Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4: Sennheiser makes some of the best-sounding noise-canceling earbuds and the Momentum True Wireless 4 sound great, though their noise canceling and voice-calling performance don’t measure up to what you get with flagship models from Bose, Sony and Apple earbuds. Rumor has it that Sennheiser will release the Momentum True Wireless 5 in 2026, so we removed the Wireless 4 from the list.

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: The Powerbeats Pro 2 are easily among the best-sounding sports earbuds. Not only do they feature a new, more refined design with better ergonomics, but new drivers, a more powerful Apple H2 chip, a new built-in heart-rate sensor and, yes, active noise canceling for the first time in a pair of Powerbeats. And that noise canceling is quite good, as is the sound quality and voice-calling performance — so long as you get a tight seal from one of the five different included eartips. Read my Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review.

Skullcandy Method 360 ANC: In a surprise move, Skullcandy joined forces with Bose in 2025 to create a budget version of Bose’s $299 QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. With “Sound by Bose,” not only do the Method 360 ANC buds sound better than most earbuds in this price class (they sound very similar to Bose’s $170 QuietComfort Earbuds), they also fit comfortably and securely thanks to Bose’s Fit Kit system that features stability bands to lock the buds in your ears. They were featured on our best wireless earbuds list and remain a good value, but Skullcandy has released the Method 540 ANC in 2026 (it has a 20% slimmer case). Read the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC review.

Sony Pulse Explore: There are a lot of new gaming earbuds out there, but what makes the Sony Pulse Explore earbuds special is that they feature planar magnetic drivers, a speaker technology typically found in high-end over-ear audiophile headphones but rarely in earbuds. While they’re missing some features found in typical premium earbuds (noise canceling and ear-detection sensors), that they’re as good as they are for listening to music and making calls is a revelation. Read my full review.

Edifier NeoBuds Planar: In 2024, Edifier released a set of earbuds, the Spirit S10, from its audiophile brand Stax that featured low-distortion planar magnetic drivers (planar magnetic drivers have only recently started appearing in true-wireless earbuds). The sound of the Stax buds was a little too neutral for some folks, including me, and the noise canceling wasn’t quite strong enough. But both the sound and noise-canceling have improved with Edifier’s similarly styled new-for-2025 NeoBuds Planar. While they retain the clean, clear sound of the Stax buds, they serve up more bass and sound more alive and dynamic than the Spirit S10s. They also have more effective noise canceling, plus good voice-calling performance.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: Leaks have revealed that Samsung will release new Galaxy Buds 4 Pro earbuds, so we moved the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro off the best list despite the fact that they remain very good earbuds. They may be nicely discounted once Samsung releases a new model. Read my Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review. 

Sony WF-1000XM5: Sony has released the new WF-1000XM6 earbuds, which are noticeably improved from the earlier XM5s, which are still appealing earbuds and should be nicely discounted now that the XM6 has arrived. Read my Sony WF-1000XM5 review. Earfun is now shipping the Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus, which have a dual-driver design and sound better for about $20 more. The Earfun Air Pro 4 are still a very good value, but I like the Plus model better.

Beyerdynamic Amiron 300: While Beyerdynamic’s original Free Byrd impressed with sound quality, its new-for-2024 Amiron 300 earbuds address the previous design shortcomings with a compact, lightweight form factor that fits my ears well. The sound quality is outstanding — rich, detailed and fairly open with a very pleasant tonal balance out of the box. There’s impressive instrument separation that allows you to distinctly hear each element in complex tracks. The bass response is particularly noteworthy — articulate and punchy without overwhelming the mix — while the midrange offers nice clarity and accuracy, which benefits vocal reproduction. Voice-calling performance is solid thanks to three microphones in each bud, with callers reporting they could hear me well even in noisy environments, with only minimal background noise intruding.

