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Best Wireless Earbuds: Amazing true wireless sound
In This Article
We’ve tested so many true wireless earbuds over the years that we’ve lost count. But that does make us confident that we know exactly what to look for in the best wireless earbuds
This list features a wide variety of options from budget to premium, noise-cancelling models, and earphones for workouts, as well as the best for iPhones too.
You can rely on our testing as we’re testing as we use true wireless earphones in the real world circumstances to gauge their performance. We’ll carry out battery drains to ensure they last as long as they’re meant to, and they have noise cancellation we’ll test how good it is. If the wireless performance is tetchy we’ll let you know, but of course, the most important is how they sound, and we’ll listen to a variety of music tracks to gauge the performance.
If you’re still figuring out what type of headphones you want, we have other contenders for you to consider. They include our list of thebest wireless headphones,best noise cancelling earbudsandbest headphones.
Best wireless earbuds at a glance
How we test
Not just anybody can review a pair of headphones. You don’t need superhuman hearing to tell what’s good, but you do need to know what to listen out for.Our headphone tests are done by some of the best and most prolific reviewers in the industry, with years of experience listening to everything from the plasticky freebie earbuds that come with your smartphone, to five-figure beasts of glass and marble. We love music and we want your tunes to sound good, too.So we listen every pair of headphones we can get on or in our ears. We use a variety of sources, from basic MP3s playing on a laptop to high-quality tracks on dedicated hi-res audio players.Our test tracks are wide-ranging to give headphones a thorough challenge. They’re also familiar, so we know every track backwards, and we know which bits might trouble the lesser performers.We listen again and again, and we do that for weeks in case the sound changes – because it usually does. Then we’ll listen to similarly priced rivals and come up with a verdict that reflects the performance and features for the money.
Sony WF-1000XM5
Pros
Cons
If you’re after the absolute best audio quality, then the bearer of that standard is theWF-1000XM5.
The bass performance isn’t as powerful or as fun as the WF-1000XM4, but the latest flagship model is more detailed and clearer. The midrange has a better sense of finer detail, especially with voices, and the high frequencies are sharper, clearer and more detailed.
The noise-cancelling performance is an improvement on theWF-1000XM4, able to suppress voices and general noise better than its predecessor for a much more quiet performance. The transparency mode is clear and detailed, although we find the WF-1000XM4 is slightly clearer to our ears.
And while we’d say that theQuietComfort Earbuds IIbests it in terms of noise-cancellation, though in the Sony’s favour is that it cancels noises with a more natural tone.
Battery life is the same as the WF-1000XM4, with 8 hours per earbuds and 24 in total with the charging case. However, the design is smaller and lighter, making for a more favourable and comfortable fit, and with the introduction of an extra small ear-tip size, there’s more room to fit a wider range of ears.
Wireless performance is good in both AAC andLDACplayback modes, and the WF-1000XM5 is bundled with an array features that make these earphones one of the most, if not the most, smartest pair of wireless earbuds on the market, although a good alternative would be theSennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4.
Call quality is decent but can be a little odd, leaking in background noise whenever we spoke but silent when we weren’t. It’s not as good as theAirPods Pro 2for call performance.
Reviewer:Kob MonneyFull Review:Sony WF-1000XM5
Sony WF-C500
Pros
Cons
TheWF-C500are Sony’s cheapest true wireless and in our opinion they’re among its best efforts as long as you keep your expectations grounded.
That’s probably best felt with the audio performance. You shouldn’t expect the type of the sound from theWF-1000XM5but Sony has nonetheless tuned WF-C500 to produce a clear and lively sound.
There’s plenty of detail in the mid- to high frequency range, and good separation between voices and instruments in the tracks we listened to, but where the 5.8mm drivers struggle is in reproducing low frequencies. We found that bass often fell flat so if you do like your bass, perhaps consider a slightly more expensive pair such as theJBL Live Pro 2.
Build quality makes use of plastic materials but we found them comfortable to wear, and with anIPX4 ratingthey’re protected against some sweat and water, they could be used for a run or at the gym.
Battery life is 10 hours from a charge and 20 hours overall with fast-charging support. There’s no ANC support included here, so there’s not much of a barrier between what you’re hearing and the sounds of what’s around you.Bluetooth 5covers SBC and AAC streaming, and there is support for Sony’s360 Reality Audioformat that’s supported by the likes ofAmazon Music.
