The Best Wireless Earbuds of 2025

Wireless earbuds are perfect for anyone who wants to listen to music on the go. But there are tons of options out there across budgets and performance levels, which can make it tricky to find just the right pair for your needs. That’s why our tech experts have tested dozens of models to select the best wireless earbuds for all kinds of users.

Our team has been reviewing audio products for over a decade, and based on our hands-on experience, we recommend the Sony WF-1000XM5 as the best wireless earbuds for most people. These versatile earbuds deliver a packed set of features and excellent ANC. But if your main priority is premium audio quality, the Technics EAH-AZ100 are our favorite earbuds for detailed, high-end sound.

Below, you can find all seven of our picks for the best wireless earbuds, including models geared toward budget buyers, running, and easy pairing with Apple devices.

Our top picks for the best wireless earbuds

Best overall: Sony WF-1000XM5 – See at Amazon

Best high-end sound: Technics EAH-AZ100 – See at Amazon

Best budget: JLab Go Air Pop – See at Amazon

Best midrange: Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC – See at Amazon

Best for noise canceling: Bose QuietComfort Ultra – See at Amazon

Best for running: Soundcore AeroFit 2 – See at Amazon

Best for Apple users: AirPods Pro Gen 2 – See at Amazon

Best overall

Sony makes some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy. Its flagship pair, the WF-1000XM5 (aka the “Mark 5”), distills the best of what we love about the brand’s buds into a sleek and powerful design.

Where the previous-generation WF-1000XM4 earbuds were large and bulbous, the XM5s are small and light, with a compact charging case to match. Their size is all the more impressive given that they have great battery life and excellent noise-canceling performance. They do a great job of crushing low-end drones and suppressing difficult high frequencies. Only a few earbuds, like Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra, can beat them in ANC.

The XM5s are also packed with features via the Sony Headphones app for iOS or Android. There, you’ll find settings to adjust everything from the Ambient sound mode to features like multipoint pairing, speak-to-chat, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio spatial sound, and a multi-band EQ to create a personal sound profile.

Like their predecessors, the WF-1000XM5s deliver clear, rich, and detailed sound across instruments and vocals. You can improve the quality even more by engaging Sony’s DSEE Extreme audio upscaling engine, while supported Android devices can access high-resolution Bluetooth via Sony’s LDAC audio tech. Bone conduction sensors also help improve call quality, even in noisy environments.

The XM5s are comfortable to wear for hours. They come with a selection of foam ear tips that keep them stable in your ears and baseline water resistance for various use cases. We’re also happy that Sony included volume controls on the buds themselves. Repeated taps on the left or right buds lower or raise volume, respectively, which gets the job done.

Our only real complaint is that the earbuds’ glossy material makes them slippery. You’ve got to really nudge them from the sides to get them out of their case. Their price tag is also high, but we think they’re worth the premium for anyone who wants a top-notch pair of wireless earbuds.

Visit our guide to all the best headphones.

Best for high-end sound

Panasonic’s Technics audio brand is known for great-sounding earbuds, and its latest model, the EAH-AZ100, continues that trend. The AZ100s replace our previous pick in the spot, the AZ80s, and they offer a few key tweaks in design and performance, while still providing the high-end audio we’ve come to expect.

The buds look and feel premium, with stylish touches like sparkling endcaps that mimic the turntables and amplifiers that have made Technics a household name. Three handsome colorways are available, including black, silver, and a new champagne gold option released to celebrate the brand’s 60th anniversary. The AZ100s are also more compact than their predecessors, and they feature a comfortable in-ear fit with five different tip sizes to choose from.

The earbuds are stacked with features, including a “Find My” function in case you lose them, adjustable noise canceling and ambient sound modes, customizable controls, six EQ presets, a fitting sensor, and a wireless charging case. We also like that they support multipoint pairing for up to three devices at once.

Of course, sound quality is the big selling point here, and the AZ100s deliver excellent performance with a finely detailed soundstage marked by delicate texture and a wide sense of space and dimension. This is the kind of high-end audio quality that allows you to hear little nuances you may have previously missed in tracks while wearing other buds. As reviewers, we listen to tons of headphones and tracks all the time, but earbuds with this level of performance actually make it fun to try out our favorite songs again just to hear how great they sound. The default settings do favor a slightly warm tone, but this can be adjusted to your tastes in the Technics app.

The earbuds also support the LDAC hi-resolution codec to enable the best quality transmission over Bluetooth with compatible devices. Conversely, you can opt to use a Bluetooth LE connection for better power efficiency when paired with a supported device.

Unlike the older AZ80s, this model adds support for a new spatial audio mode that creates a sound surround effect with optional headtracking. This setting is interesting to play around with, and we found it created a bit more separation and distance between elements in certain tracks. However, you can’t use LDAC and spatial audio at the same time, and we prefer using the higher-quality connection with standard stereo playback to get the best sound.

