The best wireless earbuds of 2023 including Apple and Sony
Ever since Apple introduced its distinctive toothbrush-shaped Airpods in 2016, earbuds have taken over the world - so which are the best wireless earbuds in 2023?
A lot rides on it. The volume of sales of ‘true wireless’ earbuds in the last few years is staggering. Having overtaken all the best wireless headphones (the over-ear sort) in 2020, they now represent 59% of smart personal audio deliveries, according to tech market analysts Canalys. Apple earned more than $10 billion in revenue just from Airpods in 2021 – which is more than double the global revenue of Twitter. Airpods aren’t necessarily the best wireless earbuds, though. Here’s a quick glance at our top five. The full reviews are further down.
The best wireless earbuds of 2023, at a glance
Which are the best quality earbuds?
Apple may be the innovator here, but in recent years, other brands have taken the lead in bluetooth headphones when it comes to sound quality, with tech giants introducing their own variants such as Samsung Galaxybuds and ‘serious’ audio companies such as Technics entering the market with wireless earphones designed to deliver high-quality sound.
I have to admit I was a sceptic about these products. I’m a long-time headphone connoisseur and a dreadful audio snob. Frankly, the first Airpods sounded fairly grotty – but today’s best wireless buds deliver sound that’s as good as over-the-head Bluetooth cans.
However, it’s worth doing a bit of research to get the best sound out of your earbuds. There are various different ‘codecs’ – software which transmits data from your phone to your headphones – and these make a huge difference to sound quality. See my FAQ below for more detail on that, and for other important features to look for in wireless headphones, such as weight, battery life, water-resistance and noise cancelling.
How we tested the best wireless earbuds
We tested these earbuds side-by-side, listening to high-quality songs downloaded to Spotify and Apple Music across a variety of genres from classical to hip hop to hard rock. Expert James Roth (see FAQ, below) suggests that it’s worth ensuring your headphones can stay in your ears during exercise, so we tested them all while jogging too. We also paired and unpaired and had a brief phone conversation with each, to assess ease of use and audio quality for phone calls.
Best wireless earbuds
1. Sony WF-1000XM4
Best overall, 10/10 (although we are currently testing the newer XM5 model)
We like: Any music fan will be blown away by the audio performance here
We don’t like: Slightly bulkier than the main rivals
- Battery life: 8 hours
- Weight: 7.3g
- Water resistance: IPX4 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC
Reviewed by Rob Waugh
The sound quality on these Sony earbuds is so incredible that they almost belong in a category of their own. These can compete with over-the-head headphones when it comes to delivering plentiful bass and detailed sound when listening to music - I found myself hearing parts of tunes that I had forgotten existed while wearing these.
Only the newer XM5 model (which we’re currently testing) beats the XM4 in terms of sound quality: they outperform everything else on this page by really some margin. Sony also found a place on our guides to the best noise cancelling headphones and the best soundbars, so they must be doing something right.
If you’re expecting a ‘but’, there isn’t much: the one real quibble is that there’s no Apt-X here, but Sony offers its own sharp-sounding LDAC codec, which sounds just as good. The downside is you have to twiddle with some settings in your phone to enable it, but it’s not that hard - there’s a clear, useful guide to be found here. Naturally, iPhone users are out of luck and will have to slum it with less sharp sounds.
Everything from the noise cancellation (which is industrial strength) to taking calls is a delight. If you were looking for quibbles, they’re slightly bulkier than the others under test. It seems to be a Sony thing – their SRS-XG300 was one of the heaviest in my test of the best bluetooth speakers. But I found them perfectly fitted to my ears and more than capable of staying in there during a jog or rowing machine session.
There are three tips supplied with the headphones and Sony’s Headphone Connect app walks you through getting a perfect fit with your ears. For any music fan who can stretch to this price, these are an incredible audio treat and worth every penny.
