TOP 10 best true wireless earbuds for use as a headset for calls over a cellular network or in messengers. This way, you can use the left or right earbud alternately and always stay connected.
The ranking includes Bluetooth earbuds with the best microphone for use in quiet and noisy places. With comfortable active noise cancellation and transparency modes, there are earbuds with voice or head gesture control. Some wireless earbuds support translator functionality, but this feature does not work during calls.
Which Bluetooth headset for a phone is better to buy?
Learn moreWhen choosing a Bluetooth headset, consider:
- Models with one earbud or two.
- Support for active noise cancellation and transparency.
- Ambient modes work with one earbud.
- Wind resistance mode.
- Microphone noise cancellation and voice isolation.
- Voice or head gesture control.
- Microphone frequency range.
- Battery life.
- Comfort.
- Voice recorder + transcription.
- Multi-device connection.
- Translator.
Important! Focus on 1-2 key features and 2-3 additional ones. There are no models capable of fulfilling all the listed needs. Some features are limited to the manufacturer’s proprietary ecosystem. You’ll need a phone from the same brand, often a flagship model.
Models with one earbud or two. It’s better to consider true wireless models with two separate earbuds for the left and right ear. Compared to a single earbud, you can always choose which ear to wear the earbud in, use one or both earbuds at once. And with alternating use of the left and right earbud, you always stay connected. While one earbud is in use, the other is charging. And there’s no need for re-pairing the earbud.
Support for active noise cancellation and transparency. Both modes can be used depending on the surrounding environment. When it’s noisy, turn on active noise cancellation to reduce external noise. When it’s quiet, turn on transparency mode for a more natural conversation.
Ambient modes work with one earbud. Relevant when using a single earbud. For example, transparency mode compensates for the “stuffiness” of one ear.
Wind resistance mode. This option reduces noise during wind gusts. The implementation varies in each model. Often, a passive mode with automatic processing is used, or it’s achieved through the design of the earbuds themselves. Manufacturers use grilles or other covers over the microphones to reduce wind gusts.
A dedicated software mode works better, as you can always disable the option if it interferes with the conversation.
Microphone noise cancellation and voice isolation. Microphone noise cancellation reduces background noise during calls. It’s important not to confuse this with active noise cancellation – the latter is useful for the earbud owner, while microphone noise cancellation is useful for the person you’re talking to. It’s microphone noise cancellation that creates comfort for the interlocutor or interlocutors when talking to multiple people simultaneously.
The “voice isolation” function can be highlighted separately. Usually, this function is not explicitly labeled by earbud manufacturers and is considered part of microphone noise cancellation. It’s mainly found in earbuds with bone conduction sensors. The sensor picks up voice vibrations, and algorithms remove background noise. There are exceptions where complete voice isolation is achieved solely through software processing.
Voice, head gesture, or charging case button control – for true wireless. With voice control, you can answer or reject calls with a voice command. The number of voice commands is limited – English is supported. Even more convenient are head gestures: answer with a nod, reject with a shake of the head. Both methods help manage calls when your hands are busy.
Some true wireless earbuds are equipped with buttons, often touch-sensitive control surfaces. This is convenient if voice control and gestures are inconvenient or not supported.
Microphone frequency range. In most earbuds, the microphone frequency range is limited to 8 kHz. This is sufficient for voice transmission. Some earbud models transmit voice in the 16 kHz range, like the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 5. With a wider range, the voice sounds more natural. However, you’re more likely to notice the difference in messengers that don’t compress audio as much as cellular networks do.
Battery life. More is better. Energy consumption is higher in talk mode compared to music mode. This is because microphone noise cancellation is automatically used. And the higher the ambient noise, the greater the load. If you use active noise cancellation and other features like voice control, the earbud battery life drops to 2-3 hours. In MyChooz battery tests, charging usually takes up to 50 minutes. Less commonly, models take longer than 90-110 minutes to charge. Therefore, with alternating use, the earbuds will have time to recharge.
Comfort. A key parameter for prolonged use. Comfort is an individual parameter. Because everyone’s ear structure is unique, just like fingerprints. If any MyChooz author finds earbuds comfortable, another person might find them unsuitable for dozens of different reasons, or vice versa. Therefore, descriptions of comfort should always be taken as a guideline. If possible, you should try on the earbuds before buying.
