5 Underrated Audio Brands That Can Rival Sony’s Headphones

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Sony has been around for a long time, releasing its first stereo headphones in 1964. Since then, the company has grown, innovated, and sometimes even gotten a little weird with its releases. Sony launched the world’s first digital noise-canceling headphones in 2008. Since then, its headphone lineup has expanded from the budget-friendly ZX series to premium models such as the 1000X Collexion headphones.

Over the years, a number of other headphone manufacturers have emerged to challenge Sony in the audio arena, many coming in succession as they attempt to replicate Sony’s success. And while some have become major players themselves, a number of headphone brands have managed to go unnoticed by many consumers while offering competitive alternatives.

From brands you may not have heard of to those you may not realize made headphones, we’ve scoured the internet to find the underrated headphone brands that can rival what Sony offers, both in price and quality. Here are some of the options recommended by headphone enthusiasts, users, and audio experts as solid alternatives to Sony headphones.

You might think that a company with a name like the noise it makes when walking on the warm sand at the beach might not make serious headphones. You’re definitely wrong, because the AIAIAI TMA-2 Move Wireless Bluetooth On-Ear Headphones challenge just about everything Sony offers. While they don’t have thousands of reviews on Amazon, the ones available highlight their strengths.

Recommendations also come from numerous Reddit threads discussing headset options that people often overlook. Amazon users rave about the headphones, even if they’ve never heard of them before purchasing. Funny name aside, AIAIAI is a Danish audio company that has worked with major industry talent, including a recent two-year collaboration with Björk.

The AIAIAI TMA-2 Move is designed for all-day listening and features high-quality memory foam over-ear cups, 40 hours of playback, and adjustable sound profiles via the AIAIAI app. And while these may seem a bit bulky, users have noted that they’re surprisingly lightweight. Best of all, AIAIAI features a modular design, making repair easy and allowing you to swap parts to customize your audio experience.

People looking for good headphones probably think more about sound than the average music listener. The company known as thinksound seems to understand this while recognizing the dull look of many modern headphones. The thinksound ov202w noise canceling on-ear headphones mix things up by offering a premium look often reserved for very high-end headphones.

The thinksound ov202w incorporates natural wood into its design, giving the headphones a high-quality style. But beyond their great looks, they offer over 100 hours of listening time on a single charge, active noise cancellation, and custom 40mm and 10mm dynamic drivers. And while you may have never heard of thinksound before, the company has received critical acclaim, winning more than a dozen industry awards.

User reviews on Amazon are very positive, with many saying that the thinksound ov202w are the best Bluetooth headphones they have ever owned. Others note the impressive battery life and how well it compares to major players in the industry, including Sony. If you’re looking for underrated headphones with a premium look, these might be worth checking out.

Microsoft is a major player in almost every area of ​​the tech industry, including the headphone market. Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 are designed for audio enthusiasts, with 12 levels of adjustable noise cancellation, up to 18 hours of listening time, and voice dictation with various Microsoft products. Their price is also reasonable for what they offer.

You get touch controls, on-ear volume dials, and nearly an hour of music listening on a 5-minute charge. Users love these headphones for everyday use, connectivity for up to eight devices (two at the same time), and the ability to save EQ settings directly to the headphones. People often sleep on these Microsoft headphones, and those people might be missing something.

Cleer Audio may not be a name many have heard of before, as it was founded in 2012. And while they may not have the history of major players in the industry, such as Sony, they still manage to offer a fairly feature-rich pair of headphones at a surprisingly affordable price. Priced around $100, the Cleer Audio Enduro ANC Noise Canceling Headphones receive a lot of praise from users.

They deliver high-resolution sound thanks to the 40mm ironless drivers, which also help deliver a deep bass profile. You get 60 hours of battery life with ANC and 80 hours without. You have access to custom EQ settings in the Cleer app and can control them via physical buttons.

The multipoint connection is ideal for those who need to quickly switch between devices, and the Qualcomm CvC (Clear Voice Capture) microphones are perfect for calls and meetings. The Enduro is also the only pair of headphones on the list that comes standard with a USB-C to 3.5mm cable. They also come with an airplane jack for those traveling on a commercial airliner from the late 90s and early 2000s.

We have another headset to show off: the 1MORE SonoFlow-Pro Noise Canceling Headphones. Coming in at under $100, these over-ear headphones often appear in recommendations for the underrated headphones that many people sleep on. This is also a price range where many lesser-known headphone brands make their keep.

So, when a brand continues to appear in online conversations, it can be assumed that it is making a name for itself in a crowded market. Users have noted that these are perhaps the best budget ANC headphones you can buy, offering impressive sound for their price. Time and time again, reviewers and experts claim that the 1MORE SonoFlow-Pro punches above its weight.

They feature QuietMax dual-powered noise cancellation technology that can reduce noise by up to 45 dB. They take advantage of LDAC technology, enabling data rates up to three times higher than standard Bluetooth. And their 40mm diamond-shaped drivers help produce a solid sound profile with a frequency response reaching up to 40kHz. Not too bad for under $100.

When selecting which headphones to feature on this list, we looked to both the general consumer and the audio expert. We studied countless online threads to see what audiophiles were recommending to the average user looking for Sony alternatives. User reviews on Amazon were also taken into account, including those comparing the headphones to Sony models.

And since Sony offers a wide range of headphones in different price points, we focused on several that compare favorably to similarly priced Sony alternatives. Finally, we put more emphasis on headphone brands that are often overlooked, lesser known, or considered underrated by users and experts.