Noble Fokus Amadeus: Noble, the maker of “artisanal” in-ear monitors and headphones, is edging into the more mainstream earbuds market with its most affordable buds yet, after releasing its Fokus Mystiq ($359), Rex 5 ($449) and Prestige ($599) models in recent years. While the Fokus Amadeus ($320) buds are on the large side, they do fit a little more comfortably than the company’s earlier buds, and they feature active noise canceling. Though their noise-muffling capabilities are merely decent (the ANC is certainly a step behind what you get with Bose and Sony flagship models), their sound quality is exceptionally good. The buds are equipped with 8.3mm custom triple-layer drivers, and the sound is open and nicely detailed, and the well-defined bass is deep and visceral without sounding boomy. Instruments feel distinctly and appropriately placed in the sound stage, and I appreciated that the natural sounding mids, where vocals live, are slightly forward and don’t get eclipsed by the treble and bass. Noble’s top-of-the-line Prestige buds are considered more analytical, which may be what some audiophiles are looking for. But the Amadeus buds have a bit warmer sound profile and aren’t so revealing that they overly accentuate the flaws in less well-recorded tracks. These are buds you can use for long stretches without any listening fatigue, and they work well for a variety of music genres.
Sony LinkBuds Fit: Truth be told, in some ways, I like Sony’s LinkBuds Fit better than its flagship WF-1000XM5 noise-canceling earbuds. While they don’t sound quite as good or have noise canceling that’s quite on par with those buds, they’re lightweight (4.9 grams) and fit my ears comfortably and securely. Part of that is due to Sony’s new Air Fitting Supporters, but it’s also redesigned its eartips and included a wide range of sizes, including XL tips that fit my ears well. Despite being a slight step-down from the WF-1000XM5s for performance, their sound quality, noise canceling and call-quality performance are all very good. They also have built-in voice controls.
Earfun Air Pro 4: Earfun is now shipping the Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus (see above), which have a dual-driver design and sound better for about $20 more. The Earfun Air Pro 4 are still a very good value, but I like the Plus model better.
Shokz Open Fit 2: Shokz has released the upgraded OpenFit 2 Plus with a slightly upgraded design and other small improvements, so the original OpenFit 2 buds have been on sale. This model fit my ears more comfortably than the originals and have superior sound quality with more bass and better clarity. They sound excellent for open earbuds, at least in quieter environments.
Beyerdynamic Amiron 300: While Beyerdynamic’s original Free Byrd impressed with sound quality, its new-for-2024 Amiron 300 earbuds address the previous design shortcomings with a compact, lightweight form factor that fits my ears well. The sound quality is outstanding — rich, detailed and fairly open with a very pleasant tonal balance out of the box. There’s impressive instrument separation that allows you to distinctly hear each element in complex tracks. The bass response is particularly noteworthy — articulate and punchy without overwhelming the mix — while the midrange offers nice clarity and accuracy, which benefits vocal reproduction. Voice-calling performance is solid thanks to three microphones in each bud, with callers reporting they could hear me well even in noisy environments, with only minimal background noise intruding.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: Bose has announced that it will be shipping its improved QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen) in the “summer” of 2025 in the U.S., which means you’ll be able to find discounts on the original QC Ultra Earbuds, which feature excellent sound and previously best-in-class noise-canceling performance.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC: Anker released the new Liberty 5 earbuds in 2025, but this 2023 model remains a decent value at around $90. It offers decent noise canceling and a similar level of sound quality as the Liberty 5 (it’s quite good but not great). However, the Liberty 5 has improved noise-canceling and voice-calling performance.
Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2: Once included on this list, Jabra has discontinued the 2024 Elite 8 Active Gen 2 after announcing it decided to gradually wind down the Jabra Elite product line. Still, we liked their incredible durability (they survived several drops without a scratch) and enhanced spatial sound powered by Dolby Audio. They make for great sport earbuds if you can get your hands on them. I have a full Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 review if you’re still interested in the discontinued buds.
Sennheiser CX: If you can’t afford Sennheiser’s flagship Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds, the CX are a good alternative. They feature very good sound, plus decent noise cancellation and voice-calling performance. The only issue is they stick out of your ears a bit and may not fit some smaller ears. This model, which often sells for less than $100 on Amazon, doesn’t feature active noise cancellation but the step-up CX Plus does (the CX Plus is also a good value, particularly when it goes on sale). Learn more about the budget model in my Sennheiser CX true wireless earbud review.
