Best Headphones & Earbuds – 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

Tyler Lee
12 months ago

The market for headphones and earbuds is so incredibly saturated right now that it might be hard for you to find something that you want as the sheer number of choices can feel overwhelming.

Luckily for you, if you’re looking for headphones or earbuds as a gift to yourself, a friend, or a family member for this coming holiday season, then you might want to check out our holiday gift guide below.

We’ve compiled some of the best headphones and earbuds for different needs and uses, so hopefully you’ll be able to find something that suits either your budget or your needs!

Headphones For Audiophiles

GRADO SR325x Stereo Headphones, Wired, Dynamic Drivers, Open Back Design

For anyone who’s been in the headphone game long enough, Grado needs no introduction, especially with the SR325x which are a great-sounding pair of headphones for those getting into the audiophile game but don’t want to break the bank!

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beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X Closed-back studio headphones with STELLAR.45...

Beyer-Dynamic is also another brand that’s been in the audiophile game for a long time, and the DT 700 PRO X are a great pair of audiophile grade headphones ideal for users who might need them for studio monitoring, but they’re also good enough to enjoy your tunes on.

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Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless Earbuds - Active Noise Cancellation,...

If you want portable sound but also great quality sound, the Pi7 S2 from Bowers and Wilkins is probably one of the best-sounding true wireless earbuds out there in the market today. The company has also included some modern day features like direct music streaming and noise-cancelation.

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Sennheiser Consumer Audio MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 Earbuds Bluetooth In-Ear...

Sennheiser is a brand that’s long been associated with great sound quality, and the Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds offers up everything you might expect from Sennheiser but in a smaller, modern-day package, allowing you to enjoy your music at the best quality while also being small enough to fit in your pocket.

Headphones For The Gymgoer

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Beats Fit Pro - True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds - Apple H1 Headphone...

Beats might have seemed like an overly hyped brand at the start, but in recent years, some of their offerings have proven to be pretty good, like the Beats Fit Pro. Not only do they sound pretty good, but they also make the perfect gym companion thanks to their IPX4 rating.

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Jabra Elite 8 Active - Best, Most Advanced HearThrough Sports Wireless...

Jabra is another brand that’s pretty well-known when it comes to audio products, and the Elite 8 Active is probably the best that the company has to offer when it comes to earbuds designed for the gym. It not only has an IP68 rating, but it is also drop-resistant, making them a pretty tough pair of earbuds.

Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, Sport,...

If you prefer the sound staging that headphones have to offer, then the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 is a great option for the gym. They’re wireless, which makes them perfect as you won’t have to worry about cables tripping you up, and they’re also sweat and water-resistant, and boast 24 hours of battery life on a single charge!

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JLab Go Air Sport, Wireless Workout Earbuds Featuring C3 Clear Calling,...

If you’re looking for earbuds just to keep you entertained while working on and don’t want to spend too much money, then the JLab Go Air Sport is a great option. They’re cheap, they feature IP55 rating for water resistance, and have touch-sensitive controls to make them easy to operate. They’re a fuss-free pair of earbuds that get the job done at an incredible price.

Headphones For The Traveler

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Sony WH-1000XM5 The Best Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones, Made Of Soft...

If you’re looking for the best noise-canceling headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5 could be it. The XM5 continues Sony’s tradition of offering up great noise-canceling headphones and great sound, plus it sports a brand new design over its predecessors that makes it feel new and refreshing.

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Bose QuietComfort 45 Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones,...

Bose doesn’t mess around when it comes to noise-canceling headphones, and the QuietComfort 45 is a great, solid choice if you love the comfort of the Bose QC headphones and their signature sound quality. With soft earpads and insane noise-canceling, they are the perfect travel companion especially for longer trips.

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Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) Wireless Ear Buds with USB-C Charging,...

For those of you who are in Apple’s ecosystem, then the AirPods Pro 2 are probably one of the best options out there for noise-canceling earbuds. They pair incredibly quickly with iOS devices, offer seamless switching, spatial audio, and surprisingly they do live up to the Pro name by offering up pretty decent sound quality.

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Soundcore by Anker Space A40 Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling Wireless...

Anker is known mostly for its mobile charging accessories, but the company has branched out into other products like the Soundcore A40 which are a pretty great pair of noise-canceling earbuds that are also priced pretty affordably.

Headphones For The Budget-Conscious

Audio-Technica ATH-M20X Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black

It goes without saying that Audio-Technica is one of the more well-respected audio brands out there, and if your budget is tight but you still want a pair of comfortable and amazing-sounding pair of headphones, the ATH-M20x is the gold standard as far as we’re concerned!

Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones Bluetooth On-Ear Headset with Microphone,...

Sony’s WH-CH520 are a pair of affordable wireless headphones. While they might not necessarily be the most feature rich, they do offer up incredible battery life of up to 50 hours, making them perfect if you’re traveling and don’t want to have to charge your headphones that often.

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Soundcore by Anker Life A2 NC Multi-Mode Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds,...

Anker’s mobile charging accessories are usually viewed as more affordable alternatives to first-party accessories, so why should its audio products be any different? With the Soundcare A2 NC, these are incredible value for money earbuds that are priced very affordably, but also come with amazing bass, long-lasting battery life, and hybrid active noise-canceling!

Google Pixel Buds A-Series - Wireless Earbuds - Headphones with Bluetooth -...

If you’re looking for an affordable pair of earbuds that has features similar to the AirPods but for Android, then Google’s Pixel Buds A-series is the way to go. Priced under $100, they offer tight integration with Android, they’re also water-resistant, and play nicely with Google’s Find My Device if you ever misplace them.

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