Samsung earbuds finder. Galaxy Buds Pro: Meet the best True Wireless earbuds for Samsung users

Galaxy Buds Pro: Meet the best True Wireless earbuds for Samsung users

Basic noise cancellation, IPX7 certification, simple touch controls.

They do not support Siri or Google Assistant.

Technical Features Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro :

• Type: Intraural.
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0.
• Battery life: 5 hours (ANC On).
• Weight: 6.3 g each cup.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are the equivalent of Airpods Pro for Samsung Galaxy S21 series phones. Like Airpods, they have active noise cancellation and support for spatial audio. You can enjoy movies or shows with a more immersive experience, and take them anywhere without worrying about external noise.

Both models also feature integrated batteries that provide up to five hours of continuous playback. However, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro headset offers many extra features, especially for Samsung phone or tablet users. They are the final piece that ties the entire Samsung ecosystem together.

They offer multiple syncing, support for Bixby (though not Google Assistant) and the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app. This application is only available for Android devices, and you need it to enjoy all the benefits of Samsung wireless headphones.

Galaxy Buds Pro use Samsung’s Scalable Audio technology. They support UHQ audio streaming via Bluetooth with resolutions up to 24bit/96kHz, SmartThings Finder and multi-microphone recording, allowing you to use the Buds Pro as microphones when recording videos with your Samsung phone.

Overall, the Galaxy Buds Pro sound and fit well for any user. They are a great option for Samsung phone owners. In this article we tell you about all their features, pros and cons.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, like the Galaxy S21, are available in three colors: black, silver and purple. The carrying case/charging base has the same color as the earbuds. Speaking of the case, it’s very compact and integrates LED lights on the inside and outside that light up in green, yellow or red, depending on the battery status.

The cup design abandons the grain shape of previous models. The Galaxy Buds Pro look like little sound funnels. They have a glossy finish in resistant plastic. The cups are a bit long (20.8mm), although the size is necessary to integrate all components: touch controls, three microphones, 6.5mm tweeters and 11mm woofers.

They have a futuristic look and fit the wearer well. The design reduces ambient noise and equalizes ear pressure. They are large and you can’t use them to sleep, but they stay fixed and secure. In addition, the package comes with two additional sets of tips to help you get a better seal. They also come with the USB-C charging cable.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro headphones feel very comfortable and you can wear them for hours without discomfort or pressure. Not the most attractive In Ear True Wireless headphones, but one of the most comfortable.

As for the controls, they are very easy to learn. One tap plays or pauses, two taps advances songs or answers calls, and three taps rewinds songs. Holding down the control switches between ambient sound mode and active noise cancellation, although you can also customize the controls with the Samsung Wearable app.

IPX7 certification and active noise cancellation

The two most notable features of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are active noise cancellation and IPX7 certification, the highest among Galaxy Buds wireless earbuds. Previous models had IPX2 or IPX4 ratings, meaning they could only withstand a little sweat and a few drops of rain. But now, Galaxy Buds Pro can withstand immersion in fresh water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter.

Is the noise cancellation active? Yes, especially for Samsung. Thanks to the three microphones built into the Galaxy Buds Pro, they are much better at reducing outside noise than the Galaxy Buds Live. Of course, they don’t compare to the best noise-cancelling headphones, such as the Bose or Sony.

When we tested them at home, we noticed that they drastically reduce the noise of humidifiers or air conditioners, although they do not isolate you when someone else plays music at high volumes. The ANC is good enough not to hear nearby conversations, but they cannot turn off louder sounds.

Another useful feature is audio amplification, also known as audio passthrough. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro can take outside audio and amplify it in your ears by up to 20 dB, something very useful when you find yourself waiting for your flight announcement at an airport, for example.

Features for Samsung users

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro also offer specific features for Samsung users, such as Bixby hands-free mode and Find My Earbuds. The SmartThings Find feature, found within the SmartThings app, shows you a location map for your devices, even when they are turned off or unplugged. This helps in case the earphones are lost or stolen.

Finally, if you have other Galaxy products, you can switch on the Buds Pro synchronization between different devices automatically with the Auto Switch function. For example, if you listen to music with a tablet and want to answer calls with the phone, the feature allows you to let the headset automatically sync to the phone for the call and reconnect to the tablet when you end the call.

Sound quality

AKG helped with the tuning of these headphones to provide the best possible equalization. This is not surprising, as AKG is a subsidiary of Harman Kardon and HK of Samsung. That said, the attention to detail is noticeable, and the sound balance is very well achieved. The bass is perceived as deep and the treble sounds quite crisp, while the mids maintain a good presence. No layer overshadows the others.

However, we find that the mids and treble lack a bit of clarity. Likewise, the sound spatiality is not very wide. This is to be expected, as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are cheaper than the best HiFi in-ear headphones.

On the other hand, if you like to equalize the sound to your personal taste, the Samsung Wearable app allows you to do so. We especially liked the dynamic adjustment. Galaxy Buds Pro also support Samsung’s 360 audio. This means you can enjoy any piece in virtual surround sound, similar to the spatial audio of the Airpods Pro.

