The best true wireless earbuds of 2024, tried and tested

There’s never been more choice when it comes to the ever-expanding world of true wireless earbuds, whether you want immersive noise cancellation for a noisy flight or something secure and durable for working out. But the sheer amount of options out there can be overwhelming, which is why we’re constantly testing the latest earbuds — from top-end Apple and Sony sets to a plethora of budget contenders — to help you make the right choice.

After months of extensive listening at home, in the gym and up in the skies, here are the five models that stand out the most to us.

The best true wireless earbuds: Sony WF-1000XM5

The Sony WF-1000XM5 improve on everything that made the XM4 one of our top earbud picks, offering a combination of best-in-class noise cancellation, great sound quality, long battery life and plentiful features, including tight system integration with Android devices and solid iOS support that its premium rivals can’t quite match.

Few sets of earbuds are as feature-loaded as the XM5, which tout a bunch of fancy technologies to make bad recordings sound good (DSEE upscaling) and high-resolution tracks play at their best (LDAC codec support). It’s all tied together by the excellent Headphones Connect app, which works equally well on iOS and Android and offers multiple levels of equalizer and ANC customization so you can hear exactly what you want — and block out what you don’t. We found Sony’s buds to sound great for all genres of music out of the box, but we also appreciate the sheer amount of personalization on offer here.

The XM5’s noise cancellation is likewise some of the best we’ve tested, handily silencing common annoyances like loud construction, noisy trains and chatty shoppers at a supermarket. We consider it right on par with that of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 (our current noise-canceling pick), which is to say it’s excellent. When we needed to keep tabs on our surroundings during walks, the buds’ Ambient Sound mode was just as reliable as its suppressive ANC.

We’ve long been critical of how big and bulky Sony’s flagship earbuds are, something that was finally rectified with the slick-looking XM4 model. The XM5 (which come in white and black) simply improve on that foundation, making both the earbuds and the case even thinner, lighter and more comfortable. The WF-1000XM5 uphold Sony’s reputation for reliable battery life, promising up to 10 hours of endurance from the buds alone and up to 36 with the charging case. Those claims held up well in our testing — and beat out top rivals like the AirPods Pro 2 by a notable margin.

We do have some minor gripes with the XM5; Sony cut the convenient tap-to-pair NFC feature that we loved on older models, and its 360 Reality Audio isn’t as intuitive as the immersive spatial audio you get on Apple’s buds. Sony also bumped the price of the XM5 up to $300 — that brings them in line with the Bose QuietComfort 2, but also makes them much more expensive than the AirPods Pro 2 that you can almost always find for $200 these days. But if you’re not deep in the Apple world and you’re willing to splurge on the best sound, features and battery life in a pair of earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM5 are worth the premium.

Other true wireless earbuds we recommend

How we tested

We test every pair of wireless earbuds primarily by using them the same way an everyday consumer would. That includes using them as our main headphones for roughly a week, which gives us a sense of how well they hold up for our usual playlists and podcasts — as well as personal and work calls — in all sorts of environments that range from our home office to a crowded subway train.

When testing any pair of earbuds, we compare them against similarly priced competitors (AirPods Pro vs. the latest high-end Sony buds, for example) and note how they stack up in key metrics such as sound quality, active noise cancellation and battery life. We also factor in how well a pair of earbuds work on both iOS and Android (many buds favor one over the other) as well as important day-to-day usability things like comfort, controls and how convenient — and pocketable — the charging case is.

Other true wireless earbuds we tested

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

$299 at Bose

We loved the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for their stylish and unique clip-on design that allows ambient noise to naturally flow through while still pumping out excellent audio quality. However, their loud look — not to mention their steep $299 price — might not be for everyone.

