Don’t Want Earbuds? Consumer Reports Says These Headphones Have The Best Audio Quality

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When you’re looking for a way to listen to your favorite podcasts or music while commuting to or from work without being a nuisance to other people, you have a choice of buying earbuds or headphones. Picking between the two can be tricky, but if you’ve made up your mind and have decided to go with the former, there are many quality headphones to choose from. In a sea of options, picking the best headphones worth buying is a daunting task, simply because you can’t tell how good any pair sounds by reading its spec sheet. 

Without firsthand experience, it’s tough to tell which really offer the best sound. Fortunately, Consumer Reports (CR), an independent, non-profit, member-supported organization that reviews dozens of headphones every year has tested over 100 models, doing all the heavy lifting so you don’t have to.

Through its experience testing audio gear from all the major headphone brands using a team of trained audio technicians, Consumer Reports has chosen several models that it vouches for when it comes to sound because they scored the highest possible score for audio quality. These are the headphones that actually deliver if you’re looking for some of the best models on the market with excellent sound reproduction.

Apple launched the AirPods Max 2 in March 2026 featuring an H2 chip and a promise to deliver better sound quality, more effective active noise cancellation, and reduced wireless audio latency. As it turns out, the AirPods Max 2 actually delivers on that promise in real-world use, earning a perfect score in both sound quality and noise reduction in CR’s tests. 

You can listen to music on the AirPods Max 2 wirelessly via Bluetooth or through a wired connection by using the available USB-C port, which can deliver up to 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio. To make it more convenient, Apple includes a USB-C cable out of the box, saving you the hassle of buying a separate one. AirPods Max 2 promise up to 20 hours of listening time with ANC enabled, and if you run out of power, a 5-minute charge can offer up to an hour and a half of listening. 

Tech reviewers at What Hi-Fi wasn’t impressed by the battery life and was quick to point out that it lags behind some of its rivals. However, the site says the AirPods Max 2 have better noise-canceling capabilities than the first-gen models and also offer an improvement in the quality of sound. Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of the AirPods Max 2 is the slew of features that Apple added, such as Adaptive Audio, Live Translation, Conversation Awareness, and Voice Isolation, which will come in handy in day-to-day use. Full MSRP for the AirPods Max 2 starts at $549.

The second pair of headphones that CR recommends is the Grado SR125x. Similar to the AirPods Max 2, the Grado SR125x earned the highest possible score in audio tests. In case you haven’t heard of this model before, the Grado SR125x is a wired on-ear headphone with an open-back design and is part of the company’s Prestige X Series of headphones. It comes with 44 mm drivers and an attached eight-conductor audio cable with a gold-plated 3.5 mm jack at the end. 

You can connect to your phone or laptop using a 3.5 mm jack, but Grado also includes a Mini-plug-to-¼-inch-plug adapter out of the box. Since these headphones use an open-back design, they’re not ideal if you work in an environment with external noise, as they won’t block it. In that sense, they’re more suitable if you’d like to keep up with the environment around you while wearing headphones at all times. 

Its open-back design can also allow sound to escape, which is something to keep in mind if you plan to use the SR125x in a room full of people. CR says the SR125x delivers excellent sound quality but has minor bass. The Grado SR125x was announced in 2022 with a recommended retail price of $175.

Another pair of headphones that you should consider if you need the best sound quality is the Sennheiser HD 550. These headphones deliver on sound quality per CR’s expert lab testers, and they earned the site’s maximum audio quality score. The Sennheiser HD 550 is wired and features an open-back over-ear design; as a result, it might not suit every type of listener or use case. For example, if you use them on the subway for your work commute, you’ll likely be exposed to environmental noise. 

The HD 550 provides a 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable for connecting to audio sources and also offers a 3.5 to 6.35 mm screw-on jack adapter in case you need it. The ear cups on the HD 550 are large and include a grille on the outside for protection. Sound Guys reviewed the HD 550 and highlighted its sound quality, comfort, and affordable price as major reasons to consider buying this pair. The team adds that “if you’re already in the market, you should consider the Sennheiser HD 550.” 

TechRadar describes the HD 550 as “incredibly light,” weighing just 8.35 ounces. In addition to its lightweight design, TechRadar also found it comfortable to wear and capable of delivering excellent audio in games. The Sennheiser HD 550 launched at $299.95 when it was announced in 2025, but for some reason we’ve seen it selling for a little higher on both Best Buy and Walmart.

The Grado SR225x was launched in 2022 alongside the aforementioned SR125x and likewise features 44 mm drivers. These headphones also performed incredibly well in CR’s tests for quality. Similar to the SR125x, it also earned bragging rights by getting the maximum possible score for sound reproduction. The Grado SR225x is also wired, and the cable terminates with a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack. 

However, if you have an audio source with a 6.3 mm headphone jack, the SR225x includes a ¼-inch adapter in the box. As part of the Prestige X Series, the SR225x also comes with an eight-conductor cable with a copper wire that has been “super annealed,” which the company said should help the headphone deliver purer sound. The SR225x has a classic look with black and white colors and uses an on-ear design. 

CR says the SR225x exerts moderate pressure on the ear, remarking that it might not be suitable for anyone with a larger head. The Grado SR225x launched at an MSRP of $225, so it’s a bit more expensive than the SR125x, but still falls within an affordable range.

This is the third pair from Grado that impressed CR’s team of experts on sound quality by earning the highest possible score. CR describes the overall quality of the Grado RS2x as a bit heavy on the bass and slightly grainy, but otherwise with plenty of detail and openness. The Grado RS2x is also a wired headphone that features an on-ear open-back design, just like the previous models we’ve discussed from the company. 

Be that as it may, the Grado RS2x adds wood accents and a leather-stitched headband, both of which make it look more interesting than the SR125x and SR225x. It also has a considerably higher asking price than its two siblings – it’ll set you back $550. In PC Mag‘s review, the site notes that the RS2x delivers a “rich bass response” and that both mids and highs are detailed. 

Overall, PC Mag summed up the Grado RS2x’s sound quality as “exquisite” and even went ahead and included it in their roundup of the best wired headphones, which speaks volumes about the capabilities of the pair in comparison to alternative models on the market. The cable is permanently attached to the headphone, and it terminates with a 3.5 mm headphone jack; like the SR125x, Grado also includes a ¼-inch adapter.