Voice recorder + transcription. The voice recorder function is useful during group calls and conferences or important calls. Especially when using messengers that lack call recording functionality like the standard dialer app. And it’s not always convenient to remember the discussion of a long call.
Another useful feature is transcription, or converting voice recordings to text. This is useful for deciphering recordings and extracting key points after a conversation.
However, keep in mind that the presence of a voice recorder does not guarantee recording calls from the line or in messengers.
Multi-device connection – multipoint. Models with dual connection can be paired with two phones, a phone and a PC for easy switching between devices. This way, you don’t need to carry two separate headsets for calls with different devices. There are models with triple connection – for even more convenience.
Translator. Does not work during calls. Usually, earbuds with a translator have 2 translation modes: live and synchronous.
Synchronous translation translates as the conversation progresses. It’s unstable with fast speech, requiring 1-2 seconds for data processing after each sentence.
Live translation is sequential. First, one person speaks – it’s translated, then the second person speaks – it’s translated. The translation can be viewed on your phone or tablet via the proprietary app.
How to get high-resolution codecs in wireless earbuds: LDAC, LHDC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, etc.?
Learn moreClever phone manufacturers like Huawei, Samsung, Realme, Apple, and others do everything to pull us into their ecosystem. In the context of earbuds, this manifests as a “proprietary” codec, which is only available on a proprietary smartphone (usually the top-tier = most expensive one). Plus, additional functionality. It all boils down to a simple message: “Want maximum sound quality and maximum features? PAY!”. Huawei has L2HC 4.0, Samsung has SSC and SSC-UHQ. Among the more common ones, Realme, Oneplus, Oppo, Xiaomi use LHDC 5.0.
If your earbuds support the required codec, but your phone, tablet, or PC doesn’t, you can use a USB adapter. This device, about the size of a Bluetooth adapter, plugs into your phone or PC’s port. Then, your earbuds connect to the adapter and receive the signal with the appropriate codec.
Which adapter to choose?
- QCC Dongle Pro2 – if you want it all at once. The adapter supports: LHDC 5.0, LDAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX Lossless; LE Audio and Auracast are declared.
- FiiO Air Link – a universal adapter, just cheaper. Codec support: SBC, aptX, aptX Low Latency, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LDAC, and aptX Lossless.
- 1Mii B03Pro – a desktop option with transmitter and receiver. Supports: SBC, AAC aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX Adaptive.
- UGREEN BT701: A compact, universal option. Codec support includes Classic Bluetooth (SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive-LL, aptX Adaptive-HQ) and LE Audio (Auracast, Unicast-Low Latency, Unicast-Lossless).
- UGREEN BT501: A simplified version of the BT701. Supports SBC, aptX, aptX Low Latency, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive.
See our ranking for more details on USB adapters — Best Bluetooth Adapters for Computers and Earbuds.
EMMA — Experts + Methodology + MyChoozers + Algorithm.
Every model goes through identical tests; the score is calculated automatically with fixed weights — a spot in the rating cannot be bought.
TOP – Best Wireless Earbuds – Ranking
1. ANKER SoundCore Liberty 5 Pro 8.51Best Bluetooth Headset for Phone in 2026
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
ANKER SoundCore Liberty 5 Pro – the best Bluetooth headset for phones based on overall parameters and without being tied to the manufacturer’s ecosystem.
Available for headset use:
Features bone conduction sensor with the best voice isolation among all true wireless earbuds tested on MyChooz.
Top-tier transparency and noise cancellation modes.
Single earbud mode.
Software “wind noise protection” mode. Activated in the proprietary app.
Supports multipoint for 2-3 devices, with configurable switching methods.
Automatic transparency mode during conversations.
Voice control.
Live and synchronous translation.
- Comfortable balanced sound.
- Reference functionality.
- Comfortable fit.
- The sound is marginally better than the previous generation.
- The companion app consumes up to 1.9 GB of RAM.
