We were among those who laughed at AirPods back in 2016, when they were first announced. After all, who on Earth would pay over $150 for dangly, earring-looking things that could easily be lost? Many people, apparently. Nowadays, that form factor is the norm and scads of solid alternatives are available, primarily ranging from just a third to over double that once-shocking price.

　　Our experts have written about earbuds, headphones, speakers, and other audio products for over a quarter century. It was during that time that earbuds went from wired to semi-wireless (connected to each other by a cord) to wire-free (both from each other and the source device). And in that same span, they’ve become the world’s most ubiquitous mobile audio accessory, improving over the years in both connection and sound quality.

　　Specifically for this buyer’s guide, our online research and personal experiences helped us identify over two dozen sets of contemporary buds, ranging in price from $40 to $350. After careful consideration, we narrowed down the candidates to nine favorites that we tested in real-world conditions, both independently and in contrast to each other.

　　Below are the best wireless earbuds based on that testing. To help you more easily find the best wireless earbuds for your specific needs, we’ve also included a comparison chart, a buyer’s guide, and a frequently asked questions section.

　　Editors Note: This article was updated on August 13, 2024, adding excellent options from Technics, Soundcore, and Oladance and a more robust and informative buyers guide section.

　　The Best Wireless Earbuds of 2024 Best Overall Wireless Earbuds: Technics EAH-AZ80 Best Budget Wireless Earbuds: Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Best Wireless Earbuds Under $100: EarFun Air 2 Best Wireless Earbuds for Battery Life: Oladance OWS 2 Toughest Wireless Earbuds: Raycon The Impact Most Stylish Wireless Earbuds: Marshall Motif II ANC Best Overall Wireless Earbuds Technics EAH-AZ80 Specs Battery Life 7.5 hours per charge, 25 hours total with case Protection Rating IPX4 Active Noise Canceling Yes, adaptive Charging Case Wireless

　　Pros Superlative sound Highly effective/adjustable NC and ambient sound Tons of tips for a confident fit Fantastic ease of use Robust app allows tons of customization Cons Expensive Just EQ, not hearing-based sound personalization Less than average total battery life with case Scott Tharler Of the 25 sets of earbuds we tested for this guide, the Technics EAH-AZ80 ($300) had both the best overall sound and the most/coolest features that make them easy and pleasurable to use. But especially related to the subjectivity of the sound, it was a very close race.

　　The other top contenders included the Sennheiser Momentum 4, Denon Perl Pro and Jabra Elite 10, each of those companies’ flagship earbuds. The Momentum 4 have a slightly better IP rating and overall battery life; more possible multipoint connections; and the cool ability to create physical zones that automatically switch to a desired sound profile for that particular environment (i.e. office vs. commuting vs. home).

　　The Perl Pro offers not just fantastic sound out of the box but also great personalization in its very well-featured companion app. The Elite 10 offers stellar sound on par with its more expensive competitors.

　　But to our ears, the EAH-AZ80 beat them (and every other earbud). They sound open, bright and detailed, yet warm and full. Plus the EQ presets are handy for dialing in a particular profile based on our mood and the genre of music we’re listening to. We just wish these buds offered hearing-based sound personalization. Other than that, the app is packed to the gills with features, options and settings that deliver a customized, premium experience.

　　Right from the get-go, the app welcomingly communicated how to use the app itself, showed how to wear the buds, and helped us electronically determine which tips gave us the best fit and noise cancellation. Both the noise cancellation and ambient mode are highly granular, literally with a hundred different levels (rather than the usual one or two). For instance, with a loud fan running in the background, we preferred around 70 percent but then we could adjust the NC when that fan was off.

　　The level of customization in the app is bordering on ridiculous and makes every other earbud experience seem primitive by comparison. Settings include such luxuries as the ability to toggle the color of the earbuds depicted in the app, adjust the volume of the startup sound, change the voice prompt language, or switch it to a series of chimes. As well as more practical functions, such as testing and adjusting how others would hear us on a call; and selecting a specific time period after which to automatically power off the buds.

　　Bottom line: across the board, the Technics EAH-AZ80 are premium buds at a premium price that offer an unparalleled earbud experience.

　　$297 at Amazoncheck price at us technics Best Budget Wireless Earbuds Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Specs Battery Life 10 hours per charge, 50 hours total with case Protection Rating IPX4 Active Noise Canceling Yes, adaptive Charging Case Wireless

　　Pros Affordable Great sound Fantastic value for the features Solid battery life with case Cons Only splash-resistant IP rating Scott Tharler In the next closest race, the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($100) just barely edged out the OnePlus Buds 3, which are at the same price point, look similarly slick, offer a bunch of great features, and sport very similar sound signatures: mostly clear with a muddy, rumbly sub-bass; tight, impactful mid-bass; decent mids; and pleasant, albeit slightly dark treble presentation.

　　Feature-wise, both stem-style buds offer the ability to granularly customize their respective gesture controls. For instance, with either buds you can toggle between whether you want the appropriate gesture to cycle you through the noise cancellation, “normal,” and transparency modes, or perhaps cut out one of them (presumably, “normal” mode).

