I’ve been writing and managing guides to the best wireless earbuds for five years, and testing and reviewing earbuds for well over a decade, so I understand more than anyone just how many options there are, and how confusing it can be to find the perfect one for you at the right price.
I’ve crafted this guide to the best wireless earbuds with the help of our Audio Editor, Becky Scarrott, to make choosing a new pair of buds as simple as possible. You’ll see that each pair was championed by one of us, and we’ve written about specifically why we chose them. The selections are based on around 600 hours of testing by us and our expert reviewers of the buds in this guide – and we tested many more earbuds beyond this, directly comparing the earbuds to each other, and using our earbuds testing methodology.
I wanted to make sure we covered all the key needs – different budgets, different phone platforms, and different levels of audiophilia. I want to talk more about budget for a moment, though: these days, few people buy earbuds full price, but instead wait until the (very regular) sales events. In some ways, those are the real prices of earbuds, so I’ve tried to include what price you should aim to pay in our write-ups of each the wireless earbuds.
Of course, it’s Black Friday right now, and I’m already seeing record-low prices on some of the earbuds in this guide. Check out our guide to the best Black Friday earbuds deals to see great deals on these as well as other good earbuds, which we’re updating all the time as deals come and go over Black Friday 2024.
Read more about this guide
Matt Bolton
I lead TechRadar’s audio coverage, and I’ve worked in tech writing and editing for 16 years. I actually worked on TechRadar before it even launched 16 years ago, and this is my third stint here. As a writer, I reviewed early neckband wired earbuds, and as an editor I’ve covered the rise of true wireless earbuds ever since the very first models around nine years ago. I’ve tested these products over their whole evolution from ‘convenient but weird’ to ‘the main kind of earbuds that anyone buys’. I developed the earbuds testing methodology used for reviewing the buds in this guide.
About this guide
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Testing and enjoying wireless earbuds is inherently a subjective experience – while you can measure their audio output scientifically, that doesn’t automatically translate into musical talent, and doesn’t tell you much about their value. But testing subjectively also makes it hard to rate and rank them, since we can’t demonstrate it over the internet, so here’s how I approach it.
The main thing is that we’ve scored and rated these earbuds in different areas in comparison to each other, based on our direct comparisons, so that while our scores in this guide might be subjective, they are still consistent. To ensure that consistency, I created our earbuds testing methodology, to make sure that reviewers are using some of the same tracks for sound comparisons (our playlist is public, and you can try it at home), with equivalent-quality audio sources, and are testing the microphones and battery life in the same way.
Microphones are the one part of wireless earbuds’ performance that can be communicated over the internet, so while we’ve scored them here, I’ve also included recordings so that you can make your own judgement.
I check and update this guide all the time, looking for how new releases or price drops may affect our rankings – I include an update log, so that we’re transparent about how it’s evolved over time.
November 22, 2024
I rewrote the introduction to this guide to explain more about how we choose and compare the wireless earbuds, and what kind of testing and development backs up our recommendations.
The best wireless earbuds of 2024
The best wireless earbuds overall
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1-minute summary: I’ll get straight to it: after more than a year of using them, they’re still my go-to reference earbuds. Simply put, nothing has beaten them yet. The Technics EAH-AZ80’s novel concha design looks a little big, but I promise it isn’t – I have smaller ears and let me tell you, they fit like a dream. You also get seven different sizes of silicone tips in the packaging, versus three or four with most flagship earbuds (Sony, I’m looking at you), and there are four mics per earbud, rather than the three you get in most rival options. What good does this do? It means Technics’ Just My Voice tech beats Bose’s quality during calls, and the noise cancellation is good too. I said at the time that Technics could relax for a while after releasing the EAH-AZ80 and I stand by it – 18 months since their release and still no rival option supports triple-device multipoint connectivity. Bravo, Technics. I’ll admit I didn’t see it coming at the time (who did?) but life is full of surprises – and the fact that Bowers & Wilkins’ Award-winning 2024 set of earbuds look suspiciously like the Technics trailblazer is just one more reason to consider them. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Read our full Technics EAH-AZ80 review
Becky Scarrott
Reasons to buy
✅ You like a neutral, natural sound: These impressively coherent, organized and true-to-life earbuds will really suit those who want to hear extra detail, placement and texture in their tracks.
✅ You want to switch between devices easily: The triple-point connectivity is the first time we’ve seen it, and makes it seamless to move between phone, tablet and laptop without re-pairing.
✅ You often struggle to get earbuds that fit: Technics calls it ‘Concha fit’, we call it secure, easy to wear and comfortable even over long listening sessions.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want a super-long battery life: The longevity here isn’t as impressive as some options – it’s fine, it’s just not above average.
❌ You need the best noise cancellation: Again, they don’t do this badly at all, but the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 at #4 on the list can do it just that bit better.
❌ You want the newest buds on the block: A May 2023 release hardly makes them old, but if you’re someone who wants the newest earbuds around, these aren’t them.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
Technics has gone to considerable lengths to make it hard to identify gaps in the EAH-AZ80’s specification. No head-tracked spatial audio or fit tests are two small areas, but what the Technics do, they do flawlessly. Bluetooth 5.3 plus the higher-resolution LDAC codec compatibility are here and, in what the company says is a world’s first (and I don’t deny it), the AZ80 boast triple-point connectivity, which means your earbuds can be simultaneously connected to your laptop, smartphone and tablet. If you’ve never experienced it, you’ll quickly come to love it – and you’ll miss it when it’s gone. Each bud is fitted with four mics too (yes, four: ‘talk’, ‘voice detection’ ‘feed back’ and ‘feed forward’) and because of this, Technics’ ‘Just My Voice’ technology is able to serve up excellent call-quality, even if you’re in a particularly noisy or blustery environment. The Technics are compatible with any Qi-certified charging pad for wireless charging, and battery life can be anything from a quite-acceptable seven hours from the buds buds and 25 in the charging case (with ANC switched off) to a rather less impressive four hours (earbuds) and 16 hours (charging case) if you switch the ANC on and stream juice-draining LDAC files. The capacitive touch surface on each earbud is large and responsive, and the fact that the number of taps or presses each on-ear function requires can be user-defined is very welcome. Technics’ Audio Connect app is a clean, stable and logical companion, with plenty of functionality and no flashy graphics to upset it – altering the intensity of the ANC, or dialling the amount of ambient noise you hear up or down, are just two of the highlights.
The Technics’ frequency range is beautifully balanced and coherent from top to bottom. Midrange is also eloquent and informative, thanks to impressively high detail levels, and the journey into the lower registers is smooth and seamless. The bass features nice straight edges to the attack, which helps the AZ80 remain positive when it comes to rhythmic expression and means that the midrange is never swamped or muddied by overconfident bass. So they’re brimming with detail, you get it. Any ‘but’s? OK yes, since it’s our job to nitpick: they are perhaps not the most exuberant sounding earbuds you’ve ever heard. For all their precision and insight, the AZ80 fall just a tiny bit short of the sort of energy and zeal that can make heavier tracks exciting.
Technics has managed to create a small and discreet product, but also give it a hint of ‘premium’ while making sure it’s both more comfortable and more stable than the norm. The fairly large milled aluminium touch surface on each earbud looks and feels high-end. And the EAH-AZ80 feels like a product that will last for the long haul – I’ve been using mine for over a year and there are no signs of wear. The company has included a moulded extrusion in the drop-shaped body of each earbud, which it calls ‘concha-fit’, which also distributes the weight of the earbuds as evenly as possible. It’s hard to describe how well they fit, without any pressure or feeling like you’re twisting them further in during the day. When earbuds fit this well, they are a joy to wear.
