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Oct 15, 2024

Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds in 2024 - CNET

Article updated on October 10, 2024 at 2:23 PM PDT Looking for a set of true-wireless earbuds with great sound quality? These are CNET's current top picks for best-sounding wireless earbuds. CNET’s

Article updated on October 10, 2024 at 2:23 PM PDT

Looking for a set of true-wireless earbuds with great sound quality? These are CNET's current top picks for best-sounding wireless earbuds.

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

What to Consider

Budget

Determine how much you're willing to spend on wireless earbuds and how that lines up with quality and functionality.

Fit

Your headphones should offer a comfortable, secure fit. Ensuring the headphones you choose fit your head help minimize any discomfort from extended wear.

Return Policy

In case the headphones aren't a great fit for your ears, it's important that the retailer offers a good return policy.

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

What to Consider

Budget

Determine how much you're willing to spend on wireless earbuds and how that lines up with quality and functionality.

Fit

Your headphones should offer a comfortable, secure fit. Ensuring the headphones you choose fit your head help minimize any discomfort from extended wear.

Return Policy

In case the headphones aren't a great fit for your ears, it's important that the retailer offers a good return policy.

I've been testing audio gear for almost 20 years, so I've learned how to separate the hundreds of decent-sounding earbuds from the truly great-sounding wireless earbuds, like the new Bowers & Wilkins PI8 that currently sit at the top of this list.

Size and fit also factor into sound quality, which suffers if you can't get a good fit. Some of the best-sounding earbuds tend to be on the bigger side and may not fit some ears. To get optimal sound quality -- and bass performance, in particular -- it's crucial to get a tight seal, so finding a set of buds that fit your ears well is an important part of the sound quality equation.

I've fully tested all the earbuds on this list and fully reviewed many of them. I'll update these picks as new great-sounding earbuds hit the market.

Simply put, the Pi8s are fantastic-sounding earbuds that also benefit from having a clearly improved design from the Pi7 S2 and Pi5 S2. It's debatable whether the Pi8s sound $150 better than the step-down Pi6s (they're also new for 2024), but there's no doubt these are some of the best-sounding earbuds on the market, if not the best (everybody's sound tastes vary so it's hard to declare one set of buds the best-sounding overall).

Like with the Pi7 S2, sound quality is the highlight here, along with the charging case's ability to transform into a Bluetooth transceiver. Noise cancellation seems improved, and noise reduction during calls seems better, but the voice-calling performance wasn't as good as what I got with Apple's AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 and Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.

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While the QC Ultra Earbuds aren't a major upgrade over Bose's excellent QC Earbuds 2 that were released in 2022, they're a little better. They should fit most ears very well, and they feature superb noise canceling, arguably the best out there. A natural-sounding transparency mode with a new ActiveSense feature kicks in some ANC should the sound get too loud around you (it's sort of similar to the AirPods Pro's Adaptive Audio feature). They also sound slightly better overall, with a touch more clarity, and their new Immersive Audio feature opens up the sound a bit.

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When Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds came out in 2021, we awarded them a CNET Editors' Choice. And while they're excellent, we had some quibbles -- they're on the large side and aren't a good match for certain ears. Clearly, Sony took those gripes to heart when it set out to design its next-generation WF-1000XM5 flagship noise-canceling earbuds. Not only are the XM5s smaller, but they also offer improved performance pretty much across the board, with better noise canceling, sound and voice calling. Are the XM5s perfect? Not quite. At $300 -- $20 more than their predecessor -- they're costly, too. However, they're currently on sale for around $230 at Walmart. Overall, they're really impressive -- easily among the very top earbuds on the market.

Earfun is one of our go-to brands for value earbuds. Its Air Pro 4 buds aren't a major upgrade over the earlier Air Pro 3s, but they do have a few enhancements that make them slightly better earbuds. (Note: Input code EAP4CNET at checkout on Amazon to get an extra 10% off).

Earfun has moved from Qualcomm's QCC3071 to the newer QCC3091 that supports aptX Lossless Audio for a select few Android devices. The buds also support Sony's LDAC audio codec, which is available with more Android smartphones, and the AAC and SBC codecs.

Like their predecessor, the Air 4 Pro are lightweight and comfortable to wear -- I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size -- and they feature slightly improved noise canceling and sound quality along with better battery life (up to 11 hours with noise canceling off and 7.5 hours with it on, according to Earfun). While the default sound leans slightly warm with a touch of bass push, you can tweak the sound in Earfun's companion app for iOS and Android, and I did think the sound measures up well to earbuds that cost twice as much.

