Best headphones for Meta Quest 2: Immerse yourself into VR with better audio and external noise isolation

With that in mind, whether you're just getting into virtual reality now, or have been exploring new, virtual worlds for a while, you may be interested in elevating your experience.

A great way to immerse yourself further into VR is upping your audio game; namely – getting headphones with good noise isolation and spatial sound, instead of using the Quest 2's objectively good, but still somewhat limited built-in speakers.

Yes, the built-in Quest 2 speakers do sound impressive for their size, but the fact that they rest above your ears, and create no seal around them, has a significant impact on sound quality, bass, and yeah – audio immersion in general.

So let's change that by checking out some of the best headphones you can use with your Quest 2 to level up your AR experience! In addition, some of these have microphones that are notably better than the Quest 2's built-in mic, so if you're into multiplayer games and wish to sound better and clearer – there's another plus.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50X

These are actually some of the most affordable studio monitor headphones, meaning they don't lean solely on bass, but provide an extended frequency range, with still a deep and accurate bass response.

In English – you can expect your VR experience to rise up a couple of notches, as these headphones should sound crisp and clear, and isolate external sounds just as well as you (probably) want.

Their large cups contour around the ears for excellent sound isolation in loud environments while you're in your VR worlds, and the cups swivel 90-degrees too, so they should fit pretty much anyone comfortably.

However, if their price seems a bit high, or you'd rather get a more bass-heavy set of headphones for thumper VR action gaming, we have the next options for you to check out…

Audio-Technica ATH-M50X

Professional studio monitor headphones, black, with detachable cable.

Buy at Amazon

Panasonic RP-HT161-K

These headphones are very much on the ultra-budget end, yet still, for their ridiculously low price you're getting a good sound with extra bass, which should make action games (and music-based games in the likes of Beat Saber) particularly more exciting to play.

Note that the default option doesn't come with a microphone, which should be understandable at this price range, but you can choose the mic variant, and even a variant with volume controls, if you'd rather control the volume from your headphones instead of using your Quest 2's volume buttons.

Panasonic RP-HT161-K Over Ear

Buy the Panasonic RP-HT161-K Over Ear from Amazon

Buy at Amazon

JBL Tune 500

Again we have a good pair of affordable headphones for you to connect to your Quest 2, and by a brand you've certainly heard of and probably know what to expect from – extra bass.

They also have a microphone, as well as a nice foldable design, so you can easily store them without them taking much space, when not in use.

It's worth noting that these rest on your ears, instead of covering them and creating a seal around them, like the previous options, so they're probably the weakest when it comes to passive noise isolation.

JBL TUNE 500 Wired On Ear Headphones

Get the JBL TUNE 500 from Amazon.

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Sony MDR-ZX310AP ZX

A rugged, yet lightweight build, for comfortable VR gaming, plus a microphone – these are another great, affordable option for Quest 2 gamers. The white variant even matches the headset's look reasonably well, making these look like a natural part of it.

They are a bit old, first introduced in 2013, but as they say – good headphones stay good, and these are indeed a pretty great option for VR gaming at such a low, low price.

Sony MDR-ZX310AP ZX Wired On Ear Headphones

Grab the Sony MDR-ZX310AP ZX from Amazon

Buy at Amazon

Can you use wireless headphones with the Quest 2?

While there are workarounds to make wireless (Bluetooth) headphones work with the Quest 2, it's simplest to use wired headphones, or wireless headphones that come with an optional audio jack (which most do).

Meta doesn't exactly entertain the idea of people using Bluetooth headphones, so it's best not to even attempt it, as it is indeed a challenging task that may or may not work.

But again, most wireless headphones come with an optional cable, which you can use with your Quest 2 – nice and easy. Check out our best budget wireless headphones list to find yourself some, if interested! Just make sure they actually have the wired option.