The Top Rated Wireless Portable Headphones For 2012

Note: If you are interested in adding bluetooth connectivity to your iPod, see our article Connecting iPods To Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds.

We surveyed the reviews on CNET, PCWorld, PC Magazine, Wired, Gear Diary, and Amazon to create this list of the top rated wireless portable headphones:

LG Tone HBS-700 Wireless Earbud Headphone ($45)

Despite selling for under $50, the LG Tone HBS-700 is one of the top rated bluetooth headphones. It received an 8 out of 10 rating from CNET, which makes it their Editor’s Choice for a bluetooth headphone. CNET says it was one of the most comfortable headphones they’ve tried, and that the audio reproduction was impressive. Amazon buyers also liked this headphone — it received an average of 4.5 of out 5 stars, from a total of 264 reviewers. PC Magazine liked the long battery life on the headphone, but said that the bass reproduction was “thin”, and gave it an overall rating of “Good”.

The LG Tone HBS-700 is available from Amazon for about $45.

Nokia BH-905 Wireless Portable Headphones ($200)

Pros:

• Features active noise cancellation
• Lightweight and comfortable, folds flat
• Balanced sound
• Versatile for use with various devices

Cons:

• Slightly bulky for portability

Top Review Sources:

• CNET: 4 out of 5 stars; Excellent
• PCMag: 3.5 out of 5 stars; “Solid performer”
• Amazon: Average 4 out of 5 stars, based on 66 customer reviews

Another versatile set of wireless headphones, the Nokia BH-905 can be used with or without the active noise canceling feature, with or without Bluetooth, and can be plugged in for wired sound. The design has been praised for comfort and would be good for travel, though the earpads are on the bulky side when compared to other portable headphones. However, the numerous navigation controls are easy to use. Eight microphones are discretely placed for active noise canceling and two microphones for phone calls.

The Nokia BH-905 are for sale on Amazon.

TDK WR700 Wireless Portable Headphones ($109)

Top Review Sources:

• CNET: 3.5 out of 5 stars; Very good; “Delivers good sound for a reasonable price”
• PCWorld: 4 out of 5 stars; “Excellent build and sound quality”
• Amazon: Average 4 out of 5 stars, based on 19 customer reviews

The TDK WR700 wireless portable headphones use Kleer technology instead of Bluetooth which delivers digital audio without compression as Bluetooth does. The transmitter is used to connect the headphones with your music player and while there is no need to pair the device like with Bluetooth, the use of the transmitter can take something away from the portability factor. The range of around 33 feet is about the same as Bluetooth. The use of AAA batteries is helpful if you don’t have recharging access and TDK says the headphones will get about 30-40 hours of playtime before batteries need changing.

The TDK WR700 are for sale on Amazon.

Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Wireless Headphone ($69)

The Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 earbuds connect with a small cable that goes around the back of your neck. They are one of the few wireless earphones available, and they get a reasonably good rating on Amazon — 3.5 stars out of 5 from 52 buyers. They retail for $69.

The Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 is available on Amazon.