Best Wireless Earbuds of 2025

When Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds came out in 2021, we awarded them a CNET Editors' Choice. And while they're excellent, we had some quibbles: They're on the large side and aren't a good match for certain ears. Clearly, Sony took those gripes to heart when it set out to design its next-generation WF-1000XM5 flagship noise-canceling earbuds. Not only are the XM5s smaller, but they also offer improved performance pretty much across the board, with better noise canceling, sound and voice calling. Are the XM5s perfect? Not quite. And at $300 — $20 more than their predecessor — they're costly, too. But overall they're really impressive, easily among the very top earbuds on the market.

Panasonic's premium Technics EAH-AZ80 true-wireless earbuds came out in 2023 and made our list of best-sounding wireless earbuds. Now Panasonic has released a new set of flagship earbuds, the EAH-AZ100, which feature a more compact design along with improved sound quality, noise canceling and voice-calling performance. One of the key upgrades here is Panasonic's newly developed proprietary Magnetic Fluid Driver that it says creates "clean, high-resolution, low-vibration and low-distortion sounds for the most authentic, balanced audio that's true to the original source." According to Panasonic, the "magnetic fluid" is an oil-type liquid filled with magnetic particles that is "injected into the space between the driver magnet and voice coil that enables low-distortion playback." This type of driver is found in Technics high-end EAH-TZ700 wired in-ear monitors ($1,200), and it's been miniaturized for use in the AZ100s, which do indeed sound great, offering satisfying clarity, bass definition and openness.

Like all great sounding headphones, the AZ100s come across as natural and accurate and bring out those little details and nuances in tracks that are missing when you're listening to lesser headphones or earbuds. As for features, the AZ80s allowed you to connect to 3 devices simultaneously and the AZ100s retain this triple multipoint Bluetooth pairing option. The AZ100s add Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head tracking, a nice bonus that you'd expect in a pair of $300 earbuds.

Designed to fit more ears comfortably, Panasonic says the Technics AZ100s are 10% smaller and 16% lighter than the AZ80s. A fifth medium-large ear tip has also been added to ensure more users get a tight seal, which is crucial to optimizing sound quality and noise-canceling performance. 

Battery life was one of the strong points of the AZ80s and the AZ100s also appear to have very good battery life. They're rated for up to 10 hours with noise-canceling on at moderate volume levels using the AAC audio codec. If you use the LDAC audio codec that's available with many Android devices, battery life is reduced to up to 7 hours with noise canceling on. After testing the buds for a few weeks (and updating the firmware once), I also thought the noise-canceling and voice-calling were both improved from what I experienced with the AZ80s.

Apple not only swapped in USB-C for Lightning connectivity in its iPhone 15 models, but it made the switch with the AirPods Pro (2nd gen). The new AirPods Pro 2 with MagSafe (USB-C) are nearly identical to their Lightning predecessor, delivering the same excellent sound, noise canceling and voice-calling performance. That said, they offer some other small upgrades, including additional dust resistance and a new acoustic architecture that allows for Lossless Audio with the Vision Pro.

Nevertheless, the AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) are easy to recommend to Apple users despite their high price. Pro tip: Don't pay more than $190 for these, which is the online sale price at which they're now frequently available.

Earfun is one of our go-to brands for value earbuds. Its Air Pro 4 buds aren't a major upgrade over the earlier Air Pro 3s, but they do have a few enhancements that make them slightly better earbuds. (Note: Input code EAP4CNET at checkout on Amazon to get an extra 10% off).

Earfun has moved from Qualcomm's QCC3071 to the newer QCC3091 that supports aptX Lossless Audio for a select few Android devices. The buds also support Sony's LDAC audio codec, which is available with more Android smartphones, and the AAC and SBC codecs.

Like their predecessor, the Air Pro 4s are lightweight and comfortable to wear -- I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size -- and they feature slightly improved noise canceling and sound quality along with better battery life (up to 11 hours with noise canceling off and 7.5 hours with it on, according to Earfun). While the default sound leans slightly warm with a touch of bass push, you can tweak the sound in Earfun's companion app for iOS and Android, and I did think the sound measures up well to earbuds that cost twice as much.