Performance is better when used with a Samsung device thanks to Samsung’s scalable codecs. If you are not using a Galaxy phone, Bluetooth audio will be transmitted in SBC or AAC, both lossy codecs. This is a plus for Samsung phone users, but it’s too bad they do not support Qualcomm’s aptX codecs or the new Bluetooth LEDs.

Voices come through clearly when you use the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro as a handsfree. We think they sound a little better with the phone’s microphones, but this is to be expected. Most In Ear headsets do not sound as good as phones when making calls.

Battery life

The batteries in the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Bluetooth headphones last up to five hours with noise cancellation active and seven hours with ANC off. That’s decent capacity for a noise-cancelling headset, though nothing revolutionary.

The case gives you an additional 13 hours with the ANC or 20 hours without the ANC. In addition, they charge very fast through the USB-C port. Five minutes of charging is enough to use the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro for more than an hour. They also support wireless charging, although the process is a bit slower.

What do we like about the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro?

If you are a Samsung Galaxy phone user, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are the ideal companion. This model also features IPX7 certification and noise cancellation, plus very useful options such as SmartThings Find.

What don’t we like about them?

Active noise cancellation is not the best. It’s decent, but it doesn’t totally isolate you from noisy environments. The sound is well balanced, but detail and spatiality leave something to be desired. In addition, they do not support Google assistants or Siri. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro work with Bixby. If you are an Apple user, we recommend the Airpods Pro.

Conclusion on Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

The new Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are much better than the Galaxy Buds Live. They offer better sound, superior microphone quality, support spatial audio and multiple synchronization. Noise cancellation is not as noticeable as the Bose or Sony models, but it’s decent. They are excellent value for money. Interested? Find the best price on Amazon.

We also recommend you check out the excellent Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2.

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Introducing Galaxy Buds2 Pro

Feel immersed in your own world with ultimate hi-fi sound with the compact and stylish Galaxy Buds2 Pro. The end-to-end 24bit Hi-Fi processing unfolds layers of notes and details with clarity. Enjoy a cinematic experience with the intelligent 360 audio and experience crystal-clear calls, then tune back into your day-to-day world with a single tap.

Introducing Galaxy Buds2

Escape into your own world with the stylishly compact Buds2. Experience crystal-clear calls and tunes with exceptionally well-balanced audio, then tune back into your day-to-day world with a single tap.

Meet Galaxy Buds Live

The earbud designed to tune in to every moment. With an iconic shape and ergonomic design, a fit that lets in your natural surroundings, and a speaker optimised for a better experience. This is sound made for your ears.

About Samsung

From its small beginnings as a trading company, Samsung has grown into a world-class brand with innovations and breakthrough products that have made Samsung a leader in numerous fields. Samsung currently holds the largest global market share for smartphone, and ranks as a top 10 global brand.

Founded by Lee Byung-chul in 1938, Samsung expanded into numerous areas including food processing, textiles, insurance, securities and retail. By the 1960s, Samsung had reached into the electronic industry, construction and shipbuilding. Since the 1990s Samsung globalised its activities and branched into the mobile phones and semiconductors, which has become a key source of income.

In recent years, the company has become the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile phones and a major vendor of tablet computers and pioneer of the phablet. Samsung electronics has set numerous technological precedents and continues to break technological records.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are a great choice if you have a Samsung phone, but not the peak of perfection

TechRadar Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are a huge step up from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, offering better sound and microphone quality with multipoint pairing and spatial audio support. They’ve since been replaced by the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which offer better noise cancellation and sound quality, but for their price they bring just enough of both to be competitive.

Cons

• – Flat, cramped sound
• – No Google Assistant / Siri support
• – Bulge out of the ear

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Two-minute review

It’s best to think of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro as the Apple Airpods Pro equivalent for the Samsung Galaxy S21 line of phones.

Like the Apple Airpods Pro, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro offer active noise cancellation. Both earbuds also support spatial audio, which makes TV shows and movies sound more entertaining and immersive. And you’ll also find five hours of battery life on offer from these buds before they need recharging. It’s easy to see why both the Apple Airpods Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro feature in our best true wireless earbuds guide.

But the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro offer more than these core features if you own one of the best Samsung phones or a Samsung tablet, and they can tie everything in Samsung’s ecosystem together. For example, they offer multipoint pairing, hands-free Bixby support (but not Google Assistant) and the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app.

As you’ll learn in our Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review below, these earbuds also use Samsung’s proprietary Scalable Audio. This supports UHQ audio streaming over Bluetooth at up to 24-bit / 96kHz, SmartThings Finder and multi-mic recording, which allows you to use the Buds as a lapel mic stand-in when you shoot videos on your Samsung phone.

In the same way the Airpods Pro have been upgraded in the form of the Airpods Pro 2, the Samsung Buds 2 Pro have since been released. The latest version of the Samsung Buds Pro we’re reviewing here, the 2 Pro boast several improvements, including a more streamlined design that’s 15% smaller to accommodate better mics and sensors to improve fit, audio, and noise-cancelling abilities.