The Technics EAH-AZ80 look and feel every bit of their asking price of $299 / £259 / AU$499. Every clever function is implemented flawlessly, and there’s a pride of ownership here that so many rival brands strive in vain for. If you value accuracy and neutrality of sound above all else, they also sound great. Telephony is also second-to-none, as is the triple device connectivity – but they are still admittedly a little hot and heavy in a market that now sees sub-$150 earbuds land every day.
Technics EAH-AZ80 test results
| Sound quality (ANC on) | 4.5 / 5 |
| Sound quality (ANC off) | 4.5 / 5 |
| Mic quality | 4 / 5 |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 7 hours |
| Battery life (ANC off) | 10.5 hours |
The best mid-range wireless earbuds
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1-minute summary: I cannot believe the price of these earbuds for what you get. Not only do they look the absolute business, they sound it too. Nothing’s 2024-issue earbuds are the cheaper siblings to the flagship Nothing Ear (which launched on the self-same day), but unless you want the hearing test and subsequent personalized sound profile reserved for the flagship set, I’d save your money and opt for these. You do get in-ear detection, excellent ANC, a low-lag toggle for gaming, detailed sound quality, issue-free multipoint to two devices, an ear tip fit test plus a Find My Earbuds feature, which issues a rattlesnake-style sound from whichever bud you’re trying to locate. They’re a joy to listen to, especially given their lowly sub-$100 / £100 asking fee – and let’s not forget that those pinch-able stems now offer you a direct line to ChatGPT whenever you need it, as long as you have a Nothing phone with the latest Nothing OS installed. Hardly nothing worth shouting about, I think you’ll agree…
Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review
Becky Scarrott
Reasons to buy
✅ You want great ANC for less: These offer the best noise-nixing power we’ve heard for the price.
✅ You go for serious sound quality: The Ear (a) are a seriously fun and zealous listen, aided by their support for LDAC higher-res wireless tech.
✅ You like your tech bold-looking: I’ve never had so many people stop me and ask what my earbuds are (I had the yellow set).
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want spatial audio support: The similarly priced Sony WF-C700N offer this from certain services, but you won’t find it here.
❌ You need top-tier stamina: 5.5 hours with noise cancellation on is distinctly average – again, the Sony buds mentioned above offer 7.5 hours.
❌ You’d like Nothing’s hearing test and personalized sound profile: for that, you’ll need to shell out a little more, for the flagship Nothing Ear.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
If you need buds that do what’s casually referred to as ‘the basics’ today – fuss-free fit, good sound, great ANC, clear calls, bit of EQ adjustment, decent on-ear controls – these are that product. And they do better than the basics too: if you’ve got a Nothing Phone (2), Phone (1) or Phone (2a), Nothing has integrated both its Nothing earbuds and Nothing OS with ChatGPT, to offer users instant access to the chatbot directly from those pinch stems. However comfortably you sit with AI’s introduction, it certainly adds value at the level. Nothing’s Clear Voice Technology has been upgraded here, and it makes call-handling a breeze. Also here: Bluetooth 5.3 and LDAC support for higher-res audio, which is a rarely-seen inclusion at this level. There’s no onboard spatial audio wizardry, and you don’t get the Nothing Ear’s curated sound profile tech (which is similar to the Ear (2)’s splendid personalized hearing tests, if you’re familiar). However, you do get in-ear detection, a low-lag toggle for gaming, issue-free multi-point pairing to two devices, an ear tip fit test and a Find My Earbuds feature, which issues a rattlesnake-style sound from whichever bud you’re trying to locate. You can opt for High, Mid, Low, and Adaptive noise cancellation profiles. High is very good: you can see why it drops the battery life from 9.5 hours without ANC to 5.5 with it…
How good’s the sound quality in the Nothing Ear (a)? Stream the intro of The Who’s Substitute – ideally on an Android phone with LDAC support. Tell me those guitar strings and shaker aren’t every bit as spine-tingling as you could ever hope to get for $99… But you don’t need to use hifalutin’ codecs to get the goods – even when I stream lossy Spotify tracks (or better Apple Music ones, from my iPhone) the Nothing Ear (a) buds deal with them admirably. For dynamic build and nuance, the Nothing Ear (a) are meaty and arresting, prioritizing fun and energy over that integrated hi-fi listen some might prefer – but for me, I can’t pick fault with that; not when there’s so much here to celebrate sonically. As long as you don’t expect them to be better than something that sells at nearly three times the price (which would hardly be fair), the Nothing Ear (a) will delight you.
Can I just say that I really dig the design here and leave it at that? So many people said they loved the look of them. You’ve got pictures after all… oh, we need more? OK, well the case is transparent which means you’ll know if you’ve put ’em both back in to charge, but here are plenty of flourishes here which will make you go ‘ah, nice’. One is the pinch stems, which work even if you have gloves on (unlike touch capacitive options), another is the right-red, left-white dots also help you match the colors for charging. Also, it is emphatically not a case of ‘same buds, different box’ from Nothing with this iteration. The drivers are different to all Nothing Ears that have been before them and although they’re smaller, they’re better – it’s all to do with tweaks to the dual-chamber design under the hood, which now includes two extra vents for improved airflow and means Nothing’s been able to get 10%-15% flow more from the Ear (a)’s driver. After switching out to the smaller ear tips (you only get three, but it’s plenty with this design), I also find the Ear (a) to be a cinch to wear – although if you’ve particularly small ears you may need to try before you buy, and my guide to the best earbuds for small ears is worth consulting. You don’t get wireless charging support at this price, but the IPX2 rating of the case (for mild water resistance) is more than you get with plenty of pricier options, and the earbuds themselves boast an IP55 rating, which means they’re dust- and water-resistant.
They’re five-star buds for a reason. Despite being as good-looking as any earbuds can be for this money, it’s not a case of style over substance; the ANC is excellent for the level and you even get LDAC and ChatGPT support for extra sound-per-pound value. As always, I want to note that if you’re prepared to spend $299 / £279 / AU$429 (aka triple the money) there’s better noise-cancellation available in the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, but that’s hardly a fair fight. Before testing the Nothing Ear (a), I would’ve nudged you towards the Sony WF-C700N at this price-point, but in my honest opinion, the Nothing look more stylish and perform easily as well.
Nothing Ear (a) test results
| Sound quality (ANC on) | 4.5 / 5 |
| Sound quality (ANC off) | 4.5 / 5 |
| Mic quality | 3.5 / 5 |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 5.5 hours |
| Battery life (ANC off) | 9.5 hours |
The best wireless earbuds on a budget
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1-minute summary: I’m a big fan of Sony’s more affordable headphones and earbuds, because even if they end up missing a few features, you always know that the company will offer an excellent balance to the sound, so you’ll get the most from your music despite the low price. The Sony WF-C510 continue that tradition, dropping a few mod-cons in exchange for sound that’s really engaging and well-defined, and Sony’s DSEE upscaling tech really improves tracks from places like Spotify. The very comfortable design is a big win in my book., too. It’s a shame not to have active noise cancellation in particular, but if you can live without it, this is basically the best sound quality you’ll find for the price.
Read our full Sony WF-C510 review
Matt Bolton
Reasons to buy
✅ You need cheap buds: They’re our budget pick for a reason. If you want affordable buds, this is the best choice around right now balancing price and sound.
✅ You value longevity: It’s not the best battery life you’ll find. But we measured essentially 11 hours of playback, which is great for the price.
✅ You want sound over features: We love the audio quality for the price, but it’s clear Sony has focused on this over offering ANC or wear detection.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want noise cancellation: There are budget buds with active noise cancellation (see the Earfun in this list), but these miss out.
❌ You want to take them travelling: So the battery in the buds is great, but the case battery? Not so much. If you want to use them without charging for days, look elsewhere.
