I’ve been managing guides to the best wireless earbuds for over five years, and testing and reviewing earbuds for well over a decade now, so I understand better than most the myriad options out there in 2025, and how confusing it can be to find the perfect one for you – and crucially, at the right price.
I crafted this guide to the best wireless earbuds alongside our Audio Editor, Becky Scarrott (formerly of What Hi-Fi?) 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 tell you specifically why we chose them. The selections are based on around 600 hours of testing by us and our expert reviewers. Of course, we tested many more earbuds besides the ones you'll see recommended here, directly comparing the each proposition to the known class-leaders at the price and with strict adherence to our rigorous earbuds testing methodology.
I want to make sure we cover all key needs – different budgets, different phone platforms, and different levels of audiophilia. So let's talk more about budget for a moment: these days, few people buy earbuds at full price, instead waiting until the (very regular) sales events. In some ways, those are the real prices of these earbuds, so I’ve tried to include the price you should aim to pay in each write-up. I hope this helps you find a set you'll be happy with, for a competitive real-world price.
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 overall
These highly accomplished buds are all-rounders, delivering excellent sound, strong ANC, and features like triple-point connectivity. Comfortable, versatile, and great across the board, they’re easily our top pick.
The best mid-priced wireless earbuds
Nothing delivers fun and expansive audio, high-quality active noise cancellation, good app-based features, and the company's signature cool design, all for a great price.
The best budget wireless earbuds
Among our favorite low-cost earbuds of all time. The audio these Sony buds deliver is punchy, their fit is comfortable and snug, and the price is excellent. There's no noise cancellation, though.
The best wireless earbuds for noise blocking
The ultimate pick for noise cancellation, these buds block out the world with class-leading ANC and deliver immersive, head-tracked sound. Add a secure, stable fit and you’ve got a top choice for total focus.
The best low-price noise cancellation
These modestly priced buds are packed full of features that will surprise you, including solid ANC and next-gen Bluetooth. The Nothing Ear (a) are better, but these are cheaper.
The best wireless earbuds for Apple fans
These work seamlessly with Apple products for auto-switching between devices, using Find My if they're lost, Dolby Atmos spatial audio, and more. The sound and ANC are superb, too.
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The best wireless earbuds for Samsung users
These buds have special sauce with Samsung phones, including very hi-res audio and spatial audio, that makes them a perfect fit, along with great sound and noise cancellation.
The best wireless earbuds for supreme sonic clarity
With the best sound we’ve heard from wireless buds, the Pi8s are an audiophile’s dream. ANC is as good as Bose, fit is excellent, and there’s optional wired connection. Our top pick for sound – but honestly, they’re amazing all-round.
The best wireless earbuds for battery life
With 10 hours from the buds with ANC on, and 48 hours from the case, these earbuds go on and on and on. The cool screen on the case is a highlight too, as is the sound.
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 We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
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, we 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.
We 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
April 10, 2025
Added a new 'Quick List' to the top of the guide to make it easier for readers to quickly find what they're looking for. Checked to make sure all copy is bang up to date and reflects our current top picks.
The best wireless earbuds of 2025
The best wireless earbuds overall
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 still something only the older Technics EAH-AZ80 and this newer model can do), but they sound absolutely phenomenal with the active noise cancellation turned on, thanks to their Magnetic Fluid speaker driver, which has been distilled from 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 flaw 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 | 4 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | 10 hours |
Battery life (ANC off) | 12 hours |
The best mid-range wireless earbuds
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
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
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 sound from any sound source, so it works with any device, and it works amazingly well. I also like their improved fit, and while they're still bulkier than most earbuds, they don't feel that way as strongly as Bose's previous buds.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review
Reasons to buy
✅ Noise cancellation is vital for you: These offer simply the best noise-zapping power in a pair of earbuds.
✅ You like an enjoyable, immersive sound: Bose's new Immersive Audio spatial audio tech is here, offering device-agnostic head-tracked sound.
✅ You want to feel a secure fit: These Bose buds fit in the ear, and have a subtle part that fits against the outer-ear, to really keep them feeling solid.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want wireless charging: Although you can get wireless charging from Bose, you'll have to pay more for a cover to put on the case.
❌ You want a slim, light bud: At 6.24g per earbud they're not too heavy, but they're bigger than most, and may not suit everyone with smaller ears.
❌ You're on a budget: Although you wouldn't expect to get best-in-class ANC for cheap, there still premium even when discounted.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
This is Bose, so top of the features list is active noise cancellation. It's really fantastic here, as you'd expect, but it's still an eye-opening experience. Bose uses its proprietary tech 'CustomTune', which uses a mic inside each bud to calibrate the ANC and sound frequency that best suits the wearer's ear. And as we've mentioned, it's extremely effective – the best you can get right now – though one thing to note is that you can't turn it off. You can only change modes. There's lossless audio codec support here, new Snapdragon Sound certification with aptX Adaptive support. A notable big new addition here is Bose's proprietary Immersive Audio tech, which is basically head-tracked spatial audio that works with all devices. Pair this with ANC and you’ve got one impressive, immersive experience. Multi-point pairing is a feature that was noticeably absent at launch, but happily was added in an update – so make sure you update in the Bose app if you get a pair. Battery life is average at six hours – we'd like more, but we'll take it.
Excellent ANC is a given with Bose, but the company also made great strides on sound quality with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. In our review, we said they deliver a “vigorous and engaging listen” and although you can find better from rivals in terms of detail and dynamism, most people will be more than happy with the audio on offer here. Especially considering it’s bolstered by the Immersive Audio spatial head-tracking featured. When we listened to Hootie & the Blowfish's Hold My Hand during our testing, we noted hearing the backing vocals being presented as much further forward in one ear as we turned. So although the sound here might not be class-leading, it sure is enjoyable.
