The wireless headphones with wired option are the best of both worlds. They allow you to have wireless headphones, but they also come with a wire that can be plugged in and used if needed.
This is an excellent choice for people who want wireless headphones, but don’t want to worry about running out of battery power or being limited by their range from the transmitter.
There are many different types of dual wired/wireless headphones available on the market today – some cheaper than others, some more expensive.
If you are looking for headphones that are both wired and wireless we have got you covered. In this article, we have chosen the best ones for your needs.
Table of Contents
Top 5 Wired And Wireless headphones To buy:
Philips PH805: Cheap 2-in-1 Headsets
$69.99 in stock
8 used from $46.00
Build Quality & Design:
The Phillips PH805 headphones are a great option for those looking for 2-in-1 wireless & wired Bluetooth headphones for less than the premium price tag.
Most people don’t really love over-the-ear wireless headphones as they become uncomfortably hot but luckily Phillips 805 allows for air circulation.
We found these wireless headphones to be quite comfortable due to their well-padded ear cups. On the ear cup, there is a touch control and on the back of the ear cup, there is a push/slide control that you can press to initiate wireless pairing and also long-press for power off.
On the right side of the ear cup, there is a 3.5mm input to charge the headphones, you just need to plug in the charging cable to the ear cups.
Philps says that you can get 2 hours of playback time with a 5-minute charge. It comes with 40mm drivers in both ears which provide quality sound without any stress or damage.
Performance:
The PH805 has a long battery life, so you can listen to music on the headphones for a long time. The Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection provides high-resolution audio playback and provides up to 30 hours of battery life when fully charged.
The PH805 has four microphones. Two of them cancel the noise that is around them. The other do things like answer phone calls and control songs.
In Ambient mode, the sound is neat and will allow you to hear some of the noise around you while listening to your favorite audio.
But the Bass tracks popped with suitable depth and more vocal-dominated tracks were defined and detailed.
The headphones cannot be used while they are charging, but this does not seem like a big deal because they can be charged in 90 minutes from empty.
Pros
- Well made
- Good battery life
- Punchy, controlled, and detailed sound
Cons
- Could handle more dynamism
- Mild noise-cancellation
Sennheiser Momentum 3: wireless and wired gaming headset
$316.94 in stock
2 used from $440.00
Build design:
Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones come in black. They have leather and metal details. The earpads are comfortable with a soft-touch finish.
There are connections for the two included cables: one for wireless charging, a USB-C type; and one for a 3.5mm headphone jack to use as wired headsets.
The audio cable does not have a microphone.
You can use the switch next to the charging and 3.5mm connection to turn ANC on or off or to switch from transparent listening mode.
You can use it with your phone. It has a button for multiple voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google.
There are dedicated buttons for playing music, track navigation, and answering the phone. There is also the one for NFC pairing with other devices.
The battery life is around 17 hours but it varies depending on how loud you listen and how much you use the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation).
Performance:
It delivers top-quality performance. The powerful active noise cancellation does an excellent job on the lows, mids, and highs. The ANC is less effective with office-related sounds like typing on a keyboard or someone talking to you, but it still does pretty well.
There is also some high-frequency hiss when listening to music with the ANC turned on, but I don’t find it too bothersome. You can also use a transparent listening mode to listen without removing the headphones, which is pretty cool for fps gamers.
The bass depth of these headphones is fuller and richer when the ANC is on.
They’re Bluetooth enabled with AptX and AAC support for high-quality wireless audio playback. The 42mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 6Hz to 22kHz internally.
The mic offers better than average intelligibility- background noise more or less disappears when you speak into it while using the headphones wirelessly–and the signal is quite strong without distortion.
Pros
- Powerful bass depth and crisp, detailed highs.
- Comfortable, stylish design.
- Strong ANC with transparent listening mode.
- Single-button voice assistant integration.
Cons
- Expensive.
- Sound signature is not for those seeking accuracy.
- App and Alexa integration can be a little buggy.
AKG N60NC: Minimalist & Modest Wireless And Wired Headphone
Build design:
These wireless headphones have a supra-aural design. They are lightweight and comfortable. The headband is well cushioned for your head and ears, so it won’t be tight or hurt you.
