Updated Jan 08, 2024 at 04:32 pm
By Christopher Steward
overview 5 comments
These days, you don't need to sacrifice portabilityor affordability if you want headphones that make your music sound good. While earbuds can't create the wide, natural soundstage that some over-ears can, you still have plenty of choices if you want earbuds with quality sound. There's no genuine one-size-fits-all approach to determining whatsounds best to everyone, but there are certain qualities you want to keep an eye on. A neutral sound profile is ideal since it's versatile—most people find it sounds good with a wide range of music genres.
However, some people prefer more bass, while others like a brighter sound. As long as there's a balance between bass and treble, with a clear and even mid-range in-between, you can find something thatsuits your tastes without sounding muddy, cluttered, or dull. Some earbuds also offer extra features like an EQ, so you can adjust the sound profile or virtual surround sound for a more immersive listening experience.
We've tested over 250wireless earbuds and in-ears, and below are our top recommendations for the best wireless earbuds for sound quality. See our recommendations for thebest earbuds and in-ears, thebest earbuds for bass, thebest neckband headphones, and thebest truly wireless earbuds.
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Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless 22
Neutral Sound
7.4
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The best sounding wireless earbuds we've tested are the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless. These high-end buds have a slightly warm sound profile, with more thumpy bass than the originalApple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless. The rest of the range is relatively neutral, making their sound profile a bit more versatile than theBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless, which are our top bass-heavy pick below.However, they lack the Bose headphones' variety of sound customization featuresand instead utilize an adaptive EQ system that adjusts their sound based on ambient noise conditions and playback volume.
They also support Spatial Audio, a feature that allows audio to follow your head movements to create a more immersive experience. Even though they have a lightweight design, the buds can wiggle out of your ears over time, affecting their stability. On the upside, they have a nearly six-hour continuous battery life, and their carrying case holds four extra charges. Their ANC system offers excellent overall performance and reduces a wide range of background noise.
See our review
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Best Sounding Upper Mid-Range Wireless Earbuds
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless 13
Neutral Sound
7.1
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
If you want something more affordable without sacrificing performance or features, consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless. These comfortable buds rival theApple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wirelessin many ways, including in sound. They have a flat, neutral sound profile that's versatile enough for most audio content. You can customize their sound using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets to suit your tastes better. They're well-built and are certified IPX7 for resistance against submersion in water.
Their ANC offers excellent overall performance, cutting down background noise like traffic or chatty coworkers around you. With their ANC on, they last under five hours continuously. Luckily, their carrying case supplies an additional 2.6 charges if needed. Consider theGoogle Pixel Buds Pro Truly Wirelessif you're looking for buds with better overall battery performance. They have over seven hours of continuous playback time with nearly two extra charges in the case, and they support multi-device pairing. However, they aren't as comfortable and stick out of your ear.
See our review
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Best Sounding Mid-Range Wireless Earbuds
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless 21
Neutral Sound
7.6
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
If you're looking for a less expensive option, consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless instead. These earbuds are available for under $100 and offer solid build quality and a comfortable design. Out of the box, they have a relatively neutral sound profile, and their excellent bass accuracy meansyour audio has body and punch that doesn't overwhelm instruments and vocals. If you prefer a different sound, they have adjustable EQ presets. Unfortunately, they're only available if you own an Android device. While they have an ANC feature, it doesn't block out as much noise as the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless.
Their continuous battery life of around sixhours is also on the short side, so you'll have to top up the battery in the case during long workdays. Unlike the pricier options listed here, they don't have any virtual surround sound features or support for multi-device pairing. They also don't have volume control by default, which can be frustrating when you're trying to adjust the volume on the fly.
See our review
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Best Sounding Budget Wireless Earbuds
Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless 7
Neutral Sound
7.5
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
See all our test results
If you want budget earbuds that punch above their weight, look no further than the Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless.They have a well-balanced sound profile, with plenty of bass on tap, an accurate mid-range, and a bright treble response that adds sizzle to sibilants. You can also use the three built-in EQ presets to adjust the sound further.While these wireless in-ears don't have an ANC system, they block out a decent amount of noise passively and have some premium features, like Bluetooth multi-device pairing.
They have a stable, reasonably comfortable fit, and their battery lasts over eight hours on a single charge, which is enough to get you through long days at the office. They have a deep in-ear fit that won't feel natural for everyone.If you want further options to finetune your headphones, consider the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless. They're not as neutral-sounding out of the box, but they have a companion app with a parametric EQ and presets to help you achieve your desired sound. They have a less stable fit, though.
