The 7 Best Earbuds And In-Ear Headphones - Fall 2020
Reviews

The best wireless earbuds that we've tested are the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless. These sleek, premium-looking earbuds have a decently versatile overall performance that can please many different listeners. They have a comfortable and stable in-ear fit, and their over 13-hour continuous battery life is impressive compared to other truly wireless earbuds.

These headphones have a very neutral and well-balanced default sound profile, making them suitable for listening to a wide variety of music genres and audio content. You can even customize their sound using the EQ presets available in their dedicated companion app. They don't leak a lot of noise, either, so you can blast your tunes at a loud volume without bothering the people around you.

Unfortunately, their touch-sensitive control scheme isn't the best, as it makes it easy to accidentally press a button and difficult to use the controls while wearing gloves. These earbuds also don't support multi-device pairing, which may be annoying if you frequently switch your audio source between your laptop and your phone. That said, they're a solid choice, and they rank among the best truly wireless earbuds we've tested.

The best wireless earbuds for noise cancelling that we've tested are the Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless. These well-built, comfortable earbuds are an upgrade over the Apple AirPods model thanks to their longer battery life, easier-to-use control scheme, and noise cancelling feature. Their ANC feature provides an excellent noise isolation performance, making them ideal to use while commuting or working from a noisy office.

Overall, their default sound profile is very neutral and well-balanced, so they're suitable for a wide variety of music genres and audio content. Also, they don't leak a lot of noise, so you can enjoy your favorite tunes without disturbing the people around you. Their stable in-ear fit makes them a great choice for the gym, too.

On the downside, these earbuds don't have a companion app or a lot of sound customization features. Like most truly wireless earbuds, their integrated microphone doesn't have the best performance, so they aren't the best choice for making phone calls. That being said, they offer a very versatile performance that should please many listeners.

The best wired earbuds that we've tested are the 1More Triple Driver. These lightweight headphones have a high-end and durable feel. They even come with nine different sizes of earbud tips to help you find a comfortable and stable fit, so you can even use them while running or exercising.

Overall, their sound profile is well-balanced and versatile for a variety of music genres. Though the deep and extended bass may sound boomy to some users, it also makes them ideal for listening to bass-heavy music like EDM and hip-hop. Their leakage performance is also excellent, so you can listen to your favorite music without disturbing the people around you.

On the downside, there's no ANC feature, and they don't passively isolate background noise as well as some of the others we've tested, so they may not be ideal to use during your commute. They also don't come with an app or sound customization features. Overall, these earbuds have a balanced sound that makes them versatile for a variety of uses.

The best earbuds under $100 that we've tested are the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless. These well-built, comfortable headphones come with five different sizes of tips to help you find a more stable fit. They can last for over six hours off of one charge, and their portable case provides an additional three charges, which is great for when you're on the go.

They have a well-balanced sound profile with a bit of extra kick in the bass that helps round out the deep thump and rumble in certain genres. Want to adjust the sound profile to match what you're listening to? Using the dedicated companion app, you can choose from 20 different EQ presets or customize the sound with an 8-band graphic EQ. There's even a HearID feature, which examines your hearing to create a personalized EQ just for you.

Unfortunately, their microphone performance is mediocre, and the person on the other end of the line may have a tough time hearing you if you're in a moderately loud environment like a busy street. There's also no multi-device pairing, which may be disappointing if you frequently switch between your Bluetooth sources. That being said, they have a decent overall performance that places them among the best wireless earbuds that we’ve tested so far.

The best cheap earbuds that we've tested are the Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019. These Bluetooth in-ears are comfortable and have a stable in-ear fit thanks to their ear-hook design. Their build quality is decent, though the cable connecting the two earbuds is quite thin. With such a good price-to-performance ratio, they rank among the best headphones we've tested so far.

With a slightly bass-heavy sound profile, these in-ears do a good job reproducing the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music genres. Overall, their sound is still versatile enough for most music genres. They also can last for over 18 hours from a single charge, which is among the longest battery life we've ever tested for Bluetooth in-ear headphones. They even have an IPX7 rating for water resistance, although we don't currently have a test to measure this feature.

On the downside, they don't support multi-device pairing, which may be disappointing if you frequently switch between Bluetooth sources. Also, their microphone's mediocre noise handling performance may make it difficult for the person on the other end of your phone call to hear you if you're in a noisy environment. However, compared to other headphones in this price range, these earbuds offer a decently versatile performance that should please most listeners.