As I said, these aren't a big upgrade over the Earfun Air 3 Pro, but once again Earfun has delivered a set of earbuds that deliver strong performance for their modest price. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and multipoint Bluetooth pairing (they're equipped with Bluetooth 4 and LE Audio). I do think the voice-calling performance is slightly improved, but the background noise reduction during calls isn't as good as what you get with higher-end earbuds like Apple's AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, as well as Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. I also thought their touch controls could work a little better than they do.

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If you're able to get a tight seal with one of the three sizes of included ear tips, there's little to complain about with Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 Pro (read our full review). Yes, the noise cancellation might be a touch better, but the earbuds' excellent sound quality is clearly a step-up from that of the Buds 2 Pro. Plus, they have a robust feature set, and their voice-calling performance is truly top-notch.

Google's redesigned its Pixel Buds Pro 2 to fit more ears better. Not only are the Pixel Buds Pro 2 smaller than their predecessor but Google's equipped them with its new Tensor A1 chip, which offers more processing power and enables its new "hands-free, eyes-free" Gemini virtual AI assistant. So long as you get a snug fit and tight seal (yes, that's critical for sound quality and noise-canceling performance), these buds deliver excellent sound, strong noise-muffling capabilities and a robust feature set, particularly for Android and Google Pixel phone users. Read our full review.

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Whenever a new pair of Momentum True Wireless earbuds drops, I always find myself saying, "Wow, these sound good." Sound quality has always been the MTW's biggest strength, and that remains the case with the fourth-gen version.

There's been some modest improvements in other areas, particularly with the noise-canceling performance and the reliable, hiccup-free Bluetooth connection I had with my phone. At the same time, the voice-calling performance could be better, and I'm a little disappointed that these aren't even more of an upgrade over their predecessor. Still, the Momentum True Wireless 4 are excellent earbuds that I have no problem recommending.

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You should expect a lot from earbuds that cost $300 -- and yes, that's still a lot to pay for headphones, even if plenty of people seem to be willing to pay upwards of $450 for the likes of Apple's AirPods Max headphones. Overall, Panasonic has done a nice job of creating an all-around top-performing set of buds that offer an improved fit with terrific sound, very good noise canceling and a robust feature set.

Voice-calling capabilities are decent but don't quite live up to their billing (yet). Hopefully, we'll see some firmware upgrades that improve the voice-calling experience in noisier environments. Despite that caveat, as long as they fit your ears well, the Technics EAH-AZ80 is right up there with the best wireless earbuds on the market right now.

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The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are powered by Apple's new H2 chip, which delivers more processing power while being more energy efficient, according to Apple. The new chip, combined with new low-distortion drivers, allows for improved sound that offers better clarity and depth. The noise canceling is also improved -- Apple says the new AirPods have "double" the noise canceling of the original AirPods Pro. Additionally, the new AirPods add an extra hour of battery life, up from five to six hours with noise canceling on. Plus, a speaker in the case that emits a sound that helps locate your buds via Find My, should they decide to hide from you.

There's been some hype recently around solid-state semiconductor Micro-Electromechanical System, aka MEMS, speakers and you can find xMEMS drivers in Creative Labs' Aurvana Ace ($130) and Ace 2 earbuds ($150). The newer Ace 2 has support for Qualcomm's AptX Lossless for the limited number of devices that support that audio codec but otherwise the two models seem nearly identical, except for their color schemes. While the Ace 2 is missing features like ear-detection sensors that are often found in buds in this price range, they do sound quite impressive (if you get a tight seal), with nicely detailed, accurate sound and well-defined bass that has some warmth to it (it does help to play around with the companion app's equalizer settings to optimize the sound to your liking). I found their adaptive noise canceling good, though not necessarily great. The same was true for the voice calling performance.

Overall the buds are well-designed and have some eye-catching design elements that help them stand out from other earbuds with stems. They're IPX5 splash-resistant, are rated for up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge at moderate volume levels and offer wireless charging. For their price, they deliver good bang for your buck, particularly when it comes to sound quality.

Truth be told, in some ways, I like the Sony's new LinkBuds Fit better than its flagship WF-1000XM5 noise-canceling earbuds. While they don't sound quite as good or have noise-canceling that's quite on par with those buds, they're lightweight (4.9 grams) and fit my ears comfortably and securely. Part of that is due to Sony's new Air Fitting Supporters, but it's also redesigned its ear tips and included a wide range of sizes, including XL tips that fit my ears well. Despite being a slight step-down from the WF-1000XM5s for performance, their sound quality, noise canceling and call-quality performance are all very good. They also have built-in voice controls. Read our hands-on first take.

If you can't quite afford the AirPods Pro 2, the Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 may be a good alternative. They aren't a huge upgrade over the original NeoBuds Pro, but their list price is around $50 less and they have a lightweight premium design, good sound for their price, effective noise cancellation and come with seven sets of ear tips to help you get a good fit. They also have ear-detection sensors and spatial audio with head tracking.

