Wireless headphones are a great option for those who want to hear and be heard during calls in a loud environment or are multi-tasking in an office or home space. These days, wireless headphones have become really popular in office spaces as they increase efficiency. Thinking of getting a pair for yourself?
If you want a straight answer, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is the best wireless headset for office work in 2024. I say this because it checks all the boxes for the ideal headset as it comes with great Active Noise Cancellation(ANC), superb fit, and an accurate microphone that gives a fantastic call experience.
However, the price and the design of the headsets matter a lot, and many people's choices vary in this matter. So, if you're looking for something else, check out my complete list of the best wireless headset for the office in 2024, below.
10 Best Wireless Headsets for Office
Here are some of the best wireless headsets in the market.
1. Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is the king of ANC headsets, excelling not only as a travel companion but even more so in the office. The XM5 has all the features of its predecessors, except it does it better, such as improved voice-calling, noise isolation, solid build, and even software performance. The battery life is impressive too, giving 30 hours along with a quick charging option (3 minutes of charge for 3 hours of playback). No doubt, this is the best headset on this list, in my opinion.
Specifications
- Noise Cancellation: These Sony headsets have the perfect noise isolation that you need to focus on your work. It also comes with an Auto NC Optimizer, which, as the name suggests, automatically adjusts your noise cancelation according to your wearing conditions and surroundings.
- Sound Quality: The sound quality on the XM5 is great as it boasts a new integrated V1 processor. You even get an awesome bass and pretty good treble that delivers most of the genres accurately.
- Microphone: The XM5 has one of the best, headset microphones in the market. It comes with eight microphone arrays and an AI noise rejection algorithm which helps the microphone reject outside noise when on a call or a virtual meeting. This is a great feature for you if you tend to work while traveling or if you're in a noisy environment.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ANC performance
- Great microphone
- Comes with Bluetooth 5.2, which supports AAC, LDAC, and SBC codecs
- Supports Bluetooth multipoint
Cons
- Quite expensive
- No IP rating
Summary
The XM5 is an all-rounder with a mind-blowing ANC, impressive sound quality, and comfortable fit. Although these are expensive and don’t come with an IP rating, they are worth the investment, in my opinion. I would still say that the Sony WH-1000XM5 the best wireless headset for office work in 2024.
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2. Bose 700
These Bose headphones cater to almost all the needs of office workers. They come with stellar sound quality, great battery life (20 hours of continuous playback), and an impressive Active Noise Canceling feature. Not just that, you even get a gesture feature in these headsets, which is super convenient to use and works well on a daily basis.
Specifications
- Noise Cancellation: Noise Cancellation is very important when you want to focus on something in a noisy environment, and the Bose 700 delivers exceptionally well in this department. You get an impressive ANC which blocks all the noises coming from your surroundings. It even gives good results while you're traveling on a loud vehicle like a plane or a bus.
- Microphone: The microphone on the Bose 700 does a good job and picks up voices really well. It also has a low-frequency attenuation function which reduces rumbles and unwanted noise. However, you will find some deep voices to be slightly cut off due to this feature.
- Battery Life: The Bose 700 has a playback of around 20 hours with ANC on. Well, if you were to lower the ANC, you could probably squeeze in a few more hours. Overall, you won't be disappointed with the battery life of these headsets, as they are pretty long-lasting.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Impressive ANC
- Accurate Microphone
- Gesture pad
- Impressive battery life
Cons
- Lack of folding hinges
- Expensive
Summary
I'd say the Bose 700 headset is a great option for an office headset with its good ANC, battery life and great audio quality. If your work includes music editing or audio editing, then you should definitely look out for this headset, as it has crisp and clear audio after tinkering with the EQ a bit. Its cons can be overlooked, in my opinion, if you’re looking for an investment with these headphones.
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3. Razer Barracuda Pro
The Razer Barracuda Pro has incredible accessibility as they come equipped with a 2.4GHz dongle for consoles and also supports Bluetooth 5.2, which gives a seamless connection to your phone. The sound quality is marvelous, and you even get to customize it through the Razer Synapse 3 software on pc and through a dedicated phone app called Razor audio app.
Specifications
- Sound Quality: Out of the box, the Razer Barracuda Pro has a very neutral-sounding audio to it with slightly more bass than usual, but they don't overwhelm the vocals or instruments of songs. Fortunately, Razor has a dedicated application for both pc and smartphones available for EQ customizations.
