The best wireless earbuds in 2025, all real-world tested: I've covered wireless buds for 10 years, and I've picked the best for all budgets
Our reviewers spent well over 600 hours testing the earbuds in this guide, so here’s my definitive verdict on the best wireless earbuds buys

I’ve been writing and managing guides to the best wireless earbuds for five years, and testing and reviewing earbuds for well over a decade, so I understand more than anyone just how many options there are, and how confusing it can be to find the perfect one for you at the right price.
I’ve crafted this guide to the best wireless earbuds alongside our Audio Editor, Becky Scarrott, to make choosing a new pair of buds as simple as possible. You’ll see that each pair was championed by one of us, and we’ve written about specifically why we chose them. The selections are based on around 600 hours of testing by us and our expert reviewers of the buds in this guide – and we tested many more earbuds beyond this, directly comparing the earbuds to each other, and using our earbuds testing methodology.
I wanted to make sure we covered all the key needs – different budgets, different phone platforms, and different levels of audiophilia. I want to talk more about budget for a moment, though: these days, few people buy earbuds full price, but instead wait until the (very regular) sales events. In some ways, those are the real prices of earbuds, so I’ve tried to include what price you should aim to pay in our write-ups of each the wireless earbuds.
Read more about this guide
I lead TechRadar’s audio coverage, and I’ve worked in tech writing and editing for 17 years. I actually worked on TechRadar before it even launched 17 years ago, and this is my third stint here. As a writer, I reviewed early neckband wired earbuds, and as an editor I’ve covered the rise of true wireless earbuds ever since the very first models around nine years ago. I’ve tested these products over their whole evolution from ‘convenient but weird’ to ‘the main kind of earbuds that anyone buys’. I developed the earbuds testing methodology used for reviewing the buds in this guide.
About this guide
Why you can trust TechRadar
Testing and enjoying wireless earbuds is inherently a subjective experience – while you can measure their audio output scientifically, that doesn’t automatically translate into musical talent, and doesn’t tell you much about their value. But testing subjectively also makes it hard to rate and rank them, since we can’t demonstrate it over the internet, so here’s how I approach it.
The main thing is that we’ve scored and rated these earbuds in different areas in comparison to each other, based on our direct comparisons, so that while our scores in this guide might be subjective, they are still consistent. To ensure that consistency, I created our earbuds testing methodology, to make sure that reviewers are using some of the same tracks for sound comparisons (our playlist is public, and you can try it at home), with equivalent-quality audio sources, and are testing the microphones and battery life in the same way.
Microphones are the one part of wireless earbuds’ performance that can be communicated over the internet, so while we’ve scored them here, I’ve also included recordings so that you can make your own judgement.
I check and update this guide all the time, looking for how new releases or price drops may affect our rankings – I include an update log, so that we’re transparent about how it’s evolved over time.
Recent updates
January 17, 2024
We have a new pair of buds at number one! The Technics EAH-AZ100 replace the Technics EAH-AZ80, thanks to their improved sound quality, strong battery life, and the addition of great extra features including Dolby Atmos spatial audio.
The best wireless earbuds of 2024
The best wireless earbuds overall
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
1-minute summary: I'm blown away by what the Technics EAH-AZ100 can do. Even though they're far from cheap, they're somehow amazing value, because they not only pack in so many great features (including triple-point Bluetooth connectivity, which is extremely rare), but they sound absolutely phenomenal with the active noise cancellation turned on, thanks to their Magnetic Fluid speaker driver, which has been borrowed from some of Technics' (much) more expensive in-ear monitors. It's a bit of a shame that they sound noticeably worse with the ANC turned off, though I personally never have it turned off, so this minor flow won't stop me from loving these buds. I should also note that if the best possible noise cancellation is your priority, then Bose still has these beat – but the ANC is very good in general. The Technics are just such incredible all-rounders, and offer so much: they're comfortable and fairly light, they switch instantly between three devices of any platform, they support Dolby Atmos from any compatible device, they sound good enough to satisfy audiophiles, the 10-hour battery life with ANC on is great… their faults are real picky stuff, and I think they're the real deal for most people.
Read our full Technics EAH-AZ100 review
Reasons to buy
✅ You want a vibrant and revealing sound: With the ANC turned on, these walk the very fine line between being insightful and honest to the music, and being energetic and just plain fun to listen to.
✅ You want to switch between devices easily: The triple-point connectivity is almost unique, and makes it seamless to move between phone, tablet and laptop without re-pairing no matter what company they're from.