If you’re familiar with previous Bose earbuds, you’ll notice that not much has changed with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. They still follow the "AirPods-adjacent" design school, featuring a slightly long stem. However, there's a welcome improvement to the silicone stability bands, which are now much easier to fit. You’ll get three stability band options and three different tips, making it easier to achieve a comfortable fit – even if you’ve struggled with true wireless earbuds in the past. We liked the overall design, but it’s worth noting that they feel a bit large by today’s standards. This is likely due to the stems and the fact that some competitors offer lighter models. While we didn’t experience any discomfort during testing, those with smaller ears or a preference for ultra-compact earbuds might want to explore other options.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra aren't exactly cheap, but the best-in-class ANC performance and the device-agnostic head-tracked immersive audio justify it. The lack of wireless charging support is a potential issue. But if you value noise cancellation and enjoyable audio above all else, you'll find the Bose QuietComfort Ultra are worth the money. Especially considering now they're slightly older and enjoying major discounts during peak sales seasons.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds test results
Sound quality (ANC on) | 4 / 5 |
Sound quality (ANC off) | N/A |
Mic quality | 2.5 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | 6 hours |
Battery life (ANC off) | N/A |
The best wireless earbuds for cheap ANC
1-minute summary: I've watched the price of high-quality earbuds come crashing down in the last few years, and the Earfun Air Pro 3 are a great example of what amazing value you can get these days. Good audio, useful active noise cancellation, higher-res wireless audio, great battery life, multi-point pairing, and even future-proof Bluetooth LE Audio support… the Earfun Air Pro 3 don't think you need to give things up just because you're on a budget. When it comes to checkboxes, I'm always blown away by these buds – but naturally, if you spend a bit more (for the Nothing Ear (a), especially), you'll get a clear upgrade in sound quality and ANC power. But as an all-rounder for a low price, these are excellent. Incidentally, the Earfun Air Pro 4 are out now, and while we liked those, we found that they packed in so much they became a bit fussy to use. The older model, available at a lower price since it's been usurped, is the sweet spot.
Read our full Earfun Air Pro 3 review
Reasons to buy
✅ You want affordable all-rounder earbuds: A comfortable fit, reasonable ANC, decent sound quality and great battery life – all well under $100/£100.
✅ You want a long battery life: There's a lot to like here, but the battery life is near the top of the list. High-end buds don't even get this much life usually.
✅ You want something future-proof: Support for Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 is rare among all earbuds, let alone budget buds. It's here, and it's ready for when this feature is supported more widely.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You expect total silence from the ANC: Being cheaper means they're not as noise-blocking as more expensive buds. It helps, but if you spend more, you get more.
❌ You want audio fidelity: The sound quality is fine, but stepping up to the Nothing earbuds at #2 on the list is like night and day.
❌ You prefer a svelte design: They're fairly chunky, with big extended sticks that long hair may catch on – and the case isn't compact either. A lot of other buds are more discreet.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
Pretty much the only things these buds are missing are head-tracked spatial audio and, weirdly, wear detection (which auto-pauses music when you take them out of your ears). Everything else you could want from a pair of earbuds is here, including decent-quality active noise cancellation, an app to customize the controls and EQ, multi-point pairing for simple switching between two devices, better-than-average battery life of nearly seven hours in the buds with ANC on (and nearly 40 hours in total including the case), aptX Adaptive higher-quality wireless tech, and even Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast support for next-gen Bluetooth features. It's just a ridiculous suite of tech for something so cheap.
The Earfun Air Pro 3 are geared for fun, not audiophile fidelity, and that's okay. We said in our review "I listened to Stevie Nicks' Edge of Seventeen and For What It’s Worth, and the signature sound was spot on, perfectly suited to these iconic tracks with big, booming vocals." In general, we enjoyed the scale they give to tracks with meaty low-end, but as you move to tracks with more delicate detail in the upper-mids and treble, things can sound more muddied, and less crisp. Basically, don't use these to pull insight from your most-loved tracks, use them expecting fun and punchy performance, and you'll have a good time.
These are pretty big and feel plasticky, which not everyone will love – especially those with long hair, because they can tangle on the chunky stems of the buds. But outside of that, they're hard to fault – they're not too heavy, they stay in the ear extremely well even during exercise, and they're IPX5-rated for waterproofing, which is above average. A little crude, but well-made overall.
Officially priced at $99 / £99, but now regularly available for half that price, the Earfun Air Pro 3 give you simply a ridiculous amount of good-quality features for around $50 / £50. Ideal for those who want fancy earbuds that do everything, and absolutely unbeatable value in that sense.
Earfun Air Pro 3 test results
Sound quality (ANC on) | 3.5 / 5 |
Sound quality (ANC off) | 3.5 / 5 |
Mic quality | 2 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | 6.5 hours |
Battery life (ANC off) | 9.5 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for Apple fans
1-minute summary: I still use AirPods Pro 2 all the time, for exactly the reason they remain the most popular earbuds on the planet: they work so seamlessly with my Apple gear, they sound great, they're super-light and comfortable, and the active noise cancellation is right near the top of the class. The auto-switching between devices is so useful, and as a movie fan I really enjoy the Dolby Atmos spatial audio support. And I can't tell you how often I've made use of the nearly-unloseable case, with tech that means your iPhone can literally point you towards them (and the case can make noise). But I also don't want to understate how much I like their small and slim case, and non-bulky bud design. As with all AirPods, they're only really recommendable if you only want to connect them Apple gear, because they lack device-neutral multi-point switching or any kind of app control on Android. You can get better sound quality too, and Bose beats them for noise cancellation power. But as a complete package for Apple users, AirPods Pro 2 are incredibly hard to argue with – and because they regularly drop to under $170 / £180, they're actually excellent value too.
Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
Reasons to buy
✅ You want superb sound and noise cancellation: The audio quality is extremely strong, and the noise cancellation is nearly as good as you can right now.
✅ You're in the Apple ecosystem: They've got lots of extra features for iPhone users, including Spatial Audio and Find My support – and they switch seamlessly between all your devices.
✅ You want small and light earbuds: The case is smaller and slimmer than the competition, and the buds themselves are lighter than average.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want good battery life: These are distinctly average when it comes to the battery – most buds match or beat them, even with similar features.
