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Best True Wireless Earbuds for 2021
The market for true wireless earbuds has exploded over the last decade and even though Apple’s AirPods and AirPods Pro remain best sellers in this category, we have plenty of excellent competitors also, several of which are new for 2021 and offer superior audio quality, battery life, and performance. Most of these buds are more suited for Android users who can’t take advantage of the AirPods’ and AirPods Pro’s Apple-only features such as hands-free Siri and spatial audio with head-tracking, in the case of the AirPods Pro.
The best wireless earbuds have an ergonomic design that not only creates a secure fit but makes the buds comfortable to wear over long periods. A tight seal is also important for optimizing sound quality and noise-canceling performance if you’re using noise-isolating earbuds with ear tips like the AirPods Pro. If you can’t get a snug fit with in-ear headphones, you’ll likely feel disappointed and ripped off, which is why we suggest buying your wireless earbuds from a vendor with a decent return policy. This also helps if the earbuds don’t meet your expectations when it comes to anything from noise cancellation to how well the touch controls work or how long the buds last on a single charge and some other factors.
In case you need a refresher, true wireless earbuds, sometimes referred to as TWS earbuds (True Wireless Stereo) have no cable at all to connect to your phone or any other device. And, unlike regular wireless earbuds, there’s no cable to connect each bud together.
This makes true wireless earbuds extremely convenient, as well as flexible for a whole range of environments and uses. But there’s one little downside, you need to be extra careful not to lose one.
This list focuses on the overall best wireless earbuds in no particular other.
Sony WF-1000XM4
No earbuds are perfect, of course, and not everybody will love the fit of the Sony WF-1000XM4 buds or be able to afford their high price. But if you’re looking for great-sounding earbuds with great noise canceling, solid voice-calling capabilities, and good battery life, these buds check all the boxes.
Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof).
Available in four color options, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 hew more closely to the newer Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Live, both of which have eye-catching glossy curved designs and the same compact charging case as this new model. In fact, it’s the Buds 2’s design and fit (they’re 15% smaller and 20% lighter than the Buds Plus) that make them a potentially more likable alternative to the slightly better-sounding Buds Pro.
Like the Buds Pro, the Buds 2 are equipped with active noise canceling. That means all the latest Galaxy Buds models now feature some form of active noise canceling, though it’s slight with the Buds Live, which has an open design sans ear tip. While the Buds 2 look more like shrunken versions of the Buds Pro, We found them similar to the Buds Live in that they barely stick out of your ears and are fairly discreet as they sit more flush with your ears and have that curved design.
Water-resistant: Yes (IPX2 rating — sweat-resistant).
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro are slightly superior to the new, slightly more affordable Galaxy Buds 2, at least when it comes to sound, noise-canceling performance and water-resistance (they’re fully waterproof). They also have a couple of features missing from the Buds 2, including Samsung’s new 360 Audio virtual surround feature that’s similar to Apple’s spatial audio (360 Audio only works with certain Galaxy devices).
The Buds Pro are mostly impressive, although just how good you think they are will ultimately depend on how well they fit your ears. For some people, the smaller Galaxy Buds 2 will be the better fit.
Water-resistant: Yes (IPX7 rating — fully waterproof).
The Beats Studio Buds look a lot like the rumored stemless AirPods we’ve 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 buds that are comfortable to wear and offer really good sound. While their noise canceling isn’t as good as the AirPods Pro’s they do have a transparency mode and they’re decent for making calls. Ultimately, their fit and sound quality are their strongest selling points and they are cheaper than the AirPods Pro.
Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof).
Edifier has a few different new true-wireless earbuds and most, including the TWS 330NB, are very good values. While the TWS 330NB buds are missing a sensor that automatically pauses your music when you take them out of your ears, they feature very good sound quality for the money, decent active noise canceling with a transparency mode, and solid voice calling (they have three microphones in each bud for noise canceling and noise reduction during calls).
They fit your ears well and are essentially AirPods Pro clones, but the touch controls are a little limited and they are programmable using the Edifier Connect app for iOS and Android (you can also set their level of touch sensitivity). They have an IP54 rating, which means they’re splash and dustproof, with the battery life rated at four hours with noise canceling on and five hours with noise canceling off.
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