The AZ100s also have solid noise canceling, with improved performance compared to the older AZ80s. They hold their own well in a noisy gym environment and compare much more favorably to other flagship earbuds than their predecessor. That said, we still give Bose’s QC Ultra an edge if ANC is your priority. Battery life has also been upgraded, with up to 10 hours with ANC on, and you can get a total of 28 hours with the included charging case.

Best budget

JLab’s Go Air Pop earbuds offer performance that defies their price point. Even when they’re not on sale, these buds cost less than you’d pay to pick up dinner for two at your local pizza joint.

At just $25 a pair, we don’t expect much from the Go Air Pop, but within those qualified expectations, these earbuds shine. While they’re not big on features, they offer the essentials, including responsive touch controls, great battery life with up to eight hours per charge, and even a few EQ modes to adjust the sound.

Sound quality is simple but passable, without any notable sharpness or overbearing bass to ruin the overall audio profile. We weren’t blown away by the detail here, but we could hear all the main elements of our favorite tunes without any major issues.

These aren’t the most comfortable buds out there, but they’re fine for short-to-medium listening sessions. They also come in various colors to add a “pop” of style. Frankly, given their price, there’s not much more we’d ask of these earbuds. But remember, you won’t get features like auto-pause or even an app, let alone extras like noise canceling or a transparency mode.

If you’re looking for more, you may want to jump up to our midrange pick, the Soundcore Liberty 4 earbuds, which are pricier but add extras like noise canceling to the package. Otherwise, the JLab Go Air Pop are the perfect starter buds, whether you’re just testing the waters or looking for an affordable gift. At such a low price, what have you got to lose?

Visit our guide to the best budget headphones.

Best midrange

Soundcore’s Liberty 4 NC earbuds are so good for the money that they have us continuously asking: How did they do that? These buds offer solid sound, a truckload of extras, and noise canceling on par with plenty of flagship earbuds. They’re also stylish in an AirPods way, with a premium look and feel. The kicker? They do all that for $100 or less.

Soundcore has been perfecting its formula for undercutting the competition for years, and the Liberty 4 NC earbuds are the culmination. Name a flagship feature, and these buds likely have some version of it, from personalized multipoint pairing and an optional volume limiter to an earbuds finder and noise-canceling mode that can be programmed for your environment.

Not surprisingly, at this price, there are a few compromises. Some features — like 3D spatial audio — can feel tacked on. The touch controls are sometimes less responsive than we’d like, and while the audio quality is clear and detailed, it can sound brittle without some EQ. And rather than the 10 hours that Soundcore claims, we got more like seven hours of battery playback per charge with ANC engaged.

One area where these buds easily live up to the hype is their noise-canceling performance, which meets or beats anything in their class. You can still get better noise cancellation by spending more, but you’ll pay double or even triple the cost to get there.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a flagship experience at a midrange price, especially regarding features and noise canceling, the Liberty 4 NC are the best wireless earbuds we’ve found.

Best for noise canceling

Simply put, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra are the best noise-canceling earbuds we’ve tested. Competing flagship models like the Sony XM5s get close, but nothing quite matches the QC Ultra when it comes to silencing pesky ambient noise. 

The QC Ultra also offer a great transparency mode, which lets in outside sounds when you want to hear your surroundings. And while they can’t match the high-end audio quality of competitors like Technics’ EAH-AZ100, the earbuds still deliver excellent sound with a lively midrange, crisp treble, and solid low end. Listeners can also adjust the audio profile to their liking through the Bose app’s three-band EQ.

Like similar earbuds in this class, the QC Ultra include spatial audio support with head tracking to create a 3D effect. We still favor standard stereo playback for most content, but it’s a cool feature to experiment with. 

The QC Ultra have a handy volume slider on their stem for simple control, and they’re more compact and ergonomic than previous Bose earbuds. They also fit a wide range of ear shapes and include three ear tip sizes and stability bands. Sadly, the charging case leaves a bit to be desired. It’s bulky and only supports wireless charging if you add a $50 case cover.

However, it’s hard to fault the QC Ultra for this small shortcoming when they excel in so many other areas. Buyers who want the best wireless earbuds for top-notch noise canceling should look no further than Bose’s Quiet Comfort Ultra. 

Check out our guide to all the best noise-canceling headphones.

Best for running

People looking for earbuds that work especially well during runs should check out the Soundcore AeroFit 2. Unlike our other picks, this model has an open-ear design that allows users to stay naturally aware of their surroundings.

Rather than creating a seal in your ear canal, the AeroFit 2 earbuds rest just outside your ear and stay securely in place with adjustable hooks. This design is great for active use outside as it offers a stable fit while also letting in ambient noises. However, open-fit earbuds can’t match the sound quality of in-ear buds.

That said, the AeroFit 2 still offered ample volume and solid bass performance during our tests. Our reviewer wore them during his daily runs and enjoyed music and spoken word content without any issues.