However, if you’re considering the original Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, they’re still an excellent choice, especially for Samsung phone owners. Read on for our full Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review.

Colors: Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, Phantom Silver Dimensions: 20.5 x 19.5 x 20.8mm (earbuds) 50.0 x 50.2 x 27.8mm (charging case) Weight: 6.3g (earbuds) 44.9g (charging case) Drivers: 11mm Battery: 5 hours (ANC on)

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro launched alongside the Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone on January 14, 2021 (the day it was announced at Samsung Unpacked) on Samsung’s website and became widely available starting on January 15, 2021.

In terms of price, the Galaxy Buds Pro will set you back 199 / £219 / AU349. Although now that the newer Galaxy Buds Pro 2 have been released you might find them harder to come by, but when you do they’re likely to be cheaper. For example, on Amazon.com they’re now part of a deal that makes them only 99.99. It’s a similar story over on UK Amazon, where you’ll find them for £114.95.

It makes sense that the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro would initially cost a little more than their predecessors, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, which cost 169.99 / £179 / AU319 at launch. Considering how much better the Pro version are, they’re well worth the upgrade. You can read our Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review to find out how they compare.

Interestingly (and confusingly), Samsung released these true wireless earbuds close together. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro’s release date came only five months after the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, and less than a year after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. It’s unclear why Samsung is in such a rush to get these out the door, but it’s causing a bit of a traffic jam.

That said, if you’re looking for cheaper alternatives, you don’t have to look far. Either scout around for a deal now that time has passed since launch. Or read our Sony WF-SP800N review and Jabra Elite 75t review for wallet-friendly alternatives that both offer active noise cancellation for 50 less. That’s if you don’t mind skipping out on the Samsung-specific features.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: design

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are available in three colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver and Phantom Violet to match the new Samsung Galaxy S21, and the color of the Buds will match the color of the charging case that comes along with them.

Speaking of the case, it’s sort of shaped like a little treasure chest – there’s a concave lid that unhinges in the middle and flips up. It’s fairly compact, which is nice when you want to slip it into your. and has a status LED on both the inside and outside of the case that turns green, yellow, and red depending on how much battery is left in the case itself.

As for the Buds themselves, they’re a far cry from their bean-shaped predecessors. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are back to their usual form as eartip-equipped funnels of sound.

Funnel is probably the appropriate word to describe them as they’re fairly long for earbuds, measuring in at just under an inch (20.8mm) long. The Buds need all that real estate however for their bevy of sensors, pogo pins, and microphones.

The outside of the Buds have a glossy, reflective plastic coating that is touch-capacitive and two more microphones with a wind guard that reduces ambient noise when walking outside. All of that houses the 11mm woofer and 6.5mm tweeter that we’ll talk about more in the performance section down below.

So how do they fit? Well, despite their almost futuristic appearance, the way the earbuds jut out of your ear makes them look bulky and awkward. Wearing them to bed would be uncomfortable at best, and painful at worst. And because they lack a way to actually ‘lock’ them into your ear, they do shift periodically, which means you’ll have to readjust them or else the seal will weaken and noise cancellation will slowly diminish as you wear them.

To help alleviate some of these issues, inside the box are two additional sets of eartips to help you get a better seal, which are absolutely essential. You’ll also find a USB-C charging cable without a head – part of Samsung’s move to reduce waste (yay!) and a potential hurdle to folks just picking up their first earbuds (boo).

Learning to control them isn’t hard, and can be mastered quickly: the default controls include a single touch to play/pause your music; a double touch plays the next song or answers/ends a call; a triple touch plays the previous track; and a touch and hold activates your preset feature, which by default switches between ambient and noise cancellation modes.

That last command can be customized, but you’ll need the Samsung Wearable app to do so.

Overall, they’re surprisingly comfortable to wear for extended periods of time and don’t suffer from pressure build up thanks to the external vent, but because of the way they jut out of your ear, they aren’t the most attractive-looking earbuds or very comfortable to wear in bed.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: features and noise cancellation

The two big marquee features of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are its active noise cancellation and IPX7 waterproofing, the highest rating so far for Samsung earbuds.

Up to this point, Samsung’s earbuds have only been IPX2 or IPX4 water-resistant. That meant that they were good for a few drops of rain or a bit of sweat, but they weren’t the kind of things you’d want to have around you during intense workouts.

With IPX7 certification, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are protected against fresh water immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of up to one meter. i.e. if they fall into the bathtub for a minute or you want to clean them under some running water you won’t have to worry about them. It’s a big step up for Samsung, and rivals the highest standards of other earbuds.

So how good is that noise cancellation? Well, it’s good… for Samsung. The three built-in microphones definitely help the Galaxy Buds Pro do a better job of keeping out noise than the Galaxy Buds Live, but they’re not better at noise cancellation than, say, the best buds from Sony (read our Sony WF-1000XM4 review for more) or most flagship over-ear headphones with ANC.