❌ You want hefty bass: The sound is great, but is lighter on low-end – and custom EQ doesn’t make it super-easy to adjust it.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
These Sony earbuds are lighter on features than some budget buds, and the big missing one is active noise cancellation. It’s not here at all, although there is a Sound Control mode that operates like a ‘Transparency’ mode, adding sounds from the outside world into your music, so you can be more aware of what’s around when, say, running near traffic. It works well. However, there is spatial audio support for Sony’s own 360 Reality Audio tech, which is used by some music streaming services. There’s Spotify Tap support for instantly firing up that service – and Spotify’s mediocre sound quality is boosted by Sony’s DSEE audio upscaling tech (as is anything else that’s lower quality). There’s multi-point pairing for switching easily between two devices. There’s no wear detection, however, so they won’t pause when you take them out. The 11-hour battery life (8 with Sound Control on) is very impressive, but you only get one charge from the case, so the total listening time is 22 hours. Other buds usually give at least one more charge (though don’t necessarily last as long in the first place). You can use the Sony app to adjust the EQ settings, though it’s not the easiest to use for this (but is great overall).
Sony delivers its usual very fine balance of audio here, ensuring that lows, mids and highs all feel well-represented and with room to impress. We found that its presentation is quite forward, with strongly presented treble – though not overly so. This helps a lot with the likes of vocals, piano and guitars, giving them all a lovely sense of clarity. We should say that bass isn’t quite as deep as some people will want, and couple with the prominent treble, it means that the buds may not have quite the bass-leaning profile that some people would prefer. We have no issue with the balance, but it’s something to be aware of. We want to highlight Sony’s DSEE tech here, which aims to add the lost frequencies of compressed music back into the tracks, and really does improve things – you can turn it on in the app.
These buds fit very comfortably and solidly in the ear, and will stay in well for both exercise or more sedentary use. They’re very lightweight, and they feel well-made, though the case comes across as a little cheap. There’s a button on the outside for controlling playback, and this is easy to press without feeling like you’re jamming a finger into your ear canal. They have IPX4 waterproofing, so should stand up to sweat. They nice-looking buds, and comfortable, and that’s what we ask for here.
The official price of $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$109 is low enough that these earbuds really didn’t need to do very much to come across as being good value – but the sound quality far exceeds the price. No, you’re not getting every feature out there, but for what these earbuds are designed to deliver, we don’t think anything does it better for the price.
Sony WF-C510 test results
| Sound quality (ANC on) | N/A |
| Sound quality (ANC off) | 4.5 / 5 |
| Mic quality | 4.5 / 5 |
| Battery life (ANC on) | N/A |
| Battery life (ANC off) | 11 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for ANC
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1-minute summary: Even though they’ve been superseded by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (and that was in September 2023), these slightly older 2022 buds are still in this list, while the newer set aren’t. Why? It’s a question of value, and I don’t think enough has been updated in the newer set to warrant the price hike over these excellent earbuds. OK, so a July 2024 update means you now get multipoint in the Ultra set (but not these), and if you want Bose’s fun spatial audio profiles to go with the still-aces ANC, you should pay the extra. For me, anyone looking to buy into Bose is looking for noise cancellation, and Bose basically wrote the book on that. Here, what you’ve got is the best ANC in the business, some lovely extra features, a fit that’ll work for most and a nice, fuss-free case, for a bit less than the now-flagship set. And that’s why I think the QCE 2 are still where the smart money goes.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review
Becky Scarrott
Reasons to buy
✅ Noise cancellation is vital for you: These offer simply the best noise-zapping power for the price (the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds do it just as well, but they cost more).
✅ You like a finely balanced sound: Whatever Bose’s CustomTune does inside your ear, it works really well. The sound is very well balanced.
✅ You like stems, but not long stems: the Bose QCE 2 feature the kind of stout stems you know are there, but the tails don’t create drag or catch in longer hair.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want the newest buds on the block: a September 2022 release hardly makes them old in most sectors, but time moves fast in the world of true wireless earbuds, and newer buds have more features, such as multi-point pairing.
❌ You want a slim, light bud: Although they’re a lot smaller than Bose’s older models, these are bulky buds against the competition. AirPods Pro 2 (#6 on this list) or Sony LinkBuds S are much slimmer and lighter.
❌ You want Bose’s immersive audio wizardry: That’s only in the newer and more expensive QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, I’m afraid (not even the newest 2024 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds include this).
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
This is Bose, so top of the features list is – you’ve guessed it! – active noise cancellation. It’s really good here, as you’d expect, but it’s still an eye-opening experience if you’ve never tried it before. Its efficacy is thanks, at least in part, to Bose having found a way to tailor both the audio response and ANC to the individual user’s ear canal. The company calls this proprietary tech ‘CustomTune’. It uses the audio signal picked up by a mic inside each bud to calibrate the ANC and sound frequency that best suits the wearer’s ear. The only codecs onboard at launch were SBC and AAC, which was a bit of a let down since the QCE 2 use the Qualcomm S5 Audio chipset, so we might have expected Snapdragon Sound support. We also thought it might be added in future over-air firmware updates – and guess what? It has been! If you’re the owner of a Snapdragon Sound-certified source device (usually an Android mobile) once you’ve paired to the QCE 2, your device will automatically stream audio using the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec. Bose’s proprietary Immersive Audio tech is scarily good… in the Ultra earbuds. You don’t get it here. But you do save a lot of money because of this fact, if it’s not something you need.
So, take excellent ANC as read, but Bose also made great strides on sound quality with the QCE 2. Whatever the company’s CustomTune is doing behind the scenes makes them a very enjoyable listen indeed. The soundstage is carefully balanced with levels of detail that aren’t possible in many cheaper earbuds. It’s particularly evident through the low end, (think kick drums and double bass) – listening to Miles Davis or John Coltrane, you can focus on the double bass, but never to the detriment of the piano (mids) or the sax or cymbals (treble). How exactly CustomTune is working or what it’s doing is unclear, but really, that’s fine by us – our advice is to let it do its thing.
The QCE 2 hail from the ‘AirPods adjacent’ school of design; the stem here differentiates itself by being shorter and thicker. Thanks to three different ear tip and ‘stability band’ options, they’re comfortable and relatively secure too – but it is all a bit fiddly. The thing is, they didn’t feel particularly secure when we first started using them – there’s a fit test within Bose’s Music app to help reassure you that you’ve got the right tip and stability band fitted, but building up that sense of security takes a little while. It’s worth switching out to different combinations because as you’ll probably know (I do go on about it a lot), getting the right fit and seal means you’ll get the best sound stage and ANC performance your chosen buds can offer. And the build quality is everything you’d expect from a premium Bose product, including the IPX4 water resistance. Perhaps the only issue here (and I list it in design because I believe it’s to do with mic placement) is call quality, which leaves a lot to be desired. Bose claims external sounds are filtered, but we found it didn’t happen, especially on a blustery day. The SelfVoice feature, which you can adjust in the app, allows you to hear your own voice quite well in calls, but people we spoke to on the other end said we sounded like we’d put ourselves on speakerphone – not ideal.
The Bose QCE II aren’t exactly cheap, but the still-best-in-class ANC performance and the good sound justify it. The lack of wireless charging support is a potential issue (maybe even a big one if you’re used to seamless device switching in the buds you currently own) but honestly, if you value noise cancellation and solid audio above all else, you’ll find the Bose QCE 2 are right on the money – especially now they’re slightly older and thus enjoying a few tasty discounts during peak sales seasons.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 test results
| Sound quality (ANC on) | 4 / 5 |
| Sound quality (ANC off) | 3.5 / 5 |
| Mic quality | 3 / 5 |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 5 hours |
| Battery life (ANC off) | 6 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for cheap ANC
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1-minute summary: I’ve watched the price of high-quality earbuds come crashing down in the last few years, and the Earfun Air Pro 3 are a great example of what amazing value you can get these days. Good audio, useful active noise cancellation, higher-res wireless audio, great battery life, multi-point pairing, and even future-proof Bluetooth LE Audio support… the Earfun Air Pro 3 don’t think you need to give things up just because you’re on a budget. When it comes to checkboxes, I’m always blown away by these buds – but naturally, if you spend a bit more (for the Nothing Ear (a), especially), you’ll get a clear upgrade in sound quality and ANC power. But as an all-rounder for a low price, these are excellent. Incidentally, the Earfun Air Pro 4 are out now, and while we liked those, we found that they packed in so much they became a bit fussy to use. The older model, available at a lower price since it’s been usurped, is the sweet spot.
