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The 6 Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds - Spring 2023 Reviews

Updated
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 determining what sounds best to everyone, but there are certain qualities you 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 235 wireless earbuds and in-ears, and below are our top recommendations for the best wireless earbuds for fans of neutral sound. See our recommendations for the best earbuds and in-ears, the best earbuds for bass, the best neckband headphones, and the best truly wireless earbuds.


  1. Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds

    The best sounding wireless earbuds we've tested are the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless. These high-end buds have a slightly warm sound profile, with more thumpy bass than the original Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless. The rest of the range is relatively neutral, so they're versatile enough for most genres. However, they don't come with any sound customization features and instead utilize an adaptive EQ system that adjusts their sound based on ambient noise conditions and playback volume. They also support Spatial Audio, a feature that allows audio to follow your head movements to create a more immersive experience.

    Even though they have a lightweight fit, the buds can wiggle out of your ears over time, affecting their stability. On the upside, they have a nearly six-hour continuous battery life, and their carrying case holds four extra charges. Their ANC system offers excellent overall performance and reduces a wide range of background noise. Consider the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless if you're looking for premium buds with an even better noise isolation performance. These earbuds are usually about the same price, but since the Apple have been on sale recently, they may be more expensive now. Their ANC cuts down significantly more noise, which you might want if you're specifically looking for earbuds for commuting, but their sound profile is more bass-heavy and muddies vocals and instruments.

    See our review

  2. Best Sounding Upper Mid-Range Wireless Earbuds

    If you want something more affordable without sacrificing performance or features, consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless. These comfortable buds rival the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless in many ways, including in sound. They have a flat, neutral sound profile that's versatile enough for most audio content. Using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets, you can customize their sound to suit your tastes. They're well-built and are certified IPX7 for resistance against submersion in water.

    Their ANC offers excellent overall performance, cutting down background noise like traffic or chatty coworkers around you. With their ANC on, they last under five hours continuously. Luckily, their carrying case supplies an additional 2.6 charges if needed. Consider the Google Pixel Buds Pro Truly Wireless if you're looking for buds with better overall battery performance. They have over seven hours of continuous playback time with almost two extra charges in the case, and they support multi-device pairing. However, they aren't as comfortable and stick out of your ear.

    See our review

  3. Best Sounding Mid-Range Wireless Earbuds

    If you're looking for a less expensive option, consider the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless instead. These earbuds are available for under $100 and offer solid build quality and a comfortable design. Their sound lacks a bit of low-bass, but the rest of the range is quite neutral, so your audio has body and punch that doesn't overwhelm instruments and vocals. If you prefer a different sound, they work with a companion app with a parametric EQ, so you can adjust it to suit you.

    They have an ANC feature, but it doesn't block out much noise compared to the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless. Their continuous battery life of around 5.5 hours is also on the short side, so you'll have to top up the battery in the case during long workdays. Unlike the pricier options listed here, they don't have any virtual surround sound features. The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Truly Wireless are about the same price as the JBL and have the same surround sound features as the Buds2 Pro. Their default sound isn't as well-balanced, and they only have presets for sound customization, so you can't adjust the sound profile as much. However, the 360 Audio feature can help create a more immersive, speaker-like listening experience.

    See our review

  4. Best Sounding Budget Wireless Earbuds

    The Sony WI-C310 Wireless are easier on the wallet than most other picks. They don't have many extra features, and when it comes to build quality, they're a step down compared to the more pricey JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless. However, these budget-friendly headphones have a smooth and warm sound profile well-suited for genres like rock or jazz. Thanks to a bump in their bass range, they have a bit of extra punch and boom, but it doesn't overwhelm vocals and lead instruments. As a result, these sounds are still accurately reproduced, sounding clear and detailed.

    Unlike other picks on this list, these headphones have a lightweight neck cable design, so you can wear them around your neck when you aren't listening to audio. They also have a decently comfortable and stable fit, but the cables leading up to the earbud are long and can get snagged on something if you aren't careful. Unfortunately, parts of their build also feel particularly fragile. However, if you don't mind their design, they have roughly 17 hours of continuous battery life, so they'll easily last through long listening sessions. If you like to listen to audio at high volumes in shared spaces like an office, they only leak a little audio.