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 8.25 Traditionally with a bass emphasis, although the amount of lows is smaller compared to past generations. Out of the box, the sound is not boring and not harsh. Comfortable background sound for everyday listening. Moderately detailed and natural. And pulling the score down are a lack of clarity and soundstage. This is roughly like coming to a concert and listening to the performance backstage or sitting in the very last side seats. Ordinary sound without critical flaws, moderately pleasant and melodic, particularly with EQ tuning. Liberty 5 Pro – enter the silver league of MyChooz.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 9.75 In quiet environments: 9.5 In noisy environments: 10 In quiet conditions the voice is detailed and distinct, distortion is minimal. In noisy conditions with a handheld vacuum cleaner in the background, the voice is unnatural, more processed. At the same time background noise is isolated, and speech is distinct.Read more.
Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 9.19 A strong point of the wireless earbuds and by all parameters minimally inferior to the references. The only cons are the RAM usage by the proprietary app – up to 1.9 GB, on average 1.5 GB. That is a lot, for comparison the app for Noble wireless earbuds uses approximately 110 MB.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.17 Durable and free of visible flaws, right on par with the previous generation. The wireless earbuds have less gloss and show fewer fingerprints, though the charging case screen picks up smudges much more easily. The wireless earbuds are comfortable, don’t press against your ears, and sit snugly. Both the charging case and wireless earbuds look good—I liked the design.Read more.
2. Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro 8.99Best wireless headset for Samsung phones
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro – the best wireless headset for Samsung phones, as some features only work with Samsung phones:
Wideband voice transmission – 16 kHz.
Multipoint.
Answering and rejecting calls with head gestures.
Live and synchronous translation.
With phones from other manufacturers, available in headset mode:
Microphone with bone conduction sensor. Clear voice in quiet and noisy conditions.
Reference transparency mode and top-tier active noise cancellation.
Single earbud mode is available.
Wind resistance – passive. Reduced by the earbud design.
Voice control for calls.
Automatic transparency mode. You can enable transparency boost in settings and auto-enable mode when addressed by a specific name.
- Top-tier sound, reference-grade with the proprietary SSC UHD codec.
- Includes a translator, voice assistant, spatial audio.
- Reference-grade transparency, activation by saying your name.
- The SSC UHD codec, translator, voice assistant, and spatial audio only work on Samsung flagship devices.
- No companion app for Apple.
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 9.13 A wide soundstage, cool punchy bass, prominent vocals that separate cleanly from other instruments, and gorgeous detail retrieval. The main downside of the sound is perhaps the highs, which felt slightly lacking for me in both quality and quantity. The main plus of the sound is everything else, the soundstage is absolute reference material at 10 out of 10.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 9.50 In quiet conditions: 10 In noisy conditions: 9 Gorgeous quality, it has gotten better than the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. It fell just a hair short of the Huawei reference.Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 9.25 Noise cancellation is excellent—9 out of 10, falling slightly short of the AirPods Pro 3 reference. It handles street noise, laptop hum, and PC fans well. Transparency is reference-level with a slight digital processing feel. Battery life in our tests on base codecs is 8-10 hours. Touch controls, plus voice control for the player and calls. The companion app is user-friendly and only for Android devices. Moreover, some features are only available on Samsung devices.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.25 The earbuds are very comfortable, the case is compact. After a couple of hours of use, only minor fatigue. The build is sturdy and reliable, though the finish is a fingerprint magnet. Available in 3 colors: gray, white, and rose gold. Personally, I liked the design, while parts of our team didn’t. What about you?Read more.
3. Technics EAH-AZ100 8.88Best wireless earbuds headset – with high-quality sound
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Technics EAH-AZ100 – the best wireless earbuds headset with software customization. Headset mode capabilities:
Clear microphone in calm and noisy conditions. Frequency range up to 8 kHz.
Top-tier transparency and active noise cancellation modes.
Support for single earbud operation.
Wind resistance – software-based, works passively in conjunction with other microphone software algorithms.
Voice Focus AI function with call clarity check for the interlocutor.
JustMyVoice technology to isolate voice in noisy places.
Multipoint for 3 devices.