Read our full Earfun Air Pro 3 review
Matt Bolton
Reasons to buy
✅ You want affordable all-rounder earbuds: A comfortable fit, reasonable ANC, decent sound quality and great battery life – all well under $100/£100.
✅ You want a long battery life: There’s a lot to like here, but the battery life is near the top of the list. High-end buds don’t even get this much life usually.
✅ You want something future-proof: Support for Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 is rare among all earbuds, let alone budget buds. It’s here, and it’s ready for when this feature is supported more widely.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You expect total silence from the ANC: Being cheaper means they’re not as noise-blocking as more expensive buds. It helps, but if you spend more, you get more.
❌ You want audio fidelity: The sound quality is fine, but stepping up to the Nothing earbuds at #2 on the list is like night and day.
❌ You prefer a svelte design: They’re fairly chunky, with big extended sticks that long hair may catch on – and the case isn’t compact either. A lot of other buds are more discreet.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
Pretty much the only things these buds are missing are head-tracked spatial audio and, weirdly, wear detection (which auto-pauses music when you take them out of your ears). Everything else you could want from a pair of earbuds is here, including decent-quality active noise cancellation, an app to customize the controls and EQ, multi-point pairing for simple switching between two devices, better-than-average battery life of nearly seven hours in the buds with ANC on (and nearly 40 hours in total including the case), aptX Adaptive higher-quality wireless tech, and even Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast support for next-gen Bluetooth features. It’s just a ridiculous suite of tech for something so cheap.
The Earfun Air Pro 3 are geared for fun, not audiophile fidelity, and that’s okay. We said in our review “I listened to Stevie Nicks’ Edge of Seventeen and For What It’s Worth, and the signature sound was spot on, perfectly suited to these iconic tracks with big, booming vocals.” In general, we enjoyed the scale they give to tracks with meaty low-end, but as you move to tracks with more delicate detail in the upper-mids and treble, things can sound more muddied, and less crisp. Basically, don’t use these to pull insight from your most-loved tracks, use them expecting fun and punchy performance, and you’ll have a good time.
These are pretty big and feel plasticky, which not everyone will love – especially those with long hair, because they can tangle on the chunky stems of the buds. But outside of that, they’re hard to fault – they’re not too heavy, they stay in the ear extremely well even during exercise, and they’re IPX5-rated for waterproofing, which is above average. A little crude, but well-made overall.
Officially priced at $99 / £99, but now regularly available for half that price, the Earfun Air Pro 3 give you simply a ridiculous amount of good-quality features for around $50 / £50. Ideal for those who want fancy earbuds that do everything, and absolutely unbeatable value in that sense.
Earfun Air Pro 3 test results
| Sound quality (ANC on) | 3.5 / 5 |
| Sound quality (ANC off) | 3.5 / 5 |
| Mic quality | 2 / 5 |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 6.5 hours |
| Battery life (ANC off) | 9.5 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for Apple fans
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1-minute summary: I still use AirPods Pro 2 all the time, for exactly the reason they remain the most popular earbuds on the planet: they work so seamlessly with my Apple gear, they sound great, they’re super-light and comfortable, and the active noise cancellation is right near the top of the class. The auto-switching between devices is so useful, and as a movie fan I really enjoy the Dolby Atmos spatial audio support. And I can’t tell you how often I’ve made use of the nearly-unloseable case, with tech that means your iPhone can literally point you towards them (and the case can make noise). But I also don’t want to understate how much I like their small and slim case, and non-bulky bud design. As with all AirPods, they’re only really recommendable if you only want to connect them Apple gear, because they lack device-neutral multi-point switching or any kind of app control on Android. You can get better sound quality too, and Bose beats them for noise cancellation power. But as a complete package for Apple users, AirPods Pro 2 are incredibly hard to argue with – and because they regularly drop to under $170 / £180, they’re actually excellent value too.
Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
Matt Bolton
Reasons to buy
✅ You want superb sound and noise cancellation: The audio quality is extremely strong, and the noise cancellation is nearly as good as you can right now.
✅ You’re in the Apple ecosystem: They’ve got lots of extra features for iPhone users, including Spatial Audio and Find My support – and they switch seamlessly between all your devices.
✅ You want small and light earbuds: The case is smaller and slimmer than the competition, and the buds themselves are lighter than average.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want good battery life: These are distinctly average when it comes to the battery – most buds match or beat them, even with similar features.
❌ You want to involve non-Apple devices: Android users miss out on the majority of features, and they won’t auto-switch between an iPhone and, say, a Windows PC.
❌ You want them in anything other than white: We really wish Apple would offer some colors, like it does for AirPods Max. But no.
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In-depth analysis
Let’s start with the assumption that you’re the Apple-head that the AirPods Pro 2 want you to be. They’re deeply rich in features, including lots of cutting-edge tech to match the best competitors. There’s excellent active noise cancellation that’s amazing at cutting out everything from engine noise to office chatter, and an Adaptive Transparency Mode that lets in outside sound, but constantly tweaks how much depending on whether loud noises are happening. They have options such as Conversation Awareness, that drops the ANC when someone speaks to you, too. The head-tracked spatial audio support is great, and works with Dolby Atmos 3D sound – and will be personalized for your ear shape, helping precision and quality. The AirPods auto-switch between Apple devices, and you don’t need to pair them – if your iCloud is signed in, they’ll switch when you try to play something, which works really well and is very useful. The Find My support here is best-in-class – a UWB chip means your iPhone can literally point an arrow towards your hidden AirPods case, and the case can play a sound when needed. Battery life is rather average at around six hours with ANC on (less with spatial audio on as well), but you get lots of charges from the case, so it’s fine. And the AirPods Pro 2 are even approved as hearing aids for mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and they’ll check your hearing. Now, if you’re not on iPhone, you get basically none of these features except noise cancellation. And it’s also a shame that there’s no hi-res audio support even now.
The AirPods Pro 2 offer seriously impressive sound, reaching from deep bass to sweet and natural high notes. We said in our review that they have “a clear ability to separate out different elements in the music, a strong ability to reproduce bass, a crispness in voice especially, and all combined with excellent spatial a0udio playback and mind-blowing noise cancellation.” They’re well-suited to basically any genre, though they have a slightly energetic and forward presentation that makes them a little more suited to pop and rock than acoustic or classic – but that’s if we’re being picky. Audiophiles will find an extra step of clarity, insight and range from other options – especially if you step up to the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 – but the AirPods Pro 2 overall offer extremely strong sound for music, and their head-tracked spatial audio is excellent for movies. It really feels like you’re in a home theater with speakers, rather having sound pushed directly in your ears, and the AirPods Pro 2 handle speech well, and have enough dynamic range to feel exciting in movies.
The AirPods Pro 2 are extremely well-made, and both the case and buds are smaller than almost any other premium earbuds. The case feels absolutely solid, as do the buds. Both are rated for IPX4 waterproofing, so should stand up to sweat or being rained on a little. At 5.3 grams (0.19 ounces) each, the buds are as light as high-end earbuds come, and whole not everyone likes the stick design, it does help to put their center of gravity near your head, so they feel like they’ll stay solidly in your ears without also feeling weighty. On the famous sticks, you’ve got pinch-based controls for pausing music or switching ANC modes, and we love this: it’s much more comfortable than pushing a button into your ear, and more reliable than touch controls, and works with gloves. You can also swipe the stems to change volume, though this doesn’t work with gloves. In the current version, there’s a USB-C port for charging, as well as wireless charging tech that works with Qi, MagSafe and even the Apple Watch’s charger.