✅ You want comfortable and fairly small buds: Technics has fit all of this tech into lightweight and pretty small earbuds, so they're good for people for small or larger ears, and stay comfortable for long periods.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You like to listen without noise cancellation turned on: The sound is immediately and clearly weaker when you turn the ANC off, so if you like to do that often, they're not such a hit.
❌ You need the absolute best noise cancellation: They don't do this badly at all, but the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds at #4 on the list can do it just that bit better.
❌ You're on a budget: They're so good that they're easily worth the price of $299 / £259, but several premium options here – plus their predecessor, the Technics EAH-AZ80 – can be found for significantly less.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
You can't really fault these buds in this department. Wireless connectivity includes regular Bluetooth audio, plus LDAC hi-res support, and future-proof LC3 Bluetooth LE Audio tech. You can tweak the sound from the app using the EQ settings. Battery life is really strong in most standard use cases, with 10 hours of life with ANC on from the buds – though this can go up to 12 with ANC off, or down to around seven when using LDAC's higher-quality streaming. 10 hours is a great result for standard listening, though. You can charge them over USB-C (with 90 minutes of use from a 15-minute quick charge) or wirelessly. There's adaptive noise cancellation that's very effective even if it's not quite best-in-class, and there's a 'Voice Focus AI' mode for picking up your voice more clearly in calls. The cream and sprinkles on this well-stacked cake are the head-tracked Dolby Atmos spatial audio support, and the triple-point Bluetooth pairing. This means the AZ100 can stay connected to three devices at one, switching between them instantly when needed, no matter who made them. Pretty much no other earbuds offer this, except Technics' own AZ80, and it's so useful.
The sound quality of the Technics EAH-AZ100 is pretty damn stunning, especially for a pair of earbuds priced competitively with other mainstream premium earbuds, and not priced like the hardcore audiophile stuff. We said in our review that "they’re a balanced and insightful listen, more than capable of bringing order to the ear no matter how unruly a recording might think it is." They're very highly detailed, but not unforgivingly so, and can lay out all the elements of a recording with total precision and control. But they're not analytical or plain; they have an expert level of depth and energy across the frequencies to help you get lost in those well-laid tracks. We said that "low-frequency activity is deep, punchy and textured" while "the midrange is open and informative, with a whole stack of detail." Treble is solid and committed without become overly hard at any point. They're basically the ideal balance between being revealing and insightful to original recordings, and adding entertainment to get you through commute. However… that's all the case with the ANC turned on. With it turned off, we said "low frequencies lose a degree of substance, and the overall presentation becomes rather flimsy and lightweight." Competitors manage to hold the same sound profile in both modes, so this is the only flaw here.
These are Technics' smallest and lightest flagship true wireless earbuds yet, and they come with give different sizes of in-ear tips in the box – which is to say: Technics really wants you to be comfortable, and it succeeded. The black and silver finishes are nice, and they feel very well-made. The carrying case is pleasingly slimline, so it won't bulge in a pocket, and it feels solid. The touch controls work well in our experience, and you can customize what they do. The app is well laid-out as well, though it's maybe not a masterpiece of visual design.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are easily worth their asking price of $299 / £259 / AU$499. In fact, when you compare them to other earbuds of the same price, they start to look like a huge bargain – how has Technics' got this many features in, without sacrificing audio quality to the value gods, in a size this small? Obviously, they're still a high price, though, and they lack aptX hi-res support, which is really the only knock to their value package.
Technics EAH-AZ100 test results
Sound quality (ANC on) | 5 / 5 |
Sound quality (ANC off) | 4 / 5 |
Mic quality | 3.5 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | 10 hours |
Battery life (ANC off) | 12 hours |
The best mid-range wireless earbuds
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
1-minute summary: I cannot believe the price of these earbuds for what you get. Not only do they look the absolute business, they sound it too. Nothing's 2024-issue earbuds are the cheaper siblings to the flagship Nothing Ear (which launched on the self-same day), but unless you want the hearing test and subsequent personalized sound profile reserved for the flagship set, I'd save your money and opt for these. You do get in-ear detection, excellent ANC, a low-lag toggle for gaming, detailed sound quality, issue-free multipoint to two devices, an ear tip fit test plus a Find My Earbuds feature, which issues a rattlesnake-style sound from whichever bud you're trying to locate. They're a joy to listen to, especially given their lowly sub-$100 / £100 asking fee – and let's not forget that those pinch-able stems now offer you a direct line to ChatGPT whenever you need it, as long as you have a Nothing phone with the latest Nothing OS installed. Hardly nothing worth shouting about, I think you'll agree…
Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review
Reasons to buy
✅ You want great ANC for less: These offer the best noise-nixing power we've heard for the price.