- Reference-quality sound among true wireless earbuds
- Comfortable and pleasant build
- Average active noise cancellation
- Non-critical cons: Slight lack of vocal intimacy. Minor flaws in the app and design. Average microphone
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 9.31 Reference-quality. The main pro of the sound is its natural timbre, soundstage, detail retrieval, and highs. The main con is a slightly recessed mid-range and vocals as a result. Plus a minimal lack of bass quantity and quality.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 8.00 Got better than the AZ80. In quiet environments: 8 In noisy environments: 8Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 8.08 Active noise cancellation is enough to suppress road noise, it is better than average. Transparency is great, talking to someone will be comfortable. Battery life is excellent at 10 hours and 28 hours with the charging case, with LDAC + ANC under the same conditions — 7 and 18 hours respectively. Touch controls are convenient, but take some getting used to. The app is great, in it I recommend choosing the LDAC codec and tuning the EQ.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 9.00 Comfortable, durable, and nice-looking. As for comfort, they are comfortable, with a slight feeling of the wireless earbuds in your ears. The charging case is compact. Reliable build. IPx4 dust and water resistance for the wireless earbuds only. The wireless earbuds look nice, although nothing special.Read more.
4. Apple Airpods Pro 3 8.64Wireless Bluetooth headset with an excellent microphone for iPhone
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Apple Airpods Pro 3 – the best in-ear wireless Bluetooth headset for iPhone, as it’s limited to the proprietary ecosystem:
Voice isolation.
Head gesture control.
Frequency range up to 16 kHz, on other manufacturers’ devices – 8 kHz.
Voice recording and automatic transcription available through proprietary apps.
Automatic switching between Apple devices. Classic multipoint mode is not available.
Live and synchronous translation.
With phones from other manufacturers, the following are available:
- Near-flagship sound quality — vastly superior to the 2 Pro.
- Microphone is a benchmark
- Noise cancellation and transparency mode operate at benchmark levels.
- Controls are benchmark-level
- Battery life increased by 2 hours, reaching up to 8 hours with ANC active.
- Comfortable and sleek design
- Comfort has improved across the model line, though it won’t suit everyone.
- The app and other features work exclusively on Apple devices.
- Minor drawbacks: the case scratches very quickly.
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 8.50 With EQ tuning, you can push the score up to a 9. You get excellent sound quality on par with top models from Sony, Sennheiser, Bose, and others. The strong suit is a significant boost in detail retrieval, soundstage, and naturalness. The tuning closely resembles the AirPods Pro 2, but it’s as if the window you’re looking through has been enlarged and thoroughly cleaned. Finally, you get a sound profile you don’t have to feel ashamed of. That’s a huge leap of +1.5 points compared to the Pro 2. It still doesn’t quite reach the level of the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro, Huawei Freebuds 4 Pro, or the reference Technics EAH-AZ100, but it’s getting close.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 9.00 In quiet conditions: 10 In noisy conditions: 8 The microphone delivers simply stunning quality, setting a new benchmark. At first, I thought I had accidentally recorded sound using the iPhone instead. The “voice isolation” feature is available, which improves voice quality in noisy conditions by cutting out background sounds.Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 9.00 Active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and controls all match reference-quality. Battery life reaches up to 8 hours for the earbuds and up to 24 hours with the charging case when you turn off ANC and spatial audio. There is no app; all features are built directly into the OS, so Android users will need to configure the earbuds through third-party apps.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.43 The earbuds offer an ideal fit with zero fatigue even after 5 hours of use. However, the design won’t suit everyone, so it’s a good idea to try them on before buying. Build quality draws no complaints, just like previous generations, but the glossy plastic scratches immediately. You’re better off putting a case cover on right away. The design is minimalist with nothing extra.Read more.
- Clear microphone in quiet and noisy places. Basic software microphone noise cancellation works.
- Wind resistance – hybrid: design + software processing.
- Active noise cancellation and transparency at reference levels. Automatic transparency mode.
- Single earbud mode is available. Must be activated in Apple system settings beforehand.
5. Nothing Ear ( 3 ) 2025 8.44Best Bluetooth headset for calls – with a microphone in the case
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Nothing Ear ( 3 ) 2025 – the best Bluetooth headset for calls without strict ecosystem ties. Voice recording only via the case. Transcription only works on Nothing phones with Nothing OS 3.5+. Other functions work fully with phones from other manufacturers:
Features a bone conduction sensor, and the voice is clear in quiet and noisy environments.
Directional microphone in the case for communication in noisy environments.
Average active noise cancellation and a barely usable transparency mode.
Single earbud mode.
Wind resistance – software-based.
Dual multipoint is available.