　　They each offer spatial audio settings, hearing tests for sound personalization, and the ability to adjust the EQ manually or through presets. Two things we like best about the OnePlus buds are that they allow more intuitive sliding up and down (versus tapping) to adjust the volume right on the buds.

　　When one of the buds is removed, it automatically switches the bud remaining in your other ear to transparency mode (as opposed to normal mode, as in the Soundcore). They also offer dust resistance and slightly better water resistance.

　　But the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC outspecs the OnePlus Buds 3 in several key ways. The Liberty 4 NC boasts more total battery life from the case. They include five (versus just three) sets of tips for a greater chance of finding a great fit. To promote better hearing health through safe volumes, a meter in the app indicates in real time the decibels you’re exposing your ears to.

　　The case can be wirelessly charged, which is a nice convenience. It also features a light-up button that pops open the lid, exposing the buds and making them easy to grab.

　　The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC represents great value, proving that you don’t need to spend more than a C-note to score great wireless earbuds. While they’re not peerless, they’re our go-to buds at this price point.

　　$100 at Amazoncheck price at us soundcore Best Wireless Earbuds Under $100 EarFun Air 2 Specs Battery Life 9 hours per charge, 40 hours total with case Protection Rating IPX7 Active Noise Canceling Yes Charging Case Wireless

　　Pros Super value Surprisingly good sound Strong IP rating Well-designed app Cons No fast pairing Scott Tharler Just a few years ago, earbuds at this price point offered a cheap non-charging case, dodgy connections, and questionable sound quality. But nowadays, you can expect fully featured earbuds. In fact, based on the wide assortment of features and qualities these wireless buds offer, the EarFun Air 2 ($50) is the strongest value on this list.

　　For starters, they offer average battery life — but that’s a good thing, given how relatively small the case is. Speaking of which, these are easily the cheapest earbuds we played with that sport a case capable of charging wirelessly. They can do multipoint, a previously only premium feature. And the buds themselves are waterproof, which is nice.

　　Their signature sound is surprisingly refined. They dont stack up to the rest of the buds on this list, but they don’t sound bad — which we intend as a compliment, in contrast to the sloppy Beats of the world. In other words, the bass is warm and present but not bloated (though you can bump it up if you want). And it provides plenty of detail. Its not on par with the $300 buds on this list, but its still excellent for their asking price.

　　The app is another strong point, providing a plethora of useful options. We counted 30 presets — and a 10-band equalizer for making fine adjustments. To further dial in the exact sound you want, they offer an interesting interactive sound profile creator that factors in a whole range of frequencies.

　　You can also customize the actions of various tapping gestures, adjust the voice prompt language and volume, prioritize Bluetooth connection stability or sound quality, and toggle on a game mode that purports to automatically lower audio/video latency.

　　All that to say, the EarFun Air 2 are not only good for the money but offer tons of features on par with any of the earbuds on this list. They’re an easy pick for the best super-cheap buds in this guide.

　　$50 at Amazoncheck price at my ear fun Best Wireless Earbuds for Battery Life Oladance OWS 2 Specs Battery Life 19 hours per charge, 114 hours total with case Protection Rating IPX4 Active Noise Canceling No Charging Case Wired

　　Pros Superb battery life Good sound quality Open-air format aids environmental awareness Cons Superb battery life Good sound quality Open-air format aids environmental awareness Scott Tharler The Oladance OWS 2 ($150) are anomalies. They look, feel, and act distinctively differently than the other wireless earbud offerings we tested.

　　On a superficial level, they’re available in such wacky colors as Interstellar Blue, Cloud White, Martian Orange, and Space Silver. Rather than the usual hook-style look, they have two bulbous ends. And their wide, elliptical charging case is instantly recognizable.

　　Functionally, they stand way apart from the crowd in battery life. In fact, it’s not even close. With up to 19 hours on the buds themselves and 114 total hours with the charging case, they have at least twice the stamina of a strong majority of the buds we tested.

　　But they’re also more comfortable than they look like they’d be. Once we got the hang of sliding them on, they were actually easier to wear than some other over-ear buds we’ve worn. Although they look like they’d be heavy, they’re barely noticeable once they’re on. And yes, this second generation of Oladance earbuds also offers great sound fidelity in the open-air format.

　　They probably wouldn’t be the first earbuds we’d reach for when engaging in seriously active and sweaty workouts (because of their meager IPX4 rating), but for most other indoor and outdoor activities where situational awareness is key, we really like the Oladance OWS 2. They’re very comfortable and sound great.

　　$150 at Amazoncheck price at oladance shop Toughest Wireless Earbuds Raycon The Impact Specs Battery Life 12 hours per charge, 90 hours total with case Protection Rating IP67 Active Noise Canceling Yes Charging Case Wireless

　　Pros Good sound quality Strong battery life Super durable Lots of tips and fins for a good fit Case includes carabiner, can charge a phone Cons Slightly chunky case No app Foam tips cost $20 extra Scott Tharler To be honest, we weren’t expecting to be wowed by the Raycon The Impact ($150) as much as we were. They’re far from perfect, but still pretty impressive on a few counts.

