The best earbuds 2024: wireless and wired buds for all budgets (2024)

The best earbuds are essential for easy-to-fling-in-a-pocket music on the go. Podcast for a long-haul flight? Motivational soundtrack for the commute(you got this and you're doing great, by the way)? Something to throw in a gym bag? Earbuds are a top shout. The best of the bunch can immerse you in a cocoon of sound, blocking out the rest of the world, then slip into a pocket when you need to be back in the room.

These days, you don't need to sacrifice battery life, extra perks or sound performance to get that tiny form factor either. We’ve tested literally hundreds of pairs and we know what we're looking at –and listening to.

You may notice the older Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds have disappeared from this list. Yes, it's the end of an era, but they're no longer readily available –and the summer 2023-issue Sony WF-1000XM5 didn't quite live up to the (huge) expectations we had on those. Enter then, the Technics EAH-AZ80, which equal the older XM4 across the board but also offer triple device multipoint connectivity, which nothing else in this list can offer.

If you're looking to keep the price down, we've got a dedicated best budget wireless earbuds guide, to give you more option no matter how deep your wallet.

The quick list

Want to cut straight to the best earbuds around? You'll find a roundup of our top choices here. You can jump to a more in-depth write-up for each product, and see the latest deals on them.

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Best wired

7. 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone

The best wired earbuds

An excellent value pair of in-ear buds for those who don't like the idea of going true wireless. The audio performance on offer here is lush and the build quality is hard to beat at this price.

Read more below

Best cheap USB-C buds

8. Skullcandy Set USB-C

The best cheap USB-C buds

A pair of wired buds that deliver very comfortable listening and decent sound in a sleek design – if you want to spend the minimum on wired buds, these are our pick.

Read more below

Best for supreme sound

9. Final ZE8000 MK2

The best earbuds for supreme clarity

Forget the weird '8K Sound+' marketing here – the audio quality is so, so good. They're big, but for a similar price to other premium headphones, you're getting a real step up in sound.

Read more below

Best for sports

10. Beats Fit Pro

Best earbuds for working out

Very secure, very comfortable, and with great smart features on both iOS and Android. You get solid noise cancellation, fun sound, and even spatial audio when used with iPhone.

Read more below

Becky Scarrott

I've reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. My love of music ties it all together.

Recent updates

June 7 2024
We added the Skullcandy Set USB-C wired earbuds as the best super-cheap wired buds that we'd actually recommend buying, based on testing of several big-name budget options.

The best earbuds of 2024

Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best earbuds in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

The best earbuds overall

The Technics EAH-AZ80 buds sound fantastic and they’re packed with features. A standout is triple-point connectivity, which we found to be stable and useful, as well as Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC compatibility. And, thanks to ‘Just My Voice’ technology, these buds are far less prone to wind-noise interference than rivals. Their only minor shortcomings are battery life at only 7 hours from the buds and 25 from the case, and the ANC (which could be a tad more impressive).

The sound they make is also accomplished – it's both swift and accurate, as well as balanced and detailed. In our review, we wrote: “The whole frequency range is really nicely balanced and coherent from top to bottom and very even-handed from the (deep, nicely textured) bass to the (clean, politely attacking) treble.” We also found the midrange to be both informative and eloquent, with high detail levels and a smooth, seamless, agile journey from ceiling to floor and back.

In terms of design, there’s a resoundingly premium feel here and each bud feels more comfortable, stable and light (7g per earbud) than some rivals. What’s more, the accompanying charging case is an equally svelte 50g. Build quality hasn’t been compromised in order to keep the weight down either – the EAH-AZ80 feels like a product that will outlast its rivals. There are seven different earbud sizes to choose from too, which means you’re likely to get that perfect fit.

The price of the Technics EAH-AZ80 is that of a premium product, for sure – but thankfully, so is the specification. Overall this is a pair of buds that delivers excellent sound quality, a fantastic fit, and that industry-first triple device multipoint connectivity. Add it all together, and we think they're a better-value package than the top buds from Sony or Bose.

Read our full Technics EAH-AZ80 review

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The best earbuds at a mid-range price

The Nothing Ear (a) are a serious improvement from Nothing, rocketing its buds from being 'fine, but nothing special' to 'these are the best value you can get for the price'. And they're a fun yellow color while doing it!

