How we choose

What we read

We start from outlets that publish how they test: RTINGS, which measures isolation and battery on instrumented heads, and reviewers at What Hi-Fi?, SoundGuys, Tom's Guide, TechRadar and Expert Reviews, who explain their test conditions. Where those sources disagree, we say so on the pick rather than averaging them away.

We cross-check specifications against the makers' own figures and label them as ratings. A rated figure is the maker's claim; a measured figure has a named source attached.

What we check on the listing

Before a product goes on the site we look at how it is actually sold on Amazon: whether the generation in the title matches the photos, whether colours are split into separate listings, who it ships from and who sells it. Those checks are where buyers most often go wrong, so they appear in every review under “Before you buy”.

We do not show Amazon prices or star ratings. Prices change daily, and a stale number is worse than none. Use the button to see today's price.

What we have not done

We have not run our own lab measurements on these headphones. If we measure something ourselves in future, such as battery life on our own unit, it will appear in a clearly marked box with the date and the method, separate from published figures. Product images on this site are illustrations, not photographs of units we own.

How the order is decided

Picks are ordered by how many people they suit and how strong the published evidence behind them is. A pair with strong measurements from more than one outlet ranks above a pair with one good review. A product that pays a higher commission gets no advantage, and some of our most useful advice, like buying earplugs for sleep, earns nothing.

Corrections

If something on this site is wrong or out of date, email us with the page and the line. We fix it and note the date of the change on the page.