　　From this list, only the Jabra Elite Active 8 have the same level of dust protection and better water protection. But The Impact take it a step further, with Mil-Std-810 certification, meaning that they can (true to their name) weather impacts, big temperature swings, and drops. Though they probably won’t drop much if you use the included strap or carabiner with the case.

　　Speaking of which, the chunky little carbon fiber-y looking case has a few tricks up its sleeve. It boosts the relatively small buds’ solid 12-hour battery life up to a whopping 90 total hours. In fact, the case’s battery has enough juice to spare that it can be used as a powerbank to reverse charge your phone via a USB-C cord, topping off your mobile in an emergency.

　　“Impact” also describes their sound signature. Kick drums produce plenty of mid-bass slam. The lower sub-bass is a little beefy, rumbly, and loose for our liking, but die-hard bassheads will be happy with it. They’re not as open and bright on the top end as we prefer, but if we weren’t listening to dozens of earbuds side-by-side, we might not notice as much.

　　At the end of the day, Raycon’s The Impact pack enough durability and stamina for pretty much any adventure. Lots of ear tips and fins ensure a stable fit and good comfort. They don’t offer a companion app. And their sound is more warm and fun than bright and detailed, so they can’t compete with the above earbuds. But they’re still a tough yet sensible choice.

　　$150 at Amazoncheck price at raycon global Most Stylish Wireless Earbuds Marshall Motif II ANC Specs Battery Life 9 hours per charge, 40 hours total with case Protection Rating N/A Active Noise Canceling Yes Charging Case Wireless

　　Pros Highly stylish Rockin’ sound Fast pairing and multipoint Cons On the pricey side Only 3 tip sizes included No IP rating Scott Tharler In a world full of generic copycats, the Marshall Motif II ANC ($200) ooze style. For instance, the Motif II’s case is immediately identifiable, with a tactile pattern that mimics the texture of Marshall’s classic amp cabinets. The buds themselves sport short stems with an easy-to-grip graded texture and gold accents on the bottom.

　　The well-designed main bodies of the buds are elliptical, deep, and angled, making them intuitive to insert or adjust in the ears, without accidentally tapping the gesture control surface.

　　Speaking of controls, they’re customizable in the app, as with other buds. But something we haven’t seen before is that (if toggled on) a particular gesture launches Spotify. In other words, if you want to jump right into a playlist on that platform, you don’t even have to mess with your phone, which is cool.

　　Another smart feature has to do with their long-term battery life. In the Marshall app, you can turn on battery preservation mode, which monitors the maximum allowed charge, charging speed, and temperature. The idea is that while in the short term, these buds may just offer average battery life (as compared to this testing group), over the long haul, the batteries in the buds and case will degrade slower than those of typical buds.

　　So yes, the Marshall Motif II ANC sports an iconic visual and tactile experience. But they also offer superb sound: open, clear, bright, and detailed. Plus, you can customize that sound by making adjustments to the EQ, NC, and transparency. So, in the end, they’re not just sexy but smart, too. Its just great design across the board.

　　$170 at Amazoncheck price at marshall Best of the Rest Tribit FlyBuds 3 Specs Battery Life 5 hours per charge, 100 hours total with case Protection Rating IPX8 Active Noise Canceling No Charging Case Wired

　　Pros Super affordable Stellar sounding Lots of tips and fins for adjustable fit Waterproof Case offers strong battery life, powerbank function Cons Weak battery life on the buds themselves No fast pairing, multipoint or ANC Case is enormous, only charges via wire Scott Tharler The Tribit FlyBuds 3 ($40) are a bit of an odd duck. In some ways, they’re amazing. And in other ways, not so great. For instance, they offer only five hours of battery life on the buds, which is the lowest of this group. But with their giant case, they boast 100 hours of total battery life, the second highest on this list.

　　So, let’s talk about its girthy case, which looks like a thick bar of soap. It boasts enough battery capacity to act as a spare powerbank for other devices. But then it has both USB-A and USB-C ports, which should be convenient, but seems weird. And it’s a little strange that the buds themselves are relatively small, yet the case is roughly twice as big as similarly sized buds’ cases.

　　At $40, these are the cheapest buds on this list, but they offer some great specs and features (which is odd in a good way). For example, the included six tips and two fins imply they’re likely to comfortably fit most folks well. An IPX8 rating means the buds are totally waterproof and able to be fully dunked. They also produce shockingly good audio, arguably on par with pretty much any buds on this list: clean and full — nothing bloated, muddy, or missing — across all frequencies.

　　Then again, there’s no fast pairing or multipoint, and you can’t control the volume right on the buds. We couldn’t get the app to find them, so we’re not sure how much additional functionality there is. But they don’t do ANC and only charge via a wire.

　　So, in some ways, the Tribit FlyBuds 3 punch way above their weight, but in other ways, they’re exactly as flawed as you’d assume from their rock-bottom price. Having said all that, if you’re looking for cheap buds with great sound quality and excellent (total) battery life — and don’t mind the size of the case — they’re certainly a reasonable choice.

