The Best Headphones Under $200

Anker’s Soundcore Space Q45 wireless headphones don’t have the best sound quality or even the best noise cancellation, but the combination of all the features built into the Q45s and their respective performance across all major categories earn them a top nod. With the Q45s you get 50 hours of battery life, adaptive noise canceling, ambient sound support, a comfortable pair of headphones, a companion app full of additional features and best of all, they sound great.

Razer just released an update to its BlackShark V2 Pro gaming headphones. The headphones now boast 70 hours of battery life on a single charge, or if you’re running low you can get six hours of playtime off just 15 minutes of charging. They’re compatible with all gaming consoles, PC and even connect to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth for listening to music. The headphones come with pre-tuned profiles for top FPS game titles like “Call of Duty,” “Apex Legends” and “Fortnite.” The included wideband mic is detachable, but when it’s connected your squad, you will hear crisp and clear audio.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xs are well received by audio enthusiasts and casual listeners alike. They’re well-designed and comfortable to wear for long listening sessions. Because they’re wired, you don’t have to worry about battery life or any of the more advanced features of some of the headphones on this list. Plug them in, press play and enjoy the clear sound. They collapse down for portability and include three different-length detachable cables in the box.

The Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX wired headphones look freaking cool and reviews all say they offer great sound quality (although they lack some bass). The open-back design allows for background and ambient noise to get through, so don’t expect to take the HD 6XXs to the coffee shop and drown out the espresso machine. But the same design also provides a more life-like listening experience. Instead, the 6XXs are best suited for listening to your favorite tunes while working at home or in a quiet office.

Sony’s headphones are always a top contender when it comes to their noise canceling prowess, and for less than $200, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better pair of wireless ANC headphones than the Sony WH-CH720Ns. Sony packed 35 hours of battery life into over-ear cups, along with an adjustable ambient sound mode to let in background noise (helpful when commuting) and adaptive sound control. Using the companion app, you can enable and then trigger Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant using nothing but your voice.

The black version of Skullcandy’s Hesh ANC headphones is currently less than $90 (the white model is nearly $120), but don’t let the low-ish cost fool you. These headphones deliver acceptable active noise cancellation, and they sound good. With 22 hours of total battery life, you’ll get in plenty of listening time on a single charge. To be clear, these headphones aren’t going to blow you away in any category, but at sub-$90, they’ll get the job done without issue.

The Beats Solo3 Wireless has 40 hours of battery life, comes in some fun colors and uses the same Apple W1 chip that’s used in Apple’s AirPods line. That means you get all of the same features like quick pairing with all of your Apple devices, easy device switching and built-in Siri for commands and hearing your notifications. As is often the case with Beats headphones, the Solo3’s are bass-heavy; some people like that, some don’t, but it’s worth mentioning.