❌ You want to involve non-Apple devices: Android users miss out on the majority of features, and they won't auto-switch between an iPhone and, say, a Windows PC.
❌ You want them in anything other than white: We really wish Apple would offer some colors, like it does for AirPods Max. But no.
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In-depth analysis
Let's start with the assumption that you're the Apple-head that the AirPods Pro 2 want you to be. They're deeply rich in features, including lots of cutting-edge tech to match the best competitors. There's excellent active noise cancellation that's amazing at cutting out everything from engine noise to office chatter, and an Adaptive Transparency Mode that lets in outside sound, but constantly tweaks how much depending on whether loud noises are happening. They have options such as Conversation Awareness, that drops the ANC when someone speaks to you, too. The head-tracked spatial audio support is great, and works with Dolby Atmos 3D sound – and will be personalized for your ear shape, helping precision and quality. The AirPods auto-switch between Apple devices, and you don't need to pair them – if your iCloud is signed in, they'll switch when you try to play something, which works really well and is very useful. The Find My support here is best-in-class – a UWB chip means your iPhone can literally point an arrow towards your hidden AirPods case, and the case can play a sound when needed. Battery life is rather average at around six hours with ANC on (less with spatial audio on as well), but you get lots of charges from the case, so it's fine. And the AirPods Pro 2 are even approved as hearing aids for mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and they'll check your hearing. Now, if you're not on iPhone, you get basically none of these features except noise cancellation. And it's also a shame that there's no hi-res audio support even now.
The AirPods Pro 2 offer seriously impressive sound, reaching from deep bass to sweet and natural high notes. We said in our review that they have "a clear ability to separate out different elements in the music, a strong ability to reproduce bass, a crispness in voice especially, and all combined with excellent spatial a0udio playback and mind-blowing noise cancellation." They're well-suited to basically any genre, though they have a slightly energetic and forward presentation that makes them a little more suited to pop and rock than acoustic or classic – but that's if we're being picky. Audiophiles will find an extra step of clarity, insight and range from other options – especially if you step up to the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 – but the AirPods Pro 2 overall offer extremely strong sound for music, and their head-tracked spatial audio is excellent for movies. It really feels like you're in a home theater with speakers, rather having sound pushed directly in your ears, and the AirPods Pro 2 handle speech well, and have enough dynamic range to feel exciting in movies.
The AirPods Pro 2 are extremely well-made, and both the case and buds are smaller than almost any other premium earbuds. The case feels absolutely solid, as do the buds. Both are rated for IPX4 waterproofing, so should stand up to sweat or being rained on a little. At 5.3 grams (0.19 ounces) each, the buds are as light as high-end earbuds come, and whole not everyone likes the stick design, it does help to put their center of gravity near your head, so they feel like they'll stay solidly in your ears without also feeling weighty. On the famous sticks, you've got pinch-based controls for pausing music or switching ANC modes, and we love this: it's much more comfortable than pushing a button into your ear, and more reliable than touch controls, and works with gloves. You can also swipe the stems to change volume, though this doesn't work with gloves. In the current version, there's a USB-C port for charging, as well as wireless charging tech that works with Qi, MagSafe and even the Apple Watch's charger.
With an official price now of $249 / £229 / AU$399, AirPods Pro 2 are very good value compared to the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra or Sony WF-1000XM5, given their features – especially with the addition of a hearing-aid mode (in countries where this has launched). But even better is that they regularly drop to around $169 / £179, and they're really exceptional value for that price. But their value is all based around you having all the Apple gear to make the most of them!
Apple AirPods Pro 2 test results
Sound quality (ANC on) | 4.5 / 5 |
Sound quality (ANC off) | 4.5 / 5 |
Mic quality | 4.5 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | 6 hours |
Battery life (ANC off) | 9 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for Samsung fans
1-minute summary: I think it's fair to say that Samsung took some pages from the AirPods book with its latest Pro earbuds, switching them to 'golf club' design with stems, and keeping some of their best features exclusive to Samsung Galaxy devices. It means that for users of other Android devices, I'd generally point you to other options – but for Samsung owners, they're pretty damn great, and those exclusive options are juicy. The head-tracked spatial audio is really effective, and Samsung's devices support Dolby Atmos, so you're getting the best version of it. The 24-bit Hi-Res Audio support is kind of mind-blowing as a feature, and means you really eke the most out of music streaming services with lossless support. The AI features are not really essential yet, but I suspect they'll get developed and improved rapidly, so they're future-proof. Most importantly, these earbuds sound excellent and offer strong active noise cancellation, so make an excellent package for the Galaxy fans – especially because Samsung tends to get aggressive with discounts, so they'll probably be great value if you buy smartly.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review
Reasons to buy
✅ You have a Samsung Galaxy phone: The Buds 3 Pro offer a load of extra smarts when used with Samsung phones, including spatial audio and AI features.
✅ You want Samsung's best audio quality: Samsung's 24-bit audio (again, if you have its own phones to use with the buds) is superb for elite music fans.
✅ You want strong active noise cancellation: These are highly effective at cutting off the outside world, without being big and bulky.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want big features on another phone brand: General Android users won't get as much from these buds, and iPhone users don't even get an app to control them.
❌ You want the absolute best value: They're excellent, but they're not cheap, and non-Samsung owners won't get as much out of them.
❌ You don't like a stick design: Samsung changed from its previous buds-only design to a stick design that's especially futuristic. It won't be for everyone.
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In-depth analysis
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are well-equipped, but mostly if you have a Samsung phone to match them with. The active noise cancellation is seriously good no matter what phone you have, and impressed us a lot – but there's an AI-powered Adaptive mode for it that only works with Samsung phones, though we found it not to make much of a difference. The other AI features are also, frankly, not much of a draw. However, the Samsung-exclusive head-tracked spatial audio works well, and the (also exclusive) 24-bit/96kHz wireless audio support is a very nice boon for music fans who use the likes of Tidal or (perhaps improbably) Apple Music for higher-quality files. There's no multi-point switching between non-Samsung devices, so while they're very well-featured for Samsung owners, anyone else is better off elsewhere.
