The Best Wireless Earbuds, According To Rigorous Testing

There are many reasons to invest in a high-quality pair of noise-cancelling wireless earbuds—especially a model released within the past year with all the latest audio tech to reduce or eliminate unwanted noise, allow for a superior private audio listening experience and make hands-free phone calls sound amazing. When used to watch a movie or TV show, the audio many of these earbuds generate will immerse you into the scene—as if the action is happening all around you.

After testing over 20 wireless earbuds by listening to music, movies, and podcasts both indoors and out, I found that the Sony WF-1000XM4 were the best overall. They offer comfort, excellent sound quality, superior noise cancellation, and an 8-hour battery life.

I tested headphones by listening to podcasts, music movies and TV shows—it’s a tough job, but … [+] someone has to do it.

ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILER

Meanwhile, you don’t have to break the bank to get high quality earbuds. For the best value, the OnePlus Buds Z2 earbuds are a great option for everyday listening. They offer features like Dolby Atmos support for spatial audio and excellent audio quality, plus a combination of features found in earbuds that cost two to three times as much. And if wireless earbuds aren’t right for you, we’ve tested the best wireless headphones, and have recommendations for the best workout headphones, too.

Here are the winning earbuds:

My Expertise

Over the past few months, I rigorously tested more than 20 popular and best-selling wireless earbuds, from a variety of manufacturers and in a wide range of settings and situations. I’m not new to testing audio gear: I’ve been covering consumer technology for over 25 years, for publications like AARP the Magazine. I have seen firsthand how quickly and dramatically the technology built into wireless earbuds has evolved.

During my testing, I consulted with two experienced music industry professionals–Drew Ryan Scott (a singer, songwriter and multi-platinum music producer); and Gabe Lopez (a chart-topping music producer, singer and songwriter working in Hollywood). We discussed what key features they look for when choosing wireless earbuds and what you can expect from the listening experience.

How I Tested The Best Wireless Earbuds

With a stockpile of wireless earbuds to review, I put each of them through a series of real-world listening tests. To test noise cancellation, I listened to music while standing at a busy city intersection. I sampled the same pop music from Katy Perry, Harry Styles and Charlie Puth, for example, for example, as I stood amidst noisy traffic and crowds. I chose these pop artists because their highly produced music typically has rich harmonies and vocals panning between the left and right audio channels. It’s also in Dolby Atmos, which lets compatible earbuds take full advantage of spatial audio with head tracking to make it sound like the audio surrounds you.

I also tested the earbuds at home while watching TV, using them during an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to see how they dealt with dialogue, sound effects and music. My expectations were high: I wanted the best earbuds to make me feel like I was in the middle of an action sequence—not just passively watching and listening to it.

To see how well the various earbuds performed during phone calls and around ambient and wind noise, I took them outside and noted whether I could clearly hear and converse with someone without the earbuds picking up unwanted background noise.

Of course, I also tested the earbuds for comfort and fit while exercising. A few really stood out with superior sound, better noise cancellation, extra comfort, generous customization or an impressive collection of built-in features.

Best Overall Wireless Earbuds

Maximum Customization And Comfort

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

Sony WF-1000XM4

Battery life: Up to 8 hours | Wireless charging case: Yes |  Waterproof rating: IPX4  | Drivers: 6mm

Best for:

• People who want excellent hands-free calling and noise cancellation
• Using presets to optimize the listening experience

Skip if:

• You want earbuds that need to stay firmly in place while working out
• You want earbuds with spatial audio and Dolby Atmos support

The Sony WF-1000XM4 provides the most immersive listening experience of any earbuds I tested, thanks to a blend of outstanding noise cancellation, digital audio upscaling and customizable listening options. With their compact, stemless design, these wireless earbuds are also extra comfortable. Read on for the highlights of my full Sony WF-1000XM4 review.

These earbuds have a better selection of features than even their more expensive competitors. They also provide maximum customization for your listening experience—whether you’re playing music or partaking in hands-free phone calls. Not every brand’s digital audio processing features actually improve the sound, but Sony’s Bass Boost and Speech Mode presets dramatically improved my experience while listening to highly produced pop music or calling friends.

I found Sony’s mobile app one of the easiest apps for controlling the earbuds and matching the settings with what I was listening to—not something every competitor offers. If you start talking while listening to music, the WF-1000XM4s can automatically pause your audio with a feature called Speak-to-Chat (you can disable it if you prefer). They also have a handful of listening mode presets, such as Treble Boost, Bass Boost and Speech.