With an official price now of $249 / £229 / AU$399, AirPods Pro 2 are very good value compared to the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra or Sony WF-1000XM5, given their features – especially with the addition of a hearing-aid mode (in countries where this has launched). But even better is that they regularly drop to around $169 / £179, and they’re really exceptional value for that price. But their value is all based around you having all the Apple gear to make the most of them!
Apple AirPods Pro 2 test results
| Sound quality (ANC on) | 4.5 / 5 |
| Sound quality (ANC off) | 4.5 / 5 |
| Mic quality | 4 / 5 |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 6 hours |
| Battery life (ANC off) | 9 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for Samsung fans
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1-minute summary: I think it’s fair to say that Samsung took some pages from the AirPods book with its latest Pro earbuds, switching them to ‘golf club’ design with stems, and keeping some of their best features exclusive to Samsung Galaxy devices. It means that for users of other Android devices, I’d generally point you to other options – but for Samsung owners, they’re pretty damn great, and those exclusive options are juicy. The head-tracked spatial audio is really effective, and Samsung’s devices support Dolby Atmos, so you’re getting the best version of it. The 24-bit Hi-Res Audio support is kind of mind-blowing as a feature, and means you really eke the most out of music streaming services with lossless support. The AI features are not really essential yet, but I suspect they’ll get developed and improved rapidly, so they’re future-proof. Most importantly, these earbuds sound excellent and offer strong active noise cancellation, so make an excellent package for the Galaxy fans – especially because Samsung tends to get aggressive with discounts, so they’ll probably be great value if you buy smartly.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review
Matt Bolton
Reasons to buy
✅ You have a Samsung Galaxy phone: The Buds 3 Pro offer a load of extra smarts when used with Samsung phones, including spatial audio and AI features.
✅ You want Samsung’s best audio quality: Samsung’s 24-bit audio (again, if you have its own phones to use with the buds) is superb for elite music fans.
✅ You want strong active noise cancellation: These are highly effective at cutting off the outside world, without being big and bulky.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want big features on another phone brand: General Android users won’t get as much from these buds, and iPhone users don’t even get an app to control them.
❌ You want the absolute best value: They’re excellent, but they’re not cheap, and non-Samsung owners won’t get as much out of them.
❌ You don’t like a stick design: Samsung changed from its previous buds-only design to a stick design that’s especially futuristic. It won’t be for everyone.
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In-depth analysis
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are well-equipped, but mostly if you have a Samsung phone to match them with. The active noise cancellation is seriously good no matter what phone you have, and impressed us a lot – but there’s an AI-powered Adaptive mode for it that only works with Samsung phones, though we found it not to make much of a difference. The other AI features are also, frankly, not much of a draw. However, the Samsung-exclusive head-tracked spatial audio works well, and the (also exclusive) 24-bit/96kHz wireless audio support is a very nice boon for music fans who use the likes of Tidal or (perhaps improbably) Apple Music for higher-quality files. There’s no multi-point switching between non-Samsung devices, so while they’re very well-featured for Samsung owners, anyone else is better off elsewhere.
Our review said that these are “some of the best wireless earbuds I’ve tested for sound”, and this was helped by the (Samsung exclusive) Ultra High Quality Sound wireless tech and the Adaptive EQ for personalizing the audio. We found the sound to be energetic and dynamic, with great weight to the bass and clarity to the treble. The soundstage is wide, and songs get the chance to be suitable big when they should be, and with individual instruments able to be picked out of the mix easily. They’re right up there with the best buds for this kind of price.
The move to an AirPods-like design with a stick, instead of the circular blob design that Samsung previously used, will divide people. Doubly so, since the stem is triangular and has a light on it – very angular and futuristic. However, they’re lightweight, and they’re comfortable to wear, so if you don’t mind the look, there are no complaints in using them generally. However, we found the eartips to be difficult to remove safely – it’s very easy to tear them. So be careful if you need a size other than Medium; pull carefully by grabbing near where they attach to the buds, and keep your nails well clear.
The official price of $249 / £219 / AU$399 is very competitive against other premium earbuds if you’re a Samsung owner – less so otherwise, since so many options are locked away. However, Samsung often does aggressive deals on its earbuds during sales season, so you might see some prices much lower than this – they’ll become even better if so. But again, we’d still say they’re really for Samsung owners only.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 test results
| Sound quality (ANC on) | 4.5 / 5 |
| Sound quality (ANC off) | 4 / 5 |
| Mic quality | 4 / 5 |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 6 hours |
| Battery life (ANC off) | 7 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for sound
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1-minute summary: Let’s not be coy; the Pi8 are are completely different to the unreliable (and quite uncomfortable) Pi7 S2 that Bowers & Wilkins put its name to before them. The company approached the challenge of solving the older siblings’ snafus with both humility and grace too, completely redesigning the driver housings – to look, it must be said, not unlike the also-excellent 2023 Technics EAH-AZ80 – and adding an upgraded DAC, DSP and amplifier. Yes, the Pi8 effectively bypass Qualcomm’s digital-to-analog converter for even better audio quality compared to their direct rivals. B&W’s commitment to sound doesn’t surprise me though; what does is fact that they can nullify noise as well the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or the AirPods Pro 2. That feeling of being wrapped in a comforter of silence happens, but without any sense of wind-tunnel nausea. Also, you finally get on-ear volume control, which something I’ve been begging companies to implement for years, particularly in this premium sector. There’s no spatial audio with head-tracking and no ear-tip fit tests or hearing profiles. No, B&W wants music (unaltered and at its most detailed) to be the star of the show here and the company has met the brief and then some. I cannot fault the sound quality the Pi8 earbuds are able to deliver wirelessly, or when using the case as a transmitter for aptX Adaptive quality at up to 24-bit/96kHz. And that is not something I often write.
Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review
Becky Scarrott
Reasons to buy
✅ You prioritize sound quality above all else: These buds offer the most zealous, balanced, detailed audio I’ve heard in a true wireless earbuds design. And the ANC? It’s top-tier too.
✅ You want buds that really fit: B&W has reworked everything here. Put them in and just leave them – no twisting, wedging or jamming them in again.
✅ You want a wired connection too: The case for the Pi8 can be connected to USB-C ports or 3.5mm ports, and beams the sound to the buds in high quality – perfect for in-flight entertainment.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want spatial audio: No dice here, I’m afraid, in any form.
❌ You want personalized sound tests: No, you don’t get that here either.
❌ You need to access ANC profiles and volume at all times: You have to choose between on-ear volume control, scrolling between your ANC profiles, or accessing your voice assistant.
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In-depth analysis
Aside from the excellent ANC (have I said it enough? The noise cancellation here is really very good) there’s also a useful ‘Pass Through’ mode that lets you hear a colleague talking next to you – on the odd occasion you really need that. There’s no ‘adaptive’ ANC option and I don’t care – when the full-fat version works this well, why get granular? Now, the ace up the sleeve: aside from the no-nonsense, pocketable appeal of the Pi8’s case, you can plug that USB-C port (USB-C to 3.5mm and USB-C cables are supplied) into a non-Bluetooth wired source and it’ll double as a wireless audio re-transmitter in aptX Adaptive quality up to 24-bit/96kHz. Yes, in-flight entertainment systems and tray tables just got much less stressful! There are no hearing tests, ear-tip fit tests, personalized sound profiles or head-tracked spatial audio processing here, but these are things we can live without. They more than make up for it in other areas.