- Noise Cancellation: The ANC of this headset does a pretty great job at blocking background office chatter, and even at high volume, they don't leak a lot of audio.
- Microphone: If you need to make calls while you work in your office, the microphone of these headsets does a pretty decent job capturing the correct audio. Although, sometimes, it has a hard time differentiating between background chatter and actual speech.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Good sound customization
- Comfortable and well built
- 34 hours of battery life
- Good ANC
Cons
- Can't fold to reduce the footprint
- The mic picks up background noise
Summary
Overall, these earbuds are ideal for people who want good-quality ANC and easy sound customization available. At the end of the day, this headset was built for gaming, and if you are someone who enjoys gaming between your breaks or is just someone looking for a product with great versatility, then these headsets are a great option for you.
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4. Apple AirPods Max
The Apple AirPods Max is a fantastic pair of headsets with amazing ANC and excellent sound quality. It also has a nice design, solid build quality, comfortable earpads, and a Bluetooth 5.0 connection. Overall, these headphones do great in almost all departments, and Apple's ecosystem makes them even more convenient.
Specifications
- Sound Quality: The Apple AirPods Max has a very pleasing and even sound profile. At low volumes, it sounds a bit higher frequency than other headsets and does not feel even slightly distorted at higher volumes. Audio customizability is unavailable in these headphones, and it would be safe to say that you won't need it as it sounds pleasant in all genres of music at default EQ.
- Noise Cancellation: The noise canceling technology on this device is very impressive as it manages to stop almost all background noise from entering your ears. Although to turn off the ANC, you need an iOS device which is a shortcoming for these headsets.
- Microphone: The microphone quality of this device is inconsistent as it fails to provide decent performance when connected to some devices. In fact, its performance varies on almost every device, with the best performance available only on Apple devices.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Good sound quality with zero distortion
- Impressive noise cancellation
- Great design and build quality
Cons
- Uses a lightning connector instead of a USB-C
- No aptX and LDAC
- Inconsistent mics
Summary
The Apple AirPods Max might be one of the bes noise-canceling headsets, but they aren't the easiest to use as you have to be a part of the Apple ecosystem to use them effectively. However, if you work on an Apple computer or MacBook, then it's the best you can have as it sounds great, is well built, has a solid battery life, and even has premium features like the auto-pause and transparency mode.
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5. Jabra Evolve2 65
The Jabra Evolve2 65 comes with a super comfortable fit and has decent battery life. They also come with some cool features like multi-pairing, which means you can play music on your phone while staying on your work computer, and it also comes with a ‘busylight,' which serves as a visible indicator that you're on a call. The Evolve2 65’s battery life is an impressive 37 hours of continuous playback, with a 15-minute fast charge giving you 8 hours of battery life.
Specifications
- Sound Quality: The sound quality on the Jabra Evolve2 65 is pretty satisfactory but has a bit of a boom to it. And even with the customizable EQ through its companion app, you may experience some significant differences between how your music sounds as the bass and treble change according to the positioning of your headset.
- Noise Cancellation: The ANC on the Jabra Evolve2 65 leaves its user satisfied. You get complete isolation from the surroundings, and this gives a good listening experience even in a noisy environment. That said, the music tends to leak outside the headsets if you're used to playing audio on high volume.
- Microphone: The microphone on this headset is probably its best feature, as the boom mic makes your voice sound crystal clear. The mic even does a good job separating your voice from all the background noise and distinguishes your voice even in loud environments.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great comfort
- Mind-blowing microphone
- Multi-device pairing
Cons
- Poor ANC
- High Bluetooth latency
Summary
If you work in an environment where you need to attend a lot of audio calls or virtual meetings, the Jabra Evolve2 65 can be your best bet. This is because it has an excellent microphone and a stellar sound profile that gives you a good calling experience. You even get a companion app with headsets, where you can tweak your EQ and play with its sound profile.
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6. Sony WH-1000XM4
The predecessor of the Sony WH-1000XM5, the WH-1000XM4, might seem a step below its newer variant, but it is still one of the best headsets in the market. With features like high-quality Bluetooth codecs, great sound, good battery life, and auto pause, this headset makes a good contender for people looking to buy something similar to the XM5 but at a lower price point.
Specifications
- Sound Quality: The sound quality of the XM4 is top-notch, and it comes with a heavy bass. This means that if you want a headset that focuses on its bass and the trebles, you can definitely go for the Sony XM4. In fact, you even get a sound customization feature with these headsets, which is a great add-on.
