Best wireless earbuds in Australia: the top Bluetooth buds for 2024

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The best wireless earbuds are those that tick all of the major boxes: sound quality, reliability and a comfortable, compact design. We've gone ears-on with hundreds of pairs of earbuds, so can confidently bring you the definitive guide to the very best pairs available to buy. 

Not only do we focus on the three points mentioned above, but we look to other included features such as active noise cancellation (and how effective it is if it's included) and battery life. After all, it's no good owning a terrific sounding pair of buds, only for them to die after just a few hours. 

This guide caters to a wide variety of wireless earbud styles and, perhaps more crucially, all budgets. No longer is it the case that to own the best, you need to spend a fortune, as we're seeing some exceptional pairs of wireless earbuds retailing for more affordable prices. 

The quick list

Want to cut to the chase and find out which wireless earbuds are the best? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices. You can also jump to a more detailed review of every pick, along with our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.

The best wireless earbuds in Australia in 2024

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The best wireless earbuds for most people

the Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds

(Image credit: Sony)
(Still) the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now

Specifications

Weight: 7.3g
Frequency response: 20-40,000Hz
Drivers: 6mm
Battery life : 8 hours (earbuds) 16 hours (charging case)

Reasons to buy

+
Full-bodied and eloquent sound
+
Genuinely useful features

Reasons to avoid

-
Average battery life
-
No aptX support

Sony’s excellent WF-1000XM4 earbuds still hold their spot at the top of this list, but this isn’t to say that other brands haven’t made some big strides to now rival these buds. Sony once held a monopoly on active noise-cancelling earbuds, but brands such as Bose and even Apple have since made big upgrades to even surpass the WF-1000XM4’s noise-cancelling capabilities. 

Still, the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds are an all round fantastic pair of buds which offer the best full-bodied audio experience out of any on this list. Even the biggest audiophile you know will get enjoyment out of the eloquent and dynamic sound on offer from these buds, with a rich mid-range and smooth transitions to the top end.

These buds are also designed very well, offering a stylish package for such a feature-packed pair of earbuds. The WF-1000XM4’s are smaller and come with a more compact charging case than their predecessor did, although the battery life on these buds is still a little underwhelming with a total of 24 hours between both the buds and the accompanying charging case.

Sony has since superseded the WF-1000XM4s with the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds. These latest true wireless earbuds have some notable improvements. They're smaller, lighter and ANC is improved. In some ways, they are far more accomplished... but because of the price cuts to the XM4, we think the older buds are better value, and are nearly as good as the new ones, so they hold onto the top spot in our guide.

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM4 review

The best budget wireless earbuds

JLab Go Air Pop on green grassy background

(Image credit: TechRadar)
The best wireless earbuds for super-low price

Specifications

Weight: 7.4g
Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
Drivers: 6mm
Battery life: 8 hours (buds) 32 hours (case)

Reasons to buy

+
Light, small, comfy design
+
Sounds great for the price

Reasons to avoid

-
Odd fitted charging cable
-
Not the last word in sonic brilliance

The JLab Go Air Pop only cost around $25 / £25 / AU$49.95, which is incredibly cheap and would have been unheard of just a few years ago. Fast-forward to now, and JLab is bringing out durable listening gear at rock-bottom prices. The big question is: can earbuds this budget-conscious actually do a good job?

Well, we were pleasantly surprised to find the JLab Go Air Pop did a pretty good in our testing – and are emphatically unbeatable for the money. 

Stream Hootie & the Blowfish's Let Her Cry and the different guitars present themselves to each ear in a relatively expansive, open soundstage. But listen to Prince's Kiss and while you'll get all of the bass funk in the intro, the artist's inimitable vocal can come off a little harsh. Sonically, it is difficult to rave about the sound quality, chiefly because of this treble, which does distort even in relatively easy passages, but that's not really the point here. 

We also weren't impressed with the design of the charging case. It has a tadpole-like cable that snaps out from the base. That said, it does charge the earbuds and means you’ll never have to search in the semi-darkness for your USB charger – or get caught short because you forgot to pack one. 

So although you won't get exceptional sound with the JLab Go Air Pop, or noise cancelling or other high-end features, during our testing we were surprised to find reliable Bluetooth connectivity, killer battery life, comfortable and light earpieces and solid music on the go. It would be churlish to expect more. 

If your budget maxes out quickly for non-essentials (let's face it, true wireless earbuds are a luxury), then you'll find a reliable product here. For another cheap option, but with active noise cancellation, take a look at the Earfun Air Pro 3 further down in our list.

