The 11 Best Earbuds And In-Ear Headphones - Fall 2019
Reviews

The best earbuds we’ve reviewed so far are the Jaybird Tarah Pro. They have a balanced, versatile sound that is well-suited for a range of music genres straight-of-the-box, plus you can use the great parametric EQ available in the Jaybird MySound app to customize their sound even further. They’re one the best earbuds for running we’ve tested too, thanks to their great sports-oriented design with an IPX7 rating and very stable fit.

Unfortunately, these headphones cannot connect to two devices simultaneously, whereas the cheaper Jaybird Tarah Wireless and Jaybird X4 Wireless can. They also have a proprietary charging cradle, so if you forget their charger at home, you won’t be able to use your phone charger. That said, these are still the best in-ear headphones we’ve tested so far and they're likely to please anyone looking for great sports headphones that are versatile enough for everyday use.

The best truly wireless earbuds we’ve reviewed so far are the Samsung Galaxy Buds. They’re super portable yet surprisingly comfortable earbuds that have a solid price-to-performance ratio. They have great audio reproduction and their battery provides over 7 hours of continuous playback, which is quite good for truly wireless earbuds. They’re the best wireless earbuds for Android we’ve tested thanks to their compatibility with the Samsung Wearable app.

While they sound balanced enough to be suitable for most people, some will find they lack a bit of bass. If you have an Android phone, you can boost their bass a bit with an EQ preset in their companion app, but iOS users won’t have that option. You can also only access button mapping from the app, so if you have an iPhone you won’t be able to access volume controls either. That said, they still perform very well overall even if you don’t have an Android device, and are easy to recommend in general.

The best wired earphones we’ve tested so far are the 1More Triple Driver. They’re one of the best-sounding wired in-ears we've tested and they're much cheaper than most of the critical listening in-ears we’ve tested from some of the more established brands out there. They're well-built, compact, and are easy to use and to carry around. They also have great, deep bass which makes them one of the best bass earbuds we’ve tested so far.

These headphones look good but don't feel as well-built as the KZ AS10 or the TIN Audio T3. However, they sound better and feature a mic for added convenience. Although wired headphones may not be as versatile for day-to-day use as wireless ones, if you want a simple in-ear design, the 1More Triple Driver are the best wired earbuds we’ve reviewed so far and are easy to recommend.

The best earbuds for noise cancellation that we’ve tested so far are the Bose QuietControl 30. If you usually find in-ears a bit uncomfortable, then their earbud fit may be the solution you've been hoping for. They have a well-balanced, bass-rich sound, and their neckband design ensures your music is always at arm’s reach. They have very good noise cancelling and also hardly leak any sound, which makes them a good choice for use while commuting or at the office.

Unfortunately, their neckband isn’t the most durable and the rubber sleeve that protects the inner components tends to peel apart with time. Consider the Jabra Elite 65e Wireless as a better-built yet cheaper option with superior mic performance and more customization options, but they don’t sound as well-balanced and their battery doesn’t last as long. All things considered, the QC 30 still perform quite well overall and are good travel headphones.

The best wireless earbuds under $100 that we’ve tested so far are the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air. They’re versatile truly wireless in-ear headphones that are very easy to carry around thanks to their ultra-compact design. They have outstanding audio reproduction and deliver a balanced, neutral sound that caters well to music of virtually all genres. Their battery only provides about 4 hours of continuous playback, but if you put them in their case, they charge when not in use, so you can get up to nearly 16 hours of total battery life throughout the day.

Unfortunately, they aren’t the most comfortable headphones we’ve tested since they fit quite deeply into the ear canal. They do isolate quite a bit of noise, though, especially considering they have no active noise cancelling features. They’re a good choice for commuters who appreciate the extra isolation and are versatile enough to be suitable for everyday casual use, too.

The best cheap earbuds we've tested so far are the Anker SoundBuds Curve. They perform better than a lot of the more premium wireless earbuds we've tested for a fraction of the price. They're surprisingly well-built, with a very comfortable fit for in-ear headphones, and even come with a nice hard carrying case, which is a welcome addition at this price point. They have an excited, bass-heavy sound that will help bring out the thump and rumble of a hip-hop track without drowning out the vocals and lead instruments of a folk-rock song.

While they have a very good 13-hour battery life, they don't have an auto-off timer, so if you forget to turn them off when you're not using them, you might find their battery drained when you pick them back up again. Like most cheap headphones, they also don't have customization options. That said, they still provide excellent value for the price and are very easy to recommend overall.