Bowers & Wilkins
Apple has actually gone through with that “no more headphone jack” thing. If you're aren't about the dongle life, that means it's time to go Bluetooth. (Or buy another phone.)
While all wireless headphones continue to suffer from the same problems — higher prices, a reliance on batteries, and generally duller sound than wired pairs — those downsides are countered by, well, not having to use cables. For a lot of people, that's enough.
So, since the future of audio appears to be wireless, we're keeping a rolling list of the best Bluetooth headphones on the market. Here's what we recommend today.
Wireless headphones are inherently limited, so it’s usually best to pay up for something decent. But if you’re really on a budget, the Creative Sound Blaster Jam is probably your best bet.
They’re certainly built like a pair of $40 headphones — 80s-style foam earpads and all — and they aren’t going to handle complex tracks too well, but they’re light on the head, and their sound is clearer and stronger than what’s normally in this range. Just know that they’ll leak some noise when you turn the volume up.
If you can spare $30 more, the Jabra Move Wireless are a step-up in just about every regard.
They’re another pair of comfortable, fairly lightweight on-ears, but they’re more sturdy, and their bass-forward sound brings more life to lots of popular music. They're not going to satisfy audio purists, but for less critical listeners (i.e., most people) they're a good value at $70.
The soft earpads on the Skullcandy Grind Wireless sink onto your head, get a solid 10-12 hours of battery life, and feel competently put together.
The sound is the highlight, though: It’s punchy and exciting, but altogether less colored than the Jabras above. Bass is tight, treble is crisp, and there’s good detail. For a $90 pair of wireless headphones, they're great.