Our review said that these are "some of the best wireless earbuds I’ve tested for sound", and this was helped by the (Samsung exclusive) Ultra High Quality Sound wireless tech and the Adaptive EQ for personalizing the audio. We found the sound to be energetic and dynamic, with great weight to the bass and clarity to the treble. The soundstage is wide, and songs get the chance to be suitable big when they should be, and with individual instruments able to be picked out of the mix easily. They're right up there with the best buds for this kind of price.
The move to an AirPods-like design with a stick, instead of the circular blob design that Samsung previously used, will divide people. Doubly so, since the stem is triangular and has a light on it – very angular and futuristic. However, they're lightweight, and they're comfortable to wear, so if you don't mind the look, there are no complaints in using them generally. However, we found the eartips to be difficult to remove safely – it's very easy to tear them. So be careful if you need a size other than Medium; pull carefully by grabbing near where they attach to the buds, and keep your nails well clear.
The official price of $249 / £219 / AU$399 is very competitive against other premium earbuds if you're a Samsung owner – less so otherwise, since so many options are locked away. However, Samsung often does aggressive deals on its earbuds during sales season, so you might see some prices much lower than this – they'll become even better if so. But again, we'd still say they're really for Samsung owners only.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 test results
Sound quality (ANC on) | 4.5 / 5 |
Sound quality (ANC off) | 4 / 5 |
Mic quality | 3.5 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | 6 hours |
Battery life (ANC off) | 7 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for sound
1-minute summary: Let's not be coy; the Pi8 are are completely different to the unreliable (and quite uncomfortable) Pi7 S2 that Bowers & Wilkins put its name to before them. The company approached the challenge of solving the older siblings' snafus with both humility and grace too, completely redesigning the driver housings – to look, it must be said, not unlike the also-excellent 2023 Technics EAH-AZ80 – and adding an upgraded DAC, DSP and amplifier. Yes, the Pi8 effectively bypass Qualcomm's digital-to-analog converter for even better audio quality compared to their direct rivals. B&W's commitment to sound doesn't surprise me though; what does is fact that they can nullify noise as well the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or the AirPods Pro 2. That feeling of being wrapped in a comforter of silence happens, but without any sense of wind-tunnel nausea. Also, you finally get on-ear volume control, which something I've been begging companies to implement for years, particularly in this premium sector. There's no spatial audio with head-tracking and no ear-tip fit tests or hearing profiles. No, B&W wants music (unaltered and at its most detailed) to be the star of the show here and the company has met the brief and then some. I cannot fault the sound quality the Pi8 earbuds are able to deliver wirelessly, or when using the case as a transmitter for aptX Adaptive quality at up to 24-bit/96kHz. And that is not something I often write.
Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review
Reasons to buy
✅ You prioritize sound quality above all else: These buds offer the most zealous, balanced, detailed audio I've heard in a true wireless earbuds design. And the ANC? It's top-tier too.
✅ You want buds that really fit: B&W has reworked everything here. Put them in and just leave them – no twisting, wedging or jamming them in again.
✅ You want a wired connection too: The case for the Pi8 can be connected to USB-C ports or 3.5mm ports, and beams the sound to the buds in high quality – perfect for in-flight entertainment.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want spatial audio: No dice here, I'm afraid, in any form.
❌ You want personalized sound tests: No, you don't get that here either.
❌ You need to access ANC profiles and volume at all times: You have to choose between on-ear volume control, scrolling between your ANC profiles, or accessing your voice assistant.
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In-depth analysis
Aside from the excellent ANC (have I said it enough? The noise cancellation here is really very good) there's also a useful 'Pass Through' mode that lets you hear a colleague talking next to you – on the odd occasion you really need that. There's no 'adaptive' ANC option and I don't care – when the full-fat version works this well, why get granular? Now, the ace up the sleeve: aside from the no-nonsense, pocketable appeal of the Pi8's case, you can plug that USB-C port (USB-C to 3.5mm and USB-C cables are supplied) into a non-Bluetooth wired source and it'll double as a wireless audio re-transmitter in aptX Adaptive quality up to 24-bit/96kHz. Yes, in-flight entertainment systems and tray tables just got much less stressful! There are no hearing tests, ear-tip fit tests, personalized sound profiles or head-tracked spatial audio processing here, but these are things we can live without. They more than make up for it in other areas.
I don't know if I've ever written a TechRadar 'Sound' review section so wholly positive. It feels as if the B&W Pi8 happily unpack, weigh, open out, examine, layer and finally present whatever music I send to them with the talented hand of a French pâtissier, revealing juicy bass frequencies few earbuds can relay. I'm also struck by the pin-point accuracy of article placement in mixes. Vocals spring out from my cheekbones, my temples and beneath my chin in raucous and zealous mixes. Refreshingly, noise cancellation and ambient profiles never make anything go off kilter either. For musicality, neutrality, attack, drive, dynamic nuance, balance across the frequencies and all the other things I usually pick apart, Bowers & Wilkins' back-to-the-drawing-board approach has paid off. Wow, these earbuds sound good…
The redesign here was necessary, even if the earpieces might not look quite as high-end as the metallic, Swiss-watch style driver housings of the Pi7. It's a plastic build, but it's premium matte plastic that seems to murmur 'I'm expensive' and the point is, they fit so well you'll feel a millionaire when wearing them. (Are you a millionaire? Thank you for stopping by.) The mic and sensors on the older Pi7 models weren’t in the best position, but this has all been fixed for Pi8. Right under the touch-sensitive top plate are the mics and sensors – as far away from your head and ear folds as it's possible to put them. I typically switch to the smaller set when choosing ear tips, but since the neck of the earbud isn't long (and the design is so well weighted), I don't think the tip size is too important here. They might look a little bulky (and they do weigh 7g each), but they fit naturally and unobtrusively. One minor negative (and it's similar to the one I encountered with the JBL Live Beam 3, directly below this entry) is that you need to ditch a set of on-ear control functions again. Yes, you can now get on-ear volume control by long-pressing either Pi8 earbud, but to get it you need to forego scrolling through ANC profiles and access to your voice assistant. That's where my gripes end though, because when you factor in that case retransmission feature, this is a beautiful design from Bowers & Wilkins – and a ripping up of the design playbook that probably didn't come easy.
