What are the best sounding earbuds? In-ear headphones, commonly known as earbuds, have made great strides in recent years in terms of sound quality, making them a competitive option compared to even larger counterparts. where traditional over-the-ear headphones still deliver the ultimate audio experience.
So, let’s take a look at 8 of the best earbuds on the market right now in terms of sound quality to find the answer to the question what are the best sounding earbuds? Naturally, the sound quality improves with the price, but we were able to find some affordable trinkets on our list that sound great and won’t cost you.
Let’s quickly review the things to think about when trying to buy a good-sounding set of headphones before moving on to the reviews.
What Are The Best Sounding Earbuds? Buying Guides
Usage
This is the first thing you have to think about when looking for the answer to what are the best sounding earbuds. Usage will be important if you mainly intend to listen to music. Look for headphones with larger drivers and bass-boosting EQ if you like music with a lot of basses. Fans of jazz or classical music will prefer a clearer sound that emphasizes treble clarity over mids.
A set of earbuds that accentuate the mid-range frequencies will be what you’re looking for if listening to podcasts or audiobooks suits your style better.
Comfort And Fit
Look for an earbud that has a smart design that doesn’t require you to constantly adjust it and will stay securely in your ears and roof. To account for differences in ear canal sizes, most manufacturers offer a variety of different-sized tips. Manufacturers of one-size-fits-all earbuds should be avoided as they are unlikely to meet their advertising. This is an important thing when determining what are the best sounding earbuds.
Noise Isolation Capability
To answer the question what are the best sounding earbuds, you need to know who listens to good-sounding earbuds that will be able to block out background noise from detracting from your listening experience. The majority do this by passive noise isolation, which requires forming a seal through the proper fit. Make sure that the buds you buy are appreciated in this regard as some do this much better than others.
Budget
In general, the level of sound quality you get will depend on how much you have to spend. At the high end of the price range, the sound quality is the best. However, some of the cheaper models on the market – a few of which we’ve included here – beat their weight in terms of performance.
With that in mind, let’s start with a brief comparison before looking at some of the best-sounding earbuds in the entire price range to find the answer to what are the best sounding earbuds.
What Are The Best Sounding Earbuds? Top 8 Greatest Models
1. Earfun Air Pro SV
Earfun Air Pro SV is the first model in the list of what are the best sounding earbuds. They have a big, expansive sound with distinct bass and decent clarity. They offer strong noise cancellation, are lightweight and comfortable to wear, and feature a transparency mode that allows ambient sound to pass through if you need to hear your surroundings for safety.
The square shoots are visible through the small window of the box, which Earfun is emphasizing. Apart from the stem, the buds themselves resemble the AirPods Pro in shape and appearance. These buds lack a sensor that can pause your music when you remove them from your ears and resume playback when you put them back in, although the case does support wireless charging.
The IPX5 waterproof earbuds have 6 hours of battery life with noise cancellation enabled, and you can use just one if you want. Other than that, there are touch controls that work pretty well, a low-latency gaming mode, and a companion app for iOS and Android that lets you change audio settings and update the headset’s firmware.
2. Beats Fit Pro
Apple just released a new pair of headphones, this time from the Beats audio division, following the third-generation AirPods. While the $200 water-resistant Beats Fit Pro isn’t technically AirPods, they share the same technology platform. Instead of the outdated Beats Fit, the Beats Fit Pro incorporates Apple’s H1 processor and most of the AirPods Pro’s capabilities, such as active noise cancellation, spatial sound, and adaptive EQ, cheaper Studio Buds of Beats. In my opinion, they are AirPods for playing the sports you’ve always dreamed of. And for some individuals, may even perform better than AirPods Pro. It is one of the great earbuds when it comes to answering the question of what are the best sounding earbuds.
3. Beyerdynamic Free Byrd
Beyerdynamic’s over-ear wired studio headphones are hugely popular, and the relatively new DT 700 Pro X ($259) is one of them on their list of what are the best-sounding earbuds. The Free Byrd earbuds have many of the sonic characteristics of that model, including clear, accurate sound and airy, open quality. They also support AAC and AptX Adaptive (wide soundstage) audio codecs.
