Thanks to their portable and convenient design, earbuds and in-ears can be excellent daily headphones. However, they generally don't have the best microphone quality, especially if they rely on a Bluetooth connection. In comparison, Bluetooth headsets designed for phone calls may have better microphones, but they often only have one earbud, making them less than ideal for listening to music at work or during your daily commute. Luckily, there are more and more earbuds on the market that balance call quality and casual versatility, which is great if you work from home or take calls on the go.
We've tested over 340 pairs of earbuds and in-ear headphones with microphones, and below are our recommendations for the best earbuds with mic capabilities to buy. If you're looking for our top picks for other earbuds and in-ear headphones, check our recommendations for the best in-ear headphones, the best true wireless earbuds, and the best Bluetooth headsets for phone calls.
The best earphones with mic capabilities we've tested are the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2. These versatile buds are great for taking calls in the office or while on a walk. Like on most earbuds, their integrated mic sits away from your mouth; despite having a harder time capturing your voice, their mic's recording quality is still okay and is supported by great noise handling. That means the mic is able to separate speech from background noise well so the person you're talking to will understand you even if you're in a busy room. In terms of sound, they have a well-balanced sound that suits a wide range of genres. And if you'd prefer a different profile, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to customize their sound to your liking.
They're equipped with active noise cancelling (ANC) that does an exceptional job of blocking out external noise. In practice, you'll be able to hear the person you're talking to in a virtual meeting, even when located in a busy office. With their ANC on, you'll get just under eight hours of continuous playback time; their case also stores an additional three charges. If you need lower latency for some gaming while in a Discord call, the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless have a USB-C dongle that you can connect to phones, computers, and PlayStation consoles for lower delay. However, they can't remain connected to two devices at once and can't block out noise as well as the Jabra can.
The best earphones with mic capabilities we've tested in the mid-range are the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE. While they don't support multi-device pairing like the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2, they make up for it with their edge in microphone recording quality. Your voice sounds clear and intelligible even when speaking quietly, and if you're calling from a noisy environment, speech remains easy to follow. They also have a relatively balanced sound, making them well-suited for most kinds of audio content. If you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers EQ presets to make adjustments.
These comfortable buds are equipped with a very good ANC system. They don't block out quite as much noise as our top pick, but you can still tune out chatty coworkers with ease. With the ANC on, they last over six hours, and there are 3.5 extra charges in the case if you need extra juice to get through the day. Unfortunately, their control scheme also lacks volume controls by default, although you can enable them in the app. They don't support multi-device pairing either, but if that's important to you, try the Nothing Ear instead. They can connect with up to two devices simultaneously, but their mic's overall performance isn't as good as the Samsung.
If you're on a budget, the best earbuds with microphone capabilities are the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, they don't have ANC, so they aren't as good for making calls from noisy places. However, they offer better mic recording quality, and your voice is clear and easy to understand over the phone. If you want to hear yourself during calls, you can also adjust the mic sidetone in the earbuds' companion app.
That said, the mic's noise handling is just okay. Your voice will be understandable over noise like background chit-chat at the office, but the sound of a bus passing nearby will drown it out. These earbuds have a well-balanced default sound profile that you can adjust with an in-app parametric EQ. They also last about eight hours of continuous use, so they can get you through a workday without recharging. On the downside, they aren't as comfortable as previous picks and can fall out of your ears after a while.
Like the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2, the Devialet Gemini II True Wireless are earbuds with outstanding ANC that does an incredible job blocking out sounds across the full frequency spectrum, including chatty coworkers and airplane cabin noise. Where they differ from the Jabra is their premium price point, which gets you a more consistent sound and slightly better noise cancelling than our top pick. If you find yourself in long conversations, though, the Devialet's battery will tap out just under five hours, while the Jabra's lasts over six. That said, the onboard microphone performance of the Devialet is on par with the top performers on this list; their decent recording quality and very good noise handling mean whoever you're speaking to will be able to hear you clearly, even if you're in a louder environment.
There's no lack of good ergonomics on these premium buds; they're comfortable and have great build quality and stability, so you can wear them for hours. If you take a break from long meetings and want to listen to some tunes, these buds can use the aptX codec to stream Hi-Res audio, and they have excellent control of their sound profile. Ultimately, the choice is down to personal preference, but if you're looking for earbuds to make calls with and are willing to pay a premium for remarkable ANC performance, the Devialet are worth considering.
If you prefer a wired design, you'll want to check out the SteelSeries TUSQ, the best wired earphones with mic capability we've tested. They're a pair of gamer-centric buds—they come with a boom mic for clearer recording quality, so you're easy to follow. Since the boom is flexible, you can position the mic closer to your mouth than integrated mics like those of our other picks. However, it still has trouble separating speech from ambient noise. But casual users, fear not! These buds also have an in-line mic if you want to use them in a less gamer-centric way. The in-line mic differs in performance in noise handling since it sits further from your mouth and has a harder time capturing speech clearly.
These earbuds have a decently comfortable fit and are lightweight. Their excited sound is well-suited for genres like rock and pop, with plenty of extra thump, rumble, and boom to accompany bright vocals and instruments. However, voices also sound muddy, and the earbuds lack customization features. They also struggle to block background sound, so it can be hard to hear your conversations clearly in a noisy environment.
For something even cheaper, try the Apple EarPods. These classic one-size-fits-all buds have an in-line mic with better noise-handling performance. However, they aren't as well-built and have a significantly less stable in-ear fit.
The EarFun Air Pro 3 True Wireless offer many of the same features as the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 and even have a better noise-isolation performance. However, they aren't as well-built as the Jabra, and their mic's noise handling isn't as good.
See our reviewThe Turtle Beach Battle Buds are wired gaming headphones with a detachable boom mic, like the SteelSeries TUSQ. The mic's noise-handling performance is better; however, the headphones aren't as comfortable or well-built.
See our reviewThe Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are Samsung's most recent flagship earbuds. They don't lose out in ANC performance when compared to other entries on this list, like the Devialet Gemini II True Wireless, but their microphone can't handle noise nearly as well, instead leaning on the software noise reduction of devices in their ecosystem.
See our reviewWe've removed the Logitech G333 from the Notable Mentions due to their limited stock. While our picks haven't changed, we've updated the text for accuracy.
We've adjusted our picks and minor text edits for clarity. The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 replace the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed as our top pick, with the latter included as a comparison for users who care about latency. We removed the upper mid-range and noise cancelling picks, as the top pick is now cheaper and has top-tier ANC. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro Truly Wireless are now a Notable Mention as they have good recording quality.
Aug 20, 2024: We've rejigged this article slightly. We changed our top pick to the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless because it has a better microphone than our previous choice, the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless. The Jabra Elite 8 Active True Wireless is our new upper mid-range pick because of its very good battery life. Finally, the Devialet Gemini II True Wireless are now our Premium Pick because they have a better microphone performance than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless, but at a higher price point.
May 22, 2024: We've rehauled this article to bring in newer picks like the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless and Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless, which offer a more versatile performance and are more widely available. We've also added a couple of product comparisons to the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless and the SteelSeries TUSQ.
Mar 22, 2024: We've added the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless as the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Earbuds With A Mic' as they have a good overall mic performance. We also added the Devialet Gemini II True Wireless to Notable Mentions, as their mic also performs well, but they're significantly more expensive than the other picks on this list.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top earbuds with a mic to buy for most people. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all earphones we've tested with a mic. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.
What do you think of our picks? Let us know below.
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Update: We’ve removed the Logitech G333 from the Notable Mentions due to their limited stock. While our picks haven’t changed, we’ve updated the text for accuracy.
What do you think of these changes? Let us know