Sonically the Pi8 are the best earbuds I've heard in a wireless design, and I accept that you need to pay a premium for that – because the inescapable truth is that the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are not cheap. Want excellent, unadulterated, high-quality audio in a comfortable build? It's here. Basically, if you value sound quality above all else, this is the product I'd point you to. It's not the cheapest, but it is the best for sound. For stamina however, the Pi8 can be beaten (it's no good having great audio and wireless transmission from the case if you're caught needing a battery top-up before the flight), and if you want spatial audio, or hearing tests mixed in with the ANC, you'll also be better served with other options in this list.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 test results
Sound quality (ANC on) | 5 / 5 |
Sound quality (ANC off) | 5 / 5 |
Mic quality | 4 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | 6.5 hours |
Battery life (ANC off) | 8.5 hours |
The best wireless earbuds for battery life
1-minute summary: The fact that they're in this guide as my 'best for battery' recommendation is valid – there's a whacking great touchscreen on the box and try as I might, I couldn't get it to affect the 12-hour stamina within the earbuds, or the 48-hour total including the case, during my tests. I'll be honest though, I also really wanted to get these earbuds into this guide to highlight both their lock-screen wallpaper novelty (which might put people in mind of the Polaroid stickers people used to adorn their phones with a few years ago), and that their sound is deadly serious. The audio quality in the Live Beam 3 is delicious; that famous Harman curve of rich bass and elevated treble, now represented in the best way. Also of note is Personi-Fi, which creates an excellent personalized sound profile, and JBL's splendid call-handling perks. OK, the spatial audio profiles didn't wow me, and the ANC is fine rather than ground-breaking, but so much else did surprise me that they're more than worthy of a spot here. And did I mention, they're not even JBL's flagship earbuds, so prices are refreshingly low?
Read our full JBL Live Beam 3 review
Reasons to buy
✅ You want the best battery: If you want a reliable pair of buds you'll rarely need to charge, you've found them. 10 hours with ANC on from the buds, and 48 hours total is massive.
✅ You like cool new tech ideas: Some people might think the screen on the case is a gimmick, others will love this addition and make great use of it – it works well.
✅ You enjoy personalized sound profiles: Fire up JBL's Personi-Fi test and get to listening – you'll soon see what all the fuss is about.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You're not always a fan of in-ears: They were comfy during testing, but some people might find they go too far into your ear canals.
❌ Spatial audio is a priority: You do get some sense of immersion, but you won't get that directional, three-dimensional 'where are my earbuds' style presentation here.
❌ You want only-the-best ANC: The noise-cancellation here is good and there are plenty of options for tweaking it – but you won't get that 'bubble of silence' feeling you get from Bose earbuds
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In-depth analysis
You think I'm going to lead with the smart case don't you? Sorry… Call-handling is fantastic, thanks to the numerous options JBL's supplied to enhance it, including Sound Level Optimizer, Sound Setting, Voice Setting, VoiceAware and Private Call Mode – all of which I've explained in-depth in my review. Suffice to say that during my tests, a combination of these meant my friend on the other end said I sounded as if I was just talking on the phone – rare. That surgical attention to detail continues across the board with the Live Beam 3. Take the EQ: six EQ presets; Adaptive EQ for real-time adjustments; the option of toggling on 'Low Volume EQ' and even 'Leakage Compensation' to sort the sonics if the tips you've fitted don't provide a tip-top seal. ANC is a similar story. Customize functionality by toggling Adaptive ANC and/or Auto Compensation, which adjusts things based on your ear canal and wearing status once more – and if you switch Adaptive ANC off, you're presented with a slider that offers seven increments of noise-nixing. Does it nix noise as deftly as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or the AirPods Pro 2 can? Not quite. And she same goes for the JBL Beam 3's spatial audio profiles (movies, music or gaming have been supplied). But that's the only reason I knocked half a star off in this rating. And I haven't even mentioned Personi-Fi! After various hearing tests, you're presented with a written report, which offers a mini verdict on the compensation required for each ear and a shiny new profile just for you. And the screen means that if you like putting a picture of your dog, snake or significant other on your earbuds (and why ever not?) there's no other case currently on the market that'll let you do that.
It seems a shame to listen to lowly Spotify streams when Sony's LDAC (from a compatible device such as a Sony Xperia smartphone) is on the menu. The JBL Live Beam 3 are cohesive, responsive and zealous across the frequencies. They're able to unearth an extra ounce of detail through the strummed guitars and vocal in Noah Kahan's acoustic Stick Season, but can also serve up Melissa Etheridge's guttural I'm the Only One vocal confidently and without muddying the track's bass-walking, axe-stalking grimy country feel. This sound sees JBL at its best again, and you love to see it – sonically, they're a huge hit. Think big, exuberant sound that knows when to have it large, but also when to pull back just a touch to let certain instruments shine. It feels like high-end sound for mid-range money, and again, that's a rare thing.
Despite my small ears, I found these easy to wear, although it's worth noting that the earpiece design does sit quite far into your ear canals. Those who find this kind of fit claustrophobic – see also, AirPods Pro 2 – may want to look at JBL's other designs, although again, it may not be an issue for you. The on-ear touch functions require a compromise (you need to ditch a set of functions – either Playback Control, Ambient Sound Control, or Volume Control) which is a minor negative when other options let you do it all, but that's where my criticism ends. You'll either love the case or hate it, but I think it's very fun. It means the box is deeper than your average case, but the little lanyard loop on the top right (as you look at the screen) is very cute – because you've now got lock-screen wallpaper to show off! What you need to know is that the build quality – not just of the case but of the buds nestled inside (and the companion app keeping everything accessible and in check) – feels resoundingly expensive. And actually, it isn't.
