Updated Jan. 1, 2024 7:00 p.m. PT
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Having a pair of earbuds or headphones with multipoint Bluetooth connectivity can be super convenient. If you’re in the market for premium headphones that come with multipoint technology, you no longer have to break the bank. What exactly is multipoint Bluetooth? It’s the ability for two devices to be paired with your earbuds or headphones simultaneously. Most Bluetooth earbuds and headphones, as of 2024, can be connected to multiple devices — but only select models can be paired to multiple sets at the same time. Basically, this is the main difference between multipoint Bluetooth and multiconnection Bluetooth, and they should never be confused.
A pair of headphones without multipoint Bluetooth pairing can only be actively connected to one device at a time. If you wanted to pivot to another device, you would need to manually switch to access a different audio source. Multipoint pairing can allow you to listen to audio on your computer and when a call comes in on your phone, you can click to answer, prompting your headphones or earbuds to automatically shift over to your phone to take the call. In this article, I’ll share the best multipoint Bluetooth headphones and earbuds for you.
Apple and Samsung offer a variation of multipoint Bluetooth pairing called “automatic switching,” which works only for their respective devices. For instance, you can have your AirPods Pro 2 connected to your iPhone and Mac simultaneously (and an iPad) but a non-Apple device can’t be in the mix for simultaneous pairing. Samsung’s various Galaxy Buds have a similar arrangement with Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
In the past, business-focused headphones — some of which featured integrated boom microphones — offered advanced multipoint Bluetooth pairing. But the feature has gradually come to more consumer headphones, which are what we’re focusing on here. (We also have a list of best headphones for working from home, which includes some of the more business-class headsets with boom mics and USB dongles for reliable wireless PC connectivity.) Unfortunately, multipoint Bluetooth pairing isn’t easy to implement reliably with true-wireless earbuds.
“Up until recently, Bluetooth chips supported a maximum of two simultaneous connections,” explains Jonathan Levine, CEO and founder of Master & Dynamic. “This makes multipoint easy for headphones, where a wire connects both ear cups. However, for a true wireless product, one of the two connections gets consumed by the other earphone — leaving only one available connection to an audio source. Cutting-edge connectivity protocols have allowed true wireless products to connect much more seamlessly and bypass the maximum limit of two connections.”
I’ve tested all the headphones and earbuds on this list and will add top models with multipoint Bluetooth connectivity as they’re released. Note that products in Apple’s AirPods line, which includes the AirPods 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max, can automatically switch between Apple devices on your iCloud account, but they aren’t included on this list because the feature is exclusive to Apple devices. The same goes for Samsung’s earbuds. Keep reading to find the best multipoint Bluetooth earbuds and headphones available right now.
Secondly, the microphone configuration is different. Not only have the mics been shifted on the headphones, but there’s now an extra external microphone for voice pick-up, which means the QC45 has a total of six microphones, four of which are beamforming and used for voice. By contrast, the QC35 II has a total of four, two of which are used for voice. (The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 also have six microphones total.)
These headphones are excellent for making calls. They’re similar to the Bose Headphones 700 in that regard. They also include top-notch noise canceling and multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously. Read our full review of the QuietComfort 45.
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These headphones are excellent for making calls since you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously.
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“,”imageCredit”:”David Carnoy/CNET”,”imageAltText”:”The Bose QuietComfort 45 in white”,”imageFilename”:”bose-quietcomfort-45-green-background.jpg”,”imageWidth”:4032,”imageHeight”:2268,”imageDoNotCrop”:false,”imageDoNotResize”:false,”imageWatermark”:false,”imageDateCreated”:”2022-08-26″,”imageParallax”:””,”imageCrop”:””,”imageEnlarge”:false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{“id”:”m9vpk3yufs8l5ga”,”type”:”cross-content-listicle”}” edition=”us” data-key=”cross_content_listicle__751e0e0e-8828-4469-8ff7-3eb75e325ed3″ imagecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” tagslugs contenttype=”Best List – Precap” isbestlistredesign=”true” filtershortcodetypes totalfilteritems=”0″ pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” showdetails=”true” tocheadlineitem=”[object Object]”>
The QuietComfort 45 has virtually the same design as its predecessor, the QuietComfort QC35 II, which many people consider one of the most comfortable over-ear headphones — if not the most comfortable. It has the same drivers, according to Bose, and the buttons are in the same place. However, there are small but notable changes. First off, these thankfully have USB-C instead of micro-USB.
Secondly, the microphone configuration is different. Not only have the mics been shifted on the headphones, but there’s now an extra external microphone for voice pick-up, which means the QC45 has a total of six microphones, four of which are beamforming and used for voice. By contrast, the QC35 II has a total of four, two of which are used for voice. (The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 also have six microphones total.)
These headphones are excellent for making calls. They’re similar to the Bose Headphones 700 in that regard. They also include top-notch noise canceling and multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously. Read our full review of the QuietComfort 45.