- Noise Cancellation: The ANC on the XM4 is great, and even though the XM5 is superior, the XM4 is a close second. The ANC in this headset is best at attenuating low-frequency sounds like rumble and humming sounds.
- Microphone: You can expect a pretty average microphone on these headsets. So, you will get a good call experience when you're in a quiet environment. However, things are a little different when you're on a call in noisy surroundings, as the mics catch those unwanted sounds, leading to a poor calling experience.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Good sound quality
- Good ANC
- Bluetooth 5.0 with multipoint
- Auto-pause feature
Cons
- Microphone
- Not very comfortable
- Average battery life
Summary
Overall, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is a good deal for you if you want something like its successor, the WH-1000XM5, but at a cheaper price point. Although its mic fails to perform well at all places, you still get an impressive ANC and a stellar sound quality that fulfills your needs while working.
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7. Jabra Evolve2 75
The successor to the Evolve2 65, the Jabra Evolve2 75 is a definite step up in terms of Active Noise Cancellation. It also features a new and improved design with a short, retractable microphone boom and a discrete charging base. It comes with Bluetooth 5.2 and can connect up to eight devices, and two devices at once, making it easier to switch between the two. Jabra even provides software to manage these headphones called Jabra Direct.
Specifications
- Sound Quality: The sound quality of the Evolve2 75 is very good, and you won't have many complaints about this headset. However, if you're a professional musician who wants to feel every beat of the song, you might be in for disappointment, as there have been compromises made in this department to ensure better ANC.
- Noise Cancellation: Noise Cancellation is probably the highlight of these headsets as they deliver in all environments, whether it is very loud space or even when there is just quite chatter around. The Jabra Evolve2 75 blocks out most of the noises and gives an impressive listening experience. That said, the battery drains very fast while using this feature.
- Microphone: The Evolve2 75 comes with eight microphones which is a big increase from the three microphones on the Evolve2 65. These mics perform very accurate and do a great job of blocking unnecessary noises in your surroundings. So, you can go for these headsets if you're used to making calls through your headphones.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Impressive ANC
- Solid build quality
- Good battery life
Cons
- Not ergonomically priced
Summary
The Jabra Evolve2 75 provides solid sound performance and exemplary noise cancellation. Even if you're someone who loves working while traveling or you are always surrounded by a lot of noise, these headsets will block them out and deliver a great sound performance.
Check out our article on ‘LucidSound LS41 Wireless Surround Sound Gaming Headset'.
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8. Bose QuietComfort 45
The Bose QuietComfort 45 is, just as its name suggests, very comfortable and impressively quiet, thanks to its mind-blowing ANC capability. That said, you don't get any option to switch the ANC modes with the Aware mode, which means that you'll have to take out these headsets if you want to listen to your surroundings.
Specifications
- Sound Quality: The sound on the Bose QuietComfort 45 is pretty good. While in default presets, the speech may seem overemphasized, which might be good for calls, but not for music as some songs are ruined because the instruments sound too low.
- Noise Cancellation: Noise cancellation is probably its best feature apart from comfort. It does an excellent job of canceling outside noises. It even blocks out the high-frequency noises that most headsets find hard to deal with. Overall, you can rely on the ANC technology of the Bose QuietComfort 45
- Microphone: The headset does not come with a dedicated boom mic, meaning you cannot expect much out of the microphone quality. But, it still does a decent job. I would definitely suggest some other headsets in this category, like the Bose 700, if you attend a lot of virtual meetings or calls.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Impressive noise cancellation
- Comfortable fit
- Adjustable EQ
- Wired and Wireless playback
Cons
- No dedicated Microphone
- Sound quality is not up to the mark
- SBC and AAC only; no aptX
Summary
The Bose QuietComfort 45 sounds great in calls and podcasts and even does a great job at noise canceling, but I wouldn't call them worth their price as you can get the Bose 700 for a much lower price that gives similar performance.
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9. HyperX Cloud II Wireless
The HyperX Cloud II Wireless is a great gaming headset and can be used in offices as well. It is very comfortable and has a great battery, but its main highlight is its processor, which helps with surround sound and spatial sound. It is very easy to connect as it comes with a 2.4 GHz dongle for plug-and-play capability.