Nothing Ear and Ear (a)

$150 at Amazon and $99 at Amazon

Nothing has made a name for itself for releasing unique-looking, affordable alternatives to the big names out there, and the new $150 Ear and $99 Ear (a) earbuds are no exception. They both sport striking transparent designs, competitive sound quality and noise cancellation, and a wealth of useful features on the higher-end Ear model. However, these buds’ battery life can suffer with ANC on, and its Transparency mode isn’t the best.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4

$300 at Sennheiser

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are some of the best premium earbuds we’ve tested, offering fantastic sound quality, great noise cancellation and lots of features wrapped into Sennheiser’s distinctly classy design. However, their battery life falls short of the competition, and a lack of spatial audio holds them back against rivals like the AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM5.

Sennheiser Momentum Sport

$330 at Amazon

Sennheiser’s first entry into the fitness earbuds space is an admirable one, as the Momentum Sport deliver the impressive audio and strong ANC we’ve come to expect from the brand, not to mention the most robust feature set of any pair of sports buds we’ve tested. However, the buds stumble on battery life, and their fitness-tracking capabilities aren’t as reliable as what you’d get from a dedicated fitness tracker.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2

$279 $199 at Amazon

Our previous top noise-canceling pick, the QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are still a great choice — and are often on sale for around $100 less than the Ultra model. We think the Ultra are the better earbuds overall, but the Earbuds 2 are a strong alternative for as long as they remain in stock.

EarFun Air

$50 $27 at Amazon

The original EarFun Air reigned as our top budget earbuds pick for years, only to be dethroned by their successor. They can be found for under $40 these days after coupons, but we think most folks are better off spending a little more for the EarFun Air 2. Use code?CNNDEALS?for total 46% off.

Beats Studio Buds Plus

$170 From $130 at Amazon

The Beats Studio Buds Plus offer very good sound quality and ANC as well as a standout transparent color option, and they’re one of the few Apple-made buds that work equally well across iOS and Android. At their discounted price, they make for a strong AirPods Pro alternative — particularly for non-iPhone folks — but they’re held back by a lack of wireless charging and many of the other marquee features you’ll find on Apple’s premium buds.

JBL Tour Pro 2

$250 at JBL

You certainly won’t find many pairs of earbuds like the JBL Tour Pro 2, which pack a full LCD screen right on the case for doing things like changing sound profiles and checking battery life on the fly. They’re a fun throwback to the iPod days that make it easier to keep your phone in your pocket, and their great sound quality and ANC prove they’re more than just a gimmick. It’s tough to choose these over the sleeker AirPods Pro 2 or Sony WF-1000XM5 in the $250-and-up price range, but those compelled by the Tour Pro 2’s unique selling point will find plenty to like.

Amazon Echo Buds (2023)

$50 $49 at Amazon

The latest Amazon Echo Buds offer surprisingly good sound and comfort for the price, and their seamless Alexa integration is great for folks who are deep into the Amazon ecosystem. However, competing budget buds like the EarFun Air Pro 3 get you much more — including active noise cancellation — for a similar price.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro

$170 $80 at Amazon

The Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro are Hi-Res certified and support the LDAC standard, making them a worthy consideration for folks who use high-resolution music services such as Tidal and Qobuz. They’re also competitively priced. However, we didn’t get the best battery life from these buds, and we think the Sony WF-1000XM4 are a better high-end option thanks to their superb noise cancellation.

Apple AirPods (3rd generation)

$169 (with Lightning case) or $179 (with Magsafe case) at Apple

The AirPods 3 — Apple’s take on a traditional earbud without a foam or silicone tip — are a nice improvement over the previous-gen model, delivering better sound quality and borrowing some AirPods Pro features including Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ. They also deliver six hours of listening playback, which is pretty strong over any other AirPods model. You can get them with a wired charging case, or wireless for another $10. But unless you really don’t like an earbud that seals, whether for situational awareness or comfort reason, we’d recommend springing for the Beats Fit Pro or snagging the AirPods Pro on sale.

Beats Powerbeats Pro

$250 $200 at Amazon

The Powerbeats Pro enjoyed a long reign as our favorite workout earbuds, largely thanks to their comfortable earhook design that kept them secure in our ears during intensive exercise. They also sound fantastic, with the satisfying bass you expect from Beats, and pair effortlessly to Apple devices. The Powerbeats Pro are still a good buy if you prefer workout buds that wrap around your ears, but we think the smaller Beats Fit Pro offer better control and are just as secure (and even more comfortable) for both workout and everyday use.