- Top-tier sound
- Detailed microphone with excellent voice isolation
- Reference-quality proprietary app
- Average noise cancellation and transparency
- Bright sound before firmware update
- Inflated price on certain marketplaces
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 8.38 The main plus of the sound is the mids and naturalness, offering close and transparent vocals. The sound is slightly unnatural, but free of artificial timbre, paired with good, detailed bass.The main downside of the sound is bright highs. This kind of sound causes fatigue, particularly on tracks with abundant percussion. Therefore, updating the firmware is important because it makes the sound balance more pleasant.
Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 8.80 In quiet conditions: 8.6 In noisy conditions: 9 In quiet conditions, the balance drifts a bit, and noise cancellation removes background noise. At the same time, your voice is easy to understand. In noisy conditions, you get excellent voice isolation and complete noise blocking. At times your voice sounds a bit muffled, though speech is not hard to parse.Read more.
Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 8.28 Noise cancellation and transparency are barely usable, making them the weakest side of the earbuds. Playback time in our tests reaches up to 9.5 hours, and up to 38 hours with the case, taking the codec into account. You get convenient pinch controls on the earbud stem and a reference-quality app for usability and features.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.83 The earbuds are comfortable, fatigue sets in after 2 hours. The build is sturdy and reliable, with no defects. The appearance is excellent and stands out from competitors.Read more.
6. Huawei FreeBuds 5 Pro 8.21Best Bluetooth headset for Huawei phones
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Huawei FreeBuds 5 Pro – the best Bluetooth headset for Huawei phones, as some features are limited to the proprietary ecosystem:
Built-in voice recorder up to 200 minutes with text conversion. Standard online voice recorder recording is supported.
Dual-band communication 2.5-5.8 GHz with auto-switching for areas with congested airwaves.
Live and synchronous translation.
With phones from other manufacturers, the following are available:
Microphone noise cancellation – reference level. Uses bone conduction sensors with voice isolation, and the voice is clear in quiet and noisy places.
Adaptive volume function considering the environment. Automatic transparency mode is available.
Call control with head gestures.
Single earbud mode.
Top-tier active noise cancellation, with 4 operating modes. Transparency mode is slightly worse, with 3 operating modes, including voice enhancement.
Wind resistance mode – software-based, works passively.
Multipoint is available.
- Nothing in the sound is off-putting.
- Reference-level microphone.
- Good noise cancellation and an excellent transparency mode.
- Comfortable build, pleasant design.
- Third-league sound (7-8 points) at a first-league price of $200.
- Voice assistant, translator, voice recorder, hearing protection, and other proprietary features are only available on HarmonyOS devices.
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 7.21 Huawei FreeBuds 5 Pro — bass is a bit lacking, highs too, mids are pushed back, and none of these issues are critical. Listening to music is generally enjoyable, and you only start noticing flaws in the sound when doing a direct comparison with the 4 Pro or reference models like the Technics EAH-AZ100 or Noble FoKus Rex 5. The strong point of this model is probably that nothing in the sound strains you, but nothing excites you either. At $200, you expect first-league performance (9-10 points), or at least second-league (8-9). But here we get the third bronze league (7-8 points), the level of $50-100 models. If this model cost $50 — take my money, but more for the features than the sound. But $150-200… No, thanks. And yes, compared to the Huawei FreeBuds 4 Pro, this is unfortunately a step backward in sound quality.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 9.75 Quiet 9.5 Noisy 10 Microphone quality has not changed at all, top-tier level.Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 9.13 Noise cancellation is good, becoming slightly better compared to the 4 Pro. Transparency mode got 1 point better, making conversations comfortable. Battery life increased to up to 9 hours of playback and up to 38 hours with the charging case. Controls are reference-grade, featuring touch and pinch gestures. The app is good, and inside it I recommend choosing the LDAC codec and setting up the EQ using my example.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 9.33 The model is comfortable, allowing 2-3 hours of use without discomfort, and durability is excellent. The design is unique, with the case now resembling the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro and looking worse in my opinion than the 4 Pro. The earbuds themselves have become slightly nicer and more compact.Read more.
7. Huawei FreeBuds 6 8.06Best Bluetooth earbuds under $150 – for Android, with noise cancellation
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Huawei FreeBuds 6 – the best open-fit Bluetooth headset with minimal ties to the manufacturer’s ecosystem, offering live and synchronous translation. Other functions work fully with phones from other manufacturers:
Microphone noise cancellation – hybrid, with software processing and a bone conduction sensor. The microphone is clear in quiet and noisy places.