The JBL Live Beam 3's enviable battery life plus the joyous sound and call quality (with their plethora of customizations) are more than worthy of the money here. And the noise cancellation will serve all but the most picky. Oh, and there's the fun touchscreen case – which doesn't affect the commendable stamina. Given the competitive asking price of the JBL Live Beam 3 (Bose's closest alternative costs $299 / £299 / AU$449, which is $100 / £120 or AU$200 more than the JBL – and there's no screen on the case there) there's an incredible amount to enjoy here for the money.
JBL Live Beam 3 test results
Sound quality (ANC on) | 4 / 5 |
Sound quality (ANC off) | 4 / 5 |
Mic quality | 4 / 5 |
Battery life (ANC on) | 10 hours |
Battery life (ANC off) | 12 hours |
Best wireless earbuds test results comparison
More wireless earbuds we've tested
AirPods 4: Apple's newest ice-white stemmed buds arrived in September 2024, in two flavors. You can see our full AirPods 4 review for our thoughts on the non-ANC model, but the cheaper set don't feature here because, honestly, we think you can do better for your money.
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation: These sound great and have noise cancellation that's far better than we ever expected anything without a real in-ear seal to achieve. They also have impressive spatial audio, and lots of other smart features for iPhone users, which we explored in our AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation review. However, the AirPods Pro 2 are basically always around the same price as these, and they're superior, so these don't make the list while that's true.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi6: These B&W buds feel premium, are comfortable to wear and sound great. As you'll see from our Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 review, we really enjoyed testing them. However, they are a little pricey, especially considering they're light on some of the top-tier features we'd expect to see, and we experienced some minor connectivity issues.
CMF Buds Pro 2: We recently tested these budget buds that come in a range of funky color options that put the usual beige, white and black options to shame. And we liked parts of them very much in our CMF Buds Pro 2 review, but the overall package just doesn't match the likes of the Sony WF-C510 above, or other options.
Earfun Air 2 NC: These budget wireless earbuds are well worth considering if you're looking for effective ANC at a very low price. However, read our Earfun Air 2 NC review and you'll discover they don't deliver in terms of detail and we don't love the design either. Still, for the money they're not bad at all.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: Battery life in Google's August 2024-issue flagship buds is good, plus they're small and (hang it all) ridiculously cute-looking, but otherwise these Google buds were sadly disappointing across the board. We don't want to knock them any more here – we just want you to be aware of why they're not featured – but read our Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review to find out why.
Noble FoKus Rex5: These bold-looking buds are finished to an incredibly high standard with great specs and a sound we described as "speedy and insightful" in our Noble FoKus Rex5 review. However, if your ears are on the small side, you're unlikely to get on with them as they're quite big. And if you like bass, they're lacking a bit in that low end.
Sony LinkBuds Fit: We rated these as being some of the most comfortable and stable earbuds we've ever tested in our Sony LinkBuds Fit review, which is obviously perfect for the fitness audience they're aimed at. We said that their "bold sound" is ideal for workouts, and while the ANC isn't amazing, it does a good enough job. Annoyingly, though, the touch controls aren't as reliable as we'd like, and we really think they should come with more sizes of in-ear tips. Still, if you want Sony quality in workout buds, they're well worth consideration.
Sony WF-1000XM5: A massive pair of earbuds (metaphorically – they're really rather small in literal terms) that aren't on our list. Why? Well, they're good, but we don't think they're better than competing models at the same price – ie. Bose and Technics. As we said in our Sony WF-1000XM5 review, the ANC was sadly weaker than expected, and sonically they are beaten by the Technics EAH-AZ100 sitting pretty at the top of this guide.
Sony WF-C700N: These are five-star earbuds, and you can read why in our full Sony WF-C700N review, but the short version is that they're super-comfortable, have lots of great features, and sound fantastic for their affordable price. So why aren't they in the list? Because the Noting Ear (a) kicked them out by hitting all of the notes above, but slightly better in most ways. It's a tough world out there…
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro: Xiaomi's February 2025-issue wireless buds are better than the non-Pro Buds 5 (we tested the 'regular' Bluetooth option, not the concurrently-released Wi-Fi-enabled set) but they're twice the price, and although our Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro review is largely positive, we just felt there are better options out there for the money.
How to choose the best wireless earbuds
With so many wireless earbuds to pick from, how do you know which are right for you? There are a few key considerations you need to bear in mind.
The first is price. How much can you afford? You can get a good pair of wireless earbuds for under £100/$100. But often you do get what you pay for in terms of connectivity, build and noise cancellation.
Next up is form. Do you intend to hit the gym, bike or pavement with your earbuds? Then you'll need a design that'll stay put. Or maybe small and minimal is what you're after, so opt for a pair of discrete true wireless buds.
The best sounding earbuds are exactly that – our pick of the wireless earbuds that sound fantastic. These are far from the best cheap earbuds out there, but if you're passionate about hearing music with clarity, richness and powerful bass, these are the ones you need to consider.
It's still important to pick earbuds that feel good in your ears, but the models in our guide above have been picked for sound quality first and foremost, with those that excel in extra features such as noise cancellation or workout-friendly designs noted separately.
What kind of speakers do wireless earbuds use?
All the wireless earbuds in our guide produce their sound using dynamic drivers, so that's one tech element you don't have to thing about. This is the most common kind of speaker technology in everything from big loudspeakers to over-ear headphones to earbuds. To explain how dynamic drivers work, and why they’re so dominant in wireless earbuds, we spoke to Andy Kerr, Director of Product Marketing and Communications at Bowers & Wilkins, which has over 60 years of experience creating these kinds of drivers in both headphones and loudspeakers.
“Dynamic drivers use a magnet, a voice coil (typically made from winds of copper wire wound around a circular form), and a diaphragm/drive unit (a thin cone of material that makes the sound). The narrow end of the diaphragm's cone is attached to the voice coil; the wide end of the diaphragm is held in place by a rubber surround, also called ‘suspension’. When electrical current is supplied to the voice coil, it becomes electromagnetic. This creates a push-pull interaction between the coil and the magnet, which it is coiled around, causing the coil to move up and down over the magnet rapidly. Since the coil is attached to the bottom of the drive unit, its movement pushes the drive unit up and down in response, creating sound pressure waves that your ears and brain translate into sound,” explains Kerr.