2. Apple Airpods Pro
Best wireless earbuds for iPhone, 9/10
We like: Airpods are a design classic and these are easily the best yet
We don’t like: Not compatible with the best-quality Bluetooth codecs
- Battery life: 8 hours
- Weight: 5g each
- Water resistance: IPX4
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC
Reviewed by Rob Waugh
Apple invented the whole category when it comes to wireless earbuds, with its toothbrush-shaped Airpods having forged the path for other companies to follow. But it’s not always been a market leader when it comes to sound, with previous generations of Airpods having been outpaced fairly quickly by more audio-focused rivals.
These new Airpods Pro 2 (it just says Airpods Pro on the packet, but they’ve superseded the previous generation) pack a whole lot of tech designed to make them sound better. And it’s a success, at least in part.
Sound from the Airpods Pro is lifelike and precise, although there are better headphones out there when it comes to delivering a nice warm bass sound. But Apple’s headphones still defiantly refuse to work with better Bluetooth codecs such as Apt-X, which means you lose out on some musical detail here.
As ever with Apple, the whole experience here is very polished, so long as you ‘play nice’ and use an iPhone, not an Android (you can use Androids with these, but you miss out on a lot of the functionality). Everything pairs rapidly, pulling an earphone out pauses the music, and there’s superb noise cancelling which can be tweaked via the app. Apple’s mind-boggling Spatial Audio allows you to enjoy surround sound on the go.
These are great headphones with Apple’s trademark ease-of-use and some pleasing hi-tech flourishes, and the design is a genuine modern classic, even if they can’t compete with the best-in-class on the audio front.
John Lewis3. Galaxy Buds2 Pro
Best wireless earbuds for Samsung phones, 9/10
We like: Amazing sound quality when paired with the right phone
We don’t like: If you have an iPhone, you’re better looking elsewhere
- Battery life: 5 hours
- Weight: 5.5g each
- Water resistance: IPX7 (can be fully submerged in water)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, Samsung Seamless
Reviewed by Rob Waugh
Samsung has been taking lessons from Apple, it seems – many of the best functions of these earbuds are reserved only for users of Samsung phones, making them a harder sell for those of us who don’t worship at the altar of the South Korean tech giant.
Samsung owners can enjoy extremely sharp-sounding music via a Samsung-only codec, Samsung Seamless – everyone else is downgraded to the worse-sounding SBC or AAC codecs (although Apple fans won’t notice, as this is all they get anyway).
What the Buds2 Pro does right is the techy side: you can have notifications read out via the buds, and can access Samsung’s voice control to search, which all feels pleasingly cyborgian.
The sound’s fantastic via Samsung devices, but less stellar via other equipment, with barely-there bass, although it’s pleasingly melodic in the upper ranges. This is a great choice if you’ve got a Samsung phone, but best avoided for iPhone fans since you don’t even get an app.
It’s quite rare to find savings on Samsung Galaxy products – although we are keeping an eye out for them on our Best Black Friday Deals and Best Mobile Phone Deals pages.
4. Beats Fit Pro
Best wireless earbuds for exercising, 9/10
We like: works like a dream with iPhone (because Apple own the company)
We don’t like: a bit too focussed on bass performance
- Battery life: 6 hours, 24 hours with charging case
- Weight: 5.6g each
- Water resistance: IPX4 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: 5.0, AAC, SBC
Reviewed by Simon Lewis
Beats, the headphones company launched by hip-hop mogul Dr Dre, was bought by Apple in 2014 so that they could turn his successful streaming service into Apple Music. Dre got $3billion and Apple got not just a Spotify rival but also the world’s most sought-after headphones brand. It’s now seamlessly integrated with the iPhone operating system as a kind of rugged alternative to Airpods.
When you use Beats with an iPhone, its on-screen volume control turns into a Beats control, letting you switch between active noise-cancellation and transparent modes – both of which are excellent – and Apple’s Spatial Audio, as mentioned by Rob above. The phone’s battery indicator also acquires sub-indicators for the Beats and their case. Beats work with Android phones too, but they’re definitely slicker with Apple devices.
