One of the best wi-fi earbuds for 2025

Discovering the very best wi-fi earbuds could make an enormous distinction in your day-to-day life, whether or not you’re commuting, figuring out, touring or simply zoning out together with your favourite playlist. Immediately’s earbuds aren’t nearly slicing the wire — they’re smarter, extra comfy and filled with options like lively noise cancellation, customizable sound profiles and even spatial audio assist.

With so many choices on the market, there’s actually a pair of wi-fi earbuds for everybody. Whether or not you need one thing that is excellent for operating, constructed for all-day put on on the workplace or tuned for severe audiophiles, the alternatives have by no means been higher. Some fashions prioritize battery life, others ship premium sound high quality and some by some means handle to do all of it with out blowing your funds. It doesn’t matter what you’re in search of, we’re right here that will help you discover the proper set of wi-fi earbuds to match your way of life.

Desk of contents

Finest wi-fi earbuds of 2025

Sony

Learn our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review

With the WF-1000XM5 flagship earbuds, Sony improves its already formidable mixture of nice sound, efficient ANC and helpful options. These earbuds are undoubtedly the corporate’s finest and most comfy design of its 1000X fashions thus far, which was one of many few remaining riddles Sony wanted to unravel. Sony nonetheless manages to pack in additional options than anybody else too, together with trademark ones like adaptive sound and Converse-to-Chat. Add in upgraded drivers, new chips, eight hours of battery life and vital enhancements to sound high quality and these are Sony’s finest earbuds but. However all the developments come at a price: these are additionally Sony’s most costly set of wi-fi earbuds within the 1000X lineup.

Execs

Glorious sound high quality
Improved design
Extra comfy match
A great deal of helpful options

Cons

Costlier
No battery life enchancment
Head monitoring is Android solely
Some options nonetheless want fine-tuning

$148 at Adorama

Picture by Billy Steele / Engadget

Learn our full Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) review

Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro are an enormous enchancment over the earlier fashions. These buds have improved sound high quality and lively noise cancellation, whereas sustaining all the conveniences that make AirPods the very best earbud possibility for iPhone, iOS and Mac. Once we reviewed them, we discovered probably the most spectacular characteristic to be transparency mode, which is extra pure sounding than another earbuds by a mile. You possibly can depart these in throughout a dialog and it’s such as you’re not even carrying them. In fact, quick pairing, hands-free Siri, spatial audio, good battery life, and now, a USB-C charging case that may additionally energy up wirelessly may even turn out to be useful.

Execs

Improved sound
Stellar transparency mode
Stable ANC
Seamless switching between Apple gadgets

Cons

Identical design
New contact gesture takes observe
Common battery life
Personalised Spatial Audio outcomes differ

$199 at Amazon

Picture by Billy Steele / Engadget

Learn our full Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review

The Pixel Buds Professional 2 could also be Google’s priciest earbuds, however they’re additionally its finest. A whole redesign resulted in considerably smaller earbuds that match extra comfortably and securely. The corporate has additionally packed in a Tensor chip for the primary time to deal with audio and ANC sign processing. As you would possibly anticipate, these earbuds supply a hands-free channel to Gemini AI, though they’re not required to make use of the voice assistant.

Google additionally revised the acoustics and drivers on the Pixel Buds Professional 2, delivering ample low-end tone when it’s wanted. There are many helpful options too, like Dialog Detection, Listening to Wellness and Discover My Gadget. Spatial Audio is accessible at launch this time, however you’ll be able to solely use it with appropriate video streaming apps.

Execs

Tiny, cozy design
Punchy bass, full mids, crisp highs
Barely longer battery life than predecessor

Cons

Value went up once more
Spatial audio is proscribed to video apps
Smaller contact panel requires precision

$229 at Amazon

Samsung

Learn our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review

Max battery life: 6 hours, as much as 26 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP57 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IP68) | Driver measurement: Twin drivers (woofer and tweeter); particular sizes not disclosed

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro borrow closely from Apple’s AirPods Professional in each appears and options, and construct upon the inspiration of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional. Nonetheless, Samsung did properly to make issues like Adaptive ANC and voice instructions work properly. Some options like Voice Detect may nonetheless use some advantageous tuning, however there’s loads to love right here past the essential performance.

