It is that time of year again; all the students are going back to school, and while you all probably at least have a pair of headphones, being away at school is a great reason to upgrade your sound setup. Whether you are a fan ofover-ear headphones,earbuds, or evenopen-ear headphones,there are plenty of options this year for you that will make your school year an absolute breeze.
Headphones That Will Make Your School Year A Breeze
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones
The Sony WH-1000XM4 offers up to 30 hours of playback. In addition, these headphones provide quick charging capability where a 10-minute charge can provide up to 5 hours of playback. The headphones feature touch sensor controls that manage play, pause, track skipping, volume control, voice assistant activation, and more.
Sony WF-C510
Let your music live longer. Colorful and compact, the Sony WF-C510 is equipped with features designed for excellent sound quality anytime and anywhere. Choose your style for sound that matches your style with up to 11 hours of battery life and a comfortable fit. For just $60, these earbuds punch way above their weight class.
OneOdio A70
The OneOdio A70 are budget headphones that don’t feel or sound like their price point. With 72 hours of playback time and an excellent wired connection, these headphones offer a ton of versatility and ease of use. The 40mm drivers provide punchy bass, clear mids, and sparkling highs. The memory foam earpads provide enough isolation to help drown out background noise but don’t completely shut the user off from the outside world.
Grado SR80x
Part of a long lineage of amazing headphones, the Grado SR80X offers amazing sound for a very reasonable price. Using Grado Lab’s newest 44mm drivers, these headphones improve efficiency, reduce distortion, and preserve the harmonic integrity of your music, no matter the genre you are listening to.
Nothing Ear (a)
Using the Signature Nothing design, the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds are an incredibly stylish pair of earbuds with translucent plastic and fun colorways. Not only do these earbuds look good, but they also sound amazing; with a driver designed to protect each detail, high notes hit deeper, and lows feel richer. Plus, with fantastic ANC performance, you can easily tune out the world when you want to with the Nothing Ear (a).
KZ ZSN Pro X
The KZ ZSN Pro X is an underrated budget IEM that will blow most audiophiles away. Using 10mm dynamic drivers, these earbuds have fantastic sound quality with robust lows, crystal clear mids, and sparkling highs. Plus, unlike many audiophile IEMs, these have inline controls and a mic.
Anker Soundcore Space One Noise Cancelling Headphones
The Soundcore Space One is a pair of over-ear headphones with 40mm drivers that deliver hi-res audio and, on supported devices, LDAC audio. Paired with unparalleled noise-canceling that blocks out 98% of sound around the user, the Space Ones can make a change for anybody’s commute or music listening experience, not to mention that with ANC on, the battery lasts for 40 hours and with ANC off it last up to 55 hours.
How We Chose The Best Headphones For Back To School
Best For All Day Use: Shokz OpenSwim Pro
While the Shokz OpenSwim Pro does not meet our first criteria for the best back-to-school headphones, its open-ear design makes it hard to deny its versatility for wearing all day long. Using bone conduction technology, these headphones allow you to stay fully aware of your surroundings while also listening to your favorite music in reasonably high quality compared to other bone conduction options.
Sometimes, lower-end frequencies feel a bit funky because they are essentially rattling your bones to create noise in your ears, but especially considering where bone conduction quality was just a few years ago, these headphones sound phenomenal whether listening to music, talking on the phone, or listening to a podcast.
Plus, because they have an IP68 rating and are built for swimming, you do not have to worry about getting caught out in the rain with these headphones. Although the band is meant to fit around a swim cap, so some people might find the extra space in the headband kind of annoying, especially if you are sitting in a chair with a headrest.
Over-Ear ANC For A Good Price: Soundcore Space One
The Sony WH-1000XM4 is still in this guide for those who want a premium over-ear experience, but if you want similar ANC performance for just $99, it is hard to go wrong with the Soundcore Space One. These headphones blew us awayduring our full reviewand easily deserve their place on this list.
At the highest ANC setting, these headphones can block out 98% of surrounding noise, from high-end to low-end frequencies. This is incredibly impressive because even higher-end ANC headphones struggle with blocking out high-frequency noises. However, if you are not used to the feeling of powerful ANC, there is a bit of strange inner-ear pressure the first couple of times you use the headphones at the highest ANC setting.
Regarding sound quality, the Space One are some of the best-sounding Bluetooth over-ear headphones out there, especially at this price point. Whether you are listening to music, a podcast, or in a call, everything is crystal clear and immersive. You will not get the same wide sound stage as a pair of open-back headphones like the Grado SR-80x, but that wide sound stage is worth sacrificing for the excellent ANC performance.
Ultra Budget Noise Cancelation: KZ ZSN Pro X
ANC is great, but for some, headphones or earbuds that offer ANC are just too expensive. Thankfully, the KZ ZSN Pro X is not only incredibly affordable and produces incredible sound quality, but it also provides fantastic passive isolation.
With a good number of ear tip sizes to choose from out of the box, it is pretty easy to find a good fit that creates a pretty tight seal in your ear. With properly sized ear-tips, these IEMs will essentially act like a pair of earplugs. You won’t be utterly oblivious to the sounds around you without music playing, but once you have some tunes bumping, these earbuds are a great way to block out the world and study without breaking the bank.
When it comes to sound quality, these are not the best IEMs in the world, but for just $25, it is pretty hard to beat the price to performance the KZ ZSN Pro X offers. Everything sounds very detailed, and there is a good amount of stereo separation, and the lower frequencies are powerful but not overbearing where the rest of the mix gets muddy. It is so nice to see a more affordable pair of earbuds that doesn’t fall into that trap.
FAQ
Q: Are headphones worth it in college?
Whether you go for a pair with ANC to tune out the distracting outside noises or want a nice pair of headphones to keep your favorite music in your ears all day long, headphones are a worthwhile investment for all college students.
Q: Are noise Cancelling headphones good for students?
Because ANC headphones eliminate distracting noises, they can help you focus on your work and studies without distraction from surrounding noises. However, when you are commuting or exercising outside, make sure to have transparency mode turned on, or even consider a pair of open-ear headphones for these types of use cases.