I don’t know if I’ve ever written a TechRadar ‘Sound’ review section so wholly positive. It feels as if the B&W Pi8 happily unpack, weigh, open out, examine, layer and finally present whatever music I send to them with the talented hand of a French pâtissier, revealing juicy bass frequencies few earbuds can relay. I’m also struck by the pin-point accuracy of article placement in mixes. Vocals spring out from my cheekbones, my temples and beneath my chin in raucous and zealous mixes. Refreshingly, noise cancellation and ambient profiles never make anything go off kilter either. For musicality, neutrality, attack, drive, dynamic nuance, balance across the frequencies and all the other things I usually pick apart, Bowers & Wilkins’ back-to-the-drawing-board approach has paid off. Wow, these earbuds sound good…
The redesign here was necessary, even if the earpieces might not look quite as high-end as the metallic, Swiss-watch style driver housings of the Pi7. It’s a plastic build, but it’s premium matte plastic that seems to murmur ‘I’m expensive’ and the point is, they fit so well you’ll feel a millionaire when wearing them. (Are you a millionaire? Thank you for stopping by.) The mic and sensors on the older Pi7 models weren’t in the best position, but this has all been fixed for Pi8. Right under the touch-sensitive top plate are the mics and sensors – as far away from your head and ear folds as it’s possible to put them. I typically switch to the smaller set when choosing ear tips, but since the neck of the earbud isn’t long (and the design is so well weighted), I don’t think the tip size is too important here. They might look a little bulky (and they do weigh 7g each), but they fit naturally and unobtrusively. One minor negative (and it’s similar to the one I encountered with the JBL Live Beam 3, directly below this entry) is that you need to ditch a set of on-ear control functions again. Yes, you can now get on-ear volume control by long-pressing either Pi8 earbud, but to get it you need to forego scrolling through ANC profiles and access to your voice assistant. That’s where my gripes end though, because when you factor in that case retransmission feature, this is a beautiful design from Bowers & Wilkins – and a ripping up of the design playbook that probably didn’t come easy.
Sonically the Pi8 are the best earbuds I’ve heard in a wireless design, and I accept that you need to pay a premium for that – because the inescapable truth is that the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are not cheap. Want excellent, unadulterated, high-quality audio in a comfortable build? It’s here. Basically, if you value sound quality above all else, this is the product I’d point you to. It’s not the cheapest, but it is the best for sound. For stamina however, the Pi8 can be beaten (it’s no good having great audio and wireless transmission from the case if you’re caught needing a battery top-up before the flight), and if you want spatial audio, or hearing tests mixed in with the ANC, you’ll also be better served with other options in this list.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 test results
| Sound quality (ANC on) | 5 / 5 |
| Sound quality (ANC off) | 5 / 5 |
| Mic quality | 4 / 5 |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 6.5 hours |
| Battery life (ANC off) | 8.5 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for battery life
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1-minute summary: The fact that they’re in this guide as my ‘best for battery’ recommendation is valid – there’s a whacking great touchscreen on the box and try as I might, I couldn’t get it to affect the 12-hour stamina within the earbuds, or the 48-hour total including the case, during my tests. I’ll be honest though, I also really wanted to get these earbuds into this guide to highlight both their lock-screen wallpaper novelty (which might put people in mind of the Polaroid stickers people used to adorn their phones with a few years ago), and that their sound is deadly serious. The audio quality in the Live Beam 3 is delicious; that famous Harman curve of rich bass and elevated treble, now represented in the best way. Also of note is Personi-Fi, which creates an excellent personalized sound profile, and JBL’s splendid call-handling perks. OK, the spatial audio profiles didn’t wow me, and the ANC is fine rather than ground-breaking, but so much else did surprise me that they’re more than worthy of a spot here. And did I mention, they’re not even JBL’s flagship earbuds, so prices are refreshingly low?
Read our full JBL Live Beam 3 review
Becky Scarrott
Reasons to buy
✅ You want the best battery: If you want a reliable pair of buds you’ll rarely need to charge, you’ve found them. 10 hours with ANC on from the buds, and 48 hours total is massive.
✅ You like cool new tech ideas: Some people might think the screen on the case is a gimmick, others will love this addition and make great use of it – it works well.
✅ You enjoy personalized sound profiles: Fire up JBL’s Personi-Fi test and get to listening – you’ll soon see what all the fuss is about.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You’re not always a fan of in-ears: They were comfy during testing, but some people might find they go too far into your ear canals.
❌ Spatial audio is a priority: You do get some sense of immersion, but you won’t get that directional, three-dimensional ‘where are my earbuds’ style presentation here.
❌ You want only-the-best ANC: The noise-cancellation here is good and there are plenty of options for tweaking it – but you won’t get that ‘bubble of silence’ feeling you get from Bose earbuds
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In-depth analysis
You think I’m going to lead with the smart case don’t you? Sorry… Call-handling is fantastic, thanks to the numerous options JBL’s supplied to enhance it, including Sound Level Optimizer, Sound Setting, Voice Setting, VoiceAware and Private Call Mode – all of which I’ve explained in-depth in my review. Suffice to say that during my tests, a combination of these meant my friend on the other end said I sounded as if I was just talking on the phone – rare. That surgical attention to detail continues across the board with the Live Beam 3. Take the EQ: six EQ presets; Adaptive EQ for real-time adjustments; the option of toggling on ‘Low Volume EQ’ and even ‘Leakage Compensation’ to sort the sonics if the tips you’ve fitted don’t provide a tip-top seal. ANC is a similar story. Customize functionality by toggling Adaptive ANC and/or Auto Compensation, which adjusts things based on your ear canal and wearing status once more – and if you switch Adaptive ANC off, you’re presented with a slider that offers seven increments of noise-nixing. Does it nix noise as deftly as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or the AirPods Pro 2 can? Not quite. And she same goes for the JBL Beam 3’s spatial audio profiles (movies, music or gaming have been supplied). But that’s the only reason I knocked half a star off in this rating. And I haven’t even mentioned Personi-Fi! After various hearing tests, you’re presented with a written report, which offers a mini verdict on the compensation required for each ear and a shiny new profile just for you. And the screen means that if you like putting a picture of your dog, snake or significant other on your earbuds (and why ever not?) there’s no other case currently on the market that’ll let you do that.
It seems a shame to listen to lowly Spotify streams when Sony’s LDAC (from a compatible device such as a Sony Xperia smartphone) is on the menu. The JBL Live Beam 3 are cohesive, responsive and zealous across the frequencies. They’re able to unearth an extra ounce of detail through the strummed guitars and vocal in Noah Kahan’s acoustic Stick Season, but can also serve up Melissa Etheridge’s guttural I’m the Only One vocal confidently and without muddying the track’s bass-walking, axe-stalking grimy country feel. This sound sees JBL at its best again, and you love to see it – sonically, they’re a huge hit. Think big, exuberant sound that knows when to have it large, but also when to pull back just a touch to let certain instruments shine. It feels like high-end sound for mid-range money, and again, that’s a rare thing.
Despite my small ears, I found these easy to wear, although it’s worth noting that the earpiece design does sit quite far into your ear canals. Those who find this kind of fit claustrophobic – see also, AirPods Pro 2 – may want to look at JBL’s other designs, although again, it may not be an issue for you. The on-ear touch functions require a compromise (you need to ditch a set of functions – either Playback Control, Ambient Sound Control, or Volume Control) which is a minor negative when other options let you do it all, but that’s where my criticism ends. You’ll either love the case or hate it, but I think it’s very fun. It means the box is deeper than your average case, but the little lanyard loop on the top right (as you look at the screen) is very cute – because you’ve now got lock-screen wallpaper to show off! What you need to know is that the build quality – not just of the case but of the buds nestled inside (and the companion app keeping everything accessible and in check) – feels resoundingly expensive. And actually, it isn’t.
The JBL Live Beam 3’s enviable battery life plus the joyous sound and call quality (with their plethora of customizations) are more than worthy of the money here. And the noise cancellation will serve all but the most picky. Oh, and there’s the fun touchscreen case – which doesn’t affect the commendable stamina. Given the competitive asking price of the JBL Live Beam 3 (Bose’s closest alternative costs $299 / £299 / AU$449, which is $100 / £120 or AU$200 more than the JBL – and there’s no screen on the case there) there’s an incredible amount to enjoy here for the money.