The actually shocking factor in regards to the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional is the sound high quality. There’s some thick, boomy bass once you want it with loads of crisp element to enrich it. This mannequin actually shines once you pair it with a Samsung system to unlock 24-bit HiFi streaming. There’s additionally a natural-sounding transparency mode that retains you from feeling shouty throughout calls.

Execs

Nice sound high quality
A great deal of helpful options
Cozy match
Pure ambient sound

Cons

Battery life is shorter than some rivals
One of the best options require a current Samsung system
Copycat design
Blade lights are a gimmick

$250 at Amazon

Picture by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 supply the type of options you’d anticipate from wi-fi earbuds that value twice as a lot: ANC, multi-device pairing, wi-fi charging, IPX4 water resistance, a transparency mode, eight to 10 hours of battery life and LDAC assist. Once we examined them, we discovered their heat sound to be pleasing proper out of the field, however Anker’s companion app makes it simple to customise the EQ curve if wanted. And whereas their ANC isn’t fairly as efficient at lowering background noise as our high picks, it’s nonetheless efficient for a loud workplace or lengthy flight. For $80 or so, this can be a excellent worth. – Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Author

Execs

Inexpensive
Good battery life
Multipoint connectivity
Transparency Mode

Cons

ANC is not as sturdy as rivals

$59 at Amazon

Picture by Billy Steele / Engadget

Learn our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds review

For the reason that firm launched the primary mannequin, Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds have constantly supplied the very best noise cancellation out of all of the wi-fi buds we have examined. It’s not shocking that its most-recent model, the QC Extremely Earbuds, solely improved in ANC efficiency. Nonetheless, the larger story right here is that Bose lastly has the audio chops to compete with the very best earbuds because of its new Immersive Audio tech. The characteristic brings spatial audio to all by not requiring specially-made content material to make use of it. Fairly than make use of music and films the place the sound is coming from all instructions, QC Extremely Earbuds put you in the midst of the acoustic “candy spot” by relying closely on virtualization. A devoted gesture for quantity controls, better-than-advertised battery life and customization settings spherical out the spec sheet.

Execs

Stellar ANC
Spatial audio would not require particular content material
Upgrades with no worth improve

Cons

Earbuds are nonetheless massive
Immersive Audio considerably impacts battery life
Wi-fi charging prices additional

$299 at Adorama

Bose

Learn our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) review

Prior to now, you needed to pay round $300 in case you wished Bose-quality ANC on a set of earbuds. With the brand new QuietComfort Earbuds, the corporate packs in a variety of its finest options for much less cash. You’ll get efficient ANC, good sound high quality, and options like voice controls.

The earbuds are smaller than typical Bose fare, which suggests they’re extra comfy and match higher. You’ll additionally take pleasure in properly over eight hours of battery life with ANC on and an IPX4 score that can be ok for exercises. And if the product web page is to be trusted, you can even look ahead to Bose’s distinctive spatial audio (Immersive Audio) coming quickly.

Execs

Nice sound high quality
Efficient ANC
Plenty of helpful options
Reliable battery life

Cons

No Immersive Audio (but)
Audio and ANC sacrifices in comparison with the QC Extremely Earbuds
No CustomTune characteristic
Poor name high quality

$149 at Adorama

Billy Steele for Engadget

Learn our full Noble Audio FoKus Rex5 review

If you would like the very best sound high quality, you’ll should pay for it. The FoKus Rex5 are an eyewatering $449, and simply the costliest wi-fi earbuds I’ve examined. Nonetheless, Noble Audio’s five-driver setup is extra sturdy than the competitors the place one or two drivers is usually the norm.

There’s a stage of pristine element and sonic separation I haven’t heard on different earbuds. For instance, traits of the guitars, together with the person nuances of a number of gamers on a observe, contribute to a wider soundstage and extra immersion than you’ll encounter elsewhere. These are removed from an entire package deal by way of options, however the audio prowess is unmatched.