Beats are known for being bass-centric, making hip-hop, dance and reggae sound amazing but rock a little wooffly. The sound profile is actually fantastic for podcasts and news, boosting voices that would otherwise get lost when you’re listening out for traffic in transparent mode.
Transparency makes wearing them outdoors much safer, which is one reason why these are marketed as ‘Fit’ earbuds. The other reason is the little rubber wing-tips that grip the concha of your outer ear. I’ve been wearing them for six months, in the gym and while running, and they have never come close to falling out – unlike over-refined Airpods. These Beats Fit Pros also topped our guide to the best running headphones. I would always choose these in future. They’re a bit cheaper, too.
John Lewis5. Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW
Best value wireless earbuds, 8/10
We like: These are a drop-dead bargain at this price
We don’t like: Only uses the most basic (though still perfectly good) Bluetooth codec
- Battery life: 6.5 hours, 13.5 hours with charging case
- Weight: 5.2g each
- Water resistance: IPX4 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: No
- Bluetooth codecs: 5.0, SBC
Reviewed by Rob Waugh
Japanese headphone maestros Audio Technica are past masters at bringing electronics down to a reasonable price point without ditching too much in terms of audio quality, and they’ve continued down this road with this excellent pair of budget(ish) wireless in-ears, which ditch a few extras to come in at a much more affordable price point.
These sound very decent, with better bass reproduction than many of the buds on test here, and pretty musical reproduction, although some detail can be slightly muffled on occasion. One of the ‘extras’ which has gone by the wayside here is the option for better-sounding codecs like Apt-X (as has noise-cancelling), but these perform pretty well anyway. The case feels slightly cheap and the buds themselves are a bit oddly shaped, but they still offer great audio bang for your buck.
6. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Best noise cancellation, 9/10
We like: ‘Quiet’ mode is extremely quiet
We don’t like: Bigger and heavier than other earbuds
- Battery life: up to 6 hours, up to 24 hours with case
- Weight: 6.24g each
- Water resistance: IPX4 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC and AAC
Reviewed by Simon Lewis
When you take Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra buds out of their charging case and put them in your ears, you hear an orchestral chime that’s not just a boot-up sound: it bounces back to the built-in microphones to build an acoustic model of your ear so that the noise-cancellation works even better. That’s how seriously they take it.
There’s no doubt it works. You can sit at work with these buds in, with no music playing, and hear almost nothing at all. They’re excellent for blocking out the world on a train or bus and would be great for sleeping on a plane if they weren’t so large.
Their size has a couple of advantages. One is that you can slide your fingertip up and down on the outside to control the volume. The other is that they grip your ear better, with a choice of three ear tips and three ‘stability bands’ – making these a reasonable choice for exercising, if the high price didn’t put you off (you’d hate to lose one in a puddle).
You don’t have to have noise-cancellation on. A long press on one bud changes it to ‘Aware’ mode, letting important sounds through. You’d hear a car approaching, but it quietens chatter at work. There are ‘commute’, ‘focus’, ‘home’, ‘music’, ‘outdoor’, ‘relax’, ‘run’, ‘walk’ ‘work’ and ‘workout’ modes, too. I can’t claim to have detected the fine distinctions between them.
This new ‘Ultra’ model is an evolution of the QuietComfort II I previously reviewed, which you can now find for under £200. What does the extra £60 get you? The standout feature is Immersive Audio, Bose’s equivalent of Apple’s spatial audio. There are two settings. I’m not so keen on Motion, which keeps the sound of the band or orchestra in front of you when you move your head. It’s a bit of a gimmick (as it is on Apple’s earbuds).
Much better is the Still setting, which simply opens out the sound so that instruments seem to be coming from different directions and distances. It’s a lovely way of listening to music and shows off the rich, bright, punchy sounds of the Ultra. The trade-off is that Immersive Audio drains the battery more quickly.