With support for the LDAC, LHDC, and AAC audio codecs, they're good for both iPhone and Android users (many Android devices support LDAC audio streaming). Equipped with four microphones in each bud, I also thought they worked well for voice calls, although not quite as well as the AirPods Pro 2, which are marginally better overall. While I was slightly disappointed with the limited touch control and thought the spatial audio and battery life could be a little better (they're rated for around 4 hours with noise canceling on and 5.5 hours with it off), the NeoBuds Pro 2 offer a good combination of mostly impressive performance in a nice design. You can tweak their sound in their companion app for iOS and Android.

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There a lot of new gaming earbuds out there but what makes the Sony Pulse Explore earbuds special is that they feature planar magnetic drivers, a speaker technology typically found in high-end over-ear audiophile headphones but rarely in earbuds. While they're missing some features fond in typical premium earbuds (noise canceling and ear-detection sensors), that they're as good as they are for listening to music and making calls is a revelation. In fact, they sound clearer and more articulate than Sony's flagship WF-1000XM5 earbuds, with tight, powerful bass. That doesn't necessarily mean they sound better than XM5s, which sound a little fuller. But I wasn't expecting them to compete at all with the XM5s for music listening.

Astell & Kern's original AK UW100MK buds offered excellent sound but were light on features for $300 earbuds. While the second-gen AK UW100MKII are still light on features (there's no active noise canceling but they do have ear-detection sensors, multipoint Bluetooth pairing and an ambient awareness mode), they do sound impressive, with an upgraded acoustic architecture and premium 32-bit DAC technology.

The company says that the position of the Knowles balanced armature driver "has been moved toward the inside of the ear to better deliver audio details more directly, and the acoustic chamber structure and mesh size have been redesigned in accordance with the new BA position to deliver optimal sound output. This new design took numerous attempts to minimize sound diffusion to provide a more delicate and dynamic performance and richer high-frequency expression."

I thought they sounded clean and clear, and while they don't deliver massive bass (as you'd expect from earbuds tuned for audiophiles who want a more neutral sound profile), the bass does go deep and is tight. The voice-calling performance is supposed to be improved, but it's still not great (callers had a hard time hearing me on the noisy streets of New York). Also, the buds -- while comfortable to wear -- are on the larger side. I did think they did a good job of passively sealing out a good amount of ambient sound, so the lack of active noise canceling was less of a factor than I thought it would be.

Battery life is strong -- the buds are rated for up to 9.5 hours at moderate volume levels -- and the case does offer wireless charging. Powered by a higher-end Qualcomm 5141 chip, the buds support SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive audio codecs. They do not appear to have a water-resistance.

Status Audio's earbuds aren't exactly the sleekest or most attractive earbuds you can buy, but if you don't mind their utilitarian look and giant stems, you are getting an excellent-sounding set of earbuds. The Between 3ANC, the company's first noise-canceling earbuds, also do a good job muffling ambient sound, though they aren't up to the level of the Bose QuietComfort 2 earbuds for noise-canceling prowess. They did perform very well in my voice-calling test, reducing much of the background noise around me in the streets of New York while picking up my voice clearly, or so callers told me.

While they have multipoint Bluetooth pairing -- you can pair them to two devices simultaneously -- they are missing a few features, including ear-detection sensors, and they only support the AAC audio codec (they're equipped with Bluetooth 5.2), not LDAC or aptX. Some people with Android devices that support those codecs may not be thrilled with that, but, as I said, they sound quite good using AAC, offering clean sound with punchy bass and good clarity. That's in part due to their driver design, and why the buds are on the larger side -- they feature two balanced armature drivers, plus one 10mm dynamic driver in each earbud.

Despite being heavier than earbuds like Apple's AirPods Pro 2, they fit my ears comfortably and securely. Their case charges wirelessly and battery life is very good at up to 8.5 hours with ANC on. There's also a transparency mode that sounds only OK, not great (a physical button on the earbuds activates it) and they have an IPX5 water-resistance rating, which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water. The companion app for iOS is fairly basic, but you can upgrade the firmware and tweak the sound profile with a customizable EQ option.

Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on new earbuds. Value priced earbuds continue to improve, so you can find good "cheap" buds for not too much money (less than $60). But if you're looking for premium buds from Sony, Apple and Bose, be prepared to spend a lot more.

It's key that the earbuds you buy fit your ears well. They should offer a comfortable, secure fit. If you don't get a tight seal with noise-isolating earbuds, sound quality and noise canceling can be dramatically impacted for the worse. Open earbuds don't have that issue, but they should be comfortable to wear and sit securely in your ears.

Because the fit of your earbuds is so important, it's critical to buy your buds at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case the buds aren't a good match for your ears.

We test true-wireless earbuds based on five key criteria, comparing similarly styled and priced models. These criteria are design, sound quality, features, voice-calling performance and value.