JBL Live Beam 3: The Live Beam 3 (around $170) earbuds look similar to the earlier Live Buds Pro 2, which I like a lot, especially when they go on sale for less than $100. Essentially, JBL’s AirPods Pro 2 competitor, their distinguishing feature is the 1.45-inch touchscreen LCD integrated into their charging case that acts as a remote control for the buds and allows you to access their features. Equipped with 10mm drivers, not only do they offer clear, well-defined sound with punchy bass, but their noise canceling and voice-calling performance are very solid. Their battery is also good — they offer up to 10 hours of battery life with ANC on and 12 hours with it off at moderate volume levels (a 10-minute charge gives you four hours of battery life). Available in four color options, they’re IP55 splash-proof and dust-resistant.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: Bose is now shipping its improved QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen), which means you’ll be able to find discounts on the original QC Ultra Earbuds, which feature excellent sound and previously best-in-class noise-canceling performance.

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

Sony LinkBuds Fit: Truth be told, in some ways, I like Sony’s new LinkBuds Fit ($200) better than its flagship WF-1000XM5 noise-canceling earbuds. While they don’t sound quite as good or have noise-canceling that’s quite on par with those buds, they’re lightweight (4.9 grams) and fit my ears comfortably and securely. Part of that is due to Sony’s new Air Fitting Supporters, but it’s also redesigned its eartips and included a wide range of sizes, including XL tips that fit my ears well. Despite being a slight step down from the WF-1000XM5s for performance, their sound quality, noise canceling and call-quality performance are all very good. They also have built-in voice controls.

Status Between 3ANC: Status Audio has announced the Pro X, the next-generation of its noise-canceling earbuds (they’re available for preorder for $250 and will make this list of best-sounding wireless earbuds once they ship in September, based on my testing an early sample), but the more affordable Between 3ANC ($150) will remain on sale. Status’ earbuds aren’t exactly the sleekest or most attractive earbuds you can buy, but if you don’t mind their utilitarian look and giant stems, you are getting an excellent-sounding set of earbuds. The Between 3ANC, the company’s first noise-canceling earbuds, also do a good job muffling ambient sound, though they aren’t up to the level of the Bose QuietComfort 2 earbuds for noise-canceling prowess. They did perform very well in my voice-calling test, reducing much of the background noise around me in the streets of New York while picking up my voice clearly, or so callers told me.

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

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

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

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

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX: Bang & Olufsen’s $399 Beoplay EX buds are the company’s best true-wireless earbuds. They feature a comfortable, secure fit (except perhaps for those with really smaller ears), top-notch build quality, great sound, good noise canceling and improved voice-calling performance over B&O’s EQ buds, with three microphones in each earbud they help with reducing background noise while picking up your voice. While they’re out of most people’s price point, they’re arguably the best earbuds out there with stems and offer slightly superior sound to the AirPods Pro 2 with better clarity, deeper more powerful bass and richer, more accurate sound. I looked at the earbuds in my hands-on of the Band & Olufsen Beoplay EX when they debuted in 2022.

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

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

Beyerdynamic Free Byrd: Beyerdynamic may be late to the game, but it’s finally introduced its first true wireless earbuds, which feature active noise canceling, up to 11 hours of battery life (with noise canceling off) and impressive sound quality. Learn more about the debut buds in my full Beyerdynamic Free Byrd review.

Sony WF-1000XM4: Released in 2021, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earned a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. They’re still excellent earbuds, but Sony has now released the next-gen WF-1000XM5. They may be a good option if you find them at a good discount. See why they earned such high marks in my full Sony WF-1000XM4 review.

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

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3: The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 were among the best new true-wireless earbuds of 2022. They’re still among the best true-wireless earbuds, but Sennheiser has released the upgraded Momentum True Wireless 4. Also, the newer AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM5 buds are arguably superior, so only look to buy the Momentum True Wireless 3 when they’re significantly discounted. Still, they offer some pretty impressive features that I noticed in my full review of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3.

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