We also recommend you consider your budget. If you want cheap earbuds you may have to sacrifice features, like ANC or a long battery life. It’s all about weighing up what’s more important to you. There's less protrusion than with Sony's more affordable buds ( Sony WF-C500, all eyes on you), because they're 37% lighter and 38% smaller than the top-tier WF-1000XM4 . It should come as no surprise then that we found these to be some of the most easy to wear, comfortable earbuds we've ever had the pleasure of wearing and they stay put for hours on end. They’re not the cheapest buds, but because Sony has combined performance, ergonomics and build quality so effectively, we think they’re excellent value. Other true wireless earbuds may surpass the Sony WF-1000XM4s in particular areas – like noise cancellation – but they don’t offer excellent quality across the board. This is even the case after the release of the newer Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, which are fantastic, but we still rate the XM4s as the best all-rounders. You don't have an iPhone: If you're in the Android world, you won't get as much benefit from these headphones (although it's not as bad as previously).

You own an iPhone: For a seamless experience within Apple's ecosystem, you need to be looking to earbuds that offer a dedicated app for iOS. You really want app support: They do amazing things without a companion app (on-ear volume control, EQ, etc.) but if you want a visual cue of their battery life, no dice. You want ANC: There's decent noise isolation here, but nothing like the levels of ANC and immersion you'd find from buds specifically designed with ANC in mind. Any sound comparison between these cheap in-ears and class-leading products. But these JLab buds beat everything in their price range for sound. Our testing proved that vocals are relatively well handled through the mids, the bass is sensibly handled, and the soundstage is relatively expansive.If you're looking for a pair of the best running headphones, you should look for IPX4 water-resistance so they can withstand sweat and rain. Some of the top waterproof earbuds can even be used for swimming. Wired earphones have that annoying habit of entangling themselves so badly so fast, that it takes whole minutes to kink them out. Those sailor’s knots catch the best of them, be it iPhone or Samsung earphones. You love touch-sensitive controls: The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus have physical buttons, so if you like to swipe, you’ll need to look elsewhere. We’ve included both wired and wireless earbuds on this list, but you don't have to compromise on audio quality by going wire-free. Our current favorite true wireless earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM4 combine class-leading sound with high quality noise cancellation tech.

After spending a few weeks with both the 1MORE Triple Driver in-ear headphones and the 1MORE Quad Driver in-ear headphones, we were blown away at just how much value each one gave in their prospective price ranges.Although you might find more detailed and better-sounding in-ear headphones out there, you'll have to pay much more to notice a significant boost in performance. If you want earbuds that come with a cable to keep them secure so you can avoid losing them, the 1More Triple Driver in-ear headphones are the best wired earbuds you can buy today. Finally, the brand you choose will depend on what you're looking for – but we're careful with our lists. That means all of the earbuds and in-ear headphones above come from brands we trust. Still, if you're not sure where to start looking, respected brands like Sony, Apple, Cambridge Audio, Jabra, and Nura are good places to start. How we test the best earbuds The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are refreshingly smaller and lighter than most rivals – and an improvement over previous Galaxy buds. The result is a stylish, minimalist, secure and ergonomic look and fit that almost feels as if you're not wearing earbuds at all – or at least that was our experience during testing. Playing Kanye West’s extensive catalogue made me appreciate both the genius of his production and also the Blukar in-ear earphones. The 3-D audio experience does things to you, once you cancel out any and all sounds outside of the song.You’d prefer high-definition wireless sound quality: With support for just low-definition wireless codecs, the QCE II may not be for everyone. Design-wise, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are 30% smaller than previous generations with a more compact and lighter charging case. However, we did find the fit took some getting used to and is unlikely to suit everyone at first.