The Best True Wireless Earbuds of 2020

id=”article-body” class=”row” section=”article-body”> In terms of numbers, Apple’s AirPods have dominated the market for true wireless earbuds for the past few years. But plenty of new models have come on the scene that deliver better sound and improved battery life and performance. And now there are many appealing totally wireless earbuds to choose from — with even more on the way.

We’ve got lists of the best-sounding true wireless earbuds and the best cheap true wireless earbuds. This list is, simply, the best true wireless earbuds. Remember that to get optimal performance, the best wireless earbuds tend to need to feel comfortable, with an ergonomic design, and fit right, with a tight seal. If you can’t get a snug fit with in-ear headphones, you’ll be sadly disappointed and think you got ripped off, which is why I suggest buying from a vendor with a decent return policy, such as Amazon. 

Read more: Best noise-canceling headphones of 2020

Best noise canceling

Sony WF-1000XM3

Sarah Tew/CNET Sony hasn’t been much of a player in the true wireless (AirPod-style) headphone arena, but its new WF-1000XM3 model may change that. While this pair of headphones isn’t cheap, as far as sound quality, they’re the best wireless earbuds in this price range, matching and perhaps even exceeding the quality and performance of pricier competitors from Sennheiser, Beats, Master & Dynamic and Bang & Olufsen. They also have a feature those wireless earbuds don’t have: active noise cancellation technology to reduce ambient noise.

The only drawback is the WF-1000XM3 earbuds aren’t rated as sweat-proof or waterproof headphones. That said, I’ve used them for light workouts with a bit of a sweat at the gym without a problem. They use Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC but not aptX.

Water-resistant: No (lacks IPX certification). Read our Sony WF-1000XM3 review.

$198 at Amazon $198 at Walmart $200 at Best Buy Now playing: Watch this: The best true wireless earbuds available now 10:03 Best wireless earbuds all-around

Apple AirPods Pro

Sarah Tew/CNET Even if they don’t sound as magical as you’d hope a $249 model would, the AirPods Pro still manage to be a great pair of truly wireless earphones. That’s largely due to their winning design and fit, improved bass performance, effective noise canceling and excellent call quality. Yeah, they’re expensive at $250, but the good news is you’ll use them so much you’ll probably wear the battery down — it does degrade over time and isn’t replaceable — and have to buy a new pair in 18 to 24 months if you don’t lose them first. 

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof). Read our Apple AirPods Pro review.

$249 at Apple $235 at Amazon $250 at Best Buy Best wireless earbuds sequel

Jabra Elite 75t

At first glance, the Elite 75t, which were originally supposed to cost $200 but now sell for $180 (£170 and AU$299), seem more like an evolutionary upgrade from the highly rated Elite 65t. But the updates turn out to be a little more substantial than I first thought. The Elite 75t’s smaller size (the buds and case are 20% smaller than the Elite 65t’s), their boosted battery life and USB-C charging are significant upgrades. And then there are the smaller changes, like the new charging case design with magnets inside that make it easier to open and close and to keep the buds inside. While the Elite 75t aren’t quite as comfortable to wear as the AirPods Pro and don’t have active noise canceling, they do sound better, with clearer overall sound and better bass definition, so long as you get a tight seal.

Water-resistant: Yes (IP55 rating — can withstand heavy sprays of water). Read our Jabra Elite 75t review.

$180 at Amazon $180 at Walmart $180 at Best Buy Best wireless earbuds for runners

Jaybird Vista

Sarah Tew/CNET Jaybird got off to a bumpy start in the world of true wireless — that’s “AirPod-style headphones” — when it released its Jaybird Run workout headphones back in October 2017. Updated to the wireless in-ear Jaybird Run XT earlier this year, the Jaybird Run earbuds were well designed but had some small performance issues that held them back from being great. But their wireless successor model, the Jaybird Vista (cue the Windows Vista jokes), include design, battery life and performance improvements that make them the quality product I’d hoped the Jaybird Run would be — and simply the best wireless earbuds for runners.

At $180 (£160, AU$280), this pair of sweat-proof earbuds are a little more expensive than they should be, but they’re among the better true wireless earbuds to hit the market last year. They’ll appeal to those looking for a more discreet set of totally wireless sports earbuds that feature full waterproofing.

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX7 — fully waterproof and sweat-proof). Read the Jaybird Vista review.

$160 at Jaybird Best AirPods Pro alternative

Libratone Track Air Plus

Porsche The Libratone Track Air Plus has been out for several months in Europe, but only recently went on sale in the US (it lists for $200 but it’s currently selling on Amazon for $140 with a discount coupon for $10 off). It doesn’t sound quite as open to the ear as the AirPods Pro, but the audio is a bit clearer and they have well-defined bass (you can choose between neutral, bass boost and treble settings in the companion app). The noise-canceling is also decent — maybe not quite on par with the AirPods Pro, but close. I liked the fit of these — the in-earbud stayed in my ear well (I was able to run with them) and the case is only a little bigger than the AirPods Pro’s case.

