| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
1 | Below is a list of previously-tested earbuds that are still available. To read more about our current picks, check out the guides: Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds | |
2 | Model Name | Our Thoughts |
3 | 1More Aero | This pair has extremely limited controls, and we found the spatial-audio/head-tracking feature to be more distracting than useful. However, the noise cancellation was decent, especially on low frequencies. |
4 | 1More EVO | The ANC is middling, and this pair has limited physical sound isolation. Out of the box, the bass has a mushy quality that is exacerbated when the ANC is on. The EVO uses the SoundID system to adjust the sound to your preferences. Despite our best attempts, we never were able to get the tuning we wanted. Also, forget about controlling volume or tracks. |
5 | 1More PistonBuds Pro Q30 | The 1More PistonBuds Pro Q30 earbuds aren’t too bad for around $50, but we like our budget pick more. The included tips are small and won’t fit folks with larger ears. The tuning presets all have flaws, though with effort in the app’s manual EQ, we found a sound we liked. The ANC isn’t overly impressive, and the hear-through sounds as though you’re stuffed up. Plus, this pair lacks full controls. |
6 | 1More True Wireless ANC | This is a previous pick in our guide to noise-cancelling headphones. This pair was one of the first true wireless earbuds to offer decent reduction in the airplane band—enough to be useful on a plane or the subway. The moderate earbud size and inclusion of six sets of silicone tips (plus three sets of wings) help ensure a secure fit for a variety of ear sizes and shapes. The sound quality is on the sibilant side, but folks who prefer an extra boost in the consonant range may not mind this too much. If you prefer physical buttons to touch controls, these may still be worth considering, but newer earbuds have smaller cases and better noise cancellation, so these have been moved to the competition. |
7 | Amazon Echo Buds | This pair may be designed for Alexa users, but this is also a decent, affordable option if you don’t like the feeling of sealed earbuds in your ears. The sound isn’t as full and rich as what you’ll hear with our picks, but it’s far better than the vast majority of unsealed earbuds. The touch controls are customizable, and the call quality, while slightly compressed, is clear and handles wind noise admirably. With the Amazon app installed on your phone, you can use always-listening Alexa voice commands, but you also can assign a button tap to engage your phone’s built-in assistant. Dual-device connectivity allows you to swap sources easily. The five-hour battery life (six if you turn off always-listening Alexa) isn’t competitive, though, and the IPX2 water resistance won’t handle more than the lightest of drizzles. But for around $50, these are a worthy solution. |
8 | Amazon Echo Buds (2nd generation) | The biggest benefit of the second-generation Amazon Echo Buds is the ability to access Alexa hands-free. If you are a die-hard Amazon fan, there are no other earbuds offering this feature. However, the Echo-specific benefits like voice product ordering, access to Amazon Prime Music, and so forth are accessible via the Alexa app in your phone, regardless of what earbuds you choose—and the voice-activated features require you to leave the Alexa app open on your phone at all times. The noise cancellation is average, and despite the stabilizing wings and four pairs of tips included, the buds themselves might be a little large for smaller ears. The controls are limited, and the five-hour battery life is middling. |
9 | Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) | Although the IPX4 rating of the AirPods Pro means they’re protected from some mild sweat damage, these earbuds aren’t our first choice for regular gym use. The vented design on the 1st-gen model allows in external noise, and the noise cancellation on both models can’t reduce the sound of weights clanking or the lyrics of the pop music piped onto the gym floor. Both versions of the AirPods Pro earbuds stay in place during moderate movement, but people who do very high-impact workouts (such as burpee tuck jumps) may find that the earbuds can slip out of place. Additionally, the controls are fiddly and can be tricky to activate while you’re on the move. |
10 | Astell & Kern UW100MKII | Astell and Kern is a brand known for high-end audio equipment, so we were excited to try these true wireless earbuds. The earbuds are large—around the size of a nickel—so people who have medium or small outer ears will likely find that their ears feel stuffed. The noise cancellation is mild, but is good enough for reducing an air conditioner. Although the drivers are capable of reproducing low frequencies, the sound is heavily tilted to the mids and highs. There are bass notes present, but even the most thumping hip-hop feels unsupported. There also seems to be a spike around 7 kHz that adds a twang to grand pianos, plus a sizzly quality to snares. |
11 | Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW | These true wireless earbuds do a decent job of reducing noise, but the larger chassis and lack of stabilizing wings may cause a fit challenge for folks with petite ears. We couldn’t suss out how to activate a digital assistant, and there was no mention of it in the manual. The forward bass and spiked treble make drums sound unnatural, and we just didn’t feel the performance matched the more premium cost. |
12 | Baseus Bowie MA10 | For $30, the MA10 is surprisingly decent. The ANC is average, and the sound quality is remarkably pleasant. However, the case is massive, the controls are very limited, and the app is buggy—with some questionable notification and location privacy requests. We’d recommend spending a few more dollars for something vastly more user-friendly like the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2. |
13 | Beats Studio Buds | These earbuds have a diminutive size that will help them fit most ears well, but because they lack wings or hooks, people with small ear canals may find that they feel less stable. Although the IPX4 water-resistance rating means the Studio Buds can travel with you to the gym, they might not stay put for dynamic workouts.The control buttons are well designed—they are generally easy to find by feel and to press without painfully mashing the earbuds into your ear canal—but they lack volume control. Unlike other Beats headphones, the Studio Buds work with Android one-touch pairing in addition to pairing to Apple mobile devices with ease, and they support the voice assistants for both mobile operating systems—but that also means that they don’t support “always listening” Siri. |