If noise cancellation is what you’re after, there’s no doubt that Bose QuietComfort is the earbud to get. I love Immersive Audio, so I’m recommending this new Ultra model. But the QuietComfort II is now looking a bit more wallet-friendly.
John Lewis7. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX
Best waterproof wireless earbuds, 8/10
We like: A perfect mix of style and substance
We don’t like: The eye-watering price
- Battery life: 8 hours
- Weight: 6g each
- Water resistance: IP57 (can be fully submerged)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: 5.2, SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
Reviewed by Rob Waugh
The price of these Bang and Olufsen buds verges on outrageous, and many listeners may baulk at paying a third of a grand for something not much bigger than a tangerine. But they’re actually worth it, sort of, if you’re after something that looks stylish and sounds great.
Everything from the stems on the buds themselves to the metallic snuff-box like case is extremely premium and looks incredibly stylish. The buds themselves are waterproof, which gives them a longevity that rivals may lack.
We found set-up to be slightly fiddly the first time (there’s a B&O app which wants to get involved, adding a layer of confusion), but once the BeoPlay EX buds are going, they’re a thrilling listen.
They’ve got the second-best sound overall on test, with decent volume (something that wireless buds don’t always excel at) and meaty, realistic bass which brings the most out of your music. If you’re an Android user, the Apt-X codec here will also bring out extra detail in your music. If you’re an Apple user, tough luck.
Mirrored touchpads on the side let you pause your music and cycle through noise-cancelling modes, and there are equaliser options in the app if you want to adjust your music. Phone calls are crisp and clear, and the design’s comfy enough that these will stay in your ears even in strenuous exercise. Battery life isn’t the best on test, but it’s perfectly adequate, and the 53g case is easily the coolest on test here. Pricey, yes, but the combination of style and substance here makes them worth a look if your budget stretches this far.
Selfridges8. Shokz OpenFit
Best open-ear earbuds, 8/10
We like: You can hear everything around you, for more safety
We don’t like: Don’t fit as snugly as standard earbuds
- Battery life: 7 hours, 28 hours with charging case, 5 min quick charge gives 1 hour
- Weight: 8.3g each
- Water resistance: IP54 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: No (but has noice-cancelling microphone for phone calls)
- Bluetooth codecs: 5.2
Reviewed by Simon Lewis
Shokz are famous for having pioneered bone-conduction headphones where the sound travels through your cheekbone, leaving your ear completely open to the world. We consider their OpenRun Pro the safest headphones you can get for running.
These new OpenFits are their first that hook individually onto each ear, without a band to go round the back of your head. That makes them lighter, more convenient and more like the average earbud. They still leave your ears open - the bud rests just in front of your ear canal - but don’t actually use bone conduction. Instead they use a new technology called DirectPitch.
This uses a 18x11mm driver with a special carbon fibre diaphragm and an algorithm that boosts low-frequencies. The effect is pretty remarkable. Music, podcasts and phone calls all sound as clear as they do with in-ear buds. It’s far better than bone-conduction, but you can still hear everything around you, making these a very safe choice for runners or cyclists in traffic.
One slight drawback is that they’re not quite as secure as the type that screw into your ear. When I took a run, the right one stayed firm but the left one wobbled a bit. It never fell off. Another point to note is that there’s no volume control on the buds. You have to go into your pocket to change the volume on your phone. You may find yourself doing this quite a lot, whenever traffic gets too noisy - but at least you’ve heard the traffic, and you’re still alive.
These are now the earbuds I use for biking to work, switching to noise-cancelling headphones when I need to get some writing done. Anyone who runs or cycles should probably have a pair.