Read our full JLab Go Air Pop review

The best premium wireless earbuds

Technics EAH-AZ80 on white background

(Image credit: Future)
The best premium wireless earbuds

Specifications

Weight: 7g
Frequency response: 40-20,000Hz
Drivers: 10mm
Battery life: (Up to) 7h (earbuds); (up to) 25h (charging case)

Reasons to buy

+
Poised, revealing sound
+
Triple-point connectivity
+
Outstanding reliability and comfort

Reasons to avoid

-
Noise-cancelling and battery life are nothing special
-
Could conceivably sound more animated

In virtually every respect, the EAH-AZ80 make a strong case for themselves. Thanks to some carefully considered design, along with a lavish selection of silicone ear tips, the EAH-AZ80 should stay comfortable no matter the size or shape of your ears.

The triple-point connectivity (a first in a product of this type) proves stable and useful, and thanks to ‘Just My Voice’ technology these earbuds are far less prone to wind-noise interference than any number of rivals. 

The sound they make is also accomplished – it's both swift and accurate, as well as balanced and detailed. There’s nothing artificial about the way the Technics EAH-AZ80 sound, they offer convincingly realistic and coherent listening in all circumstances.

It’s not the most energetic sound you've ever heard though. And marginal shortcomings related to battery life and the effectiveness of the active noise-cancellation confirm that Technics has missed the bull’s-eye by a tiny margin with the EAH-AZ80. But as a total package, they're incredibly impressive and future-proof.

And, while you can come by them in Australia, it's not as easy as other pairs on this list. You'll find links above to any retailers we've found that do sell them, though, but just be aware that you may end up paying more than the regular currency conversion from Pound Sterling to Australian Dollar. 

Read our full Technics EAH-AZ80 review

The best wireless earbuds for cheap ANC

The Earfun Air Pro 3 true wireless earbuds in their charging case on a wooden surface

(Image credit: Future/Techradar)
The best wireless earbuds if you want noise-blocking on a budget

Specifications

Weight: 5.2g
Frequency response: Not listed
Drivers: 11mm wool composite dynamic drivers
Battery life: 9 hours (buds) 36 hours (case)

Reasons to buy

+
Great all-rounders
+
Excellent battery life
+
Decent ANC

Reasons to avoid

-
No sensors to detect you’re wearing them
-
Sound is fun but not fantastic
-
Stem design not for everyone

If you're looking for a solid pair of wireless earbuds on a budget with noise cancelling baked in, then we highly recommend the Earfun Air Pro 3. 

These earbuds are only $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$134.95 officially, which makes them excellent value considering they're such all-rounders – but actually, you'll pay more like $60 / £60 / AU$89.99 if that, thanks to regular price cuts. You get active noise cancellation, good sound, a comfy fit, a very generous 45 hours of battery life, and support for the new Bluetooth wireless standard, Bluetooth LE Audio. Right now that doesn't mean much, as few other devices support it – e.g. major smartphones – but that makes the Air Pro 3 a future-proof choice for when phones do catch up. We can't think of any earbuds that are currently as cheap as this and yet offer such a range of features.

As well as features, the design also has no business looking so elegant and minimal at this price. Although it is worth mentioning they have a long stem design. We found them comfortable to wear with a good seal – vital for ANC – but did knock them out a few times due to the stem, including a problem with them tangling in long hair (which we haven't found with most stem designs).

Read the full Earfun Air Pro 3 review

The best mid-range wireless earbuds

Sony WF-C700N earbuds in their case, on a white background

(Image credit: Future)
The best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds around AU$150

Specifications

Weight: 4.6g
Frequency response: Not listed
Drivers: 5mm
Battery life : 7.5 hours (buds) 7.5 hours (case)

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent noise cancellation
+
Super audio for the price
+
Great Sony app support

Reasons to avoid

-
No on-ear volume control
-
No hi-res LDAC support

The Sony WF-C700N take most of the features and quality of the WF-1000XM4 at the top of our list, and make them smaller, lighter and cheaper. They're as good as earbuds get for under AU$150 today. The active noise cancellation is really impressive, for example – in our review, we said: "When ANC is on, at my desk, all but the loudest noises are softened, leaving me immersed in my playlists. It's a feat and no mistake."

It's the same story for the sound quality, which we described as "one of the most expansive, three-dimensional and fun soundstages I've heard from a set of earbuds", also noting that "we get an extra ounce of detail and texture through the high end, too, compared to the competition". More expensive earbuds manage to provide even more detail (and there's no support for CD-quality sound here through aptX or Sony's LDAC wireless systems) as expected, but you have to spend twice as much to get it.

There's full support for Sony's app too, through which you can customise the sound and the noise cancelling profiles. There's no auto-pause when you remove them from your ears, and no volume control on the buds, but we can live with that. Especially since the buds are so small and comfortable, unlike most that are so feature-packed.