Single earbud mode.
Head gesture controls.
Active noise cancellation at the top level for open-fit earbuds, no transparency mode.
Wind resistance mode – software-based, works passively.
Dual connection.
- Best sound among open-fit earbuds.
- Reference-quality microphone.
- Good noise cancellation for open-fit earbuds.
- Overly bright sound in certain tracks.
- Non-critical: No transparency mode, L2HC 4.0 codec, and many proprietary features are available only on HarmonyOS 4.3+ Huawei devices.
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 7.98 Top-tier level like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 — just here it’s different, bright, narrow, precise. Great out-of-the-box sound. Using the LDAC codec grants a sound-quality boost of up to 20%. The main sound strengths are excellent naturalness and detail retrieval, alongside pleasant bass. Instruments and vocals sound clean, with practically no artificial sheen or coloration. The main sound flaw is a lack of soundstage size; the presentation is quite congested and narrow, leaving you wanting more space. In tracks rich in percussion or highs, the sound is harsh and frequently fatiguing. EQ tweaking is required.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 9.75 In quiet environments: 10 In noisy environments: 9.5 Reference-quality microphone among TWS models.Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 8.11 Noise cancellation is at a solid level for an open-fit design. There is no transparency mode, but even without it, you can freely chat with someone without taking off the earbuds. Battery life is excellent, reaching up to 6 hours of playback and up to 36 hours with the case. Touch controls are convenient, but take some getting used to. The app is great; I recommend selecting the LDAC codec and tuning the EQ inside it.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.17 The earbuds are barely noticeable in your ears from the first minutes of use. Only after 2 hours does mild fatigue set in. Durability is fantastic; after a year, the model looks like new. The design is quirky, but in person, it looks better than in photos.Read more.
8. Realme Buds Air 8 Pro 8.31Affordable Bluetooth true wireless headset with triple connection
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Realme Buds Air 8 Pro – an affordable Bluetooth true wireless headset for phones or PCs without manufacturer ecosystem ties:
Microphone noise cancellation – hybrid, with a bone conduction sensor. Voice is clear in quiet and noisy conditions.
Single earbud mode.
Above-average active noise cancellation, average transparency.
Wind resistance mode – software-based, activated in the proprietary app.
Triple connection.
Live and synchronous translation.
- Top-tier and engaging sound
- Live simultaneous translation, voice assistant
- Simultaneous connection to three devices
- LHDC codec does not work
- Glossy finish gets dirty quickly
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 8.25 Realme Buds Air 8 Pro are good earbuds if considered completely apart from the Realme Buds Air lineup. I liked the sound. If you view this model as a continuation of the 7 Pro series, the 8 Pro sounds worse by 0.67 out of 10. On the latest firmware 1.1.0.85 using the LHDC 5.0 codec, the 8 Pro falls short in 4 out of 6 criteria, while tying in 2. The main drops are in the mids, detail retrieval, and soundstage (-1 each). Highs lose 0.5 due to a lack of quantity, while bass and timbre remain on par with the 7 Pro.The difference in sound is significant when compared head-to-head. If you listen to the 8 Pro in solo mode, it produces great sound that you enjoy and no flaws particularly stand out. But when you start comparing, it becomes clear within the first 10 seconds that the 7 Pro is better. In the end, if you place both models on a table, I would choose the 7 Pro without hesitation. A wider soundstage, closer and more transparent vocals, more detail retrieval, and overall the 7 Pro feels like the fresher model while the 8 Pro feels like last year’s.
Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 9.50 In quiet conditions: 9 In noisy conditions: 10 The microphone has improved compared to the 7 Pro — it functions exceptionally well in noisy conditions.Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 8.60 Active noise cancellation blocks out light background noise. After turning on, transparency mode works on par with top-tier models, but after 5 seconds it sharply degrades. Battery life in our tests reached 11.5 hours and 48 hours with the case. Touch controls support 3 actions per earbud plus volume adjustment swipes. The official app includes sound and control settings, notably dynamic audio and a golden sound profile.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.00 Comfortable, the default bundled ear tips fit well. No discomfort after a couple of hours of use. Build is free of defects, with visually and tactically high-quality materials. The experience is only spoiled by the fingerprint-prone gloss. Effectively, they made a mirror finish that gets covered in smudges at the mere thought of it, requiring you to wipe it down every time. I liked the look of the earbuds and case. Available in white and black.Read more.
9. Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro 7.57Bluetooth headset with noise cancellation for Xiaomi and Redmi phones
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro – a Bluetooth headset with noise cancellation for Xiaomi and Redmi phones due to proprietary ecosystem limitations:
Microphone frequency range – 32 kHz.
Transcription.
Live and synchronous translation.
With phones from other manufacturers, the following are available:
Microphone noise cancellation – software-based. Voice is clear in quiet and noisy conditions.
Single earbud mode.
Reference-level active noise cancellation, average transparency.
Wind resistance mode – software-based, works passively.
Dual connection.
Voice recorder.
- Top-tier active noise cancellation
- Top-tier microphone in quiet conditions
- Built-in voice recorder
- Sound quality is slightly above average
- Inconvenient controls
- Translator and several other features are only available on select Xiaomi devices
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 7.25 The earbuds feature decent mids and highs, natural timbre, and detail retrieval. The main drawback of the sound signature is a heavy emphasis on the lows and a narrow soundstage. The sound is somewhat unnatural with a bass-heavy tone. This can be partially fixed using the EQ.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 7.75 In quiet conditions: 9 In noisy conditions: 6.5Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 8.00 Active noise cancellation is top-tier and falls just slightly short of reference models. The transparency mode is worse, though you can still have a conversation. Battery life in our tests reached up to 8 hours and 48 minutes for the earbuds and 42 hours with the charging case. Controls support 5 actions per earbud, executed via pinch gestures on the stem — which is inconvenient. The companion app is not overloaded with junk features and includes useful ones, such as a voice recorder.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 7.73 The earbuds are comfortable with the included ear tips. Fatigue sets in after a couple of hours. Build quality and materials are solid — though the case feels a bit “flimsy”, and the materials clearly feel cost-cut. The earbuds look good without causing any particular excitement.Read more.
10. Sony WF-1000XM5 7.98Wireless Bluetooth headset for phones with noise cancellation
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Sony WF-1000XM5 – a wireless Bluetooth headset for phones without manufacturer ecosystem ties. Available in headset mode:
Microphone noise cancellation – software-based, with a bone conduction sensor. Algorithms work aggressively in noisy places.
Call control with head gestures.
Microphone frequency range – 8 kHz.
Single earbud mode.
Top-tier active noise cancellation, reference-level transparency. Automatic transparency activation during conversations.
Wind resistance – combined: grille over the microphone and passive software processing.
Dual connection.
- Top-tier low-frequency sound
- Top-tier active noise cancellation and transparency
- Battery capacity hasn’t changed in 2 years
- Without properly fitted ear tips, noise cancellation works worse
- The bud form factor may not fit everyone
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 7.97 Bass-heavy, moderately bright, spacious, and soft. They predominate without overpowering the mids and highs. The bass is tight, pleasant, and velvety. Vocals are easily readable and require no effort; everything sounds upfront, natural, harmonious, and pleasant. High frequencies lack a bit in quantity. Detail retrieval is excellent, making every instrument easy to distinguish. The soundstage is wider than your head, and the sound is natural with no artificial timbre or grain.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 7.00 In quiet conditions: 8 In noisy conditions: 6 Good, same as in Sony WF-1000XM4, with zero sound differences.Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 8.00 Active noise cancellation is on par with top models, and with the right ear tips, these earbuds can compete with reference models. The transparency mode is convenient, making it comfortable to chat while wearing the earbuds. Battery life in our tests reached up to 10 hours with the codec enabled and 29 hours with the charging case. Touch controls offer 4 actions for the left earbud and 5 actions for the right earbud. The app is feature-rich with useful settings, though the menu structure is illogical and takes time to learn.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.00 The earbuds are comfortable, and a couple of hours without discomfort is guaranteed. That said, it is important to choose the right ear tips since the primary fit in the ears relies on them. No complaints about build quality, though the finish is a fingerprint magnet and scratches easily. The earbuds look nice, without being particularly exciting. Available in 3 colors.