　　$40 at Amazoncheck price at tribit Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Specs Battery Life 7.5 hours per charge, 27 hours total with case Protection Rating IPX4 Active Noise Canceling No Charging Case Wired

　　Pros Unique design Small, lightweight, and comfortable Great sound for open-air Firmware update added multipoint Cons Expensive Relatively weak battery life with the case Polarizing style Scott Tharler Just when we thought we knew how wireless earbuds were supposed to look, fit, and feel, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds ($299) threw us a curve. Similar to other open-air offerings, rather than going into your ears, they place speakers relatively near your ear canals and shoot the audio towards them. But how they attach to your ears is totally different.

　　Instead of the hook style that goes over the tops of your ears, this cuff style attaches to the outsides of your ears. In the companion app, it clearly shows how to properly affix them. It’s actually pretty easy, once you know how. It basically involves hooking the speaker end just inside your outer ear and gently wrapping the barrel end behind your ear.

　　They can be worn almost anywhere around the outside of your ears, but we found that the best sound came from sliding them down to just above our earlobes. In other words, so that the speakers are diagonally pointing up at our ear openings. Just like the first time we tried bone conduction headphones, it was an uncanny feeling how the sound deftly made it into our ears while still leaving us aware of our surroundings.

　　Even crazier, it’s possible to switch from stereo to immersive mode, either through the app or with the physical control buttons on the buds’ barrels. Once engaged, that mode activates spatial audio with a wide soundstage and head tracking. The psychoacoustic effect was that the music sounded like it was coming from external speakers placed a few feet in front of us — even when we turned our heads.

　　Other than that, the app offers the ability to crudely adjust the EQ, customize button press actions, and (thanks to a recent firmware update) manage multipoint connections.

　　If you enjoy thinking outside the box — or, in this case, the ear — when it comes to audio, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds might be for you. They’re pretty expensive compared to other open-air earbuds, but they’re unique, easy, and comfortable to wear; plus, they produce satisfying, high-quality sound.

　　$299 at Amazoncheck price at bose 1More Sleeping Earbuds Z30 Specs Battery Life 8 hours per charge, 32 hours total with case Protection Rating N/A Active Noise Canceling No Charging Case Wired

　　Pros Tiny, super comfy Good passive noise isolation Soothing sounds aid sleeping Local playback extends battery life Affordable Cons No microphones Weak app Scott Tharler Easily the tiniest of the 25 earbuds we tested, the 1More Sleeping Earbuds Z30 ($80) are meant to go inside your ears to isolate outside sounds through passive noise cancellation, making it easier for you to fall asleep. They’re great if you have a partner who snores or happen to find yourself sleeping in an unfamiliar/noisy environment.

　　Just to be clear, they don’t offer active noise cancellation per se. Using the app, you can load up to six soothing nature-based sounds onto them. So you might hear the wind, rain, a crackling fire, etc. Those sounds can play locally (right from the buds rather than your phone) for up to eight hours on a full charge. Ideally, you’ll fall asleep way before that, which is why you can set a timer.

　　The Z30 are so small that they’re perfectly comfortable for side sleepers. Essentially, they’re earplugs; but instead of just being dumb pieces of foam or silicone, they pack electronics and play audio. They can also play music via Bluetooth just like regular earbuds, but only for six hours on a full charge.

　　Since they’re primarily intended for use while sleeping, they don’t need to be waterproof or do multipoint. They don’t respond to any sort of gesture controls. And they don’t have microphones, so you can’t take calls on them. In that way, they’re a one- or two-trick pony.

　　Expensive for earplugs but affordable for earbuds, the 1More Sleeping Earbuds Z30 are simply intended to block unwanted outside sounds and instead play pleasant ones that help you fall asleep. The app is fairly crude but manages to get the job done. And the audio quality is pretty decent, especially given how minuscule these buds are.

　　check price at 1more Wireless Earbuds Comparison Chart

　　Bose Ultra Open Earbuds attach uniquely, gently, comfortably, and securely; (photo/Scott Tharler) How We Tested The Best Wireless Earbuds Whether paddling, hiking, hanging around the office, or even sleeping, the GearJunkie staff is likely (and happy) to be rocking earbuds. After all, popping in a sweet set of buds motivates us during our favorite activities and provides a pleasant soundscape as we transition from one to another. Which is to say, when it came to evaluating the best wireless earbuds, we had ample opportunities to do so.

　　Throughout months of auditioning a plethora of earbuds in different environments, we poured through several familiar playlists on Qobuz and Amazon Music. Although doing A/B testing with earbuds is a little trickier than with Bluetooth speakers, we did our best to be scientific about the process, comparing them under similar conditions.

　　Quick side note: We did take calls on the earbuds, but it wasn’t a huge focus. None of the ones we tested were so heinous as to get kicked off the list. In future versions of this guide, we may focus more on this category, but certainly, for this version, music quality was much more heavily weighted.

　　In addition to sound quality, we rated all the entries based on such factors as fit, comfort, battery life, ease of use, case size, durability, app features, and price. To keep this resource as current and comprehensive as possible, we’ll continue to cull and assess additional wireless earbuds for future versions of this guide.

