How we rate the Best Wireless Earbuds
Saying the first generation of wireless earbuds was a disappointment is a gross understatement. These buds were faced with so many challenges, and the biggest one of them was the poor connection between them and the audio gadgets, which made the entire experience too much of a struggle. The best thing that came out of these earbuds is that they laid the foundation upon which the new generation of true wireless earbuds will flourish.
The Bluetooth tech has grown tremendously while the audio drivers have also seen a massive improvement. This has resulted not just in better wireless connection but also on deeper and richer sounds. As of today, we have hundreds of wireless earbuds in the market, some of which are competing up there with the best high-end headphones.
This means that the problem is no longer on whether true wireless earbuds are worth your time and dime but rather which is the best wireless earbud that you can get within your budget? To answer this question, we’ve prepared a sample of some of the best wireless earbuds in the market today. This list features the top performers in our rigorous tests where we tried the earbuds for audio quality, comfort, their ability to stay fit in the ears, battery life, and overall performance. In the end, we came up with the following wireless earbuds that we believe offer the best features.
1. Jabra Elite Active 65T Alexa Enabled True Wireless Sports Earbuds
At the top of the list is the $189 Jabra Elite Active 65T Earbuds. Now, it doesn’t matter how much money you have to splash around, but if you are going to spend close to $200 on a pair of tiny earbuds, then they better be able to sort all your issues as far as music entertainment and making a call is concerned. And guess what, the Jabra Elite earbuds have done precisely that.
These earbuds are fitted with Bluetooth 5.0, which means that connection will be the least of your worries. And then we have the speakers themselves which are nothing short of brilliant. Expect to receive crystal clear audio through these earbuds. The drivers are engineered to offer just the right balance between bass and the highs. This works to ensure that you receive your music as it is with absolutely no downgrade in quality. In case you’re the kind of person who needs a bit more bass or treble in audio be it permanently or temporarily then you can take advantage of the Jabra Sound+ app to play around with the equalizer.
The active in the name of these earbuds stand for an active lifestyle because that’s exactly what these earbuds will support. If you always kick start your day on a treadmill in your garage, and you don’t want to shake the whole house with your $1000+ Soundbar then you can use the Jabra Elite Active 65T. These will give you the entertainment you need without experiencing the inconvenience that is sloppy earbuds. This has been achieved by the snug and secure fit designing of the earbuds that allow them to stay put in your ears as you push your body beyond its fitness limits. Of course, when this is going on a lot of sweating is bound to happen, and this is yet another department that these earbuds have you covered; the buds are IP56 rated which means that they are water and dust resistant.
The earbuds also pack a couple of sensors, including motion sensors that track your fitness.
When the earbuds are fully charged, you will get talk and music time of up to 5 hours. This is extended further to 15 hours by the included charging case. It’s also worth noting that 15 minutes of charge is enough to see you through 1.5 hours of use.
The Jabra Elite Active 65T serves you with all the three popular voice commands i.e., Google Assistant, Sir and Alexa. It all comes down to your preference.
Other Features
- 4-microphone tech
- IP56 rating
- Rapid charge
- Accelerometer’
- Customizable equalizer
Verdict: An almost $200 asking price comes with lots of expectation, but the Jabra Elite Active 65T has proved that it is indeed worth it. We loved the audio quality, and the ability to interact with the equalizer was also highly welcomed. They are also weatherproof, and their snug nature makes them more than ideal for an active lifestyle.
2. Apple Airpods
Everyone knows about Apple Airpods and their crazy price tag, but not a lot of people know what exactly it is they have to offer.
First of all, Apple Airpods are perhaps the best smart airpods in the market. These buds feature modern technology with various sensors which boost their performance significantly while also making them very easy to use on a day-to-day basis.
The Airpods are fitted with motion sensors that are quick to detect whenever they are taken off. This will then pause your music automatically. As a result, you get to save your battery, and the second you put them back on your music will automatically come on.
Another department where the AirPods outshine their competitors is on range, which is a staggering 100 feet! This is quite a lot, and of course, you need to make sure that obstructions minimized for a better connection. The fun part about having a range this big is that you don’t have to be carrying your phone to use them. You could easily have your iPhone charging in the living room as you make some sandwich in the kitchen while enjoying some pop music on your AirPods.
You’ll also enjoy the presence of Siri voice commands and the convenience that it comes with.
In audio quality, AirPods are not the best you can get, but by no means are they useless. We just found the quality not as premium as we’d expected from high-end earbuds made by a company such as Apple.
In terms of battery life, Apple AirPods gives you 5 hours of talk and music time, which is slightly less than what our top pick offers. On the bright side, the charging case gives you up to 24 hours of talk time before you are forced to recharge the case.
One challenge that some people face with the AirPods is getting them to fit correctly in the ears.
Other Features
- Lightning connector
- Over 24-hours battery life through the charging case
- Dual optical sensors
- Motion accelerometer
- Dual beamforming microphones
- 100 feet range
Verdict: Apple Airpods are costly ($200), but they do perform pretty well thanks to a collection of excellent audio drivers, beamforming microphones and a variety of sensors that make using them a breeze.
3. Samsung Galaxy Buds
Samsung Galaxy Buds offer premium sound with superb bass thanks to engineering genius from AKG. This makes sure that music passing through your ears is perfectly balanced for optimal enjoyment.
The earbuds are also packed with a dozen other features that make them one of the best earbuds of 2019. This includes Ambient Aware, a unique feature that allows you to control how much external noise is getting through to your ears. This comes in very handy, especially when you want to communicate with someone, but you don’t want to remove the earbuds completely. The mode is also useful especially when you are outdoors in a place where you need to be aware of your surroundings e.g., in not-so-safe public spaces and in traffic or any other place where your attention may be drawn.
To make sure that the buds fit perfectly, Samsung has designed the ear tip and wingtips to be adjustable. Everyone should be able to make the pair fit in their ears without any issues of discomfort or falling buds.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds offer 6 hours of talk time when fully charged. The storage casing also doubles up as a charging case, and this will offer an additional 7 hours to the buds. Therefore, Samsung Galaxy Buds offer the best battery life on a single charge as compared to the two earbuds discussed above, but it comes last when the charging case is taken into account.
Other Features
- Quick Ambient Mode
- Compatible with Android and iOS
- Splash resistant
- Three adjustable ear tip
- Works with Siri when used in iOS
Verdict: Samsung Galaxy Buds are the most affordable of the three earbuds. These buds look, feel, and sound like premium gadgets. For around $128, you get unparalleled performance in terms of audio quality, comfort, and compatibility, and that’s exactly why they earned a spot in our list.