The hot new thing in audio is spatial audio with head tracking, which lets you feel surrounded by audio as if you were in a concert hall. The WF-1000XM4 includes spatial audio, with a catch. Rather than using Dolby Atmos, it has proprietary tech that only unlocks spatial audio on certain tracks when you pay for a subscription-based streaming service, like Tidal. I definitely noticed a dramatic improvement in audio quality when listening to the same music on Tidal versus Apple Music and Spotify. But to get this feature, you need to pay extra.

Thanks to superb digital audio processing, the WF-1000XM4 offered the best listening experience … [+] among earbuds I tested.

Forbes/Jason Rich

The WF-1000XM4s automatically restore high-range sound lost in compression and you can really tell a difference when listening to music—most other wireless earbuds don’t have this feature. I also like the fact that for noise reduction, the earbuds rely on Sony’s proprietary V1 processor—which is some of the best technology available to handle these tasks. It works with each earbud’s noise isolation earbud tips and the two internal microphones within each earbud. As a result, the earbuds greatly reduce unwanted ambient sound. This feature seemed to work better outdoors and in everyday listening situations compared to on an airplane. Onboard a flight, the earbuds reduced engine noise noticeably reduced, but didn’t fully eliminate it.

The earbuds come with a wireless charging case, which is compact and fits easily in a pocket. They have a quick charge option which provides one hour of additional listening time after just five minutes of charging.

The biggest drawback? Connectivity. When moving around my home, the Bluetooth signal between the earbuds and a smartphone stuttered at a distance of 20 feet. Even when the earbuds were in close proximity to my phone, they periodically and randomly beeped and reestablished their wireless connection. On the plus side, the noise cancellation works very well even when no audio is playing, so you can wear the earbuds simply to reduce unwanted background noise.

Best Wireless Earbuds For Apple

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

Battery life: Up to 6 hours | Wireless charging case: Yes | Waterproof rating: IPX4  | Drivers: 11mm

Best for:

• Listening to any audio from any Apple computer or mobile device
• Experiencing spatial audio with dynamic head tracking
• Hearing audio using adaptive EQ

Skip if:

• You’re not an Apple computer or mobile device user

If you’re an Apple Mac or mobile device user, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) take your audio listening to a new, realistic and immersive level. Each new generation of AirPods offers even better sound quality, noise cancellation, battery life and more that makes using them with other Apple equipment an absolute pleasure. Here’s a summary of my findings from my comprehensive review of these earbuds.

Thanks to the spatial audio with dynamic head tracking feature, I consistently felt as if I was in the middle of the scene—not just watching it. When listening to audio from TV shows or movies produced for playback using surround sound, these earbuds replicate that experience wonderfully. In fact, even when I moved my head around, the audio automatically adjusted to match my movements.

These earbuds complement this immersive listening experience with improved noise cancellation. Within minutes of using these earbuds, I could immediately hear a difference. These earbuds do a much better job adapting the level of noise cancellation to match the environment, and the personalized spatial audio created an immersive cocoon—particularly when watching movies or TV shows.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) offer touch controls, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, plus … [+] a bunch of other useful features.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

Not to be confused with the AirPods 2 (an updated version of the lower cost and less technologically advanced AirPods), the new AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are now Apple’s premium wireless earbuds. Better noise cancellation, improved spatial audio, new onboard touch controls and longer battery life are some of what you can expect from these earbuds.

The auto-pairing and auto-switching feature (between Macs, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch) makes it easy to switch between devices in real time. I could easily begin watching a movie on my iPad, switch to the iPhone when I received an incoming call and then switch back again automatically.

Unlike other wireless earbuds which have a proprietary app, you control the AirPods Pro earbuds through your Apple device’s operating system. From an iPhone or iPad, for example, simply access Control Center and press down on the AirPods button to make product-specific controls appear on-screen to adjust volume or turn on/off noise cancellation and spatial audio. The redesigned wireless charging case, voice access to Siri and support for Apple’s Find My app are features which benefit Apple users only.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) made movies and TV shows sound immersive and incredibly … [+] realistic when noise cancellation and spatial audio (with dynamic head tracking) enabled.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

When listening to audio with noise cancellation turned on, the earbuds automatically adjust to compensate for ambient noise levels that surround you, so there’s less need to adjust the volume when moving between louder and quieter areas. I found this feature works very well, especially when outdoors. Apple’s H2 chip does an excellent job creating three-dimensional sound while noticeably reducing or eliminated unwanted noise. This worked particularly well for me when streaming music via Apple Music.

