The 10 Best Wireless Headphones for TV in 2023 (2023)

The Sennheiser RS 195 RF headphones are perhaps the best classic example of a television-friendly = pair of wireless headphones. Using a radio-frequency-style connection via 2.4–2.48 GHz line-of-site wireless, the receiver is plugged into your TV to transmit audio to the headphones.

The receiver also doubles as a storage base that allows you to adjust to the balance and different sound profiles. These are family-friendly, too: Sound profiles can be user-saved to lock in a preset for the right sound style for you and then recall that specific preset whenever you (or someone else in the household) sit down.

You can expect the Sennheiser level of excellence on the sound quality front, with an all-encompassing frequency response of 17 Hz to 22 kHz and less than 0.5% harmonic distortion. But, Sennheiser has also enlisted the help of the IDMT for signal processing (a leading organization in developing hearing aids) to better process the wireless signal for a complete, clear audio response.

This latter fact makes these headphones great for those who need help hearing their TV shows. However, this also means that Sennheiser has built headphones that aren’t necessarily that sleek. At 340g, they are much bulkier and heavier than you’d typically expect from modern headphones. The more cumbersome design also means the plush padding is massive and ultra-comfortable.

Another downside is that these headphones use interchangeable, rechargeable AA batteries rather than internal options. The price is also a little higher than you might expect, but for the quality, it’s worth it. These headphones do one thing well—connect wirelessly to your TV—and if that’s your goal, then you’d have trouble finding a better option than these.

The Plantronics PLT BackBeat Pro 2s are a solid overall option for several reasons. First, the sound profile lends itself to entertainment programs—because Plantronics is known as a business headset brand, the sound spectrum tends to be clean across the spectrum, with plenty of detail where the human speaking voice lives. This is great for sitcoms, dramas, and most top 40 music.

The wireless functionality on the Backbeat Pros 2 is also really solid, offering up to 100 feet of range via the Bluetooth protocol. The Bluetooth protocol also means there will be less lag between the visuals and the audio, which is essential for headphones for video. Active noise cancellation is also built into these headphones, making them a premium option from a feature set perspective.

The Backbeats also offer 24 hours of playback on a single charge. This last factor makes the headphones great for watching videos on the go, during your commute, or on a plane, without worrying about running out of juice. These headphones are a steal for what they bring to the table—earning them a spot at the top of our list.

The Mpow 059's one of the most popular affordable Bluetooth headphones because they provide a surprisingly versatile feature set for a bargain price. The first thing you notice is the design. Taking some cues from the first generation of Beats headphones, the black, red, and silver look is modern but also customizable.

About a half dozen colors range from bright lime green to a more subtle black gray, though this red color is the most popular. The flat, no-frills, well-rounded sound quality makes the 059s great for watching TV and movies on your tablet or phone. These aren't the most detailed headphones on the market, nor do they purport to add any substantial degree of bass, but they offer reliable sound across the spectrum.

Bluetooth 4.1 does mean that you won't get the modern stability (and multi-device support) of Bluetooth 5.0, but that is one of the compromises you'll have to make for the low price tag. One surprising point of quality for these headphones is how plush and comfortable the memory foam earpads feel at this price level. There's also about 20 hours of battery life on a single charge—nothing super impressive, but not disappointing—but the headphones take a while to charge up. The package comes with a charging cable, a nice little carrying pouch, and a 3.5mm aux cord for wiring in a connection when the battery dies.

The Elite 75t earbuds are often considered Jabra’s flagship. Still, its over-ear Elite 85h Bluetooth headphones have earned a spot as a truly premium audio offering, especially when watching TV. The SmartSound active noise cancellation technology makes for a truly isolated listening experience and is one of the best features of the 85h.

Jabra has also managed to fit an estimated 36 hours of battery life into these sleek headphones, essential if you rely on them for phone calls and computer time outside of TV viewing. Plus, with eight microphones built into the headphones, the call quality on the 85h is impressive—no surprise from a brand like Jabra.

But it’s not all positive here: though the noise cancellation is top-notch, the price tag matches those heights. While the Bluetooth protocol is modern and stable, it isn’t quite as user-friendly as some other options might be. So, though the sound quality isn’t bad, you might find better results with a more premium brand.

If you’re looking for a wireless gaming headset that will work for console use with a television, there aren’t many options that truly fit the bill, but the Astro A50 is one of them. This version brings with it a new and improved balance of sound, focused on giving you equal emphasis on game effects, music, and dialog, and you can even adjust the levels via a knob on the side. That’s important because many headphones try to give you emphasis across the spectrum but tend to be lacking in some part (either dialog or bass or something else). If the out-of-the-box sound isn’t suitable for your use, there are equalizer settings you can toggle on the unit to customize the sound further.

The other factor that makes these headphones great for console gaming is that they transmit audio via the lower-latency 2.4GHz method instead of the Bluetooth protocol. The attached boom mic provides a crisp way to communicate with your team in online games and will automatically mute when you flip it upward. The 15-hour battery life isn’t the best we’ve seen, but the headphones will always charge when on standby because the receiver base doubles as a charging storage cradle.

