If you’re like me, you’re tapping your pockets to find your earbuds the second that you leave your house. If you’re also like me, you lose your earphones exactly 0.5 seconds after you leave your house (yes, that was a joke. Or was it?).
The world or earbuds is growing and ever expanding. To the point where we are all spoilt for choice and have no clue where to go to get out precious information.
Today, we’ve done the research, we’ve listened to the experts and we now take a look a the top earbuds going into 2024 to give you all peace of mind that you’re making the right choice.
We have split the categories into budget, mid tear, best for IOS, best for Android and best Overall pick. Happy buying. Happy reading.
The top overall budget earphone of the 2024 goes to the Anker Soundcore Space A40. Top mid ranger goes to the Nothing Buds 2. And the best overall is the Sony WF-1000XM5.
For a more robust sound system, you might want to take a look at either our headphones buying guide or ultimate guide to home sound systems.
What to look for when choosing the right earbud
There is no true one size fits all when it comes to choosing the right earbuds. Some people are base heads, some people are swim with their buds, some people break drance. All different use cases.
Here are some general tips for choosing the right earbuds for you:
- Prioritize sound quality – look for clear audio, balanced bass, and customizable equalization options.
- Evaluate the earbuds’ comfort and fit, ensuring they come with various ear tip sizes. Stabilizers also help for a secure feel.
- Battery life is crucial for uninterrupted usage, and a compact charging case adds convenience.
- Active noise cancellation enhances the listening experience, but be mindful of its impact on battery life.
- Multipoint Bluetooth support allows connectivity to multiple devices simultaneously.
- Finally, assess additional features. Such as water resistance, compatibility with your device, and the availability of a companion app for customization.
Best Budget Earbuds 2024
Anker Soundcore Space A40
Up first on the list are the Anker Soundcore Space A40s. There is a lot to like about these earbuds for a lot of reasons. The first is the pricetag, of course. Coming in at $79 at the time of posting, they are a great budget option. But that’s not all they have to offer.
Below are some of the pros and cons of these buds:
Pros
- Affordable price: As already mentioned, for a wireless earbud option with noise-cancelling capabilities, they are very well priced at $79.
- Noise cancelling: They feature an adaptive active noise-cancelling system that, surprisingly, outperforms similar products from Anker’s competitors.
- Comfort and fit: The earbuds come with multiple ear tips of different sizes, ensuring a comfortable and secure fit.
- Sound quality: The Space A40 earbuds deliver clear and balanced audio across all frequencies. They have a warm sound profile that brings a cozy feel to vocals and instruments.
- Battery life: 10 hours of playtime is on offer, making them suitable for long commutes or marathon listening sessions.
- Good microphone quality: The earbuds have a decent microphone, which provides clear phone calls. However, many users have reported microphone issues when hold the phone the wrong way.
- Customization: The earbuds offer multiple modes for equalization preferences, enhancing the soundstage for a more immersive listening experience.
Cons
- Touchpad sensitivity: The touchpad on the earbuds can be a bit inconsistent, and it may take some time to get used to the custom design.
- Build quality: The build quality of the earbuds can feel cheap, which may affect the overall durability of the product.
- Not ideal for running or high-impact exercise
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
Samsung have had a lot of success with their Fan Edition phones over the years- budget versions of the flagships that still have great functionality. So much so that they’ve decided to bring out Fan Edition earbuds.
Pros
- Good price: Again, for a pair of buds that offers active noise cancellation, a bass-forward sound, and a quality mic array, it’s priced well. At the moment, they come at the same price as the Space A40s- $79 on amazon.
- Noise cancellation: The earbuds deliver above-average noise cancellation.
- Sound quality: The Galaxy Buds FE provide a bass-forward sound signature and a more neutral sound profile, offering good sound quality for the price.
- Battery life: The earbuds offer a long battery life, with up to 12 hours of music playback on a single charge.
