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What, in your opinion, are the best true wireless earbuds for the price?
My Soundcore earbuds recently kicked the bucket a bit too quickly for my taste, so I'm looking to spend more than $40 on my next pair. However, I'm not enough of an audiophile to get top of the line Bose/Sony ones. What is the best mix of good price and quality you've found out there?
There is a website where a guy does very extensive testing of earphones in different price categories, I can only recommending it!
As for me personally, I have bought an AirPods Pro v2, and I am very very pleased with it, but would have never ever spent this amount on an earbud — I bought it as part of a student discount with an iPad, and to be honest I definitely use it more than the latter, even though I didn’t even want it in the first place. It’s ANC is fantastic (though its effect has faded a bit since I got it — but I guess it needs some careful cleaning only), according to some online reviews it is easily the best of its category, if that’s something that is important for you.
I find swapping out the rubber tips will often return the noise cancelling to previous levels.
I used to really like spinfit for this. But they would get stuck in my ears which was annoying lol. I switched to comply foam tips and they are fantastic for noise cancellation
It might be this (not the best article on it sorry). Basically it sounds like a firmware update nerfed it. There were rumors that apple hadn't properly licensed certain tech so had to remove it.
This is an awesome resource! I've been using QCY earbuds for years now (I lose/destroy things so can't waste money on high end ones) and although I always knew in my heart that they seemed great it's good to have someone with some clout review them objectively.
A couple weeks ago I started looking around for a pair to use with my Steam Deck. Despite having a fair amount of Apple products I didn't want to spend that much on ear buds so I looked around at other brands a bit. The ones with good reviews and similar features weren't that much lower in price. Then the AirPods popped up for $50 off so I decided to just go for it.
The sound was a lot better than I was expecting - I usually use a DAC and over ear headphones for music - but for something this small and convenient I was impressed. I'd never used ANC either - when I first tried them the room was full of sound from a fan, laptop, the TV in the other room, outside noise... I put them in and activated the ANC and it went almost completely quiet and blew my mind.
I have the original AirProds Pro. The batteries have actually held up really well, which was the main concern I had when I bought them.
Maybe not the best "for the price", but definitely a contender for "best".
I'm usually an audiophile who prefers cans, but I needed something I could use when running. I got the Pixel Buds A-Series (really rolls off the tongue) on a whim despite average reviews. They sound fantastic to my ears and the bass extension is not what I expected from earbuds. I think they are $70-80 when on sale.
I loved my pixel buds a-series. And I eventually upgraded to the pro versions and I love them so much. The ANC. They don't feel like they are plugging up your ears. The sound quality is really good even playing my FLAC files.
But I did also get them on sale. As I wouldn't spend the full amount on them.
I bought the Pixel Buds Pro and use them everyday while running and working out. I was really surprised how well they fit and stay put. The audio quality is excellent, too.
I have these also and really want to love them, but the design doesn't allow them to stay in my ears, even after trying a couple third party tips like Comply. The previous Pixel Buds and even the A Series fit me much better. I guess my ear shape is just odd.
I have to dig the buds out of my ear and I barely place them in there. I did replace the smaller tip for the size up because I do have larger ears but never an issue with them falling out or coming loose enough to have ambient sound coming through. All ears are different, though.
Honestly, I can't use anything else after using Airpods. I had the Pros and Pro 2's and they're both phenomenal, especially if you have other Apple Devices.
I'm usually not one to shill major corps products, but if you're looking to get good quality ear buds, you can't go wrong with either models of the Airpods. The Pro 2's don't differ much from the Pro 1's IMO, and they were giving away the Pro 1's with certain iPhone/Mac purchases at some point so a lot of people are selling theirs for brand-new on eBay for way less than the retail amount. I'd definitely recommend those, especially if you're looking for longevity
Just to clarify, not the base model Airpods, but the Airpods Pros. I have the Pros and they're great. I wouldn't recommend the base model Airpods to anyone though. There are better options at that price point that others have mentioned here.
Yep, this. The Airpods Pro are the only ones I'd use, the base model fall out too easily... I don't even know what they were thinking with that design, the original iPod headphones they were mimicking were also not very comfortable either
I flew internationally recently and was considering bringing my XM4s with me for the plane. Wound up leaving them behind because they were just too big for the amount I would use them; brought my Airpods Pro 2s with me and it was almost indistinguishable.
I feel like the sound envelops me more with the XM4s, but for their size the airpods really pack quite a punch.
The one thing keeping me away from Airpods at the moment, as minor as it is, is the lightning port haha. Currently have everything USB-C so I don't want to have to bring a lightning cable just for the Airpods. If I'm not mistaken, they have wireless charging so it's not too big a deal but I don't have one.
I truly can't recommend airpods enough. My set of 2nd gen pros are basically the only earbuds I ever use.
I have jabra earbuds and I love them. I have weirdly shaped ears so AirPods never felt like they would stay in, but these feel secure. The part I love is the hear through setting, which plays what you would normally be hearing through the buds. You can hear people talking to you as clearly as if you weren’t wearing earbuds. It’s great to just tap one ear instead of taking them in and out.