For their sub-$100/£100 price, they're so good, and feel premium. In our review, we said compared to the similarly priced (and fantastic) Sony WF-C700N, "the Nothing earbuds look more premium and feel more foxy. Their noise cancellation is a touch more robust and the sound is every bit as energetic, detailed and zealous, and (dare we say it?) a tad more expansive to boot."

In general, we said that "for the money, Nothing has tweaked its recipe to near perfection here" – yes, you can get better sound from the Technics at #1 on the list or other more premium options, but you need to pay twice as much for a meaningful difference.

That goes for features, too – the noise cancellation is as good as we've tested for the price, you get smart features such as wear detection to auto-pause them when you take them out, there's multi-point pairing for instant switching between devices, there's a Find My mode, there's LDAC hi-res support… the only think missing is spatial audio, and that's not usually an essential on affordable buds. The 5.5-hour battery life is the only element that's below average, but we can totally live with that.

Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review

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The best budget earbuds

The JLab Go Air Pop buds prove it’s possible to purchase a fantastic set of true wireless earbuds on a tight budget. They boast reliable Bluetooth connectivity and top battery life (eight hours from the earbuds and a whopping 32 hours from the buds and the case combined) plus on-device volume controls that work better than rivals more than double the price, and a triple tap to pick from three different EQ profiles.

Any meaningful sound comparison between these cheap in-ears and class-leading products at 10 times the price really isn't fair, is it? But these JLab buds easily beat everything else in their price range for sound, features, build quality and reliability. Vocals are relatively well handled through the upper mids, the bass is sensibly refined, and the soundstage is surprisingly expansive.

Design-wise, they’re lightweight at just 3.7g per earbud and incredibly small with three different types of eartips, which means they should suit almost everyone and we certainly found them incredibly comfortable to wear during our testing.

Again, no they don’t beat flagship propositions from the likes of Sony, Apple, or Technics. But they do punch well above their weight. The JLab Go Air Pop sound far better than you'd expect for their nominal ticket price tag and pack in some excellent features that make them fantastic value for money.

Read our full JLab Go Air Pop review

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The best earbuds for noise cancellation

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are our favorite noise-cancelling earbuds. Yes, even though the newer Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have essentially superseded them –because the new buds are only a marginal step up for the core sound and ANC quality, and we're fans of the better value you'll now get from these (just slightly) older QCE II buds.

The ANC is supremely effective here, thanks to what Bose calls CustomTune, which uses an audio signal – picked up by a mic inside each bud – to automatically calibrate ANC and sound frequency to suit your ear. Unfortunately there’s no wireless charging or multi-point connectivity (there isn't in the newer set either, which is an oversight from Bose), and battery life is acceptable rather than excellent, at 6 hours or up to 24 hours in total, using the case.

Happily, Bose's ANC improvements aren’t at the expense of sound quality, and whatever the CustomTune tech is doing behind-the-scenes here made these buds an extremely enjoyable listen during our testing. In our review, we wrote: "We can’t stress this enough – the sound is very well balanced, with a heck of a lot of details and textures coming through.” If you’d still like to tweak the audio output, you can via the EQ in the Bose app.

Design-wise, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are 30% smaller than previous generations with a more compact and lighter charging case. However, we did find the fit took some getting used to and is unlikely to suit everyone at first.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are Bose earbuds, which means they're typically on the expensive side. But if you can afford them, these are arguably the best noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds you can get today.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review

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The best earbuds for Apple fans

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are excellent earbuds that have a strong claim to be the best option for Apple lovers. One of the top features here is the active noise cancellation, which competes with the Bose option above for effectiveness at blocking out almost all external noises (though we rate the Bose slightly higher). The Adaptive Transparency Mode is also a nice trick, adjusting its blocking of outside sounds on the fly. In terms of battery, you get six hours with ANC on and 30 hours with the case too – and that case is IPX4 water resistant and has a speaker and wireless tracking chip, so if you lose it your phone can literally point you towards it, or it can be found by the 'Find My' network.

Audio performance is great, and is vastly improved over the original AirPods Pro. There’s rich sound across genres, and a wide and expansive soundstage, bookended by deep-yet-controlled bass and clear, elevated treble. There's lots of detail, and it's energetic too – if we were to criticize it, we might say it's a little too forward compared to the more natural and neutral sound of the Technics at the top of this list. Spatial audio is a very impressive trick of these buds too, especially with movies – it really feels like you're sitting in a home theater rather than having sound pumped directly into your years.

