Club Benefits
The best wireless earbuds in Australia make it easy to enjoy your favourite music, movies and podcasts, whether you're out and about or at home. As many Aussies prefer a pair of in-ears rather than over-ear cans, it's our job to let you know which buds are worth your time, especially with so many models vying for our attention.
While Apple's AirPods are synonymous with the category, and many iPhone users will naturally gravitate towards them, it's worth pointing out that there are plenty of great-sounding alternative options to choose from. Some of the premium models here are loaded with functional audio tech and make the top of our best noise-cancelling earbuds list.
Earbuds jargon buster
When we review earbuds and the best headphones here at Tom's Guide, there's a chance you might spot some terms and words that you don't understand. To break it down and make it easier to digest, here's what some of the most common ones mean:
ANC
"Active Noise Cancelling" is what ANC stands for. This one you'll see appear quite frequently whenever we talk about earbuds, given that it's quality is very important to a recommendation we make. It uses audio magic and some very clever algorithms to quiet the outside world, and make your commute more manageable.
How does it work? It uses a combination of the music you're listening to and inaudible white noise to counteract the noise of the outside world. It uses the microphones inside the earbuds to read the noise, and then dynamically shifts certain sounds to make it go away. Sometimes this can change the sound of your music, so we'll report when the ANC is either too weak, or too invasive.
EQ
This stands for "equalisation", and it allows you to dial in how your headphones sound. You'll generally find it as a series of sliders that represent different parts of the music, so that you can increase the bass, the mids, or the treble in your favourite tunes. Some manufacturers give you preset EQ options, which save you from getting lost in sliders or graphs. These are almost always found in apps for earbuds.
Frequencies
These are the different sounds that make up your music. You'll generally read them divided into three simple sections — the lows, the mids, and the highs. The lows are the bass frequencies. Think bass guitars, and kick drums. You want them to be impactful and low. The mids are the main parts of your music, like vocals, guitars, and synths. Because they're so important, you want them to be thick and wide. Finally, the highs are cymbals and other higher sounds. These should be crisp, and clear.
Meet the Tom's Guide testing team
Tammy is Tom's Guide's Audio Editor, and oversees all the audio content that goes live on site. She also spends a great deal of her time testing the best earbuds, evaluating them for sound, ANC, comfort, and battery life. She's always got at least three pairs of earbuds to choose from at her desk.
Stephen is Tom's Guide's Managing Editor for the APAC region, and is focused on curating a locally-relevant buying guide for Aussies who are looking for the perfect set of wireless earbuds. He regularly tests the latest earbuds and is always on the lookout for the perfect balance of sound quality, battery life and noise cancellation.
Best wireless earbuds overall
Sony's all-conquering earbuds are an in-ear triumph. Extremely comfortable, with great sound and ANC that almost takes the fight to Bose. Battery life is very solid as well — you can't go wrong with Sony's in-ears.
Sony doesn't do anything by halves, and the WF-1000XM5 are all the proof you could need. They're a solid performer in all aspects, from sound, noise canceling, and an extensive feature set.
Like our choice for the best headphones, the WH-1000XM5, other options are better at one particular feature, but there's nothing as good at everything. They're the perfect all-rounder — and it's why I've put them at the top of the list.
As you might be able to guess from our 4.5-star review, we loved the XM5 when we tested them. Our reviewer was highly complimentary about their "remarkably effective" noise canceling, as well as their excellent sound and comfortable fit.
Battery life is fine — 8 hours is about par for the course — but there are now options out there which offer more staying power. Their case is a little bulky as well, especially when compared to the likes of the AirPods Pro 2.
But at the end of the day, even with their slightly higher AU$399 price point, the WF-1000XM5 are about as good as earbuds get before you look at paying even more money.
let's get in depth...
Sound
Sony has a very particular 'house sound.' No, not the musical genre, only that headphones and earbuds the firm makes tend to a warmer sound signature that'll please most listeners.
There's a general neutrality to the sound on offer here, although most will love the slight bass weighting. We've found that it makes genres like pop and R&B really sing when you're on the go.
