Top Headphones 2023

Good audio fidelity but they have a poor soundstage because of their closed back design. They perform above-average for neutral listening but may lack a little openness.

The Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 420X delivers rich wireless sound on Xbox One, though its ear cups aren't the coziest.

Fans of booming low-end won't be disappointed by the Beats Solo 2 headphones' powerful bass and distortion-free audio performance.

The Sennheiser G4ME ONE is a high-end wired headset that offers excellent sound for audiophiles, but is too pricey and doesn't hit quite the right notes to be the best choice for gamers.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro 2023 are decent for wireless gaming. They have 70 hours of continuous playback time to outlast long dungeon crawls, low latency via their wireless dongle, and a comfortable fit to keep fatigue at bay. Their sound packs extra bass to help emphasize sound effects like footsteps, but if you prefer a different sound, their companion software offers a graphic EQ and presets. Their boom mic also offers good overall performance, so teammates and enemies alike will hear you clearly. Unfortunately, they can't be used on Xbox consoles.

The Logitech G PRO X 2 LIGHTSPEED are very good for wireless gaming. These headphones have a bass-heavy sound profile that you can customize using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets when gaming on PC. They also have low wireless latency, ensuring that your audio and visuals stay in sync during the heat of your gameplay, and their continuous battery life lasts through long marathons without an issue. While the boom mic's recording quality makes your voice sound bassy and unnatural, it can separate speech from ambient noise so that your voice is clear, even if you're gaming in noisy environments.

The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro are decent for wireless gaming. Out of the box, their bass-heavy sound profile is well-suited for first-person shooters, as it helps emphasize these sound effects. You can also fine-tune their sound (as well as their mic!) to suit your preferences using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets. Their boom mic performs decently overall, ensuring that others can hear you clearly, and the wireless transmitter dock allows you to charge one battery pack while using the other. That said, while these comfortable cans have some latency on PC, which is noticeable, we didn't notice audio lag on console. Latency can vary depending on your setup, though.

The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 are decent for wired gaming. These comfortable over-ears have full audio and mic compatibility with consoles that have an AUX port. They also have an excited sound profile. The extra bass helps emphasize sound effects like footsteps while the bump in treble keeps sibilants like cymbals present. The mic is flexible and poseable, and its recording quality is great, so your voice sounds clear. The mic does a decent job of separating your voice from moderate background noise. However, they lack sound customization features like an EQ.

The Anker Soundcore Space Q45 are very good for commute and travel. These comfortable and well-built over-ears have a fantastic adaptive ANC system. It can easily cut down annoying noise like the hum of a bus or plane engine as well as ambient voices so that you can focus on your trip. The headphones also have a long continuous battery life, which easily lasts long days on the go, and you can use them wired if necessary. Their carrying case helps protect the headphones from damage, but keep in mind that they're still over-ears and will take up room in your bag.

The Sony Inzone H9 and H3 are impressive entries into the gaming headset market, with a comfortable fit, multi-device audio and support for both gaming PCs and PlayStation. But the high-end H9 could use some more frills to justify the price, including a removable microphone.