These in-ear headphones have an outstanding sound quality and are ranked at the top of their price range if you can achieve a tight and snug fit. Other aspects, such as the Free Byrd’s noise-canceling performance, are more in the middle of the road. However, Beyerdyanic says it paid attention to sound quality first, and that’s certainly obvious. Read our review of the Beyerdynamic Free Byrd.
4. JBL Live Free 2
Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 are two new models of JBL headphones, owned by Samsung, and they are very beautiful. Both have the same six microphones, oval silicone tips, oval tubes, and 11mm drivers. In addition, they have a host of features including multi-point Bluetooth pairing, IPX5 water-resistant rating, and wireless charging in addition to strong noise cancellation, excellent sound quality, and voice call performance.
The main difference between the two buds, aside from aesthetics (Live Pro 2 has a stem while Live Free 2 has a pill shape), is battery life. Live Pro 2 is certified for 10 hours, while the trunkless Live Free 2 is rated for up to seven hours.
The Live Free 2 is more compact and comfortable than Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro, fitting snugly in my ears. Three different colors are provided for the buds. One of the best-looking headphones on our what are the best sounding earbuds list.
5. Bowers & Wilkins PI7
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 is the company’s best-sounding headset when it comes to the topic of what are the best sounding earbuds. We’re currently the best-sounding wireless headphones at $400.
The PI7 includes several other external functions that have an excellent sound quality and noise capabilities, which can help you stop the test costing $400 for them. The wireless box turns into a transceiver, making us the first sneaky headset I’ve come across that lets you wirelessly stream audio from the case to the headphones when we’re plugged into the in-flight entertainment system.
The PI7 also enables Qualcomm aptX Adaptive wireless transmission from compatible mobile devices, which feature the aptX HD codec, enabling “transmission of altimeter analysis from limited, related streaming services such as Qobuz.”
They have 4 hours of battery life with mute enabled, an IPX54 waterjet design, four extras from the case, and are IPX54 splash resistant.
6. 1More Evo
Known for offering superior value for money, 1More recently unveiled a more expensive pair of earbuds that feature a balanced armature and 10mm dynamic drivers. For high-resolution wireless Bluetooth streaming with music services like Qobuz or Tidal that provide high-resolution music files, they support Sony’s LDAC codec.
The Evo over-ear headphones offer a wider soundstage, greater clarity, and clearer bass than the rest of the company’s in-ear headphones. In addition, they have multi-point Bluetooth pairing, wireless charging, transparency mode, and IPX4 splash-proof classification. They also have good noise cancellation. An estimated ANC reduces battery life by 5.5 hours and increases by 8 hours. 4 hours of juice are available after 15 minutes of quick charge.
While each earphone has three microphones and boasts outstanding voice calling, it’s just average in my opinion. The noise cancellation isn’t nearly as strong as what you get with certain headphones, but firmware updates should help (1More companion app is usable but also could be improved).
7. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 are one of the best new true wireless earbuds for 2022 when it comes to what are the best sounding earbuds thanks to their great sound, better noise cancellation, and voice calling functionality, also a smaller, more elegant design with stabilizing fins (so the headphones stay securely in your ears). Overall, they’re also among the top true wireless earbuds, rivaling the Sony WF-1000XM4 in terms of quality. Read our review of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3.
8. Sony LinkBuds S
In a contrast to the “open” LinkBuds, the LinkBuds S are traditional noise-isolating earbuds with tips you insert into your ears. They are more compact and lighter than Sony’s flagship WF-1000M4 and contain the V1 CPU. While they don’t quite match the WF-1000XM4’s sound and noise cancellation, they come close and are less expensive. For individuals who can handle bigger headphones like the WF-1000XM4 but want 80% to 85% of those headphones’ features and performance for $80 less, there are the Sony buds.
Conclusion
After our article, have you found the answer to the question what are the best sounding earbuds? Surely you will have a great experience with the earbuds that we recommend. What are you waiting for without buying yourself a model to enjoy great music?
