Best wireless headphones for making calls
One of the great advances in cellphone functionality has been the ability to talk on the phone while keeping your hands free for other tasks. If you’re wearing a set of wireless headphones paired to your phone, you can take and make calls in all sorts of environments and never actually touch the phone. Here are four of CNET’s picks for our favorite wireless headphones for talking on the phone.
Apple AirPods 2019
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent) The good: The second-generation AirPods add a couple of small but key improvements to the original, including always-on voice recognition and a wireless charging case option. They’re a top-notch headset for making calls, indoors and out. Apple’s new H1 chip also allows for faster connections with all of your Apple devices, rock solid wireless connectivity, and an hour more talk time.
The bad: No design changes to help them fit more ears securely; their sound hasn’t improved, and their open design allows for a lot of ambient noise to leak in.
The cost: $144.95 to $159.00
The bottom line: The new AirPods are an incremental upgrade to an already excellent, fully wireless headphone, but sound quality, design and fit are basically the same.
Jabra Elite 65t
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent) The good: The Jabra Elite 65t are smaller and fit more comfortably than their predecessors. They sound excellent for truly wireless headphones, perform reliably and are great for making calls, with two microphones in each earpiece. Battery life is decent at 5 hours and the included charging case delivers two extra charges.
The bad: The relatively tight, noise-isolating fit isn’t for everyone. You have to step up to the more expensive Elite Active 65t to get a true sports model that offers enhanced sweat-resistance.
The cost: $140.00 to $184.50
The bottom line: The well-designed Jabra Elite 65t truly wireless earphones rival Apple’s AirPods and are superior in some ways.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent) The good: The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless headphones fit comfortably and sound excellent, and their wireless performance was solid with minimal dropouts. They work very well for making calls, have touch controls, and their battery-charging case charges via USB-C (cable included). There’s a transparency mode, and you can tweak the sound via the companion app.
The bad: The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless headphones are pricey, and they’re a bit larger than Jabra’s Elite 65t buds. Battery life isn’t quite as good as what you get with certain competing models, and not everybody will love the touch controls.
The cost: $294.99 to $299.99
The bottom line: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless are the best-sounding true wireless earphones we’ve tested to date, but you’ll have to pay a premium for that better sound.
Beats Powerbeats Pro
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent) The good: The Powerbeats Pro have better sound and battery life than the AirPods and will stay on your ears securely. They offer all the same basic conveniences of the 2019 AirPods, including fast pairing, rock-solid wireless connectivity and always-on Siri voice-recognition for iOS users. Phone call quality is excellent. Physical buttons for music playback control will appeal to Android users.
The bad: The Powerbeats Pro are more expensive than AirPods. The charging case isn’t pocket-friendly, nor does it offer wireless charging. The headphones deliver some treble push, and may not fit all ears perfectly.
The cost: $249.95 to $249.99
The bottom line: If you can overlook the jumbo charging case and high price, the Powerbeats Pro true wireless headphones are superior to the AirPods in a few key ways.