Just wearing them around the house for a few days, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro were able to drastically reduce the sounds of loud air purifiers and humidifiers, but didn’t stand a chance when someone else in the house was playing music. They’re good enough that you won’t be able to hear nearby conversations in another room, but anything louder than someone speaking will be audible through the ANC.

The flip side of active noise cancellation is audio amplification – also known as audio passthrough – that can be accessed by pressing and holding the touch capacitive panel. The Galaxy Buds Pro can take outside audio and pipe it into your ears, amplifying sound by as much as 20db, making them convenient to wear in airplane terminals while waiting for your flight to be called over the PA system or at the deli counter.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro also has a few Samsung-specific features worth calling attention to. there’s a hands-free Bixby mode, which works exactly like you’d expect, and a Find My Earbuds feature powered by SmartThings Find.

SmartThings Find, located inside the SmartThings app, can show you a map of where your devices are, even when they’re offline and disconnected from Bluetooth. That should give you peace of mind should they ever get stolen and, at the very least, help you track them down if you can’t remember where you left them.

Last but not least, if you have multiple Galaxy products, you can switch devices seamlessly with the Buds Pro thanks to an Auto Switch feature. Say, for example, you listen to music via your Galaxy Tab S7 Plus and receive calls via your Samsung Galaxy S20 – Auto Switch, means the earphones can be used automatically for the phone call, and connect themselves back to the tablet after the call. It’s a bit of a niche feature, but it’s nice all the same.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: audio performance

The Samsung Galaxy Buds aren’t designed exclusively by Samsung – audio manufacturer AKG, a subsidiary of Harman (which is, in fact, a subsidiary of Samsung) – also helped tune these headphones to get the EQ just right.

Well, the Buds Pro do have balanced sound quality that doesn’t skew too sibilant in the trebles or too bloated in the bass, which we really like, but they are missing some clarity in the mids and highs, and have a smaller, isolated soundstage. The flat sound is really centered and not nearly as rich as we’d like it to be.

In plain language it means that you’ll be able to hear both the smooth bass lines in a song like Hotel California by The Eagles as well as the hi-hats, but the sounds will only have left-right directionality. The result is a workman-like representation of the audio that pleases, but doesn’t quite wow you like some higher-end earbuds would.

Thankfully, if you’re the kind of person who likes to tweak the EQ of your Buds, the Samsung Wearable app does allow you to go in and tweak the sound however you like (we actually quite liked the Dynamic setting) but none of them offer a wider, fuller soundstage. That said Samsung‘s 360 Audio support means you can listen to any track in virtual surround sound, much like the Airpods Pro offer Spatial Audio.

Worse, if you’re not using a Samsung Galaxy device, the sound will be transmitted over SBC or AAC, both of which are lossy codecs. That means there’s a marked difference using them with Samsung’s Scalable Codec devices – check out our Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G review – and a device that uses SBC, like the Google Pixel 3.

While that is another advantage the headphones have for Samsung smartphone owners, it really puts the earbuds in a bind when it comes to other platforms. Had Samsung also licensed aptX HD from Qualcomm or utilized the newer Bluetooth LE codec, you’d have more widespread HD support, but we suppose some UHQ audio support is better than none.

When talking to friends and family, they said we sounded fine while using the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, though they thought we sounded a bit clearer using our smartphone’s built-in microphone instead. That’s not a knock against the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro – as most earbuds don’t sound as good as a smartphone’s microphone – but it does mean you should be slightly cautious of buying these exclusively for taking phone calls.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: battery life and connectivity

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro’s battery life is good for active noise-cancelling earbuds, but a real step down from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus that offered 11 hours of playback time on a single charge. Still, you’re getting ANC here and Bixby, and they’re both power hogs.

Samsung promises five hours of listening pleasure on one cycle, after which the charging case can provide an additional 13 hours if you have ANC turned on. If you turn it off the buds will last seven to eight hours, and you can get upwards of 20 hours of battery from the case.

In real-world testing, we found that the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro lasted about three days of constant use (more than five hours of listening a day) or a bit less than a week when we were only listening to them in our free time (three-ish hours a day).

If you ever find yourself without juice, the Galaxy Buds Pro supports fast charging and within five minutes on the charger there should be enough battery available for one hour of playback. Fast charging takes place via the USB-C port, but wireless charging is also possible, although it’s a bit slower.

So how does this stack up against other earbuds? It’s fairly competitive. The Sony WF-SP800N we mentioned earlier provides about nine hours of battery life via the earbuds and has another nine in the case, while the Jabra Elite 75t are good for eight hours of playback with 20 more hours of charge inside the case. It’s a close race with no clear winners.

Buy them if…

You’re a ride-or-die Samsung Galaxy fan If you live, breath, eat and sleep with your Samsung Galaxy phone, there should be nothing to dissuade you from buying the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.

You’ve accidentally soaked earbuds in the past If you’ve ruined a pair of earbuds because they didn’t have water resistance, then you should seriously consider the IPX7-rated Galaxy Buds Pro. They’re good for rain and sweat, and should be able to keep up with the most intrepid of outdoor explorers.

