Best Wireless Headphones with Bluetooth 5.0
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Wireless headphones and earbuds have improved a lot in terms of sound quality and useful features. The best-rated wireless headphones can match the performance of wired headphones when it comes to listening experience and enjoyment. However, the additional freedom of movement and extra functions they offer are what delight most users.
The advent of a few Bluetooth 5.0 headphones in recent years has caught the attention of many music lovers because of the special advantages they offer. At the time of writing, there are not a lot of popular wireless headphones that support Bluetooth 5.0. In this article, we have reviewed some of the best wireless Bluetooth 5.0 headphones as well as true wireless earbuds.
What is Bluetooth 5.0 and what are its advantages?
The Bluetooth 5.0 is an improved version of the Bluetooth version 4.0 that offers a significant improvement in the Bluetooth Low Energy specification along with several standard improvements. It is commonly used to connect to wireless audio hardware such as headphones and other wireless objects such as a mouse, keyboards, and game controllers. To take advantage of the latest Bluetooth 5.0 version, all the hardware devices that are connected to it must support it and also be compatible with the connected devices. The various advantages of Bluetooth 5.0 are listed below:
1. Dual Audio – This is the main feature that attracts music lovers to Bluetooth 5.0 headphones. If you have a Bluetooth 5.0 compatible smartphone or device, this new feature allows you to play 2 different audio streams on Bluetooth 5.0 compatible headphones or earbuds at the same time. Thus, you and your partner can connect two different Bluetooth 5.0 headphones or earbuds to one smartphone that supports Bluetooth 5.0 and listen to different songs simultaneously.
2. Low Power Usage – Bluetooth 5.0 improves the Bluetooth Low Energy specification of the previous generation. Thus, it consumes even less energy when you connect a Bluetooth 5.0 headphone or earbud to a smartphone that supports the same. As a result, you would notice an improvement in the battery life of the wireless products and be able to listen to music for longer periods.
3. Better Connection Quality and range – Officially, Bluetooth 5.0 boasts better range, throughput, and data transfer speed than Bluetooth 4.2. To be precise, it supports data transfer speed of up to 2 Mbps and range of up to 240 meters(800 feet) which is 2 times and 4 times better respectively than the specifications of the previous generation Bluetooth technology.
Due to the better specifications, it allows compression standards like aptX to perform better provided there are no walls or obstacles to weaken the connection quality.
Best Over-ear headphones with Bluetooth 5
Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Headphones
| Type | Over-ear Closed back |
| Wireless Range | Up to 33 feet (10 meters) |
| Features | Exceptional Active Noise Cancellation |
| Battery Life | Up to 20 hrs |
| Device Weight | 8.8 oz |
The Bose 700 wireless headphones are currently the best wireless headphone that supports Bluetooth 5.0. It is a premium headphone that is as popular as the Bose QuietComfort 35 II and the Sony WH-1000XM3. In fact, it has a durable build quality and is comfortable to wear thanks to the headband that is reinforced with stainless steel and the earcups that are well-padded with a plush material.
The sound signature of these headphones is designed to compliment bass-heavy EDM and hip-hop music. The bass is punchy, deep, and powerful while the mids are balanced well. The treble suffers a little bit but it’s not bad overall.
The battery life of this device is quite good with a playtime of 20 hours with ANC on. You can charge it completely from 0 to 100% in 2.5 hours. The quick charge functionality of the device provides enough fuel to use it for 3.5 hours by charging it for just 15 minutes.
The Bose 700 wireless headphones live up to its brand name when it comes to ANC performance. It offers 11 different levels of noise cancellation settings that can be customized to meet the requirements of different settings. Plus, the device features 4 adaptive microphones that enable it to enjoy good voice quality when on a call and access voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa. Overall, these are the best Bluetooth 5.0 headphones that you can buy at the moment if money isn’t an issue.
Pros
- Incredible noise cancellation
- Cool and comfortable design
- Good Bluetooth microphone
Cons
- Lack of NFC like other Bose headphone
- The sound could’ve been more balanced
- Expensive compared to other products in this list
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT
| Type | Over-ear Closed back |
| Wireless Range | Up to 33 feet (10 meters) |
| Features | Touch Controls |
| Battery Life | Up to 40 hrs |
| Device Weight | 11 oz |
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT performs similar to its popular wired counterpart, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. In fact, the wireless model comes with a detachable 3.5mm cable as well. The design and look of the product inspire confidence. It features touch controls in the middle of the left earcup which allows the users to access volume buttons and even access voice assistants like Siri or Google Assist. It is made of plastic but the build quality is quite good with thick earpads. The foldable design makes it easy to carry around with you.