14 | Beyerdynamic Free Byrd | This pricey pair is only worth considering if you have larger ears. The larger earbud design and lack of stabilizing wings may leave people with medium or small ears feeling as though the earbuds are slowly being squeezed out. This pair uses a hearing-test-based EQ program in the app to customize your sound, and we had mixed feelings about the results. Some panelists loved the resulting tuning, while others found they wanted to be able to adjust the sound further. The noise cancellation isn’t impressive, but the call quality and wind reduction are. For the original $300 price, we’d prefer a more superlative experience. |
15 | Bowers & Wilkins PI5 and PI7 | These true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds are similar. Both look elegant and are made of high-quality materials. Both feature IP56 dust/water resistance and multiple microphones for clearer phone calls—the PI5 has two in each earbud, the PI7 has three in each. And both feature the rich, bass-forward sound that B&W is known for. The PI7 has adaptive noise cancellation and a case that doubles as a Bluetooth transmitter—but the audio quality via the case transmitter was poor. The onboard controls are touch-based, have the tendency to misfire, and lack volume capabilities. In order to use the hear-through feature, you need to access the app on your phone, which is more cumbersome than taking an earbud out. We were disappointed that such promising earbuds could be ultimately derailed by poor user-interface choices. Our panelist Brent Butterworth agrees. |
16 | Cambridge Audio Melomania Touch | These earbuds come with three wing sizes and six sets of tips, so most everyone should be able to get a good fit. The sound quality out of the box wasn’t our favorite, but we were able to adjust the EQ in the app to make them sound very good. The claimed battery life of eight to nine hours per charge is also impressive, and the charging case is small enough to fit in your pocket. But the touch controls are easy to inadvertently activate when you adjust the earbuds in your ears, and the microphone is rather quiet, so you may find yourself speaking loudly when answering phone calls. Also, they lack noise cancellation. |
17 | Campfire Audio Orbit | This is the first set of wireless earbuds from Campfire, a company known for its higher-end in-ear monitors. Unfortunately, this pair has some room for improvement. The included tips are not big enough for people who usually wear large or extra-large tips in other brands. Even if you can get this pair to fit, the sound out of the box is dull, with a dip in the vocal range. Sadly, the app-based EQ doesn’t offer adjustments in frequency ranges needed to compensate. For a pair priced at $250, we would have liked to see the inclusion of hear-through capabilities and/or noise cancellation. |
18 | Cleer Ally Plus II | These true wireless earbuds feature adaptive ANC that is very effective. However, the sound quality isn’t the most appealing: Low notes are too forward and bloated, while high pitches have a sizzling quality to them. Unfortunately, the app-based EQ doesn’t help adjust the sound in the necessary ways. We also wish the onboard controls weren’t so limited. The 11-hour battery life per charge is impressive, but the solid battery life and good noise-reduction performance aren’t enough to make the Plus II a top pick. |
19 | Cleer Arc | The Arc is essentially a pair of small speakers that rest on top of your ears, a design that allows unencumbered situational awareness but is not ideal for a noisy environment where you want to block out the noise. The hinged earbud design squeezes the upper ear, which can become uncomfortable after 20 minutes or so. And the microphones sounded distant and muffled over phone calls in our tests. |
20 | Cleer Roam Sport | Although the stabilizing wings on this pair are pliable and comfortable, the shape of the earbuds is such that several testers (who use medium and large tips) were unable to get the earbuds deep enough into their ears to achieve a seal, which negatively impacted both the active noise cancellation and the sound quality. Even when used with third-party tips that fit our ears properly, the Roam Sport’s noise cancellation wasn’t exceptional. If the earbuds happen to fit you, the hear-through mode is surprisingly natural, and the sound quality is decent. |
21 | Creative Aurvana Ace and Creative Aurvana Ace 2 | The Creative Aurvana Ace and Creative Aurvana Ace 2 are nearly identical. They look slightly different, and the Ace features aptX Adaptive while the Ace 2 has aptX Lossless. The fit is comfortable, and the sound quality is solid but not great. The ANC is quite good for machine hums, but because neither pair offers much physical isolation, they don’t do a great job of muffling voices around you. These flaws are minor in general, but with so much competition, both pairs were edged out as picks. |
22 | Devialet Gemini II | The Gemini II has high-quality drivers capable of producing excellent low-bass notes with clear pitch, attack, and decay—a far cry from the thudding, tone-less boom of many true wireless earbuds. Out of the box, this pair showcases that bass a bit too much for our taste, with a hyped tuning that also has a spike in the highs. Fortunately, there is a six-fader EQ system in the Devialet app that can restrain the boosted frequencies and make this pricy ($450) pair sound fantastic. However, the Gemini II is lacking in features. The hear-through mode makes it sound like you have a head cold, and the controls are limited. |
23 | Dirac Sudio E2 | These, sadly, were a total miss. The sound out of the box was bizarre, with a narrow range of bass boosted in a way that meant descending bass lines seemed to diminish in volume as they dropped in pitch. When we turned on the Dirac spatial processing, we found the effect to be heavy-handed and vaguely incongruous, like riding a 3D amusement park ride that’s slightly out of alignment. For instance, finger snaps that were mixed to be directly in the center kept ping-ponging from one side to another. We admire folks trying something new, but this sadly wasn’t what we hoped it would be. |
24 | EarFun Air Pro 3 | This true wireless set is acceptable for the original $80 price, but it lacks any one exceptional attribute that would elevate it to pick status. The sound is pretty good, especially if you adjust the EQ in the app. The ANC is decent, but not impressive enough to warrant a recommendation for someone prioritizing noise cancellation. Also, the passive isolation isn’t great, so you can’t use these to block out voices. The microphones do a good job of picking up your voice and reducing background noise a bit, but everything sounds slightly mushy. The nine-hour battery life per charge and the wireless charging case are nice features, as is the IPX5 water resistance. |
25 | EarFun Air Pro SV | Out of the box the sound is incredibly bass heavy, so this pair benefits from some liberal adjustments in the app-based EQ. The ANC is quite effective, but the physical sound isolation is lacking. What definitely impressed us was the noise-reduction microphone processing, which did a wonderful job of identifying when we were speaking and shutting off the mic when we stopped talking. This can be helpful for reducing street noise. However, your caller can still hear background sounds when you are speaking, so the effect is somewhat like listening to segments of audio that have been cut up. Though the cut-hole case design looks nifty, we question how well it will protect your earbuds from lint or crumbs in a bag or pocket. |