I also have a pair of Jabra earbuds (75t). They aren't top tier, and they certainly have their flaws, but for the price they're really solid (last time I checked they were about 80 bucks, but they're discontinued now).
I also have the 75t. I got my husband a lower tier version that was cheaper because he wanted earbuds and I didn’t want to spend more than $50 unless I knew he’d like it and the quality seems very similar.
Also, if you update the jabra app, you will get an ANC update. You can only turn it on in the app but it’s great to have that option.
Once the ANC update is applied, you can set one of the buttons to enable and disable ANC. I have a single press on my left earbud set to cycle through ANC, hear-through, and no processing.
Only downside I've found to the 75t is that all Bluetooth comms go through the right bud, and it seems to use a very directional antenna for the link between the two, so if the right bud isn't right where it's supposed to be in your ear, the left bud drops out. It's not possible to use just the left bud on its own. I have a pair of 7s now, and they fix that issue.
I can't really compare to anything other than cheap SoundCores, but my Jabra Elite 7 Pro does an alright job. Connectivity occasionally freaks out (such as one earbud not connecting to the other, no matter how many times you put it into the case), and the software is pretty mediocre, but other than that, pretty decent.
I just so happened to get the Jabra Elite 4 Active model earbuds recently, and the hear through setting was definitely what stuck out to me! I also enjoy having the option to adjust the bass and treble.
What do you prefer? Like comfort, sound quality, noise cancelling, etc.
I suggest looking around rtings.com and seeing the headphones review to figure out a choice
If I had to rank by importance:
I think earbuds like Airpods (if you use apple) and Galaxy Buds would be a good fit for you.
What makes rtings great is that you can find comfortability, stability, and graphs of the sound and its accuracy. You can look up other earbuds on this thread and figure out how comfort and stable they are with that info.
Also, don't sacrifice quality control on headphones! Certainly don't want it breaking after 3-4 months
I would recommend looking for the newest series of Sennheiser earbuds then. They're very comfortable, as they don't just hold in your ear canal but you "screw" them into your ear shell. I have the TW3 but the lower priced models are great as well, as a workmate told me. The sound is very good for in ear headphones. They have a nice balance between bass and heights and the sound is clear.
I wear them about 5-6 hours a day without issues .
I think the Sony Linkbuds S hit that perfect "not too expensive, but not so cheap that they are crap" spot. I own two pairs myself.
I own a pair of these and they are okay. I chose them specifically because I wanted some earbuds which weren't in-ear but felt more secure than the typical airbuds design. In that regard they're great, once I figured out the right size insert for my ear they fit super well.
The downside, at least for me, is the Bluetooth connectivity. It doesn't have much range, if I go into a different room I'll loose connection. Sometimes I'll turn my head while walking with my phone in my pocket and they'll go staticcy until I turn back. Maybe that's just what you get at the price point, but I have a pair of cheap over ear headphones (also Sony) and they'll still be connected when I go down two flights of stairs and out of my building.
That's a good point - I have actually noticed that the range can be a bit weak. For me it hasn't really been an issue since I live in a fairly small studio, but if you have a bigger place and like to walk between the rooms it might be a problem.
Personally, I don't think I have noticed any problems with the phone in my pocket though - and I frequently take long walks listening to podcasts. But that's just my experience.
It's worth adding that Sony wireless earphones are almost the only ones with user-replaceable (though unfortunately difficult to find) batteries, which should help a lot with longevity.
I did not know that, but that's really good and I hope I remember that when the battery life gets worse.
Sidenote: If I had to complain about one thing when it comes to Sony, it is that I wish they released firmware that allowed you to disable the touch control sounds on their head-/earphones. I rarely use the touch controls so most of the time I keep them disabled, but they still make noise when you touch them.
I got a pair of Soundcore Sport X10s and I love them! They have folding loops that go over your ears so they're perfect for the gym, running, yard work, etc without worrying about them falling out. I was moving/lifting a lot of materials wearing them and they never budged! The sound quality is good, and the soundcore app on your phone lets you adjust settings.
Plus one for these. All other earbuds fall out of my ear and the over the ear hook allows secure fit and also lets you wear them a little looser which prevents ear fatigue.
You can buy ones with a wing tip that are better than an over the ear option. Eg:
https://a.co/d/foRSnsH
I had a pair similar to those and they didn't quite stay in as well. I absolutely love the ear hook, and I have had zero discomfort from them
This one is a bit outdated, but in terms of pure sound quality Crinacle has a guide here: https://crinacle.com/guide/tws/. A YouTube video to go along with it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q4A0u4hOG4. Important note here that Crinacle is an audiophile and he doesn't really discuss or talk about things like comfort and additional features like noise-cancelling, only whether he thinks they sound good or not.
From my personal experience, I think a refurbished Galaxy Buds + is a great budget option (~$45 dollars on Amazon as renewed). I've been using it for a while and its battery life is great with pretty good sound quality. I do have a Samsung phone though and I think the experience is a bit worse on other phones.