They’re not perfect, but few wireless earbuds at this price are. If you’re after a bargain buy, the WF-C500 offer plenty of value. They have been replaced by theWF-C510, which we’ll be reviewing soon.
Reviewer:Henry St LegerFull Review:Sony WF-C500
Bowers and Wilkins Pi8
Pros
Cons
Bowers & Wilkins have tried to crack the true wireless market with varying success. We liked its original, but it came with a number of issues. ThePi7 S2solved some issues but struggled to offer the performance we would have liked. With thePi8, B&W delivers its best true wireless.
They sound absolutely cracking. Loud and energetic, warm but detailed, the Pi8 bring a high level of fidelity to music that we haven’t heard from other true wireless pairs. Vocals sound natural and true, the soundstage is big and wide, with highs described clearly and bass reaching down low.
The noise-cancellation is solid though not as strong as theBose,Sony,Jabraand Sennheiser pairs. It is better than previous B&W true wireless in clearing away noise, but it’s more reliant on a good fit and volume levels in getting rid of noise.
The wireless performance is excellent with barely any blips in busy areas, while there’s also the retransmission case where you plug the case into an analogue source (a 3.5mm jack) and have the audio wirelessly relayed to the earphones without any latency. It works fantastically.
Call quality isn’t as good as we’d hoped, both indoors and outdoors, with a performance that isn’t the clearest.
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 won’t be for everyone considering the price, but for those who want to indulge in luxury, they’re the best premium true wireless earbuds.
Reviewer:Kob MonneyFull Review:Bowers & Wilkins Pi8
Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2
Pros
Cons
Spatial Audio is becoming more prominent on headphones and music streaming services, but we can’t say that we’ve heard a good implementation of the feature on true wireless headphones. Well until theJabra Elite 10 Gen 2.
The first pair was a good attempt but whenever we switched to the spatial audio there was always a reduction in detail and clarity. With the Elite 10 Gen 2 we find there isn’t that shortfall in clarity, the presentation retains similarly good levels of detail when we’re listening to Dolby Atmos content. Compared toBoseand evenSonytrue wireless, we find the Jabra to be the best attempt at creating a sense of spatial audio without compromise.
These earphones are a step up from theElite 10model in other areas. The noise-cancellation is stronger, suppressing everyday sounds with more confidence to the point where it puts in a similar performance as the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds.
The sound quality isn’t as rich as the original either; clearer, more detailed, and with a sharper sense of definition. They don’t carry as much bass depth as before, but we much prefer the balance of these true wireless than we do the original.
They’re an excellent all-round true wireless, comfortable to wear, and come with a smart case that means you could plug them into airplanes and listen to the in-flight entertainment or use them with a portable gaming console. It’s disappointing that the Elite 10 Gen 2 are one of Jabra’s last true wireless earphones, but they are its best by far.
Reviewer:Kob MonneyFull Review:Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2
Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2
Pros
Cons
It’s a shame that Jabra has bowed out of the consumer headphone market, but with theElite 8 Active Gen 2, it’s made its finest true wireless for runners and workouts.
We very much liked theElite 8 Activemodel, but this pair improves on it in every major way. The earphones are smaller, which for us meant they actually fitted into the ear better. The fit was more stable, so we didn’t have to keep adjusting it mid-way like we did with the previous pair. That also led to a better noise-cancelling performance.
The ANC is stronger than before, getting rid of more sounds both in indoor and outdoor environments so you’re not distracted by what’s around you. And if you want to beaware of your environment then the HearThrough mode is clearer, more detailed, and latches onto voices better in case you want to have conversation.
The sound quality is also a step up from before. It’s not as bass heavy, with more clarity, definition and detail for a performance that’s better balanced than the Elite 8 Active. We’re not too keen on the spatial sound feature, which doesn’t sound like an advancement on what came before.
The new charging case also allows for retransmission of audio from an analogue source. So you could plug the earphones into a bike machine at the gym, and then have it wirelessly transmitted to the earbuds in similar fashion to theBowers & Wilkins Pi8(which are £100 more expensive).
Otherwise the features remain the same as before. The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 pass the US Military Standard for ruggedised electronics (810H) and Jabra’s own HACT tests (Highly Accelerated Corrosion Testing. The Sound+ app presents the opportunity to tinker with the EQ settings in the app and customise other features.
