The 7 Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds - Black Friday 2024

The best sounding wireless earbuds we've tested are the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4. These high-end buds have a slightly warm sound profile, with a reduced treble and gently boosted high-bass that keeps basslines feeling immersive and means vocals never sound harsh or piercing. Their smooth sound suits a wide variety of audio, although fans of a thumpy low-bass might prefer the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless, which are our top bass-heavy pick below. And if you prefer a little more sizzle to your audio, you can customize both of these headphones to your taste using their companion apps' graphic EQs.

The Sennheiser have excellent active noise cancellation (ANC) that blocks out everything from the low rumble of a passing bus engine to the sound of chatty coworkers. They also support multi-device pairing, which is handy if you like to switch between your phone and laptop throughout the day. That said, they don't have an H1 or H2 chip for quick pairing with your Apple devices, so if you're heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem, you might prefer the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless. The Apple are comparable to the Sennheiser in many ways and come with a virtual surround sound feature that can make your audio feel more immersive and enveloping. That said, the Sennheiser have a better microphone and a longer continuous battery life than the Apple, and they're a bit more stable in your ears, which might be important if you often find yourself dashing for a bus when running late!

The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are a great pick for their sound as our upper mid-range pick. Like the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4, the Nothing buds and their app are compatible with Android and iOS, though they also lack an H2 chip for seamless pairing with your iOS devices. Nonetheless, out of the box, the Nothing earbuds have a few tricks up their sleeves, such as a very balanced default sound profile that has plenty of thump, boom, punch, and clarity. The clincher is their very comprehensive equalizer that offers either a pared-back graphic EQ, presets, or an advanced parametric EQ that lets you tweak specific frequencies of your choosing. Plus, the app includes sound personalization based on your hearing.

Their continuous battery life is a solid 7.5 hours with ANC enabled. These earbuds also have your Bluetooth connectivity covered with multi-device pairing and a great selection of codecs: AAC for iOS devices, and high-quality codecs for Android like LDAC and LHDC. They also come complete with dust and water resistance for the buds and the charging case. However, you don't get virtual surround sound, and the ANC isn't quite as powerful as our top pick's. If you have a Samsung device, the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless take advantage of the Samsung Seamless codec with better noise isolation than the Nothing. However, the Samsung buds' ability to adjust the balanced tuning is limited to EQ presets only. Their continuous battery life is also drastically shorter than the Nothing buds.

If you're looking for a less expensive option, consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless instead. These earbuds are available for under $100 and offer solid build quality and a comfortable design. They have a relatively neutral sound profile out of the box, and their excellent bass accuracy means your audio has body and punch that doesn't overwhelm instruments and vocals. Unlike the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless, these only have EQ presets and, unfortunately, the app is only available if you own an Android device. That said, their noise isolation punches above their price and outdoes the Nothing's ANC.

Their continuous battery life of around six hours is on the short side, so you'll have to top up the battery in the charging case during long workdays. Unlike our top pick, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4, these don't support multi-device pairing. Still, where it counts, these buds deliver a great sound with solid ANC, even if they lack a few niceties.

The Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless offer some serious features for a budget-friendly price. Their sound profile works for a variety of genres with plenty of boom and a controlled top-end that doesn't get harsh. In the mid-range, instruments and vocals sound present and detailed, without honk or boxiness. You can also tune the EQ in the app if you want more or less of a frequency. The buds have low distortion, so your audio remains clean. They connect via aptX for Android-friendly performance, although you only get the SBC codec when using Apple devices and no multi-pair capability.

At this tier, there aren't many options for ANC, so you'll need to look to the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless for that. Still, these comfortable earbuds perform admirably for just having passive isolation. They seal your ears from environmental noise and do a decent job blocking out office noise and quieting the whine of computer fans. Their battery life lasts over seven hours on a single charge, which isn't too shabby. Basically, they're somewhat stripped-back features-wise, but they still sound good.

If you want cheap earbuds that punch above their weight, look no further than the Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless. They have a well-balanced sound profile, with plenty of bass on tap, an accurate mid-range, and a bright treble response that adds sizzle to sibilants. You can also use the three built-in EQ presets to adjust the sound further. While these wireless in-ears don't have an ANC system, they block out a decent amount of noise passively and have some premium features, like Bluetooth multi-device pairing.

They have a stable, reasonably comfortable fit, and their battery lasts over eight hours on a single charge, which is enough to get you through long days at the office. They have a deep in-ear fit that won't feel natural for everyone. If you want further options to fine-tune your headphones, consider the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless. They're not as balanced-sounding out of the box, but they have a companion app with a parametric EQ and presets to help you achieve your desired sound. They have a less stable fit than our pick, though.

Consider the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless if you want premium buds that can stream high-resolution audio. These earbuds support LDAC, Sony's proprietary high-resolution audio codec, allowing you to listen to higher-quality audio if your streaming service supports it. They also do an amazing job of isolating you against noise of all types, which you might want if you're looking for earbuds for commuting. Their memory foam ear tips help with isolation and provide a comfortable fit, especially if you have smaller ear canals.

Their sound profile is warm but not as bass-heavy as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless buds below, and they sound balanced across all frequency ranges. They also support multi-device pairing and Sony's 360 Reality Audio, which adds head-tracking and immersive audio qualities via compatible apps like TIDAL. Sadly, they don't have sound personalization based on your hearing like the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless, but you can manually adjust the sound profile with an in-app graphic EQ.

The Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless are also a good choice if you're looking for cheaper earbuds that can still stream high-resolution audio. They have an ANC feature that does a great job of blocking out ambient sound, including bass-range noise like rumbling engines and higher-pitched sounds like voices. However, their default sound lacks low-bass rumble and can make instruments and vocals sound a bit veiled.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless are our top pick for bass-heavy earbuds. These comfortable buds have an excellent array of features that rival the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 in many ways, but their sound profile out of the box is much thumpier, with loads of rumbly low-bass on tap. They feature Bose's CustomTune technology, which adapts their sound profile based on the shape of your ear and listening habits. Further sound customization is also available via the graphic EQ and presets in the Bose Music app.

These buds are among the first to feature the manufacturer's Immersive Audio technology, which tracks your head to add depth to your audio. Their excellent ANC performance also means they block out a wide range of ambient noise, from low engine rumble to office chatter, so you can focus on your tunes without distractions. Like most Bose headphones, they have a pretty comfortable fit, too, and last about seven hours continuously. There are three additional charges in the carrying case if you need it, though.