9. Montblanc MTB-03
Best luxury earbuds, 8/10
We like: They genuinely feel luxurious
We don’t like: The sound is beaten by the more affordable buds at the top of our list
- Battery life: 6 hours
- Weight: 6g each
- Water resistance: IPX4 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: Bluetooth 5.2, SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
German luxury company Montblanc is best-known for gorgeous and expensive pens, but has recently started turning its hand to expensive headphones as well, with noise-cancelling over-ears built for luxury travellers. The MTB-03 is the company’s first attempt at true wireless in-ears, and the sleek buds do a pretty good job at welcoming ‘luxury’ into your ear canals for the first time.
The look of the buds is inspired by the Montblanc Meisterstuck pen, and the case is metallic, feeling more durable (and just nicer) than the cheaper plastic cases on most earbuds. The earbuds themselves are more solid than most, made from a black resin, and sit well in the ears. Everything feels well-engineered, durable, and, well, German.
Soundwise, these can’t deliver the crushing walls of bass that the Sony headphones on test here can achieve, but with the business parts designed by ex-Sennheiser headphone maestro Axel Grell, they’re excellent performers, delivering a pleasingly balanced listen. The noise-cancelling is equally precise, and the on-bud controls are pleasingly responsive.
There is (of course) a Montblanc app which makes set-up quick and easy.
Little touches like LED indicators on the buds round out the package, and naturally the Montblanc emblem is stamped on not only each bud but on top of the case for good measure. Sure, these are expensive, but they add a sprinkle of luxury pizzazz that nothing else in this category quite matches.
10. Technics EAH-AZ60
Best fitting wireless earbuds, 8/10
We like: the range of adjustable ear tips, plus adjustable noise cancellation
We don’t like: not quite class-leading in terms of sound
- Battery life: 7.5 hours, 25 hours with charging case
- Weight: 7g each
- Water resistance: IPX4 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: 5.2, SBC, AAC, LDAC
Reviewed by Rob Waugh
Technics is the ‘serious’ audio wing of Panasonic, and as with their hi-fis, you expect them to deliver the goods on the sonic front. These metallic and surprisingly weighty little buds don’t disappoint, delivering better bass than most and highly realistic performance.
Pleasingly, these come with a whole range of adjustable ear tips (an extra that’s missing from many ear buds) which means that you can find one that makes for a good ‘seal’ inside your ear. This makes a huge difference not just to headphones falling out, but also to the sound.
That attention to detail also comes through in the paired Technics app, which offers more adjustments than any other on test (the best bit is being able to ‘tune’ the noise cancelling from 0 to 100, which means you’re less likely to wander into the path of an oncoming bus while wearing these).
Annoyingly, there’s no Apt-X here, and you’ll have to fiddle with your Android device’s settings to use LDAC if you want sharper sound. Apple users, as ever, are simply out of luck on this front.
These are outclassed by several headphones on the sound front, but offer a well-balanced, adjustable package which may make them a great choice for listeners who struggle to get headphones that match their needs on fit and noise-cancelling.
11. KEF Mu3
Best looking wireless earbuds, 8/10
We like: Lovely pebble-like design by Kef’s longterm collaborator Ross Lovegrove
We don’t like: No skip back function
- Battery life: 9 hours, 15 hours with charging case
- Weight: 5.8g each
- Water resistance: IPX5 (water spray resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC
Reviewed by Simon Lewis
You feel like you’re stepping up to the world of premium hi-fi when you unbox these KEF earbuds, designed by the same genius who made their gorgeous, alien-looking Muon speakers (a mere £180,000, if you’re interested). Although the sound quality is not as mindboggling as the Sony or the B&O it is very, very good indeed, making you feel as though you’re standing in the middle of the recording studio.
Another plus point is the simplicity. There’s no app to download, they paired instantaneously to my iPhone 12, and there aren’t too many controls to master: just the usual single-presses to stop or start music or phone calls and long presses for volume. The only thing I did miss was a rewind command, which I use a lot when listening to podcasts. You can jump forward by a minute, but not back.
That’s because the left bud is used to cycle between normal, noise-cancelling ANC and noise-admitting ‘Ambient’. The latter is extremely good, letting in all the important traffic sounds and voices you’d want. The noise-cancelling is decent too, but the earbuds fit so snugly (there are four tip sizes) that they already block most sound anyway.
