Best 2022 Headphones & Earbuds for App

#1 Sony WH-1000XM5 Premium Noise Canceling Headphones
4.6

The companion app was widely praised for depth and customization, with a few caveats around privacy or minor annoyances.

Pros: Sound leakage, Noise isolation (passive)

Cons: Water/sweat resistance rating, Hinge durability

#2 Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless Headphones
4.5

The app was broadly praised as intuitive, useful, and clean, with strong access to EQ, ANC, device management, and other settings.

Pros: Award recognition, Battery

Cons: Water/sweat resistance rating, LDAC

#3 Soundcore by Anker Space A40 Earbuds
4.3

The Soundcore app was widely praised for useful controls, customization, EQ, and feature access, with only minor complexity or multi-device app caveats.

Pros: Interchangeable left/right bud design, Multipoint connectivity reliability

Cons: Sensors, Hinge durability

#4 SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset
4.3

The app/software ecosystem is powerful and often praised, especially Sonar, but some reviewers criticize SteelSeries GG setup friction or base-station interaction quirks.

Pros: Charging, Spatial audio

Cons: Hinge durability, Smudge resistance

#5 SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1
4.1

Software/app support is strong on PC through Sonar or GG, but weaker for analog-only use or non-PC setups.

Pros: Earpad replacement ease, Weight comfort

Cons: Sidetone adjustment quality, USB-C

#6 HyperX Cloud Alpha
3.6

NGenuity and related software are useful for battery, EQ, and spatial controls, but some reviewers report glitches or sparse features.

Pros: Maximum volume clarity, Earpad replacement ease

Cons: Bluetooth, Xbox compatibility

#7 Razer Barracuda X
3.4

App support was useful for EQ, gaming mode, lighting, or battery status, but multiple reviewers disliked separate apps, limited Synapse control, or app dependence.

Pros: Cable quality, Hinge durability

Cons: aptX, Active noise cancellation

#8 Audeze Maxwell
2.7

The app/software experience is mixed-to-negative overall, ranging from stable but basic to buggy, clunky, incomplete, or unreliable.

Pros: Instrument separation, Maximum volume clarity

Cons: Hinge durability, Carry case quality