Meanwhile, the new onboard touch controls make it easy to answer or disconnect calls, play/pause music, or switch between noise cancellation and transparency mode without having to access the device that audio is streaming from. While you can’t make manual audio EQ adjustments, I discovered that the AirPods Pro’s adaptive EQ did a strong job adapting to whatever type of audio I was listening to. I could hear and enjoy every intricate detail of a highly produced pop song, for example.

If you’re already an Apple computer or mobile user, it’s well-worth upgrading your older AirPods to the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation). Doing so can help you maximize your listening enjoyment and feel more immersed in entertainment than ever before.

Best Value Wireless Earbuds

An Affordable Pair Of Dolby Atmos Earbuds

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

OnePlus Buds Z2

Battery life: Up to 5 hours | Wireless charging case: No | Waterproof rating: IPX5 | Drivers: 11mm

Best for:

• Listening to audio with Dolby Atmos at an affordable price
• Drowning out the ambient noise of an airplane, bus or train
• Anyone with an active lifestyle who doesn’t want to worry about water or sweat damaging their earbuds

Skip if:

• You’re an audiophile looking for an extremely high-fidelity audio listening experience

When listening to Dolby Atmos-supported audio with the OnePlus Buds Z2 earbuds, I truly felt like the sound was all around me. Combine this with the impressive bass, treble and clear midtones, and I had to wonder if these earbuds’ low price was a mistake. After testing various budget earbuds, I found that the OnePlus Buds Z2 are the best deal around for a pair of wireless earbuds. Read on for the highlights from my full OnePlus Buds Z2 review.

The OnePlus Buds Z2 earbuds are my value pick. They offer incredible-sounding audio, with Dolby Atmos spatial audio support for less than half the price of other wireless earbuds featured in this roundup. Plus, these earbuds have a comfortable design and can fit snugly in your ears. They’re also waterproof, with an IPX5 rating.

I found the Buds Z2’s noise cancellation surprisingly effective, greatly reducing or eliminating unwanted ambient sounds—especially in very noisy environments like New York City’s Times Square or on an airplane. But when I needed to hear what was going on around me, I could activate Transparency Mode with a tap.

The OnePlus Buds Z2 gives you great sound quality, noise reduction, transparency mode and a mobile … [+] app all for under $100.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

Each earbud contains three built-in microphones and use beamforming to sharpen voice pickup and reduce wind noise simultaneously. These features work exceptionally well when during hands-free phone calls. The Buds Z2s earbuds are also a great option if you’re a gamer. They offer 94 millisecond ultra-low latency, so you can hear a game’s sound effects and music at almost exactly the same time actions are happening on the screen.

You can manage the OnePlus Buds Z2 earbuds using a mobile app on an iOS or Android phone. Each earbud has built-in touch controls that are very accessible and easy to use. They offer just the right amount of sensitivity, so I could access the features I wanted without accidentally triggering the touch controls when inserting, adjusting or removing the earbuds.

The OnePlus earbuds are comfortable and waterproof. They have a stem (like the AirPods Pro), with the touch-sensitive controls built into the main body of each earbud so they’re more accessible and easier to use. The earbuds are also compatible with Google Fast Pair (when used with an Android device), so switching between Android devices without having to re-pair the earbuds is a seamless process.

Of course, these earbuds have some limitations. For example, the charging case doesn’t offer wireless charging, they lack customizable EQ (to adjust the bass, treble and mid-tones manually) and a few features only work with a OnePlus smartphone.

Best Earbuds For Working Out

Comfortable Earbuds That Won’t Fall Out During Your Workout

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

Jabra Elite 7 Active

Battery life: 8 Hours | Wireless charging case: Yes | Waterproof rating:   IP57

Best for:

• An active lifestyle which requires durable, great sounding earbuds
• Anyone who works out in a noisy gym

Skip if:

• You want earbuds with spatial audio (and active head tracking) or Dolby Atmos

The Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds are the best wireless earbuds for working out because they offer a unique liquid silicone rubber compound coating that adds comfort and will keep them snugly in place, even when they get wet or sweaty.

During active exercise, like running or cycling, the earbuds stayed firmly in place. (Jabra also makes the Elite 7 Pro earbuds without this unique coating, but which are otherwise very similar.) These earbuds are so lightweight and comfortable, after a few minutes of wearing them around the house, I didn’t even notice they were in my ears when no audio was playing—except for the fact I could hardly hear any ambient noise thanks to the noise cancellation.

