The 7 Best Earbuds With A Mic - Fall 2024

The best earphones with mic capabilities we've tested are the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless. These versatile buds are great for taking calls in the office or while on a walk. Their integrated mic's recording quality is decent but has 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 materials. 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 a very good job of blocking out external noise. In practical terms, that means you'll be able to hear the person you're talking to, even if you're in a busy office. With their ANC on, you'll get just over five hours of continuous playback time. There are also four additional charges in the case. If that's not enough, you can even connect them to phones, computers, and PlayStation consoles via their USB-C dongle, though you can't remain connected to two devices at once. If multi-device pairing is important to you, consider the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless. The Sony's ANC is also a step above the Razer, and they run a couple of hours longer. The downside is their microphone isn't as good as the Razer's, and they're a lot more expensive.

If you're looking for earbuds with mic and phone call technology, the Jabra Elite 8 Active True Wireless are well worth considering. These buds are just as good as the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless at separating your voice from any noise around you, though you won't sound quite as natural to whoever you're speaking to. The Jabra's ANC system also doesn't block out as much external sound as the Razer's, but it still reduces a decent amount of background noise.

With their ANC on, the Jabra last almost nine hours continuously, and their carrying case supplies an extra three charges, which is one fewer than the Razer. They have a fairly neutral sound profile, which you can customize via their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. They even support multi-device pairing, which is handy if you want to connect to your PC and smartphone simultaneously. For similarly-priced buds with multi-device pairing, it's also worth considering the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless. These stylish buds also have good noise isolation, though their microphone performance is slightly worse than the Jabra. Check out our recommendations on the best earbuds for phone calls.

The best earphones with mic capabilities in the mid-range are the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless. While they don't support multi-device pairing like the Jabra Elite 8 Active True Wireless, they make up for it with their edge in microphone performance. Your voice sounds clear as well as intelligible, and if you're calling from a noisy environment, speech remains easy to follow, even if a lot is going on around you. They also have a very neutral sound, making them well-suited for most kinds of audio content, and their companion app offers EQ presets for added customizability.

These comfortable buds are equipped with a very good ANC system. They don't block out quite as much noise as our noise cancelling pick below, but you can 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 it. 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 OnePlus Buds 3 Truly Wireless 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 Truly Wireless, they don't have ANC, so they aren't as good for making calls from noisy places. However, they offer a better mic recording quality, and your voice is clear and easy to understand over the phone. You can adjust the mic sidetone in the earbuds' companion app if you want to hear yourself during calls.

However, 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. They aren't as comfortable as previous picks and can fall out of your ears after a while.

If you're always on the go, then you may want buds that can help silence the world around you. Enter the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless: they're premium buds with a fantastic noise isolation performance. Their high-powered ANC feature helps block out chatty coworkers and traffic outside your window. With their ANC on, they last for about seven hours of continuous use, and their case stores three extra charges for top-ups when you need them. However, the trade-off is that their mic has worse noise handling than the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless. Your voice can also be completely drowned out by loud background noise during a call.

They have a bassy sound profile out of the box, but you can adjust it to suit your tastes using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets. They also support the Bluetooth codec aptX Adaptive, which dynamically adjusts to your content, giving you lower latency when streaming video or improving audio quality for listening to music. They're pretty comfortable, too, and come with a mix of stability fins and ear tips to help give you the best fit.

Like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless, 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 rumbling bus engines. Where they differ from the Bose is their premium price point, which gets you a significantly better overall microphone performance. Their microphone noise handling is also very good, meaning whoever you're speaking to will be able to hear you clearly, even if you're in a loud environment.

If you often find yourself in long conversations, the Devialet's continuous battery life of just under five hours means they last just a touch longer than the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless. But we found the Devialet more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. 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 another pair of gamer-centric buds—they come with a boom mic for clearer recording quality, so you're easy to follow. Since it's flexible, you can position the mic closer to your mouth than integrated mics like that of the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless. It still has trouble separating speech from ambient noise though. 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. This mic differs in performance when it comes to noise handling since the mic 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 as it adds extra thump, rumble, and boom while vocals and instruments are bright. However, voices also sound muddy, and the earbuds lack customization features to help you adjust them to your liking. They also struggle to block background sound, so it can be hard to hear your conversations clearly.

For something even cheaper, try the Apple EarPods. These classic one-size-fits-all buds have an in-line mic with a better noise-handling performance. However, they aren't as well-built and have a significantly less stable in-ear fit.