The 5 best headphones of 2022

Tech specs: Form factor: Over-ear, closed-back | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 | Battery life: 30 hours (3 hours on a 3-minute charge) | Frequency response: 4 Hz-40,000 Hz

Sony’s WH-1000XM headphones have been the go-to active noise cancelation (ANC) headphones since the technology was first popular in the 1980s. Over different models, Sony has continued to improve its sound quality, ANC functionality, and battery life. And the WH-1000XM5 headphones offer the best ANC technology yet, with some of the best overall sound-blocking technology currently available on the market.

These upgrades don’t come cheaply, but they still offer an excellent value in a long-wearing, comfortable pair of headphones that block out most exterior noise through a combination of passive sound isolation and advanced ANC technology. Couple that with 30 hours of battery life in one single charge, and these headphones are worth their price tag.