Beats Studio Buds

$150 at Amazon

The Beats Studio Buds were once our top pick for comfort, thanks to a low profile design that we enjoyed wearing for hours on end. They’re also built to fast-pair to both iOS and Android devices, which is a unique perk for a pair of Apple-made buds. There’s a lot to like here for the price, but the Beats Fit Pro offer even better comfort and features for those willing to pay up.

Belkin SoundForm Freedom True Wireless

$120 From $27 at Amazon

The Belkin SoundForm Freedom True are among the few third-party earbuds that support Apple’s Find My app for tracking down your lost buds. They sound good and have good battery life. But they’re an older model, don’t pair as smoothly to iPhones as Apple’s own earbuds, and Android users are better off with a host of other newer options.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2

$399 From $302 at Amazon; $399 at Bowers & Wilkins

This latest update to the audiophile brand’s flagship earbud looks great, fits comfortably and sounds fantastic, with deep bass, smooth mids, and plenty of high end clarity — subtle sound quality improvements to its already high-performance predecessor. It supports the highest-quality aptX Bluetooth support if you’re using an Android mobile or Windows machine, and a cool travel-friendly case doubles as a transmitter if you need to interface with older gear — like a plane’s in-flight entertainment system. Given the price, however, it isn’t for everyone so we’d suggest it mostly for discerning audiophiles on the go.

Denon Perl Pro

$349 at Amazon

Denon’s flagship true wireless earbuds pack a ton of under-the-hood smarts, with Apple-style fit testing, multipoint support, aptX support for high resolution Bluetooth audio, custom EQ tailored for the user and an app that gives you simple to use fine control of almost every feature from transparency mode levels to touch control options. It’s a compelling package, and they sound very good out of the box. That said, repeatedly running the custom EQ didn’t get us better sound than the flat setting, noise canceling was about on par with other flagships and they are bulky by comparison. Unless you really want specific support for aptX in a high-end earbud or enjoy the extra configuration options, we’d suggest saving $100 and going for the AirPods Pro or Sony WF-1000XM5.

EarFun Free Earbuds

$39 From $30 at Amazon

Not all EarFun earbuds are created equal. The Earfun Free has decent sound quality and a reasonable 6 hours of battery life with 24 extra hours available in the charging case. But we found that sound quality and comfort were not as nice as the higher priced counterparts.

All of the Earfun earbuds we tested consistently ranked among some of our favorite budget earbuds, but we think the slight improvement in sound quality and comfort in the other models mean you should choose the EarFun Air instead.

Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2

$130 at Amazon

The updated version of Edifier’s budget-minded full-featured NeoBuds design, the Pro 2 offers solid performance in a lightweight, comfortable package — it’s what you’d expect from Edifier. Noise canceling is effective if not quite on par with flagships from Sony, Bose or Apple, while the dual drivers (a dynamic driver for low frequencies paired with a balanced armature unit for highs) give you good sound quality. They support high-quality formats including LDAC and AAC and even Apple-style head tracking. For fun, you can even change the color of the charging LED on the case. The app is a little clunky, and the build quality plasticky, but if you’re looking for high end features — especially high-res audio format support — at a relatively low price they are worth a listen. Otherwise you can spend a bit less and still get great standard features from EarFun, or a bit more and step up to a big-brand flagship.

Google Pixel Buds A-Series

$100 at Best Buy

The Google Pixel Buds A-Series hold their own against the more expensive AirPods and Galaxy Buds 2 in terms of sound quality, comfort and battery life, all within an attractive and low-profile design. They also have some very useful Google Assistant controls, which allow you to do everything from play a specific song to translate an entire sentence using your voice alone.

Unfortunately, those Assistant tricks are exclusive to Android users, as there’s no Pixel Buds app for the iPhone — they’re just another pair of generic Bluetooth headphones so far as the iPhone can tell. It’s also worth noting that the Pixel Buds A-Series’ charging case — which comes in white across all models — is highly susceptible to smudges and scuffs. Its highly magnetic design also got stuck to other metal objects in our pockets, causing the buds to accidentally slip out on more than one occasion. But if the case isn’t a deal breaker for you, the $100 Buds A are about as good as you can get at this price if you’re on Android.