Execs

Detailed, immersive sound
Customized audio profiles are saved on the buds
Comfy match

Cons

Very costly
Only one coloration and it’s not for everybody
Subpar ANC efficiency

$449 at Amazon

Billy Steele for Engadget

Learn our full Technics AZ100 review

For a protracted whereas Bowers & Wilkins was my choose for finest total sound high quality. However, as Dylan sang, “the instances they’re a-changin’.”

Technics borrowed magnetic fluid driver tech from its in-ear screens (IEMs) to enhance the sound high quality on the AZ100. The result’s deeper, extra immersive bass that’s complemented by detailed highs and ample mid-range tone.

There are additionally a variety of options on the AZ100, together with multipoint Bluetooth for as much as three gadgets. Sony’s LDAC codec can be supported, as are Dolby Atmos and Dolby’s dynamic head monitoring.

Execs

Glorious sound high quality
Tons of choices within the app
Small measurement means cozy match
Three-device multipoint Bluetooth

Cons

ANC lags behind the very best
None of at the moment’s “good” options
Spatial audio doesn’t enhance default tuning

$300 at Amazon

Picture by Billy Steele / Engadget

Learn our full Beats Fit Pro review

A lot of the finest AirPods options in a set of workout earbuds? That’s the Beats Fit Pro. Due to Apple’s H1 chip, these buds supply one-touch fast pairing, hands-free Siri and Discover My instruments. They’ll additionally will let you use Audio Sharing with an Apple system and one other set of AirPods or Beats wi-fi headphones for tandem listening or viewing. Balanced and punchy bass will preserve the power up throughout exercises whereas good noise cancellation, an IPX4 score and cozy silicone ear suggestions make these a strong possibility exterior of the health club too. And there’s loads of assist for Android gadgets, so these aren’t only a good purchase for iOS customers both.

Execs

Comfy design
Good ANC
H1 chip affords fast pairing and switching between Apple gadgets
Loads of Android assist

Cons

Name high quality may very well be higher

$170 at Macy’s

Sony

One of many largest surprises final 12 months wasn’t Sony’s distinctive open-wear LinkBuds, it was the extra mainstream follow-up. With the LinkBuds S, the corporate debuted a extra historically designed pair of earbuds akin to its premium WF-1000XM4, solely this mannequin is way smaller and lighter which ends up in a way more cozy match. These tiny wi-fi earbuds muster some punch with regards to sound high quality too and assist for high-res listening (LDAC and DSEE Excessive) are each onboard. Succesful ANC lends a hand with environmental noise and transparency mode can preserve you tuned in when wanted. What’s extra, helpful Converse-to-Chat is right here and Adaptive Sound Management can mechanically change settings primarily based on exercise or location. That’s a variety of premium options at a mid-range worth.

Execs

Comfy design
Good sound high quality
Converse-to-Chat
Adaptive Sound Management

$158 at Amazon

What to search for in the very best wi-fi earbuds

In terms of looking for earphones, the very first thing to contemplate is design or put on type. Do you like a semi-open match like AirPods or would you like one thing that fully closes off your ears? In case you’re looking for earbuds with lively noise cancellation, you may need the latter, however a case may be made for the previous if you wish to put on all of them day or frequent locations the place you have to be tuned in to the ambient sounds. The general form of earbuds can decide whether or not you get a cushty match, so can the dimensions and weight, so that you’ll need to take into account all that earlier than deciding. And keep in mind: audio corporations aren’t excellent, so regardless of a lot of analysis, the earbud form they selected could not suit you properly. Don’t be afraid to return ill-fitting earbuds for one thing that’s extra comfy.