Bowers & Wilkins PI7 S2: While they've been replaced by the new and improved PI8s, the PI7 S2s, which feature a dual-driver design, remain among the very best-sounding true-wireless earbuds. The step-down PI5 S2s, which have a single-driver design, don't sound quite as good but are more affordable.

Sony LinkBuds S: Unlike the "open" LinkBuds, the LinkBuds S are traditional noise-isolating earbuds with tips you jam in your ears. They're more compact and lighter than Sony's former flagship WF-1000XM4 and also feature Sony's V1 processor. (Sony has since released the more compact WF-1000XM5.) While their sound and noise canceling don't quite measure up to either XM4s or XM5s, they're still quite good. They're the Sony buds for people who want 80% of Sony's flagship earbuds' features and performance for significantly less.

Jabra Elite 10: Yes, the Elite 10s have some potential drawbacks: Their noise canceling is lighter compared with competitors, they're pricey at $249, and they'll probably have to come down a bit to better compete with the AirPods Pro 2 -- at least for Apple users. Still, they're really good earbuds that are not only comfortable to wear for long periods but also sound excellent. Read our full review.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX: Bang & Olufsen's $399 Beoplay EX buds are the company's best true-wireless earbuds. They feature a comfortable, secure fit (except perhaps for those with really smaller ears), top-notch build quality, great sound, good noise canceling and improved voice-calling performance over B&O's EQ buds, with three microphones in each earbud they help with reducing background noise while picking up your voice. While they're out of most people's price range, they're arguably the best earbuds out there with stems and offer slightly superior sound to the AirPods Pro 2 with better clarity, deeper more powerful bass and richer, more accurate sound.

Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9: Audio-Technica has put out several truly wireless earbuds over the last few years, but none of them have been good. That changes with the ATH-TWX9, which sports a premium design plus premium sound and a pretty robust feature set, including strong active noise canceling, Multipoint Bluetooth pairing and a case equipped with wireless charging and UV LED sterilization. In the box, you'll also find a plethora of ear tip options and I was able to tight seal and comfortable fit. These buds are IPX4 splash-proof and are rated for 6 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels.

1More Evo: Known for delivering good bang for the buck, 1More has released a more premium set of buds that are equipped with a 10mm dynamic driver paired with a balanced armature. They have support for Sony's LDAC codec for high-resolution wireless streaming over Bluetooth with music services like Qobuz or Tidal that offer high-resolution music files. The Evo buds sound better than the company's other earbuds, offering better clarity and bass definition as well as a relatively wide soundstage. They also feature solid noise canceling, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, wireless charging, a transparency mode and an IPX4 splashproof rating. Battery life is rated at 5.5 hours with ANC on and 8 hours without it off. A 15-minute quick charge gives you 4 hours of juice.

Beyerdynamic Free Byrd: Beyerdynamic may be late to the game, but it's finally introduced its first true-wireless earbuds, which feature active noise canceling, up to 11 hours of battery life (with noise canceling off) and impressive sound quality. Read our Beyerdynamic Free Byrd review.

Sony WF-1000XM4: Released in 2021, Sony's WF-1000XM4 earned a CNET Editors' Choice Award. They're still excellent earbuds, but Sony has now released the next-gen WF-1000XM5. They may be a good option if you find them at a good discount.

Final Audio ZE8000: Japan-based Final Audio, which makes some high-end audiophile headphones, including the $4,299 D8000 Pro, has released its ZE8000 ($199) true-wireless earbuds that feature a unique stick design and excellent sound. The largest tips fit my ears comfortably and securely, though they do stick out a bit.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3: The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 were among the best new true-wireless earbuds of 2022. They're still among the best true-wireless earbuds, but Sennheiser has released the upgraded Momentum True Wireless 4. Also, the newer AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM5 buds are arguably superior, so only look to buy the Momentum True Wireless 3 when they're significantly discounted.

JBL Live Pro 2: Over the years, JBL has put out some decent true-wireless earbuds, but nothing that really got me too excited. That's finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand's new Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 buds. Both sets of buds -- the Live Pro 2 have stems while the Live Free 2 have a pill-shaped design -- offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance, plus a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging.

What makes for great-sounding wireless earbuds?

The best-sounding wireless earbuds offer clean open sound with strong, well-defined bass. The best of the best sounding earbuds allow you to hear each instrument separately in complicated and offer a level of detail, depth and refinement not found in lesser buds.

Do the best sounding earbuds all cost a lot?

Many do but you can find earbuds with good sound for a little more than $100 and sometimes less. The top-sounding earbuds do tend to cost over $200.

Are the best-sounding earbuds larger than most earbuds?

Many but not all. The best-sounding earbuds tend to have larger drivers or dual drivers so they're larger as a result.