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Which wireless headphone brand to buy in 2025

Unique Which? reliability data helps you choose a headphones brand that lasts. We survey wireless headphones owners of brands, including AKG, Apple, Beats, Bose, JVC, Samsung, Sennheiser, Sony and more
Amy AxworthySenior researcher & writer
Which wireless headphone brand to buy in 2024

In this article

In our unique customer survey, we've asked 18,067 Which? members and members of the public to tell us whether they're happy with their tech products. We asked those who have wireless headphones to see if they've experienced problems, so you can see which brands are worth investing in.

In our latest analysis, we've looked at a large range of headphones manufacturers – AKG, Apple, Beats, Bose, JVC, Philips, Samsung, Sennheiser, Skullcandy, Sony and many others – to see which stood the test of time.

Our survey takes into account how often faults were reported, how serious they were, when they occurred and the reasons people replaced their headphones. We also found out if buyers would stay loyal to a particular brand or if they would recommend it to others.

One key finding from our survey was brands that experienced the most faults. Skullcandy, Bang & Olufsen and Beats by Dre were the brands in our survey that customers reported the largest proportion of faults with across six years. The most common problem across wireless headphones was the sound quality deteriorating or disappearing altogether. Read on for the full results of our faults analysis and the other findings from our survey.

Best wireless earbuds and best wireless headphones: find out which pairs we recommend and top buying tips for you next purchase

Wireless headphones rated

The table below summarises this year’s results, based on wireless headphones bought in the past six years. Wireless headphone brands are ranked by their customer score, which reflects whether customers would recommend each brand and their level of satisfaction. The proportion faulty is the percentage that experienced a fault and the proportion repaired or replaced is the percentage of wireless headphones that were fixed or thrown away due to the fault. 

Which? members can log in to see the scores and star ratings it earned in our latest survey. Not yet a member? Join Which? now to get instant access to all of our reviews.

BrandCustomer scoreProportion faulty in the first six yearsProportion repaired or replaced due to a faultProportion of Best BuysAverage test score

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85%11%2%0%57%
84%7%4%100%74%
83%7%2%75%78%
80%3%1%50%67%
80%4%1%37%65%
78%5%3%25%67%
77%7%3%0%58%
76%9%5%n/an/a
74%11%4%27%65%
74%14%8%20%67%
73%7%1%40%66%
73%7%1%33%68%
73%4%0%0%58%
71%15%5%33%67%
69%17%3%11%58%
69%3%3%0%54%

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Table notes The customer score, proportion faulty and proportion repaired or replaced are based on a survey of 18,067 people who own products, conducted in March 2024. Brands are ranked by customer score. n/a means not enough data was collected to generate a score. The proportion faulty and proportion repaired or replaced is based on products bought in the past six years. Customer score rates how happy the respondent is with their wireless headphone brand and how likely they would be to recommend it to a friend.

If you want to know which models aced our tough lab tests, read our headphone reviews.

The most common wireless headphone faults

We reveal which faults wireless headphones are most susceptible to and offer tips on how to handle them if it happens. Not yet a member? Join Which? now to get instant access.

Which wireless headphone brands are seen as best value for money?

Cheap doesn't necessarily equal value for money, but expensive wireless headphones might not justify their high prices. Which? members can find out which brands are considered worth the spend by owners. 

Listening in noisy places? Check out our guide to finding the best noise-cancelling headphones

Which wireless headphone brands are best at repairs?

We reveal which big brands provided a good service when customers contacted them about repairs and which ones left customers feeling frustrated. 

If your pair of wireless headphones is beyond repair, our guide to the best wireless headphones can help you select a new one. Or to complain to a manufacturer, use our guide to your rights for getting a refund, repair or replacement on a faulty product.

How we calculate the best wireless headphone brands

Which? has a wealth of information on Britain's favourite brands. Every year, we ask Which? members and members of the public to tell us about the tech they own – from how likely they would be to recommend a brand to how reliable the products are once they get them home. 

This year, 18,067 people told us about 61,577 individual products, including 5,646 wireless headphones. 

  • We calculate our customer score based on whether customers would recommend each brand and their level of satisfaction.
  • We also calculate which brand developed the most faults, which is based on how many faults each brand developed up to six years old. 

Our surveys, combined with our extensive lab tests, mean we can recommend the best wireless headphones to buy. 

Find out more about how we test headphones.

Head to our headphone reviews

We test headphones for large and small budgets, for people wanting the latest high-tech features and those wanting a cheap, simple pair. Along with the all-important sound quality, we test the headphone's comfort, durability, audio enhancements and ease of use. Head to our branded headphone reviews below.

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