JBL Live Beam 3 test results
| Sound quality (ANC on) | 4 / 5 |
| Sound quality (ANC off) | 4 / 5 |
| Mic quality | 4 / 5 |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 10 hours |
| Battery life (ANC off) | 12 hours |
Best wireless earbuds test results comparison
More wireless earbuds we’ve tested
AirPods 4: Apple’s newest ice-white stemmed buds arrived in September 2024, in two flavors. You can see our full AirPods 4 review for our thoughts on the non-ANC model (and our initial verdict is also in on the pricier AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation) but the cheaper set don’t feature here because, honestly, we think you can do better for your money. And the set with ANC? We’ll get back to you very soon – it’s a close one.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: Battery life in Google’s August 2024-issue flagship buds is good, plus they’re small and (hang it all) ridiculously cute-looking, but otherwise these Google buds were sadly disappointing across the board. We don’t want to knock them any more here – we just want you to be aware of why they’re not featured – but read our Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review to find out why.
Sony WF-1000XM5: A massive pair of earbuds (metaphorically – they’re really rather small in literal terms) that aren’t on our list. Why? Well, they’re good, but we don’t think they’re better than competing models at the same price – ie. Bose and Technics. As we said in our Sony WF-1000XM5 review, the ANC was sadly weaker than expected, and sonically they are beaten by the Technics EAH-AZ80 sitting pretty at the top of this guide.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: We nearly added these earbuds to this guide, to replace the Technics EAH-AZ80 (which would be huge, we know). They’re that good, they’re our 2024 Headphones of the Year Award winner. B&W’s flagship 2024 buds sound splendid and ANC is incredibly effective. In time, they may replace the AZ80 – but they are pricey. As things currently stand, the sound-per-pound value still leans in Technics’ favor – as does the triple-device multi-point connectivity. But do read our B&W Pi8 review to find out why we rate them so highly.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: Another huge name absent from this guide. Why? Because the far better-value Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are still very much in stock – and they are on our list. In our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review, we noted that the noise cancellation might be best-in-class, but it’s not better than the cheaper version. That said, a July update to the Ultras means you now get multi-point connectivity (in addition to Bose’s pre-existing, and very good, spatial audio modes), so we may change our minds – especially if prices start dropping…
CMF Buds Pro 2: We recently tested these budget buds that come in a range of funky color options that put the usual beige, white and black options to shame. And we liked parts of them very much in our CMF Buds Pro 2 review, but the overall package just doesn’t match the likes of the Sony WF-C510 above, or other options.
How to choose the best wireless earbuds
With so many wireless earbuds to pick from, how do you know which are right for you? There are a few key considerations you need to bear in mind.
The first is price. How much can you afford? You can get a good pair of wireless earbuds for under £100/$100. But often you do get what you pay for in terms of connectivity, build and noise cancellation.
Next up is form. Do you intend to hit the gym, bike or pavement with your earbuds? Then you’ll need a design that’ll stay put. Or maybe small and minimal is what you’re after, so opt for a pair of discrete true wireless buds.
The best sounding earbuds are exactly that – our pick of the wireless earbuds that sound fantastic. These are far from the best cheap earbuds out there, but if you’re passionate about hearing music with clarity, richness and powerful bass, these are the ones you need to consider.
It’s still important to pick earbuds that feel good in your ears, but the models in our guide above have been picked for sound quality first and foremost, with those that excel in extra features such as noise cancellation or workout-friendly designs noted separately.
What kind of speakers do wireless earbuds use?
All the wireless earbuds in our guide produce their sound using dynamic drivers, so that’s one tech element you don’t have to thing about. This is the most common kind of speaker technology in everything from big loudspeakers to over-ear headphones to earbuds. To explain how dynamic drivers work, and why they’re so dominant in wireless earbuds, we spoke to Andy Kerr, Director of Product Marketing and Communications at Bowers & Wilkins, which has over 60 years of experience creating these kinds of drivers in both headphones and loudspeakers.
“Dynamic drivers use a magnet, a voice coil (typically made from winds of copper wire wound around a circular form), and a diaphragm/drive unit (a thin cone of material that makes the sound). The narrow end of the diaphragm’s cone is attached to the voice coil; the wide end of the diaphragm is held in place by a rubber surround, also called ‘suspension’. When electrical current is supplied to the voice coil, it becomes electromagnetic. This creates a push-pull interaction between the coil and the magnet, which it is coiled around, causing the coil to move up and down over the magnet rapidly. Since the coil is attached to the bottom of the drive unit, its movement pushes the drive unit up and down in response, creating sound pressure waves that your ears and brain translate into sound,” explains Kerr.
“A single dynamic driver can be made very compact, is light, and is highly efficient in terms of battery life, which is of course hugely relevant in the age of wireless earbuds. Dynamic drivers are also very popular in headphone designs essentially because they give companies like Bowers & Wilkins a way to use our knowledge and experience from designing and manufacturing them – for both loudspeakers and headphones – while customizing and continually improving the technology over time. For example, our approach to drive unit design combines stiffness in the material (for accuracy and fast response) plus good excursion (meaning how far the diaphragm is capable of moving, for deeper bass performance) that’s equally important for both earbuds and loudspeakers.”
Dynamic drivers are not the only earbuds driver technology available: planar magnetic is the most common other type, and we’re about to see the launch of more earbuds using a new solid-state driver. Some earbuds also combine a dynamic driver with a smaller solid-state driver to create a wider sound range, which is often known as dual-driver technology. It’s possible to have more than two drivers in earbuds, but it’s very uncommon in wireless earbuds.
What is noise cancellation in earbuds?
One of the hottest features in wireless earbuds right now is active noise cancellation (ANC) – this used to be the preserve of premium buds, but is now common even among many budget models.
All in-ear earbuds block some noise thanks to the seal formed between the ear tips and your ear canal. This stops a lot of noise coming in, and is known as ‘passive’ sound isolation.
But active noise cancellation goes a step further to remove outside noise from what you’re hearing. The technology was introduced by Bose, and the company has been making ANC tech for over 30 years, so we asked John Rule, Senior Engineer at Bose Corporation, to explain noise cancellation.
“Today, noise cancellation in the majority of headphones and earbuds is achieved through a combination of both active and passive technologies. For active noise reduction, sophisticated electronics work with microphones both inside and outside the earcups to sense the sound around you and then measure, compare, and react – instant by instant – to produce an opposing cancellation signal,” says Rule.
Imagine you’re trying to walk in a straight line, and someone is pushing you from one side to stop you walking straight. That’s outside noise, interfering with what speakers are trying to do. Now imagine someone pushes you from the other side in a way that exactly balances out the first push, so you’re walking straight again – that’s active noise cancellation, counteracting the interference by ‘cancelling’ it out.
Bose’s John Rule emphasizes that it’s not just the circuitry doing the work, though. He says, “Passive noise reduction also plays a role in headphone performance. When you place an earcup over your ear or an earbud in your ear, some noise is physically blocked. The cup or bud design, materials used, clamping force of the headband, shape of the ear tips, and many other factors contribute to a comfortable fit while providing a good seal against incoming noise. When active and passive elements are combined, the result is cancellation of the noise you don’t want to hear, such as a plane engine or annoying vacuum. This lets you hear what you want, whether that’s your music or silence.”
Wireless vs true wireless: what’s the difference?
Wireless earbuds have existed for a while now, basically since Bluetooth was invented. Though battery-powered and not physically connected to your phone, they have a cord connecting both buds – and sometimes a band around the neck too.
True wireless earbuds have no cord whatsoever. While wireless allows us to wear headphones a few feet away from our music players, True Wireless cuts the cord between the earbuds, giving us true freedom. If you’re looking to go full wireless, we also have a round-up of the best true wireless headphones, but you’ll find our top picks here, too.