One great feature of the KEF Mu3 is fast charging: just five minutes plugged in gets you an hour of playback, which is great when you’re on your way out of the door.
Selfridges12. Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2
Best wireless earbuds for audiophiles, 8/10
We like: truly amazing sound quality
We don’t like: not well suited to a daily commute
- Battery life: 5 hours, 16 with charging case
- Water resistance: IP54 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD
Reviewed by Simon Lewis
The second generation of earbuds from high-end British speaker-makers Bowers & Wilkins looks gorgeous. These are the earbuds you’d expect a leading architect with greying temples to wear while meditating in a pine forest.
The design goes deep. If you look closely at the speaker tips, they’re divided in two. This is because each bud contains a ‘dynamic driver’ and a ‘balanced armature driver’, respectively for high and low frequencies. Most earbuds only have one driver. As a result, the sound quality is next-level. When listening to podcasts, speech sounds more intimate and human. When listening to music, there’s much more space between the instruments. It’s as if your head is the recording studio and they’re playing inside it.
You will notice this much more on a phone that supports the aptX codec, like a Sony Xperia or Xiaomi Mi, but even on an iPhone with its less exalted codecs, the Bowers & Wilkins sound is easily one of the best I tested. I very nearly adopted these as my permanent earbuds.
One thing stopped me. On the Beats Fit Pro I normally use, a long press on the left bud decreases the volume and a long press on the right bud increases it. It’s very useful for walking or cycling around, since you don’t need to take your phone out of your pocket. Here, a long press on the left bud turns off the noise cancelling. A long press on the right bud activates voice control. There is no way to control the volume without taking your phone out of your pocket. I found that very annoying.
It’s slightly mitigated by a clever Auto Noise Cancellation feature, which adjusts the cancellation level based on the amount of ambient noise. There’s less need to turn the volume up and down in order to hear things around you more clearly. But I would definitely prefer the volume control to be on the buds.
One other small quibble is that there’s nothing on the instruction manual or the associated app that tells you how to do the initial pairing. I had to google it.
These two gripes are outweighed by a clever feature where the charging case acts as a Bluetooth relay. Plug any sound source into it – a posh modern record player, for example – and it will beam it losslessly to your earbuds. It’s genius. But it suggests (as does the sky-high price) that the Pi7 S2 is aimed at audiophiles who listen at home, rather than Joe Shmoe commuters like me.
John Lewis13. Nothing Ear 2
Best for personalisation, 8/10
We like: the unique look and feel – cutting edge meets 1980s old-school
We don’t like: you’ll need nimble fingers to operate them
- Battery life: 6.3 hours, 36 with charging case
- Weight: 4.5g each
- Water resistance: IP54 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: Bluetooth 5.2, SBC, AAC, LHDC
Reviewed by Simon Lewis
Formed by OnePlus founder Carl Pei with help from iPod designer Tony Fadell, UK tech firm Nothing were a surprise new entry in our guide to the best smartphones for their extremely quirky Phone 1. These buds are designed to go with it – although they work with any phone – and share its distinctive look. Both the earbuds and the case have see-through exteriors so you can see the metal workings. I had a Walkman like that in 1985.
Also somewhat retro are the tiny buttons on the sticks that you squeeze to control volume, playback and other functions. You hear satisfying clicks in your ear, a bit like a rotary phone. When you switch to Noise Cancelling, you hear a sound (as far as I can describe it) like a spaceship door closing and when you switch to Transparency, there’s a light sigh.
The best thing about them, though, is the personalisation. There’s an equaliser function on the app, with Balanced, More Bass, More Treble and Voice settings or, my favourite, ‘Personal Sound Profile’. This optimises the sound for you alone, based on a five-minute hearing test – various tones and sounds in each ear – which feels quite scientific and does indeed give you a richer, more detailed sound.
