Stuff - UK (2020-12)

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TOP TENS IN-EARS ON/OVER-EARS

TO READ THE FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/IN-EAR-HEADPHONES & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/HEADPHONES

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1

Sony WF-1000XM3

£169 / stuff.tv/SonyWFXM3

The original WF-1000XMs had an easy job in the early days of

noise-cancelling in-ears, because there simply wasn’t much in

the way of competition. That’s all changed now – yet the way

the XM3s serve up sound quality as spectacular as this while

being truly wireless, while effectively cancelling background

noise and while remaining comfortable in the ears, is quite

something. So, just as it was with the original XMs, it’s job

done for Sony.

Sony WH-1000XM4

£349 / stuff.tv/XM4

With their perfect balance of wearability, active noise-cancelling

prowess and audio performance, there just hasn’t been a better

package than the Sony XM3s... until now. The XM4s look and

sound almost identical, but a range of new features – including

Speak-to-Chat, which stops the music when you start talking

• aims to lure you away from your current ’phones. If those are
  the XM3s, it’s tough to justify the upgrade; but it’s going to take
  something extraordinary to knock Sony off its perch now.

Stuff says +++++

Outright winners on design, build, specifications and,

most importantly of all, performance

Stuff says +++++

Not surprisingly given their heritage, these are the best

all-round noise-cancelling headphones you can buy

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

+++++£279 / stuff.tv/MTW2

A pleasure to listen to, no matter what sort

of music you want to hear..

Bose NCH 700

+++++£350 / stuff.tv/BoseNCH700

Great ANC, and you won’t find a better voice

pickup system than Bose’s.

Samsung Galaxy Buds+

+++++£159 / stuff.tv/BudsPlus

Samsung’s latest in-ears bring a step up in

audio quality and now support Apple devices.

Microsoft Surface Headphones 2

+++++£240 / stuff.tv/Surface2Cans

Sonic tweaks and a price cut make Microsoft’s

second ANC ’phones much more tempting.

Stuff says +++++

Sony’s last-gen ANC cans remain a class act

Stuff says +++++

Startlingly realistic in-ears for pure audio

Stuff says +++++

B&W takes on the best with top-class cans

Sony WH-1000XM3

£237 / stuff.tv/XM3

Only just outshone by the new XM4s, Sony’s

previous flagship over-ears still offer reliable

Bluetooth, great active noise-cancellation

and fantastic sound quality – and they’re now

available at a bargain price.

Campfire Audio Ara

£1299 / stuff.tv/Ara

Dropping over a grand on a little-known

brand is a baller move, but these exquisite

in-ear monitors offer a neutral tone that,

when paired with a decent source, offers

astonishing clarity.

Bowers & Wilkins PX7

£279 / stuff.tv/PX7

B&W’s second ANC headphones place

greater emphasis on comfort and are all

the better for it, while the noise-killing is

as effective as you’ll find anywhere. Oh, and

they sound flipping good too.

Stuff says +++++

Technics’ true wireless debut is a sonic triumph

Technics EAH-AZ70W

£223 / stuff.tv/AZ70W

Technics has shrunk down its hi-fi skills to

deliver affordable personal audio. While the

charging case lacks a little juice, the AZ70s

score highly for noise-cancelling and even

higher when it comes to sound quality.