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Compared to top-sounding buds I’ve reviewed, they lack a bit of overall clarity, accuracy and bass definition. But most people will think they sound quite good — they play plenty loud and deliver strong bass — and you can tweak their sound profile in the app or create a personal HearID Sound profile (it’s also for noise canceling).
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The Liberty 4s come in black or white for $150. They ship in October.
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The Liberty 4 come in black or white for $150. They ship in October.
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The Liberty 4 come in black or white for $150. They ship in October.
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While their sound isn’t quite up to the level of higher-end buds like Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 and the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 that cost significantly more, the Soundcore by Anker Liberty 4 earbuds have a strong set of features, including a spatial audio mode with head tracking, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, up to nine hours of battery life, wireless charging and support for Sony’s LDAC audio codec that can offer sound improvements if you have the right setup.
Compared to top-sounding buds I’ve reviewed, they lack a bit of overall clarity, accuracy and bass definition. But most people will think they sound quite good — they play plenty loud and deliver strong bass — and you can tweak their sound profile in the app or create a personal HearID Sound profile (it’s also for noise canceling).
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Read our Google Pixel Buds review.
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“,”imageCredit”:”David Carnoy/CNET”,”imageAltText”:”The Pixel Buds Pro are available in 4 colors”,”imageFilename”:”pixel-buds-pro-white-1.jpg”,”imageWidth”:3905,”imageHeight”:2197,”imageDoNotCrop”:false,”imageDoNotResize”:false,”imageWatermark”:false,”imageDateCreated”:”2022-07-28″,”imageParallax”:””,”imageCrop”:””,”imageEnlarge”:false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{“id”:”mye7vl6jvcy62ne”,”type”:”cross-content-listicle”}” edition=”us” data-key=”cross_content_listicle__53618d19-96aa-487f-aa93-366de01d7a74″ imagecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” tagslugs contenttype=”Best List – Precap” isbestlistredesign=”true” filtershortcodetypes totalfilteritems=”0″ pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” showdetails=”true” tocheadlineitem=”[object Object]”>
The Pixel Buds Pro are Google’s first earbuds to feature active noise canceling. While it’s nice that they finally have a feature that a lot of true-wireless earbuds have had for a while, what ultimately sets the Pixel Buds Pro apart and makes them worth considering — particularly for Android users — is their distinct design and winning fit. That helps enhance their performance on both the sound quality and noise-canceling fronts. While not quite elite for voice-calling, they did perform well as a headset for making calls. A couple of features were missing at launch — spatial audio and a five-band equalizer — but the equalizer has now been added with a firmware update. We’re now just waiting for spatial audio with full head tracking.
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Released in mid-2020, the Jabra Elite 45h were essentially billed as the best on-ear headphones for the money. While there’s nothing fancy about them, they’re among the best value on-ear headphones right now, with good sound quality, a sturdy design and comfortable fit — for on-ear headphones, anyway. They perform well as a headset for making calls too, and include a sidetone feature that allows you to hear your voice so you don’t talk too loudly. Battery life is also good and it has multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect to your computer and your phone at the same time, and easily switch between the two should a call come in on your phone. It mostly works.
Note that the $180 Evolve2 65, which has an integrated boom microphone, is essentially the souped-up office version of these headphones.
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I was able to pair this wireless headphone set with a Mac Mini and an iPhone 12 Pro and then switch audio between them. Often when pairing Bluetooth headphones with Mac and Windows PCs, one can encounter some issues, but once I got the headphones paired with both my PC and phone, they made a good pair of work-from-home headphones. Also, the price is right for parents looking for a decent set of kids’ headphones for remote learning and everyday use.
Comfortable for on-ear headphones, the Jam V2s are lightweight and have nicely balanced sound with good detail and bass that’s ample but not overpowering. Call quality was good in my tests with callers saying they could hear me well even on the noisy streets of New York. No carry pouch is included, but you do get an extra set of foam ear pads, which is good, because they will wear out over time.
The headphones have physical buttons for controlling volume and playback, and there’s aptX support for devices that support the wireless streaming codec.
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The Jam V2s are lightweight and have a nicely balanced sound with good detail and bass that’s ample but not overpowering.
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I was a fan of Creative’s original Sound Blaster Jam headphones that came out in 2015 and had a decidedly retro look and feel, with good sound for the money. Now they’re available in a 2.0 version that has some key upgrades, including Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C charging, improved call quality and multipoint Bluetooth pairing that allows you to pair it to two devices simultaneously. Battery life is rated at up to 22 hours.
I was able to pair this wireless headphone set with a Mac Mini and an iPhone 12 Pro and then switch audio between them. Often when pairing Bluetooth headphones with Mac and Windows PCs, one can encounter some issues, but once I got the headphones paired with both my PC and phone, they made a good pair of work-from-home headphones. Also, the price is right for parents looking for a decent set of kids’ headphones for remote learning and everyday use.
Comfortable for on-ear headphones, the Jam V2s are lightweight and have nicely balanced sound with good detail and bass that’s ample but not overpowering. Call quality was good in my tests with callers saying they could hear me well even on the noisy streets of New York. No carry pouch is included, but you do get an extra set of foam ear pads, which is good, because they will wear out over time.