We also loved how the included wireless charging case fits the earbuds in whatever position you leave the adjustable hooks in. This way, you don’t have to keep re-adjusting them every time you take them out. At 10 hours, the buds offer great battery life, too, and the case gives you a total of 42 hours.

Our reviewer would have preferred physical buttons for controls, as it can be tricky to use touch-sensitive functions while running, but the AeroFit 2’s double-tap gestures work well. The earbuds also have an IP55 rating for water and sweat resistance.

Check out our guides to the best headphones for running and the best headphones for working out to see additional recommendations.

Best for Apple users

If it were up to us, everyone would be granted equal access to the AirPods Pro 2 (second generation), regardless of which hardware or operating system you prefer. They’re so good, everyone should get a chance to try them. But we know that’s wishful thinking since a big part of what makes these earbuds tick is their near-perfect integration with all things Apple.

If you’re an Apple fan, these are easily the best wireless earbuds you can get. Though the second-gen AirPods Pro may look like their predecessor, virtually everything has been upgraded inside for a downright futuristic experience.

The sound has been redesigned for better detail and punchier bass. The noise canceling has been overhauled to compete with some of the best out there. Their transparency mode is among the most natural-sounding we’ve heard, and they offer a cool audio-limiting feature to protect your ears from unexpected loud noises. Apple even took things further with an update called Adaptive Audio, which naturally blends transparency mode and noise canceling to adjust to your environment and personal volume preferences.

You’ll also get all those little extras that make using the AirPods Pro with Apple devices so intuitive, like Hands-free Siri, Auto Switching to move between devices connected to your iCloud account, and Find My support to track the buds down if you’ve left them behind. There’s a 3D spatial audio feature with head tracking as well, which is most useful with Dolby Atmos content.

In addition, the AirPods Pro 2 now support a suite of aural health functions, including a hearing aid feature. Users can also perform a five-minute hearing check with an iPhone and the earbuds. These features were launched via a free software update in late 2024.

Unfortunately, Apple has not added features like EQ or noise-canceling control. And alas, there’s still no app for Android users, making these earbuds decidedly aimed at Apple folks, start to finish. If you fit that mold, the AirPods Pro 2 work in concert with Apple and iOS devices for an intuitive experience unlike anything else on the market. But if you’re looking for earbuds similar to Apple’s offering that play nicer with Android, check out our guide to the best AirPods alternatives.

Read our AirPods Pro (Second Generation) review.

Check out our guide to the best Apple AirPods.

How we test wireless earbuds

We take product testing seriously and use consistent, reproducible testing methods wherever possible. To determine the best wireless earbuds, our experts evaluated several models and assessed their sound quality by listening to a wide range of music genres from popular streaming services. This process includes a dedicated playlist to keep our testing consistent and video samples to evaluate features like spatial audio and head tracking with stereo and Dolby Atmos content.

We also test things like ease of setup and use with various devices, especially for features like Multipoint pairing. To test ambient audio features like noise canceling, we use a sound-treated room and professional stereo monitors to reproduce noises like airplane drones, voice chatter, and various other frequencies. For battery tests, we time the earbuds while playing music at medium volume, either in our ears or out, with auto-pause sensors disengaged when possible, monitoring the earbuds at regular intervals.

We also test the best wireless earbuds the way regular people use them; we go for walks with the dog, listen to music alongside high-traffic areas with noise canceling on and off, and chat with friends and neighbors to test features like transparency mode. As much as possible, we live with these earbuds to analyze how they work and feel daily.

Wireless earbuds FAQs

Are wireless earbuds better than wired headphones?

That depends on how you’re going to use them. While wired headphones are more likely to offer better, more consistent sound quality at lower price points, they’re less useful for tasks like working out, doing yard work, or walking the dog than a compact pair of wireless earbuds. The overall sound quality of wireless earbuds has also improved in recent years, thanks to updated Bluetooth protocols and other technology enhancements.

The best wireless earbuds offer features you’re less likely to find in wired options, including noise-canceling and transparency modes to suppress or let in the sound around you, respectively.

However, we still prefer high-quality wired headphones to get the best sound quality when listening to music at home. But wireless options are ideal for most other activities.

Check out our guide to the best over-ear headphones to see our top wired recommendation. 

What is noise canceling?

Noise cancellation is a sound-suppression technology that helps defray environmental noises with the use of advanced hardware and software. Noise-canceling earbuds use onboard microphones to capture the sound around you. They then flip the polarity of these frequencies to “cancel” certain sounds.

Some frequencies are easier to suppress than others, with higher frequencies presenting particular difficulty. As such, noise canceling can’t suppress all the sounds around you. However, this technology has advanced with each new generation, offering increasingly better isolation from unwanted environmental annoyances. 

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that lets compatible devices, like earbuds, exchange data, including audio, across limited distances. The majority of Bluetooth devices top out at 33 feet, though devices with Bluetooth Class 1 can extend much further. This technology has improved over time for better sound, more data, and a more reliable connection. Newer Bluetooth versions often provide advanced features and/or better quality and reliability.