The 6 Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds - Summer 2020
Reviews

The best wireless earbuds for sound quality that we've tested so far are the Samsung Galaxy Buds+. These compact and lightweight truly wireless in-ears are comfortable enough for long listening sessions and have a very impressive 13.3-hour battery life, the longest we've tested to date on a pair of truly wireless headphones. They look and feel quite premium, and their charging case can be topped up by simply tossing it onto any Qi-enabled wireless charging pad, which is convenient.

The default sound profile of these headphones is remarkably well-balanced and follows our target curve almost perfectly, making them suitable for a very wide range of content and genres. That being said, if you prefer your headphones have a bit of extra bass or treble, their companion app gives you access to five different EQ presets to help you find a sound profile better-suited to your personal tastes.

Unfortunately, due to their closed-back in-ear design, their soundstage is poor, and they don't create a speaker-like and out-of-the-head listening experience. This is to be expected and is common among any in-ear closed-back headphones. Overall, these headphones are versatile enough for most uses, and have an exceptionally accurate and natural sound profile to boot, making them among the best headphones we've tested.

The best sounding wireless earbuds with noise cancelling that we've tested so far are the Sony WI-1000X. These wireless in-ears employ a comfortable neckband design that feels very well-built along with an intuitive control scheme that places all essential functions within easy reach. They also provide a well-balanced, remarkably consistent listening experience out the box, with punchy, full-bodied bass, well-reproduced mids, and neutral treble.

You can customize their sound profile through a graphic EQ in the feature-rich Sony| Headphones Connect app, which also contains a plethora of options for virtual surround sound, including room and sound positioning effects. They last 10 hours on a single charge and have an excellent ANC system that effectively blocks out everything from bus and plane engines to the high-pitched hum of an AC unit, making them a good fit for your daily commute.

Unfortunately, they take a fairly long time to charge, while their integrated microphone delivers mediocre performance, especially in comparison to rivals like the Jabra Elite 65e Wireless. Still, the Sony are an excellent choice if you're looking for a premium listening experience in a relatively portable package, and rank among the best noise cancelling earbuds we've tested so far.

The best wireless earbuds for sound quality in the budget category that we've tested so far are the JBL Endurance Sprint. These wireless in-ears provide a well-balanced listening experience with a touch of extra bass to liven up some of your favorite EDM and hip-hop tracks without overwhelming finer instrumentals and vocals. They feel reasonably sturdy and should stay in your ears when you're on the move. Their 9-hour battery life, while not quite best-in-class, should be sufficient to get you through the daily grind.

Despite lacking an ANC system, these headphones do a good job of passively blocking out background noise, making them a good option for tuning out the outside world while you're out on a run or at the gym. Their noise leakage performance is even more impressive, so you should be able to listen to your music at high volumes without worrying about disrupting people nearby.

On the downside, their touch-sensitive control scheme has a small contact surface that doesn't register inputs accurately, which can be annoying when you're trying to make an adjustment without disrupting your pace. Their in-ear fit also isn't especially comfortable and might become a little fatiguing during longer listening sessions. Otherwise, these are a solid value thanks to their well-balanced sound profile and solid construction.