　　An IP rating of X7, X8, 67 or 68 means the earbuds are totally waterproof; (photo/Scott Tharler) Why You Can Trust Us If you were to set the Way Back Machine for ten years ago, you’d arrive in a time when neck-based earphones were all the rage. Imagine if you can: earbuds were connected by a cord/band that went behind your neck and sat at its base.

　　Only a few companies (you probably haven’t heard of) were even talking about creating wire-free earphones. After they finally cracked the wireless connectivity code, Apple threw their perennially game-changing hat in the ring, and the marketplace exploded to be what it is now.

　　Our lead tester, Scott Tharler, has been writing about audio products and all manner of consumer electronics since way before all that went down — in fact, for over 25 years now. Along the way, Tharler’s forged working relationships with oodles of audio vendors at multiple CanJams and more than two dozen CES events.

　　At those crowded shows and in more relaxed private settings, he’s gotten to experience literally hundreds of headphones in multiple form factors and at every imaginable price point.

　　All that to say, over the years, we’ve watched this wireless ear candy evolve from a cool concept to the impressive staples that they are today. So you can definitely trust us to offer authenticity, context, and perspective about wireless earbuds.

　　Choosing the right earbuds is kind of like selecting a wine that fits your taste; (photo/Scott Tharler) Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Perfect Wireless Earbuds At this point, the sheer volume of wireless earbuds available is an embarrassment of riches. Which is to say that you have tons of great options when it comes to selecting a decent pair. But that also means it can be quite a daunting task, to say the least.

　　Of course, if you’re in the Apple universe, they make it pretty easy to choose which set of Airpods suits you best. Similarly, if you swim in the Samsung ecosystem, their buds will unlock certain features by playing better with Samsung phones and/or watches. And Google’s buds play predictably well with their phones. For everyone else, there are tons of factors to consider. And making an informed decision to find the right ones requires dedicated thought and research.

　　Fortunately, this guide packs all the essential info you’ll need to choose the best wireless earbuds for you. You’ll learn why you should and shouldn’t consider particular types of wireless earbuds and which features matter most. Practically speaking, it’s everything you need to know about purchasing wireless earbuds that are sure to put tasty tunes in your ears and a smile on your face.

　　This guide focuses solely on wireless earbuds. For more music gear, check out our guides to the best wireless earbuds under $50 and the best bone conduction headphones.

　　Form Factor Where the earbuds are placed in relation to your ear canal is dictated by your audio goals and typical use case.

　　In-Ear If sound quality is most important, you’ll want an earbud that twists into place, forming a seal so that the nozzle is inside your ear canal (at a comfortable depth). Be on the lookout for tips aimed at reducing pressure inside your ears, which can make a difference during extended listening sessions.

　　At $100, the slick Soundcore Liberty 4 NC and shiny OnePlus Buds 3 are each terrific earbuds with great features; (photo/Scott Tharler) Semi In-Ear Commonly referred to as the “AirPod style,” this means the buds — typically in the stem body style — are resting just outside the ear canals. This feels good to some folks who don’t like sticking things in their ears but feel distractingly insecure about others.

　　Open Air Further removed from the ear canal, this form factor either hooks over your ears — as with esteemedrunning headphoneslike theSoundcore AeroFit Pro — or latches onto the sides of your ears like Bose’s innovative yet quirky Ultra Open Earbuds. In both cases, they’re essentially tiny speakers positioned close enough to send audio semi-privately towards your inner ears.

　　Bone Conduction Pioneered by Shokz, bone conduction earphones only tangentially touch your outer ears, sending audio signals directly into your inner ear via your jawbone (as opposed to through the air, like other headphones). Because they block no part of your ear canal, they’re great for a variety of outdoor activities where situational awareness is optimal.

　　1More’s tiny Sleeping Earbuds Z30 (left) are meant to aid sleep, Sennhesier’s much bigger Momentum 4 (right) offer super sound and excellent features; (photo/Scott Tharler) Fit and Comfort While other form factors tend to be more forgiving, in-ear buds require a secure fit to be effective and worthwhile. So if you’re shopping for them, pay attention to the number, shape, and materials of tips provided. On the stingy side, some buds only come with three pairs of tips, and on the generous end, theTechnics AZ80comes with seven sets.

　　We find that oval tips tend to fit more comfortably and securely in our ears better than round ones. And in addition to silicone, earbuds such as Denon’s Perl Pro also come with foam tips, which can provide a tighter seal but require a bit of finagling.

　　Beyond the tips themselves, a bunch of the buds we tested also came with complementary wings or fins (that go over the earbuds’ body or nozzle) to help further secure them in the conchas of our ears, which is essential when engaging in more rigorous activities.

　　Some earbuds’ companion apps (such as Technics’ and Denon’s) offer a feature that electronically assesses and reports how well the earbuds actually fit. Other than your general comfort, this is important because a secure fit ensures you’re hearing the best possible sound quality delivered by the buds.

　　Earbud body styles include inserts, hooks, cuffs, stems, and stemless; (photo/Scott Tharler) Body Style Buds This stemless design can lead to a purposefully slicker, lower profile. Sometimes, they stick out, leading to the Frankenstein’s monster look, or make a fashion statement like with the polarizing ear gauge aesthetic of Denon’s Perl Pro.

