Bose has taken out the top spot as Australia’s headphone brand of choice in Canstar Blue’s 2024 ratings for headphones. It scored five stars in most categories, including overall satisfaction, durability and user friendliness, while it scored four stars for value for money and design.
Our ratings compare a range of headphones on customer satisfaction as rated by Australians, so you can find out what other Aussies think of their headphones before you buy. Rather than wading through website after website to find out which brands are worth your while, it’s like finding out what hundreds of people think are the best headphones but in one place!
Canstar Blue surveyed 491 Australians for their feedback on headphones which were purchased in the last three years. This includes both over-ear headphones and on-ear headphones. It does NOT include earphones/earbuds.
Survey respondents rate their satisfaction with their headphone brand from zero to 10, with zero meaning extremely dissatisfied and 10 is extremely satisfied. Headphone brand satisfaction is rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the brand that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating. All the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are then combined and averaged to determine the overall winner.
In order to qualify in the results, brands must have received a minimum of 30 responses to be included. Therefore, not all headphone brands in the market will be compared in this survey. Brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customers ratings.
Bose has won our 2024 ratings for best headphones, scoring five stars for overall satisfaction, durability, user friendliness and battery and charging performance, while it scored four stars for value for money and design.
In second place was Sony, with four stars for overall satisfaction, value for money, design and user friendliness, while it scored five stars for durability and battery and charging performance. Sennheiser came in third place, scoring four stars in all categories, including overall satisfaction.
Apple and JBL took out fourth and fifth places respectively, with four stars for overall satisfaction, while Beats and Kmart’s Anko were in sixth and seventh, with both brands scoring three stars in all categories.
Whether you’re listening to music, podcasts or streaming videos on your device, headphones are an essential piece of tech to many of us. Half of those surveyed stated they used their headphones every day, while 38% use them weekly.
When it comes to what is most important for Aussies when looking for a good pair of headphones, price was the main factor in purchasing a pair of headphones — the average price paid for headphones was $199.13. 16% stated that the headphone’s features was their main factor for purchasing, followed by 14% choosing based on brand.
Around a third (34%) of survey respondents had specifically purchased headphones with wireless/Bluetooth capabilities because they’re better for using while active, with 5% regretting that they hadn’t purchased wireless headphones. The average amount of time survey respondents had their old headphones was for 2.6 years.
While not all brands in the market have qualified for our ratings (based on the minimal survey sample size), that doesn’t mean it’s not worth considering a wider range of brands when you’re looking for a new set of headphones. Here are some more brands worth checking out before you make your decision.
Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for over five years, with a dedication to providing Aussies with all the information they need to make better purchasing decisions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University and has a decade of professional writing experience in print and digital media.
Meet the Editorial Team
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Meet the Research TeamCheck out the past winners of Canstar Blue’s headphone review:
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