26 | EarFun Air S | The active noise cancellation on this pair is quite good. Out of the box, the sound is bass heavy, with a somewhat cheap, tizzy quality to the highs that cause “s” sounds to have a whistle-like quality. The bass can be adjusted in the EQ, but the highs never quite escape the coarseness. The hear-through mode is pleasant to use, and the microphone ensures you’re loud and clear to callers, though it adds a compressed quality to your voice. We like that the Air S has full controls, but we wish they weren’t so frustrating to use. They’re overly sensitive, so the slightest bump or brush can trigger them. If you can get past that annoyance, these are otherwise a good, affordable pair of noise-cancelling earbuds. |
27 | Edifier Neobuds Pro 2 | This pair sounds okay, and we liked the plurality of included ear tips. However, the Pro 2 has very limited controls, the ANC effectiveness is limited to a narrow band in the low frequencies, and offer poor noise isolation. |
28 | Edifier TWS NB2 Pro | These earbuds are a decent choice if you want good active noise cancellation but don’t care about earbud-based controls. Each earbud can only have two assigned controls (so play/pause or track forward or ANC mode), and this pair doesn’t power down without the case. However, we did appreciate that you can adjust the touch-control sensitivity in the Edifier app. The sound is boosted in the low frequencies in a way that can muddy male voices, but has lovely mids and highs on less bass-heavy songs. Our voices sounded clear over phone calls, though the right earbud picked up wind noise in blustery conditions. Also, the textured coating means that the stem that extends from the earbuds can transfer some noise if you have long or thick hair that brushes against them, which can be especially pronounced in hear-through mode. |
29 | Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 | While this pair doesn’t have the level of performance of the Soundcore Space A40, the sound quality is excellent for the price. We like the IP54 water/dust resistance and the adjustable awareness mode. But the battery life of 4 hours with ANC on is too short, and the suite of touch controls is limited. |
30 | Final ZE8000 | This pair suffers from a bulky fit, lackluster noise cancellation, and boomy out-of-the-box sound that isn’t able to be rectified by the app’s EQ. |
31 | Final ZE8000 MK2 | The Final ZE8000 MK2’s ANC is middling. Out of the box, acoustic guitar sounded muffled, female vocals were buried, and the boosted highs caused cymbals and syllables to have a sizzling quality. The EQ in the app isn’t able to adequately address these sonic flaws, and this pair is pricier than our picks. |
32 | Google Pixel Buds A-Series | These true wireless earbuds sound quite good, and the always-listening assistant makes this pair worth considering for people who use Google voice features heavily on their Android devices. However, even the largest tips can’t really be described as that—two of our panelists needed third-party tips to get a seal—and the stabilizing winglets are best suited for medium-size ears or smaller. You won’t get much noise isolation from this pair, and though the A-Series can be customized to adjust the volume automatically when you’re in louder or quieter environments, we would’ve gladly traded that feature for more controls. The Pixel Buds only offer play/pause, call answer/end, and the ability to call up Google Assistant. |
33 | HiFiMan Svanar Wireless | This $500 pair has high-quality drivers, but the balance leans heavily toward high frequencies. So unless you prefer a top-heavy sound, these aren’t for you. It’s a shame that the Svanar lacks an EQ function, because this set might have broader appeal if tuned a little differently. This pair was not designed to be a practical, everyday set of earbuds: The noise cancellation is below average, and the hear-through mode is very muffled. The earbuds are large but surprisingly comfortable in medium or larger ears, but the hefty build may not seat properly for those with small outer ears. Multitude tips are included, but none are big enough to seal large ear canals. (This can be remedied with third-party tips, but for a pair this pricey, that shouldn’t be necessary.) The charge case—shaped like an angular kiwi—is interesting to look at, but large and awkward to open. |
34 | House of Marley Liberate Air | The earbuds are unique-looking and made with some sustainable parts, which we appreciate. But the earbud shape and smallish tips may not fit folks with larger ears. When we did get them to fit, the sound quality was decent, with balanced low and mid frequencies but somewhat sibilant and sizzling highs. Overall, we didn’t dislike this pair, but we loved other options more. |
35 | House of Marley Redemption ANC 2 | This true wireless pair has middling noise cancellation, six hours of playtime per charge, IPX5 water resistance, and a useful but somewhat unnatural-sounding hear-through mode. We tried to find a control for play/pause in the manual, but it seems the only way to stop/start music is to take an earbud out of your ear, which is inefficient. The main differentiating characteristic of this set is that they are made with a combination of bamboo and recycled materials and ship in plastic-free, 100% recyclable packaging. We love the environmental effort—but only if the earbuds meet your needs. |
36 | HyperX Cirro Buds Pro | This pair is middle-of-the-road in most ways. The noise cancellation is effective on very low frequencies but not not much else, the sound is a little bloated in the lows and dull in the highs (but not offensively so), and the fit is on the larger side. The tap controls can be finicky, and the case is large. None of these flaws alone is a dealbreaker, but the sum total disqualified this pair from being a pick. |
37 | HyperX Cloud Mix Buds | This true wireless pair is really designed to be a gaming headset. The controls handle play/pause and track skip/reverse, but nothing else. These earbuds don’t have a hear-through feature or noise cancelling, but they do have a mute button and a USB-C 2.4 GHz wireless adapter for less latency than a Bluetooth connection. More serious gamers will want to look at our gaming headset guide. |
38 | ISOtunes Lite | These earbuds come with earplug tips that are NRR-rated. Unfortunately, the long, conical shape meant that none of our testers could get them to fit comfortably. |
39 | Jabra Elite 10 | When used for work, the Jabra Elite 10 pair is fantastic. These earbuds sound good, feature dual-device connectivity, have clear mics for calls, and are perhaps the most comfortable ones we’ve tested. However, the six-hour battery life may not be enough for long days, and the noise cancellation isn’t competitive with the best options. |
