Earbuds go by many different names, including earphones, in-ear headphones, in-ear monitors or simply buds. They also come in all shapes and sizes and can be both wired or wireless, with some variations. Probably the most widely known (and worn) earbuds are the AirPods, which Apple launched in 2016.
Compared to over-ear and on-ear headphones, they offer a more compact, lightweight design that’s easier to set up and store. Earbuds are often cheaper too (usually), and have better stability. Being small does have its disadvantages - namely with sound quality, which can’t match wired headphones - but every music lover should own at least one pair all the same.
Latest about Earbuds & Airpods
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The Huawei FreeClip 2 are let down by design and sound woes, with some feature issues too. It's a shame because there are some strengths.
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My carefully considered pick of the best earbuds in the business – including one or two new models you might not be familiar with.
These cheap JBL earbuds offer all-day battery life and cost less than $30
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I'm prepared to die for these limited edition Hatsune Miku Sony earbuds and I don't care who knows it
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The AI-led memory prices rises will hit TVs and audio tech too in 2026
Price rises could be coming for all AV tech, and budget sets may get hit hardest
Soundpeats' new multi-driver earbuds want to beat the best, and I got five on it
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