Earbuds & AirPods
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.
Explore Earbuds & Airpods
Latest about Earbuds & Airpods

By Simon Cocks Published
User replaceable batteries, svelte design, strong stamina and great sound? A five-star performance from Sennheiser

By Harry Padoan Published
I tested the JBL Live Flex 4 and found them to be an excellent pair of open-fit buds, with impressive sound quality, genuinely decent ANC, and even a smart charging case.

By Becky Scarrott Last updated
Updated The best noise-cancelling earbuds block out the world without the bulk of over-ear headphones – here are our top recommendations based on in-house testing

By Axel Metz Published
The new Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 chipset could herald the age of camera-equipped earbuds, but Qualcomm promises ‘this isn’t about putting a chatbot in your ear’.

By Tom Bedford Published
Bose has two new clip-style earbuds: a follow-up to one of our top-rated pairs, plus a more affordable model.

By Hamish Hector Published
Apple was slowly winning this hater over in 2026, but its AirPods 5 volume control surcharge is absurd.

By Mackenzie Frazier Published
The AirPods 5 were just announced last week, and Amazon already has a first-time discount, bringing the already affordable price down to $124.99.

By Tom Bedford Published
The iFi Go cable manages to fit a DAC/headphone amp into one small cable, which you can use on your phone or laptop.
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