Read our full Sony WF-C700N review

The best wireless earbuds for Apple fans

The AirPods Pro 2 pictured next to their charging case

(Image credit: TechRadar)
The best wireless earbuds for iPhone owners

Specifications

Weight: 5.3g
Frequency response: Not listed
Drivers: Custom Apple design
Battery life : 6 hours (buds) 30 hours (case)

Reasons to buy

+
Top-tier active noise cancellation 
+
Great sound quality
+
Lots of very smart features for iPhone

Reasons to avoid

-
Average battery life
-
No lossless support

Much like their predecessors, the AirPods Pro 2 don’t disappoint. One particular standout feature is the noise cancellation. These buds do not skimp out here, with the ability to block out noisy chatter in a cafe, wind and train sounds. The noise cancellation is impressive, despite not offering a gradient like some other buds do.

Overall, between the increase in battery life and the impressive audio performance thanks to the new H2 chip, the AirPods Pro 2 combine all the good things that were offered by the previous AirPods Pro with quality upgrades for a better user experience. And the best part… they cost the same as the older model, including the newly-launched variant with USB-C charging in place of Lightning.

As always with Apple products, these buds are best suited to iPhone users thanks to unique features such as Dolby Atmos spatial audio, Find My support and auto-switching between devices. And the price is even relatively low compared to premium options such as the Sony WF-1000XM5 or the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (further down this list).

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

The best wireless earbuds for Samsung fans

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in their charging case

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Best wireless earbuds for Samsung phone owners

Specifications

Weight: 5.5g
Frequency response: 20-20,000Hz
Drivers: Custom Coaxial 2-way
Battery life: 5 hours (buds) 18 hours (case)

Reasons to buy

+
Vastly improved hi-res sound quality
+
Solid ANC
+
Classy, comfortable design and finish

Reasons to avoid

-
Battery life is only average

Samsung jumps into this list with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Offering solid active noise cancellation, a classy and comfortable design and big improvements on audio when compared to previous Galaxy Buds, this is a spot that has been earned.

The headline-grabber, if you own a Samsung Galaxy device (and thus, access to the Samsung Wearable companion app and home-screen widget) is 360 audio with optional head-tracking, thus allowing you to use your phone as the focal point to direct more of that new end-to-end 24-bit high-res audio to whichever ear you prefer.

These buds are in a smaller package than before and have an IPX7 waterproof rating – though the case itself is not waterproof. Despite the small build, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sit securely in the ears, with two ear tip options available in the box.

With active noise cancellation on, you’ll only get around five hours of battery life, but the ANC is very good, even beating out Sony’s WF-1000XM4 buds in this category. They’re not at the level of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds just yet, but it’s definitely better than Samsung’s previous attempts.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review

The best wireless earbuds for ANC

the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 pictures inside open case

(Image credit: TechRadar)
Best wireless earbuds for sheer noise-cancelling power

Specifications

Weight: 6.24g
Frequency response: Not listed
Drivers: 9.4mm
Battery life: 6 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

Reasons to buy

+
Smaller, more comfortable design
+
Best-in-class noise cancellation
+
Beautiful sound

Reasons to avoid

-
Call quality could be better
-
No support for high-def wireless codecs
-
No wireless charging

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are our top recommendation if you're looking for the best wireless earbuds for noise-cancelling. They're a great upgrade of the original Bose QuietComfort buds, and noise cancellation has been improved considerably, which is really saying something considering the originals were our top pick for some time.

The best news is that improvements to noise cancelling aren't at the expense of sound quality. In our review, we wrote: "We can’t stress this enough – the sound is very well balanced, with a heck of a lot of details and textures coming through. And if you still find you need to tweak it, you can via the EQ in the app."

With that said, there are a few specs missing from these buds that are a little disappointing when considering the price. You only get 6 hours of battery life with these buds, with there only being an additional 3 in the case. There’s also no support for high-def wireless codecs and no wireless charging.

Though, if you’re after the best noise-cancelling earbuds currently available, look no further as you currently won’t get any earbuds that beat the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 in that area.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review

The best wireless earbuds for sports

Beats Fit Pro on a red backdrop

(Image credit: Future)
Best wireless earbuds for exercise

Specifications

Weight: 5.6g (each earbud) 55.1g (charging case)
Frequency response: Not specified
Drivers: 9.5mm drivers
Battery life: 6 hours (buds) 18 hours (case)

Reasons to buy

+
Spatial audio on Apple Music
+
Better battery life
+
Very stable fit

Reasons to avoid

-
ANC could be stronger
-
No wireless charging

With the Beats Fit Pro, you get a load of the features that make the AirPods Pro so great for iPhone owners, but made workout-friendly with wing tips that keep them in place, and a custom-designed driver for a bassier sound to get the blood pumping.

