The Best Wireless Headphones for TV

Just Buy This (All Around Best)

Sony WH-RF400

$140 at Best Buy $138 at Adorama.com View on Audioadvice.com

TL;DR: Sony’s RF-connected headphones make a worthy top choice because of their ease of connectivity, solid price point, and wearability/comfort.

Why We Recommend These

The whole category of TV-connected headphones sort of begins and ends with Sony and Sennheiser. Both companies offer a competitive line of headphones that use a charging stand to connect to your TV. I’ve been using the MDR-RF995K for years now, actually, to give myself the option to watch TV while my family is doing other things in the same room.

Best I can tell, Sony has rebranded these same headphones as the RF400s, so even though my experience is with my tried-and-true pair of RF995Ks, the feature set remains virtually the same.

The RF995Ks deliver an impressive trio of features for watching TV, including 150 feet of wireless connectivity to the receiver base, 20 hours of battery life on a single charge, and detailed, dynamic sound that represents sound as low as 10 hertz in the sub-bass all the way up to 22 kilohertz (well above the highest frequency humans can hear).

Though admittedly plastic-y without the premium bells and whistles of some other wireless headphones, the build quality is perfect for watching TV.

That’s because they’re light, they have plenty of room inside each ear cup for my big ears, and when they stow away on their hanging charge stand, they look great in the corner of the living room.

This all amounts to an excellent package for around $100 (and if you pick up the older-named model as I have, you can find them for even less).

What do buyers think? Reviewers on Amazon laud the RF400’s comfort and ease of connectivity, with some dings for build quality and dated design. The RF995RKs are lauded by fans across several retail sites, including Best Buy.

Also Great

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

$290 at Amazon $290 at Best Buy $300 at Adorama.com

TL;DR: If your TV or streaming device has Bluetooth as an option, you can’t go wrong with the full-featured Sennheiser Momentum 4 and its excellent sound quality.

Why We Recommend These

Something I’ve always struggled with related to this product category is why not just get a high-quality pair of Bluetooth headphones? There’s no shortage of high-quality headphones from top brands that work great with phones, tablets, and laptops. The challenge is that TVs haven’t historically offered modern Bluetooth connectivity. But particularly in recent years, that’s been changing a bit.

For instance, the LG C3—one of the most celebrated OLED TVs on the market now—features Bluetooth connection options right out of the box. Also, if you’re using a game system or a streaming box like an Apple TV, you can probably connect Bluetooth headphones to that.

So if you’ve got that option, I strongly recommend the Sennheiser Momentum 4s. These have already earned the crown of being my favorite headphones overall, and for good reason.

Their lifelike Sennheiser sound, impressive battery life, and top-tier noise cancellation make them immersive, premium, and a true joy to use. But how do they fare with my modern TV?

To be clear, my primary streaming device is my Apple TV, and I use these headphones with that most often, but I do have a Samsung TV that would accept these headphones in Bluetooth mode as well. What’s great about the Momentum 4s is their compatibility with the modern Qualcomm aptX codec.

This helps to keep the audio quality and response time top-tier when transferring audio wirelessly. Many TVs don’t support this codec just yet, but it’s essential to future-proof the headphones for this use case, and that’s a big reason I’ve chosen them.

Plus, the ultra-plush padding and the roomy ear cups made them easy to wear for long periods. The Momentum 4s are the most expensive option, so I recommend this route only if you want to use them with your phone or laptop.

I will also say that Bluetooth connectivity with TVs isn’t as seamless as with other more mobile-friendly devices, so a plugged-in RF-style option will be easier to connect. But it's hard to beat these on the immersive listening experience and sound quality alone.

• Who else recommends it? The Momentum 4s earn top marks across the internet from tech publications like Headphones.com, RTINGs, and SoundGuys—making them an easy all-around choice.
• What do buyers think? Over 4500 buyers have rated these headphones an average of 4.1 out of 5 stars. Most reviews are positive, though there are a few complaints about interference and comfort.

Easiest on the Budget

Monoprice Bluetooth Headphone with Transmitter Charger Base

$70 at Amazon

TL;DR: The budget choice also offers the best of both worlds. It can connect via Bluetooth to any compatible device and comes with a TV-connectable Bluetooth receiver that doubles as a charger.

Why We Recommend These

While there’s no shortage of TV headphones from budget brands—and I do like the offerings from Insignia and Avantree—I found that a great entry for a great price came from the unlikely source of Monoprice.com. I’ve been a fan of Monoprice for years, as it’s a website that got its start selling wholesale cables and A/V accessories for basically vendor pricing.

Monoprice makes virtually anything tech-related, and the Bluetooth Headphones with Receiver offer a compelling package for this review.

They aren’t super premium or flashy, but their sound quality is decent. I found particular value in how well they handle loud scenes like climactic action movie sequences. There’s far less distortion and artifacts than I expected for the price.

And that price is the best part here. Direct from Monoprice, their list price is about $69.99, but I picked up my pair for just over $40 on sale on Amazon. At either price point, you’re getting a well-rounded, full-featured pair of headphones that even includes the higher-quality Qualcomm aptX Bluetooth codec.

This means you can enjoy lower latency to your TV when using the included receiver, or you can connect these headphones to your phone or tablet.

I don’t love the design and build; they cut some corners there. And for my ears, there’s not enough space to be as comfortable as the other entries on this list.

However, if money is tight and you can handle some design shortcomings and slight muddiness in sound, they're a no-brainer for the budget-conscious.

Who else recommends it? Soundguys awarded it an Editors' Choice for its low price, noise cancellation, and battery life.