Noise cancellation is excellent and can be set to High, Medium, Low or Adaptive. This, again, can be personalised to your unique hearing sensitivity. All this takes some time to set up in the app, as does the specific combination of controls you want (two taps on the left bud do this, three taps do that, press-and-hold on the right bud does this, etc) but it feels good to wear buds tailored to you alone.
Nothing make a cheaper version called Ear (stick) which I tried last year and couldn’t get on with, because they lacked rubber tips to hold them in place. These are only £30 more and far superior – almost up there with Beats and Apple in terms of sound quality and desirable design. They’re very comfortable to wear, too. Well worth checking out.
14. Marshall Motif A.N.C
Best wireless earbuds for rock fans, 7/10
We like: The case looks like a Marshall stack - what’s not to like?
We don’t like: The sound is not exactly stellar
- Battery life: 6 hours
- Weight: 4.25 g each
- Water resistance: IPX5 (water spray resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: Bluetooth 5.2
Reviewed by Rob Waugh
Made by legendary ‘rock’ speaker brand Marshall, there’s no denying there’s a rock-out swagger to these buds, which come in a case which resembles the Marshall stacks which used to adorn the stages of every rock band worth its salt.
The buds come with the Marshall logo, giving the wearer a roadie-esque look - although the sound here isn’t quite as ‘rockin’ as you’d like, with a slightly harsh and tinny edge, and bass guitar disappearing into the background. As you’d expect, it performs decently with hard rock and heavy metal, but it’s no match for some of the musical heavyweights here.
There’s some decent-ish extras here, like equaliser presets for different genres (including rock, of course), but once you get past the looks, this isn’t the best performer here.
15. Astell & Kern UW100MKII
£269, Astell & Kern, also available at Richer Sounds
Best earbuds for battery life, 8/10
We like: app lets you tweak every aspect of the sound
We don’t like: no active noise cancellation
- Battery life: 9.5 hours
- Weight: 7g each bud
- Water resistance: not rated
- Noise cancelling: Passive
- Bluetooth codecs: 5.2, SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
Korea’s Astell & Kern have bucked the trend a bit here by foregoing active noise cancellation in favour of passive noise cancellation – essentially, well-fitted rubber tips to keep unwanted noises out. Instead, they’ve invested their money in sound fidelity, equipping this second generation of their flagship earbuds with a high-grade DAC (digital to analogue converter) and the ultra low-latency codec aptX Adaptive.
This means the sound you hear should be as close to the original as you can get. And indeed, the spacing here is excellent: each individual instrument sounds as clear as if you were standing next to it. The app lets you tweak ten frequency ranges to get the exact sound you want. Personally, I prefer to keep headphones in the default EQ, but if you go mad whacking up the bass, it doesn’t become a woofly mess. Amateur sound engineers may find this is the brand for them.
For the rest of us, the big selling point will be the battery life. Since the UW100 isn’t constantly expending energy on cancelling out sounds, its batteries last longer than any other earbud we tested.
Sadly, not everything is that great. To tap, you have to hit the precise point where the five faces of the gem-like earbuds meet. It’s not easy to do without looking and led to lots of swearing as I accidentally engaged voice assistant when I wanted to skip a track, or turned off playback when I wanted to raise the volume.
The five-sided shape also means you have to put the earbuds back in the recharging case at exactly the right angle or the lid won’t close. Overall, then, a somwewhat fiddly product at a high price that most of us – except those budding record producers – might find easy to refuse.
Astell & Kern16. myFirst CareBuds
Best earbuds for children, 8/10
We like: The focus on safety
We don’t like: The motion detection is a little bit slow
- Battery life: 6 hours
- Weight: 5g each bud
- Water resistance: IPX4 (rain resistant)
- Noise cancelling: Yes
- Bluetooth codecs: 5.0
Your first duty as a parent is to provide digital entertainment for your child at all times. I think we can all agree on that. Singaporean brand myFirst certainly do. They make cameras, watchphones and tablets for kids and have now launched CareBuds – not the first noise-cancelling earbuds for kids, but possibly the best.