40 | Jabra Elite 3 | This set is the most affordable of Jabra’s earbuds. We loved this pair’s ergonomic fit, but we were less impressed with the sound. None of the EQ presets were without flaws, and the hear-through mode was occasionally too quiet to compete with the occlusion effect—and it isn’t adjustable. Although the Elite 3 is a decent pair of earbuds, the EarFun Free 2 is often half the price and almost as good. |
41 | Jabra Elite 4 | Although the Jabra Elite 4’s earbud design is comfortable, and the full suite of controls is intuitive, active users might feel as though these earbuds aren’t secure enough in their ears. The noise cancellation is minimally effective, and the sound is just okay—the highs have a sizzling aspect that can’t be fixed via EQ. The 5.5-hour battery life is only half that of the Soundcore Space A40. |
42 | Jabra Elite 4 Active | We love the fit, the high water and dust resistance, and the controls of this pair, but its device connectivity is fussy, its microphone sounds muffled on calls, and its active noise cancellation is middling. If call quality and noise cancellation aren’t a priority for you, these earbuds are a good buy for around $80. For the original price of $120, however, we want a seamless experience. |
43 | Jabra Elite 5 | This true wireless pair is a good option for people who take frequent phone and video calls. The fit is super comfortable, the Bluetooth connection is stable, the controls are easy to use, and the microphone quality is excellent. Microsoft swift pair is a plus for office use, and these earbuds are operating system agnostic, which means you can switch between Apple and Android devices without losing functionality. But the noise cancellation is subpar, and the male vocal range sounds muffled, which was enough for the Elite 5 to be surpassed by our picks. |
44 | Jabra Elite 7 Pro and Elite 7 Active | Both of these pairs are incredibly comfortable on a broad range of ear shapes, the sound quality is great with a little EQ adjustment, and the microphones are clear for phone calls, especially if you have a deeper-pitched voice. (We noticed that high-pitched voices can sound harsh, which may be due to the microphone sensitivity or the background noise reduction software.) When we initially tested these, we had some concerns with their spotty connectivity and ANC effectiveness. After a spring 2022 firmware update, we re-tested them to see if the changes resulted in better performance. It seems the update addressed the stutters and dropped calls that gave us pause during our first round of testing. But, as with many Bluetooth headphones, dual-device connectivity can still cause some hiccups, especially when using these earbuds for app-based video meetings like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Many of the issues can be resolved if you adjust the settings in those apps, but it’s nonetheless frustrating and worth mentioning. The noise cancellation, though mildly improved after the firmware update, is still less than we’d hoped for the price. |
45 | Jabra Elite 8 Active | The Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds are built to be comfortable and durable, and we compare them to our workout headphone picks in that guide. |
46 | Jabra Elite 85t | These earbuds are very small and comfortable, with easy-to-use controls. They have adjustable noise cancellation (including variation between each ear), fantastic wind-resistant microphones for clear calls, IPX4 water resistance, a six-hour battery life, a useful hear-through mode, a very small charging case that’s Qi compatible, and a two-year warranty. However, this pair isn’t as good at reducing noise as the less-expensive 1More True Wireless ANC earbuds, and the included tips run on the smaller side, so our panelist Brent (who has larger ear canals) couldn’t get a seal at all. If the tips were a standard shape, we might not call this a dealbreaker, but the sound tube and tips are an unusual oblong shape that may make it difficult to find larger replacement tips. |
47 | Jaybird Vista 2 | We like the fit, size, single-bud capabilities, and impressive moisture and dust rating of IP68 (the case is IP54-rated). When they work properly, the Vista 2 earbuds are wonderful. However, we had two separate sets fail during our testing process. Although the third pair worked great, other people continue to experience issues at a frequency that makes us reluctant to recommend these. |
48 | JBL Endurance Peak 3 | If you prefer earbuds that hook over the ear, this pair offers great performance and a few nice bonus features. We like the adjustable side-tone for phone calls, the nimble EQ in the app that enabled us to adjust the sound to our liking, and the IP68 dust and water resistance. However, the charging case is quite large (similar in size to a bar of soap), and the Peak 3’s touch controls require you to choose between volume, hear-through mode activation, and track controls––you can’t have all three. The Peak 3 would be worthy of a nod, but the similarly designed Tribit MoveBuds H1 costs less, has a longer battery life, and includes a full suite of controls. However, if you want something very similar to the JBL Reflect Aero TWS in a hook-over-the-ear form, the Peak 3 is an option. |
49 | JBL Reflect Mini NC | This pair offers a lot of excellent features in common with our top pick, the JBL Reflect Aero TWS set, including a diminutive earbud and case size, solid (IP57) sweat resistance, decent noise isolation, a hear-through awareness mode, and EQ adjustability. Similarly, folks with the smallest and largest ear sizes who struggle to keep true wireless earbuds in place may benefit from the Reflect Mini NC design’s stabilizing wings. However, the touch-based controls are limited and were occasionally temperamental in our tests—even thick hair that isn’t pulled back may interfere with the accuracy of the tap response. Although this pair isolated well in our tests, the active noise reduction was minimal at best. Overall, these earbuds are solid, but we like the Reflect Aero TWS set better. |
50 | JBL Tour Pro 2 | Overall the JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds are fantastic—if you don’t need the absolute best in noise cancellation— but they’re pricey . They come with a control-panel case that duplicates app functionality without a phone, which is nifty. The fit is comfortable, and the six microphones reduce wind noise on calls better than just about anything we’ve tested. We like the nine hours of battery, the IPX5 rating, and the sound quality after you adjust the EQ. We wish the touch controls included the full suite (you have to choose one to leave out). |
51 | JBL Tune Buds | We love the 12 hours of battery life and the sound quality (once we adjusted it a tad in the app to reduce the high highs). However, the somewhat bulky shape might pose a fit challenge for smaller ears, and the noise cancellation and passive isolation, while above average, aren’t competitive with our picks. |
