2025 has been a great year if you're into your headphones. There have been flagship launches from Bose and Sony, a surprise new entry into our list of the best headphones, and plenty of budget options to keep those on a shoestring happy.
But which headphones have impressed me most in 2025? It's been hard to select just three, but I've managed to distil the year down into my favorite headphones with a little cajoling — and a lot of head scratching.
And listening.
3. Cambridge Melomania P100 SE
One of the biggest surprises this year was the hidden upgrades to what were already a fine pair of headphones from Cambridge. That's the headphone brand, not the place in England, where you won't find the very same headphone brand. Don't ask.
The P100s are already a personal favorite of mine, offering excellent specs and sound at a relatively affordable price point. The SE cost slightly more, but they up the ante internally with some well-considered and genuinely helpful improvements.
One of the biggest, of course, is the sound. They've received a sonic refinement to an already successful audio formula, bringing more detail, more bass control, and even more space. They sound better than headphones that cost $100, nay, $200 more.
They're more comfortable, the ANC is better — about the only thing that hasn't changed is the way they look. Not that it's a massive problem; they're a great-looking pair of understated headphones.
And one of the best pairs of headphones I tested in 2025.
2. Sennheiser HDB 630
A late entry to the year, only releasing in the last couple of months, Sennheiser's latest pair of flagship headphones were always going to be a shoo-in for my admiration as the year came to a close. Good sound, great fit, and buckets of battery — all they had to do was stick the landing.
And they did, thanks to a helpful little dongle that came in the box. The HDB 630 feature a USB-C device called the BTD700, and it brings higher-quality wireless listening to iPhone users (like myself) without the need to buy an extra... thing.
It means that I can listen to the headphones closer to their sonic potential with my phone than I can with other options out of the box. Considering that more users are now using services like Spotify Lossless, this can only be considered a good thing.
The rest of the package is as good as you might imagine. They're very comfortable thanks to some lovely thick earpads, and their 60 hours of battery life is top-shelf. They're fairly non-descript looking, and the price is edging into "these are too expensive" territory, but they're another addition to my favorite cans of the year.
1. Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3
The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 are my pick for the best headphones you can buy right now, thanks to their ability to do everything well without many weak points. Are there better noise cancelers? Yes. Are there headphones that sound better? Just about — but none of them capture everything in a bottle like the PX7 S3.
They block all the noise you could want blocked. They sound excellent, outperforming almost everything else. Their battery life, while not exemplary, is plenty to get you through a couple of work days.
They're incredibly good-looking, especially in the rather fetching shades of blue that you can grab them in. They're spectacularly comfortable thanks to their well-judged clamping force and sumptuously soft foam.
I adore these headphones. They're my chosen companions for many a road trip, and they've earned a permanent place on my desk. You won't find me without them — and I think that you'll find something similar if you give them a road test.
More from Tom's Guide
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- Looking for your first pair of wired audiophile headphones? I've got a great recommendation that won't break the bank
- 21 best audio gifts for the music lover in your life
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