Audio is such an important part of life. Whether that's thanks to the best headphones piping your favourite tunes into your ears, a wireless speaker picking up high-res quality over your Wi-Fi, or the best soundbar upping the sonic quality of your TV. It just brings so much to everyday entertainment experiences.
The T3 Awards 2025 is a celebration of this year's best products, highlighting the best-of-best across the site's three core pillars – Tech, Active, Home – and the quality over the last 12 months has been second to none. In addition to Best Headphones & Audio, be sure to also check out our Best Tech and Best TVs Awards features.
Selecting all these audio products from our wide roster of review products was no easy feat, but hand-picking the winners of each was harder than it sounds. But here they are: from the best travel headphones to the best portable Bluetooth speaker, this are the T3 Awards 2025 winners for Audio and Headphone products.
Best Travel Headphones
Sony WH-1000XM6
It has been such a big year for travel headphones, with myriad options available at every conceivable price point. But it's Sony's long-awaited return that has easily earned its position at the top once more.
The WH-1000XM6 is, as the '6' in the name tells you, not Sony's first bash at top-tier Bluetooth headphones – ones that are as good for travel as they are for home listening. But they bring back a much-missed design element lacking in their predecessors – a folding design.
Sometimes you've got to go back to go forwards, which is precisely how Sony has operated here. The WH-1000XM6 also sound phenomenal, the adaptive noise-cancelling (ANC) almost defies belief – now a true competitor for Bose's best-in-class work – and are just super performers all round.
Highly commended: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Best Earbuds
Technics EAH-AZ100
Technics' 5-star earbuds aren't just a minor upgrade over the previous model. This is one of those bigger generational leaps – making the AZ100 a shoo-in for the in-ear Awards win.
The AZ100 sound excellent, look super, have brilliant battery life, and the upgraded active noise-cancelling (ANC) makes for a totally complete package. It's hard to argue with just how good these in-ears are.
While there's no doubt that Apple, Bose, Sony and about a gazillion others make great products, too, it's Technics that's shot out from the sidelines and shown its real worth. A very strong win that more people need to know about.
Highly commended: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8
Best Wired Headphones
Meze Audio Liric (2nd Generation)
For the ultimate audiophile experience, T3 also covers super-high-end headphones that only deliver a hard-wired experience – as a plugged-in listen can be of the utmost quality.
The best wired headphones are quite often eye-wateringly expensive, however, as they're typically crafted from luxurious materials, while featuring drivers of a build and size that you won't find in cheaper and more transportable headphones.
Embodying all of that is this year's winner, the 2nd Gen version of Meze Audio's Lyric, which produces the sort of sound that simply never gets old. These are sublime wired headphones more than worthy of a sublime Awards trophy.
Highly commended: Grado Signature HP100 SE
Best Headphones
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
Despite the class of the Sony and Technics – and not forgetting last year's win-'em-all, Bose, which are still hugely worth considering – there's just an all-round wonderment from Bowers & Wilkins' latest headphones.
The Px7 S3 are indeed a third-generation product, but you'd think these over-ear cans were something entirely new. Redesigned, reimagined, and with really improved active noise-cancelling (ANC), the Bowers & Wilkins is a class act.
That's what nets these headphones the gong for the best overall winner in 2025. The extra touch of build quality and classy use of materials really elevates these into the pole position. They're super-comfortable and a clear class-leader.
Highly commended: Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)
Best Gaming Headset
Razer Blackshark V4 Pro
Headphones extend beyond classic audio, of course, with best gaming headset a very hotly contested category in 2025, with lots of new entries.
The winner was clear, though, not only ticking all the boxes for quality and comfort, but adding industry-leading haptic feedback to take you a step beyond just sound and into feeling too.
That's the Razer Kraken V4 Pro for you: a big and bold headset that's innovative, amazing sounding, and while it's expensive, it's a luxury, chart-topping item that high-end gamers will no doubt appreciate.
Highly commended: Asus ROG Delta II
Best Wireless Speaker
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition
The best wireless speaker of 2025 might look a lot like a former T3 Awards winner. And that's because the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition is the same iconic looker as the previous Zeppelin model release – just with audio enhancements that turn it up a notch.
Sure, the Pro isn't an obvious 'upgrade' model for current Zeppelin owners – especially if you want voice control, which now lacks – but newcomers seeking a distinctive wireless speaker with discerning sound, need look no further.
Bowers & Wilkins is on a roll this year. The Zeppelin Pro is a modern classic that stands apart for all the right reasons. And no doubt will for years to come, too. Great looks, great sound, just a great product.
Highly commended: Cambridge Audio Evo One
Best Portable Speaker
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 3
A long-time favourite in the best portable Bluetooth speaker category is Bowers & Wilkins' smallest speaker, now in its third generation.
This new release further improves on the series' looks, bass output, and battery life. That's a win all around – especially in a market that's so saturated that it's hard to stand out.
But stand out is exactly what this little speaker manages to do. It's exceptionally well-made and delivers audio that's a level way beyond what its scale suggests. You'll barely believe just how capable the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (3rd Gen) is.
Highly commended: Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9