Specifications
- Sound Quality: The HyperX Cloud II Wireless offers a very accurate audio performance; no matter the genre, you should be able to enjoy all types of music. However, you don't get any option to customize the sound of these headphones.
- Noise Cancellation: The noise cancellation on this headset is not good as it is a gaming headset, and its main focus isn't blocking background noise. That said, the comfortable fit does block a little noise coming from your surroundings.
- Microphone: The microphone quality of this headset is pretty average, and it is tuned to combat the proximity effect as it's supposed to be very close to the user's mouth. So, if you have a deep voice, it might come out very low.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Good sound quality
- Great battery life
- Solid built
Cons
- Average microphone
- No ANC
- No audio customizability
Summary
If you're looking for headphones that deliver good sound and have a good microphone, you can surely go for this pair. However, the absence of ANC does become a con, and you may find it annoying if you're used to plugging your headphones in while traveling.
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10. Microsoft Surface Headphones 2
The Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 look and perform almost identically to its predecessor but have slight improvements in almost every aspect. Some of the new updates include compatibility with Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX codec and also have improved battery life. Although it has great noise cancellation, it still performs slightly less than the previous generation.
Specifications
- Sound Quality: The Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 have a bass-heavy and boomy sound profile which means they aren't the most balanced in terms of sound, but by using the companion app's customizable EQ and presets, you can surely improve it.
- Noise Cancellation: The ANC on this headset is impressive and even supports an adjustable active noise cancellation feature. They leak very little amount of sound even at high volumes, so you can blast your music without worries.
- Microphone: The microphone on this headset is decent but nothing impressive. It has an integrated microphone in the ear cups and an in-line mic on the audio cable, which sounds thin and muffled.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Good adjustable ANC
- Comfortable and lightweight
- Easy-to-use controls
Cons
- Bass and treble deliveries vary
- Sub-par microphone
- Bass-heavy sound profile
Summary
The Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 are good for office use as they come with good ANC and good sound. That said, they can't keep up with most headsets in terms of microphone clarity. So, you can opt for them if you're into music and want a subtle listening experience.
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Buying Guide
1. Product Design
People tend to ignore product design, thinking it does not hinder the performance of the product, but that is not necessarily the case, as it can directly impact the performance of a headset.
When we speak about headset design, there are a few types of them, some of which are on-ear and over-ear headsets.
Over-ear headsets are generally better in terms of isolation and noise cancellation, while on-ear is more comfortable.
So, if you prefer the premium noise cancellation of a headset which helps in an office environment a lot, then I'd suggest opting for a headset with an over-ear design. On the other hand, if you don't work in an environment with a lot of background noise and prefer comfort, then the on-ear headsets are the perfect companion for you.
2. Sound Quality
The sound quality is very important for any type of user, but it varies from person to person. If you are someone who enjoys listening to calming music while working, you should be inclined towards headsets with neutral sound profiles as they tend to work in any type of music genre. On the contrary, if you are someone who uses headsets for attending calls, then you should opt for headsets with low bass and high speech output.
3. Cable Ports
The latest wireless headphones do perform well, but at times it is better to go for the wired headphones as they are more accurate, and you don't have to worry about the battery dying out as well. So, always look out for those headsets that support both Bluetooth and wired connectivity, as it is very convenient for you.
4. Battery Life & Charging
When looking for headsets for your office, you should always look for ones with a battery life that is greater than your work hours, as you wouldn't want to have to charge your headphones while working, which can disturb your work. Additionally, fast charging capabilities do help when your headset runs out of battery.
5. Active Noise Cancellation
If you're working in an office with your headphones, it is very important that you're focused and don't get distracted too easily. To do so, you need to have a good ANC that can block out all the unnecessary noises to your ears and can give you a good experience. So, always look for this feature while hunting for a headset.
6. Connectivity
Having poor connectivity creates a lot of huddles when you are working or on a call. That's why it's vital that you go for a wireless headset that comes with the latest Bluetooth version. Not only that, but the codecs are also very important for your headset to perform well on different devices. So, keep a close eye on all these factors to have a good experience.
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Conclusion
With this, we will come to the end of the top wireless headsets for the office in 2024. If you ask me about my favorite pick from the list, I'd choose the Sony WH-1000XM5 as the best wireless headsets for the office.
With an excellent microphone and Active Noise Cancellation technology, this headset fulfills all your needs. However, if you have a different use case or requirement, feel free to check out the other options available in this article.
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