52 | JBL Tune Flex | This pair is designed to be worn either sealed or unsealed, depending on which tips you choose. However, the ANC is limited, all of the tips are small,and the earbuds can shift, causing the sound to change drastically. When they are positioned perfectly, the Tune Flex can sound quite good. But once the buds shift, the experience is less enjoyable. And to change on the go, you need to carry the tips with you separately (there isn’t a place to store them in the case), and we didn’t feel either style was excellent enough to recommend these as a pick. |
53 | JLab Epic Air Sport ANC | This pair felt comfortable to wear overall, and we like the case’s built-in USB cable. The active noise cancellation was mild, but it took the edge off low hums like that of an air conditioner. In our tests, we found the sound quality on the primary EQ setting to be bass-heavy but not terribly so; on bass-intense songs, we could still hear male vocals clearly enough. The app has EQ that can balance out the lows if you spend the time to make adjustments. The claimed 11 to 15 hours of battery life is quite impressive. The only real issue we had was with the touch-based controls, which we found rather finicky—for example, when we meant to adjust the volume, we instead paused the music. In the middle of a workout, this type of thing could be frustrating. But if you don’t plan on using the controls frequently, this pair is otherwise a decent option. |
54 | JLab Go Air Sport | This affordable pair is our budget pick in our guide to workout headphones. The Go Air Sport earbuds hook over your ears to stay in place, they have an IP55 water-resistance rating, and they sound surprisingly decent for the price. But this pair lacks all-purpose features like noise cancellation and a hear-through mode, and the case is larger than would easily fit in a pants pocket. |
55 | JLab Go Air Tones | If you’re looking for a budget dupe for the Kim Kardasian–branded Beats earbuds, these could be for you. For $25 (or less), you could do a lot worse. The sound is decent, and the microphone quality is good enough. Though these earbuds don’t feel overly secure in the ears, they stay put well enough to do low-impact activities. However, for a little bit more money, our budget pick offers a lot more functionality. |
56 | JLab JBuds Air Executive | This pair is solid for the price. The microphones are quite clear for calls, the six-hour battery life between charges is good, and the diminutive charge case’s built-in USB cable is handy. However, we found that these earbuds didn’t feel as secure in our ears as our picks did, the sound was somewhat blurry in the lower ranges, the hear-through mode had a slight delay and a compressed sound that could be off-putting, and the touch controls were easy to trigger when we were adjusting the earbuds in our ears. |
57 | JLab JBuds Air Sport | This pair is a decent affordable true wireless alternative for the gym. The over-ear hooks keep the earbuds secure, the six-hour battery life is good, and the set’s IP66 rating and two-year warranty are impressive. But the semi-flexible hooks can rub larger ears and aren’t quite as comfortable for longer wearing sessions, while the touch-based controls can be a bit fiddly, especially when you’re in motion. In our tests, the sound options were at best super boomy with sibilant highs. |
58 | JLab JBuds Frames | These aren’t technically earbuds. Instead, they’re small audio devices akin to tiny speakers that strap to the arms of your glasses and direct sound toward your ears. If you’re familiar with audio glasses like Bose Frames, the JBuds Frames are a similar concept but instead of being stuck with one pair of glasses or sunglasses, the JBuds Frames allow you to choose and change your own specs. The idea is a good one, especially for folks who dislike the feel of earbuds. While the JBuds Frames fit snugly and comfortably on several pairs of our glasses, the sound was a disappointment. The Frames lacked any bass response, and the highs were incredibly piercing. We do think they would be incredibly useful for those who benefit from audio guidance and yet still need to hear their surroundings clearly while navigating their environment, such as those with impaired vision. |
59 | JLab Open Sport | The JLab Open Sport design sits outside the ear canal, similar to the Bose Sport Open pair, which we like as an option for unobstructed hearing in our running earbuds guide. The speakers detach from the hooks and can be threaded onto the arms of glasses, which is an interesting idea. Unfortunately, in our tests the controls were finicky, and the sound was all upper mids and coarse highs. If you listen only to podcasts, books, and voice coaching when you’re working out, these headphones might be worth a try, but if music is your main motivator, this set won’t give you the bass and guitar you might be accustomed to. |
60 | JLab Work Buds | This pair has an optional boom mic that attaches to one earbud, reducing background noise on calls. It’s novel, and we like that the boom mic can be stored in the charging case (even if that makes the case quite large). But the controls are fussy, the sound quality is below average, and the earbuds are chunky. |
61 | JVC Marshmallow Noise Cancelling HA-A25T | This pair suffers from sub-par ANC efficacy, a muffled-sounding hear-through mode, and three EQ settings that never quite find a decent sonic balance. |
62 | KEF Mu3 | Of the best-sounding pairs of true wireless earbuds out of the box we’ve ever tested. Clear highs, deep (but not overpowering) bass notes, and a surprisingly large soundstage for tiny earbuds. The fit is comfortable for all but the most diminutive ears, with small, smooth earbuds that fit securely. The single-button controls are intuitive to use, but there’s no track-reverse control. And the active noise cancellation is just middle-of-the-road. |
63 | Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport | Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport and Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport McLaren Edition: These two pairs are largely the same, so we decided to discuss them together. The earbud fit is comfortable and easy to customize, thanks to the inclusion of six pairs of silicone tips and one pair of foam tips along with three sizes of wings. The tips are proprietary and snap into place, but unfortunately the wings slip out of position rather easily—every time we took our test pair out of our ears, the wings would slide loose—so we are concerned that those pieces could easily fall off and get lost. The charging case features a design we haven’t seen before: It’s water resistant on the outside and has a vented inner lid that holds moisture-absorbing beads. Klipsch says this design will prevent your sweaty earbuds from getting gross if you put them away wet. (It also means that the case sounds like an egg shaker in your bag or pocket—not a dealbreaker, but some folks may find that irritating.) With both sets of earbuds, the sound quality was quite good in our tests, offering clear highs that avoided sibilance and sizzling cymbal sounds, as well as enough bass to produce some oomph without overwhelming. The large control buttons were easy to use and didn’t hurt to depress. We found the microphone quality over calls to be quite good, too. However, we didn’t care for the hear-through mode, which sounded distractingly unnatural and emphasized high frequencies as though we were holding tin cans around our ears. We also discovered that you must power these earbuds down manually: After we placed both pairs into their respective cases and sealed the lid on each, they both remained connected to our phone. This point is worth remembering if you want to preserve their battery life. Overall, both earbud pairs were quite good, but due to their numerous nuisance-level flaws, we couldn’t quite justify their asking prices. |