- Comfort and fit: Comfortable to wear, with a design that includes wingtips for a secure fit, making them suitable for long listening sessions.
Cons
- Not water resistant: The Galaxy Buds FE have a lacklustre IPX2 water-resistance rating, which is below average for true wireless earbuds.
- Not great for no Samsung users: The Android-only companion app could use more customization options, limiting the earbuds’ functionality for non-Samsung device owners.
- Build quality: The earbuds have a simple design that is less durable than most, and the case is no longer matte, which may affect their long-term durability.
- Limited features: The earbuds do not support advanced features like 360 Audio for a more immersive sound, which are available in other models in Samsung’s lineup. It is a budget option, after all.
- Fit for some users: While the earbuds are comfortable for many users, some may find the fit awkward, and the lack of meaningful settings may fail to differentiate them from more generic options.
Best Middle Range Earbuds 2024
The Nothing Buds 2
Pros
- Distinctive design: The earbuds feature a transparent, stem-style design that sets them apart from other earbuds on the market.
- Good sound quality: The Ear 2 earbuds deliver good sound quality, with a bass-forward sound profile and 11mm drivers that provide a detailed and nuanced sound signature.
- Good voice-calling performance: The earbuds offer good voice-calling performance, allowing for clear and intelligible phone calls.
- Multipoint Bluetooth support: The earbuds support multipoint Bluetooth, allowing them to be connected to two devices simultaneously.
- Supports LHDC codec: The earbuds support the LHDC Bluetooth codec, which can provide high-resolution audio when used with compatible devices.
Cons
- Mediocre battery life with ANC on: The earbuds have a mediocre battery life when the active noise cancellation (ANC) is enabled, offering up to 6.3 hours of playback time. However, the earbuds and charging case combined deliver up to 36 hours of audio playback
- Carry case gets scratched easily: The earbuds’ carry case is prone to getting scratched easily, which may affect its appearance over time.
- No ear-detection sensors: The earbuds lack ear-detection sensors, which can automatically pause playback when the earbuds are removed from the ears.
- Struggles to suppress speech with ANC: The earbuds’ ANC feature struggles to suppress speech, making it less effective than the best alternatives in the market.
- No volume controls by default: The earbuds do not have volume controls by default, although this can be changed in the companion app.
Jabra Elite 75t
The Jabra Elite 75t earbuds are a popular and well-regarded option in the true wireless earbuds market. at $149, they’re a very solid mid range options, for a lot of good reasons.
Pros
- Comfortable and durable design: smaller size compared to previous models, making them more comfortable for extended wear.
- Active noise cancellation.
- Bass-forward sound profile.
- Smaller case: Improved comfort and portability.
- Secure fit and long battery life: roughly 9 hours of batter life on offer.
Cons
- Unremarkable microphone performance: certainly not the best you would come across
- Poor passive soundstage.
- Sound lacks balance: v-shaped sound profile that may not be suitable for fans of neutral sound.
- Fit may be tricky for some: The earbuds have a closed-back, in-ear design.
- No wireless charging.
Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds 2024
Bose QuietComfort Ultra’s
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultras are widely regarded as the best in class when it comes to noise cancellation on the market at the moment. They cost a pretty penny, though. Coming in at $279. They have great sound, as you can imagine, but there are still some cons.
Pros
- Best-in-class noise cancellation: The earbuds offer the best noise cancellation in wireless earbuds, making them a top choice for those seeking effective noise isolation.
- Good sound quality: The earbuds deliver good sound quality, with a bass-heavy sound profile that can be customized using the companion app.
- Immersive Audio mode: The earbuds offer an Immersive Audio mode that creates a different listening experience, adding depth to songs that are a good fit.
- Comfortable and secure fit: The earbuds come with a Fit Kit that includes ear tips and stabilizer systems, ensuring a secure and comfortable fit for various users.
- Good voice-calling performance: The earbuds offer good voice-calling performance, allowing for clear and intelligible phone calls.
