We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If I had to pick one pair of headphones black to recommend first, it's the Sony ZX Series — a lightweight, folding wired on-ear that gets the basics right for almost no fuss. It wins on portability and comfort rather than features.
• Sony ZX Series — best for travel and everyday wired listening; pick this if you want a folding, swiveling on-ear with a wide 12 Hz–22 kHz range and a tangle-resistant 3.94 ft cord.
• Logitech H390 — best for PC calls, meetings and Chromebook work; pick this if you need a plug-and-play USB-A headset with a rotating noise-canceling mic and in-line volume/mute.
• Anker Soundcore — best for commuting and noise; pick this if you want hybrid active noise canceling, Bluetooth 5.0 dual-device pairing and up to 40 hours of ANC playtime.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50X — best for studio monitoring, mixing and tracking; pick this if you need 45 mm drivers, a circumaural closed-back fit and a detachable cable.
The Sony ZX Series (MDR-ZX110) is a wired on-ear headphone with a closed-back design and a black finish. It runs 30 mm dome-type neodymium dynamic drivers, and Sony rates the frequency range from 12 Hz to 22 kHz. Impedance is 24 ohm at 1 kHz and sensitivity is 98 dB. There's no mic and no active circuitry — this is a straightforward plug-in-and-listen pair, with a 3.5 mm L-shaped stereo mini plug and a 3.94 ft Y-type cable.
What that means day to day: the low 24 ohm impedance makes it easy to drive from a phone or laptop headphone jack, so you won't need a separate amp to get usable volume. The 12 Hz–22 kHz span is wide on paper, and in practice the closed-back, enfolding design seals in sound so less leaks out around you. The swiveling earcup design lets the cups fold flat for storage, which is the part I like most for travel — it slides into a bag without taking over the space.
Comfort comes from cushioned earpads with a faux leather and plastic build, and the whole thing is light. The Y-type cable is designed to resist snags and tangles, and the L-shaped plug is the right shape for a phone in a pocket or a jack tucked against a laptop edge.
The main trade-off is that this is a passive, wired, no-mic headphone. Noise control is passive only, so it muffles sound rather than canceling it, and there's no Bluetooth — you're tethered to whatever has a 3.5 mm jack. If you want wireless freedom or a microphone for calls, this isn't the one. If you want a light, folding wired pair you can leave in a bag, I think it's the sensible pick.
Logitech H390
The USB-A connector is the whole point here. There's no software to install — you plug it into a computer and it's ready to talk or listen, which is the least annoying possible setup for a work machine. The 1.9 m cable is long enough that you can stand up and stretch mid-call without yanking the headset off your head.
The rotating boom mic is rigid and left-mounted, so you can position it for better voice capture, and the noise-canceling design minimizes background noise for clearer conversation. When you're not talking, the boom tucks out of the way. In-line controls on the cable handle volume and mute, so you're not hunting through menus mid-meeting. The adjustable headband has swivel-mounted leatherette ear cushions, and Logitech notes those cushions are easy to clean — a real consideration if you share a desk.
It's also tested and certified to meet Google's compatibility standards and works with Chromebooks, and the packaging uses FSC-certified paper.
The trade-off: this is a computer headset. No 3.5 mm jack, no Bluetooth, so it won't plug into a phone or a tablet without the right adapter, and it isn't a music-first listen. In my opinion, if your day is meetings, calls and voice chat, that's exactly the trade you want to make — the mic and controls matter more than audiophile tuning.
The Soundcore by Anker Q20i is the wireless option in this group: an over-ear Bluetooth 5.0 headphone with hybrid active noise canceling. It uses 40 mm dynamic drivers, 16 ohm impedance, 115 dB sensitivity, and a 20 Hz–20 kHz range. Battery is rated at 40 hours with ANC on and 60 hours in normal mode, with a 2-hour charge time and a 5-minute fast charge that adds up to 4 hours of listening. Bluetooth range is about 10 meters.
Hybrid ANC means two internal and two external microphones work together to detect and reduce external noise — Anker puts the reduction at up to 90%, which is the kind of claim that matters most on trains, in open offices and on noisy streets. The 40 mm drivers with BassUp are tuned for thumping low end, and the headphones support Hi-Res certified audio over the AUX cable for more detail than Bluetooth can carry.
Dual connections are the feature I'd use most. It pairs with two devices at once and switches automatically — laptop for work, phone for a call, and the audio follows the device you need to hear. The soundcore app adds a customizable EQ with 22 presets, plus switching between ANC, Normal and Transparency modes, and white noise if you want it. Transparency mode pipes the outside world back in for announcements or crossing a road. The 90-degree rotating earcups and flexible headband help with fit and storage.
Trade-offs: it's a plastic build (ABS and polycarbonate), the battery average life figure listed is 20 hours which sits below the 40-hour ANC claim so expect real-world numbers to land somewhere in that range, and app features mean your phone is part of the experience. I'd recommend it for commuters and travelers who want quiet without wires.
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50X is a professional studio monitor headphone — closed-back, over-ear, wired, with a detachable cable. It uses proprietary 45 mm large-aperture drivers with rare earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils. Impedance is 38 ohm, sensitivity 99 dB, and the frequency range extends to 28 kHz. The earcups rotate 90 degrees, and the package includes three cables, a pouch and a 6.3 mm adapter.
The 45 mm drivers are the largest here, and the extended response up to 28 kHz is what Audio-Technica points to for clarity across the range with deep, accurate bass. The circumaural design contours around the ears rather than pressing on them, which gives strong passive isolation — useful in loud rooms, and the reason these show up in studios. The 90-degree swiveling earcups let you flip one side off for single-ear monitoring while tracking.
The detachable cable is a genuine practical advantage: if a cable fails, you replace the cable, not the headphone. The three included cables plus the 6.3 mm adapter cover the usual studio and home setups, and the professional-grade earpad and headband material is chosen for durability over long sessions.
The trade-offs are real. At 38 ohm it's still drivable from a phone, but this is a wired, passive headphone — no Bluetooth, no ANC, no mic, and the aluminum-and-plastic build with 45 mm drivers is heavier than the Sony on-ear. The cable can also be a nuisance if you're moving around. In my opinion, if you're monitoring, mixing or tracking, that's the point: you want accuracy and isolation, not convenience features.
How We Picked
Yes — all four are listed in black: the Sony MDR-ZX110 in Black, the Logitech H390 in Black, the Soundcore Q20i in Black, and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X in Black.
The Sony ZX Series, the Soundcore Q20i and the ATH-M50X all use a 3.5 mm jack, so they connect to anything with a headphone port; the Q20i also connects over Bluetooth. The Logitech H390 is USB-A only, so it's aimed at computers.
Only the Soundcore Q20i has active noise canceling, using two internal and two external mics. The Sony and the ATH-M50X rely on passive isolation from their closed-back designs, and the Logitech H390 uses sound isolation.
The Logitech H390 has a rotating noise-canceling boom mic built for calls and meetings. The Sony ZX Series and the ATH-M50X have no mic, and the Soundcore Q20i's mics are used for noise canceling rather than as a dedicated call boom.
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