GoKawiilPlanning to drop hundreds on a new pair of headphones soon? You may want to listen up.
Buying headphones can feel like a leap in the dark. From reading reviews to blindly trusting manufacturer promises for noise cancellation and comfort, you may worry about making the wrong choice in the long term by sticking to brands you know, which may feel like a safe bet. If you're already deep into Apple's ecosystem, getting AirPods may feel like an obvious choice. But you could be missing out on other great headphone choices.
CNET released its People's Picks, a community-driven awards program that recently asked readers about their favorite tech. This round is all about headphones. Some of the results are surprising, while others are no-brainers -- like how much people love AirPods. According to our survey, Apple is the most-owned brand among our readers for both over-the-ear headphones and wireless earbuds. It also wins for several CNET categories, including durability, connectivity and brand loyalty.
I get it. I'm an AirPods stan, too. But other brands won CNET readers over. Sony won the overall winner, dominating categories such as active noise cancellation, audio quality, battery life and comfort. And Bose was a close runner-up for audio quality, battery life and brand loyalty. Sennheiser was a favorite for over-ear wired headphones, while Sony took the top spot for wireless headphones.
For years, my AirPods Pro 2 were durable, connected easily, had top-notch sound quality and fit easily in any purse. So when it came down to buying over-the-ear headphones, the AirPods Max 2 seemed like an obvious choice. But a $530 price tag and mixed reviews made me think twice.
As cool as some headphones may be, keeping your options open may help you save some money if you're looking for premium headphones within your budget. But how do you really know which headphones are worth your hard-earned money?
Brand recognition isn't everything when choosing headphones
You tend to hear about some brands more than others, such as Apple and Sony. But that doesn't mean you always need to stick to the same brands. CNET readers gave brands including Beats -- owned by Apple but marketed as an independent brand -- and Bose high customer satisfaction ratings.
Customer satisfaction speaks volumes when it comes to headphones. Apple scored 4.17, while other popular brands such as Beats and Sony scored 4.44 and 4.46 out of 5, respectively. Despite a lower customer satisfaction score, Apple still took the top spot for call quality, durability, ease of use and connectivity. So it's not all about the brand but rather how satisfied you are with the features that you'll use the most.
Choosing between the Beats Studio Pro and Apple's AirPods Max
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