That doesn't mean there's not plenty of detail to get your teeth into — it was "one of the most striking things" that our tester discovered while reviewing the buds. All in all, you're in for an "Engaging and musical listen."
Comfort
You're well served for fitting options in the XM5. In the box, you get a whole host of different earbuds options, including silicon and memory foam. There's a wide range of sizes too, so you'll find a fitting option for everyone.
Long-term comfort is good. I've had no problem wearing my copy of the buds for long periods of time. One thing to watch out for, though — the earbuds' smaller size means they take a bit more adjustment to fit properly. You might also need to step up your tip size. Both our reviewer and I did when wearing the buds.
ANC
Sony's ANC algorithm continues to be amongst the very best around. It blocks out an incredible amount of noise, all but completely silencing commutes and the outside world.
The transparency mode is good, easily activated by placing your hand over your right ear. You'll want to ensure that your buds fit properly, however — I found that the ANC wasn't working at its best when the eartip didn't fit into my ear properly.
Make sure you use the Optimal Earbud Tips in the Sound Connect App to get the best fit, and ensure your ANC is working properly.
App
The recently updated Sound Connect app from Sony is one of the best around. It might take you a little while to get used to finding where all the features are, but I quickly adjusted.
It's packed full of features, from the many, many ANC modes to adjustable EQ and more. This is where you'll find the aforementioned Optimal Earbud Fit Tips so that you can dial in the comfort and seal of your earbuds.
Battery life
The battery life of the WF-1000XM5 is more than adequate. There are now some options that last slightly longer than Sony's effort, but you're unlikely to need more than what's on offer here.
There are 8 hours out of the buds themselves, which is extended to 24 when you pop them in the charging case. This is with ANC turned on, so you can expect slightly more staying power if you leave it turned off.
- Read the full Sony WF-1000XM5 review
Best wireless earbuds for fitness
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are the fitness lovers dream. A very comfortable, secure fit so that they stay in no matter how you move around, and great sound quality to power your workouts. The built in heart rate monitor is a great cherry on top.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a fitness expert — but I sure am an earbuds expert. As earbuds, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are great. They've got excellent ANC from the AirPods Pro 2, and there's some great sound for a solid audio experience.
Given that I'm not a fitness expert, I did speak to someone who is, so that we can get a picture of why they're on the list. From my review, our fitness expert Nick said:
"I genuinely believe that the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are outstanding sports headphones and would be top of my list for people who need an earhook to keep their buds in place during runs and other workouts."
It's thanks to those secure-fit hooks, that keep the earbuds in place no matter how much you run or move around. The heart rate monitor is a nice extra, but we were slightly disappointed with its accuracy.
For all kinds of exercise, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are an excellent earbuds option for everyone.
let's get in depth...
Sound
While not high-fidelity, there's a rhythmic energy to the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 that's infectious. They've got some great bass presense, as you might expect, but they're also good in the upper register too.
They fall down slightly in the mid-range, with a dip in the upper mid-range. That can take the edge off guitars and other instruments, although R&B listeners aren't going to notice too much.
There's head-tracked Apple Spatial Audio as well for Apple Music listeners, and it works well. It does a number on your battery though, so bare that in mind.
Comfort
Thanks to their excellent earhook, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 aren't going anywhere when you do your exercise. It can be a challenge to get them in place, but they're very stable when in place.
The buds themselves are comfortable for long periods of wear as well, thanks to the silicon eartip options that you get in the box. The fit finder in the app is good as well, so that you can dial them in perfectly.
ANC
The ANC on board is very similar to that which you'll find in the AirPods Pro 2. That means that they're not quite up to speed with the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds or the Sony WH-1000XM5, but they still manage to block plenty of noise.
The transparency modes work well enough, although I found that voices occasionally became fuzzy or tricky to hear depending on the surrounding noise. A shame, but not a deal breaker.
App
On Apple devices, the Beats are integrated into your settings menu. It works well, with all the options at your fingertips. Android users have to use the Beats app, which is fine, although we did find some heart rate monitor weirdness on Android devices.
