Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds in 2025

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 are 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.

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.

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. At $300 -- $20 more than their predecessor -- they're costly, too. However, they're currently on sale for around $230 at Walmart. Overall, they're really impressive -- easily among the very top earbuds on the market.

While the QC Ultra Earbuds aren't a major upgrade over Bose's excellent QC Earbuds 2 that were released in 2022, they're a little better. They should fit most ears very well, and they feature superb noise canceling, arguably the best out there. 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.

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 new 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 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.

In 2024, Edifier released a set of earbuds, the Spirit S10, from its audiophile brand Stax that featured low-distortion planar magnetic drivers (planar magnetic drivers have only recently started appearing in true-wireless earbuds). The sound of the Stax buds was a little too neutral for some folks, including me, and the noise canceling wasn't quite strong enough. But both the sound and noise-canceling have improved with Edifier's similarly styled new-for-2025 NeoBuds Planar. While they retain the clean, clear sound of the Stax buds, they serve up more bass and sound more alive and dynamic than the Spirit S10s. They also have more effective noise canceling, plus good voice-calling performance.

Along with those planar magnetic drivers, the NeoBuds Planar are powered by a Qualcomm chipset that supports all audio codecs in the Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound suite, including aptX Audio, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless, plus HD codecs like LDAC and LHDC 5.0 (most Android smartphones support LDAC). Additionally, the more universally supported AAC codec is on board, and you can tweak EQ settings via Edifier's ConneX app.

Though I used these buds with both an iPhone and a few Android smartphones, I think these are slightly better suited for use with Android devices, particularly those certified with Snapdragon Sound. As you'd expect from earbuds that cost this much, the NeoBuds Planar are equipped with ear-detection sensors and wireless charging. Battery life is pretty average (up to around five hours with noise canceling on), and they're IPX55 splash-proof and dust-resistant. 7 different ear tips are included to help ensure you get a tight seal, which is crucial to getting optimal sound quality.

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.

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.

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-canceling 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 earbuds that I have no problem recommending.

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 4 Pro 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.

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. 

The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are powered by Apple's new H2 chip, which delivers more processing power while being more energy efficient, according to Apple. The new chip, combined with new low-distortion drivers, allows for improved sound that offers better clarity and depth. The noise canceling is also improved -- Apple says the new AirPods have "double" the noise canceling of the original AirPods Pro. Additionally, the new AirPods add an extra hour of battery life, up from five to six hours with noise canceling on. Plus, a speaker in the case that emits a sound that helps locate your buds via Find My, should they decide to hide from you.

There's been some hype recently around solid-state semiconductor Micro-Electromechanical System, 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 canceling 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 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. Essentially JBL's AirPods Pro 2 competitor, their distinguishing feature is the 1.45-inch touchscreen LCD integrated into their charging case that acts as a remote control for the buds and allows you to access their 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 are very solid. Their battery is also good -- 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 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.

Master & Dynamic headphones and earbuds have always featured unique, eye-catching designs that include premium materials like aluminum, sapphire glass and Kevlar. Its latest MW09 flagship earbuds look pretty similar to its earlier MW08 buds, but have some upgrades on the inside that deliver better performance, particularly when it comes to battery life and noise canceling (it's now very close to what Bose and Sony offer, though not quite at their level for ANC). They're IP54 dust- and splash-proof and despite being on the larger side, I found them comfortable to wear, and they stayed in my ears fairly securely.

If you can get a tight seal (seven ear tips are included), the MW09s sound great. They sound natural, with nice detail and deep bass that's well defined and not overpowering. A touch on the warmer side -- there's no treble push -- with an open, refined quality, they're earbuds you can listen to for long stretches without any listening fatigue. They're right up there with the best-sounding buds.

Other highlights include very strong battery life (up to 16 hours), Bluetooth 5.4 (up to 30-meter range and LE Audio ready) and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. While their voice-calling performance is good, it's not up to the level of the AirPods Pro 2 in terms of noise-reduction and voice clarity during calls. Maybe Master & Dynamic can improve in that area with a firmware upgrade, but either way, they're worth checking out if you're looking for high-end earbuds. They're available in multiple colors.

Truth be told, in some ways, I like 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.

There a lot of new gaming earbuds out there but what makes the Sony Pulse Explore earbuds special is that they feature planar magnetic drivers, a speaker technology typically found in high-end over-ear audiophile headphones but rarely in earbuds. While they're missing some features fond in typical premium earbuds (noise canceling and ear-detection sensors), that they're as good as they are for listening to music and making calls is a revelation. In fact, they sound clearer and more articulate than Sony's flagship WF-1000XM5 earbuds, with tight, powerful bass. That doesn't necessarily mean they sound better than XM5s, which sound a little fuller. But I wasn't expecting them to compete at all with the XM5s for music listening.

Status Audio's earbuds aren't exactly the sleekest or most attractive earbuds you can buy, but if you don't mind their utilitarian look and giant stems, you are getting an excellent-sounding set of earbuds. The Between 3ANC, the company's first noise-canceling earbuds, also do a good job muffling ambient sound, though they aren't up to the level of the Bose QuietComfort 2 earbuds for noise-canceling prowess. They did perform very well in my voice-calling test, reducing much of the background noise around me in the streets of New York while picking up my voice clearly, or so callers told me.

While they have multipoint Bluetooth pairing -- you can pair them to two devices simultaneously -- they are missing a few features, including ear-detection sensors, and they only support the AAC audio codec (they're equipped with Bluetooth 5.2), not LDAC or aptX. Some people with Android devices that support those codecs may not be thrilled with that, but, as I said, they sound quite good using AAC, offering clean sound with punchy bass and good clarity. That's in part due to their driver design, and why the buds are on the larger side -- they feature two balanced armature drivers, plus one 10mm dynamic driver in each earbud. 

Despite being heavier than earbuds like Apple's AirPods Pro 2, they fit my ears comfortably and securely. Their case charges wirelessly and battery life is very good at up to 8.5 hours with ANC on. There's also a transparency mode that sounds only OK, not great (a physical button on the earbuds activates it) and they have an IPX5 water-resistance rating, which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water. The companion app for iOS is fairly basic, but you can upgrade the firmware and tweak the sound profile with a customizable EQ option.