The noise cancellation works with or without audio playing. When I cranked the music up during a workout, I felt the bass emanate through my head while experiencing immersive, rich, crystal-clear audio. This intensity makes the Elite 7 Active appealing for workouts—especially when listening to a favorite playlist that includes upbeat and motivational music.

From the mobile app, it’s easy to adjust the noise cancellation, activate the HearThrough transparency mode or manually tweak the music equalizer. You also get six music presets, including Neutral, Speech, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Smooth and Energize.

The Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds have a grippy coating that ensures they stay put when you exercise. … [+]

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

Because these earbuds already do such a solid job making music sound intense and immersive, you don’t need to mess with the presets, but they’re good to have available. When listening to pop music or playing a podcast, I sometimes found these different presets enhanced how my audio sounded. I also enjoyed the app’s Soundscapes option when I was winding down and relaxing after a workout. With an on-screen tap, Soundscapes lets you listen to the sound of ocean waves, rain or white noise, for example.

Both earbuds have a physical button (rather than touch controls) that you can use to control sound without an app. Meanwhile, you can set up the built-in sensors to pause music or automatically mute a phone call when you remove one or both earbuds. You can manually adjust and personalize the noise cancellation setting, making it extra powerful for tuning out ambient sounds even when no audio is playing.

I loved the customizability of these earbuds. I entered my information in the app to configure the earbuds to my preferences, but I could still adjust my listening experience moving forward. A separate, 10 second audio test helped me find the ideal fit of each earbud.

The more I used the Elite 7 Active earbuds, I found they offered a more snug and comfortable fit compared to the Elite 7 Pros. It’s the liquid silicone rubber compound coating that helps them stay put, while eliminating the smooth plastic feel most other earbuds offer. They also come with a convenient, pocket-sized wireless charging case.

Best Wireless Earbuds For Android

Perfect Companion Non-iPhone Users

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro

Battery life: Up to 5 Hours | Wireless charging case: Yes | Waterproof rating:   IPX7 | Driver Size: 10mm woofer, 5.3mm tweeter

Best for:

• Enjoying any audio using any Android smartphone
• Experiencing immersive 360-degree audio (only with a Samsung Galaxy phone)
• Using noise cancellation to reduce or eliminate outside sounds

Skip if:

• You’re not an Android mobile user

The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro earbuds work well with any brand Android device, as well as a Windows or Mac computer and iOS devices, too. But Samsung Galaxy smartphone or tablet users gain features like automatic pairing and 360-degree audio. These earbuds come with a compact, wireless charging case that’s smaller and more pocketable than most.

Upon removing them from their case to place within my ears, I immediately noticed each earbud lacks a stem, a design choice which makes them smaller and less obvious while worn in-ear. I could quickly achieve a snug fit when I placed the earbuds in my ear. Each earbud has touch-sensitive controls, and I could use the mobile app to adjust settings as well.

Once I set up the earbuds, I used the mobile app to make most adjustments since the app gives you the maximum control over the settings. I accessed the six audio equalizer presets, for example. And I turned on the Voice Detect feature, so anytime the earbuds used noise cancellation and I spoke, they automatically transitioned to Ambient Sound mode so I could have a conversation with someone nearby.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro are small, lightweight, and comfortable. They also lack a stem.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

When I paired the Buds2 Pro earbuds with an Android smartphone, I immediately noticed they produced high-quality audio, but couldn’t hear the 360-degree audio without using a compatible Samsung Galaxy smartphone. The noise cancellation feature works well, especially when listening to music at 50% volume or higher. While I listened to music, the audio was clear and robust—with just the right level of bass.

These earbuds work with Smart Things Find, making them easy to locate if they go missing (provided you’re using compatible Samsung gear to track them). Samsung users also benefit from automatic pairing and device switching between Galaxy devices. If you also own a Samsung TV, you can pair these earbuds with your TV to make TV shows and movies sound their best.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro are the ideal companion to any Samsung or Android smartphone.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

Whether inside or out, I found the Galaxy Buds2 Pros audio quality generate (even without 360-degree audio activated) is impressive, clear and very rich. I could hear all the production intricacies in my selected music tracks. And when listening to podcasts and audiobooks, the subtle and changing tones in voices made the content sound more compelling, as if I were part of the conversation.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro are a worthwhile choice for all Android users, but they’re an especially good choice if you have a Samsung Galaxy phone.

