Want fancy new headphones? Our product expert picks the best 3 options – just in time for September's season

Want a new pair of headphones for September's year start? Here are 3 options for all budget ranges

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

It's very nearly September and that means heading to class, college, lectures, work, or perhaps starting 'a new you' in a fitness revolution. That's why T3 is running its Back To Class month, with top tips for working from home, tech buys, and fitness tips.

Whichever of those it is, a pair of the best headphones is an absolute must for all kinds of scenarios. Blocking out the outside world's noise so you can focus, working on the move while you commute, or when working out – over-ear or in-ear headphones are a great assist.

I've been testing headphones for about 15 years. And while I've got my personal preference for 2025 – it's not a Sony or Bose, as I detailed in my mini-feature – in this list I'm going to highlight a spectrum of top performers for different reasons, at a range of price points.

T3's Top 3

Bose v Apple v Sony: Pricing

As you can see from my selection of top headphones picks, I've selected a pair that'll cost you pocket money, versus some top-tier over-ears that are 10x the price, with the fancy AirPods option sitting in between the lot. The three aren't therefore directly comparable.

You do, however, get what you pay for. The Bose are the nicest made, best-sounding, and most feature-laden of the lot, as you'd expect for the price. Apple's option is just plastic, so there's a premium on the features – but they'll still ideal for most people. Sony, meanwhile, has pulled off magic in offering over-ears at such a lean price, with such bold sound.

It's going to depend how much budget dictates what you want, need or expect. Personally I wouldn't want headphones without ANC – that being the Sony option – because I rely on that world-blocking sound you get from the Bose (and, to a marginally lesser degree, the Apple).

But if your budget is restricted due to high overheads and minimal income, you've got a choice to make: go with nothing, buy the affordable Sony and be pleased with having music available to your ears, or take the jump and feel like an investment in spreading the cost of an ANC pair that'll keep you going.

Bose v Apple v Sony: What Alternatives?

There are good and bad reasons to buy any one pair of headphones. From features you don't need, to pricing that's out of sorts with your budget, or just a design difference – the fit, even – that won't agree with you.


Bose

Apple AirPods Max vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

(Image credit: Matt Kollat/ T3)

As I said up top, the Bose QC Ultra Headphones are winners in a couple of areas: one, they're brilliant for travel, given their folding design; two, they're arguably the best when it comes to ANC, for blocking out external noise.

There's plenty of competition, granted, with Sony's latest WH1000XM6 being in high contention. These are also newer and, as a result, more expensive right now. So if you're saving the pennies, not necessarily an obvious pick – despite their brilliance.

If budget is a big deal then some brands do offer ANC as part of the feature set, but for a little less. The Cambridge Audio P100, for example, ought to be around half the price. I don't find them as comfortable or as ANC convincing overall, but still a great balance of features to price as an alternative.


Apple

Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)

I've selected Apple's top-tier AirPods for this guide, because they deliver the best ANC that Apple offers in this in-ear format. You could, however, buy the latest AirPods 4, which also feature (marginally-not-as-good) ANC – but will save you about 35% on the price tag.

The AirPods Pro 2nd Gen also offer the better battery life, when you consider the larger and more capacious case, and the sound quality is a little better too. Again, the base AirPods are a good alternative.

If you're not interested in Apple at all, however, then the T3 Awards 2025 winner of Best Earbuds was the Technics EAH-AZ100. These offer unrivalled musicality and quality that's hard to ignore. Sure, they're not exactly sporty, and they cost more, but for pure audio it's a winner.

If workouts are your big focus, however, then the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are 2025's top choice. They're a bit like the AirPods Pro but 'sportified', really. Too expensive for your budget? Try finding the Jabra Elite 8 Active, first or second gen, which are a great shout at a cut of the price.


Sony

Sony WH-CH520

(Image credit: Sony)

Last up, we enter the budget section, with the Sony WH-CH520 really showing their worth – and why, when on point, Sony is such a master of audio products (ignore the overly bassy ULT product line of recent years, though).

It's easy to find cheap headphones, of this I'm sure, but it's tricky to find ones that are actually worth buying – some aren't even worth taking out of the packaging. The Sony baulks that trend, though, with a tiptoe into what the brand can offer – solid comfort and sound.

If you want more features, however, then T3's colleagues at TechRadar have a bunch of suggestions via The Best Cheap Headphones. The top pick in that list, which offers ANC, is the 1More SonoFlow Pro – sure, it's knocking on the door of three figures in price, but it does add noise-cancelling and is much more affordable than the Bose or Apple options above. If you an find a pair

Bose v Apple v Sony: Which wins?

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

As discussed, it's tricky to choose an out-and-out winner here. For me, the Bose cater for all the comfort, sound quality and active noise-cancelling you could want, in a portable package. They cost a bit, but it's an investment.

If over-ears aren't for you, however, then Apple's rise in the earbuds world shows that experience condensed into the one product in the AirPods Pro 2nd Gen. They're not the fanciest-looking, but are comfortable, easy to use, great sounding, and the ANC is top drawer too.

But if budget is your lead when it comes to purchase, and you don't want to buy something that's a waste of money, then the Sony CH520 provide an option that's hard to beat. Granted, they're less feature-rich, but for this kind of money the comfort and sound quality can't be argued with.

Mike Lowe
Tech Editor

Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.

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