Even if you grew up listening to music through wired headphones, chances are you’ve since switched to a wireless pair. The number of adults who have adopted Bluetooth headphones or earbuds has essentially doubled in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. Most wireless headphones today offer a reliable connection and high-quality sound — all without the tangled, mangled cords of yesteryear.

But the technology that powers these headphones remains elusive to most. This may be a problem if you’re shopping for a new pair of headphones and don’t know whether to prioritize ones that connect via WiFi, Bluetooth, or both. In this guide, we’ll outline the key differences between the two technologies to help you choose the best headphones for your listening needs.

How do wireless headphones work?

Even with limited knowledge of electronics, understanding how wired headphones work is straightforward enough: They transmit an electrical signal from an audio-playing device to the headphone’s speakers via a physical wire. By comparison, the technology behind wireless headphones is tougher to grasp, as there’s no physical cable and no obvious way of telling how the audio signal gets from the device to the headphone speakers.

The short answer is that wireless headphones use wireless technology to transmit audio signals. But we can’t simply leave it at that, because the specific technology isn’t always the same. Let’s look at how the two most common wireless technologies — Bluetooth and WiFi — work to connect your headphones to your music-playing device.

Bluetooth headphones: A one-to-one, short-range connection

The most common technology used to connect wireless headphones, like Sonos Ace, is Bluetooth, a short-range wireless protocol that’s ideal for helping devices communicate over short distances.

Bluetooth headphones create a direct short-range connection between the headphones and the audio-playing device. This connection is a “one-to-one” radio signal, which means that Bluetooth headphones must be paired to one device at a time and can’t sync up with multiple devices simultaneously. It also means that a Bluetooth connection doesn’t require an internet network or router, which helps if you want to connect to your wireless headphones on the go.

One of the truly awesome things about Bluetooth technology is its portability. You don’t need to connect to the internet to achieve a stable connection via Bluetooth, so it has a lot more out-in-the-world appeal than WiFi. In fact, many people who own WiFi-enabled headphones still connect via Bluetooth when they’re on the move.

Range is a different matter. Bluetooth is a short-range technology by definition, and most consumer Bluetooth connection ranges max out at around 30 feet (10 meters). This may change as Bluetooth technology continues to improve.

WiFi headphones: A wireless internet connection

While most wireless headphones are compatible with Bluetooth, some models can also connect over WiFi. This may allow for higher-quality streaming and a smooth connection to smart home devices.

WiFi headphones connect to your device via a wireless internet network, like the one you use at home or at work. This comes with some advantages. WiFi generally has broader bandwidth than Bluetooth, which means it can transmit audio data in the amounts necessary to achieve lossless audio and you can also connect to multiple devices on the same network.

How are wireless headphones powered?

Wireless headphones generally need to be charged. The standard charging port on most wireless headphones these days is a USB-C, so it’s usually not difficult to find chargers that are compatible in a pinch.

Of course, it’s better not to be in a pinch. That’s why we’ve outfitted Sonos Ace with up to 30 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation enabled. And if you do run low on battery, you can plug it in and get up to three hours of playback in just three minutes of charge time.

Choose wireless headphones that sound great every time

Given the increasing popularity and prominence of wireless headphones, there’s a good chance you’ll be in the market for a new pair at some point. We’ve got you sorted on that front with comprehensive guides on how to choose headphones and how to compare the different types of headphone shapes and types (over-ear, on-ear, and in-ear are all possibilities that are safe and comfortable to wear for hours at a time).

If you’ve decided on over-ear headphones, there’s no better choice than Sonos Ace. These masterfully tuned headphones immerse you in a one-of-a-kind sound experience, thanks to lossless streaming and spatial audio that tracks with the position of your head. It’s the kind of thing you simply have to hear to believe.