(Art Credit: Tharon Green/PCMag/Amazon/Bose/Sonos)
How you enjoy music, video, podcasts, and audiobooks is intensely personal and demands top-notch gear. That's why every year we poll hundreds of readers across the country about the headphones and speakers they buy. The competition is fierce, with heavy hitters like Apple, Sennheiser, and Sony vying for our top spots. And this year, we have a few shake-ups in the rankings.
Most people prefer to nix the wires, with true wireless headphones and earbuds commanding the largest share of the audio market (41.2%), followed by wireless speakers (25%), according to Grand View Research. Meanwhile, classic wired headphones have made a resurgence among younger generations and in celebrity circles. (Apple’s are just $20.)
“Despite chip shortages and tariffs, it’s still possible to get quality sound at very low prices,” says Jamie Lendino, PCMag executive editor for consumer electronics reviews. “Recent advances in miniaturization and wireless technology have made it easier than ever to get big sound out of tiny speakers, and even competent active noise cancellation out of lower-priced headphones.”
Our expert reviews are an excellent way to find the right headphones or speakers for you, but our tech-savvy readers also have a lot of opinions about the companies behind the gear. After all, they've used these products over the long haul. Listen to their top recommendations.
The Top Headphone and Earphone Brands for 2026
Over the last couple of years, the Shokz brand has reigned supreme in our headphone survey. Its bone-conduction audio, which doesn’t block the ear canal at all, has some serious fans. Shokz still scores incredibly well overall with readers this time around, but only enough to place second.
Sennheiser wins the Readers’ Choice award for overall headphones for the first time in a decade. (It shared the award with Shure in 2016.) It’s a brand known for German-engineered “buy it for life” headphones, according to some fans—and a number of PCMag readers.
“Sennheiser has been making top-notch headphones for decades—for audiophiles and studio engineers alike—so this result doesn’t surprise me at all,” Lendino says.
(Note: Click the arrows in our interactive charts to view various elements of our survey results.)
Sennheiser scores above 9.0 (out of 10) across the board, save for an 8.7 for value, which is still pretty good. Sennheiser’s 9.8 reliability rating is about as close to perfect as we see in our results.
Readers rave about Sennheiser's quality. “These wired, open-back (HD 599) headphones are the most comfortable I've ever found for long listening and watching sessions on my laptop,” says one survey respondent. However, many readers bemoan the expense (the baseline Sennheiser HD 25 over-ear headphones cost $125).
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, try Anker Soundcore, which gets top marks for both cost and battery life. Anker makes every kind of headphones, including open-ear and in-ear buds (the new AeroFit 2 Pros offer both options, plus active noise cancellation). This is Anker Soundcore’s second Readers’ Choice award for headphone value.
Anker leans into bargain pricing, with wireless earbuds going for as low as $20, and our survey respondents appreciate it. “Everything considered, I wouldn't hesitate in the least to highly recommend Anker Soundcore headphones/listening devices,” says one reader. “Their quality is superb! Outstanding value!”
To see what our experts have to say, read our roundup of the best headphones overall.
Wireless and Wired Headphones
The chart above includes any and all types of headphones, including corded options. Those are few and far between these days, so the chart below—which narrows the field to only wireless headphones—looks very similar. Sennheiser is the winner again, followed by Shokz. Anker Soundcore again earns top scores for pricing and battery. The biggest change is that Sony jumps from sixth to third place.
As for wired-only headphones, only two companies, Sennheiser and Sony, make the list. And the winner is, once again, Sennheiser, which scores 9.4 or higher for audio quality, comfort, reliability, and ease of use.
“I have had several sets of Sennheiser headphones and never had problems with any of them,” says one respondent, who continues to stick with the brand. “Each time I have purchased headphones, the new ones were an upgrade in sound and quality, and worth the price.”
Check out the best wireless and wired headphones, as rated by our experts.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Active noise cancellation (ANC) devices sample the surrounding sound and suppress it before it reaches your ears. You’ll note in the table below that we start with the noise-cancellation rating, which, of course, is paramount here. Last year, Sony tied with Bose for noise cancelling, but we awarded Sony the win because of its higher overall satisfaction rating. This year, there’s no need—Sony is on top in both measures.
Anker Soundcore’s noise-cancelling headphones have the same overall satisfaction rating as Sony's. However, they have an ANC score almost a point lower. This puts Anker behind even Apple and Bose, the other two brands with noise-cancellation ratings in the 9-out-of-10 range.
“Given its roots as the creator of the original Walkman and its long history in home audio, it’s no surprise that Sony figured out how to out-Bose Bose in the noise-cancelling headphone space,” Lendino says.