You’ve been known to misplace your earbuds It’s not going to be a selling point for most folks, but if you’re the kind of person who’s been known to lose your earbuds, the SmartThings Find function is extremely helpful. It shows where the earbuds are – both left and right buds – regardless of whether they’re on or off.

Don’t buy them if.

You want – or even need – some peace and quiet Noise cancellation really isn’t the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro’s strong suit. What they offer is solid noise reduction but it’s never going to be absolutely silent while you’ve got them on.

You want engrossing sound quality We have to give some props to AKG on the tuning of these headphones – they’re nicely balanced and quite comfortable to listen to. That said, the sound quality isn’t really engrossing. It’s lacking in details and the soundstage is too limited.

You’re used to using Google Assistant or Siri For now, it seems the only Smart assistant the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro supports is Bixby. That means, if you’re tapped into the Google or Apple ecosphere of products, you won’t be able to control them with a hands-free assistant. That’s not a deal-breaker on its own, obviously, but it might just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for you.

Also consider

Not convinced by our Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review? We’ve selected three more pairs of true wireless earbuds for you to consider.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro If you want the best possible buds for your Samsung phone and have a little more money to spare, get the latest Buds 2 Pro. They’re smaller, more comfortable and have better sensors, which improves noise cancellation. Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review

Apple Airpods Pro If you’re more of an iPhone fan, you’ll be better off with the Airpods Pro or the Airpods Pro 2. They offer excellent integration with iOS devices, Spatial Audio support, and decent noise cancellation. Read our full Apple Airpods Pro review

Sony WF-1000XM4 The Sony WF-1000XM4 are our pick for the best true wireless earbuds you can buy today, offering excellent sound quality, good noise cancellation, and a ton of quality-of-life features. Read our full Sony WF-1000XM4 review

The Best Wireless Earbuds of 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Apple Airpods Pro (2nd Gen)

Apple’s updated Airpods Pro may look the same, but features like Adaptive Transparency and next-gen noise canceling make them the best buds around. Read

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

The Bose QuietComfort II Earbuds have the best active noise canceling we’ve ever heard, but aren’t the best for making calls. Read

Jabra Elite 7 Active

Jabra’s Elite 7 Active provide a stable fit, sporty performance, and great features, from solid ANC and multipoint pairing to rugged waterproofing. Read

Anker Soundcore Space A40

The Soundcore Space A40 set a new mark for earbuds under 100 thanks to great sound and noise canceling that outperforms many pricier options. Read

Sony WF-1000XM4

Sony’s flagship wireless earbuds aren’t cheap, but they offer gorgeous sound, incredible battery life, and excellent noise canceling. Read

Cons

Great earbuds have never been more plentiful or more affordable. Right now, our top pick for the best earbuds of 2023 is Apple’s Airpods Pro (2nd gen) (available at Amazon for 199.00). These buds offer some of the best noise canceling we’ve ever heard, great audio performance, and a game-changing transparency mode.

The important caveat is that you really need to be on an Apple device to get the most out of them. Luckily, we’ve evaluated plenty of other excellent in-ear wireless headphones from Sony, Jabra, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser, and more in both real-world scenarios and lab tests. No matter your needs, there’s a great pair of earbuds here for you.

The Apple Airpods Pro (2nd generation) deliver significant upgrades to noise canceling, transparency mode, and sound.

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, Adaptive Transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 6 hours with ANC (up to 7 without), up to 31 hours with the case

The Airpods Pro 2 represent a huge upgrade over the groundbreaking Airpods Pro. They may not look much different, but the battery life, sound, and noise canceling have all vastly improved.

The new noise canceling is the second-best we’ve seen in a pair of earbuds, beat only by Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II. Both of them beat out even high-end over-ear options like Sony’s WH-1000XM5.

Apple’s Adaptive Transparency mode is also a huge benefit. Clear and natural-sounding, it can also help block out loud noises nearby, reducing them to 85dB in real time. (Please note that they’re no substitute for proper ear protection in loud environments.)

On top of that, you get better call quality and better audio (particularly the bass) in the same tiny package. The wireless charging case now also boasts a speaker. If you lose your earbuds, the Find My app can make them emit a sound so you can find them.

Every set of earbuds has its downsides. We wish Apple equipped these with better battery life. We’d love more control over audio features like EQ and ANC. We’d also love it if non-Apple platforms had any kind of app or settings menu.

Still, most of those complaints are minor in the face of the features on offer. As long as you’re in Apple’s ecosystem (and can afford it), the Airpods Pro (2nd Gen) retain their predecessors’ title as the best earbuds you can buy.

Cons

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II offer the best noise canceling we’ve ever heard.

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, Adaptive Transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 6 hours with ANC, up to 24 hours with the case

Of everything on the market, nothing beats the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for pure ANC performance—not even our best-overall Airpods Pro 2. Like many noise-canceling headphones, they’re great at wiping out airplane noise, air conditioning, and other drones. But they’re also uniquely effective at more complicated, midrange sounds like crowd chatter.