The sound signature of the product is consumer-friendly due to the emphasis on the mids and highs, and the slightly boosted bass. Instruments like snare drums and cymbals sound clear in the mid-range while kick drums samples and background synths are clearly noticeable. Overall, the sound quality of this set of cans doesn’t fail to impress.
Unlike the Bose 700, it doesn’t feature active noise cancellation. However, it offers great passive noise isolation due to its good seal and will block most outside noises. The battery life of the product is impressive and can last for up to 40 hours. Plus, it features a decent quality mic that is enough for speaking on a call.
Overall, the ATH-M50xBT is a value for money product that supports wireless playback with Bluetooth 5.0 and provides a pretty enjoyable music listening experience.
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Good sound quality
- Foldable design
Cons
- No ANC
- Gets warm if used for a long period
Best On-ear headphones with Bluetooth 5
Bowers & Wilkins PX5
| Type | On-ear Closed back |
| Wireless Range | Up to 33 feet (10 meters) |
| Features | Adaptive Noise Cancelling |
| Battery Life | Up to 25 Hours |
| Device Weight | 9 oz |
The Bowers & Wilkins PX5 are on-ear headphones that sport a compact and attractive design. The embossed-logo on the metallic housings contrast quite well with the leather earcups with memory foam and the woven headband. The on-ear design feels lightweight around your ears with a little adjustment. The right earcup features a 3.5mm audio jack port and micro-USB port while the left earcup contains the buttons that control the volume, ANC, level, pause/play, and Bluetooth connectivity.
The support for Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codec allows it to deliver Hi-Res Audio and low-latency video watching or gaming experience. The ANC has 4 settings that allow you to control the level of outside noise that you want in your ears. The ANC performance of the device is quite well for the price.
The sound quality of this set of cans is very satisfying. It is detailed and sounds natural with a little compromise on power due to its driver size. The bass-frequencies are balanced well and sound warm. The vocals sound crisp and clear and there is no sibilance. The highs are okay without being overpowering. The soundstage is expansive and open.
The battery performance of the PX5 is decent with a playback time of up to 25 hours. It also features a quick charge functionality that allows you to enjoy a playback time of 3 hours with just 15 minutes of charge.
Pros
- Supports aptX Adaptive
- Attractive design
- Decent ANC performance
Cons
- The sound profile may not suit everybody
- Can be expensive for some
GRADO GW100 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
| Type | On-ear open back |
| Wireless Range | Up to 33 feet (10 meters) |
| Features | aptX support |
| Battery Life | About 15-40 hrs |
| Device Weight | 11 oz |
The GRADO GW100 is the perfect product for those who want to enjoy listening to a wireless open-back headphone. The plastic design is lightweight and looks stylish as well. Unless you wear glasses, the on-ear design doesn’t cause any discomfort due to the good weight distribution. The left earcup contains many tactile buttons that allow you to control playback and call. It also contains a micro-USB input.
The company claims that this pair is designed to leak up to 60% less sound than it’s wired counterpart. However, due to its open-back design and no support for ANC, sound leakage is an issue and the noise isolation is not good either. So, this set of cans is not suitable for wearing in crowded public places. The microphone is average and gets the job done. The battery life of the product is a far cry from the claims of the company. Instead of 40 hours, the juice will last about 15 hours if you raise the volume level above 75dB.
The GRADO GW100 really shines when it comes to sound quality and signature. Just like any open-back headphones, they sound great in a quiet place and have a fairly neutral sound signature. Despite not being a closed-back set of cans, the low-end is reproduced well and accurately. The mid-range is dynamic and the highs are enjoyable. The vocals are slightly more prominent but the overall sound is lively, clean, and transparent.
