Headphones and earbuds
In-ear and over-ear headphones, with or without noise cancelling. Comfort over a long listen and how well they stay in place decide actual use more often than the sound signature does. Stated battery life depends on whether noise cancelling is on: check which of the two figures the maker is quoting.
Choose by use
The right product depends on the situation. Each page below takes the category’s criteria and changes their weight for one specific need.
What we rate in this category
Every product in the category is rated from 0 to 100 on these criteria — the same for all of them, whichever merchant sells it.
- Price
- Where the product sits against the others in its category, at comparable specifications, on the market being browsed. The longer the bar, the better placed the product is on price.
- Sound quality
- Balance, precision and how well the noise cancelling works, measured in real conditions.
- Battery life
- Real use time between two charges or two refills, measured in mixed conditions rather than at the maximum quoted.
- Comfort and sturdiness
- How well they stay in the ear or on the head over a long listen, and how they stand up to daily use.
Price brackets by tier
Orders of magnitude, not displayed prices: a price only appears on Kalyneo once it has been collected from a merchant, with its collection date.
Under €80
Occasional listening. Noise cancelling absent or basic, tips and pads rarely replaceable.
€80 to €200
The best-stocked bracket: effective noise cancelling, comfortable battery life, tips in several sizes.
Over €200
Build, comfort and fine tuning. The gap in sound with the bracket below is smaller than the gap in price.
No price collected yet
Kalyneo only shows a price once it has been collected automatically from the merchant, with the date it was collected; no price is ever entered by hand. The rating criteria, the price brackets and the buying guides are already online.