10 Best Sounding Earbuds

The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) earbuds are a midrange priced, closed enclosure option with a stemmed form factor. They boast a very good overall sound quality, comfort, and build quality, which makes them suitable for listening to music, and they have features like active noise cancelling, making them excellent for air travel and portability. Their low latency mode is ideal for gaming and watching TV, and they're sweatproof and dustproof, appropriate for exercise. With a dynamic driver and support for AAC and LHDC codecs, they deliver high-fidelity audio. They're optimized for both Android and Apple devices and offer around 6.7 hours of battery life, extendable to 30 hours with the charging case, which also supports wireless charging. They come with an integrated microphone but do not feature virtual surround sound. Their app allows for equalizer settings and controls customization. If you want versatile, durable earbuds with active noise canceling and low latency, these could be a good option, unless you're specifically looking for features like virtual surround sound.

The Beats Studiobuds are a midrange-priced, closed-enclosure, stemless earbud design, comfortable for long listening sessions, with very good build quality and controls. They provide very good overall sound quality for music, but may not be the best for gaming and watching TV due to sound latency. Their noise isolation is fair and they feature active noise cancelling, making them suitable for air travel and noisy environments. They are also sweatproof, making them a good option for exercise. With the AAC codec support, they're optimized for Apple devices though they work with Android as well. They offer up to 6 hours of battery life, augmented by an additional 24 hours from the charging case, but do lack wireless charging. Additionally, they have an integrated microphone with decent quality for calls and meetings, and feature customizable controls through an app.

The Sony WF1000XM4 earbuds feature excellent overall sound quality, with very good noise isolation, making them ideal for immersive music listening and effective in noisy environments like air travel. They are comfortable, have very good build quality, and offer top-tier music performance. However, the microphone quality is poor, which may affect calls and meetings. For gamers and those using them for TV and video, they may not be suitable due to latency issues. They are sweatproof, have active noise cancelling, support LDAC for high-quality audio over Bluetooth, and have a dedicated app for equalizer and control customization. They are optimized for both Android and Apple devices, have ear detection features, offer around 9 hours of battery life with an additional 24 hours from the case, but do not support wireless charging. They are not the smallest earbuds available, so portability could be a minor concern.

The Moondrop Chu is an earbud that is well-suited for listening to music with a very good overall sound quality and comes at a budget price. It has a closed enclosure with a wired connection and a dynamic driver, although it lacks wireless capabilities. These earbuds excel in call and meeting quality, as well as gaming, providing very good microphone quality and sound. They are not optimized for exercise due to their poor score in that regard and do not offer features like active noise cancelling, sweatproof or dustproof certification, which might be important for some users. Comfort is rated as good, but built-in controls score poorly, so if you prefer earbuds with easy access to controls, you may need to consider other options. Moondrop Chu is quite portable with a large earbud size, and they come with cable ear hooks for a more secure fit but do not support wireless charging. They might be a good fit for users who prioritize sound and microphone quality over wireless convenience and who are not using them in very active scenarios.

Apple's Earpods are a budget-friendly earbud option known for their open enclosure design, which means they don't create a seal in your ear and allow you to remain aware of your surroundings. They're comfortable and provide good overall sound quality, with very good mic quality making them suitable for calls and meetings. Despite being wired with a 1.14-meter cable and not having wireless capabilities, they are highly portable. Suitable for general music listening, their open design is not ideal for use during exercise or air travel due to poor noise isolation. They lack features like sweatproofing, active noise cancelling, and app-based customization. However, they are optimized for Apple devices and are durable for everyday use. If you're looking for an affordable and reliable wired option mainly for use in quiet environments or for calls, the Earpods could serve you well.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are a midrange priced, stemless earbud option that offer features such as active noise cancelling, wireless charging, and an integrated microphone, making them suitable for calls and meetings. They are optimized for Android, though they also work with Apple devices, and have an app that allows equalizer, controls customization, and audio controls. With very good overall sound quality, they're great for music listening, and their excellent portability and good comfort make them convenient for use during exercise or air travel. However, their microphone quality is only fair, which might be a consideration for frequent call users. These earbuds are sweatproof but not dustproof, and offer 4.8 hours of battery life with an additional 12 hours provided by the case. They're suitable for gaming and watching TV due to their low latency, but might not be the best option if microphone quality is a priority.

The Moondrop Blessing 2 earbuds released in June 2020 are a premium-priced option known for delivering a very good sound quality with a particular strength in music listening. They offer a closed enclosure design and come with a detachable cable. Note that they have a poor mic quality, so they might not be the best option for calls or meetings. Additionally, these earbuds are wired, lacking wireless capabilities; thus, they may not suit those seeking wireless convenience for activities like exercise. They provide very good comfort and build quality but have limited features with no active noise cancelling or sweatproof certification, and their size is on the larger side, affecting portability.

The Etymotic ER2SE earbuds are a wired, closed-back option and are recognized for their excellent overall sound quality, being among the best for music listening. However, they lack built-in controls and score poorly for calls and meetings due to their microphone quality. They're constructed well with a detachable cable and despite not having active noise cancelling, they provide top-tier noise isolation. They are not particularly comfortable for all users and are not suitable for exercise, but if you prioritize superior audio fidelity in a lower midrange price and can handle a fair comfort level, these could be a solid choice.

Apple AirPods (3rd generation), released in October 2021, are priced in the midrange and have a stemmed earbud design with a closed enclosure. They offer good overall sound quality with dynamic drivers and support AAC codec, which improves performance with Apple devices. Their soundstage and imaging are also rated as good. They're known for their comfort and very good build quality. While the mic quality is good, the built-in controls are only fair. These AirPods perform well for music, calls, meetings, exercising, air travel, and are best for portability but provide poor noise isolation without active noise canceling. They're not optimized for gaming or TV due to latency issues. With adaptive sound and features such as improved spatial audio with Apple devices, these AirPods have a battery life of 6 hours, extended to 30 hours with the case, which supports wireless charging. They're certified sweatproof but not dustproof, weigh 4.3 grams, and come with integrated mics. They don't offer a virtual surround feature or app equalizer but have optimized controls for Apple users, ear/head detection, and a quick charging time.

The 1More Triple Driver earbuds are a lower midrange-priced option best suited for a high-quality music experience, with sound quality and soundstage rated as good. They excel in comfort and have very good build quality and built-in controls. They're wired with a non-detachable 1.28-meter cable and include dynamic and balanced armature drivers for detailed sound. However, they do not support wireless connectivity or active noise cancelling, and they're not optimized for sweat or dust resistance, making them less ideal for exercise and air travel. Their performance in calls and meetings is poor, and they may not be the best choice for gaming due to potential latency issues. They weigh 9 grams, come with an integrated microphone, and provide a variety of included secure fit accessories.