　　From a functional standpoint, plain buds may lead to a frustrating number of mis-taps when trying to readjust them in your ears. So it’s important to figure out if/how you can grab them without adjusting the music (and another reason why a solid fit is so important).

　　Stems Like them or not, Apple popularized this style, which is often credited with having better microphone quality due to the ends of the stems being slightly closer to your mouth. (Though some in the stemless style feature extra microphones that result in similar or better call quality.) But stems also offer additional options for controls, which can enhance ease of use, especially when physically adjusting or removing the buds.

　　Marshall’s Motif II earbuds stand apart from the crowd for style and great sound; (photo/Scott Tharler) Ease of Use Just as nobodys style is inherently perfect or flawed, no method of control is right or wrong. It all depends on the implementation. Sometimes tapping and gesture controls are effective, but less so if the touch-sensitive area is limited to a tiny, easily missed spot.

　　Similarly, physical buttons can work well with stems or buds, but not if they’re counterintuitively positioned and you have to fumble for them every time. The Jabra Elite 10 does a good job, making the whole outer surface of each bud a flat, clicky button, as opposed to ones from the likes of Samsung and Google, which have curvy outer surfaces protruding, which may increase tapping inaccuracies.

　　Some companies, such as Apple and Nothing, implement a squeeze or pinch method of controlling their stem-style earbuds. This leads to fewer false taps but can also be tricky, depending on the complexity of the action. For instance, a triple-pinch or double-pinch and hold takes a level of speed and dexterity that may prove challenging for most folks.

　　Conversely, it’s nice to have an app that lets you reassign what gestures (tapping, sliding, and/or holding combinations) trigger which actions, such as: track and volume changes; conjuring a virtual assistant; and activating noise cancellation or transparency mode.

　　The case for 1More’s Sleeping Earbuds Z30 is clearly more pocketable than that of Tribit’s FlyBuds 3; (photo/Scott Tharler) Battery Life On a few levels, this can be one of the most deceiving specifications for wireless earbuds. The first battery-related stat you’re likely to see is how long you can listen to the buds on a single full charge. For reference, the average from across the bigger group we tested was just a hair under nine hours. Next, you’ll probably hear how many extra hours or full charges the case offers.

　　For the sake of simplicity, this guide lists (estimates of) the total number of playtime offered when both the buds and case start with a full charge. For the larger group of roughly two dozen earbuds we researched and tested, the average was over 42 hours.

　　This means you probably wouldn’t have to worry about recharging the case when going away for a weekend. Keep in mind, that’s with ANC turned off. We used that stat since not all earbuds offer that feature or report battery life (as they should) with ANC turned on.

　　The other big factor that can greatly affect battery life is the selected codec. In other words, if you opt for high-resolution playback, you should plan to see drastically lower battery life numbers, sometimes half as much. The most helpful companies list all the battery life variations, so you can have a better idea of how much playback to expect.

　　With all this in mind, the Oladance OWS 2 easily claims the longest battery life, with 19 hours on a single charge and up to 114 total with the charging case. Part of that has to do with the fact that they’re open and therefore can’t do noise cancellation and part with their unique form factor, but it’s still very impressive.

　　Raycon’s The Impact has the smallest case of the three earbuds that offer 90+ total hours of battery life; (photo/Scott Tharler) Charging Case Nowadays, almost all earbuds’ cases charge their buds. The question is whether they do so wirelessly or only through a wired connection. This not only affects the convenience factor, but also which accessories you might want (such as a nightstand dock that charges your phone, watch, and earbuds at the same time).

　　Additionally, it’s helpful to know whether the case can be quickly charged through its USB-C connection. In the reverse direction, the batteries in some wireless earbuds’ cases are so beefy — as with the Tribit FlyBuds 3 — that they can actually top off your phone’s battery in a pinch.

　　Lastly, in what may seem like a minor factor, you might want to consider how the case reports its charging status. For instance, especially if you’re color blind, it’s more helpful to see that four out of five of the lights are blinking and/or glowing, as opposed to trying to guess what a single indicator light means.

　　Likewise, it’s nice to be able to see a live representation of how charged the buds and case are. Most companion apps report both right on their home screens.

　　Sound Qualities Of course, hearing audio is the whole reason for getting earbuds in the first place. But what constitutes good (enough) audio according to each person’s perceptions and use case is extremely subjective. To make matters trickier, because of their more intimate nature — that is, their tendency to go in your ears and get icky wax on the tips — you probably won’t get a chance to audition the earbuds before purchasing them. But when you do get to listen to them, pay attention to the following auditory attributes.

　　Clarity and Distortion Aside from how loud they are, all speakers (such as those in headphones) exhibit different sound signatures at different volumes. For instance, at lower volumes, headphones may sound not only more clear but also relatively tame in terms of their bass and treble.

　　On the opposite end of the spectrum, at higher volumes, they may sound distorted and unpleasant. So it’s good to test out headphones at a variety of volumes — not only listening for changes in sound signature and clarity but also seeking a safe, pleasant volume level.

