In the city that never sleeps, it’s nice to have a few moments of quiet.
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it → sleep → quiet
And though it’s rarely quiet here in New York City, a good pair of headphones can create that silent oasis for you.
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pair → ’ → you
Even if it seems simple, there are many factors that go into picking the right headphones.
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that → seem → headphones
Rather than comparing pairs in controlled office environments, we took to the streets.
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we → compare → streets
Twelve testers tried between one and three pairs each, running each pair through a series of tests.
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testers → try → tests
One of our testers noted he “feels like [he] can wear these all day.”
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he → note → these
A tester remarked she “walked through a block party” wearing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 and “maybe heard one voice.”
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she → remark → voice
That, plus unmatched immersive sound quality and intuitive controls, makes these our pick.
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these → make → ?
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are the best open-ear style headphones we tested thanks to the great sound quality and comfort when wearing for long periods of time.
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we → test → time
One tester said they’re “effective in blocking out most noise.”
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they → say → noise
These are the headphones that stand up to subway noise, offer crystal clear phone calls even when you’re walking through Times Square and help you stay aware of your surroundings as you navigate the city.
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you → stand → city
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro has five levels of noise cancellation that can be adjusted to your preferences, with one being a step above nothing at all and five being extreme active noise cancellation.
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five → have → nothing
On a five, you’re getting extremely effective noise cancellation.
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you → get → cancellation
Entertainment Reporter Eric Todisco tested these on the subway and noted that the noise cancellation was so effective he “mostly only wore one” so he could hear his surroundings.
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he → test → surroundings
The headphones come with a full charge out of the box (all three testers called out the excellent battery life), and the case is unique in that it has
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it → come → life
a touchscreen for controls, showing battery life, sound modes (noise cancelling, transparency, etc.), and even has a screen that acts as a remote for your phone’s camera
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that → show → camera
The “bean-like’ shaped buds are customizable with five sizes of ear-tips and three wing-tip sizes included in the package so you can find your perfect, secure fit.
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you → shape → fit
“The LED interface showing battery of case and buds with easy to read visual indicators is a major plus,” he said.
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he → show → indicators
Massaro also praised the case’s durability.
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Massaro → praise → durability
He dropped them from a few different heights and never found himself scrambling to pick up scattered earbuds.
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himself → drop → earbuds
In terms of sound, these are equipped with Dolby Spatial Audio and optimized for Dolby Atmos.
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these → equip → Atmos
Massaro puts it, “sound really pops.”
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sound → put → it
All of the testers were impressed with the sound quality and mentioned being able to dissect songs by identifying instruments within them.
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All → impress → them
Special features: Touchscreen case, customizable fit | Warranty: Yes, up to 2 years depending on region and retailer purchased from
Despite not being an overall winner, AirPods are a classic option and after using a few pairs of Apple headphones over the past 10 years, I can confidently say these are the best pair from the tech giant.
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these → depend → giant
The latest AirPods Pro 3 are loaded with features, including live translation when paired with an iPhone using Apple Intelligence and hearing health protection with the option to use as a hearing aid for perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
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Pro → load → loss
AirPods are incredibly easy to set up and use with other Apple products, and connect seamlessly to your devices without the need for an additional app download.
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AirPods → set → download
The noise cancellation is as good as it gets, with interesting features like an adaptive mode, which sits somewhere between active noise cancellation and transparency mode, dynamically adjusting the level of external noise based on your changing environment.
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which → get → environment
Additionally, it adjusts volume based on your surroundings no matter which mode you’re using.
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you → adjust → mode
There’s also Conversation Awareness mode, which automatically lowers your media volume and enhances voices in front of you once you start speaking, then restores your audio when you finish.
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you → ’ → audio
I’ve found this to be especially useful as someone who doesn’t typically use modes other than noise cancellation.
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who → find → cancellation
AirPods Pro 3 support Dolby Atmos where possible, but only on Apple Music.
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Pro → support → Music
As someone who switches between Apple Music and Spotify, there is a noticeable difference depending on which app I’m currently using.
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I → switch → app
With AirPods, Apple Music audio has more depth, while Spotify’s has more volume.
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Spotify → have → volume
Case included: Yes |
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Case → include → ?
Special features: Live translation, hearing health protection, customizable fit, auto-adjusting volume | Warranty: 1-Year Apple limited warranty, AppleCare add-on option available
Like all the other earbuds tested, the Sony WH-1000XM6 earbuds have noise cancelling and transparency modes; Massaro called it “too good,” while Todisco noted that it was just the right amount when on the subway and Reporter Jolie Zenna agreed.
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Zenna → adjust → subway
Dual processors and eight adaptive microphones help adapt noise cancellation or transparency to your environment in real time without sacrificing music quality.
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processors → help → quality
Developed with mastering audio engineers, you’re getting studio-level clarity no matter what mode you’re listening in.
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you → develop → mode
Two of three testers also mentioned that the call quality was better on these than other tested pairs, thanks to the dual beamforming microphones, a bone conduction sensor and AI-powered noise reduction technology.
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quality → mention → microphones
The design is sleek, but testers still noted some flaws.
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testers → note → flaws
Massaro found them heavy and Todsico found they sat awkwardly inside his ear.
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they → find → ear
…and 106 more, not listed.
The Aporia