Cons
- No wireless charging or multipoint Bluetooth: The earbuds lack wireless charging and multipoint Bluetooth support, which may be a dealbreaker for some.
- Bad battery life with Immersive Audio mode on: The earbuds have a mediocre battery life when the Immersive Audio mode is enabled, offering up to 5.5 hours of playback time.
- High price: These earbuds are a high-end option that may not be affordable for everyone.
- Bass-heavy sound profile: While the bass-heavy sound profile may be a benefit for some users, it may not be suitable for fans of neutral sound. A pro and a con.
Best Earbuds for Android 2024
Sony WF-1000XM5
The Sony WF-1000XM5s are some of the best earphones out there on the market. For almost all devices on the market. Android users are amongst those who benefit greatly from what they have to offer. Coming in at $259, they are a high-end choice.
Pros
- Superior sound quality: The earbuds deliver detailed, balanced, and upbeat sound, with an adjustable in-app EQ and Hi-Res support, making them a top choice for audiophiles.
- Effective noise cancellation: The earbuds offer effective noise cancellation, with the ability to adjust the level of noise cancellation using the companion app.
- Comfortable and secure fit: The earbuds come with a range of ear tips and stabilizer systems, ensuring a secure and comfortable fit for various users.
- Multipoint Bluetooth support: The earbuds support multipoint Bluetooth, allowing them to be connected to two devices simultaneously.
Cons
- Expensive: Enough said.
- Slightly odd call performance: Some users have reported that the call performance of the earbuds can be slightly odd, with some distortion and warbling in certain conditions.
- Smaller earbud size affects eartwip seal and fit: Some users have reported that the smaller size of the earbuds can affect the eartip seal and fit, which may affect the noise cancellation performance.
- Occasional connectivity issues: Some users have reported occasional connectivity issues, which may affect the overall user experience.
- Short battery life: The earbuds offer about 6 hours of playback time on a single charge, and they come with a super portable charging case.
Best Earbuds for IOS 2024
Apple AirPods Pro
The Apple Airpods pro are the best earbuds for IOS. Wow. Shocking. I truly did not see this coming. Did you?
Seriously, though. These are some incredible buds. Of course, they have to be at a $267 price tag, right?
Pros
- Good noise cancellation: The AirPods Pro feature a decent active noise reduction system, providing effective noise cancellation for their size.
- Great audio quality: The earbuds deliver really great audio quality, with a modern, functional design and a bass-heavy sound profile that can be appealing to many users.
- Transparency mode: The transparency mode allows users to hear their surroundings while wearing the earbuds, enhancing situational awareness.
- Seamless integration with Apple devices: The earbuds feature an H1 chip that enables fast pairing and easy switching between Apple devices, and they have lower latency than standard Bluetooth earbuds.
Cons
- Battery life: The AirPods Pro offer 6 hours of battery life, providing several hours of playback time on a single charge, and they come with a super portable charging case.
- Silicone tips may wear out: Some users have reported that the silicone tips of the AirPods Pro feel like they could wear out easily, which may affect their long-term durability.
- iOS-focused: The AirPods Pro still feel very iOS-focused, and the fast-pairing benefits only work for those with Apple devices.
- Lack of companion app: The earbuds do not have a companion app for customization, which may be a drawback for users who prefer more control over their audio settings.
- Expensive: The AirPods Pro are relatively costly compared to other true wireless earbuds in the market, which may be a deterrent for some users.
Best Overall Earbuds for 2024
The best overall earbuds for every device in 2024 has to go to the Sony WF-1000XM5. These offer superior sound quality, effective noise cancellation, and a comfortable and secure fit. However, they have some drawbacks, including their relatively high price, slightly odd call performance, smaller earbud size affecting the eartip seal and fit, and occasional connectivity issues.
Ultimately, your choice of earbud comes down to personal preference, budget and a plethora of other things. Make sure you make the right choice for you and nobody else.