“A single dynamic driver can be made very compact, is light, and is highly efficient in terms of battery life, which is of course hugely relevant in the age of wireless earbuds. Dynamic drivers are also very popular in headphone designs essentially because they give companies like Bowers & Wilkins a way to use our knowledge and experience from designing and manufacturing them – for both loudspeakers and headphones – while customizing and continually improving the technology over time. For example, our approach to drive unit design combines stiffness in the material (for accuracy and fast response) plus good excursion (meaning how far the diaphragm is capable of moving, for deeper bass performance) that's equally important for both earbuds and loudspeakers."
Dynamic drivers are not the only earbuds driver technology available: planar magnetic is the most common other type, and we’re about to see the launch of more earbuds using a new solid-state driver. Some earbuds also combine a dynamic driver with a smaller solid-state driver to create a wider sound range, which is often known as dual-driver technology. It’s possible to have more than two drivers in earbuds, but it’s very uncommon in wireless earbuds.
What is noise cancellation in earbuds?
One of the hottest features in wireless earbuds right now is active noise cancellation (ANC) – this used to be the preserve of premium buds, but is now common even among many budget models.
All in-ear earbuds block some noise thanks to the seal formed between the ear tips and your ear canal. This stops a lot of noise coming in, and is known as 'passive' sound isolation.
But active noise cancellation goes a step further to remove outside noise from what you're hearing. The technology was introduced by Bose, and the company has been making ANC tech for over 30 years, so we asked John Rule, Senior Engineer at Bose Corporation, to explain noise cancellation.
"Today, noise cancellation in the majority of headphones and earbuds is achieved through a combination of both active and passive technologies. For active noise reduction, sophisticated electronics work with microphones both inside and outside the earcups to sense the sound around you and then measure, compare, and react – instant by instant – to produce an opposing cancellation signal," says Rule.
Imagine you're trying to walk in a straight line, and someone is pushing you from one side to stop you walking straight. That's outside noise, interfering with what speakers are trying to do. Now imagine someone pushes you from the other side in a way that exactly balances out the first push, so you're walking straight again – that's active noise cancellation, counteracting the interference by 'cancelling' it out.
Bose's John Rule emphasizes that it's not just the circuitry doing the work, though. He says, "Passive noise reduction also plays a role in headphone performance. When you place an earcup over your ear or an earbud in your ear, some noise is physically blocked. The cup or bud design, materials used, clamping force of the headband, shape of the ear tips, and many other factors contribute to a comfortable fit while providing a good seal against incoming noise. When active and passive elements are combined, the result is cancellation of the noise you don’t want to hear, such as a plane engine or annoying vacuum. This lets you hear what you want, whether that’s your music or silence."
Wireless vs true wireless: what's the difference?
Wireless earbuds have existed for a while now, basically since Bluetooth was invented. Though battery-powered and not physically connected to your phone, they have a cord connecting both buds – and sometimes a band around the neck too.
True wireless earbuds have no cord whatsoever. While wireless allows us to wear headphones a few feet away from our music players, True Wireless cuts the cord between the earbuds, giving us true freedom. If you're looking to go full wireless, we also have a round-up of the best true wireless headphones, but you'll find our top picks here, too.
Wireless headphones are traditional over-ear or on-ear headphones without the wire – the two earcups are connected by a headband. Check out the best wireless headphones for more.
Which brand of wireless earbuds is best?
In this guide we've included all of the best audio tech and earbuds brands on the market today. But the question of which brand is best depends on what you're looking for.
Sony is certainly one of the best wireless earbuds brands, and one of the best audio brands generally. It consistently brings out great-sounding products and has led the way with fantastic true wireless earbuds year-on-year. The Sony WF-1000XM5 didn't make it into this list for reasons given a little above, but we still gave them a very positive review! You really can't go wrong at any budget with Sony's range right now.
If you're looking for a pair of premium wireless earbuds and have a high budget for a new pair, then check out high-end brands like Bose – though Technics is a great audio name that's currently having a fantastic product run. Otherwise, if you're looking for a budget pair of earbuds, the Sony WF-C510 are currently our best budget choice. But Earfun and JLab also make some of our favourite cheaper wireless earbuds.
Which wireless earbuds are best?
Right now, we currently rate the Technics EAH-AZ100 as our favorite balancing price, sound quality and features. They're not cheap, but they're worth every penny.
However, if you have more specific priorities, you might want to consider other buds in our list. Like the the Sony WF-C510 if you're on a budget. Or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds if you want the best ANC buds you can buy.
What are the best value for money wireless earbuds?
All of the options in our best wireless earbuds guide are good value for money. However, if you're looking for a budget pair of buds we've got some of those too.
The Sony WF-C510 are our top budget pick because they're cheap, offer great audio and they're comfortable. Top value all round. If you're looking for super budget, the JLab Go Air Pop are incredibly cheap at under £20/$20. They sound great for the price and are light, small and comfy. If you want a pair of budget buds that also pack in ANC, take a look at the Earfun Air Pro 3, which are discounted at the time of writing to $79 / £79.
Which is better: Bose or Beats?
In the battle between Bose and Beats, it depends what you're looking for. In our opinion, Bose is the better option for sheer audio performance and noise cancelling tech. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds can't be beaten in terms of ANC.
However, Beats earbuds offer a great fit and excellent sound. Particularly the Beats Fit Pro, which we highly recommend if you're looking for a pair of earbuds for working out. They're also a little more affordable than Bose options and have a more stylish design.
Which wireless earbuds are just as good as Apple AirPods?
The most recent AirPods Pro 2 are excellent if you want a comfy fit, quality audio and have an iPhone as there are some feature only iOS users can access. They're even a little cheaper than a lot of the competition, which is not something we get to say about Apple a ton… However, the Technics EAH-AZ100 have them beaten for cross-platform support and sound quality. In terms of ANC, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are a little better than AirPods Pro 2.