As I said, these aren't a big upgrade over the Earfun Air 3 Pro, but once again Earfun has delivered a set of earbuds that deliver strong performance for their modest price. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and multipoint Bluetooth pairing (they're equipped with Bluetooth 4 and LE Audio). I do think the voice-calling performance is slightly improved, but the background noise reduction during calls isn't as good as what you get with higher-end earbuds like Apple's AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, as well as Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. I also thought their touch controls could work a little better than they do.

If you're looking for basic AirPods, the standard AirPods 4 ($129) certainly have their appeal and should cost closer to $100 during flash sales. They may not be quite as cheap or as small as the AirPods 2, but they sound a lot better and have a lot more features.

Ultimately, however, the AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation are simply more special. They're the first open buds I've tried to have active noise canceling that actually works. That makes them the first noise-canceling earbuds for people who don't like having ear tips jammed in their ears. That's pretty cool and worth the extra $50 if you can afford it.

Nothing has changed with Nothing's latest $149 Ear noise-canceling earbuds. At least, not at first glance. You'd be forgiven if you thought the buds had taken a step back; while they're the successor to Nothing's Ear (2) earbuds they don't have a 3 anywhere in their name. Nor do they employ Apple's generational naming scheme. They're just the Nothing Ear, and they look the same as the Ear (2). Some changes on the inside deliver legitimate improvements, particularly to sound quality, noise canceling and battery life.

If you can't quite afford this model, Nothing also has the new $99 Ear (a), which comes in a new yellow color as well as white and black. It has different drivers and includes a smaller charging case (it has a lower IPX2 water-resistance rating and leaves off wireless charging), but otherwise has very similar features and may be a slightly better value. But the flagship Ear does sound slightly better. 

It's been almost six years since the Powerbeats Pro were released in May 2019, so Beats has had a lot of time to plot how to improve the second generation of its popular ear-hook style true-wireless sport earbuds. And improve they have -- by quite a bit. Not only do they feature a new, more refined design with better ergonomics, but new drivers, a more powerful Apple H2 chip, a new built-in heart-rate sensor and, yes, active noise canceling for the first time in a pair of Powerbeats. (Read our full Powerbeats Pro 2 review).

There are a lof of new premium earbuds with built-in ear hooks, though the majority of them, like Shokz OpenFit 2, have an open design with no ear tips, which some people prefer. I like the Shokz and some of those other open earbuds, but if you're looking for ear-hook style earbuds with noise canceling and superior sound quality, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are the best right now. 

While the QC Ultra Earbuds aren't a major upgrade over Bose's excellent QC Earbuds 2 that were released in 2022, they're definitely a little better. They should fit most ears very well, and they feature superb noise canceling, arguably the best out there. And a natural-sounding transparency mode with a new ActiveSense feature kicks in some ANC should the sound get too loud around you (it's sort of similar to the AirPods Pro's Adaptive Audio feature). They also sound slightly better overall, with a touch more clarity, and their new Immersive Audio feature opens up the sound a bit.

There's been some hype recently around solid-state semiconductor Micro-Electromechanical Systems, aka MEMS, speakers and you can find xMEMS drivers in Creative Labs' Aurvana Ace ($130) and Ace 2 earbuds ($150). The newer Ace 2 has support for Qualcomm's AptX Lossless for the limited number of devices that support that audio codec but otherwise the two models seem nearly identical, except for their color schemes. While the Ace 2 is missing features like ear-detection sensors that are often found in buds in this price range, they do sound quite impressive (if you get a tight seal), with nicely detailed, accurate sound and well-defined bass that has some warmth to it (it does help to play around with the companion app's equalizer settings to optimize the sound to your liking). I found their adaptive noise cancellation good, though not necessarily great. The same was true for the voice-calling performance.

Overall the buds are well-designed and have some eye-catching design elements that help them stand out from other earbuds with stems. They're IPX5 splash-resistant, are rated for up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge at moderate volume levels and offer wireless charging. For their price, they deliver good bang for your buck, particularly when it comes to sound quality.

The concept behind the Fit Pro is pretty simple. Take Beats iconic Powerbeats Pro sport earbuds with its big ear hook and shrink it down. I can't say I ever loved the Powerbeats Pro's design but a lot of people do because the ear hook gives you a feeling of security that your buds aren't going to fall off your head. I personally prefer my sport earbuds to have a wingtip that fits into the inside of your ear rather than wrap around the outside of it. And that's what we have here. 