Pros
- Excellent soundstage
- Open-back
- aptX support
Cons
- Small headband
- No ANC or noise isolation
- Battery life is average
Best True wireless earbud with Bluetooth 5
Jabra Elite 75t Earbuds
| Type | True Wireless Earbuds |
| Wireless Range | Up to 33 feet (10 meters) |
| Features | One-touch Voice Assistant |
| Battery Life | Up to 7.5 hrs, 28 hrs with Charging case |
| Device Weight | 0.2 oz each earcup |
The Jabra Elite 75t is a set of true wireless earbuds that is popular among music enthusiasts that love to listen to music on the go but without the extra weight. The pair perform just as well as the AirPods Pro but look much cooler and is less expensive. The noise isolation is good and blocks most external sound when the correct-size eargels are equipped on the earbuds. The HearThrough feature allows the user to control the level of external noise they want to hear.
The fit of these earbuds is good and they are extremely convenient to carry around. The product has an IP55 rating which is enough to wear it during exercise sessions. There is no fear of sweat damage. For people who frequently listen to music while exercising outside, the Jabra Elite Active 75t is the better choice as they feature IP57 rating. The pairing process is fairly easy and can be done by pressing 2 buttons simultaneously.
The sound quality of the product is quite good for an earbud. The bass is powerful and provides motivation during workouts. However, it can get a little overbearing after a long period. The mid-range suffers a little and is not as clean as you would expect but the highs are satisfying.
It comes with a carrying case that is made of plastic but looks quite premium. It provides a battery life of up to 7.5 hours and up to 28 hours with the charging case. To reach full charge, it takes around 2 hrs and 20 minutes. However, you can charge it for 15 minutes to enjoy a playtime of 60 minutes. The microphone quality of the product performs surprisingly well despite being an earbud.
Pros
- Good quality microphone
- IP55
- Auto-pause/play
Cons
- The buttons are too sensitive
- No support for aptX
Sony WF-1000XM3
| Type | True Wireless Earbuds |
| Wireless Range | Up to 33 feet (10 meters) |
| Features | DSEE HX |
| Battery Life | Up to 8 hours |
| Device Weight | 0.3 oz each earcup |
The Sony WF-1000XM3 is a pair of industry-leading true wireless earbuds that feature incredible ANC performance. These are a great option for music lovers who love to listen to music while commuting and on the go but don’t like to wear heavy headphones. In a sense, these earbuds are an extremely compact version of the popular Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones.
The design of the product has a sophistication that speaks for the brand. The pill-shaped earbuds are one of the most comfortable earbuds that you can wear due to the three contact points that results in an even distribution of weight along the outer ear. Both the earpads feature touch controls. Double-tapping the right earbuds allows the user to skip tracks while doing the same to the left earbuds alternates between ambient sound modes and noise canceling. The touch controls can be remapped to access Google Assistant. Alternatively, you can access the voice assistant by saying ‘Ok Google’.
Unfortunately, the product doesn’t support aptX but the DSEE HX makes up for it by upscaling compressed digital music files. The overall sound quality of the Sony WF-1000XM3 is great. The bass and mid-range are slightly boosted but are clear and instrument separation is good. The treble also does a good job of conveying the correct emotions.
The ANC performance is handled by the HD noise-canceling processor QN1e and a dual-microphone array. As a result, it filters most external noise including low-frequency sounds of airplane engines. The proximity sensor in the device works well and detects the insertion and removal of the product to auto play-pause music. The adaptive sound control detects the environment and automatically adjusts the ambient sound settings and ANC level.
With ANC on, users can expect a battery life of about 6 hours and about 8 hours with ANC off. It takes 1.5 hours to charge the device fully but you can expect a playtime of about 90 minutes if you charge it for 10 minutes due to the quick charge functionality.
Pros
- Adaptive sound
- Good sound quality
- Intuitive touch controls
Cons
- Not water resistant
- Carrying case is bulky
Conclusion
The catalog of wireless headphones that support Bluetooth 5.0 is improving rapidly but the headphones mentioned in this list will reign as the best for quite some time. If you want to enjoy premium features, style, comfort, and experience sound quality that only a few people on earth can enjoy, the Bose 700 is a great choice. The ATH-M50xBT is the best value-for-money product in the price range. The Jabra Elite 75t is suitable for people who want a more durable product for the price but if you want to experience the performance of premiums ANC cans without the extra weight, the Sony WF-1000XM3 is the only choice.
It is better to buy a wireless headphone or earbuds that support Bluetooth 5.0 because they are backward-compatible with the previous Bluetooth versions