    See our review

  5. Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds with LDAC

    If you want earbuds that can stream high-resolution audio, consider the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless. Like the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless, 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 isn't as neutral since it lacks low bass compared to the Samsung and can make instruments and vocals sound a bit veiled. Still, your audio sounds warm, and vocals and instruments are clear. If you prefer a different sound, you can still customize them with a graphic EQ in the Sony | Headphones Connect app.

    Unlike the Samsung headphones, they support LDAC, Sony's proprietary high-resolution audio codec, allowing you to listen to higher-quality audio if your streaming service supports it. These buds also support 360 Reality Audio, a virtual surround sound feature meant to help create a more immersive listening experience. This feature requires a subscription with a compatible streaming service, however. Otherwise, the earbuds have a comfortable, stable fit and good build quality. They support multi-device pairing, so you can stay connected with your phone and computer, and they have a decent continuous battery life of around seven hours.

    See our review

  6. Best Bass-Heavy Wireless Earbuds

    If you love to listen to genres like EDM and hip-hop, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 pack a ton of powerful bass into such a small package. Rather than boost the sound profile's bass, as seen in several earbuds, these have a recessed treble range. While the detail in the bass isn't overemphasized and muddy, vocals and lead instruments can sound veiled and lacking in detail; this may be fine if you're listening to the right kind of music. Fortunately, these earbuds' companion app comes with a customizable 3-band graphic EQ and presets to balance out the mids, flatten the mix, or boost the bass even more! The choice is yours.

    These buds support aptX Adaptive codec, which is good if you want to stream high-quality audio. Like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless, they also have an impressive active noise-canceling (ANC) system that isolates you from a lot of background noise, like rumbly traffic, as well as office chatter and the high-pitched whirl of computer fans. With ANC on, these earbuds last over eight hours continuously and have an extra three charges in the case, making these ideal for long workdays. They don't leak much audio either and have good in-ear stability thanks to their included fins, meaning you can use them at the gym without issue.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Wyze Buds Pro Truly Wireless: The Wyze Buds Pro Truly Wireless are noise cancelling earbuds with a very neutral sound profile. They offer better noise isolation than the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless but have shorter continuous battery life and lack sound customization features. See our review
  • Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless: The Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless are comfortable, compact, truly wireless earbuds with a customizable sound. However, their bass is somewhat unbalanced out-of-the-box, unlike the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3. See our review
  • Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless: The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless are premium buds with a bass-heavy sound. Like the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3, they support aptX Adaptive, which is good for streaming high-quality audio. However, their sound isn't customizable, and their continuous battery life is significantly shorter. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. May 30, 2023: Removed the EarFun Air Pro 2 True Wireless 2021 and the Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless. Added the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless as the 'Best Mid-Range' pick, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 True Wireless as an alternative with virtual surround sound features, and the Sony LinkBuds S as the 'Best Sounding Earbuds with LDAC'.

  2. Mar 14, 2023: Replaced the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless with the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless due to a firmware update that affected their sound quality. Added the EarFun Air Pro 2 True Wireless as 'Best Sounding Lower Mid-Range Wireless Earbuds'. Removed the JBL CLUB PRO+ TWS True Wireless from the Notable Mentions as they aren't currently available.

  3. Mar 09, 2023: We've replaced the Google Pixel Buds Pro Truly Wireless with the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless as the Samsung have a more neutral sound. We've also replaced the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless with the Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless as the Pro have gone up in price and are no longer found in the lower mid-range. Removed the EarFun Air Pro 2 True Wireless From Notable Mentions as they're not available in stock.

  4. Jan 10, 2023: Overhauled our picks for this list to showcase new and better-performing wireless earbuds.

  5. Jun 02, 2022: We've restructured this article. We've removed the Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless and moved the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless to Notable Mentions. We've also added the JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless as 'Best Sounding Bass-Heavy Wireless Earbuds'.

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.