The crucial part for why you'd choose these over other options, though, is the extra features they include for those with lots of Apple gear. On top of the Find My support, they switch between your Apple devices seamlessly, they can share audio with other AirPods or Beats headphones, they offer personalized audio tweaks, and even optimized battery charging to help make sure they last longer. But to access all of this, you must use them with iPhone. With anything else, you're looking at basic 'they play music and you can switch between noise cancellation and Transparency' functionality.

They're excellent all-rounder, and during sales events are regularly available for a little less than the premium competition – who would think Apple would be the more budget option, eh?

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

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The best earbuds for Samsung phone users

Samsung has a formidable reputation in the smartphone market, but its Galaxy Buds never quite hit a home run. That changed with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. These earbuds are packed full of useful perks, including excellent ANC, voice detect, wearer detection and customizable on-ear controls – all of which work very well indeed – plus IPX7 water ingress protection. This would have been an almost perfect list of specs, marred only by the disappointing five-hour battery life.

The headline-grabbing feature, if you own a Samsung Galaxy device, is spatial audio with optional head-tracking, thus allowing you to use your phone as the focal point to direct more of that new end-to-end 24-bit high-res audio to whichever ear you prefer. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sport a two-way driver design, with a 10mm woofer and 5.4mm tweeter in each earbud. It's a formidable improvement on Samsung's previous earbud releases.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are refreshingly smaller and lighter than most rivals – and a huge improvement over previous Galaxy buds (remember the jewels and kidney bean shaped buds? These are nothing like those and we're happy about it). The result is a stylish, minimalist, secure and ergonomic look and fit that almost feels as if you're not wearing earbuds at all – or at least that was our experience during testing.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro squeeze an incredible amount in here for only mid-range money. There are a few minor things lacking, (the ability to tweak ANC in increments on a slider in the app would be lovely), but forgive this and it's hard to quibble with the sound-per-pound value.

Read our full Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review

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The best wired earbuds for most people

The 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones are a simple pair of wired headphones. As you'd expect given their design, they aren't packed with features, but there's a handy three-button remote that works with both Android and iOS – and already that's something not every headphone can do.

During our testing we found that they deliver a solid and enjoyable audio performance, noting in our review: "Music is exquisitely detailed with a good sense of space. Instruments are layered and complex songs don’t sound muddled as each instrumental layer remains audible."

Design-wise, these are simple in-ear earphones that look relatively sleek and refined, albeit within a budget. They come with both foam and silicone ear tips, although we found only the foam ones gave a good enough seal for proper testing. Their rubber cable can be annoying, and the remote control feels a tad cheap, but this is perhaps a little unfair given the ticket price. Then again, if you're looking for luxury materials, the 1MORE Quad Driver in-ear headphones that are a step up from these are still a bargain at twice the price.

After spending a few weeks with both the 1MORE Triple Driver in-ear headphones , we were blown away at the value.Although you'll find more detailed and better-sounding in-ear headphones much farther up the food chain, you'll have to pay a hefty premium for a significant boost in performance.

If you want earbuds that sport a cable to keep them secure, the 1More Triple Driver in-ear headphones are among the best value wired earbuds you can buy today.

Read our full 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone review

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The best cheap USB-C earbuds

If you're looking for a pair of wired USB-C earbuds, this set from Skullcandy may not offer the best high-end sonic experience compared to other options in this list, but they're a stylish and reliable choice – especially considering they're incredibly affordable at $31.99/£29.99 (about AU $50). We tested even cheaper USB-C buds, and this are basically as cheap as we'd recommend going – especially if you can find them on sale.

In our review we made it clear that these buds "don't whip up top-drawer sound", especially where detail and dynamism are concerned. That being said, sound quality is decent, especially considering their price. Similarly-priced budget buds that we're reviewed sound and feel much more cheap and tinny in comparison.

As you'd expect, there's no active noise cancellation for this price. But thanks to good included ear tips, they have a "noise-isolating fit". This won't reduce all ambient noise, but it does do a decent job at keeping you focused on your music regardless of your surroundings. These ear tips come in three different sizes, which meant in our review we wrote that the buds are "very pleasant to wear", even for long periods of time.

