There are countless different earbuds on the market right now, and some are quite expensive. When you’re making a significant investment, buying the wrong pair could be an annoying, costly mistake.
To help you cipher through the earbud market, ZDNET experts rounded up the top wireless earbuds so you can start listening hands-free today.
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The newest Apple AirPods Pro are an upgrade from the previous generation’s features. Thanks to Apple’s new H2 chip, these AirPods significantly upgrade performance via high-band connectivity and a low distortion audio driver with a custom amplifier. The technologies combine to ensure clearer audio across a wider range of sound frequencies. These new AirPods feature two times more noise cancellation with a 33% longer battery life. Plus, a new feature allows you to personalize spatial audio settings to create your ideal sound experience (using iOS 16). Also:
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The Jabra Elite Active 85t earbuds look good in both the gym and office. The comfortable earbuds offer high-quality sound and active noise cancellation for those times when you need to block out the world. The battery life lasts 5.5 hours, but the charging case extends that time to 25 hours between full recharges. When it comes to durability, the Elite 85t buds are sweatproof, featuring an IPX4-rated design for water resistance. Plus, they come with a two-year warranty against sweat and dirt damage, so you can keep doing everything you love to the sound of your own playlist. Also:
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The Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro earbuds provide crystal clear sound, fantastic active noise cancellation, and high-quality microphones to ensure your important calls go smoothly. The buds’ eight-hour battery life extends to 32 hours when paired with the charging case. More importantly, you can comfortably wear them for 32 hours if needed thanks to different sizes that offer a personalized, pain-free fit. You can choose between four ear tip sizes and four ear wing sizes to ensure your new buds stay secure and comfortable all day long. While the battery life on the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro earbuds is phenomenal, these wireless buds are quite amazing in general – you cannot go wrong with this choice. Also: Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro deal: Save 50% on ANC earbuds Also: Bose’s Acoustic Noise Cancelling technology provides true quiet within these quality headphones. Hidden microphones in the earbuds monitor surrounding sound and emit an anti-sound wave to cancel out external noise. If you decide to tune back into your surroundings, Aware Mode allows you to hear your music and surroundings simultaneously at a lower level. Whether you want to block sounds of your neighbor’s construction or simply focus at work, the Bose QuietComfort earbuds are an excellent option. Also:
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The Sony WF-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones offer clear sound quality with a new integrated processor. The exceptional eight-hour battery life, without the 16 additional hours provided by the charging case, includes the possibility of noise cancellation throughout that duration. The wireless charging is easy to connect and the Bluetooth connection is stable – plus, the earbuds are IPX4 water resistant, so they can handle the sweat from your workouts. The multipoint connection means that you can pair two Bluetooth devices at once. The bone-conduction sensor detects your voice in loud environments. Also: Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds review: Superb ANC The Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW wireless earbuds deliver a solid audio performance at a price point under $100. Even though they do not have active noise-canceling, they do offer a hear-through mode that muffles background noise until you want to hear it. The battery life of up to 6.5 hours extends to an impressive 19.5 hours with the charging case. The design of these earbuds is unique and the audio quality is unbeatable for the price. More: Earbuds vs headphones
