Best Headphones Under $500
Top-scoring headphones you can buy for under $500. Independent benchmarks, no sponsored picks.
Ranked by the weighted Specdex score — 0-100 composite of real-world and synthetic benchmarks.
- #1Sony
Sony WH-1000XM6
LDAC · 30 h · 12-mic ANC with QN3
Sony's 6th-gen 1000X flagship — 30 mm drivers tuned by the QN3 processor, LDAC + multipoint + Auracast, 30 h battery (24 with ANC). Released May 15, 2025 at $449.99.
- #2Bose
Bose QuietComfort Ultra
CustomTune ANC · Immersive Audio · aptX Adaptive
The most comfortable premium ANC headphones — Bose's CustomTune profiling delivers class-leading quiet. 24 h battery (18 h with Immersive Audio on); SBC / AAC / aptX Adaptive codecs (no LDAC).
- #3
- #4Sony
Sony WH-1000XM5 · Midnight Black
Over-ear · 2022
Sony's Sony WH-1000XM5 — 2022 over-ear flagship.
- #5Sony
Sony WH-1000XM5 · Arctic White
Over-ear · 2022
Sony's Sony WH-1000XM5 — 2022 over-ear flagship.
- #6
- #7
- #8
- #9Bose
Bose QC Ultra Headphones · Midnight Black
Over-ear · 2023
Bose's Bose QC Ultra Headphones — 2023 over-ear flagship.
- #10Bose
Bose QC Ultra Headphones · Arctic White
Over-ear · 2023
Bose's Bose QC Ultra Headphones — 2023 over-ear flagship.
- #11Bose
Bose QC Ultra Headphones · Rose Gold
Over-ear · 2023
Bose's Bose QC Ultra Headphones — 2023 over-ear flagship.
- #12Bose
Bose QC Ultra Headphones · Navy Blue
Over-ear · 2023
Bose's Bose QC Ultra Headphones — 2023 over-ear flagship.
- #13Bose
Bose QC Ultra Headphones · Moss Green
Over-ear · 2023
Bose's Bose QC Ultra Headphones — 2023 over-ear flagship.
- #14Bose
Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2
World-class ANC · 30hr · Immersive Audio
Bose still owns the noise-cancellation crown. The QC Ultra 2 narrows the sound-quality gap to Sony XM6 while staying more comfortable for marathon listening.
- #15
Head-to-head
The two highest-ranked products compared side-by-side.
Frequently asked
What is the best headphone right now? +
Sony WH-1000XM6 leads our Best Headphones Under $500 list. Sony's 6th-gen 1000X flagship — 30 mm drivers tuned by the QN3 processor, LDAC + multipoint + Auracast, 30 h battery (24 with ANC). Released May 15, 2025 at $449.99.
How does Specdex rank products? +
Specdex does not run benchmarks in-house. Rankings reflect editorial judgement based on manufacturer-published specs and public reviewer consensus. See the methodology page for sources and how the verdicts are formed.
How often is this list updated? +
The ranking is regenerated on every page load from our live D1 database. Scores re-calibrate whenever we add new products or firmware updates change benchmark results.