Both methods let you control the ANC, and dial in the EQ settings. They're simple, but they work well enough. Android users might find the occasional crash, however.
Battery life
The battery life of the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 is exemplary. They feature 10 hours of battery life in the buds themselves, which beats out pretty much all of the other options on this list.
That's perfect for long-distance runners and cyclists, or gym goers that want something that will take them to the gym, last their exercise, and then take them home again. We found those battery life claims ran true in our review. Pop them in the charging case for 45 hours of staying power.
- Read the full Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review
Best wireless earbuds for noise canceling
Improving on every metric, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are an in-ear noise-canceling triumph. Boosts to ANC and sound quality make them an even better buy than the first model, and the price hasn't increased to match.
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds were my favorite release of 2024, and the gen 2 are now my favorite of 2026. They've improved on pretty much everything over the first model, with the only exception being the unchanged battery life — but it's that world-silencing ANC that really takes them over the edge.
They remain the very best way to listen to music without disruption when you're traveling. That busy train carriage? Silenced. The office? Quietened completely. With that signature orchestral swell, you're in your own world, free to listen to your tunes.
Sound is much better this time around, although you'll still want to adjust the EQ in the Bose app. And you'll be listening comfortably for their entire 6-hour battery life thanks to their incredibly comfortable fit.
I gave them 4.5 stars when I reviewed them, thanks to that all-conquering ANC and solid sound quality. They lose out in the battery department to the XM5, opting instead for out-and-out ANC performance — and there's nothing better to block noise.
let's get in depth...
Sound
The bassy sound of prior Bose earbuds is still here, but it's been refined slightly this time around. There's more detail retrieval and the soundstage has been extended, but the bass weighting is still very much present.
I've found that dipping into the Bose apps' EQ is a must with any of the brand's headphones. From there, I adjust the bass down slightly and the highs up a few notches to increase the detail and reduce any muddiness. They sound great out of the box, but these improvements make them sound even better.
There's also Immersive Audio, Bose's spatial audio setting. Some like it's ability to make music sound much larger, but I find it thins out important frequencies. It also tanks the battery by 2 hours, making them last an even shorter time.
Comfort
Yeah, they're still some of the most comfortable buds you can buy. I've been able to wear them for hours and hours at a time without the need to adjust the fit or take them out for a break — they're a lovely thing to have in your ears.
It's all down to the fitting options. There are loads of different silicon tips, and the fit is further improved by the rubber fins you can attach to the edge. They're secure as well, so they won't fall out should you get headbanging or dancing.
ANC
The ANC is the best around — there's nothing that comes close. That's high praise given how good the previous model was at keeping out unwanted sounds, but Bose has somehow made it even better. It's a bit like magic.
You can choose different levels for the noise canceling, but I prefer to leave it on the top level. That way, I don't have to worry about any noise making its way through at all, and I can enjoy my music to the max.
App
Bose's app is one of the better options around. It's very well laid out, and everything is clearly labelled so that you don't get confused. It even shows you what's playing, although I'm not entirely sure how useful that feature is.
It's where you'll find all of the EQ options, noise control, and different sound modes. I particularly like how the app knows what color your buds are — and even lets you name them.
Battery life
Battery life remains a weak point in the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds gen 2's armor. We've still only got 6 hours' worth of life here, which pales in comparison to some of the competition.
The WF-1000XM5 last for 8 hours, a whole 2 hours more than the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. You can't even turn the ANC off to boost the battery life — 6 hours is all you're going to get.
- Read the full Bose QuietComfort Ultra gen 2 review
Best wireless earbuds for iPhones
The latest version of Apple's earbuds are finally here, and they're filled with some great updates. Far more battery life, an improved fit, and superior sound quality make them a great option for Apple fans. Add in the heart rate monitor and Live Translation and you've got Apple's best earbuds to date.
The AirPods Pro 2 were excellent, but quickly aged out compared to the competition. Now, the AirPods Pro 3 have arrived to conquer all and lay waste to Sony and Bose. They get so, so close to being the best pair of earbuds around, but there are still some spots that need a touch of work.