As well as feeling good, we liked how the buds look too. In our review we said: "They sport a sleek, curved look, and come in four snazzy colorways." They also have an IPX4 water-resistant rating, which means they're rain- and sweatproof. The only notable frustrating design feature is there are no volume up/down buttons on their controller, which feels limiting.

These aren't the best buds in our guide, far from it – but they're comfortable, they sound solid and they look good. If that's all you ask, enjoy.

Read our full Skullcandy Set USB-C review

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The best earbuds for supreme sound

OK, if ever the term "8K Sound+" could apply to something you hear rather than see, that is what you'll get with these earbuds. We're not saying we approve of the term used by Final, but nevertheless you should know that the sound quality here is excellent.You're getting a zealous, expansive, and glorious soundstage that has us living happily in our heads, and forgetting the cost.

So why the less than perfect star rating? These excellent earbuds are marred only by a slightly disappointing battery life (which is five hours tops or 15 including the case, but closer to four when you deploy 8K Sound+) plus an app that supplies the basics rather than the premium, all-seeing all-dancing experience you might expect at this level.

The four noise cancellation modes and volume step optimizer (which gives you better precision when tweaking the volume level) work very well indeed and add value, plus there's a four-band EQ tab, but forget hearing tests, spatial audio support, wearer detection or the option to customize the on-ear controls – and in our tests, we sometimes found the app a little unreliable in that it failed to fire up or chose not to recognise the earbuds it was connected to.

Then again, we keep coming back to their sound. Honestly, the sound is among the best we've ever heard in a true wireless design, and at a price comparable to the best buds from Sony and Bose, despite sounding clearly better. The lack of features (and the large size) may not be for everyone, but if you value music above all else, you must consider them.

Read our full Final ZE8000 MK2 review

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The best earbuds for working out

When it comes to earbuds especially for working out, there's a shift in importance. Sound quality and other features are still a big factor, but none of it matters if the earbuds don't stay in your ears when you're mid-run, mid-row or mid-set.

Beats Fit Pro were released in 2021, and so are beginning to show their age compared to the wider earbuds competition – for a little more money you can step up to the more premium buds here, which will offer you better sound quality and noise cancellation – but we still really rate them for how they balance a secure fit with the sound and features.

The design has both an in-ear tip plus a fin that fits against the arches of your ear, connected to a reasonably small and light but, which means they hold in place absolutely securely. They're extremely hard to dislodge accidentally, and their on-device buttons are easy to push without loosening the fit.

They also have smart features for both Apple and Android – on both platforms, you get fast pairing and music playback. On Android, you also have the Beats app, which enables you to customize the controls, check the battery easily, and take a fit test to make sure you're getting the best from the ANC. On Apple, they offer spatial audio, auto-switching between devices, and audio sharing with other Beats or AirPods.

The IPX4 rating means they should resist sweat, though this won't make them the most resistant to accidental drops in water or wearing our in heavy rain – if you need something more hardcore, check out the Jabra Elite 7 Active.

Read our full Beats Fit Pro review

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Other earbuds to consider

We recently tested the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 true wireless earbuds. Cambridge Audio is a fantastic brand, having brought out some of the greatest-sounding budget buds we've ever tested. The all-new Melomania M100 have a more ergonomic design than predecessors, great ANC and an engaging sound – you can also get Matt Berry to give you voice prompts, who could resist? Well, they come at a higher price than the previous models we loved so much, but lack certain features we expect from more premium buds (including spatial audio) and have a pretty chunky case. We think they're fantastic, as our Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review attests, but they haven't quite edged out our choices in this list.

We've also recently tested the OnePlus Buds 3, which we decided are a solid and fairly-affordable pair of wireless earbuds that tick a lot of boxes for those looking for good features, a sleek design and impressive ANC. If you're lucky enough to get these with a OnePlus phone or tablet, you should be happy with the pairing and special features, but our OnePlus Buds 3 review explains why we don't like them quite enough to make them a broad recommendation over the hot competition.

If you like buds with a rich sound profile, then you should check out the Audio Technica TH-TWX7, which we also reviewed recently. They lean towards the bassy side and they have a solid app that lets you tweak plenty of features to enhance your music even more. But between the annoying touch controls and mediocre battery life we highlighted in our Audio Technica TH-TWX7, they're not breaking into this list.