　　Marshall’s Motif II earbuds ooze iconic rock ‘n’ roll style; (photo/Scott Tharler) Impact and Detail Depending on your personal preference and where you happen to be when you’re listening, you may want more slam or finesse. For example, in the gym or another noisy background, a more V-shaped sound that dials up the bass and treble will help you to actually hear your jams.

　　Whereas when you’re just chilling at home or in another quiet place with your tunes, you might delight in the detail that feels like it brings you into the room of a live performance. To a great degree, enjoying your music is all about finding a delicate balance between these two qualities.

　　Brightness and Darkness Brightness describes a sense of both clarity and detail in the upper frequencies (i.e. treble). To say earbuds are bright means that they’re able to retrieve and produce clear, open high notes. “Sparkly” is right at the precipice of being too much detail.

　　For most folks, “sizzle” means it goes too far, portraying high-end frequencies in a way that comes off as sibilant and harsh. Conversely, if earbuds are dark, they lack openness and detail — similar to how you would sound if you cupped your hands over your mouth while talking.

　　Warmness and Coolness Warm refers to how “rich,” “beefy,” or “fun” a particular set of headphones sounds. Conversely, a cool sound might otherwise be described as “flat,” “pale,” or “anemic.” Simply put, these temperature-minded terms are just an attempt to describe whether the earbuds produce a fuller or thinner sound. It’s your call as to what sounds better to you.

　　Lows, Mids, and Highs Spoiler alert: Not all bass is the same. Since what’s considered bass is represented by a range of frequencies, it’s not just a matter of whether earbuds do or don’t “have bass,” but rather how it shows up and what flavor it is. Similar to how sweet or spicy a particular food might be, everyone enjoys the presentation and subtleties of those particular qualities differently.

　　For bass, what might be a lovely, warm rumble to one listener might sound muddy, bloated, and unrefined to another. It’s the same way with treble — and, for that matter, the middle frequencies. Everyone has different abilities, tolerances, and preferences when it comes to perceiving and enjoying different frequencies.

　　As you listen to music you’re familiar with, pay attention to what makes you happy — or cringe. On the low end, you might prefer more sub-bass rumble; a tight, impactful beat; or a more natural-sounding timbre with less impactful oomph. If you listen to music that heavily features pianos, trumpets, acoustic guitars and/or vocalists, then mid-level frequencies are your jam. And a crisply rattling high hat might sound delightful or torturous to you.

　　All that to say, applying some combination of the above (and other similarly descriptive) terms when expressing what you like/want will be instructive when trying to match your tastes to a shortlist of earbuds, especially when combined with a particular price point.

　　Technics’ EAH-AZ80, Jabra’s Elite 10, Denon’s Perl Pro, and Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 offered the best sound quality of the earbuds we tested; (photo/Scott Tharler) Noise Cancellation Just as earbuds vary in their abilities to emit certain frequencies, so too does their talent for suppressing them. Again, in a meaningful sense, we’re really just talking about in-ear buds. Well-sealed, they naturally isolate some noise (a.k.a. passive noise cancellation) just by physically blocking external sounds from getting into your ears.

　　When it comes to active noise cancellation, many earbuds promise the world (will be silent), but are only good at knocking out certain high and/or low frequencies, such as the drone of air conditioners, refrigerators, jet engines, etc.

　　Furthermore, several of the ones we tested claim to be smart enough to automatically adapt in real-time to block whatever external sounds they pick up from their microphones. But as with all noise cancellation, this is a mixed bag, and you may just want to stick with regular — or perhaps no — noise cancellation since enabling that mode may negatively affect the sound signature.

　　By definition, if today’s earbuds offer ANC, then they also offer an ambient or transparency mode. Using the earbuds’ microphones allows you to hear what’s going on around you without needing to pop out a bud, only to have to resituate it moments later. In this regard, some earbuds sound pretty natural, while others suffer from background white noise, sounding overly processed, or both.

　　Lastly, you may also see environmental noise cancellation listed as a feature. This is another way your earbuds are combining their mics with some fancy AI algorithms, but this time it’s to block out sounds other than your voice on calls. In other words, ENC (as it’s sometimes called) makes it easier for the people on the other end of the phone to hear you when you’re calling from a crowded place, ideally so you don’t have to shout or repeat yourself.

　　Multipoint Connections The ability for earbuds to be connected to more than one device at once — say, your phone and laptop while you’re in the office — also comes in different varieties. For starters, the number of possible multiple connections on this list’s earbuds varies from two up to six, as boasted by the Sennheiser Momentum 4.

　　Next, you should know that some earbuds’ apps will report which devices they’re connected to (which is helpful), while others won’t (which can be cumbersome). Also, in some cases, you may need to pause the music on one device before the other one is allowed to pick up the action.

　　And often when using multipoint, for bandwidth purposes, earbuds will default to a lower resolution codec. So keep all that in mind when playing around in the idiosyncratic world of multiple wireless source devices.

　　Other Features Here are just a few of the myriad other earbuds features you’re likely to run across in the wild — along with our opinion of how useful they are(n’t).