Additional Products Tested

While our five selected winners rose to the top of the heap, I weeded out many wireless earbuds that simply didn’t make the cut. If one of our top picks doesn’t meet your needs, these are the runners-up for the best wireless earbuds.

• Beats Fit Pro ($200 at Best Buy): For Apple users, these earbuds not only offer useful features like iOS integration, but they also provide a good overall listening experience, although they have a different design than found on the AirPods Pro. Instead of a stem, they have a wing tip which helps hold each earbud firmly in the ear. They also rely on physical controls rather than touch. You can’t manually adjust the spatial audio and noise cancellation, as you can with many other earbuds I tested. The charging case does not have wireless charging, and it is a bit large and feels cheaply made. However, I found the earbuds themselves a good companion when working out at the gym, for example.

Offering some of the unique features of the Apple AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro work nicely with any … [+] computer or mobile device.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

• Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds II ($249 at Bose): While the charging case is a tad larger than most, the water resistant (IPX4 rated) earbuds themselves offer a compact and stemless design that offers a comfortable fit. They’re 30% smaller than their predecessors. Bose faithfully implements its proprietary, adjustable noise cancellation. The earbuds send out a tone so they can learn the unique shape of the wearer’s ear canal. Meanwhile, via the app, you can manually adjust the Quiet (noise cancelling) and Aware (transparency) modes, as well fully tweak the audio EQ (bass, mid and treble) or choose from among several audio presets. The base of each earbud has convenient, easy-to-use touch-sensitive controls as well. The earbuds last up to six hours on a battery charge, and they come with a charging case (but it doesn’t charge wirelessly). I found the four microphones within each earbud enhance the noise cancellation and allow for clear phone calls. While not for use in water or during intense activities, these earbuds are a great option for everyday use and during travel on noisy airplanes or trains, for example. Their noise cancellation even dramatically reduced the loud noise from my leaf blower to a mere whimper, making my chore more pleasant.

The Bose QuietComfort II Earbuds are currently Bose’s top-of-the-line wireless earbuds.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

• Bowers & Wilkins PI7 ($399 at Amazon): Though these expensive earbuds look stylish and have good audio quality, I think our winners offer better features for the price. But for someone looking for a great listening experience from a well-known audio brand, these won’t disappoint.

Bowers & Wilkins knows how to make a gorgeous set of earbuds.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

• Google Pixel Buds Pro ($150 on Amazon): Since these Google earbuds are optimized for use with an Android smartphone, I tested them with a Google Pixel 6a. They paired instantly and automatically with the phone and produced rich and immersive audio. The noise cancellation works extremely well—it filtered out virtually all unwanted background noise. As the ambient noise around me changed, the level of noise cancellation increased or decreased automatically, so I never needed to fumble with the volume to compensate. When I spoke, however, the noise cancellation feature automatically deactivated, so I could chat with people at will. These earbuds use 11mm woofers and 6.5mm tweeters to make music and all other audio sound as authentic as possible. I recommend these earbuds to any Android-based smartphone users—especially Google Pixel smartphone owners.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro work great with any Google Pixel smartphone or any Android-based mobile … [+] device for that matter.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

• Marshall Motif A.N.C. ($180 at Amazon): After recently testing and reviewing the Marshall Willen Bluetooth speaker, I expected the company’s wireless earbuds to sound just as impressive. Unfortunately, this isn’t so. The construction of the wireless (IPX4 rated) earbuds and wireless charging case looks and feels like cheap plastic. Yes, they have a snug fit, and the noise cancellation works effectively, but its battery lasts a mere 4.5 hours. Overall sound quality was good, but for the price, there are better wireless earbud options out there.

The Marshall Motif A.N.C. sounds good, but the construction of the earbuds and charging case feels … [+] like cheap plastic.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

• Master & Dynamic MW08 Sport ($350 on Amazon): Simply put, everything about these earbuds is elegant. They’re accented with shatter-resistant sapphire glass and the charging case has a Kevlar coating. Using the Master & Dynamic MW08 Sport is the audio equivalent of wearing a Rolex rather than a Swatch. The earbuds’ overall look makes these a great choice for business pros who don’t want a plastic stem sticking out of their ears. If you’re trying to dress for success, these are mandatory accessories. Unfortunately, these earbuds lack spatial audio support. While they sound good, the MW08 Sport aren’t as impressive as our other winners, which have head tracking and Dolby Atmos support.