64 | LG Tone Free T90 | This set has some interesting features, including a UV light that LG says disinfects the earbuds and a case that doubles as a Bluetooth transmitter. However, these earbuds and the included tips are very small, so folks with medium to XL ears may find them tricky to keep in place. The noise cancellation is decent, but the sound quality isn’t worth the original $250 price tag. While the idea of a transmitter case is somewhat neat, we’d say to get a better, less expensive pair and a separate inexpensive transmitter for travel. |
65 | LG Tone Free TF8 | We like this pair’s various sizes of wings and tips, as well as the charging case, which doubles as a Bluetooth transmitter. Out of the box, the sound wasn’t our favorite. But with some patience, we were able to dial in EQ settings (via the app) that made us happy. The noise cancellation is middle-of-the-road; it’s useful, but it is not a compelling reason to purchase this pair. Unfortunately, the touch controls are fussy and incredibly difficult to use while you’re in motion; it takes time to get a sense of the proper cadence of double and triple taps. |
66 | Linearflux HyperSonic 360 | This is a power brick with earbuds attached. The earbuds are fine but unremarkable. However, if you want to charge/carry the earbuds without the power brick, you have to spend more money for a separate charging case. If the power brick were impressive, and this solved some sort of problem for you, we’d say “why not.” But our powering team said that the specs on this charger weren’t competitive with their picks, especially for the cost. Since the charger is the main reason you’d carry this around, we had to defer to their opinion and say to pass. |
67 | Lypertek Pureplay Z5 | While this pair isn’t quite as good as our picks, the Z5 is a solid pair of earbuds. The ANC is effective, on a par with that of the Beats Fit Pro. We appreciated the wide array of shapes and sizes of ear tips that are included in the box. Although the bass is a bit more forward and the highs a touch coarse compared to the Beats, we recognize that many people may not find that objectionable. The biggest concern was the very sensitive touch controls that can easily miss a tap, especially if you have long hair in the way. |
68 | Marshall Motif ANC | This pair has above-average noise cancellation, and the hear-through mode sounds more authentic than that of most earbuds. But larger ears may have a tough time getting a seal due to the earbuds’ shape. We wish the controls included volume and voice-command options, and although the sound featured the warm mids and lows Marshall is famous for, the highs had a harsh edge that made strings sound edgy—as though amplified by a cheap speaker. |
69 | Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus | These earbuds feel very well built, but they have some flaws that we might be more inclined to overlook in less-expensive options. The ANC is minimally effective. The metal case is heavy. And the tuning is just a little too boosted in the lows and highs. |
70 | Master & Dynamic MW08 | Stellar build quality, with an earbud chassis made from ceramic and stainless steel and a small but weighty metal charging case. The noise cancellation on the max setting is quite effective on low-frequency sounds, the battery life of 12 hours per charge is impressive, and the fast-charge feature powers both the earbuds and case to 50% capacity after just 15 minutes plugged in. The physical buttons are easy to understand and activate, though folks with large fingers may struggle a bit with the teeny volume toggle. The IPX5 water-resistance rating is sufficient protection should you get caught in the rain or work up a light sweat, and the dual ambient awareness modes are helpful for conversations or navigating a public space. The sound quality is excellent, but because these are $300 earbuds, we feel the need to quibble. The over-emphasis on both bass notes and high frequencies is fun but doesn’t feel fully authentic. The soundstage is less three-dimensional than we’d prefer in a premium product. While the microphones handle calls clearly and reduce background noise and wind noise well, we’d like some sidetone to avoid the urge to speak too loudly. But if money isn’t a concern and you like the luxurious look, you’ll be happy with the MW08 earbuds. |
71 | MEE Audio Pebbles | Putting in this earbud pair is like slipping elongated fava beans into your ears. The design neither isolates nor allows for unencumbered situational awareness. It also feels more invasive than traditionally designed earbuds. The sound is pretty dismal, with coarse highs and bass notes that distort on hip-hop tracks like a subwoofer with a blown cone. |
72 | Mixx Streambuds Custom 3 | We love the Mixx Streambuds Custom 3’s mini metal charging case, but the sound, less so. Bass notes are prone to distorting, regardless of which EQ preset you try. |
73 | Monoprice Horizon ANC | Though this pair has better-than-average noise cancellation, it doesn't perform as well as the Soundcore Space A40, and it isn’t as affordable as the EarFun Free 2S. The sound is a little coarse, with detail missing in the highs and bass notes that lack definition. The hear-through mode sounds muffled and only provides a small improvement over just turning the noise cancelling off. |
74 | Monster DNA Fit | The eyeglass-sized case is large and unwieldy. When we tried to download the app, the Monster site said it was unavailable. The noise cancellation was barely effective. When music played, the bass was so formless and blurry, it was difficult to tell when individual notes actually hit. But we did appreciate the inclusion of 22 pairs of ear tips. |
75 | Motorola Buds S ANC | This pair has middle-of-the-road performance in all aspects. The noise cancellation takes the edge off, but it isn’t astounding. Music playback lacks low-frequency support, which can make hip-hop, pop, and electronic music sound like it’s lacking some oomph. The tap controls may not register double taps, so we frequently made music play when we meant to toggle the ANC. |
76 | Motorola Moto Buds 100 | We love how small the case is for this pair, but that is where the praise ends. This pair is cheap and feels that way. The plastic feels brittle. The sound is a wash of blurry bass and shushing highs that make vocals sound breathy. The microphone picks up a lot of room noise, and the case charges with a now-outdated Micro-USB cable. |
