Apple ditched the headphone jack from its 2018 iPad Pro lineup as well. In all its wiseness, Apple sees the future of PC without a headphone jack. Worse, the company is not bundling any USB-C EarPods or USB-C to 3.5mm adapter with the 2018 iPad Pro, and the same goes for the all-new iPad Pro 11‑inch (2nd generation) and iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (4th generation). This might just be a good excuse for you to jump on the wireless headphones bandwagon though. Check out some of our recommendations for the best wireless headphones for the iPad Pro.
Ever since headphone jack started getting extinct on smartphones, we have seen plenty of innovation in the headphones segment. Now, depending on your needs — noise cancellation, Siri integration, budget, and other criteria, you will easily find a pair of headphones that will fulfill all your needs.
Best Wireless Headphones for iPad Pro
Sony WH-1000XM3
If money is not an issue for you and you are a frequent traveler, the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones are the one to buy. They have the best noise canceling bar none, offer excellent music quality, and are extremely comfortable to wear as well. The older model — WH-1000XM2 — rivaled the formidable Bose QC 35 II [Amazon] in terms of comfort, noise cancellation, and sound quality but with WH-1000XM3, Sony has taken things to a whole new level with its dedicated noise cancellation chip.
It even has Siri integration which means you can press the dedicated hardware button on one of the ear cups to issue commands to Siri. If you travel a lot and use your iPad Pro for watching movies on long flights, the WH-1000XM3 will be perfect for you. With 30 hours of playback, they will easily last you through weeks of heavy use.
If you primarily care about noise cancellation, you can go for the older WH-1000XM2 and save some moolah in the process as well.
➤ Sony WH-1000XM3: Buy Now [Amazon] ($298) | Sony WH-1000XM2: Buy Now [Amazon] ($279.99)
Bose QuietComfort QC35 II
If you are more of a Bose guy, the Bose QuietComfort QC35 II is what you should consider buying for your new iPad Pro. It is currently the best noise-canceling headphones offered by Bose that are known for their light and comfortable design. They offer three levels of noise cancellation and feature dual microphones for noise rejection. While the QC 35 offers the same level of sound quality as Sony’s WH-100XM2, they offer more intuitive controls, superior noise cancellation, and a more comfortable fit.
➤ Buy Now [Amazon] ($299)
Audio-Technica M50xBT
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is known for its excellent music quality which has been praised by hundreds of reviewers and audio engineers alike. Apart from exceptional clarity, the headphones also offer great sound isolation packed in a premium design that is comfortable to wear for long hours.
Building on the M50X, Audio-Technica now offers a Bluetooth version of the headphones. The headphones are rated to last 40 hours on a single charge and have support for AAC and AptX codecs. While there’s no active noise cancellation, the passive noise isolation thanks to the closed-back design should suffice plenty of users. It also has Siri integration which can be triggered using the touch controls on the left ear cup.
At $199.99, the price to performance ratio with these headphones is very difficult to beat. It easily has the best value for money among all the headphones mentioned in this article.
➤ Buy Now [Amazon] ($179)
Sony WH-CH700N
If you want the experience of the Sony WH-1000XM3 on a budget, Sony’s own CH700N will suffice your needs. Its noise cancellation is not as effective as that of the Sony WH-1000XM3 and its sound quality is also a couple of notches below Sony’s premium offering.
Nonetheless, the headphones are comfortable to wear and can offer up to 30 hours of music playback with active noise cancellation enabled over a wired connection. It also has quick charging so 10 minutes on the charger is going to be enough for the headphones to offer an hour of music playback.
Best of all, at $99.99, the CH700N is cheaper by nearly $250 than Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM3 headphones.
➤ Buy Now [Amazon] ($128)
Jabra Elite Active 75t
If you want in-ear ear hook design headphones with the best sound quality, you cannot go wrong with the Jabra Active Elite 75t. Apart from a comfortable and secure fit and finish, they are also dust and sweat-resistant. The tight finish also ensures great sound isolation which is further complemented by excellent sound quality. At 7.5 hours of rated battery life and a 15-minute quick charge enough for an additional 1.5 hours of juice, the Jabra Elite 75t will easily get you through a day or two of regular use. The handy charging case gives you a total of up to 28 hours battery.
You can save a bit of moolah by going for the non-Active Elite 75t as well.
➤ Jabra Elite Active 75t: Buy Now [Amazon] ($199.99) | Jabra Elite 75t: Buy Now [Amazon] ($179.99)
AirPods
If you are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, just go ahead and buy the AirPods. They offer average sound quality and fit but they are known for their overall magical pairing process and ability to seamlessly switch between devices. Pairing AirPods to your iPad or iPhone is as simple as taking it out of its charging case in front of your device. You can also use your AirPods on your Mac or iPhone after initially pairing it with your iPad by simply changing the audio source from the control center. If you want active noise cancellation, and better fit then you can buy the AirPods Pro.
The Bluetooth earbuds offer up to 4 hours of battery life in a single charge, with the bundled case good enough to charge them twice as well.
➤ AirPods with Charging Case ($139), AirPods with Wireless Charging ($169), AirPods Pro ($249): Buy Now [Amazon]
Jaybird X4
The Jaybird X4 is meant for athletes and rugged use but it offers excellent sound and build quality in an extremely comfortable design. The left and right earbuds are connected via a wire so they are not truly wireless like the AirPods but on the flip side, this allows them to offer up to 8 hours of battery life and improved sound quality.
The Bluetooth earbuds are a bit buggy but you cannot go wrong with them in terms of sound quality.
➤ Buy Now [Amazon] ($99.99)
Anker Soundcore Spirit X
If you just want a pair of headphones for casual use that are light to carry around, Anker’s Soundcore Spirit X should have you covered. They feature an In-ear ear hook design which means they are light to carry and can be easily stuffed in one’s pocket as well. They feature an IPX7 rating making them sweat-proof and ideal for rough use.
The small size does mean that you will have to compromise on sound quality but then these headphones are more about their portable nature than sound quality.
➤ Buy Now [Amazon] ($35.99)
Which is your favorite pair of headphones that you use with your iPad? If you buy one from our list mentioned above, drop a comment and let us know whether you are liking it or not as well.
Note: We may earn a commission for purchases from the links above, which helps us keep the site running.
This post was updated on April 9, 2020.