When it comes to the cheaper AirPods models, we think there are lots of better option, especially for value. The Nothing Ear (a) are the big alternative we'd point you towards if you're looking at non-pro AirPods.
What are the best wireless earbuds for Android?
Our top three picks in this guide are all a perfect match for Android phones, and cover a broad range of budgets: we think the Technics EAH-AZ100 are the best overall, but at a premium price; the Nothing Ear (a) are an incredible option that's more affordable but still has premium features; and the Sony WF-C510 are the best cheap option.
However, if you have a Samsung phone in particular, you should strongly consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which have special features that specifically work with Samsung phones, including great spatial audio and higher-quality audio support.
How we test the best wireless earbuds
☑️ More than 2,400 audio reviews
☑️ 16 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech
We've tested every pair of wireless earbuds in this guide to ensure they meet some key criteria, all detailed in our full reviews. But to give you an insight into our process, we’ve detailed what we’re looking for below. You can read our full article on how we test earbuds if you want to learn more.
Audio: We're looking (listening?) for earbuds that sound good first and foremost – we want to hear clear, rich audio that does justice to every genre. We listen to both high-quality source music, as well as lower-quality streams, as well as movies and videos. Voices should be natural, instruments should stand out from each other, and there should be a good sound balance overall between bass, mid-range and treble.
Sound quality testing: The starting point of our process is that our reviewers use a particular playlist of songs as their first port of call for listening to the sound quality of the earbuds. We'll listen to these songs with active noise cancellation turned both on and off, to see if there are any differences in the detail or balance. The playlist is available for anyone to copy on your streaming service of choice, with notes on elements to listen out for, if you'd like to try it.
Comparison: This isn't the only music our reviewers will listen to, obviously – but by using these songs as the starting point, we can make specific and direct comparisons between earbuds, while will make it easier for you to follow the subtlety of their differences, we hope. Then our reviewers can use other tracks to explore the individual nuances of each pair of earbuds.
ANC: In terms of active noise cancellation, we want to find buds that work well to drown out ambient noise day-to-day in a variety of environments. We test them in our pretty typical office environment, out walking in city traffic, and on public transport.
Microphone testing: We also test the microphones, and to help you choose the right earbuds, we record ourselves reading a particular passage, and embed them here, so you can simply play back the recordings and see what you think. These are recorded indoors and to a basic recording app, for consistency – we'll also test them out in the wind and with background noise, during cellular calls, as part of our overall judgment.
Features: We also consider battery life, testing claims ourselves to ensure that most of the buds we pick will last long enough to not be annoying. And then we look at extra features, such as sound personalization and other app support – this can make a big difference to the overall value of two earbuds that are the same price.
Value and comparison: Of course, all of our testing is then balanced against lots of other factors, not the least of which is price. We know that a pair of cheap earbuds won't sound as good as premium ones – so we're judging them against competition at the same kind of price, not against something wildly different.
Latest updates to the best wireless earbuds
April 10, 2025
Added a new 'Quick List' to the top of the guide to make it easier for readers to quickly find what they're looking for. Checked to make sure all copy is bang up to date and reflects our current top picks.
March 17, 2025
Updated the intro to reflect current tech trends and designs. Added new recent entries to our list of other products we've tested, including one from Xiaomi.
February 17, 2025
Checked all products against our latest reviews. Added new recent entries to our list of other products we've tested. Updated our explanation of how we test to be easier to read through.
Read more updates
January 17, 2025
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.
December 24, 2024
Checked all products against our latest reviews. Added more information to our list of other earbuds we've reviewed.
November 26, 2024
Replaced the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 as our 'best for ANC' pick with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds based on our testing. The Ultra buds are newer and are now reduced, making them a better option for most people – the older model is also now largely out of stock.
November 22, 2024
I rewrote the introduction to this guide to explain more about how we choose and compare the wireless earbuds, and what kind of testing and development backs up our recommendations.
November 13, 2024
Removed some links from this guide. Added a dedicated Black Friday advice section, to better direct readers to potential deals I'm already seeing.
November 1, 2024
We rewrote and redesigned this guide with more information about each product, to make it easier to see which buds will be the best fit for you.
October 7, 2024
Replaced the JLab JBuds Mini with the Sony WF-C510 as our 'best budget' pick based on our review.
September 19, 2024
Replaced the Samsung Buds 2 Pro with the Samsung Buds 3 Pro based on our review. Refreshed our guide to other earbuds worth consideration.
September 3, 2024
Corrected an error with the product listings in this guide.
August 6, 2024
Updated our note on other earbuds to consider based on our latest reviews.
July 12, 2024
Added the JBL Live Beam 3 as the best wireless earbuds for a long battery life, based on our recent review.
June 12, 2024
Added test result scores from our real-world testing methodology to each product, as well as a comparison table, to make it easier to see which earbuds sound best, and have the best real battery life. You can also listen to samples from the microphones on each pair of earbuds.
May 22, 2024
Updated the 'Also consider' section with information on recently reviewed earbuds and why they didn't make the list.
April 23, 2024
Swapped Sony WF-C700N for Nothing Ear (a) based on our reviewer's experience with both products. Updated the 'Also Consider' section with information about other recent earbuds that didn't make the list.
March 21, 2024
Removed Sony WH-1000XM4 due to stock running extremely low. Moved Technics EAH-AZ80 as our new #1, and reordered other products to round out our selections.
February 29, 2024
Checked all products against latest reviews and pricing. Updated the 'Also consider' section with new products, and added more information to our 'How to choose' section'.
January 29, 2024
Added the Final ZE8000 as the best option for excellent sound quality. Checked all other products against out current reviews, and added a new 'Other wireless earbuds to consider' section to help provide context to our choices.
December 20, 2023
Updated the list to remove the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, which is no longer available to buy. Rewrote some entries to add more comparisons between products on our list.
November 10, 2023
Checked all products against our latest review. Added more at-a-glance buying advice for all earbuds in the list.
October 5, 2023
Updated the order of rankings and completely refreshed the format of the guide to include a new quick menu to make it easier to find right buds to suit your needs.