The sound performance is solid, and bolstered by a 3-Band EQ in the app. There are more fine-tuned EQs out there, but it’s helpful in taming some of the harsher frequencies. The app also lets you customize the touch controls. You can cycle through track navigation, volume, ANC mode switching, and voice assistant activation.

Our biggest frustration here is phone call quality. Background noises like traffic, or even a light breeze, can become mighty roars that drown out your voice on the other end of the phone. We’d also love to see a stronger active transparency mode, like the Airpods Pro 2, and a few more customization options.

Still, this is the absolute top tier for noise canceling right now, making it the go-to set if that’s your highest priority.

Cons

The Jabra Elite 7 Active are great for working out, and so much more.

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IP57
• Battery life: Up to 8 hours with ANC, 35 hours with the case

The Jabra Elite 7 Active are great wireless earphones for just about anyone. But their nimble design and stable fit make them particularly great for earbuds for working out. Their hearty, IP57-rated dust and water resistance even lets you safely rinse them off after a workout.

In addition to rugged portability, they’re loaded with features. A finder function makes sure you won’t lose track of them. Transparency mode lets you hear the world around you, and mid-level noise canceling lets you block it out. They even have multipoint pairing, a rarity at this price, giving them some versatility.

The audio performance is solid, though you may want some EQ to smooth out the relatively bright sound signature. Jabra’s personalization sound test will spin up an audio profile tailored to your ears, giving you a stronger default sound profile. Jabra’s signature playback controls are intuitive and customizable, offering one of the best user experiences in the true wireless game.

The Jabra Elite 7 Active are a great pick for your workout. But their superb durability, strong performance, and well-rounded user experience make them great for so much more. If you prefer slightly improved call quality, the Elite 7 Pro are nearly identical, but lose the grippy exterior in exchange for a better phone experience.

Either way, you’ll be getting a great pair of durable earbuds, armed for virtually any scenario you can throw at them.

Cons

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds deliver the best ANC performance you can get for under 100.

• Battery life: 10 hours, up to 50 with the case
• Ambient sound modes: Adaptive ANC, Transparency mode
• Dust/water resistance: IPX4 rating

Anker has been leading the charge with phenomenal, inexpensive noise-canceling headphones for the past few years. The Soundcore Space A40 is its best offering yet. The ANC is at least as good as earbuds well above their price point.

The noise canceling here dispatches constant drones and hums as well as you’d expect. However, it punches well above its weight when dealing with more complicated sounds like crowd chatter. It may not wipe the noise out completely, but you won’t have to turn the music up very high to finish the job.

As a little bonus, there are also two transparency modes. One lets voices through if you need to talk to people around you but want to remain otherwise unbothered. The other, full-range option lets everything through.

The sound profile is solid overall, but not exceptional. The good news is that tweaking it is easy. An 8-Band EQ lets you tailor the sound to your liking, and the HearID Sound feature will profile your ears and generate a custom EQ curve that’s typically much better. The Anker Soundcore Space A40 also support hi-res audio and LDAC.

Controls like voice assistant activation, ambient sound mode tweaks, volume, and track controls are all fully customizable. You can assign them to taps and swipes of the earbuds, or leave them off entirely.

Throw wireless case charging on top of the features pile, and the Anker Space A40 set a new standard for earbuds performance at their low price point.

Other Top Wireless Earbuds We Tested

Sony’s WF-1000XM4 are the in-ear cousin of their WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones. They offer similarly powerful noise-canceling, sound quality, and design. They’re serious players in the earbud world—with a serious price, to match.

It’s hard to find earbuds with better sound, at once smooth and rich with detail. That sweet sound is boosted further by the powerful noise canceling, giving you plenty of clarity in your audio.

In Sony’s Headphones Connect app, you can adjust the 5-Band EQ and several other settings. There’s even a feature to automatically switch between noise canceling and ambient audio based on your routines and locations. The touch controls are minimal—swapping in a fresh feature means losing volume control—but you do have some adjustability.

Even after a couple years, the WF-1000XM4 are still among the best earbuds you can buy.

Cons

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 5.5 hours with ANC (7 without), up to 25 hours with the case

Jabra’s Elite 85t have been around our list for some time now, and while the competition’s gotten stiffer, their price keeps getting lower.

These buds are brilliantly balanced. Their great sound is bolstered by strong active noise canceling, easy tap controls, and plenty of other features. They work well with Android and iPhone alike.

The 85t are exceptionally comfortable for in-ear headphones. even over long stretches of time. They may not fit as securely as more streamlined pairs, but with the right size tips, you can still get a secure seal without plugging up your ears.

Jabra’s excellent Sound app lets you customize the controls, the noise canceling, and the incredibly natural-sounding transparency mode. The physical controls are buttons that are easy to press with gloves on. You also get auto-pause, multipoint connection, and a wireless charging case.

The 85t’s 7 hours of battery life are decent, but not exactly cutting-edge. Additionally, only the right earbud can be used on its own. If you want mono sound due to hearing loss in one ear, that could be a serious limitation.

That said, they still sound great after all these years, have excellent noise canceling, and potent usability in most other respects. This is still a solid set of earbuds.