Beats Studio Buds: The Beats Studio Buds look a lot like the rumored stemless AirPods some people have been waiting for. Geared toward both iOS and Android users, they are missing a few key features on the Apple side of things (there’s no H1 or W1 chip), but they’re small, lightweight true wireless earbuds that are comfortable to wear and offer really good sound. Their noise cancellation isn’t as good as the AirPods Pro’s, but they do have a transparency mode and they’re decent for making calls. Learn more in my fullBeats Studio Buds review that includes a more in-depth look at the features.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer improved noise cancellation along with very good sound and voice-calling performance, plus support for high-resolution wireless audio streaming if you’re a Galaxy device owner with the right setup. Their biggest upgrade may be their new design and smaller size, which make them a better fit for more ears. Aside from their somewhat high price tag, their only drawback is that some of their key features only work with Samsung Galaxy devices. Read my full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review to learn more about the Android-enabled earbuds.
JBL Tour Pro 2: JBL’s Tour Pro 2 earbuds have received a lot of attention for bringing something new to true wireless earbuds: a full color touchscreen display embedded in the case that allows you to access the earbuds’ key features and control playback as well as adjust volume levels. It’s a bit of a gimmick but also useful. While the buds could sound slightly better for their list price, overall the JBL Tour Pro 2s are very good earbuds that offer a good fit, a robust feature set, strong battery life, plus solid noise cancellation and voice-calling performance. I took a closer look at the earbuds in my full JBL Tour Pro 2 review in 2023.
Sony LinkBuds S: Unlike the “open” LinkBuds, the LinkBuds S are traditional noise-isolating true wireless earbuds with tips that jam in your ears. They’re more compact and lighter than Sony’s former flagship WF-1000XM4 and also feature Sony’s V1 processor (Sony has since released the more compact WF-1000XM5). While their sound and noise cancellation don’t quite measure up to either XM4 or XM5’s, they’re still quite good. They’re the Sony buds for people who can’t afford Sony’s flagship earbuds but want 80% of those buds’ features and performance for significantly less. Read more about them in my hands-on review of the Sony LinkBuds S.
Sony WF-1000XM4: Released in 2021, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earned a Editors’ Choice Award. They’re still excellent earbuds, but Sony has now released the next-gen WF-1000XM5. They may be a good option if you find them at a good discount. If you’re interested in the model, I took a closer look in my full Sony WF-1000XM4 review.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3: The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 were among the best new true wireless earbuds of 2022. They’re still among the best truly wireless earbuds, but Sennheiser has released the upgraded Momentum True Wireless 4. Also, the newer AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM5 buds are arguably superior, so only look to buy the Momentum True Wireless 3 when they’re significantly discounted. Learn more about the impressive buds in my full Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 review.
Beyerdynamic Free Byrd: Beyerdynamic may be late to the game, but it’s finally introduced its first true wireless earbuds, which feature active noise cancellation, up to 11 hours of battery life (with noise cancelling off) and impressive sound quality. Read our Beyerdynamic Free Byrd review.
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX: Bang & Olufsen’s $399 Beoplay EX buds are the company’s best true wireless earbuds. They feature a comfortable, secure fit (except perhaps for those with really smaller ears), top-notch build quality, great sound, good noise cancellation and improved voice-calling performance over B&O’s EQ buds, with three microphones in each earbud they help with reducing background noise while picking up your voice. They’re out of most people’s price range, but they’re arguably the best earbuds out there with stems and offer slightly superior sound to the AirPods Pro 2 with better clarity, deeper more powerful bass and richer, more accurate sound. Learn more about the premium model in my full Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX review.
Sony LinkBuds: The LinkBuds are, in a sense, Sony’s answer to Apple’s standard AirPods. While they don’t sound as good as Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM4 or the LinkBuds S noise-isolating earbuds, they offer a discreet, innovative design and a more secure fit than the AirPods, as well as decent sound and very good voice-calling performance. Like the third-gen AirPods, their open design allows you to hear the outside world — that’s what the ring is all about. Check out my Sony LinkBuds reviewfor more.