✅ You go for serious sound quality: The Ear (a) are a seriously fun and zealous listen, aided by their support for LDAC higher-res wireless tech.
✅ You like your tech bold-looking: I've never had so many people stop me and ask what my earbuds are (I had the yellow set).
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want spatial audio support: The similarly priced Sony WF-C700N offer this from certain services, but you won't find it here.
❌ You need top-tier stamina: 5.5 hours with noise cancellation on is distinctly average – again, the Sony buds mentioned above offer 7.5 hours.
❌ You'd like Nothing's hearing test and personalized sound profile: for that, you'll need to shell out a little more, for the flagship Nothing Ear.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
If you need buds that do what's casually referred to as 'the basics' today – fuss-free fit, good sound, great ANC, clear calls, bit of EQ adjustment, decent on-ear controls – these are that product. And they do better than the basics too: if you've got a Nothing Phone (2), Phone (1) or Phone (2a), Nothing has integrated both its Nothing earbuds and Nothing OS with ChatGPT, to offer users instant access to the chatbot directly from those pinch stems. However comfortably you sit with AI's introduction, it certainly adds value at the level. Nothing's Clear Voice Technology has been upgraded here, and it makes call-handling a breeze. Also here: Bluetooth 5.3 and LDAC support for higher-res audio, which is a rarely-seen inclusion at this level. There's no onboard spatial audio wizardry, and you don't get the Nothing Ear's curated sound profile tech (which is similar to the Ear (2)'s splendid personalized hearing tests, if you're familiar). However, you do get in-ear detection, a low-lag toggle for gaming, issue-free multi-point pairing to two devices, an ear tip fit test and a Find My Earbuds feature, which issues a rattlesnake-style sound from whichever bud you're trying to locate. You can opt for High, Mid, Low, and Adaptive noise cancellation profiles. High is very good: you can see why it drops the battery life from 9.5 hours without ANC to 5.5 with it…
How good's the sound quality in the Nothing Ear (a)? Stream the intro of The Who's Substitute – ideally on an Android phone with LDAC support. Tell me those guitar strings and shaker aren't every bit as spine-tingling as you could ever hope to get for $99… But you don't need to use hifalutin' codecs to get the goods – even when I stream lossy Spotify tracks (or better Apple Music ones, from my iPhone) the Nothing Ear (a) buds deal with them admirably. For dynamic build and nuance, the Nothing Ear (a) are meaty and arresting, prioritizing fun and energy over that integrated hi-fi listen some might prefer – but for me, I can't pick fault with that; not when there's so much here to celebrate sonically. As long as you don't expect them to be better than something that sells at nearly three times the price (which would hardly be fair), the Nothing Ear (a) will delight you.
Can I just say that I really dig the design here and leave it at that? So many people said they loved the look of them. You've got pictures after all… oh, we need more? OK, well the case is transparent which means you'll know if you've put 'em both back in to charge, but here are plenty of flourishes here which will make you go 'ah, nice'. One is the pinch stems, which work even if you have gloves on (unlike touch capacitive options), another is the right-red, left-white dots also help you match the colors for charging. Also, it is emphatically not a case of 'same buds, different box' from Nothing with this iteration. The drivers are different to all Nothing Ears that have been before them and although they're smaller, they're better – it's all to do with tweaks to the dual-chamber design under the hood, which now includes two extra vents for improved airflow and means Nothing's been able to get 10%-15% flow more from the Ear (a)'s driver. After switching out to the smaller ear tips (you only get three, but it's plenty with this design), I also find the Ear (a) to be a cinch to wear – although if you've particularly small ears you may need to try before you buy, and my guide to the best earbuds for small ears is worth consulting. You don't get wireless charging support at this price, but the IPX2 rating of the case (for mild water resistance) is more than you get with plenty of pricier options, and the earbuds themselves boast an IP55 rating, which means they're dust- and water-resistant.
They're five-star buds for a reason. Despite being as good-looking as any earbuds can be for this money, it's not a case of style over substance; the ANC is excellent for the level and you even get LDAC and ChatGPT support for extra sound-per-pound value. As always, I want to note that if you're prepared to spend $299 / £279 / AU$429 (aka triple the money) there's better noise-cancellation available in the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but that's hardly a fair fight. Before testing the Nothing Ear (a), I would've nudged you towards the Sony WF-C700N at this price-point, but in my honest opinion, the Nothing look more stylish and perform easily as well.