Another interesting consideration is connecting these headphones via USB to your PC. This allows you to use a slightly better digital-to-analog converter than your PC might have, giving you a better, more optimized in-game audio experience. The design is bulky, but that means the headphones will likely be durable. You’ll pay for the premium experience here, though.

When you look at the Sony RF995s, you might not think they’re modern, and that’s because they leave a lot to be desired on the design front. But that’s okay when you consider that the focus of these headphones is to make it easier to hear the sound from your TV set.

Like most RF-style headphone offerings, the RF995s use a 2.4 GHz connection to send the audio from the charging base (plugged into your TV) to the headphones. And because the signal is so strong, Sony puts the range at about 150 feet, enough to cover your use even in the largest rooms.

The sound response is impressive, covering a frequency range of 10 Hz to 22 kHz (much more than the human range) and strong, bass-bolstered 40mm drivers. This makes for a great listening experience for TV and film because it enhances the atmosphere and environment.

Sony claims that the headphones will work for 20 hours on a single charge, which is decent, and because the batteries are recharged via the receiver base, it’s easy to keep them juiced up. As mentioned, the whole build feels plastic-y, and the look feels decidedly plain—more similar to Sony’s 90s products than their modern offerings. But at this price, these headphones offer a pretty solid value.

The Avantree HT5009 has a Bluetooth-enabled receiver that seamlessly syncs with the headphone unit. The Bluetooth receiver also allows for audio pass-through, meaning you can hook up a soundbar, a stereo receiver, or the like.

This makes the Avantree unit perfect for those who want to fold the wireless headphones into their surround sound setup. And for using the Avantree Oasis device, you can even use these headphones for whole-home audio.

To account for the latency often inherent in Bluetooth connectivity, Avantree included a Qualcomm chipset to minimize that delay. With 40 hours of playback time on one charge, these are among the longest-running headphones we've seen, and with the solid sound response (20 Hz to 20 kHz) and powerful bass for film and TV, these things sound good.

The only negative we've found is that the thinness of the ear pads seems like they might be a little less comfortable than something from a brand like Sennheiser.

The RS120 is a no-frills option for people who want wireless TV-friendly headphones, mainly because Sennheiser doesn't try to overdo anything on the feature front. The first thing you notice is the slim and straightforward design because these are on-ear headphones rather than over-ear headphones.

This may be bothersome for people who want a truly isolated soundstage, but if you hate wearing bulky headphones, these are for you. You only have the option to plug the receiver into a TV using a 3.5mm aux cable, limiting the quality of audio you can transfer. However, once connected, the receiver sends the sound via radio frequencies.

One nice feature is that you can swap between channels of wireless connectivity, avoiding any possible interference.

Because these headphones are from Sennheiser, it's no surprise to see a rich, warm audio response perfect for most applications—as long as you're okay with the openness inherent in on-ear headphones.

The 20-hour battery life is standard for headphones like these, but because they're intended for in-home use, as long as you store the headphones on the super-sleek charging base, you shouldn't have a dead-headphone problem. The most surprising part of this package is that you can find them for a great price—making it one of the best values on this list.

The Giveet wireless earbuds are essentially just a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that come packaged with a Bluetooth-enabled receiver for your TV. This means there aren’t any headaches when you first set it up because this receiver is paired specifically for the headphones. But Giveet has set this up so you can pair both headphones to any Bluetooth-enabled device or receiver or pair any other Bluetooth headphones to the receiver dongle you get with this package.

There isn’t any optical output, so you’ll have to be okay with 3.5mm aux or RCA connectivity. Bluetooth 5.0 is the protocol included here, which should help with latency and stability. Still, you’d have virtually no perceptible delay if you went with an RF-style wireless setup, so that’s something to keep in mind.

The headphones recharge via the USB-C input on the receiver, making an excellent singular docking point, and once you fully charge the earbuds, they offer about 16 hours of playtime on a single charge. While Giveet claims that these headphones provide plenty of power and volume (mainly because they nest tightly into your ear), because of the tiny driver inherent in in-ear headphones, you won’t get a ton of richness in these headphones. With a virtually unbeatable price tag, these are a great option to buy and toss on your coffee table the next time you need a little quiet in the living room without turning off your show.

TV watchers who are hard of hearing often struggle with television sound. The Simolio Hearing Protection headphones are explicitly designed to help people hear what’s happening on the TV without blasting the volume.

These headphones use the 2.4 GHz band of wireless transmission, so there will be a minimal delay between the picture and the sound. The plush ear cups allow for long listening sessions, and because there’s a pass-through aux port on the side of the headphones, you can even patch in a loved one to listen to your show on their headphones.

The headphones allow you to adjust the L/R balance on the fly for those who hear better out of one ear than the other, and you can even use the Personal Sound Amplifier function to make the rest of the sound in the room louder—making these headphones great as an actual hearing aid-style unit.

The 500mAh battery only allows about 10 hours of listening on a single charge, so putting them back on the charging base after each use is essential. The sound and the design aren’t impressive, offering a flat standard response and few aesthetic touches. Despite those limitations, these headphones are perfect for listeners who need help hearing their favorite shows.