Jabra Elite 4

$100 at Jabra

The?Jabra Elite 4?are some of the best sub-$100 earbuds we’ve tested, offering excellent sound, comfort and noise canceling for the price. However, unless style is your priority, we think the cheaper and more feature-packed EarFun Air Pro 3 is the better budget pick for most people.

Jabra Elite 4 Active

$120 Amazon; $120 at Best Buy

The Jabra Elite 4 Active are one of many good workout earbuds Jabra offers, with excellent sound, a great fit and solid active noise cancellation and a useful HearThrough ambient mode for amplifying your surroundings. We still prefer the overall performance and simpler controls of the Jabra Elite Active 75t, but the Elite 4 Active are worth considering if you’re on a budget or prefer the design.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro

$200 at Amazon

The Jabra Elite 7 Pro earbuds deliver strong sound quality, decent active noise cancellation and reliable physical controls. At their current discounted price they are a good value, but we much prefer the Jabra Elite 85t or Jabra Elite Active 75t, which offers better ANC in addition to the same basic features.

Jabra Elite Active 75t

$200 $175 at Amazon

The Jabra Elite Active 75t — our former pick as the best workout earbuds — are secure, comfortable and durable enough for high-intensity training and have enough battery life to get you through a long day at the gym. They aren’t quite as good as the Beats across the board, but they’re a very capable pair or true wireless headphones that come in a bit cheaper than the Beats and are a great choice if you like the Jabra look and feel.

Jabra Elite 85t

$230 $150 at Amazon

The Jabra Elite 85t offers good overall sound and tons of customization via Jabra’s excellent Sound+ app, including 11 levels of active noise cancellation. However, the Elite 85t’s design is a little bulky for our liking, and its semi-open design (which is great for situational awareness while exercising outdoors) makes its ANC less pronounced than on Elite Active 75t.

JLab JBuds Air ANC True Wireless

$70 at Target

You’re not going to find anything groundbreaking in these ‘buds, but for most people, that’s probably just fine. The sound quality is middle of the road out of the box, with an active bass boost option and decent EQ modes when you click a button on the earbuds.

The battery life is also weak at just three hours — but, on the bright side, they offer good sound isolation from the wind and are rated at IP55 for dust- and water-resistance, which make them a solid choice as budget workout earphones.

Microsoft Surface Earbuds

$250 $200 at Amazon

The Surface Earbuds performed well in our testing and real-world usage. You’ll get stable connectivity, a unique circular disc-like design, and eight hours of battery life. But for $200, you’re going to be left wanting more, especially when you compare them with our top picks. Microsoft super fans who use the 365 suite daily will be impressed by dictation and other integrated features.

OnePlus Buds Z2

$60 $50 at Amazon

The OnePlus Buds Z2 offer a lot for under $100, including impressive active noise cancellation, an IPX4 waterproof case and a robust companion app with lots of sound customization features. However, we found its audio quality and battery life to be just OK, and many of its key features are limited to those with OnePlus phones.

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Earbuds (2021)

$130 $70 at Razer

If you really want wireless earbuds that have RGB lighting, the Razer Hammerhead are about the only game in town. These earbuds offer decent sound quality and battery life for the price, but we found the controls to be finicky, and the audio to be not quite on par with our favorites from Apple, Sony, Samsung and others.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

From $90 (Renewed) at Amazon

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro offer up a ton of great software features that let Android users fine-tune the audio and customize the controls on their Samsung devices, and deliver some very solid noise cancellation.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

$140 $70 at Samsung

While the company has since introduced newer versions of the Galaxy Buds, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are among the best-looking and most comfortable buds we’ve tested, have strong battery life and offer good sound quality. We found the touch controls overly sensitive in our testing, however, and the noise-cancellation can’t compete with newer models. While they’re worth considering still at their heavily discounted price if you’re an Android user on a budget, overall we think you can do better for your money.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live

$87 at Amazon

The Galaxy Buds Live were a former recommendation for the most comfortable earbuds, and they still largely live up our original assessment, with a unique bean-shaped design that’s ergonomic and easy to forget about during long hours of listening to music and podcasts. However, newer models are more comfortable and sound better, and noise-canceling technology has improved markedly. We suggest looking at the superior Galaxy Buds Pro, but the Buds Live are worth considering if you’re on a tighter budget.