Nothing Ear (a) test results
Sound quality (ANC on) | 4.5 / 5 |
Sound quality (ANC off) | 4.5 / 5 |
Mic quality | 3.5 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | 5.5 hours |
Battery life (ANC off) | 9.5 hours |
The best wireless earbuds on a budget
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
1-minute summary: I'm a big fan of Sony's more affordable headphones and earbuds, because even if they end up missing a few features, you always know that the company will offer an excellent balance to the sound, so you'll get the most from your music despite the low price. The Sony WF-C510 continue that tradition, dropping a few mod-cons in exchange for sound that's really engaging and well-defined, and Sony's DSEE upscaling tech really improves tracks from places like Spotify. The very comfortable design is a big win in my book., too. It's a shame not to have active noise cancellation in particular, but if you can live without it, this is basically the best sound quality you'll find for the price.
Read our full Sony WF-C510 review
Reasons to buy
✅ You need cheap buds: They're our budget pick for a reason. If you want affordable buds, this is the best choice around right now balancing price and sound.
✅ You value longevity: It's not the best battery life you'll find. But we measured essentially 11 hours of playback, which is great for the price.
✅ You want sound over features: We love the audio quality for the price, but it's clear Sony has focused on this over offering ANC or wear detection.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want noise cancellation: There are budget buds with active noise cancellation (see the Earfun in this list), but these miss out.
❌ You want to take them travelling: So the battery in the buds is great, but the case battery? Not so much. If you want to use them without charging for days, look elsewhere.
❌ You want hefty bass: The sound is great, but is lighter on low-end – and custom EQ doesn't make it super-easy to adjust it.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
These Sony earbuds are lighter on features than some budget buds, and the big missing one is active noise cancellation. It's not here at all, although there is a Sound Control mode that operates like a 'Transparency' mode, adding sounds from the outside world into your music, so you can be more aware of what's around when, say, running near traffic. It works well. However, there is spatial audio support for Sony's own 360 Reality Audio tech, which is used by some music streaming services. There's Spotify Tap support for instantly firing up that service – and Spotify's mediocre sound quality is boosted by Sony's DSEE audio upscaling tech (as is anything else that's lower quality). There's multi-point pairing for switching easily between two devices. There's no wear detection, however, so they won't pause when you take them out. The 11-hour battery life (8 with Sound Control on) is very impressive, but you only get one charge from the case, so the total listening time is 22 hours. Other buds usually give at least one more charge (though don't necessarily last as long in the first place). You can use the Sony app to adjust the EQ settings, though it's not the easiest to use for this (but is great overall).
Sony delivers its usual very fine balance of audio here, ensuring that lows, mids and highs all feel well-represented and with room to impress. We found that its presentation is quite forward, with strongly presented treble – though not overly so. This helps a lot with the likes of vocals, piano and guitars, giving them all a lovely sense of clarity. We should say that bass isn't quite as deep as some people will want, and couple with the prominent treble, it means that the buds may not have quite the bass-leaning profile that some people would prefer. We have no issue with the balance, but it's something to be aware of. We want to highlight Sony's DSEE tech here, which aims to add the lost frequencies of compressed music back into the tracks, and really does improve things – you can turn it on in the app.
These buds fit very comfortably and solidly in the ear, and will stay in well for both exercise or more sedentary use. They're very lightweight, and they feel well-made, though the case comes across as a little cheap. There's a button on the outside for controlling playback, and this is easy to press without feeling like you're jamming a finger into your ear canal. They have IPX4 waterproofing, so should stand up to sweat. They nice-looking buds, and comfortable, and that's what we ask for here.
The official price of $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$109 is low enough that these earbuds really didn't need to do very much to come across as being good value – but the sound quality far exceeds the price. No, you're not getting every feature out there, but for what these earbuds are designed to deliver, we don't think anything does it better for the price.
Sony WF-C510 test results
Sound quality (ANC on) | N/A |
Sound quality (ANC off) | 4.5 / 5 |
Mic quality | 4.5 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | N/A |
Battery life (ANC off) | 11 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for ANC
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
1-minute summary: When I originally reviewed the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, I was impressed by so many elements of them, but for their very high price, I didn't think they were worth it when Bose's older earbuds were so good, and so much cheaper. Since then, the Ultra Earbuds have become regularly a much lower price, and a July 2024 software update addressed one of the biggest drawbacks by adding multi-point connectivity for two devices, so now they've rightfully taken center stage as our top pick for noise-blocking power. These earbuds deliver exceptional ANC, and also offer exciting Immersive Audio spatial