　　Sound Personalization Denon, PSB Speakers, and Sennheiser are just a few of the many companies whose earbuds apps include some form of smart personalization. They typically present a hearing test, where different frequencies are played for each ear, you indicate what you’re able to hear, and the app uses AI to create a custom EQ that compensates for frequencies you might otherwise be missing out on. Sometimes the differences are subtle and other times quite noticeable.

　　But when it works well, it’s amazing. And as a fallback, you can always just scroll through an EQ preset or manually monkey around with the frequency band sliders until you hear what you like.

　　Fast Pairing The idea behind this is not just that you can quickly pair your buds to an initial device, but future ones as well. If you’re an Android user, then in theory your earbuds should be paired across any device on which you’re signed into that same Google account. But we’ve had mixed success with it.

　　Single Bud Use In the olden days, we only had one earbud. Now, it’s a feature. Reasons you might want to be able to use just one bud are that you want to: be more aware of your surroundings, but don’t trust transparency mode; charge the other bud because for some reason it ran out of juice quicker; or share a bud with someone else. In any of these cases, it’s worth noting that some buds are able to un-stereo themselves. That is, go from being just the left or right channel to playing both sides. (This is especially helpful when sharing buds to watch a movie on a plane.)

　　One of the keys to making this work is that in the app you may have to first disable the wear detection that automatically pauses your music when you take a bud out of your ear. Speaking of which, the Denon app had an interesting option where we could choose whether our music would automatically be paused by removing either one or both of the earbuds.

　　Firmware Updates From better connectivity to the ability to do multipoint or play spatial audio, updating the firmware on your earbuds can add all sorts of cool capabilities. Just another reason to make sure you download and play around in the companion app.

　　Raycon’s The Impact earbuds are impervious to not only dust and water, but also drops, impacts, and temperature changes; (photo/Scott Tharler) Durability When it comes to earbuds’ IP (Ingress Protection) rating, the first number relates to dust. If it’s a 5 or 6 — such as with IP53 or IP68 — that means the buds are protected against dust, which is helpful to know if you’re in a windy mountain or desert location. (An X means that they werent tested for dust ingress.) The second number has to do with liquids. If it’s a 4 through 6 — such as IPX4 or IP65 — you don’t have to worry about splashes or rain, and the ones marked IP67 and IP68 are totally waterproof, and theoretically able to be safely submerged.

　　Just keep in mind that although the earbuds themselves are IP-rated, most cases aren’t. So unless you happen to have one of the exceptions — such as the Jabra Elite Active 8, with an IP54-rated case — you may want to baby your earbuds while in the case.

　　Other than an IP rating, you may also see that particular earbuds have earned the U.S. military’s Mil-Std-810 rating for being able to withstand drops, impacts, and temperature changes. These are the toughest of the tough, such as Raycon’s aptly named The Impact Earbuds.

　　Price and Value The average price of the roughly two dozen wireless earbuds we tested was $173, with most of the sporty, open-fit earbuds living in that $150 to $200 range. Above $250 gets into the premium category. And the “bargain” category is a big one. For around $100, buds like the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC and OnePlus Buds 3 are stylish, well-featured, and sound excellent.

　　And even under 50 bucks, you can find durable earbuds that sound very good, offer decent battery life, and sport such fancy features as hybrid noise cancellation and wireless charging cases. Summing up, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding solid everyday buds for less than $100; and you only need to spend more than that for specialized or high-end earbuds.

　　EarFun’s Air 2 offer premium sound and features, despite their $50 price tag; (photo/Scott Tharler) Frequently Asked Questions What is a cheap alternative to AirPods? It depends on how cheap you’re looking to go. At the $100 level, we very much like the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC and OnePlus Buds 3. For $50 or less, we’re fans of the EarFun Air 2 and a bunch of others. You should also be aware of such other high-quality bargain brands as Soundpeats and 1More.

　　Should I buy wired or wireless earbuds? It depends on what your goals are. Wired earbuds (also known as IEMs, or in-ear monitors) give better sound quality for the price, are simple to use, don’t have battery issues, and will tend to last many more years. Then again, wireless earbuds offer the convenience factor of being untethered, plus tons of features like ANC and the ability to EQ them to your ears’ content.

　　Is it better to have headphones or earbuds? Again, it depends on what’s important to you. In terms of portability, in-ear headphones will always take up less space than their over-ear counterparts. But fit and feel are completely subjective. Some folks have a difficult time finding earbuds that fit well or feel good in their ears. Others are sensitive to the weight and clamping force of on- and over-ear headphones—plus how they can make their ears warm during long listening sessions.

　　So what’s better for you takes into account what matters most to you regarding portability, fit and feel. To help you determine that, consider where and for how long you plan to listen to music.

　　Is it safe to wear wireless earbuds all day? Generally speaking, yes. We’re not aware of any long-term electromagnetic damages that have come from wearing earbuds all day. On the contrary, ones such as 1More’s Sleeping Earbuds Z30 are tiny and comfy enough to be worn all night, even sleeping on your side. But pay attention to what feels right to your ears, and be sure to give them a break every so often.

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