77 | Motorola Moto Buds 270 ANC | If noise cancellation is your priority, these aren’t for you. The majority of reduction came from passive isolation, and it didn’t sound as though it was making any significant difference. Though the sound quality is decent for the affordable price, the chunky earbud shape and short soundtube length can make it challenging to fit these in small and large ears. |
78 | Motorola Moto Buds 600 ANC | The noise reduction is above average, but the sound has boomy bass, and the chunky earbud design can make it difficult to get a seal. The controls are limited and, like many touch-control earbuds, can be fussy. Even with the added benefit of wireless charging, this pair doesn’t meet our high standards. |
79 | MW08 Sport - Master & Dynamic | These are less workout-specific earbuds and more luxury earbuds that you can use for workouts. Their IPX5 rating is sufficient for handling any sweat or water you encounter. These earbuds felt secure enough for us to use them at the gym, but we wish they had stabilizing wings to keep them in place for high-impact activities—especially outdoors, where the stakes of losing an errant $350 earbud are higher. We cover the MW08 Sport pair’s merits as a set of day-to-day earbuds in our guide to Bluetooth earbuds. |
80 | Nothing Ear (2) | Nothing’s app is very well designed, with some beneficial personalization of ANC and EQ that make the listening experience quite pleasant. The fit is comfortable, the ANC is above average, the microphone quality is clear, and the futuristic design could be appealing to some. However, the squeeze-style controls are limited and very frustrating to use. Not only are they prone to misreading your squeeze, but the act of squeezing can dislodge the earbuds and is likely to be difficult for people with dexterity issues. |
81 | Nothing Ear (Stick) | If you prefer earbuds that don’t completely block your ear canal, or you’re looking for a more device-agnostic version of the Apple AirPods, the Nothing Ear (Stick) is a more affordable option. Like the AirPods, the Ear (Stick) rests in (without sealing) your ear, has a stem hanging down, and uses squeeze-based controls. Unlike the AirPods, the Ear (Stick) has full controls (including volume), IP54 dust and water resistance, and an app that allows you to adjust the EQ––but it lacks Apple niceties like always-listening Siri, “Find My” tracking, and spatial audio capabilities. As with all unsealed earbuds, the Ear (Stick) lacks bass response out of the box. This can be somewhat addressed by using the app-based EQ to set the bass to maximum, but bass lovers may still feel that music with electronic basslines lacks oomph. Because the earbuds can handle some sweat and the design allows you to hear your surroundings, these are a possible option for runners, but the fit isn’t incredibly secure. If you have a bouncy stride, you may be at risk of losing one. Unsealed earbuds also can be risky for your hearing health if you need to increase the volume to obscure sounds around you. The charging case is cylindrical, about the length of a lighter but thicker. It looks cool, but whether it’s easier to carry than other designs is a matter of opinion. |
82 | Nothing Ear 1 | These earbuds have a futuristic look and quite good active noise cancellation, but the sound is less impressive. Despite the availability of a handful of EQ options, the bass notes had a mushy quality in our tests, lacking definition and clarity, and the highs had a jagged frequency response that caused an “s” to sound as though it were coming from between cupped hands. The microphones are quite good at reducing wind noise for callers, though we wish they had an option for sidetone. While the Ear 1 set has volume, play/pause, skip, and ANC/hear-through toggle controls, we missed having track reverse and digital-assistant call-up. |
83 | One Plus Nord Buds 2 | The most compelling feature is access to the “Melody” voice-activated assistant. (Melody is OnePlus’s version of Alexa or Siri.) Otherwise this pair is middling. The noise cancellation is average, and the music reproduction has too much bass emphasis, recessed mids, and peaked highs that make female vocals sound recessed and yet consonants coarse and shushing. It’s not objectionable, but not fantastic, and there’s no EQ. |
84 | OnePlus Buds Pro | If you have a OnePlus phone, you may like this pair for the “Hey Melody” functionality. The fit is comfortable. The ANC is quite good, though like many earbuds that lack strong physical sound isolation, higher-pitched sounds like clicks and voices make it through. If you need to focus, the app provides multiple white noise sounds that can be pre-loaded before a flight. We listened to both the standard sound profile and the one suggested based on the One Plus Audio ID hearing test; both had extra bass, and we wished there were a manual EQ option to split the difference between the two high-frequency profiles. That said, both were pleasant, if not 100% authentic-sounding. The squeeze controls can be a little finicky when you need to triple or double squeeze them. Overall, this pair isn’t a favorite but is recommendable for OnePlus fans. |
85 | OnePlus Buds Z2 | A decent pair of earbuds. The noise cancellation is reasonably effective, but the controls are limited and the bass frequencies in music are overemphasized in a way that makes the male vocals sound recessed. These aren’t massive flaws, but in a competitive field they’re enough to keep these from being a pick. |
86 | Phiaton BonoBuds | Although the ANC is quite good, this pair has other flaws. The earbuds, though lightweight, are a bulbous bean shape that would benefit from some extra stabilization to hold them securely in small ears. The entire outer surface of the earbud hosts touch controls, so adjusting the fit or taking the earbuds in and out can trigger music playback and/or ANC. The musical tuning has quite a lot of low-frequency boost, in a way that sounds as though the bass notes are being played through a massive car subwoofer just outside. You don’t lose clarity in the other frequencies, but there is a boomy, distant quality that may not appeal to everyone. |
87 | Raycon The Fitness Earbuds | These notably small earbuds fit securely and have the most adorably tiny charging case we’ve ever seen. However, their touch controls can be tricky, as the surface area is minuscule, and you must tap with a fairly slow, regular cadence—which is not easy to accomplish when you’re on the move. We wish this pair had personally adjustable EQ options, since in our tests the bass boost was broad and overwhelming, and the mids were recessed. Male vocals got lost no matter what preset we chose. The hear-through mode sounded dull, which is passable for quick conversations but not useful if you need longer-term situational awareness. |