As wi-fi earbuds have develop into the norm, they’re now extra dependable for staple items like constant Bluetooth connectivity. Firms are nonetheless in a race to pack as a lot as they’ll into more and more smaller designs. This sometimes means an extended record of options on the extra premium units of earbuds with primary performance on the most cost effective fashions. Rigorously take into account what you’ll be able to’t stay with out when deciding on your subsequent earbuds, and ensure key gadgets like automated pausing and multipoint connectivity are on the spec sheet. You’ll additionally need to examine the amount and contact controls as you’ll typically should sacrifice entry to one thing else to make that adjustment by way of on-board faucets or swipes. Some earbuds even supply app settings to tweak the audio profiles or firmware updates to enhance efficiency over time.

For these within the Apple ecosystem, options like auto-pairing with gadgets, particularly with AirPods Professional 2, may be an added benefit, whereas Android customers could need to search for fashions that provide comparable cross-device performance.

In terms of battery life, the common set of earbuds lasts about 5 hours on a single cost. You will discover units that last more, however that is probably sufficient to get you thru a piece day in case you’re docking the buds throughout lunch or the occasional assembly. You’ll need to test on what number of additional costs can be found by way of the case and if it helps wi-fi charging.

Firms may even make lofty claims about name high quality on wi-fi earbuds. Regardless of a lot of guarantees, the truth is most earbuds nonetheless depart you sounding such as you’re on speakerphone. There are some units that ship, however don’t get your hopes up until evaluations affirm the claims.

Sound may be subjective, so we advocate attempting before you purchase if in any respect attainable. That is very true in case you’re an audiophile. We perceive this isn’t simple when most of us do a variety of buying on-line, however attempting on a set of earbuds and listening to them for a couple of minutes can prevent from an costly case of purchaser’s regret. If a retailer doesn’t permit a fast demo, most retailers have return insurance policies that can allow you to take earbuds again you don’t like. In fact, you must be keen to briefly half with funds in an effort to do that.

We additionally advocate taking note of issues like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, 360 Actuality Audio and different immersive codecs. Not all earbuds assist them, so that you’ll need to ensure that a perspective pair does if that type of factor excites you, particularly in case you plan to make use of them for playback of high-quality audio.

How we take a look at wi-fi Bluetooth earbuds

The first method we take a look at earbuds is to put on them as a lot as attainable. We choose to do that over a one- to two-week interval, however typically embargoes don’t permit it. Throughout this time, we take heed to a mixture of music and podcasts, whereas additionally utilizing the earbuds to take each voice and video calls. Since battery life for earbuds is usually lower than a full day, we drain the battery with looping music and the amount set at a cushty stage (often round 75 %).

To guage audio high quality, we take heed to a spread of genres, noting any variations within the sound profile throughout the kinds. We additionally take a look at at each high and low volumes to test for consistency within the tuning. To evaluate name high quality, we’ll file audio samples with the earbuds’ microphones in addition to have third events name us.

In terms of options, we do an intensive evaluate of companion apps, testing every characteristic as we work by the software program. Any holdovers from earlier fashions are double checked for enhancements or regression. If the earbuds we’re testing are an up to date model of a earlier mannequin, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older buds. Ditto for the closest competitors for every new set of earbuds that we evaluate.

Different wi-fi Bluetooth earbuds we examined

Beats Powerbeats Professional 2

The latest model of the Powerbeats Pro have an improved, comfy design, balanced bass and new H2 chips and a coronary heart fee sensor inside. However coronary heart fee assist is at present restricted on iOS, and there is a risk these capabilities make it onto the subsequent AirPods Professional fashions.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3

The Galaxy Buds 3 mix ANC with an open-type design, which renders the noise-blocking skills of the earbuds largely ineffective. Nonetheless, there’s nice low-end tone with ample bass when a observe calls for it. There are additionally a lot of helpful options, most of which require a Samsung cellphone. However at this worth, there are higher choices from Google, Beats and Sony

Sennheiser Momentum Sport

I actually like the general form of the Momentum Sport earbuds. They’re extra comfy than the Momentum True Wi-fi 4 and slot in my ears higher. What’s extra, the physique temperature and coronary heart fee sensors work properly, sending these stats to quite a lot of apps. Nonetheless, that sport-tracking characteristic works finest with Polar’s app and gadgets, so there’s that consideration. Additionally, the audio high quality and ANC efficiency isn’t pretty much as good because the MTW4, and these earbuds are dear.