Unlike Beats' earlier and less expensive Studio Buds and 2023 Studio Buds Plus, the Beats Fit Pro include Apple's H1 chip and have most of the AirPods Pro's features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I'd venture to call them the sports AirPods you've always wanted.

Google's redesigned its Pixel Buds Pro 2 to fit more ears better. Not only are the Pixel Buds Pro 2 smaller than their predecessor but Google's equipped them with its new Tensor A1 chip, which offers more processing power and enables its new "hands-free, eyes-free" Gemini virtual AI assistant. So long as you get a snug fit and tight seal (yes, that's critical for sound quality and noise-canceling performance), these buds deliver excellent sound, strong noise-muffling capabilities and a robust feature set, particularly for Android and Google Pixel phone users.

I thought Beyerdynamic's first pair of true-wireless earbuds, the Free Byrd, sounded impressive. But they were a little bulky and their design left something to be desired. That isn't the case for its 2024 Amiron 300 buds. They're compact, lightweight and fit my ears well -- I was able to get a tight seal with the largest ear tip. While their noise canceling falls short of what you get with flagship noise-canceling earbuds from Sony, Bose and Apple -- it's decent enough but not great -- the Amiron 300's sound is rich, detailed and fairly open (you can can distinctly hear each instrument). Out of the box, they have a very pleasant tonal balance, and you can tweak their EQ settings in Beyerdynamic's companion app. The bass is articulate and punchy and there's nice clarity and accuracy to the midrange (where voices live).

The buds support the SBC, AAC and LDAC audio codecs and have some of the key features you'd expect from premium earbuds. These include ear-detection sensors that pause your music when you take a bud out of your ear and resume playback when you put it back in, wireless charging, transparency and low-latency modes and multipoint Bluetooth pairing (they're equipped with Bluetooth 5.3). I thought their touch controls worked well and battery life was solid -- they're rated for up to 7 hours with noise canceling on at moderate volume levels and up to 10 hours with it off. They have 3 microphones in each bud and callers said they could hear me well even in noisy environments with only a bit of background noise intruding.

Jabra bills the Elite 8 Active as the "world's toughest earbuds," and based on our tests (they survived several drops without a scratch), that may very well be true. While there are two new color options, the Gen 2 model doesn't look any different from the original, but it includes an LE Audio smart case, allowing wireless streaming from any device with USB-C or 3.5mm port (I tested it with an inflight entertainment and it worked well, with no audio lag). The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 also feature enhanced spatial sound powered by Dolby Audio "for a better music experience," enhanced Natural HearThrough for better awareness when outdoors, and improved noise-cancelling performance that make for great sport earbuds.

With this Gen 2 upgrade to its Elite 8 Active and its semi-open Elite 10 buds, Jabra seems to have once again hit its stride with its earbuds line. Alas, Jabra's parent company, GN, recently announced that it's decided to gradually wind down the Jabra Elite product line. While Jabra will continue to support its Elite buds for the foreseeable future, buyers should be aware of this development. Until then, make sure you enjoy some of the best true wireless earbuds on the market.

If you're able to get a tight seal with one of the three sizes of included ear tips, there's little to complain about with Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Yes, the noise cancellation might be a touch better, but the earbuds' excellent sound quality is clearly a step-up from that of the Buds 2 Pro. Plus, they have a robust feature set, and their voice-calling performance is truly top-notch.

The Live Beam 3 earbuds look similar to the earlier Live Buds Pro 2, which I like a lot, especially when they go on sale for less than $100. The Live Beam 3 buds are essentially JBL's AirPods Pro 2 competitor, and their distinguishing feature is the 1.45-inch touchscreen LCD integrated into their charging case, which acts as a remote control for the buds and lets you access their other features. Equipped with 10mm drivers, not only do they offer clear, well-defined sound with punchy bass, but their noise canceling and voice-calling performance is also very solid. Their battery is good too -- they offer up to 10 hours of battery life with ANC on and 12 hours with it off, at moderate volume levels (a 10-minute charge gives you four hours of battery life). Available in four color options, they're IP55 splash-proof and dust-resistant.

