Find Your Perfect Earbuds - Review
This year there is a wide range of options when it comes to wireless earbuds. Tom's Guide looks at the best overall to best ANC and best IOS, see if you can find something you like in our earbud buying guide!
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00:00If you're on the hunt for the best wireless earbuds, lucky for you because my team and
00:04I have spent hundreds of hours testing dozens of earbuds to come up with the ultimate list
00:08of which ones are most worth buying, all of which I've linked down below.
00:13I'll waste no time telling you that the best overall wireless earbuds you can buy now are
00:18the Sony WF-1000XM5. These wireless earbuds might look small and lightweight, yet they're
00:24packed with some of the strongest features and performance we've ever seen from a pair of buds.
00:29They also have some of the most dynamic and engaging sound we've ever heard,
00:33and the noise cancellation performance is top-notch.
00:36But that's not all. With 8 hours of battery life, these buds outlast most rivals,
00:41plus there's LDAC support for higher-quality music, an adaptive listening mode, and full EQ
00:46customization. Call quality is even solid thanks to a special noise reduction engine with AI that's
00:51able to make voices sound clear in noisy surroundings. Simply put, the XM5s are the
00:56full package when it comes to wireless earbuds. However, that package does cost $300.
01:03If you're looking for something more affordable, shockingly,
01:06Sony also has our favorite pair of value wireless earbuds. I'm talking about the Sony WF-C700N.
01:13Stick with me, I know the naming can be a bit confusing.
01:16Regarded as a budget alternative with an MSRP of $120, these are the best cheap wireless earbuds
01:23with great sound. They integrate adaptive active noise cancellation and come with decent battery
01:28life for the price. Sound quality is powerful with Sony's impressive sound signature at the forefront
01:33alongside the brand's proprietary technologies like 360 Reality Audio and DSEE Extreme.
01:39Like the XM5s, call quality is good and the mics silence most background interference
01:44for clear-sounding phone conversations, making these a versatile option that
01:48have few rivals even as the most affordable model in this roundup.
01:54Next up, we have what are some of the most recognizable earbuds on the market,
01:58the AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 2nd Gen, which cost $249. There are plenty of reasons why the
02:06AirPods Pro 2 continue to beat most other wireless earbuds, and they are without a doubt the best
02:11wireless earbuds for iPhone users. While testing them out for all kinds of active lifestyle activities,
02:17we found that the fit makes them a viable option for sports headphones. They're suitable for
02:21runners and gym workouts alike. Not only are the earbuds IPX4 rated for protection from sweat and
02:27light showers, but now too is the charging case itself. Battery life is increased to give 6 hours
02:33on a single charge from the earbuds and up to 30 hours from this wireless charging case as well.
02:38On the audio front, Apple's H2 chip with a custom amp and driver delivers impressive low
02:43and high frequencies, and you can use the iPhone's TrueDepth camera to create a personalized spatial
02:48audio sound for one of the best Dolby Atmos music experiences of any pair of earbuds.
02:53Noise cancellation is also the best we've experienced from the AirPods Pro series so far.
02:59But if noise cancellation is really your highest priority, you might want to consider the Bose
03:04QuietComfort Ultra earbuds instead. I mean, quiet is literally in the name. We've been blown away by
03:10the noise cancelling capabilities of these buds, in large part due to the unique seal you get with
03:15the fit. We also like that you can customize sound profiles with 10 different degrees of
03:20isolation as presets that balance ANC and awareness depending on your activity. Additionally, the
03:25Ultra's Aware Transparency passthrough mode sounds highly natural, while ActiveSense automatically
03:31lowers ambient sounds when loud noise is detected. What's more, sound quality is great, and Bluetooth
03:36streaming includes APX Adaptive Support for compatibility with high-performance audio codecs.
03:41As with the over-ear QuietComfort Ultra headphones, the Ultra earbuds have Bose's
03:46new immersive audio tech for a 3D sound experience, no matter what you're listening to.
03:51Unfortunately, some standard features are MIA. For example, there's no wireless charging for
03:56this case or multipoint connectivity. It's up to you whether those are deal-breakers for the $300
04:02price. Now, if the actual quality of the audio performance is what matters most to you,
04:09we think that the best-sounding wireless earbuds are the $300 Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4.
04:16These buds have the strongest Bluetooth and audio codec support of any pair around at the moment.
04:21Sound quality is outstanding, and we loved Sennheiser's unique sound signature that
04:25delivered even more detail across the entire frequency range. They rival the top-ranking
04:32Sony pair we discussed earlier with a sound balance that gives vocals an extra sense of
04:36presence, but not in an overly forward way. Everything sounds perfectly balanced and just
04:42right. Although not quite up to the standards to outdo the Bose QC Ultra earbuds in terms
04:47of ANC performance, the Sennheiser's block-out sound is effective enough to have a useful
04:51transparency mode. Features like an ear fit test and sound personalization mode are reliable tools
04:58to help you get the best fit and sound that's right for you, and Sennheiser's microarray makes
05:02them a practical calling headset too. There are a few other wireless earbuds that make our best
05:09list worth mentioning. First we have the Jabra Elite 10, which have sound and spatial audio,
05:14making these a good AirPods Pro alternative, especially if you don't have an iPhone.
05:19If you specifically use a Samsung or an Android ecosystem, we also think the Samsung Galaxy Buds
05:252 Pro are pretty stellar. They deliver a high-quality audio experience and compelling
05:293D sound with precise head tracking. Samsung's ANC holds its own against the category leaders as well.
05:36Then we have another Jabra pair, the Elite 8 Active, which are about $50 cheaper than the 10
05:42and are made from military-grade materials for unbreakable protection. If you're highly active
05:46or generally tough on your devices, these are the ones to get. Speaking of activity, if you're a
05:52runner specifically, we really like the Beats Fit Pro. Not only is the sound quality solid, but they
05:57have a helpful Find My feature as well as integrated wingtips, which keep the buds secure
06:01during runs and other intense workouts. With so many wireless earbuds to choose from, you might
06:08find it difficult to settle on just one. There are several factors to weigh up, and which ones are most
06:13important will depend on personal preference. Design and fit are up there, so when buying a new
06:18pair of wireless earbuds, it can be helpful to think about where you want to actually wear them.
06:23Sound quality is also very important, of course. Believe it or not, all wireless earbuds have their
06:28own unique sound signature. Find a pair of buds that match your sound taste, be it heavy bass or
06:33clear mid-range frequencies to allow you to hear vocals and nuances in the recordings. Battery life
06:39tends to be key for a lot of people as well. Some earbuds have a few more hours of playback than
06:44others. So how do we actually test wireless earbuds? We consider fit, battery life, sound quality,
06:50design, and value. We also factor in features like how well the controls work and how easily
06:55the earbuds pair with our playback devices. In terms of sound quality, we listen to many sample
07:01tracks that span a number of genres, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical, and R&B,
07:06all evaluating volume, clarity, and fullness. We also make phone calls to assess both call quality
07:12and microphone performance. This all takes place over hours and hours of using these earbuds before
07:18assigning our final ratings. You can see all of our reviews on tomsguide.com. Otherwise,
07:24the earbuds we've talked about today are all linked down below. Let me know which pair you
07:28would go for and be sure to stay tuned for more buying guides on this channel coming very soon.
07:33Thanks for watching. I'll catch you next time.
07:48Bye.