Crinacle is who I went to when looking for a pair of IEMs. Went with MoonDrop Variations and a Shanling MW200 neckband.
I'm a fan of my Sony WF-1000XM4. I think they have the right balance of sound quality, comfort and noise cancelling quality; you will need to adjust the EQ settings since they tend to be a bit "bass-y" with the default tuning.
If you don't mind losing the higher quality ANC (active noise cancelling) and wireless charging, the Sony WF-C500 are also quite good for $60-80. There is also a newer version, the WF-C700M, which I don't have any experience with.
I have these as well and the sound quality is really fantastic - they're pricey but better than any other "premium" wireless earbuds that I've tried in the $200-$300 price range
I've run the gambit on true wireless, everything from some Tozo T10s (which were great for the price), to my JLabs EAC Sports that I wear now. I got them for a song at Best Buy not knowing they typically run at around $100 USD. The noise cancellation isn't great, but the fit, battery life, and sound quality make up for it IMO. There are surely better options out there but if you can find them on sale, they're worth a shot.
I think Soundpeats are a great budget option. I've used the T2 for years. I still use them for MS Teams calls for work. But I just bought the Galaxy Buds 2 from Amazon. The international version is around $75-80. And I really like them. I use a Galaxy phone and tablet and the auto switching between devices is very nice. Oddly, I also tried the buds 2 pro but thought they sounded much worse to my ears. So I gave those to my wife for her audiobook/podcast habit.
I have the Galaxy Buds2 Pro. They're fantastic. They sound best with a Samsung phone because they use Samsung's lossless audio codec on Galaxy devices. But they're great sounding. They're my go to wireless option. And I'm a pretty hardcore audiophile. Have multiple wired headphones over $500 and a dedicated amp/dac setup for my desktop PC.
The ones I use are the Edifier TWS1-Pro. They have the aptX Adaptive codec which I was looking for since it's lower latency (while still being decent quality; important for watching TV or YouTube on my computer). I've liked them so far! They're a tiny bit finicky, but I've found that putting them back in the case, closing it, waiting a sec, and opening back up again tends to fix most issues. I assume they pair with the base. Sound quality is good, I don't know how they compare to Bose/Sony.
Considering that thread is for headset, not earbud, recommendations, and there is not a single set of earbud recommended in that thread, I doubt that will be a useful source of recommendations.
I really love the Galaxy Buds Live because they don't have the weird rubber things that go inside your ear holes. I absolutely despise those things because they feel gross. The Buds Live also sound pretty well.
100% I wish someone else would release something to compete or Samsung would put out an update, but for my needs there's nothing better.
Do they handle well at the gym? Or does a single drop of sweat cause them to shoot across the room at deadly speed like my current knockoff earbuds?
Also, do they actually block out shitty gym music so I can listen to my hi nrg eurodance?
For me they stay in rather well but it highly depends on your ear shape. My sister tried them as well but for her they slip out easily.
The noise-cancelling is pretty good, it's not as good as other earbuds that do have the rubber thingies but it's good enough I'd say.
They're cheap and comfortable though.
Yeah after watching some reviews I don't think they'd work for me, it sounds like they let in too much external noise. I have to basically lobotomize myself with my current ear buds to block out shitty gym music.
I own Wyze buds pro. I got them in the 75-90$ range. All of my security cameras are the same brand and I love them so after a couple of times mulling it over I went for it. These bud have not only great noise canceling but sound and range. I use them at my very noisy workplace as well as mowing/trimming. Great sound, bass, noise cancellation and battery life.
Buy earbuds that have a wing tip. The product below mentions a “secure fit”, which is the same thing:
https://a.co/d/foRSnsH
The benefit is that you can wear them without worrying about them falling out when you laugh, smile or keep them in your ear as you workout.
I recently got some sony c700s (newly released, around $100) and I really like them.. There are better headphones, but they cost a lot more
These have some noise cancellijg, fit in a small case, and have some decent features
I actually really liked the Soundcore A40s. The sound quality is just slightly worse than my Jabra 75t but since I use it a lot for phonecalls when I'm doing chores, the mic noise suppression is a LOT better than any other earbuds I'd used
JBL Tune 130NC TWS wouldn't stay in my ears no matter what i tried.
Earfun Air Pros fit much better and sound fine, but my issue with them is how easy it is to accidentally hang up when you touch/adjust them, and how putting them in my ear automatically starts music or NPR app or whatever, even if i was watching something else. let me decide when/what to play!!!
also, the screens clogged with ear wax (despite using qtips every day) and the sound was reduced by 50+% until i took the screen and cleaned it. but now i dont think they'd survive a dunk in water anymore.
I got these JBL Vibe 200TWS. While the sound quality and functionality are good, the left side one will fall out regardless of which ear piece size I use while exercising. The right one stays in, so I guess it is just a crap shoot if the different sizes will work for you.
I have the PIxel Buds Pro and Jabra Elite 75t. If you're able to get either of them on sale, they're both worth it for the price. The Jabras have even dipped below $100 on amazon.