The best wireless earbuds 2024: Sony, Bose, Apple & more
The best wireless earbuds let you enjoy music, take calls, and much more. Here are some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy in 2024.
Over the last few years, wireless earbuds have become extremely popular, and we’ve witnessed some of the best wireless earbuds being introduced at CES 2024.
The top wireless earbuds offer the convenience of going wire-free and are also a style statement. Thanks to their tiny form factor, wireless earbuds have become the preferred option for many over larger headphones.
These tiny gadgets can produce hi-resolution audio, offer active noise cancellation whenever you want to block off external noise, and let you make or respond to calls on a phone or PC without adding wire clutter to your life.
Since these wireless earbuds accompany you almost everywhere, keep a few things in mind when getting the best wireless earbuds. While audio quality precedes everything, ensure that your earbuds offer a long battery life and prioritize comfort as you might need to wear them for long hours.
Additional features like noise cancellation, an IP rating, and multipoint connectivity that allow users to simultaneously use the buds on the phone and the laptop are essential.
1. Sony WF-1000XM5
SonySony’s WF-1000XM5 is a successor to the WF-1000XM4. The 1000XM5s improved over what was a great pair of earbuds.
These flagship earbuds from Sony have some of the best features that you’d want in your earbuds. You get class-leading noise cancellation, audiophile-grade sound output, long battery life, and a plethora of valuable features.
One of the best parts about these earbuds is that they work equally well with an iPhone and an Android smartphone, making that ecosystem agnostic. The bundled app lets you adjust sound output according to your preference, customize noise cancellation, and more.
Besides these features, you also get exemplary audio quality, long battery life, and plenty of other handy features, such as the Sony WF-1000XM5, one of the top wireless earbuds on the market.
2. Apple AirPods Pro 2
AppleThe AirPods Pro 2 are the best earbuds for Apple devices. If you are already tied to Apple’s ecosystem, the AirPods Pro 2 is another compelling reason you shouldn’t look outside it. While it is both good and bad, that is another story for another day.
These flagship earbuds from Apple pack a serious punch. You get an excellent noise cancellation, which is as good as Sony WF-1000XM5s or Bose’s QuietComfort Ultras. Apart from ANC, you also get an awareness mode, spatial sound, long battery life, and a fantastic charging case, which now supports Type C charging.
If you habitually lose your valuables often, the AirPods Pro 2 is compatible with Apple’s Find My network. This will ensure you can quickly locate your favorite AirPods if you misplace them.
3. Bose QuietComfort Ultra
BoseThe Bose QuietComfort Ultra is the new gold standard for top wireless earbuds. These new flagship buds are way ahead of the competition when it comes to Active Noise Cancellation – a must-have feature in most earbuds these days.
These earbuds offer an extremely balanced sound output, which should please users who love rich bass and bright highs.
These earbuds are designed to fit most ears easily, and some of their key features include Immersive Audio – Bose’s version of Spatial Audio and ActiveSense, which automatically activates ANC should you get into a noisy environment.
Besides the great features mentioned above, you get an extremely long battery life, which surprisingly is not spoken about much, customizable EQ settings, and more.
4. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
SennheiserThe Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 is known for its refined audio quality and distinctive look, making it one of the top wireless earbuds.
With Momentum 3, you get a detailed sound profile, offering a significant upgrade over its predecessor. One of the biggest additions is the wireless charging feature, which makes charging the battery case extremely easy.
These earbuds are smart enough to reduce or increase noise cancellation based on your environment while offering a class-leading adaptive active noise cancellation.
Apart from the long-ish 7-hour battery life, you also get IPX4 certification for dust and water resistance. This reduces the need to charge the buds often as you get an additional charge from the case and allows you to use the earbuds while working out or going for a run.
The bundled app lets you tweak the audio output based on your choice and preference. The Momentum True Wireless 3 supports the most common codecs, including – AAC, SBC, AptX, and AptX Adaptive.
5. Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
AnkerIf you’re looking for a great sounding pair of earbuds that has active noise cancellation, looks premium, yet is affordable, then you must consider getting the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.
While the ANC on the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC may not be as great as the Sony, Bose, or Apple’s flagship earbuds, it is strong enough to isolate the background noise of vehicles driving by or honking aimlessly, the endless chatter of the crowd, colleagues or passengers.
The Liberty 4 NC offers a nine-hour battery life, which is enough to take you through most journeys, and the additional juice present in the charging case is enough to provide a few extra charge cycles.
Apart from a stable fit and a premium finish, these value-for-money wireless earbuds even have IPX4 certification for dust and water splashes.
Honorable mentions
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
- Google Pixel Buds Pro
- Beats Studio Buds Plus
- Sony LinkBuds
- Anker Soundcore Space A40
- Beats Powerbeats Pro
What to look for when buying wireless earbuds
With the plethora of options in each price range, your usage, the design, features, and battery life are a few things that help zero in on the best product – however, it’s not always easy to pick one, especially when there are so many options.
Some of the key features you need to keep in mind are – the devices that these buds can be used with, audio codecs that they support, battery life, on-device control for ease of usage, battery life, in-ear fit, and features like noise cancellation.
Once you shortlist the products that fit these requirements, you can always check the physical wireless earbuds at a store nearby. Be sure to check out how the charging cases fell in your hands and check out the earbuds for yourself.
If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.