Gift Guide: Our favorite headphones of 2020

Welcome to TechCrunch’s 2020 Holiday Gift Guide! Need help with gift ideas? We’re here to help! We’ll be rolling out gift guides from now through the end of December. You can find our other guides right here.

Headphones! They make a pretty solid gift any year, but they’re an even better option when we’re all stuck at home. It’s hard to think (much less get anything done) when the background track of your life is a cacophony of conference calls and Zoom school.

We spent a lot of time with a lot of different headphones this year, so we thought it’d be good to highlight some of our favorites. As with all things audio-related, “best” is deeply subjective — but these ones all absolutely earned our stamp of approval. Between over-ear, on-ear, in-ear, and gaming headsets, we’ve got the bases covered.

This article contains links to affiliate partners where available. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission.

Marshall Major IV

Darrell writes:

Marshall’s latest on-ear headphones combine great sound with a lightweight design, and some unique benefits – including over 80 hours of playtime on a single charge. They also charge either via USB-C, or wirelessly with most standard chargers, by folding them up and resting them on their right ear cup. The on-ear design means no noise cancellation and noise isolation is minimal, so they’re not great for commutes but a very solid choice for the home office. For the price, they’re a great deal, and a stylish accessory, to boot.

Price: $129 from Marshall

Sony WH-1000XM4

Taylor writes:

If you need really serious noise canceling and you aren’t willing to sacrifice on sound quality, Sony’s WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones are a no-brainer.

Widely regarded as the best at what they do, these headphones actually do quite a few different things very, very well. The sleek over-ear design and sophisticated active noise canceling means they can create a totally silent work environment if that’s what you want. And if you’re just in it for the Sony’s signature killer, punchy sound, that’s enough of a reason to buy them too. (Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are another top-tier pick for over-ear noise canceling if you prefer their look or Bose’s more neutral sound.) For a budget pick, Sony’s last-gen Sony WH-1000XM3 offer the same sound quality and noise canceling with a few fewer bells and whistles.

Price: $278 from Best Buy

Master & Dynamic MW65

Veanne writes:

The MW65s are Master & Dynamic’s wireless over-ear noise cancelling model. Between deejaying at dirty underground raves in my early twenties and editing videos for the next decade, I have probably gone through about two dozen headphones. By far, the MW65s are my favorite. 

They’re beautifully designed, and well-constructed with lightweight anodized aluminum and premium leather. The 40mm beryllium drivers deliver clarity throughout the spectrum and audiophiles will love their natural sound profile. The memory foam ear pads already do a decent job of muffling out garbage trucks and police sirens, but the ANC is great for shutting out the world — on high mode, it’s eerily silent. The MW65s work wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.2 with 65+ feet of signal range – a must have for grabbing snacks from the fridge while on important Zoom meetings or to avoid accidentally yanking the laptop off the table. Bonus feature: Google Assistant integration. 

They’ll cost you a steep $400+, but they’re solid headphones and you’re ultimately paying for luxury.

Price: Currently $400 on Amazon

---

Sony WF-1000XM3

Taylor writes:

It should come as no surprise that Sony’s prowess in over-ear noise canceling translates extremely well to a smaller form factor. Earbuds can’t match the sweet silence that over-ear designs provide, but if you don’t like big ol’ headphones the compromise is likely worth it. Sony’s earbuds are a great choice, tuning out a shocking amount of outside noise in a very small package. Like the Sony over-ear pick, they have incredible sound, a very attractive design and come with a huge selection of rubbery caps of different sizes and textures to make them comfortable in different ears. If you value Apple connectivity above all else, pick the AirPods pro. If sound quality or silence matter more, you won’t be disappointed here.

Price: $158 from Best Buy

Also great: Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2 ($269) earbuds keep pace with Sony’s earbuds, and depending on your sound/fit preferences they’re also a great pick (especially if you find them on sale.)

For the Apple devotee: AirPods Pro

Lucas writes:

Though Apple is now positioning the $249 AirPods Pro as the mid-range product in the AirPods line with the introduction of the ludicrously priced $549 AirPods Max, they are still Apple’s headphone product that seems to have the biggest lead over mainstream competitors.

Features like passthrough mode and spatial audio are nice but are likely features you will use pretty infrequently depending on your setup. As with the less expensive non-Pro AirPods, you’ll be sure to find better sound quality in bluetooth headphones at the price, but you won’t find a better total package that involves so little troubleshooting, a tight package and such quality noise cancellation. The AirPods Pro are a finessed product that just work in a way that makes using other wireless buds comparably painful.

Retailers are really looking to move product this holiday season, so if you’re prodigious, you’ll likely be able to score a good deal on these headphones so if you’re plotting an upgrade or trying to see what all the buzz is about, I recommend you take the plunge.

Price: Currently $199 from Amazon

---

SteelSeries 7P (for Playstation) or 7X (for Xbox)

Devin writes:

Whether you’re planning on playing games on a PC or any console out there, the SteelSeries Arctis 7 gets an unreserved recommendation from me. These headphones have amazing sound in a surprisingly large soundstage, making them suitable for any gaming or media. They’re also light and comfortable while offering decent isolation (and can pipe in surrounding noise if you want). Plus there’s a built-in telescoping mic for chatting with. There are two versions, one for PlayStation and one for Xbox consoles, though both work with PC.

Their downsides are a cluttered physical interface — there’s a lot going on on the undersides of the earcups — and a corded, multi-part (rather than USB key shaped) wireless dongle. But these are minor issues considering what you get for the $150 price.

Price: $150 from SteelSeries

Budget pick: Razer Kraken X USB

Devin writes:

This is my go-to headset for when friends need something solid but inexpensive. The sound is a bit bass-heavy and it’s not wireless, but I used these personally for quite a while and found them comfortable, reliable, and the built-in mic is easily operated.

Price: $44 from Amazon

Upgrade pick: SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless

While on the pricier end for a gaming headset, SteelSeries’ Arctis Pros are outstanding. They’re extremely comfortable largely thanks to a ski-goggle inspired suspension headband, and swappable rechargeable batteries (one in the headset, one charging in the base station) help ensure you’re never caught scrambling for a charging cable mid-battle. A dedicated mixer helps you tweak the sound to your liking even in games where it’s otherwise locked, and a very visible mute indicator on the tip of the microphone makes it clear whether you’re on air or not. One catch: they’ll work with PC, Mac, and Playstation (including PS5 with an upcoming firmware update), but not Xbox.

Price: $326 from Amazon