Great Value-recommended headphones

Non-noise-cancelling headphones need to score at least 60% in our tests to achieve Great Value. If they’re carrying that badge, you’ll know they’re considerably cheaper than other models – at least 20% cheaper than the average price of headphones we’ve tested. Some may also be Best Buys, so you’ll know sound quality and comfort are also excellent. 

Noise-cancelling headphones are typically more expensive, so our quality expectations are higher. They need to score 65% or more, and score higher than three stars for noise cancelling, to be considered Great Value. 

Don't Buys

Poor-performing headphones that receive a substandard score of 45% or lower are Don’t Buys and should be avoided. These will have disappointing sound quality well below the average, so there will be far better options for your money.

Head straight to our headphone reviews, where you can filter by badges to find the model that suits your budget and listening needs

Our headphone experts

The Which? headphones team is made up of experts from different disciplines, including content specialists, scientists and market analysts. 

Our test programme is updated each year to ensure it continues to meet our members’ needs, and so we can share helpful and relevant reviews, advice and recommendations. 

Meet the team: 

Humairaa Habib, senior researcher and writer: Humairaa interprets a technical lab report to write the headphone reviews you see online – from Best Buys to Don’t Buys, each verdict is backed by evidence from our laboratory. As well as helping members choose the best headphones based on their needs and budgets, Humairaa produces advice and recommendations in online guides and news. 

Will Stapley, content editor: Will keeps a close eye on all our headphone-related content to ensure it’s jargon-free and answers the questions that matter most to you. He’s also passionate about cutting through marketing hype to deliver clear, unbiased advice.

Ruby Gordon, senior scientific advisor: Ruby leads on the headphones test program, ensuring every model is assessed on the performance factors that matter. She analyses the lab data to calculate the overall scores, and converts results into reliable star ratings to reveal the Best Buys with standout sound quality and comfort, and the Don’t Buys that fall short.

Finn Rainbird, market analyst: From market research to product selection, Finn ensures we’re testing and reviewing the headphones that are relevant to our members. This includes big tech brands and rising stars that he keeps in contact with to find out about the latest headphone trends and launches.