The Master & Dynamic MW08 Sport earbuds look stunning and sound great, but are among the priciest … [+] ones you can buy.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

• Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 ($200 at Best Buy): You get premium-quality audio and a premium feel with these earbuds–but it comes at a high price. The earbuds offer everything you’d expect, but they’re not superior to lower or equally priced competitors. They have adaptive noise cancellation, wireless charging and IPX4 water resistance. They work well with any computer or mobile device. I found the specialized audio EQ presets enhanced how audio sounded. Furthermore, I found the earbuds did an impressive job with hands-free calling.

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds offer noise cancellation, wireless charging, IPX4 … [+] water resistance and more.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

More Tech Deals To Shop Now

If you’re searching for deeper discounts, tons of other headphone and audio deals are out there. Below, check out some additional top-rated options that are on sale now

Score These Beats Headphones For 35% Off

Amazon

Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones

Get up to 40 hours of battery life with the Solo3 headphones from Beats. There is no need to worry if you don’t have time for a full charge. The wireless headphones give you three hours of playback with five minutes of charging. Plus, the headphones have cushioned ear cups and an adjustable headband for ultimate comfort. You can currently save $69 on these sleek headphones while this deal lasts.

Snag These Wireless Earbuds For 25% Off

Amazon

bmanl Wireless Earbuds

If you’re looking for a bright and colorful option, these bold earbuds might be for you—available in pink, purple, green and more. These bmanl headphones have a LED display to show the battery life of the earbuds and charging case and a flashing LED indicator light when charging. Snag these earbuds for 25% off at Amazon.

Save $20 On These Sleek JBL Headphones

Amazon

JBL Tune 510BT Wireless Headphones

It’s no secret that JBL offers high quality headphones at a reasonable price and you can score the Tune 510BT model for under $35. The wireless headphones can provide up to two hours of music with just a five minute charge and up to 40 hours with a full charge. You can score these affordable headphones for 40% off at Amazon.

Get $50 Off These Beats Wireless Earbuds

Amazon

Beats Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earbuds

Listen to music in style with these Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds. Available in multiple colors, from cream to red, these earbuds come with various earbud tips so everyone can achieve a comfortable fit. The adjustable ear hooks add security to the earbuds for those worried about traditional styles falling out of their ears. You can get up to 9 hours of listening time on a full charge and up to 24 hours with the charging case. Right now, you can score these Beats earbuds for $50 off at Amazon.

Score These Jabra Earbuds For $30 Off

BestBuy

Jabra Connect 5t True Wireless Headphones

The Jabra Connect 5t earbuds can be used for anything from workouts to work calls. They have six-mic call technology, which lets you connect to two devices simultaneously. The earbuds provide up to seven hours of battery life with a total of 28 hours with the wireless charging case. If you don’t have time for a full charge, you can get an hour of power with just 10 minutes of charging. You can score these wireless earbuds for $30 at Best Buy.

Get This Sennheiser Wireless Headphone System For 20% Off

BestBuy

Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless Headphone System

These aren’t your average headphones—in fact, they are designed for your TV. These headphones allow you to get quality audio without disturbing others. Reviewers rave over how the headphones prevent them from keeping their partners up when watching TV at night. Right now, you can snag this wireless TV headphone system for 20% off.

Score These JLab Earbuds For 20% Off

BestBuy

JLab Epic Air Sport ANC Wireless Earbuds

These wireless earbuds from JLab have active noise canceling and provide over 48 hours of listening time. The Epic Air Sport ANC earbuds have a charging case for easy storage and can be used for music, phone calls, and more. You can save 20% right now at Best Buy.

Save 57% On These Skullcandy Headphones

Skullcandy

Skullcandy’s Transparency Hesh Evo Wireless Headphones

These limited edition headphones from Skullcandy not only look stylish but have cool features as well. The wireless headphones have a rapid charge feature, giving you three hours of listening time with just a 10 minute charge. If you misplace your headphones, this model has built-in Tile finding technology so you can easily find them when lost. Right now, you can snag this colorway for $65 off.

How To Pick Wireless Earbuds

The best wireless earbuds don’t just offer noise cancellation. They provide a comfortable and snug fit, plus have built-in features, like spatial audio with head tracking, Dolby Atmos support, adaptive EQ, a long battery life, a compact design, and a well-designed (preferably wireless charging) case. They’re also waterproof and sweat proof.