Wireless headphones are traditional over-ear or on-ear headphones without the wire – the two earcups are connected by a headband. Check out the best wireless headphones for more.
Which brand of wireless earbuds is best?
In this guide we’ve included all of the best audio tech and earbuds brands on the market today. But the question of which brand is best depends on what you’re looking for.
Sony is certainly one of the best wireless earbuds brands, and one of the best audio brands generally. It consistently brings out great-sounding products and has led the way with fantastic true wireless earbuds year-on-year. The Sony WF-1000XM5 didn’t make it into this list for reasons given a little above, but we still gave them a very positive review! You really can’t go wrong at any budget with Sony’s range right now.
If you’re looking for a pair of premium wireless earbuds and have a high budget for a new pair, then check out high-end brands like Bose – though Technics is a great audio name that’s currently having a fantastic product run. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a budget pair of earbuds, the Sony WF-C510 are currently our best budget choice. But Earfun and JLab also make some of our favourite cheaper wireless earbuds.
Which wireless earbuds are best?
Right now, we currently rate the Technics EAH-AZ80 as our favorite, balancing price, sound quality and features. They’re not cheap, but they’re worth every penny.
However, if you have more specific priorities you might want to consider other buds in our list. Like the Sony WF-C510 if you’re on a budget. Or the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 if you want the best ANC buds you can buy.
What are the best value for money wireless earbuds?
All of the options in our best wireless earbuds guide are good value for money. However, if you’re looking for a budget pair of buds we’ve got some of those too.
The Sony WF-C510 are our top budget pick because they’re cheap, offer great audio and they’re comfortable. Top value all round. If you’re looking for super budget, the JLab Go Air Pop are incredibly cheap at under £20/$20. They sound great for the price and are light, small and comfy. If you want a pair of budget buds that also pack in ANC, take a look at the Earfun Air Pro 3, which are discounted at the time of writing to $79 / £79.
Which is better: Bose or Beats?
In the battle between Bose and Beats, it depends what you’re looking for. In our opinion, Bose is the better option for sheer audio performance and noise cancelling tech. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 can’t be beaten in terms of ANC.
However, Beats earbuds offer a great fit and excellent sound. Particularly the Beats Fit Pro, which we highly recommend if you’re looking for a pair of earbuds for working out. They’re also a little more affordable than Bose options and have a more stylish design.
Which wireless earbuds are just as good as Apple AirPods?
The most recent AirPods Pro 2 are excellent if you want a comfy fit, quality audio and have an iPhone as there are some feature only iOS users can access. They’re even a little cheaper than a lot of the competition, which is not something we get to say about Apple a ton… However, the Technics EAH-AZ80 have them beaten for cross-platform support and sound quality. In terms of ANC, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are a little better than AirPods Pro 2.
When it comes to the cheaper AirPods models, we think there are lots of better option, especially for value. The Nothing Ear (a) are the big alternative we’d point you towards if you’re looking at non-pro AirPods.
What are the best wireless earbuds for Android?
Our top three picks in this guide are all a perfect match for Android phones, and cover a broad range of budgets: we think the Technics EAH-AZ80 are the best overall, but at a premium price; the Nothing Ear (a) are an incredible option that’s more affordable but still has premium features; and the Sony WF-C510 are the best cheap option.
However, if you have a Samsung phone in particular, you should strongly consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which have special features that specifically work with Samsung phones, including great spatial audio and higher-quality audio support.
How we test the best wireless earbuds
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We’re looking (listening?) for earbuds that sound good first and foremost – we want to hear clear, rich audio that does justice to every genre. We listen to both high-quality source music, as well as lower-quality streams, as well as movies and videos.
Voices should be natural, instruments should stand out from each other, and there should be a good sound balance overall between bass, mid-range and treble.
You can read our full article on how we test earbuds if you want to know more, but the starting point of our process is that our reviewers use a particular playlist of songs as their first port of call for listening to the sound quality of the earbuds. We’ll listen to these songs with active noise cancellation turned both on and off, to see if there are any differences in the detail or balance. The playlist is available for anyone to copy on your streaming service of choice, with notes on elements to listen out for, if you’d like to try it.
This isn’t the only music our reviewers will listen to, obviously – but by using these songs as the starting point, we can make specific and direct comparisons between earbuds, while will make it easier for you to follow the subtlety of their differences, we hope. Then our reviewers can use other tracks to explore the nuances of each pair of earbuds.
Of course, this is then balanced against lots of other factors, not the least of which is price. We know that a pair of cheap earbuds won’t sound as good as premium ones – so we’re judging them against competition at the same kind of price, not against something wildly different.
In terms of noise cancellation, we want to find buds that work well to drown out ambient noise day-to-day in a variety of environments. We test them in our pretty typical office environment, out walking in city traffic, and on public transport.
We also consider battery life, ensuring that most of the buds we pick will last long enough to not be annoying. And then we look at extra features, such as sound personalization and other app support – this can make a big difference to the overall value of two earbuds that are the same price.
We also test the microphones, and to help you choose the right earbuds, we record ourselves reading a particular passage, and embed them here, so you can simply play back the recordings and see what you think. These are recorded indoors and to a basic recording app, for consistency – we’ll also test them out in the wind and with background noise, during cellular calls, as part of our overall judgment.
Latest updates to the best wireless earbuds
November 22, 2024
I rewrote the introduction to this guide to explain more about how we choose and compare the wireless earbuds, and what kind of testing and development backs up our recommendations.
November 13, 2024
Removed some links from this guide. Added a dedicated Black Friday advice section, to better direct readers to potential deals I’m already seeing.
November 1, 2024
We rewrote and redesigned this guide with more information about each product, to make it easier to see which buds will be the best fit for you.
October 7, 2024
Replaced the JLab JBuds Mini with the Sony WF-C510 as our ‘best budget’ pick based on our review.
September 19, 2024
Replaced the Samsung Buds 2 Pro with the Samsung Buds 3 Pro based on our review. Refreshed our guide to other earbuds worth consideration.
September 3, 2024
Corrected an error with the product listings in this guide.
August 6, 2024
Updated our note on other earbuds to consider based on our latest reviews.
July 12, 2024
Added the JBL Live Beam 3 as the best wireless earbuds for a long battery life, based on our recent review.
June 12, 2024
Added test result scores from our real-world testing methodology to each product, as well as a comparison table, to make it easier to see which earbuds sound best, and have the best real battery life. You can also listen to samples from the microphones on each pair of earbuds.
May 22, 2024
Updated the ‘Also consider’ section with information on recently reviewed earbuds and why they didn’t make the list.
April 23, 2024
Swapped Sony WF-C700N for Nothing Ear (a) based on our reviewer’s experience with both products. Updated the ‘Also Consider’ section with information about other recent earbuds that didn’t make the list.
March 21, 2024
Removed Sony WH-1000XM4 due to stock running extremely low. Moved Technics EAH-AZ80 as our new #1, and reordered other products to round out our selections.
February 29, 2024
Checked all products against latest reviews and pricing. Updated the ‘Also consider’ section with new products, and added more information to our ‘How to choose’ section’.
January 29, 2024
Added the Final ZE8000 as the best option for excellent sound quality. Checked all other products against out current reviews, and added a new ‘Other wireless earbuds to consider’ section to help provide context to our choices.
December 20, 2023
Updated the list to remove the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, which is no longer available to buy. Rewrote some entries to add more comparisons between products on our list.
November 10, 2023
Checked all products against our latest review. Added more at-a-glance buying advice for all earbuds in the list.
October 5, 2023
Updated the order of rankings and completely refreshed the format of the guide to include a new quick menu to make it easier to find right buds to suit your needs.
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john-anthony.disotto@futurenet.com (John-Anthony Disotto)
