While both pairs of wireless headphones share a similar look overall, there are actually some major design differences worth noting. One of the biggest differences is in color. While the Headphone 1 come in just black or white, the Headphone A expand the color options to include pink and yellow in addition to black or white, though the latter is limited edition.
Amazon is offering the first-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth Headphones for $279, down from $429. Since coming out last April, they've become our choice for best noise-canceling wireless headphones. Notably, the sale is only available in the headphone's nice limited edition Deep Plum model. We gave the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones an 86 in our review, thanks, in part, to their incredible active-noise cancellation (ANC) an industry-lead Bose has held for years.
It's rare for Sony's flagship headphones, even slightly outdated models, to receive a big discount. However, the WH-1000XM5 in black or silver is selling at its lowest-ever price today at Adorama when you enter the code JHCE9834 at checkout (it's the last step before placing the order). Originally $399, they're $204.56 - practically half price. According to historic pricing data from CamelCamelCamel, this handily beats the previous best-ever price of $248 near the end of 2025.
These easily topped our list of the best wireless headphones. They are, in a word, fantastic. The headphones are packed with premium features, like advanced ANC. There are a whopping 12 ANC microphones throughout and a brand-new chip to power the feature. The end result? It successfully blocks background noise at medium and high frequencies, including the human voice. The sound quality is extremely pleasing to the ears, thanks to new audio drivers and a team of mastering engineers that assisted with tuning.
Unlike Apple's AirPods, the Beats Studio Buds Plus play well with both iOS and Android devices, which is why they're among our favorite wireless earbuds. You don't get every ecosystem perk, but you do get a lot of the essentials. Apple iPhone owners, for example, get hands-free Siri, Find My support, one-step pairing, and Control Center integration. You miss out on AirPods-exclusive features like automatic device switching and spatial audio head-tracking.
They're called open earbuds (or open-ear buds, depending on the brand), and just about every audio brand has a pair (or three). They come in a slew of styles, but most either loop around your ears like older Beats buds, or clip on like funky-futuristic earrings. Whatever the style, they're designed to deliver satisfying sound while keeping your ear canals open to the sounds of the world around you.
I've spent a lot of time testing headphones, and I always find a new favorite with every new release. But one pair of headphones will always hold a special place in my heart, years after their launch: the Beats Solo 3 on-ear headphones. The Solo 3 awakened my passion for headphones; they were the first pair I spent more than $50 on. I bought a Rose Gold pair in high school with the money from my first job, and they stuck with me throughout college.