Skullcandy Dime 2

$30 $28 at Amazon

If you’re looking to spend as little as possible for a pair of wireless earbuds, the?Skullcandy Dime 2?are surprisingly good for less than $30. These buds have a comfortable design, plenty of color options, decent audio for the price and even feature Tile tracking support — something you won’t find on much more expensive options. We still think the EarFun Air are the better budget option for folks willing to spend closer to $50, but the Dime 2 are a great choice if you’re on an extra tight budget.

Skullcandy Sesh True Wireless

$50 at Amazon

Unfortunately, the Skullcandy Sesh True Wireless earbuds were a disappointment. The sound was fine — not terrible — but lacked bass on some of our favorite dance and disco songs. The highs were also a little too overwhelming, creating an overall lack of balance in sound quality. Poor battery life and poor call quality make matters worse, and though sometimes you can justify lack of performance when a headphone looks cool (an area where Skullcandy typically excels), these earbuds are small and unobtrusive, and far from a fashion statement.

Sony WF-1000XM4 Earbuds

From $170 at Amazon

Sony’s WF-1000XM4 buds block out noise in a way that few other earbuds can match — only bested by Bose’s latest earbuds and their successors in the XM5. They sound great as well, with Sony’s typical well-balanced sound. A nicely designed, easy-to-use mobile app lets you fine tune ANC performance, EQ and more to let you tailor the sound to your personal taste.

Technics EAH-AZ60M2

$250 $200 at B+H

The Technics EAH-AZ60M2 is an impressive set of audiophile-friendly true-wireless earbuds. They have great sound quality with support for high-resolution audio, nicely implemented three-device multipoint pairing (most competitors offer two point), a well-designed app and reasonable battery life, all of which impressed us during our testing of the EAH-AZ60M2s. Still, in this price range, mainstream offerings are more compelling for the majority of buyers, mostly for OS integration and better noise canceling, and audiophiles into what Technics have to offer may want to step up to the EAH-AZ80 for better bass for about $50 to $100 more.

Technics EAH-AZ80

$298 at Amazon

The EAH-AZ80, Technics’ flagship true-wireless in-ear headphones, have a bigger driver (10mm) than the EAH-AZ60M2, have fantastic sound quality with even better bass extension and solidity and plenty of detail and spaciousness, plus quite good noise-canceling, and — like their slightly cheaper siblings — they can pair with three devices at once for easy multipoint switching. There’s even a well-laid-out app that lets you fine-tune effectively, set up LDAC support on Android and Sony devices if you’re into high-res and has basically all the high-end features you might want. It’s a great choice for audiophiles and likely worth the slight premium over the AZ60M2. That said, at this price, it’s really hard to beat the great sound, noise cancellation and — most importantly — tight OS integration offered by mainstream flagships like Apple’s AirPods Pro, which the vast majority of Apple users are going to find more satisfying in day-to-day use, or the impressive noise cancellation and all-around feature set of Sony’s WF-1000MX5 for everyone else.

UE Drops

Currently unavailable at Ultimate Ears

The latest from the custom-headphone specialists at Ultimate Ears, UE Drops take most of the annoyance out of the process of getting a custom fit by letting you take your own ear impressions at home. The procedure is simple and quick, and the results are impressive. Our test pair sounds great, fits comfortably and securely, and delivers a lot of the modern earbud features you know and love. There’s no ANC, though, and limited app features, so while the Drops are cheaper than most custom models, given how good today’s flagship true wireless models from Apple and Sony are, most potential buyer will find these too pricey.