88 | Raycon The Impact | Though we appreciate the stable fit afforded by the multiple pairs of wings and tips, the sound quality is middle-of-the-pack, with undefined bass notes and recessed mids that make hip-hop lack punch and male vocals feel lost. Additionally, this pair is not among the best at reducing noise, and the hear-through mode sounds muffled while lacking sufficient amplification. |
89 | Raycon The Work | These earbuds are average. Every EQ setting is flawed, but we found the “balanced” to be the most enjoyable, though still overly bloated and blurry in the bass frequencies. The touch controls can be a little fussy, and to call up your digital assistant requires four presses, which can feel a tad excessive. The hear-through function is pretty good, and the noise cancellation performs effectively on sustained low-frequency noises, but the silicone tips don’t isolate very well so you’ll still hear voices and higher-pitched sounds rather clearly. If that bothers you, Raycon includes three pairs of foam tips, which are more effective. The microphone is not wind resistant and is not as clear as your phone handset, but it works well enough in a quiet room. |
90 | Razer Hammerhead True Wireless | Gamers may love that this pair has very little latency. But with the unsealed design, it also has very little bass. The tap-based touch controls are also a bit fussy. |
91 | Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 | These earbuds fit comfortably and securely. Out of the box, the sound was pretty good but a little dull. Unfortunately the EQ was heavy-handed and wasn’t able to address the lack of detail in the highs. We wish this pair had more controls, and we’re also kinda disappointed that you have to download a separate app on Galaxy phones—usually, seamless connectivity is the entire reason to buy earbuds in the same ecosystem as your mobile device. |
92 | Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro | This pair is designed to be worn either sealed or unsealed, depending on which tips you choose. However, the ANC is limited, all of the tips are small,and the earbuds can shift, causing the sound to change drastically. When they are positioned perfectly, the Tune Flex can sound quite good. But once the buds shift, the experience is less enjoyable. And to change on the go, you need to carry the tips with you separately (there isn’t a place to store them in the case), and we didn’t feel either style was excellent enough to recommend these as a pick. |
93 | Sennheiser CX 400BT | These earbuds have a thick, blocky design that sticks out from your head more than most of the earbuds we’ve tested. Despite the large size, these earbuds are surprisingly comfortable, but we wouldn’t attempt vigorous movement while wearing them. As with many of Sennheiser’s offerings lately, the sound profile has a fatiguing spike in the high frequencies. Although the Sennheiser MySound app offers EQ, it’s very clunky to use and doesn’t address the problems effectively. |
94 | Sennheiser CX Sport | Although the earbuds themselves are small and comfortable, their remote and their Bluetooth transmitter are massive—make any large movement, and they clang into your face. The cable is also long and prone to snagging. A sibilant, piercing treble sound profile doesn’t help matters. |
95 | Sennheiser CX True Wireless | These earbuds are blocky and large, which makes them difficult to fit in medium-to-small ears. Out of the box, the sound quality is blah—a massive bass boost covers male vocals, and a sizzling high end adds a metallic edge to strings, syllables of lyrics, and snare hits. The included app-based EQ presets and weird teeter-totter audio adjustment tool didn’t help. The microphone offers no sidetone when you’re on a call, and if you speak loudly, it seems to overload the microphone, so your voice will sound overmodulated. The most impressive aspect is the nine-hour battery life per charge. |
96 | Sennheiser Momentum 3 True Wireless | These true wireless earbuds don’t do anything particularly poorly, but they don’t do anything really well to justify the price. We appreciate the full suite of touch-based controls, the ANC is effective, and the hear-through mode sounds natural enough to leave on for awareness. The microphones sound compressed but clear over phone calls, but these lack sidetone, so you may find yourself fighting the urge to talk too loudly. If you know you’re a fan of Sennheiser’s Momentum tuning, you’ll like the sound. The bass is broadly boosted, giving low notes a quality that fans call “immersive” but detractors find “blurry.” The highs have a few notable spikes that make vocals easier to understand, but it also adds a whistle-like quality to the letter “s” and a sizzling aspect to snare hits. The EQ adjustments lack the nuance to make meaningful changes. The earbuds’ cube shape is likely to pose a fit issue for small ears, and the included tips may not seal very large ear canals. Sennheiser fans may like these, but for most other folks, they aren’t compelling enough to merit the original $250 price. |
97 | Shure Aonic Free | These are enormous earbuds with an enormous charging case to match. The earbuds are so big, they look like someone glued true wireless earbuds onto another pair of true wireless earbuds. Plus many folks, including us, have experienced pairing and durability issues. Fans of the “Shure sound” might be willing to ignore this pair’s impracticality, but everyone else will be happier with one of our picks. |
98 | Skullcandy Grind Fuel | This set has a bunch of nifty features, such as the voice-assistant system that doesn't require an internet connection to function (though you need to leave the Skullcandy app open). It also offers voice-activated Spotify and the ability to use the earbud button as a remote to take a picture with your phone’s camera. Unfortunately, the voice-activation system can be fussy in windy conditions, and although the fit is comfortable, these earbuds are not as stable in the ear as our top picks are. |
99 | Skullcandy Mod | This true wireless pair includes an impressive amount of features for $60: customizable controls, EQ, IP55 dust and water resistance, dual-device connectivity, a 7-hour battery life with quick-charge abilities, and a surprisingly natural-sounding hear-through mode. However, the downside is that the case is large, as are the earbuds. People who have small ears or ears that stick out may find that their ears feel stuffed when wearing these. Even after adjusting the earbuds’ tuning, we found that the highs were either sizzly or dull and vocals sounded unnatural or muffled. We also had intermittent issues with the controls, which may have been a glitch on our pair. |
100 | Skullcandy Push Active | This set features the same voice-assistant system as the Grind Fuel does, but we were less enthusiastic about the fit of this pair. The earbuds are large, and the hook doesn’t arch over the ear as on most earbuds; instead, it seems to sit like a backward C. Our test panelists with smaller ears found the fit odd but passible. However, anyone who has larger ears or ears that stick out may find that these simply don’t fit. |