Note that JBL's flagship Tour Pro 3 earbuds also have an integrated LCD, but they feature dual drivers, which deliver even better sound than these buds, with a little more depth and detail. However, the Live Beam 3 often sell for $50 off their $200 list price, which makes them a better deal overall.

Whenever a new pair of Momentum True Wireless earbuds drops, I always find myself saying, "Wow, these sound good." Sound quality has always been the MTW's biggest strength, and that remains the case with the fourth-gen version. 

There's been some modest improvements in other areas, particularly with the noise cancellation performance and the reliable, hiccup-free Bluetooth connection I had with my phone. At the same time, the voice-calling performance could be better, and I'm a little disappointed that these aren't even more of an upgrade over their predecessor. Still, the Momentum True Wireless 4 are excellent true wireless earbuds that I have no problem recommending.

Compared to the original Beats Studio Buds, which remain on the market, the newer Studio Buds Plus buds are significantly improved, with better sound, noise canceling and battery life. Additionally, they now deliver top-notch voice-calling performance.

The transparent version got a lot of attention at launch (who doesn't like transparent electronics?), but the big changes are on the inside. Beats says 95% of the components are new and improved, and the buds' "acoustic architecture" has been revised. The speaker drivers remain the same, but the Studio Buds Plus are powered by a new, more powerful custom chipset and have three new microphones in each bud, which are three times larger and more sensitive than the ones found in the Beats Studio Buds.

Shokz has released the second-gen OpenFit 2 with a slightly upgraded design, upgraded drivers that noticeably improve the sound quality, better battery life and a new physical control button. The changes don't seem huge on the surface, but the improvements are significant. They 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.

Simply put, the Pi8s are fantastic-sounding earbuds that also benefit from having a clearly improved design from the Pi7 S2 and Pi5 S2. It's debatable whether the Pi8s sound $150 better than the step-down Pi6s, but there's no doubt these are some of the best-sounding earbuds on the market, if not the best (everybody's sound tastes vary so it's hard to declare one set of buds the best-sounding overall). 

Like with the Pi7 S2, sound quality is the highlight here, along with the charging case's ability to transform into a Bluetooth transceiver. Noise cancellation seems improved, and noise reduction during calls seems better, but the voice-calling performance wasn't as good as what I got with Apple's AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 and Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds have one of the most unusual designs of any earbuds I've tested over the last several years. They literally clip onto the side of your ears, kind of like earrings, and their open design has micro speakers that fire sound into your ears while still being able to hear what's happening around you. They're still true wireless earbuds, and at $299, they're somewhat overpriced, but otherwise, there's a lot to like about them, including a surprisingly comfortable, secure fit and very good sound quality for open buds.

Truth be told, in some ways, I like the Sony's new 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 ear tips 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. Read our hands-on first take.

Released in 2023, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC earbuds carry a lower list price than 2022's Liberty 4 buds and are arguably better. They have improved noise cancellation and better sound quality, along with support for the LDAC audio codec for devices that support it. (Many Android smartphones do, and in theory it offers slightly improved sound quality when paired with a music streaming service that offers high-res tracks.) They're lightweight buds that should fit most ears comfortably with four sizes of ear tips to choose from. 

The Liberty 4 NC buds have single custom drivers compared to the Liberty 4's dynamic dual drivers -- and a completely different case design -- but I thought they delivered more pleasant sound than the Liberty 4s. Their treble is a little smoother and they feature strong bass performance. They came across as fairly open, with a reasonably wide soundstage. You can tweak the sound profile in the companion app for iOS and Android. 

The buds come in several color options and are IPX4 splash-proof, so they're suitable for running and gym use. They feature excellent battery life -- up to 10 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels -- and there's also a transparency mode that lets ambient sound in and sounds pretty natural with only a very faint audible hiss. While the noise canceling is an improvement over the Liberty 4's and is effective, it falls a bit short of what you get from Bose's and Sony's premium ANC earbuds. 

Like the Liberty 4, the earbuds have six integrated mics for noise cancellation and making calls, and callers said they thought the buds did a pretty good job of reducing background noise, with my voice coming through relatively clearly. They're an all-around good performing set of buds for the money, and they offer a strong feature set, including ear-detection sensors and wireless charging.