We appreciate this reader’s tale of Sony ANC use in the real world: “I primarily use them while playing pool in bars. I am quite a bit older than the rest of the patrons and generally cannot abide the stuff they play on the jukebox. I listen to my Allman Brothers and such. Unless they really crank up the volume, the noise cancelling works great.”
You can read more about ANC technology in our roundups of the best noise-cancelling headphones (over-ear and in-ear) and the best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds.
On-Ear or Over-Ear Headphones
When it comes to size and comfort, there’s a big difference between over-ear headphones—the kind with big “cups” or “cans” that cover the entire outer ear—and the more typical (these days) earphones or earbuds that leave most of the ear exposed. Traditionally, over-ear headphones have been the go-to style for true audiophiles.
Last year, Bose easily took the win, thanks to a lead in satisfaction for on-ear/over-ear headphones (a mix of wired and wireless models). This year, Sennheiser is the winner, with a satisfaction score of 9.5.
Bose comes in second due to lower satisfaction and likelihood-to-recommend scores. Third-place Sony has noteworthy high scores for microphone quality, battery life, and, as mentioned above, noise cancellation.
“Many people find that on-ear and especially over-ear headphones are the most comfortable to use over the long haul, like when you’re listening for hours at home or at work,” Lendino says. “Sennheiser’s a veteran in this space, with excellent models at all price points. They also offer an array of closed-back and open-back headphones for different use cases in the studio, like tracking or mixing.”
“I am intolerant of heat and clamping pressure from headphones,” says one reader about their Sennheiser model HD 599 over-ear audiophile headphones. “These wired, open-back headphones are the most comfortable I've ever found for long listening/watching sessions on my laptop. The sound is excellent.”
Check out our Editors’ Choice options for on-ear and over-ear headphones.
Earphones and Earbuds
Not everyone knows the difference between earphones and earbuds. In short, earphones seal off your ear canal (they’re sometimes called in-ear monitors or IEMs), making them a better option for noise cancellation; meanwhile, earbuds sit "on" your ears, going in enough not to fall out, but not so much that they completely close off the canal. Because of their compact size and portability, both types are more popular than on-ear headphones today.
Apple is the big winner for earphones and earbuds for the second year in a row. Just as then, Apple’s earphones are the most used in our survey, accounting for 30% of the rated products. The brand leads Bose in every category except audio quality and comfort.
“Apple is no stranger to building quality audio gear, having pioneered the iPod 25 years ago, and it has distinguished itself in recent years with steadily improving AirPod designs,” says Lendino. “The AirPods Pro 3 strike an ideal balance between comfort, sound quality, and noise-cancellation, and frankly, they’re the first AirPods I can actually wear comfortably, because apparently I have lopsided ears. And I can’t beat the convenience when switching between my Apple products; it always works, and instantly.”
“My AirPods have been highly reliable, work after four trips in the washing machine, connect instantly, and can switch from phone to laptop easily,” says one happy respondent.
To see which headphones currently lead in our lab testing, read up on the best earbuds (in-ear headphones).
True Wireless Earphones and Earbuds
Limiting the list of earphones and earbuds to only those that are completely and truly wireless—with no connection between the earpieces whatsoever—changes things. Our list has the same two players, but their scores are closer together. Apple and Bose tie for overall satisfaction here, but Bose triumphs over Apple (last year’s true wireless winner) thanks to a better likelihood-to-recommend score.
Apple only beats Bose this time for setup and ease of use—it’s hard to one-up Apple’s closed ecosystem when it comes to that kind of thing. The two brands tie for reliability, while Bose continues to post superior scores for audio quality and comfort.
Discomfort with AirPods is, in fact, a big factor in many of the reader comments about Apple (“Too painful to wear, and they fall out of my ears,” says one). But Bose earphone users lavish praise on the true wireless winner. “Comfortable fit for all day use, no slipping out of ears,” says one. Another says, “I love these because they do not pop out of my ear like standard earbuds.”
For more, check out the best wireless earbuds for 2026.
The Top Speaker Brands for 2026
There’s a wireless speaker available for just about every scenario, from tiny waterproof models for the shower to modern equivalents of the classic boombox to whole-home Wi-Fi-powered sound systems. Last year, Bose swept most of our speaker categories, though this year the results are more varied.
Starting with a look at our overall list, which incorporates every type of wireless speaker, there’s a three-way tie for overall satisfaction—our usual go-to category for picking a winner—between Anker, Bose, and JBL. Two of them—Anker and Bose—also tie for likelihood to recommend. In the end, we’re crowning Anker Soundcore as the top overall wireless speaker this year, as it's also the best in terms of value and reliability.