We think these are a fabulous true wireless pair. Hence why they won our best sports headphones award for 2024.
Reviewer:Kob MonneyFull Review:Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2
Back Bay Tempo 30
Pros
Cons
Back Bay is a Boston-based audio company that’s not well known in the UK, but they’ve been pumping several good headphones andTempo 30are one of its best yet.
For a cheap true wireless, we found the finish to be attractive with its marble-like look that looks great in (or out) of the ear) marble-like finish that certainly looks fantastic. The fit is very snug, which made them ideal for use on our runs and workouts, their IPX7 ratingmakes them both waterproof and sweatproof). With six different types of ear-tips, there are plenty of choices to find the best fit to block out external noises. The nature of the ear-tips can also affect the sound of the Tempo 30 as well.
For instance the default ear-tips offer crisp, detailed tones with less bass, while swapping them out for another brings a fuller sound with more weight, which is what we preferred. The audio here is energetic and vibrant with some good detail and good sense of scale that isn’t always present for earbuds at this price. The bass extension and power of those lower-end frequencies are where the Tempo 30 shine, making for a fun listen that we think runners and those on the move a lot will enjoy .
The battery life here is also excellent, with 8 hours for each earbud, and 32 hours in total – more than double the length of theBose Sports Earbuds, which are much more expensive. At this low price, sacrifices have to be made with no wireless or fast-charging support, and only SBCBluetoothquality.
Reviewer:Kob MonneyFull Review:Back Bay Tempo 30
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Pros
Cons
With the QuietComfort Earbuds II discontinued, the torch passes to the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. And they just about retain the title of best noise-cancelling earbuds. Just.
Why? Well the QC Ultra Earbuds surprisingly aren’t as suppressive as its predecessor, leaking in a little bit of noise here and there. They remain the best across a range of situations, but the gap between it and the likes of theSony WF-1000XM5,Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4andJabra Elite 10 Gen 2has reduced.
The QC Ultra Earbuds do an impressive job of reducing ambient noise and blocking out people’s voices, although Bose still hasn’t fixed the (minor) issue with wind noise in blustery conditions. Considering the price being asked, we’d hope it was an area Bose had improved.
The Aware mode is excellent, it makes it sound as if you weren’t wearing earphones at all. And Bose’s ActiveSense technology automatically reduces background noises when in transparency mode, so you’re not surprised by suddent noises around you.
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds support aptX Lossless/Snapdragon Soundto transmit higher quality audio over Bluetooth. The wireless performance is an area we found to be excellent, consistently reliable with not dropouts.
In terms of sound, it’s a similar peformance that we’ve heard from recent Bose headphones. The top end of the frequency range is bright but balanced, bass is big and punchy and vocals carry more weight too. It’s not as finely-balanced as the WF-1000XM5, but if you like your bass, the Bose is better than the Sony.
The Immersive Audio feature offers a wider soundstage and more depth, but isn’t as detailed or as sharp as listening in stereo mode. The head-tracking is a neat effect, maintaining the illusion of sound following you when you move. We feel the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 are better at spatial audio with its Dolby head-tracking.
Reviewer:Kob MonneyFull Review:Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Pros
Cons
For Apple users, the AirPods have become the go-to choice for wireless earbuds and for the best iOS experience we’d recommend theApple AirPods Pro 2.
They replaced the original AirPods Pro and come with a bevy of improvements. The design is still pretty much the same bar a couple of new additions. One is that the stem sensor could be used to change the volume (to mixed results in our opinion) and that there’s a new XS ear-tip size to help the AirPods Pro 2 fit a wider range of ears, which is a welcome addition.
The buds are still rated toIPX4 water resistanceto ensure protection from a light drizzle or sweat, and the charging case comes with a lanyard connector to keep them on your person (though an actual lanyard is not provided). They only come in white, so they are still rather susceptible to picking up dirt and grime. We would have hoped Apple had taken cues from theAirPods Maxand brought out a variety of colours.
As always the integration with Apple devices is seamless, with instant recognition across iOS and MacOS devices, and they buds can now be connected to multiple Apple devices at the same time. The noise cancelling performance is a step up from the original, which we enjoyed at the time, but the AirPods Pro 2 clear out almost all the noise when used on a tube.