How to choose the best earbuds

Two important things to consider when you’re choosing new earbuds is what you want to listen to and where you want to listen to it.

For example, if you like fairly quiet music and want to listen on the bus or train, you'll need effective noise cancellation.

If you're looking for a pair of the best running headphones, you should look for IPX4 water-resistance so they can withstand sweat and rain. Some of the top waterproof earbuds can even be used for swimming. The best bone-conducting headphones are popular for fitness fans too, because they don't block outside sounds.

If you're going to be wearing your earbuds for long periods, then comfort and weight are a top priority.

We’ve included both wired and wireless earbuds on this list, but you don't have to compromise on audio quality by going wire-free. Our current favorite true wireless earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM4 combine class-leading sound with high quality noise cancellation tech.

If you do opt for wireless or true wireless earbuds, make sure the battery life is up to scratch, otherwise you may find yourself caught short without any music in the middle of your commute.

The best earbuds for you should sound good to your ears. Which means if you're a dedicated audiophile, look for buds that support Hi-Res Audio codecs, like LDAC and aptX HD Bluetooth for stellar connectivity.

We also recommend you consider your budget. If you want cheap earbuds you may have to sacrifice features, like ANC or a long battery life. It’s all about weighing up what’s more important to you.

Finally, the brand you choose will depend on what you're looking for – but we're careful with our lists. That means all of the earbuds and in-ear headphones above come from brands we trust. Still, if you're not sure where to start looking, respected brands like Sony, Apple, Cambridge Audio, Jabra, and Nura are good places to start.

How we test the best earbuds

We've tested each of the top earbuds in this guide to make sure they tick some key boxes, which are reflected in our full review.

One of these is the features – whether they compare well to other earbuds in the same price for elements such as connection options, smart app controls, active noise cancellation and battery life. We test all these features in different ways. We try the active noise cancellation in different real-world environments, and we check battery life by running them down and tracking the timing.

Most importantly, we also want to be sure the sound is excellent, with clarity and a decent level of bass. We listen to music from a range of sources, from social apps and YouTube, to lower-quality streams from the likes of Spotify, to high-quality files from streamers such as Apple Music and Tidal. We'll listen to a range of genres, and we'll use a mix of new music and tracks we've known for years and in which we can hear all the subtle differences.

Next is comfort and wearability. You need to know you'll be able to pop the best in-ear buds in your ears for hours at a time, so they have to feel secure and comfortable. Some seem naturally designed for a snug fit, others come with different silicone tip options to help you get the fit just right. In terms of design, we also look for compact buds, those that don't stick out of your ear too much and (in the case of true wireless designs) earbuds that come with a small charging case for slipping into a backpack, handbag or even a pocket.

And when we've tested all this, we judge them on their value, which essentially means how all of the above balances against their price, and the price of other earbuds.

At the time of writing, we're beginning a new testing procedure for earbuds to enable us to add more direct comparison between buds, to make it easier for you to choose which one will suit you best. We'll re-test our current favorite earbuds using the new system, and we'll use it for reviews in the future. You can read the full information about how we test earbuds at TechRadar at that link, but the crucial part is that we're adding certain specific and repeatable tests that all of our reviews can use, so we know we're getting a fair and even comparison between earbuds.

The major part of this is a particular playlist that will be used for sound-quality testing, from a specific source device and music service. Our reviewers will also test other songs and sound sources, but this playlist provide a baseline comparison, and you can copy the playlist to make your own comparisons, if you like.

We'll also test the microphone quality for picking up speech by recording us talking, and we'll make those recordings available to hear on the site, so you can compare them yourselves, if you want. And we'll detail exactly how long the battery lasts in real-world use, and provide that information for easy comparison too, in tables. At the moment, we're still working on gathering this information, so please bear with us – an even better buying guide is coming!

Latest updates to the best earbuds

7 June 2024
We added the Skullcandy Set USB-C wired earbuds as the best super-cheap wired buds that we'd actually recommend buying, based on testing of several big-name budget options.

9 May 2024
Swapped the Sony WF-C700N for the Nothing Ear (a) as the best mid-range option. They're extremely close in quality, but the Nothing's slightly better noise cancellation and hi-res support just win out.