Our six best wireless headphones of 2019

The Best 100% Wireless Headphones for Christmas -

• Probably one of the most coveted Christmas gifts at the end of 2019, 100% wireless headphones (or "True Wireless") have flooded the market.

• Democratized by Apple and its AirPods, they are light, discreet, practical and charge in their storage box which has an internal battery.

• "20 Minutes" has tested many pairs and reveals its five favorite 100% wireless headphones, sold from 149 euros to 279 euros.

Not easy to decide between them!

Design, comfort, autonomy, quality of listening: there are many criteria to take into account before purchasing a pair of in-ear headphones.

Among the many new models tested over the past few weeks,

can advise you on the best.

1 - Jabra, Elite 75t: perfect ergonomics and musical balance

The Danish brand had already distinguished itself in the world of wireless headphones with its Elite 65t and Elite Active 65t (for sport, now at 150 euros).

With its new Elite 75t headphones, Jabra goes further in miniaturization and offers 20% smaller Bluetooth 5.0 headphones.

The Elite 75t fit perfectly in the ear and emit a powerful, balanced sound, with good dynamics.

- JABRA

When tested, the 75t are like their predecessors: perfectly maintained in the ears where they cleverly wedge between the pinna and the ear canal.

Compatible with sports use, they are resistant to water and dust (IP55 standard) and have a substantial autonomy: up to 7:30 per charge (50% more than their predecessors) and up to 28 hours with their storage box / battery to charge in USB-C.

We really enjoyed ourselves during our tests.

Customizable with an application featuring an equalizer, the Jabra Elite 75t combines powerful, muscular bass sound with true dynamics and sonic brilliance.

For phone calls, it is possible to adjust the ambient noise level using a feature called

.

Even if they do not have an active noise reduction system, their performance / price ratio is obvious. 

2 - Apple, AirPods Pro: noise reduction is their strength

In addition to AirPods (still on sale), Apple's “Pro” are changing their philosophy: they no longer sit in the ear, but become in-ear and sink slightly into the ear canal.

At the same time, Apple has equipped its headphones with a noise reduction system.

Very effective, especially in transport where the hubbub is significantly reduced, it is started by simply pressing one of the small antennas of each earpiece.

The AirPods Pro launched at 279 euros.

- APPLE

To stay aware of surrounding noises (imperative when moving around town!), Another press switches the AirPods Pro to "Transparency" mode.

Athletes will be able to grab it, the new water and sweat resistant headphones.

While it does not display a true sound signature, the listening quality of the AirPods Pro is very real, with a very consistent bass / mid / treble balance and suitable for most musical registers.

Impossible, however, to modify the settings, which we regret, if only to modulate the contours, depending on whether we are listening to hip / hop, rap, rock, jazz or classical.

With 4.5 hours of battery life and up to 20 hours with different recharges in their storage box (to be recharged by USB-C or by induction), they are a little behind some competitors.

2 (tied) - Sony, WF-1000XM3: musicality like no other

A little bulky (even if they remain light), these headphones nevertheless succeed in the challenge of noise isolation associated with excellent musicality.

Of the in-ear type, the WF-1000XM3 pair with a very serious application.

The WF-1000XM3 headphones are worth by the possibility of perfectly personalizing your listening.

- SONY

This not only allows you to adjust the level of noise reduction, but also and above all to personalize your music listening using an equalizer.

The sound is good, although the noise reduction struggles to perfectly attenuate the surrounding voices.

Sony also succeeded in raising the autonomy of its headphones up to 8:30 am on a charge (24 hours with their storage box).

4- Huawei, FreeBuds: AirPods with noise reduction

Huawei's True Wireless headphones cultivate their family resemblance with the sales champions that are the Apple AirPods (1st and 2nd generation).

They too are white, they too can be identified by their "antenna", they too land at the entrance to the ear and do not sink into it.

Have the FreeBuds 3 swallowed Apple's AirPods?

- HUAWEI

Difference: FreeBuds 3 offer a noise reduction system.

Not being intra-auricular and based on a so-called "open" construction, one wonders about the relevance of this system.

Because ergonomics oblige, the headphones let "pass" a part of the surrounding noise whatever happens.

But the music is perfectly restored.

Warning: if you can adjust the level of this noise reduction when you have an Android smartphone, it is impossible with an iPhone.

On arrival, the use of these FreeBuds 3 therefore remains to be recommended to owners of a Huawei smartphone and, more broadly, an Android smartphone.

5 - Beats, Powerbeats Pro: big sound, big battery life

Beats, a brand of the Apple group, offers sports-oriented True Wireless headphones with its PowerBeats Pro, even if they do not display any certification ensuring their resistance to water or sweat.

Integrating the H1 chip (present on AirPods Pro) from the Apple brand, these headphones are automatically paired with the iPhone that is presented to them.

A classic Bluetooth pairing can be done with an Android smartphone.

PowerBeats Pro combine powerful bass with excellent battery life.

- BEATS

With an ear-loop stabilizer (a binding bit for placement), the PowerBeats Pro will not budge from their location even when you're in motion.

In our selection, they are the only ones to have complete control functions accessible by buttons: Volume, Pause / Play, navigation within a playlist.

Listening is muscular, with shattering bass and a volume that never seems restricted.

Watch out for the eardrums, anyway!

Their autonomy is among the best available: 10 hours per charge and up to 30 hours with their case which recharges with a

cable

(supplied).

6 - JBL, Reflect Flow: athletes par excellence

Quite economical alternative to other models of True Wireless headphones, the Reflect Flow from JBL surprise with their very good quality / price ratio.

Delivered in their somewhat massive charging case, they offer particularly stable support in the ear with their small silicone fin which blocks them perfectly.

Reflect Flow headphones offer excellent value for money.

- JBL

In fact suitable for sports use, they are coupled with total waterproofing (standard: IPX7).

Listening, the Reflect Flow do not go into detail and are distinguished by massive bass that can boost a running session.

An "Ambient Aware" mode allows you to keep one ear - or both - on its external environment.

We would have liked an application to personalize listening.

There remains a perfect autonomy of 30 hours in total (10 hours for each recharge).

Small bonus: four LED lights which on the back of the storage box / battery indicate its remaining charge level.

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