Our favorite headphones for iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac

By Mick Symons
last updated

We're often asked what we're using, from phones to watches to accessories, and we always love sharing!

We've rounded up the iMore staff to find what everyone's using to listen to their favorite tunes.

Here are the headphones iMore's using!

Serenity Caldwell – Managing Editor

My two favorite headphones are BT picks (surprise).

Jabra Move

Jabra Move

The best Bluetooth on-ear headphones I've found under $100. They aren't as comfortable as some plus-$100 headphones, but have a solid battery life, decent sound, and no wires! I use these at home for my Mac, and have little to no lag on Hangouts, audio, and video.

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Bose QuietComfort 35

They're expensive, but offer the holy trifecta: great battery life, excellent sound, and expert noise cancellation. I use these pretty much everywhere outside the house.

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Mikah Sargent – Senior Editor

Bose QuietComfort 20

These bad boys saved me on several child-laden flights.The sound cancelation is scary-good and they're super comfortable — you don't have to stick 'em in you ears too far and they still block out external sound thanks to the noise cancelation. Not only does the battery seem to last forever, they're super-portable and not bad looking, either!

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Jabra Move

Jabra Move

Like Serenity, I've found the Jabra Move headphones to be the best pair of on-ear headphones you can buy for under $100. They sound great, they're relatively comfortable (for headphones that are smashing down your ears), and they have a pretty long operating distance. Sweet, sweet freedom!

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Lory Gil – Editor

Bose SoundSport

They are my favorite because the ear cup is so comfortable. They are made out of a nice, soft rubber with a funnel that pushes music directly into my ear canal. They are called "Stay Here" tips and they have an anchor that slips into my ears so that I don't have to push the bud in too deep in order for them to stay put.

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Logitech UE 9000

These are my favorite because they have the best sound quality of any over-the-ear headphones I've ever used. They capture the mids of metal guitar-shredding crystal clear, while also producing the boomiest of bass for dance music.

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Derek Kessler – Managing Editor

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H6

If you want clear and balanced sound, comfort, and the sexiest design you'll ever see — all without breaking the bank — then your only true option is the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H6 headphones. They produce the signature B&O sound with crisp and balanced highs, mids, and bass; you won't find any of the muddy overwhelming lows that you get on similarly-priced competitors (looking at you, Beats).

What you get with the B&O H6's is sound exactly how the artist meant for it to sound. Throw that into a set of headphones that are supremely light and exceedingly comfortable, fashioned from machined metal and supple leather, and you'd expect these headphones to cost twice as much as they do.

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Cella Lao Rousseau – Staff Writer

Urbanears Zinken

I picked these up because I was looking for some cheap-ish headphones that were super cute and came in a ton of really awesome, bright colors (I'm all about a good lookin' headphone, y'know?)

These are super duper comfy, really great for storing in small bags or pockets because they fold, and the sound quality is pretty unreal for the price!

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Bose QuietComfort 20

First off, I hate in-ear headphones because my ears are so sensitive, but these are the only earbuds I've been able to use without feeling like my eardrum is going to pop into a billion pieces.

They're super comfortable and stay in no matter what because of the rubber/silicone stopper. They might be a bit pricey, but you seriously can't hear anything else when they're in your ears!

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What are you using?

What's your favorite pair of headphones? Sound off in the comments below!

Mick Symons
Mick Symons

Mick is a staff writer who's as frugal as they come, so he always does extensive research (much to the exhaustion of his wife) before making a purchase. If it's not worth the price, Mick ain't buying.

14 Comments
  • I use Beats Studio Wireless and it is the best match for iDevices.
  • Beats are nowhere close to the competition in the price range.
  • Derek's pick is also mine, fantastic headphones (particulary the new version). Noise Cancellation ruins fidelity, the best answer to noise is good isolation, the B&O H6s have it.
  • Grado Prestige 125 - Amazing sound for the price - retro look.
  • Weird that they just happen to be blue ray ogl > cal
  • Bose Sound Sport Bluetooth Headset. Great sound & great portability. €130 on Amazon is also a good price. I really enjoy using these with my iPhone & iPad & u can have both connected at the same time. Sent from the iMore App
  • Bose QC35... I wear them for 6-7 of the 8 hours I'm in the office. We have a pretty noisy office and I'm able to put these bad boys on and focus on coding, sys admin and other project work. I no longer hear the help desk guys trying to solve problems. I'm no longer hearing my colleagues discussing items that I do not need to be focusing on at the moment.
    Yes they are pricey... oh so worth every dime.
  • Aaaand ... another Bose Advertisement from iMore! Congrats, this is only the second one this month.
  • Grado Prestige Series SR60e - cheap, a bit clunky but the sound is heaven and the open can architecture prevents me from feeling shut in and I am still aware of what happens around me. Tried Grado Professional Series PS500 today and they are even better.
  • I use Sony MDRXB950BT. They seem to have lots of bass. Don't ever watch Watchmen with these...there's just too many varying sounds, not good for your ears. But they're really good if you like a lot of bass on your music. Don't really consider these a go for movies, unless you're using them wired I s'pose. The other ones I use are also Sony. The MDR-XB50AP. These are the ones I used mostly with calling friends and family. They seem to have an extremely good Mic cause no one ever complains. They say I sound very clear, but when I use the 950s, they always have a hard time hearing me. Both these came at about a 100, I bought the 950s Refurbished for 72 and the wired ones for about 30 dollars.
  • V-Moda Crossfade LPs. Great sound and very comfortable over long periods of time, plus they were relatively cheap ($150) and come with a case. The also come with two wires, one with mic and sound controls, and one without. I also purchased a wire with a boom mic, and you can customize the plates on the outside. All-in-all, best $150 I have ever spent.
  • VModa XS, not a lot out there much better for the $.
  • Currently I am using Bose Sound Sports and Sennheiser hd 558's, though I have a pair of ATH-M50's for when I want closed back.
  • Etymotic ER-4P's ❤️❤️❤️. They have clean sound and fantastic isolation, super useful for noisy work environments, airplanes, mass transit, etc. I forgot them at the office the day before a morning flight once, so drove back to get them at 4am since I couldn't bear the thought of getting on the plane without. They're that good. Important for in-ear headphones: the eartips are easily replaceable and come in several sizes and styles.