These Beats earbuds boast a new sound profile with elevated highs and lows as well as good overall clarity. When we put them through their paces with Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow's INDUSTRY BABY, we found them to deliver the driving bass line followed by a vocal track that moves depending on which way you’re facing, because they support Apple Music's Dolby Atmos head-tracked spatial audio. We're not sure you'll want the concert experience every time you go for a fun, but the extra immersion is welcome, and means they're great for watching TV and movies whether you're at the gym or just watching some other time.

They don’t support wireless charging like the AirPods Pro 2, and the battery isn't spectacular at six hours per charge with 18 hours in the charging case with the ANC on. The ANC isn't best-in-class either – but they have more stability in the ear than anything else here, and that's the crucial thing.

And one last thing to note, if you've caught onto the fact they're closely related to the AirPods Pro 2, it means they work best best with iOS devices. Android users should still have a look, but won't be able to take advantage of the full feature set.

Read our full Beats Fit Pro review

Best wireless earbuds FAQ

How to choose the best wireless earbuds

There are a few factors to consider when picking a pair of wireless earbuds. You want to find a pair that are both comfortable and suitable to your needs. Before settling on your new wireless earbuds, consider the audio quality, connectivity, design and other included features as well as your own budget.

If you want a pair of buds that are packed with the most premium features, you’re looking at spending a lot more than it'd cost you to get your hands on a pair that might still have decent audio without all the frills. Still, if you need features such as ANC, spending a little more on a pair of buds can make all the difference.

The general user won’t need the most expansive soundstage, but if you want the best audio experience you’ll also need to consider how each pair performs when compared to competitors.

You should also look at how you plan to use your new earbuds. If you’re after a pair to use while you’re working out or jogging, you’ll want to consider getting a pair that has been designed specifically for people who are more active and that also comes with a water resistance rating. On the other hand, if you want a pair to block out the world while you’re trying to focus on work or study, you’ll want to look out for a pair with active noise cancellation.

You can also consider brands while shopping around for earbuds. While Sony has held solid ground with some of the best wireless earbuds on offer, there are a bunch of other brands out there that are closing the distance such as Bose, Apple, NuraTrue, Beats and many more. 

Ultimately, with the amount of wireless earbuds on the market, you won’t have any issues finding the pair that’s just right for you.

Wireless vs true wireless: what's the difference?

Wireless earbuds have been around for a while now, pretty much since the invention of Bluetooth. These earbuds do away with cords that connect the buds to your phone, and are powered by an internal rechargeable battery. The name can be a little misleading, as some wireless earbuds have cord that connect the left and right units together, but options that completely do away with wires are known as true wireless earbuds.

True wireless earbuds have no cords at all, meaning you can listen to music with the ultimate freedom to move about. While there are a few true wireless earbuds on this list, you can seek out our more comprehensive round-up of the best true wireless earbuds if you want to find even more options in this category.

Wireless options aren’t just limited to in-ear options. Wireless headphones, both on-ear and over-ear, are also available. In this case, you get two ear-cups connected by a headband. If you want to know more, you can check out our best wireless headphones guide as well.

Which brand of wireless earbuds is best?

There’s really no clear answer to this question. All the brands on this list have pros and cons, and it really depends on what you’re looking for.

Sony has been a top brand in the audio game for a long time, and have consistently had some of the best wireless earbuds on the market. If you want the best listening experience and audio quality, the Sony WF-1000XM4 will definitely not disappoint, hence why they sit at the top of not only this guide but also at the top of our best true wireless earbuds guide as well.

If you want a luxurious listening experience, you could look at a high-end brand such as Bowers & Wilkins. Or, if you’re looking for a pair of buds that fit within your smartphone's ecosystem, Apple and Samsung both have options that fall onto this list that are optimised to each company’s respective devices.

How we test wireless earbuds

We've tested every pair of earbuds listed in this guide, among many others that are currently available. We take time while reviewing products, making sure to evaluate how these devices sound across movies, different music genres, games and more. Sound quality is a priority for TechRadar, especially when listening to music on the go.

Comfort and how secure they feel is also taken into consideration over extended periods of use, and tested in the situations best suited to the product (including gaming and running).

Any other features, including battery life and noise cancellation, are also tested. If a pair of earbuds claim to have it, we'll try it out and let you know what we think.

If you want to find out more, we have a complete set of guidelines on how we test, review and rate on TechRadar.

Max Langridge
Staff Writer

Max is a digital content writer for TechRadar, covering home entertainment and audio, phones, laptops, gaming and virtually anything else that falls under the consumer electronics umbrella. Hailing from the United Kingdom, Max spent a combined five years writing for What Hi-Fi? and Pocket-lint, before moving to Australia in 2018. After a brief stint writing for men’s lifestyle publications, Max is back to working on his first passion of technology.

With contributions from