Battery is better at six hours per charge but that’s still behind even some cheaper true wireless earbuds such as theJBL Live Pro 2and the same as theSony LinkBuds S. In total they’re capable of 30 hours with the charging case, which is fine. Charging here is taken care of by a Lightning cable andnot USB-C, or you can use the slower Qiwireless chargingfor cable-free charging.
They also sound better than the original AirPods Pro with their new H2 chip. Bass is still rich in tone, but voices are clearer than before, detail is more audible and instruments are defined with more clarity.
Reviewer:Max ParkerFull Review:Apple AirPods Pro 2
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
Pros
Cons
The M100wireless earphones are, by far, Cambridge Audio’s most ambitious headphones yet, packing in all sorts of flagship features at a mid-range price of £169 / $199, well undercutting the liks ofSennheiser,Sony, andBose.
They are Cambridge Audio’s first headphones tosupport ANC, and they put in a very effective performance, reducing all sorts of noises to a whisper. However, the adaptive aspect of the ANC performance could be better as we found the strength of the noise-cancellation has a tendency to go in and out for no discernible reason. The same is true of the transparency mode, which is clear enough to hear your surroundings and have a conversation with someone else.
Battery life is claimed to be 10 hours and our tests confirmed that is the case. There isaptX Adaptive Bluetoothfor Android users and while the connection is strong, we did find that it could falter in busy signal areas. Call quality is very good too, the earphones make sure that your voice is priority and clarity is good. Head into the new Connect app and there’s a nice surprise as you can switch the notification voice to Toast of London’s Matt Berry.
Of course the main reason to buy any headphone is the sound quality, and the M100 boast a rich, warm bass performance that gives plenty of energy to the low frequencies. It’s a wide soundstage to listen too, with good levels of detail an clarity, though we did find theBeats Studio Buds+to be better in this respect. One area we feel could be improved is the treble performance. While fine on its terms, it lacks a degree of insight and definition compared to other true wireless models.
Reviewer:Kob MonneyFull Review:Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
JLab Go Air Pop
Pros
Cons
TheJLab Go Air Popare the cheapest wireless earbuds on this list, but even with their immensely low price in mind, they still offer some great quality.
The design is not the most stylish not, but the Go Air Pop are functional and offer a comfortable fit. During 1-2 hour stints of testing them, we found the fit to be great with no discomfort at any point. There is the choice of small, medium or large ear-tips in the box to fit a range of ears, too, and changing these proved to be nice and easy.
The fit of these buds also meant we could use them for HIIT workouts without fear of them falling out. Touch controls did prove to be fiddly, but generally speaking they’re never going to be as precise or reliable as physical buttons.
You won’t findANChere, but that’s not expected at this price. What you do get is great battery life that punches above their weight, as during testing we found JLab’s claims of 32 hours total playtime to largely ring true. They should be good for a week’s use before you need to plug them in, an easy feat with the built-in charging cable.
Of course, the audio from a $24.99 / £19.99 pair of earbuds is not going to set the world alight, but as wallet-friendly pairs go these sound great. Their ‘Signature’ sound mode delivered a warm bass and smooth mids without any noticeable harshness until you crank the volume up.
Doing so made the top end a little harsh, although not enough that it made the Air Pops unlistenable. There’s also a Bass Boost sound mode designed for working out, and a Balanced mode for classical music and spoken word audio that we found worked well with good detail and separation.
Reviewer:Mike SawhFull Review:JLab Go Air Pop
We also considered…
The verdict is in on Bose’s fashionable wearable earbuds
Sennheiser’s finest true wireless yet
A great mix of wearable style, functionality, and musicality
Budget true wireless with flagship features
Flagship earphones without the flagship price
Wireless earbuds that fit like a glove
We’ve reviewed
1,927
Headphones
FAQs
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the best earbuds for the iPhone. They have features that allow them to work seamlessly with an iPhone that covers connectivity and features such as Spatial Audio.
Sony’s latest WF-1000XM5 true wireless feature fast-pairing with Android devices and also supports the ‘Find My’ feature in case they go missing. LDAC support also means they support higher quality music playback on Android devices.
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Comparison specs
Kob began his career at What Hi-Fi?, starting in the dusty stockroom before rising up the ranks to join the editorial and production team as the Buyer’s Guide editor. Experienced in both magazine and …
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
