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The 7 Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds - Fall 2024

Updated Oct 25, 2024 at 04:10 pm
Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds

These days, you don't need to sacrifice portability or affordability if you want headphones that make your music sound good. While earbuds can't create the wide, natural soundstage that some over-ears can, you still have plenty of choices if you want earbuds with quality sound. There's no genuine one-size-fits-all approach to determine what sounds best to everyone, but there are certain qualities you'll want to keep an eye on.

A neutral sound profile is ideal since it's versatile—most people find it sounds good with a wide range of music genres. However, some people prefer more bass, while others like a brighter sound. As long as there's a balance between bass and treble, with a clear and even mid-range in-between, you can find something that suits your tastes without sounding muddy, cluttered, or dull. Some earbuds also offer extra features like an EQ, so you can adjust the sound profile or virtual surround sound for a more immersive listening experience.

We've tested over 275 wireless earbuds and in-ears, and below are our top recommendations for the best wireless earbuds for sound quality. See our recommendations for the best in-ear headphones, the best earbuds for bass, the best neckband headphones, and the best true wireless earbuds.


  1. Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds

    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!

    See our review

  2. Best Sounding Upper Mid-Range Wireless Earbuds

    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.

    See our review

  3. Best Sounding Mid-Range Wireless Earbuds

    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.

    See our review

  4. Best Sounding Budget Wireless Earbuds

    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.

    See our review

  5. Best Sounding Cheap Wireless Earbuds

    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.

    See our review

  6. Best Wireless Earbuds With LDAC

    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.

    See our review

  7. Best Bass-Heavy Wireless Earbuds

    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.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Technics EAH-AZ80 True Wireless:

    The Technics EAH-AZ80 True Wireless and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 perform very similarly. Where the Sennheiser have a smoother sound that some might find dull, the Technics have much more presence and sizzle. If that's your thing, these are a great pick, but it's worth knowing you'll miss out on the Sennheiser's superior microphone and slightly better ANC.

    See our review
  • JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless: The JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless are lightweight, portable in-ears that won't break the bank. These buds have a bass-rich sound that will please fans of genres like EDM and hip-hop, but they're not as balanced out of the box as the Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless, and they're more expensive. That said, you can adjust their sound profile through a parametric EQ and presets in their app. See our review
  • Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless: The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless are premium buds with a bass-heavy sound. They support aptX Adaptive, which is good for streaming high-quality audio. However, their sound isn't as customizable as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless', and their continuous battery life is significantly shorter. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Oct 25, 2024:

    The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 are our new top pick because their cross-platform companion app allows both Android and iOS users to customize the sound profile to suit their taste. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless are now an alternative top pick for users who are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem.

  2. Jul 31, 2024: The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are the new upper mid-range pick, with the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless as an alternative. We've removed the Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless from the Notable Mentions, and text edits have been made throughout for clarity.

  3. Jul 08, 2024: The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 were added as an alternative to our top pick because they perform similarly to our pick but lack virtual soundstage features. The Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless replaced the Google Pixel Buds Pro Truly Wireless as the alternative pick in the upper mid-range category due to changes resulting from Test Bench 1.7. Finally, we added the Technics EAH-AZ80 True Wireless as a Notable Mention.

  4. May 02, 2024: We've checked our picks to ensure they're all still in stock, and there haven't been any major price fluctuations. We've also mentioned the Technics EAH-AZ80 Truly Wireless, which we're currently testing and have garnered a lot of praise online.

  5. Mar 05, 2024: The Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless are the new budget pick, and the Skullcandy Dime 3 Truly Wireless have been moved to the cheap pick.

All Reviews

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best wireless earbuds for sound quality to buy for most people in each price range. 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 our reviews for wireless earbuds and in-ear headphones. 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.