The headphones have physical buttons for controlling volume and playback, and there’s aptX support for devices that support the wireless streaming codec.
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I did notice a difference when I paired the No. 5909 to my Google Pixel 4 XL, which has support for LDAC, and using the Qobuz audio streaming service that offers high-res streaming. Overall, the sound had a little more depth and texture, and there’s a touch more sparkle, definition and openness.
” page-position linktext=”Read our Mark Levinson No. 5909 review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/we-tried-the-1000-mark-levinson-headphones-that-were-just-announced-at-ces/” can-collapse=”true” collapse-on-page-load=”true” can-truncate=”true” truncate-on-page-load=”true” offer techobjectinfo=”{“uuid”:”7ea2eb21-8f16-4f5b-9c44-3fe88de28bc4″,”name”:”Mark Levinson № 5909 Premium High-Resolution Wireless Adaptive Noise Cancelling Headphone – Pearl Black”,”slug”:”mark-levinson-no-5909-premium-high-resolution-wireless-adaptive-noise-cancelling-headphone-pearl-black”,”productType”:”PRODUCT”,”updateType”:”PRISM”,”mod”:1667222753819,”displayDate”:”Mon Oct 31 2022 08:25:53 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)”}” overridecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” overridecaption=”
I got the all-black version of the No. 5909. It’s also available with a red or pewter trim.
” imagegroup=”{“uuid”:”3e625962-72a2-4180-9ce6-486219423775″,”alt”:”mark-levinson-no-5909-headphones-1″,”caption”:”
I got the all-black version of the No. 5909. It’s also available with a red or pewter trim.
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I got the all-black version of the No. 5909. It’s also available with a red or pewter trim.
“,”imageCredit”:”David Carnoy/CNET”,”imageAltText”:”mark-levinson-no-5909-headphones-1″,”imageFilename”:”mark-levinson-no-5909-headphones-1.jpg”,”imageWidth”:4032,”imageHeight”:2268,”imageDoNotCrop”:false,”imageDoNotResize”:false,”imageWatermark”:false,”imageDateCreated”:”2022-01-05″,”imageParallax”:””,”imageCrop”:””,”imageEnlarge”:false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{“id”:”nlpoz3uqt0c9p5l”,”type”:”cross-content-listicle”}” edition=”us” data-key=”cross_content_listicle__fd9a110c-a2b5-400f-961e-4ca003d48b30″ imagecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” tagslugs contenttype=”Best List – Precap” isbestlistredesign=”true” filtershortcodetypes totalfilteritems=”0″ pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” showdetails=”true” tocheadlineitem=”[object Object]”>
The No. 5909 are premium audio brand Mark Levinson’s first headphones. Yes, they’re expensive at $999 and probably a wee bit overpriced, but they’re excellent. They have a sturdy design without managing to feel hefty on your head (read: they’re substantial, but not heavy) and they’re comfortable to wear over long periods thanks to their nicely padded (and replaceable) leather-covered earcups and headband.
Not only do they have good noise canceling and excellent sound, but their voice-calling performance is top-notch, making them one of the best noise canceling headphones options on the market. Plus, they have multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can pair them with two devices, such as a computer and a phone, simultaneously.
The No. 5909 are high-res certified with support for Sony’s LDAC and Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codecs that allow for near-lossless streaming over Bluetooth. Apple’s iPhones and iPads don’t support those codecs while certain Android devices do. Using the No. 5909 headphones over Bluetooth on my iPhone 13 Pro, it sounded a tad more natural and refined than the AirPods Max (the No. 5909 had a touch more “pure” and accurate sound).
I did notice a difference when I paired the No. 5909 to my Google Pixel 4 XL, which has support for LDAC, and using the Qobuz audio streaming service that offers high-res streaming. Overall, the sound had a little more depth and texture, and there’s a touch more sparkle, definition and openness.
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AfterShokz has changed its name to Shokz and released new ninth-gen bone-conduction headphones that offer improved bass performance compared to the company’s earlier flagship model, the Aeropex (now called the Shokz OpenRun). That makes the OpenRun Pro the best bone-conduction headphones you can get right now, although they still can’t match the sound quality of traditional headphones.
Bone-conduction wireless headphones don’t go on your ears — they actually deliver sound through your cheekbones. The big benefit of this technology as a safety feature for running is that, thanks to its open design, you can hear what’s going on around you — traffic noise in particular — while listening to music or having a phone conversation (yes, they perform well for voice calls). Also, some race coordinators don’t allow runners to wear anything in their ears, which is where headphones like this come in handy.
They do offer fuller sound with more bass, but it’s an incremental improvement, not a huge leap forward. Like other bone-conduction headphones these are strongest in the midrange where voices live so they’re best for podcasts, talk radio, newscasts and audiobooks. They’re also good for making calls and, like other Shokz models, have multipoint Bluetooth pairing.
Shokz also makes other more affordable models as well. The OpenComm, which integrates a boom microphone, also has multipoint Bluetooth pairing.
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