Stuff - UK (2021-03)

22

33

44

55

TOP TENS IN-EARS

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

84

HOT

BUY

1

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

£250 / stuff.tv/QCE

They’re bulkier than the average in-ears and come with

a ridiculously large case, but otherwise the QC Earbuds are

difficult to knock. The noise-cancelling doesn’t do a disservice

to the esteemed QC name, it’s hugely customisable, and the

buds themselves sound great: bassier than you might expect,

but in a nicely rounded way that retains lots of detail. They’re at

the upper end where price is concerned – but if silence is what

you seek, you currently won’t find better.

Sony WH-1000XM4

£309 / 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 +++++

A fun listen with excellent noise-cancelling skills, these

are the best buds to stick in your ears

Stuff says +++++

Not surprisingly given their heritage, these are the best

all-round noise-cancelling headphones you can buy

Campfire Audio Ara

+++++£1299 / stuff.tv/Ara

These exquisite in-ear monitors offer

a neutral tone with astonishing clarity.

Bose NCH 700

+++++£350 / stuff.tv/BoseNCH700

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

pickup system than Bose’s.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

+++++£279 / stuff.tv/MTW2

A pleasure to listen to, no matter what sort

of music you want to hear.

Philips Fidelio X3

+++++£299 / stuff.tv/FidelioX3

These bonkers-big cans are one of the best

ways we can think of to enjoy some ‘me time’.

Stuff says +++++

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

Stuff says +++++

Technics’ true wireless debut is a sonic triumph

Stuff says +++++

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

Sony WH-1000XM3

£219 / 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.

Technics EAH-AZ70W

£170 / 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.

Bowers & Wilkins PX7

£349 / 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 +++++

Great design and stunning performance

Sony WF-1000XM3

£168 / stuff.tv/WFXM3

The way Sony’s XM3 buds serve up such

spectacular sound quality while being

truly wireless, while effectively cancelling

background noise and while remaining

comfortable in the ears, is quite something.