The unique selling point is a ‘Smart Transparency Mode’, which turns off the noise cancelling automatically when your child is moving around, so they will always hear traffic coming and other environmental dangers. There’s also a volume limit of 85dB to protect their hearing. Don’t worry, they won’t notice. That’s still pretty loud.
In many ways, these are better than a lot of grown-up earbuds. They pair instantly over Bluetooth with no need to press a button or download a stupid app. The sound is comparable to popular brands like Jabra, JLab and Belkin, and they come with six sizes of ear tip, which is more than any other earbuds we’ve come across.
There are also nice touches like stickers for personalising the case and a string to attach one bud to the other – much like when your mum tied your gloves to each other through the arms of your coat. Overall, a great investment in your child’s favourite pastime: staring at a screen and ignoring you.
17. Jabra Elite 5
Best mid-range wireless earbuds, 7/10
We like: A solid mid-range performer
We don’t like: They take a while to charge
- Battery life: 7 hours
- Weight: 5g each
- Water resistance: IP55 (water spray resistant)
- Noise cancelling: No
- Bluetooth codecs: Apt-X, SBAC, AAC
Reviewed by Rob Waugh
Jabra are past masters at wireless headphones and earbuds, and this well-made, pleasingly tactile headset is just one of zillions of Jabra earbuds on sale.
It strikes a good balance between the loftier end of the market and entry-level buds, with surprisingly great sound quality (these deliver pretty filthy bass), and good noise-cancelling, a feature you won’t find in the cheaper end of the market.
These also offer Apt-X for improved sound, and are nicely shaped so they’ll stay in your ear as you pound the pavement. If you can’t quite stretch to the top of the market, these are a good mid-range choice - and you can pick them up on sale for far cheaper than their list price.
18. Majority Tru Bio
Best budget wireless earbuds, 8/10
We like: very decent sound - and biodegradable!
We don’t like: no noise cancelling
- Battery life: 7.5 hours, 30 hours with charging case
- Weight: 4.5g each
- Water resistance: IPX7 (waterproof and sweatproof)
- Noise cancelling: No
- Bluetooth codecs: Bluetooth 5.3
Reviewed by Simon Lewis
Designed in Cambridge and built in China, Majority’s audio products are some of the best at the lower end of the price scale. I already have a CD player of theirs at home and these earbuds are a similar proposition: inexpensive, easy to use and perfectly decent-sounding – if a tad unsophisticated at the bass end.
There’s no noise-cancelling, but the rubber tips (you get three sizes) do a reasonable job of blocking out unwanted sounds and hold the earphones very securely in place. They pair pretty much instantaneously over Bluetooth 5.3, with no app required. There’s only one microphone for phone calls where more expensive earphones have three in each bud, but call clarity is decent. Most impressively, the Majority Tru Bio is biodegradable - right down to the speaker drivers, which are made of bio-cellulose.
I’m not claiming that ‘compostible’ is top of the list of things I look for in a wireless earbud, but it’s surely better than not being compostible. It’s all the reason you need to choose these over other earbuds at the lower end of the price scale, most of which are nowhere near as nice. As well as powder blue, the Tru Bios come in white and candy pink.
Wireless earbud FAQs
What are the important features in earbuds?
You’ll want earbuds that offer great sound quality, good battery life and ease of use, but it’s also worth looking for a couple of extras, says Roth
Roth says that it’s worth looking out for waterproofing - obviously, you probably won’t wear them in the bath, but proper waterproofing can prevent headphones from going ‘phut’ in heavy rain, Roth says
Roth says that it’s also worth looking for good noise-cancelling, ‘Active noise cancelling (ANC) models – where the design employs electronic wizardry to reduce unwanted ambient sound – come in both earbud and bluetooth headphones forms and are a terrific choice for those listening on planes, trains, and automobiles.’
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