While wired headphones may be firmly holding onto their particular slice of the metaphorical pie, helped in part by an apparent wired resurgence among some younger users, there's no doubt that the wireless space is very much the place to be for most modern-day consumers. Such models, be they wireless earbuds or Bluetooth over-ear headphones, have exploded in popularity, becoming the way to listen to music for millions of contemporary consumers.
What that means for the wireless headphones What Hi-Fi? Awards category is a good deal of flux. Last year saw the total domination by Sony across every single price point, and while the Japanese brand continues to enjoy a startling impressive presence across the board, new contenders have emerged to prevent a complete monopoly. We have tested rafts of wireless earbuds and headphones this year, with the likes of – deep breath – Philips, Audio-Technica, Jabra, Beats, JBL, Samsung, Dyson(!), Cambridge Audio, Sonos, Final, Shure, Sennheiser, Earfun, Technics, Denon and Apple (to name but a few) attempting to gain control of what seems to have become the most competitive category in all of consumer hi-fi.