See our review
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Best Wireless Earbuds With LDAC
Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless 81
Neutral Sound
7.1
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
Consider the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless if you want premium budsthat can stream high-resolution audio. These earbudssupport LDAC, Sony's proprietary high-resolution audio codec, allowing you to listen to higher-quality audio if your streaming service supports it. They also do an amazing job of isolating you against noise of all types, which you might want if you're looking for earbuds for commuting.Their memory foam ear tips help with isolation and provide a comfortable fit, especially if you have smaller ear canals. Their sound profile is warm but not as bass-heavy as the Bose and Apple, and they sound balanced across all frequency ranges. They also support multi-device pairing andSony's 360 Reality Audio, which adds head-tracking and immersive audio qualities via compatible apps like Tidal.Sadly, they don't have an adaptive EQ feature like the AirPods or Bose, but you can manually adjust the sound profile with an in-app graphic EQ.
The Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wirelessare also a good choice if you're looking for cheaper earbuds that can still stream high-resolution audio. They have an ANC feature that does a great job of blocking out ambient sound, including bass-range noise like rumbling engines and higher-pitched sounds like voices. However, their default sound lackslow-bassand can make instruments and vocals sound a bit veiled.
See our review
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Best Bass-Heavy Wireless Earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless 52
Neutral Sound
7.3
Type Earbuds
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless are our top pick for bass-heavy earbuds. These buds have an excellent array of features that rival the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless in many ways, but their sound profile out-of-the-box is less neutral overall and more geared towards bass. They feature Bose's CustomTune technology, which adapts their sound profile based on the shape of your ear and listening habits. There's also further sound customization available via the graphic EQ and presets in the Bose Music app. These buds are among the first to feature the manufacturer's Immersive Audio technology, which tracks your head to add depth to your audio. Their incredible ANC performance means they blockout a wide range of ambient noise, from low engine rumble to office chatter, so you can focus on your tunes without distractions.
However, their seven hours of continuous battery life won't be enough to get you through long days at the office without a top-up from their case.For bass-heavy wireless earbuds with a better battery life performance,consider the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3. These lightweight buds last over eight hours continuously with their ANC enabled. Rather than boost their bass, as seen with the Bose, these have a recessed treble range, which veils instruments and vocals in favor of a prominent bass. They have acustomizable 3-band graphic EQ via their companion app to tailor the sound to your liking, and while their ANC performance isn't quite up-to-par with the Bose, it still does an excellent job of blocking out a wide range of external sounds.
See our review
Notable Mentions
- Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless: The Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless are comfortable, compact, truly wireless earbuds with a customizable sound. However, their bass is somewhat unbalanced out-of-the-box, unlike the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless. See our review
- Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless: The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless are premium buds with a bass-heavy sound. They support aptX Adaptive, which is good for streaming high-quality audio. However, their sound isn't as customizable as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless, and their continuous battery life is significantly shorter. See our review
- JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless: The JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless are lightweight, portable in-ears that won't break the bank. These buds have a bass-rich sound that will please fans of genres like EDM and hip-hop, but they're not as balanced sounding as the Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless. However, their sound profile can be adjusted through a parametric EQ and presets in their app. See our review
Recent Updates
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Jan 08, 2024: We've replaced the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless with the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless as our mid-range pick and replaced the Sony WI-C310 True Wireless with the Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless as our budget pick. The JBL Vibe Buds have been added as a Notable Mention.
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Nov 28, 2023: The Sony WF-100XM5 Truly Wireless are now our top pick for the 'Best Wireless Earbuds With LDAC', with the Sony Linkbuds S as an alternative. We've also added the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless as our bass-heavy pick, with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 as an alternative.
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Sep 28, 2023: Added the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless as an alternative to the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless.
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Jul 31, 2023: We've added the JBL Vibe Beam as an alternative to the Sony WI-C310 Wireless since you can customize their sound profile.
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May 30, 2023: Removed the EarFun Air Pro 2 True Wireless 2021 and the Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless. Added the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless as the 'Best Mid-Range' pick, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 True Wireless as an alternative with virtual surround sound features, and the Sony LinkBuds S as the 'Best Sounding Earbuds with LDAC'.
All Reviews
Our recommendations aboveare what we think are currently the best wireless earbuds for sound quality to buy for most people in each price range. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win overpricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to findor almostout of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose foryourself, here is the list of all our reviews for wireless earbuds and in-earheadphones. Be careful not togetcaught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.
