Headphones
The best headphones for every budget in 2026
160 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.
| Soundcore P40i × | |
|---|---|
| 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 | 50 €Amazon.de |
| Our own score out of 10: 60% the maker’s facts and 40% shop ratings. Price does not count. Score | |
| 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 the headphones cancel outside noise with microphones. Hybrid uses microphones outside and inside the cup, adaptive also adjusts to the sound around you. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| Adaptive |
| 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
| 10 h |
| The Bluetooth version. A newer one connects more steadily and uses less power, if the phone has it too. Source
| 5.3 |
| How well they resist water and dust, as the IP code states. IPX4 survives sweat and rain, IPX7 a short dip in water. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| IPX5 |
| 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
| yes |
| Rank | |
| Where the model stands in our ranking, among the headphones of the same type. Rank | rank 7 of 51 with an in-ear fit |
| Battery | |
| How long they play on one charge with noise cancelling off. Source
| 12 h |
| How long the earbuds play in total with the charges stored in their case. Source
| 60 h |
| How many minutes of charging give the playback below. Source
| 10 min |
| How many hours of playback a short fast charge gives. Source
| 5 h |
| The case or the headphones charge on a Qi pad, without a cable. Source
| yes |
| 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
| In-ear |
| Two separate earbuds with no wire between them, charged in a case. Source
| yes |
| 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
| None |
| They play sound over a USB-C cable, straight from a phone or a laptop. Source
| no (assumed) |
| The diameter of the speaker inside. A bigger driver does not by itself mean better sound. Source
| 11 mm |
| How you play, pause and change the volume on the headphones themselves. Source
| Touch |
| 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
| 6 |
| Warranty and support | |
| The warranty the maker gives in Germany. Consumer law here stands apart from it and can last longer. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 2 years |
| Sound | |
| You can adjust bass and treble in the maker’s app. Source
| yes |
| Sound that seems to come from around you rather than from inside your head. Source
| no (assumed) |
| Noise cancelling | |
| Lets outside sound through on purpose, so you hear traffic or a colleague without taking them off. 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
| Any phone |
| In use | |
| The music pauses when you take them off and plays on when you put them back. Source
| no (assumed) |
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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