Pros

• Outstanding features and design
• Rich, balanced sound
• Impressive noise canceling

Cons

• Ambient sound modes: Active noise canceling, Transparency mode
• Water resistance: IPX7
• Battery life: Up to 5 hours with ANC (8 without), up to 30 hours with charging case

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are the natural complement to Android devices, particularly Samsung Galaxy phones. The audio presets are all strong, and the ANC has been improved over earlier Galaxy Buds. It’s better-equipped to deal with low drone sounds and modestly improved with midrange sounds like keyboard clicks or nearby conversations.

The design is smaller than the Galaxy Buds Pro by 15 percent, giving them a slimmer profile when worn. Their fit is solid, and with IPX7 water resistance they’re a good workout solution. Samsung has also changed to a matte finish over the gloss over previous iterations, which is a look we prefer.

There are plenty of compelling features, but most of them are exclusive to Android devices. Apple users will miss out on Auto Switch, Easy Pair, Bixby voice control 360 spatial audio, and 24-bit high-res audio. They have an underwhelming 5-hour battery life, but fortunately they can give you another hour of listening with just a five-minute charge in their case.

For anyone entrenched in the Samsung (or Android) ecosystem, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro deliver a package that’s hard to beat.

Cons

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Water resistance: IP57
• Battery life: 6-7 hours with ANC, 28 hours with the case

A strong contender in the value space, the Jabra Elite 4 earbuds offer a little bit of everything. They blend good sound, good features, and sporty design at one of the lowest price points available for a pair this feature-rich.

Jabra’s added their typical thoughtfulness for workout features. You get a snug fit, transparency mode for jogging safety, and strong water and dust resistance. Of course, if you want to just wear them while gardening, you can do that, too. They may not compete against the top tier, but they’re phenomenal for their price class.

In that price class, you lose some features. There’s no auto-pause when you remove the earbuds, and no wireless charging case. Android users at least get extras like Google Fast Pair and one-tap Spotify access. Everyone gets a 5-Band EQ, customizable controls, an earbuds finder, and more.

Jabra’s Elite 4 offers great all-around performance for a good value. They’re a great all-around set for a reasonable price, and they’re especially effective as a workout companion.

Cons

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: ~5.5 hours with ANC (7 without), up to 28 hours with the case

Sennheiser’s Momentum TW 3 earbuds deliver awe-inspiring Sennheiser sound with a reworked noise cancellation that’s responsive and powerful enough to hold its own.

The TW3’s soundstage is brighter, clever, and with more definition. A three-Band EQ allows a little room for adjustment, as well. The controls can be customized, the case charges wirelessly, and you get features like auto-pause and the ability to use one earbud at a time. They also support advanced audio codecs like aptX Adaptive and AAC for improved sound for Android or iPhone respectively.

Sporty, comfy, and with a wide range of ear tips and fins, they offer a great fit. They may not be the greatest to run with, but they’ll work in a pinch for most activities. They’re also reasonably priced, Their new design makes them sportier and comfier thanks to multiple ear tips and fins to keep them tight in your ear. They may not be your go-to running buds, but they’ll work in a pinch for most any activity.

Downsides include a slightly bulky charging case, and a lack of features like an earbuds finder or multipoint connection. They’re also not as comfortable for us as semi-open pairs like Jabra’s Elite 85t.

Still, in all, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds combine top-notch audio quality, impressive noise cancellation, and good features for a strong listening experience.

Cons

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 6 hours with ANC (7 without), up to 27 hours with the case

When the Beats Fit Pro originally released, they represented a chance to get some big improvements on the Airpods Pro at a lower price. Since the release of the 2nd-Gen Airpods Pro, though, the choice between the two has become a little more complicated.

Starting at 200, the Fit Pro still have the price edge on the Airpods Pro 2’s list price, and their rubbery fins help them offer a more secure fit. The fact that the Beats app is available on Android devices gives them some important platform versatility, too.

Of course, they’re still best on iOS, where you get iCloud/Music Sharing, Hands-Free Siri, Spatial Audio with Dynamic Head Tracking, and Find My tracking so you won’t lose them.

They do show their age in some ways. They’re not the greatest when voice calling in windy environments, and they can be finicky on Android devices. They’re also missing some features you’d expect at this price. Shelling out an extra 50 for the Airpods Pro 2 gets you a wireless charging case, stronger noise cancellation, and a few more modern features.

Still, if you don’t want to shell out for the newer Airpods Pro but do want something tailored for Apple devices, the Beats Fit Pro are a solid wireless earbuds option for iPhone.

Cons

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 7 hours with ANC (up to 11 without), up to 31 hours with the case

With the Pixel Buds Pro, Google’s finally delivered a solid set of earbuds. With better sound and battery life, and solid ANC and transparency mode, this is the mega-brand’s best headset.

The big draw here is the addition of ambient sound modes (noise canceling and transparency). They won’t compete with top-tier Apple or Bose earbuds, but they hold their own in their class and price point.

The sound signature is stylized rather than neutral, and could use more presence in the midrange. However, there’s clear treble and a rich, thunderous bass. The call quality is solid, and the mic is good at blocking out some environmental noise.

