Headphones
The best headphones for every budget in 2026
161 models ranked by the maker’s own specs and owner ratings, with today’s prices from 6 shops that deliver to Germany.
Side by side
Pick one more model with “Compare” in the list. You can put up to 10 side by side.
| Apple AirPods Max × | |
|---|---|
| Most important facts | |
| The lowest price today at a shop that delivers to you, delivery included. A price with an asterisk comes from a shop abroad, and its delivery cost is our own estimate. Lowest price | 499 €Amazon.de |
| Our own score out of 10: 60% the maker’s facts and 40% shop ratings. Price does not count. Score | not in our ranking |
| The average of the stars buyers give at the shops, with the number of reviews behind it. We only compare it from 20 reviews. Customer rating | – |
| How long the headphones or the earbuds play on one charge with noise cancelling on, as the maker states it. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 20 h |
| What the headphones or one earbud weigh. Lighter is more comfortable for hours at a time. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 386.2 g |
| The Bluetooth version. A newer one connects more steadily and uses less power, if the phone has it too. Source
| 5 |
| Connected to two devices at once, such as a phone and a laptop, and switching by itself to the one that plays. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| no (assumed) |
| Rank | |
| Where the model stands in our ranking, among the headphones of the same type. Rank | – |
| Battery | |
| How many minutes of charging give the playback below. Source
| 5 min |
| How many hours of playback a short fast charge gives. Source
| 1.5 h |
| The case or the headphones charge on a Qi pad, without a cable. Source
| no (assumed) |
| The plug the headphones or their case charge through. Source
| USB-C |
| Build and fit | |
| How the headphones sit: over the ear, on the ear, in the ear canal, in the outer ear, beside the ear or on the cheekbone. Source
| Over-ear |
| Two separate earbuds with no wire between them, charged in a case. Source
| no |
| They play over Bluetooth, without a cable to the phone. Source
| yes |
| The plug for a cable, so you can also listen wired, for instance on a plane or with a battery that has run out. Source
| USB-C only |
| They play sound over a USB-C cable, straight from a phone or a laptop. Source
| yes |
| The kind of speaker inside. Dynamic drivers are the most common. Planar and electrostatic ones are mostly found in expensive headphones for home listening. Source
| Dynamic |
| What the charging case weighs, without the earbuds. Source
| 134.5 g |
| How you play, pause and change the volume on the headphones themselves. Source
| Buttons, Dial |
| Whether the app lets you choose what each button, tap or swipe does. With some controls, only part of them can be changed. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| Some controls |
| How many microphones the maker counts, for calls and noise cancelling together. Source
| 9 |
| Warranty and support | |
| The month the model came out, as far as the maker or a register shows. Source
| 2024-09-09 |
| Sound | |
| Sound that seems to come from around you rather than from inside your head. Source
| yes |
| The sound stays in place when you turn your head, as at a cinema. Source
| yes |
| Noise cancelling | |
| How much say you have over noise cancelling: only on or off, a few set levels, a slider, or left to the headphones alone. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| On or off |
| Lets outside sound through on purpose, so you hear traffic or a colleague without taking them off. Source
| yes |
| The maker says the ear cups or tips block outside sound by themselves, without noise cancelling. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| yes |
| Can work as a hearing aid for mild to moderate hearing loss, where the maker has it approved. Source
| no (assumed) |
| Wireless | |
| The newer Bluetooth standard for sound, with the LC3 codec: better sound on less power, with phones that support it. Source
| no (assumed) |
| Can listen to a Bluetooth broadcast, such as a TV, an airport announcement or a friend sharing music. Source
| no (assumed) |
| Whose phones the headphones are made for. Some features, such as one-tap pairing or spatial audio, work only with that maker’s phones. Source
| Apple |
| In use | |
| The voice assistants you can call up from the headphones. Source
| Siri |
Facts as the maker states them. A dash means the maker does not name it. Each model’s page gives the source of every fact. Noise is the maker’s own figure, so we do not judge it, and a customer rating only counts from 20 reviews.
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Lowest price at every shop that delivers to Germany, VAT and delivery included. * = delivery cost and VAT estimated for a foreign shop.
Headphones market report, October 2026 No prices yet, but 0 new models.
Whose tests we use
Beside each model we also show where these testers place it in their own lists, without counting it in the score:
How we combine the maker’s facts and owners’ ratings into one score is on the method page.
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