To help figure out what to look for in a pair of wireless earbuds, I spoke to Gabe Lopez, a chart-topping music producer, singer and songwriter working in Hollywood, to determine what he looks for when choosing wireless earbuds. He produces music for RuPaul’s Drag Race and Queen of the Universe and has written and produced music for Belinda Carlisle, New Kids On The Block, The Go Gos, and other pop and rock artists.

Lopez explained that when he produces pop music, he takes into consideration how people listen with wireless earbuds. “I try to make sure the mid-range can always be heard, so the vocals leap out of the track as much as possible,” he said. “I like when the high-end is crisp, so I can hear the clarity of the production. When the high-end is clear—whether it be on earbuds or headphones—it serves the [music] well and the listener gets a good sense of what the intent was.”

Many people opt to boost the bass when listening to certain genres of music, but Lopez doesn’t focus on it too much. “I try not to get too overwhelmed by bass,” he said. “I find that bass can muddy up the mix, so you lose the clarity of the vocals within the production. For me, the most important parts of the music are the mid-range and [the] high-range.”

Lopez believes when buying earbuds, comfort is essential—especially if you plan to wear them for between eight and 10 hours per day, like he does during a recording or mixing session. “Noise cancellation is a nice benefit, so I can focus on the details of the mix,” he said. “I go with my own audio adjustments, but always poke around with some of the presets to get a sense of what the earbud manufacturer is putting out there for listening to pop or rock music. Sometimes the presets are a good match, but generally, I use my own earbud settings via the app.”

He also warned against cranking up the volume too much, which can affect listening in the long run. “Listening to music consistently at a high volume with earbuds will cause ear fatigue and ultimately prevent you from having the best listening experience possible,” he said. “When the muscles in your ears get overworked or stressed, they get tired, just like the other muscles in your body. This can impact the clarity of your hearing.”

I also spoke with Drew Ryan Scott, a music producer, songwriter and singer who has produced top hits for dozens of artists and several Disney and Nickolodeon shows.

When shopping for earbuds, Scott suggests finding earbuds with long battery life and a comfy design. “I always seek out a comfortable fit and want earbuds that allow me to customize music in a way I like to hear it, so I am not confined by presets or the earbuds built-in settings,” he said.

Earbud Features To Look For

Most people focus on audio quality, noise cancellation (which is sometimes abbreviated as ANC, short for active noise cancellation), style, comfort, fit and price when choosing which wireless earbuds to purchase. These are the important features and functions to consider before you buy wireless earbuds.

Noise Cancellation

The noise cancellation found in most earbuds uses both technology and built-in microphones to measure and invert sound waves emanating from the world around you, so you can focus on the audio that the earbuds are actually playing. The result is an immersive and private listening experience that’s available to you virtually anywhere.

There are plenty of earbuds that simply allow you to turn on or off the noise cancellation feature or choose from two or three noise cancellation levels. The best earbuds, however, also allow you to override the automatic settings and manually adjust the noise cancellation level, as well as the bass, treble and mid-tones you hear. Manufacturers typically provide a proprietary mobile app to control the earbuds’ settings.

Most modern earbuds, like these Beats Fit Pro, have noise cancelling built in and high-end features … [+] like spatial audio.

Jason R. Rich For Forbes

Another key noise cancellation-related feature you definitely want is transparency mode. It allows you to hear what’s happening around you, while still enjoying the best sound quality that the earbuds can provide. This feature is useful if you’ll be walking or jogging outside and need to hear oncoming traffic, or if you want to have a conversation with someone who approaches without having to remove the earbuds.

Battery Life

When considering battery life, you want to know how much listening time you get from the earbuds themselves and how long it takes to recharge the earbuds and case after you’ve drained their respective batteries.

Keep in mind, manufacturers sometimes calculate the advertised battery life based on using the earbuds at just 50 percent volume, often with noise cancellation turned off. When you’re using the earbuds in the real world, expect the battery life to be shorter—unless a manufacturer specifically states the published battery life is with noise cancellation and other features turned on.

Also, pay attention to how many times you can recharge the earbuds within their case before you also need to recharge the case using an external power supply. Ideally, the case should provide between 20 and 30 hours of listening time for your earbuds (via multiple charges or quick charges).

Driver Size

Drivers are the business end of the earbuds—the part that vibrates, essentially turning electrical signals in to sound. In general, the bigger the driver, the more accurately it can reproduce the sound. Bigger drivers also often translate to better bass and more volume. Look for drivers between 8 and 15 millimeters.

Overall Design

The size, color and shape of the various earbuds (and their respective charging cases) varies greatly. Some earbuds are extra small and are barely visible when you’re wearing them. Others have a stem which makes them easier to manipulate with your fingers as you’re inserting or removing them, or taking advantage of built in touch controls.