One of the standouts is the physical design. The Pixel Buds Pro feel hefty but not burdensome, with a comfortable fit. The controls are responsive and easy to use. Android users get great features like “Hey, Google” support, Google Fast Pair, and multipoint pairing.

While not stellar for iPhone users, Android fans and particularly Pixel phone users may find them worth a look. With excellent style, good usability, and solid features, they’re a good entry into the earbuds space.

How We Test Wireless Earbuds

True wireless earbuds all come with two individual buds—no wires between them—and a charging case.

We test a wide variety of earbud factors and features, in both real-world and laboratory settings. Some of the things we examine include sound quality, battery life, fit and comfort, controls and ease of use, wireless range, and sound isolation.

We collect data and perform A/B testing on max volume, passive and active noise attenuation (including active noise cancellation), and how well each earbud blocked outside and background noise. We use all the earbuds extensively, testing tracks in genres as varied as classical hip-hop, rock, jazz, and more.

We also test them in real life situations, both in deliberate tests and in day to day use. We consider their sweat-proofing, and how comfortable they are to wear over short and long periods. We consider the battery life, the microphone quality, and the strength of the Bluetooth connection. (How far does it reach, and how well can it handle obstacles like doors and walls?)

If there’s one thing you can’t do when testing a new product, it’s assess the durability. However, we circle back to many of these headphones over time. As firmware updates offer new features or as time tests our favorite pairs, we update our reviews accordingly.

We also look at customer reviews for any durability issues, but while we may note those in reviews, we don’t factor them into our scoring without experiencing them firsthand.

How to Choose the Best Wireless Earbuds

There are plenty of high-quality pairs of wireless earbuds available on the market today, and also some duds out there. Figuring out which features you care about most before you buy can increase your chances of buying a pair that you feel great about.

Battery Life

In our testing, the average battery life (without enabling the noise canceling feature) seemed to be around 9 hours. However, some earbuds, like the Airpods Pro 2, only last up to 6 hours. If you use your headphones for extended periods of time, then battery life will be important consideration. Finding a wireless charging case can add convenience for quick, easy charging on the go.

Dust and Water Resistance

All of the headphones featured here are water resistant or waterproof earbuds to varying degrees. The “IP” rating tells you how much protection they offer.

When you see “IP” followed by two numbers, the first number communicates dust resistance, while the second is for water resistance. Dust resistance in earbuds ranges from X (none) to a high of 5 or 6.

Water resistance varies, too. A water resistance score of 4 means the headphones can withstand splashes from any direction. A score of 7 means they can be fully submerged in one meter of freshwater for 30 minutes.

IPX4 has no dust resistance and splash resistance, while IP67 is about the most robust protection from the elements you can find in a set of earbuds.

Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode

Active noise canceling is an increasingly common feature for drowning out background noise. It’s great for transit, the gym, the office, and more. Most of our favorite wireless earbuds include ANC, and we even have a specific guide to the best noise-canceling headphones we’ve tested.

Transparency mode help keep you aware of your surroundings by letting environmental sound pass through. The two features together make modern earbuds very versatile.

Price

Budget is always a major consideration when shopping for a new set of earbuds. The price for each pair here typically ranges between 100 to 250. If you’re looking for a set of quality wireless earbuds on a budget, we recommend checking out our guide to the Best True Wireless Earbuds Under 100.

Meet the testers

Lee was Reviewed’s point person for most television and home theater products from 2012 until early 2022. Lee received Level II certification in TV calibration from the Imaging Science Foundation in 2013. As Editor of the Home Theater vertical, Lee oversaw reviews of TVs, monitors, soundbars, and Bluetooth speakers. He also reviewed headphones, and has a background in music performance.

John is Reviewed’s Managing Editor of Tech. He is an ISF Level III-certified calibrator with bylines at ProjectorCentral, Wirecutter, IGN, Home Theater Review, T3, Sound Vision, and Home Theater Magazine. When away from the Reviewed office, he is a sound editor for film and musician, and loves to play games with his son.

Michael Garrett Steele has been writing and editing professionally since 2013, and has been a part of Reviewed since 2020. An MFA in music composition, Garrett has lent audio expertise to everyone from Independence Community College to Bethesda Softworks, informing reviews of audio equipment and services. Garrett also covers tech, drawing on experience working everywhere from IT helpdesks to enterprise architecture sales. Steele has also become a go-to reviewer for minor plumbing fixtures since covering bidets for Reviewed in early 2020.

Former Managing Editor. Electronics

Hailing originally from Montana, Ryan parlayed his time working as a musician and audio engineer into a career in digital media in 2012. Since then he’s had extensive experience as a writer and editor, including everything from op-eds and features to reviews on TVs, audio gear, Smart home devices, and more.

Nick Woodard is a tech journalist specializing in all things related to home theater and A/V. His background includes a solid foundation as a sports writer for multiple daily newspapers, and he enjoys hiking and mountain biking in his spare time.

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you’re confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we’ll compare notes.