It has a precise ear-to-ear fit with the help of the headband adjustor’s detents.
In the AKG N60NC headphone, there is a button on the right ear-cup that controls playback and call management.
If you press it or push it one way or the other, then you can change the song or call someone.
On the left ear cup, there is a USB connection for charging and also an audio cable.
This headset has a wire with a cloth lining and it has an in-line microphone. The in-line mic is very clear and intelligible, but the built-in mic on the headphone is not very good.
The battery life lasts about 15 hours and it might last a little longer or shorter depending on how loud you are listening, or if you use noise cancellation in the wired mode.
Performance:
AKG N60NC headphones offer exceptional comfort and sound quality for their price.
They are an excellent choice for those who want a good set of noise-canceling wireless headphones and don’t have the budget to spend on something much more expensive.
The AKG N60NC is not quite as effective as Bose’s best-in-class active noise cancellation, but it does a great job at blocking ambient noises from your room, buses, and airplanes.
The biggest downside to these headphones is that they work less well in conversation or office chatter situations.
However, when you want to listen to music with intense sub-bass content, the AKG N60NC delivers some powerful deep bass that sounds incredible on both high-quality tests and low-quality streaming.
The AKG N60NC headphones work well in wireless mode by using Bluetooth 4.0.
When you plug in a cable using the 2.5mm jack, the Bluetooth indicator light turns from blue to green.
If you pull out the cable, then it switches back into wireless mode and connects again with your phone quickly.
Pros
- Strong noise cancellation.
- Excellent audio performance.
- Can be used in wired, passive mode.
- Comfortable
Cons
- No auto-off mode to save battery life.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT: dual wired and wireless headphones with mic
2 used from $249.99
Build design:
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT is a great set of headphones for the price.
The building design of these headphones is the same as the original ATH M50x professional Bluetooth studio headphones perfectly.
They are made of hard plastic. The only metal in the design is inside the headband and on the outside. It’s mostly black, but there are a few things that shine to break up the color.
These headphones are pretty comfortable to wear. They have a soft ear cushion and a lightweight headband.
There is also a neat cluster of physical buttons on the left cup. The design of these headphones is easily collapsible, which can be handy!
For those who like to customize their headphones, the faux leather earpads are easily replaceable and you can pretty much use any kind of ear pads that you want.
Performance:
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBTs comes with a 1.2m cable as well as a micro USB charging cable.
They weigh in at 310g and are designed for really high-end audio performance, with 45mm drivers that have a frequency response from 15-28,000 Hz with bass frequencies that aren’t too thumpy so they don’t reverberate throughout your body but will definitely be felt.
The closed cup design ensures the noise isolation works really well when listening to loud volumes, not letting any outside conversations disturb or distract you.
Also comes with Bluetooth 5,aptX along with AAC codecs, With the 10m communication of the Bluetooth, you connect it to your device and can last for 40 hours on a single charge via the micro USB connector.
The battery life is very good, they are not too heavy at around 310g and they can be charged using the 3.5mm jack which takes seven hours to go from 0-100%.
To activate the voice assistant you have to hold your finger on the left earcup for more than two seconds. It is compatible with Siri and Google Assistant.
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Smooth mids
- Comfortable
- Great price
Cons
- Clunky design
- Treble frequencies could be clearer
GRADO GW100 v2 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones:
They are Made out of metal and plastic but still, their design is lightweight and comfortable which makes them perfect for today’s portable lifestyle.
The ear cups are made of foam, and they don’t feel particularly strong which means you can wear them for long periods than in-ear headphones
Explain the above paragraph with the closed-cup they provide sound isolation but for a quieter environment. Also, they make a wide soundstage, so you can hear the clear highs, smooth mids, and extended bass frequencies of the music
The on-ear Grado GW100 headphones last for 15 hours. It’s good because you don’t have to charge them all the time and you can also 3.5mm jack so that you can use them after the GW100’s batteries run down
The Bluetooth is 5.0, which means it’s good when you’re on your phone at home or out somewhere with bad reception.
You can wear these around while doing something else, like reading or doing homework!
The Bluetooth range is 10m, which means you can walk around your room or outside while still being connected to your phone.
The headphones have a built-in mic if you want to answer the phone without taking out your earbuds.