“Anker snuck up on everyone in the accessory market and quietly began releasing surprisingly good audio products,” Lendino says. “We’re finding in review after review that they’re killer values on the budget-priced side.”
Anker Soundcore earns the best value score, well ahead of the rest. Many readers note Anker’s pricing. “It’s a good utilitarian speaker with [dust and water] protection, decent sound, and amazing battery life,” says one. “Inexpensive, too.”
We have one more award for the overall speaker category: portability, a must for great wireless speakers. The top three here all score over 9.0 in that area. But none as high as JBL, which takes home our first-ever Readers’ Choice award for wireless speaker portability.
“I have had a very good experience with my [portable] JBL Charge 6, and I would feel confident recommending JBL to a friend who is looking for a wireless speaker,” says one survey respondent. “The battery life has also been impressive. I can use the speaker for long stretches without needing to plug it in, which makes it convenient to move around the house or take outside.”
Bluetooth Speakers
When we restrict the list to only Bluetooth speakers, Anker Soundcore, Bose, and JBL all tie for satisfaction (and for battery life), but Bose steps into the spotlight thanks to a slightly higher likelihood-to-recommend score.
Bose scores pretty well across the board in comparison to the others, except for cost, where it nets a 7.2 out of 10 (only Sonos scores worse, at 6.8). But for many readers, Bose products' quality makes them worth the cost.
“I'd absolutely recommend Bose if a friend were looking for a reliable wireless speaker. I've been using the SoundLink Micro for a while now, and it genuinely stands out as the best compact unit I've owned,” says one survey respondent. “This speaker feels like a genuinely dependable piece of design. It's not just riding on the brand name; it delivers excellent performance in a small, virtually indestructible package. I have zero reservations recommending it.”
Wi-Fi Speakers
Wi-Fi speakers are typically for use around the home. They connect to a single wireless network to act as a centralized sound system (or hubs in a multi-room sound system). Bose won this category last year and easily repeats, outranking Sonos. Despite being known primarily for its Wi-Fi speaker systems, Sonos scores worse here than it does overall or even for Bluetooth units.
Bose takes every subcategory here, save one: Sonos is a tick higher in sound quality. Both brands get relatively low scores for cost. But Bose has excellent ratings for setup, reliability, and ease of use.
“Bose is playing a different game than Sonos with wireless speakers, but their expertise in getting big sound out of small cabinets is unparalleled, even if it’s not always the most transparent sound that audiophiles prefer,” Lendino says. “So it doesn’t surprise me that the Bose name continues to resonate here, especially when the goal is to simply fill multiple rooms with great sound, regardless of where you’re standing or sitting.”
To see which brands currently lead in our lab testing, check out our roundup of The Best Bluetooth and Wireless Speakers.
Computer Speakers
Most high-tech speakers these days aren’t wired for sound (they're only plugged in for power or charging). The exceptions include high-end sound systems and TV sound bars, which we’ll ask about in a future home entertainment survey. PC speakers have traditionally come as wired options; they’re increasingly available as wireless options.
No matter the configuration, the winner here, for the seventh time since we started asking about PC speakers in 2013, is Klipsch.
“I trust Klipsch when it comes to speakers,” says one respondent. “Worth the price, especially when on sale. The fidelity of these speakers is far in excess of any computer speakers I've had previously.”
“I've been running my Klipsch speakers on my gaming PC for over five years, and they've been outstanding,” says another. “The sound quality is still excellent—clear, powerful, and immersive—and they've held up flawlessly through daily use. Whether I'm gaming, listening to music, or watching videos, they consistently deliver performance that exceeds my expectations. They've been one of the most reliable pieces of gear in my setup.”
Altec Lansing, an audio brand name sold and resold a few times over the last few decades, has the top score for controls. However, it should be noted that Altec Lansing has exited the traditional speakers-plus-subwoofer market for PCs, focusing mainly on Bluetooth speakers. Of course, some of those can double as PC soundbars.
Even though Bose has also exited the PC speaker market, the brand appears on the list again this year, as people continue to rate their existing units. Though Bose scores lower on the list than last year, it remains ahead of Creative overall, and Creative is very much still making PC speakers. Creative earns great scores for its controls and value, rivaling Altec Lansing on the former and Klipsch on the latter.
To see which models currently lead in our lab testing, read our roundup of the best computer speakers.
Full Results
The PCMag Readers’ Choice survey for Speakers and Headphones was in the field from Nov. 11, 2025, to Feb. 2, 2026. For more information on how we conduct surveys, read our methodology.