Beats Solo Buds

There’s loads to love in regards to the Solo Buds for $80. For me, the first perk is that they’re very comfy to put on for lengthy intervals of time because of some considerate design concerns. You solely get the fundamentals right here by way of options and, as anticipated, the general sound high quality isn’t pretty much as good because the pricier fashions within the Beats lineup. You’re going to get 18 hours of battery life although, for the reason that firm nixed the battery within the case and beefed up the listening time within the buds themselves.

Bose Extremely Open Earbuds

Bose created one thing very distinctive for this set of earbuds that permits you to keep in-tune with the world whereas listening to audio content material. The clip-on design could be very comfy, however sound high quality suffers because of the open-type match, particularly with regards to bass and spatial audio.

Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7

These stick buds have a compact design that’s comfy to put on and the nice and cozy sound profile is nice at instances. Nonetheless, total audio efficiency is inconsistent and there’s no automated pausing.

Grasp & Dynamic MW09

Retooled audio, higher ambient sound mode and dependable multipoint Bluetooth are the very best issues the MW09 has to supply. They’re costly although, and you could find higher ANC efficiency elsewhere.

Wi-fi earbud FAQs

What is taken into account good battery life for true wi-fi earbuds?

Most wi-fi earbuds will final 5 hours on a single cost, at least. You will discover some pairs which have even higher battery life, lasting between six and eight hours earlier than they want extra juice. All the finest wi-fi earbuds include a charging case, which can present further hours of battery life — however you may should return every bud to the case in an effort to cost them up.

Is sound high quality higher on headphones or earbuds?

Evaluating sound high quality on earbuds and headphones is a bit like evaluating apples and oranges. There are a variety of variables to contemplate and the variations in parts make a direct comparability troublesome. Personally, I choose the audio high quality from over-ear headphones, however I can let you know the sound from earbuds like Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3 can be excellent.

Which wi-fi earbuds have the longest battery life?

With new fashions popping out on a regular basis, monitoring the hours of battery life for every this may be troublesome to maintain tabs on. The longest-lasting earbuds we’ve reviewed are Audio-Technica’s ATH-CKS5TW. The corporate states they final 15 hours, however the app was nonetheless exhibiting 40 % at that mark throughout our checks. The one draw back is these earbuds debuted in 2019 and each know-how and options have improved since. By way of present fashions, Master & Dynamic’s MW08 affords 12 hours of use on a cost with ANC off (10 with ANC on) and JBL has a number of choices with 10-hour batteries.

What wi-fi earbuds are waterproof?

There are many choices lately with regards to elevated water resistance. To find out the extent of safety, you’ll need to search for an IP (ingress safety) score. The primary quantity signifies intrusion safety from issues like mud. The second quantity is the extent of moisture safety and also you’ll need to guarantee that determine is 7 or larger. At this water-resistance score, earbuds can stand up to full immersion for as much as half-hour in depths as much as one meter (3.28 toes). If both of the IP numbers is an X, which means it doesn’t have any particular safety. For instance, a pair of wi-fi earbuds which can be IPX7 wouldn’t be constructed to keep away from mud intrusion, however they might be okay in case you dropped them in shallow water.

Which earbuds keep in ears the very best?

A safe match can differ wildly from individual to individual. All of our ears are completely different, so audio corporations are designing their merchandise to suit the most individuals they’ll with a single form. That is why AirPods will simply fall out for some however keep put for others. Design touches like wing suggestions or fins sometimes come on health fashions and people components may also help preserve issues in place. You’ll probably simply should strive earbuds on, and in the event that they don’t match properly return them.

What wi-fi earbuds work with PS5?

PlayStation 5 doesn’t assist Bluetooth audio with out an adapter or dongle. Even Sony’s own gaming headsets include a transmitter that connects to the console. There are common choices that will let you use any headphones, headset or earbuds with a PS5. Upon getting one, plug it right into a USB port on the console and pair your earbuds with it.