Still, these are the very best earbuds that Apple has ever made. They've got some key updates over the previous model, for one. There's the extended battery life of 8 hours, improved sound quality, and superior noise canceling to keep the noise of your commute at bay.
Those upgrades have materialised in a pair of buds that stun in sound and and make sure that your office is a whole lot more tolerable when you're getting on with your day.
They lose out to the Sony and Bose due to a lack of Codec support for Android devices, but there really is nothing better if you're an iPhone user.
let's get in depth...
Sound
The AirPods Pro 2 improve on the old model in the sound department. They've still got Apple's more neutral sound signature built in, but they manage to find more detail and extra bass depth over the old pair.
They've got a very solid soundstage as well. They're on par with the Sony buds, and better than the Bose alternatives — although there are still options out there that sound better.
Spatial Audio for movies with an Apple TV is still a great way to watch your content, and just as easy to connect up. It works well for music as well, especially when you listen to your music on Apple Music.
Comfort
The buds have been shrunk down this time around, and as a result, they have a very comfortable fit. The silicone ear tips have been infused with foam for a softer and more comfortable finish, and they mould better to the inside of your ear.
That means you can wear them for extended periods of time. The sweat and water resistance means you won't have to worry about wearing them when you go to work out, either — IP57.
ANC
The ANC of the AirPods Pro 3 has received a big look with their third generation. The result is ANC that comes closer to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2, but doesn't quite beat out Bose's buds.
Still, it's very good and blocks out all the major noises of your commute or your busy office. It's on par with the Sony WF-1000XM5 — both are excellent noise-canceling options.
Transparency mode is very good as well, and boosts the battery life by another couple of hours. Nice.
App
There isn't an 'app' per se with the AirPods Pro 3, but you can easily control their settings from the iPhone settings menu. There, you'll find all their features along with options to update the firmware and change the sound.
Android users are left out in the cold here — you have very little you can control, thanks to a lack of any kind of application.
Battery life
The battery life has been much improved in the AirPods Pro 3. It's now around the same, if not more than, their closest rivals. You get 8 hours of ANC on time, two hours more than the old version. That's around the same as Sony — and more than Bose.
If you switch over to the transparency mode, you get 10 hours of battery life, more than pretty much anything else at their price point. That also means you can use the new Live Translation feature for longer.
- Read the full AirPods Pro 3 review
Best cheap wireless earbuds
CMF's buds are compact, comfortable, and they sound really good without breaking the bank. The ANC is a marvel, performing similarly to options that cost a whole lot more. If you don't want to spend too much but still want some premium earbuds, these are your best option. And they're orange.
If you’re not familiar with the brand CMF, you’re about to have your world turned upside down. CMF is Nothing’s budget offshoot (yes, Nothing, as in the phone manufacturer), and is really changing the game with its top-notch audio gear.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are no different. These are our favourite cheap earbuds for a reason. For just AU$99, you get premium, Dirac-tuned audio, AirPods Pro 3-beating ANC, and Sony WF-1000XM5-beating battery life. The Buds Pro 2 are so stuffed full of features that we’re not sure where to start.
By far the most impressive, though, is the sound. The rich, bassy sound signature had us grooving in the testing lab. Opteo, the premium EQ by Swedish sound calibration software brand Dirac, is a must-have feature that breathed life into every song.
let's get in depth...
Sound
Although the ANC and app connectivity is fantastic, where the CMF Buds Pro 2 really excel is sound quality. With the Dirac Opteo EQ activated, every genre sounded dynamic, lively, and faithful, with a balanced low-end and melodic treble. The mid-range is handled deftly in every genre, from hard rock to folk to pop.
If you’re not familiar with Dirac Opteo, it’s a custom equalizer setting. Opteo tricks your brain into perceiving more width and height in your music, so songs sound like they’re coming from all around your head rather than just from your earholes.
Opteo is truly the standout feature in the Buds Pro 2, and the reason why these earbuds would impress everyone from casual music enjoyers to genuine audiophiles. If you get these earbuds, you need to activate Opteo immediately. You won’t be disappointed.