They also have a 20hz to 20khz frequency response, which means they’re good for listening to music and watching movies! You’ll hear everything clearly even if the volume is quite loud.
Pros
- Fantastic audio quality
- Cool retro design
- Comfortable
Cons
- Heavy sound leakage
- Slightly flimsy build
Buying Guide: Wired and wireless headphones
Build Quality:
The headphones should be comfortable and strong enough to take abuse. To make sure that the headphones are durable, pay attention to the headband and hinge material, it should be metallic rather than plastic. From the comfort perspective, the earcups should be padded along with the headband sitting comfortably over your head.
There is a wide variety of headphone designs that all have their own way of sitting on your head.
In-ear headphones
In-ear headphones are cheaper and easier to carry than other types because they are smaller. They go inside your ear canal instead of on top of it like other headphones. They also create a tight seal to keep air out and sound in.
Their small form factor also makes them the king/queen of portability. They can be stored inside a pocket or bag without taking up much space.
On-ear headphones
On-ear headphones are the most common type of headphones. They sit on your ear and so are great for commuting because you can still hear what’s going on around you but are not as good at canceling out noise as earbuds or in-ears might be.
Over-ear headphones
These headsets provide greater richness and depth of sound. Also referred to as “closed-back” (because they have a sealed ear cup that is acoustically isolated from the outside world), they allow you to listen without being disturbed by ambient noise.
You can tell them apart from other types because they cover all of your ears.
Noise Cancelling:
Noise-canceling headphones are designed specifically to block out environmental sounds around you so that you can listen to what you want when you want and how loudly you want without interference from outside noises.
There are two main types of noise-canceling technology: passive and active.
Passive Noise Cancellation
The passive noise cancellation has to do with the design of the headsets. Over-ear headphones are generally better at preventing sound leakage than other styles.
As a general rule of thumb, when you wear thickly padded ear cups, the external noises are reduced by around 20 dB (a busy street or running dishwasher).
The in-ear design also helps with noise cancellation. They fit snugly inside your ears and create a tight seal so that You can enjoy music without being distracted by other sounds.
Active Noise Cancellation
Active noise cancellation, also known as ANC, headphones create an “anti-noise” frequency using the microphone that effectively cancels out the sound. It does this with analog or digital filters, as well as inbuilt microphones.
Battery Life:
The battery life of your headphones will depend on your usage. The current best wireless headphones have enough battery life to make it to at least 10 hours between charges.
If you are playing games for hours or flying cross-Atlantic, the headphones with a solid battery performance would serve you well.
Sound Quality:
Headphones come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The shape of the headphone influences its sound quality.
In order to get the best sound, you will need to spend more money. More often than not, the more expensive your headphones are, the better you can tend to sound.
Sound quality also depends on your personal preference and what you listen to most of the time. Some may like bass-heavy music while others may find that muddy. A few have a penchant for classical music. Therefore sound quality is a difficult topic to generalize. If you like to hear the bass, buy the headphones with dynamic drivers. These make a lot of air movement around and give your music that good bass sound. People who want details should look for large frequency ranges, which means you can hear more highs and lows.
It is important to consider the soundstage of headphones. This will make your sound louder or quieter. If you like the wide and open sound, use open-back headphones. But if you worry about other people hearing your music, try a pair of headphones with a closed back that has secure earbuds that fit into your ears so no one can hear it.
Conclusion:
If you’re looking for wireless headphones that are both wired and wireless, then the Philips PH805 might be just what you need. The best thing about these headphones is their sleek design and comfortable fit.
If your priority is noise cancellation or audio quality, consider investing in a more expensive pair of wireless headphones like the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless which has both strong ANC with transparent listening mode as well as powerful bass depth and crisp detailed highs.
As price isn’t an issue, AKG N60NC may also suit your needs because it’s one of our favorite wireless headphone models for its comfort level, excellent audio performance, and Strong noise cancellation. The only thing that holds this model back is the fact that it’s a little more expensive than most wireless headphones in its category.
FAQ: Wired & Wireless Headphones
Kevin is a Tech journalist for over a decade. He writes on Wearables, Headphones, and Laptops. When he is not glued to his laptop, You will find him working on exciting projects that include Unboxing new Gadgets, comparing them, and tweaking their hardware.