Best Travel Headphones
Check out the best travel headphones, as rated by our expert reviewers.
No matter how long or short the trip, listening to music while you travel is a luxury that’s hard to give up. I can hardly stand driving a couple blocks without my tunes bumping, let alone enduring a four-hour flight or weekend-long road trip without them. A good pair of travel headphones is a handy thing to have in any walk of life. Whether you need a pair of cans that cancel out the drone of a jet engine or you just need a pair that won’t take up too much space in your overstuffed carry-on, you’ll likely find a pair that suits your needs in our list of the best travel headphones below.
Our best travel headphones list is continually updated as we review new products that enter the market.
Phiaton PS 210 BTNC
The PS 210 BTNC is the best-sounding wireless earphone we’ve ever heard and, for that matter, one of the best earphones we’ve enjoyed in general.
- Pros: Outstanding sound quality, Versatile and…
- Cons: Visual design
Sennheiser MM 500-X
We can’t imagine that another set of headphones offers this much sound quality and convenience for anywhere near this price, making these the best all-around, reasonably priced set of headphones we have heard yet.
- Pros: Supremely well-detailed and highly engaging sound…
- Cons: Noise isolation only average, Price is starting to…
- Buy online:
- Amazon.com $329.95
- J&R $329.95
Yamaha EPH-100
The Yamaha EPH-100 are the steal of the decade in affordable high-performance personal audio.
- Pros: Balanced, articulate, dynamic and revealing sound…
- Cons: No inline mic or controls
- Buy online:
- zZounds $149.95
- Amazon.com $144.31
SOL Republic Master Tracks
Those in search of headphones as tough as a pair of overalls but as refined as a tuxedo need look no further than the Sol Republic Master Tracks.
- Pros: Clear, well balanced sound signature, Powerful…
- Cons: Slight lack of detail in timbre of instruments…
- Buy online:
- Amazon.com $199.99
- J&R $199.99
- Zappos.com $179.99
Audiofly AF78
“The AF-78’s tendency to magnify detail…exposed some buried treasures we’ve missed in familiar recordings…”
- Pros: Brilliant detail, Pristine upper register, Deeply…
- Cons: May be a bit uncomfortable for some ears, Midrange…
- Buy online:
- RadioShack.com $149.99
Nocs NS800
We think that the Nocs NS800 Monitors are a special kind of treat for the ears. But, in the same way that not everyone enjoys caviar – at least not right away – some may have difficulty appreciating the NS800’s distinct flavor.
- Pros: Natural, organic sound, Highly revealing and…
- Cons: Don’t deliver lowest bass frequencies with…
- Buy online:
- Buy Now: Amazon...
Monster Inspiration (Active Noise Canceling)
We highly recommend them and happily bestow these fine cans with our Editor’s Choice award considering their stellar sound, though we should note that this active noise-canceling version loses half a point for slightly less effective noise-cancelation performance relative to its competition.
- Pros: Balanced, engaging sound, Excellent tonality…
- Cons: Noise canceling not as strong as competition, No…
- Buy online:
- zZounds $249.95
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC9
Audio-Technica proves, once again, that its expertise in professional audio lends itself well to excellent headphone design.
- Pros: Excellent sound, with or without noise cancelling…
- Cons: AAA battery life is short-lived, Slightly forward…
Phonak Audeo PFE122
The Audeo PFE122s are an excellent choice for music lovers of any stripe, and a perfect solution for those who value comfort and security as much as sound quality.
- Pros: Superbly-balanced, detailed, clear and natural…
- Cons: Slightly rolled off and recessed upper treble, Not…
- Buy online:
- Buy Now: Amazon...
Klipsch Image S4A
The Klipsch Image S4A is not only the first but, for the time being, also the only product to provide Android users with this kind of music player and phone control in an earphone.
- Pros: Small, light, and comfortable, Lively sound with…
- Cons: Using in-line control for music pulls phone out of…
- Buy online:
- Amazon.com $71.69