Comfort
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are nice and ergonomic, so they will be able to fit all ear sizes. The buds come with large, medium, and small ear tips, and I found that the ‘small’ fit my ears perfectly.
While not quite as comfortable as the AirPods Pro 2, they are comfier than the AirPods Pro 3 for other small-eared folk.
ANC
You may not expect a pair of AU$99 to have mind-blowing noise cancellation, but the ANC on the CMF Buds Pro 2 is genuinely as good as the AirPods Pro 3. I have a pair of the AirPods Pro 3 in my desk drawer, and I compare every pair of earbuds to Apple’s flagship.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 noise cancellation is literally identical. I compared them side-by-side, and there was genuinely no difference. If you need some cheap earbuds that’ll block out the world around you, then look no further than the Buds Pro 2.
App
As CMF is Nothing’s budget offshoot, the Buds Pro 2 use the NothingX companion app. This app is fantastic, with an easily navigable home screen and a plethora of genuinely helpful options.
In the NothingX app, you access a whole collection of premium-feeling features. You can do an ear fit test, customise spatial audio, adjust the touch controls, and change EQ settings. Of course, the app is where you toggle the Dirac Opteo EQ. If you ask me, Dirac Opteo is the best aspect of the CMF Buds Pro 2, so you should 100% activate this.
Battery life
Considering these earbuds are under AU$100, the battery life is mighty impressive. With 43 hours in the case and 11 hours in the buds, the CMF Buds Pro 2 last longer than AirPods Pro 3, the EarFun Air Pro 4+, and have a whopping 20 hours over our best overall earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM5.
- Read the full CMF Buds Pro 2 review
Best mid-range wireless earbuds
Sony's WF‑C710N earbuds offer many improvements over the WF‑C700N, adding touch controls, wear detection, and a range of funky colours to choose from. They deliver punchy bass and clear vocals, and the companion app makes it easy to tweak the EQ exactly how you like it. Their ANC also gives Bose a run for its money, but at a far more affordable price.
If you're looking for a pair of buds that land in that sweet spot between budget and premium, Sony's WF-C710N deliver just that. Priced at AU$189.95 (but regularly spotted at around the AU$150 mark), these mid-range buds punch well above their weight, offering Bose-level noise-cancellation at roughly half the cost.
If you want buds that strike the perfect balance bass response and clear vocals, the WF-C710N have you covered — our reviewer experienced great sound across all genres, and the ability to easily customise EQ settings to your liking in Sony's Sound Connect app.
They also look fantastic, thanks to some incredibly stylish colourways — we're particularly partial to the transparent Ice Blue option we reviewed.
let's get in depth...
Sound
The Sony WF‑C710Ns sound genuinely impressive. Their internal hardware is largely unchanged from the previous model, with the same 5mm drivers delivering punchy bass and clean, well-defined vocals. Sony’s trademarked Digital Sound Enhancement Engine is onboard too, helping restore detail and keep tracks as close to the original recording as possible.
Our reviewer put the earbuds through their paces across a mix of genres — rock, indie, dance, pop and more. Every track our reviewer played through the WF‑C710Ns came through beautifully, noting well-balanced lows, mids and highs, as well as and vocals that stayed crisp and clear throughout.
Bass response in particular is impressive, and you can apply a Bass Boost mode if you want to really feel that low-end in your jaw and temples.
Comfort
Apart from looking and sounding great, Sony's WF-C710N are also extremely comfortable. The buds sit extremely snugly in our reviewer’s ears and are very light, each weighing only 5.2 grams. Our reviewer even said she sometimes forgot she was wearing them.
After wearing them for eight hours straight, she had no problem describing the WF‑C710N as some of the most comfortable earbuds she’s tested, on a par with Bose's QuietComfort buds.
ANC
In our Sony WF‑C700N review, we called them noise‑cancelling leaders at a bargain price, and the WF‑C710N buds match or even improve on that. Their active noise cancellation is genuinely impressive, blocking out most indoor and outdoor sounds. Sony has added a wind‑noise reduction design, so your music stays clearer.