Those without a stem often have either tiny physical buttons built into the earbuds that are used for controlling them or they have touch sensors that simply need to be tapped to turn on or off specific functions.

While virtually all earbuds come with interchangeable ear tips in at least three different sizes to ensure a proper fit, you’ll discover that some are designed to maintain a snug fit during vigorous exercise, while others are better for casual wear or watching something from your couch.

Waterproofing Or Water Resistance

There’s also a difference between waterproof and sweat-proof earbuds, compared to just water-resistant earbuds. You can determine the level of waterproofing by the IP or IPX rating, which is an international standard all manufacturers use to measure the earbuds’ protection against potential damage from foreign substances, such as water, dust, dirt, moisture or sweat.

The first digit of an IPX rating (if applicable) refers to the level of protection the product has against foreign objects, like dirt or dust. In a rating with two numbers, the second number refers to a product’s level of protection against water (or sweat). An IPX7 rating, for example, means you can submerge the product in up to 3.3 feet (one meter) of water for up to 30 minutes without sustaining damage. Meanwhile, an IPX8 rating means you can submerge the product in over one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Anything lower than IPX7 means the product is water-resistant (so it can get wet but needs to be dried off quickly and should not fully immerse in water).

The higher the number associated with this rating, the more protection that’s offered. Thus, if you plan to work out while wearing your earbuds or engage in activities where they might get wet or covered in sweat, seek an IPX4 or better rating. This means the earbuds have protection against splashing water, but not submersion in water for an extended period.

Special Features

While all wireless earbuds offer stereo sound, not all of them offer spatial audio with automatic head tracking, adaptive EQ or Dolby Atmos support. These features create a much more immersive listening environment, especially when the audio’s production process uses these technologies. Spatial audio is very similar to experiencing surround sound in a movie theater, but the audio piped into your ears sounds like it’s happening all around you.

Spatial audio or Dolby Atmos can make certain music sound amazing. These features will also enhance sound when watching TV shows or movies while wearing the earbuds—especially if the dialogue is mixed with sound effects and music.

Mobile App

Most wireless earbuds have a proprietary mobile app you can install on your smartphone (or tablet) to control and customize your listening experience. When earbuds have a mobile app, it often makes the pairing and setup process easier. Sometimes, you can also use the app to fully personalize your listening experience each time you use the earbuds.

For example, depending on the earbuds, some mobile apps allow you to turn on or off specific features, like noise cancellation, Treble Boost, or Transparency Mode with a few on-screen taps.

How Can You Connect Wireless Earbuds To Other Devices?

Wireless earbuds rely on Bluetooth to connect with other devices. Any Bluetooth compatible device—including a smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, e-reader, laptop, desktop computer, or TV—should be able to pair with any wireless earbuds, regardless of the manufacturer.

At minimum, Bluetooth lets you roam 33 feet from the source device. More recent earbuds can pair with multiple devices simultaneously but remain connected with only one at a time. If you want to switch devices, you may have to intervene manually although more advanced earbud models now switch devices automatically. Some earbud models can only pair with one device at a time. Apple’s AirPods Pro models and the Beats earbuds offer seamless and automatic pairing with all Apple devices. Earbuds with Google Fast Pair and multipoint pairing can automatically switch among Android devices.

What Is The Difference Between Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) And Passive Noise Cancellation?

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) allows the earbuds to analyze the ambient noise and automatically adjust the level of noise cancellation and other audio features to create what it believes is the best listening experience possible. Some wireless earbuds have more than one predefined level of active noise cancellation. Higher-end earbuds often give you full manual control over the level of active noise cancellation via the company’s mobile app. Most earbuds today use active noise cancellation, and often simply refer to it as noise cancellation.

By contrast, passive noise cancellation, also referred to as noise isolation, relies on the form-fitting eartips made from noise filtering material to block ambient sounds from seeping into your ear canal. Passive noise cancellation does not use battery power.

Do I Need Waterproof Earbuds?

The answer to this depends on how you use your earbuds. If you only plan to use earbuds while sitting at your desk or watching TV, waterproof and sweat resistance won’t likely factor into your buying decision—though this feature would be handy if you accidentally drop your earbuds into a sink, toilet or cup of coffee. However, if you plan to use your earbuds while being more active—say commuting, taking a walk, or during a workout—your best bet is buying a model with water and sweat resistance.