You can switch to ambient mode to stay aware of your surroundings — useful for workouts or runs — and the Sound Connect app lets you personalise ambient sound across 20 levels. There’s also a transparency mode for quick conversations without removing the buds.
App
The WF‑CF710N buds make excellent use of Sony’s Sound Connect app, letting you customise the sound to suit your tastes. You can adjust ANC levels, update firmware, remap touch controls and fine‑tune the EQ (or choose from eight presets such as Bass Boost or Vocal). Our reviewer found the app very easy to use thanks to its intuitive layout.
Battery life
While the WF‑C710N fall short of the battery life afforded by the even-cheaper CMF Buds Pro 2, the buds still provide a respectable 8 hours of battery life and a total of 30 hours with the included charging case. Of course, those willing to switch off ANC can extend that listening time to 12 hours on the buds and 33.5 hours with the case.
- Read the full Sony WF‑C710N review
Also tested
Not every single pair of earbuds that we test can land on the best list — otherwise you'd be just as clueless as if you were to land on an Amazon search page with hundreds of entries. These are the honorable mentions in our quest to find great wireless earbuds.
How we test the best wireless earbuds
Before we make a recommendation about any pair of wireless earbuds, we want to make sure that we've put them through their paces. It helps us find out how good they'll be when you find them in your hands, and makes sure that we can pen our informative, buying advice-packed reviews.
It's all work — no fun. Listening to our favourite music for hours on end to test the sound, taking the headphones out and about on day trips to test their long-term comfort and ANC algorithm... Such a grind! In all seriousness, we put a lot of effort into making sure that you'll be happy with a purchase you make after reading our buying guides and reviews.
Here are the key factors in our testing and how we evaluate each pair of earbuds that falls across our desks.
Comfort
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Earbuds are going to be jammed directly into your ear-holes, so one of the most important things that we test is how comfortable they are over long periods of time, and how difficult it is to dial in the fit. How many bud bits do you get in the box, and are they easy to fit on the buds? Are they loose? Are there extra fitting options like earhooks?
To find out, we put the buds through their paces. We try out a range of the tips that come with the buds so that we can find the perfect fit that makes the ANC excellent and sound good. After all, if they don't make a good seal on the inside of your ear, you're not going to get the best out of your buds. We report on our findings, telling you how easy it was to get the perfect fit, and how comfy they are when dialled in.
Then we test their long-term comfort. That means wearing them for hours during a work day, so that we can see how they feel when they're worn for hours on end. If they start impacting certain pressure points in the ear, we'll notice, and it'll go into our review. We're looking for earbuds that can't be felt during wear, so that you forget you're wearing them.
Sound quality
This is my favourite thing to test. Hours and hours of awesome tunes played into my ears while I work, and I don't have to make excuses to my boss about why I need to be doing it? Excellent news. When we test the audio quality of a pair of buds, we play the Tom's Guide testing playlist on Qobuz so that we can get a good picture of how they sound with some top-quality hi-res tracks to put them through their paces.
We listen at first in a quieter environment so that we can get an idea of how they sound in a vacuum without the ANC to cause potential problems. We compare the earbuds to the sound profiles of those in the best list above, and then we write down our findings for the full review.
Then, we take the headphones out with the ANC to see if it changes the sound. It might all sound like we're having fun, but there is a point to it all. It gives us a clear picture of the buds' performance in an everyday use case, so that we can see how they'll serve you if you decide you'd like to buy a pair.
ANC
Pretty much every pair of earbuds that you can buy today comes with some form of ANC (unless you buy some of the very cheapest ones at the very end of a lengthy Amazon search, you lunatic), and we want to make sure that it performs well in a variety of use cases.
How do we do it? By taking the earbuds with us wherever we go. That could mean on all our daily commutes, to see if they perform well on the train, or out for hikes so we can see how well they handle normal atmospheric noise. Maybe we're going on a flight — then we can test how well they handle loud engines and crying children.
Once we've thoroughly tested how much noise they block, we also test the transparency modes when we go to buy our tickets or a bag of candies from the grocery store. We look out for how clear the voice of our conversation partner is, and whether they're audible through any other noise. We're also looking out for the quality of the audio that's being pumped in. Is it too loud? Again, we note down our findings for the review.
Finally, we want to make sure that the ANC doesn't change the sound of the music too much. After all, you want your music to sound great, and if the ANC changes things too much, it can create annoying sonic issues.
Call quality
Given that your earbuds are often going to pull double duty as a form of hands-free calling system, we want to ensure that they're going to be good at it. We make a whole bunch of calls to check things out.
We're looking out for a couple of different things. First of all, we want to make sure that we can hear our call partner well, and that they're coming through clearly. We listen out for clarity, and judge whether we can hear them properly throughout the duration of the call, and whether their voice sounds natural.
Then we ask our call partners how we sound. Can they hear us properly, or do the noises of our environment make it hard to hear what we're saying? We note down our findings, and then we report back on them in our review to give you an idea of how they'll perform if you want to take (or make) a call.
Battery life
We know that manufacturers sometimes have a habit of overestimating their battery life figures. To make sure that you're getting the best information possible, we spend the time to test the battery life claims and whether they ring true. We listen to the buds for hours on end, and count how many hours we used them before they needed to go back into their case. We do this with ANC turned on and with the volume at a comfortable level.
For charging cases and very long-lasting buds, we extrapolate battery data in a different way. We measure how long we've used them, and then compare that with how much life we've got left. This gives us a good picture of how the battery is going to last in the long run, and whether you'll get those rated claims.
How to choose the best earbuds for you
Hopefully, our list will have made it easier to cut down the options when you're looking for your next pair of buds. To cut it down even more, here are some extra points you should think about.
What do you want out of your buds?
There are as many reasons to buying earbuds as there are earbuds themselves. You need to work out what you're looking for first and foremost — it's why I've divided the list up into their most important headline features.
Do you want the best sound, and would you be willing to give up some battery life and pay a bit more for it? If not, then you should go for the best earbuds overall, but if you don't mind some compromise then you should go for the best sounding earbuds.
It's important to make a list of the features that are most important to you, and then work out from there which of the earbuds on the list fit those criteria the best. Afterall, what might be the best for one person might not be the best for you.
Do you want headphones or earbuds?
If you're looking for the most compact, easily transported audio device around, then the best earbuds are probably going to be right for you. But there are a couple of things to remember — they're going to live inside your ears, and not everyone likes the feeling of in-ears after longer periods of listening.
If you'd prefer something more comfortable for longer periods of wear that offers more battery life, and potentially better audio quality, you should consider some of the best wireless headphones. They might cost a bit more, but you might be more comfortable.
Don't be fooled by frequency response readings
I talk about this on our best headphones list, but I think it's well worth reiterating here. It's very easy to get hooked on frequency response graphs and numbers, and think you're getting a surefire cheat code to finding the best sounding earbuds around.
You'll spot them as a pair of numbers in specs lists, like "15 Hz - 22 kHz." The first number is how low the earbuds can go, and the second number is how high they can go.
You might think that finding a pair with the greatest frequency range is going to net you a pair of excellent sounding earbuds. While that can be true, it's not worth seeking out. Just because a pair of headphones can go really low doesn't mean they're good at replicating those frequencies, and neither does it tell you about what's going in the music itself.
There's only one way to really tell how good a pair of earbuds is — and that's to give them a listen. Or, of course, you could read one of our excellent and informative earbuds reviews.
Wireless earbuds repairability
Repairability is becoming ever more important, as we try to find new ways to lengthen the life of our devices, but also look after the planet that we call home. Repairing products is great for both, and it's important to consider it when buying new tech.
Unfortunately, earbuds are one of those products that are extremely rarely user-repairable. Thanks to their size and the amount of tech that companies have to pack into their buds, it's generally impossible to make the insides accessible to you or I.
Not all is lost, however — some manufacturers do offer some form of repair service, so you don't have to worry if your buds stop working. It's worth checking before you buy — and if you're still not sure, don't hesitate to get in contact with one of the Tom's Guide Audio team!