The Track Air Plus works well as a headset for making calls, and a firmware upgrade did improve headset performance. That said, the noise reduction isn’t quite as good as that of the AirPods Pro. People said they could hear me clearly and loudly, but the earphones didn’t muffle background noise quite as well as the AirPods Pro. 

These use Bluetooth 5.0 and have support for AAC and aptX. 

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — sweat-resistant and splashproof).

$140 at Amazon Souped-up Samsung buds

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus

Angela Lang/CNET Samsung’s Buds Plus look essentially the same as the original Galaxy Buds, but their battery life is rated at 11 hours for music playback (up from 6), and they pack dual drivers for better sound and an additional microphone in each bud to help with external noise reduction while making calls.

I was impressed with the sound. It’s detailed and smooth, with deep, well-defined bass. The sound is richer and more spacious than that of the original Galaxy Buds. Well-respected Austrian audio company AKG, which Samsung acquired when it bought Harman, is behind the audio. While the original Buds were also “tuned” by AKG, these are a nice upgrade over the originals — and right there with what you get with the Jabra Elite 75t, if not even a touch better. They use Bluetooth 5.0 and support for AAC (there’s now an app for iOS users) and Samsung’s scalable codec, which is similar to aptX but is proprietary to Samsung Galaxy smartphones.  

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof). Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review.

$149 at Amazon $149 at Walmart $150 at Best Buy Much cheaper AirPods Pro alternative

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2

Sarah Tew/CNET If you can’t afford the AirPods Pro, the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 are a good alternative and are a top model for making calls. Like the AirPods Pro, this pair of earbuds do a remarkably good job of muffling ambient noise (callers said they could hear me fine even with a lot of street noise around me). While they don’t have active noise canceling, they sound nearly as good, fit comfortably and their noise-isolating design passively seals out a lot of ambient noise. They cost only $100. 

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX5 rating — can withstand heavy sprays of water). Read full review.

$100 at Best Buy Best under $50

EarFun Free

Sarah Tew/CNET What’s most impressive about the EarFun Free is the features: Bluetooth 5.0, both USB-C and wireless charging and fully waterproof (IPX7), according to their specs. Do they sound fantastic? No, but these earphones sound pretty good. They don’t have the clarity of higher-end true wireless earbuds that cost $150 or more, but they do have plump bass and enough detail to avoid sounding dull. They’re also pretty solid for making calls. An excellent value for less than $50.

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX7 rating — fully waterproof). Read CNET first take.

$49 at Amazon AirPods on steroids

Beats Powerbeats Pro

Sarah Tew/CNET Yes, the Powerbeats Pro’s jumbo charging case with its built-in battery is a notable drawback. But incorporating all the features that make Apple’s AirPods great while delivering richer sound and 우아미 better battery life in a design that won’t fall out of your ear is a winning proposition. Just make sure you buy these earphones somewhere that has a good return policy, in case you’re in the small minority who have ears that aren’t quite a match for them.

They use Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC but not aptX.

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof). Read our Beats Powerbeats Pro review.

$250 at Amazon $250 at Walmart $250 at Apple Value premium sound

Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro

Sarah Tew/CNET Anker is better known for its value headphones, but it’s trying to step into more-premium territory with its Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro earbuds, which carry a list price of $150. From a design standpoint, they share some similarities with Sony’s WF-1000XM3, though this model doesn’t have active noise-cancellation. Anker says they have large 11mm drivers combined with Knowles Balanced Armature, with up to 8 hours of battery life on a single charge (32 total hours of playtime with the case) and 투데이 noise-cancellation microphones to help reduce ambient sound so callers can hear you better. They charge via USB-C and also support wireless charging.

I’m not sure they sound quite as good as the Sony WF-1000XM3, but they certainly sound like premium true wireless earphones, with rich sound that includes powerful bass performance and lots of detail. Some people may have some quibbles over the fit — I had to supply my own XL tips to get a tight seal and found the Anker’s Soundcore Liberty Air 2 a little more comfortable — but the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro are a good value. They also work very well for making calls (they do a good job reducing background sound).  

They use Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC and aptX.

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof).

$150 at Amazon Most compact — and top-notch for calls

Apple AirPods (2019)

Sarah Tew/CNET The second-generation AirPods add a couple of small but key improvements to the original, including always-on voice recognition and a wireless charging case option. They’re also a quality device for making calls, indoors and out. 

The base model remains at $159 (£159, AU$249) while the version with the wireless charging case lists for $199 (£199, AU$319). However, you can often find both models for slightly cheaper online.

Water-resistant: No (lacks IPX certification). Read our Apple AirPods 2019 review.

$139 at Amazon $159 at Apple $160 at Best Buy Impressive sound

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless

Sarah Tew/CNET At $300 (£279, AU$499), Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless are more expensive than Apple AirPods, Jabra’s Elite 65t true wireless earbuds and the Elite Active 65t and Bose SoundSport Free wireless earbuds. But they sound superior to those models, with better bass and cleaner, more detailed audio. They also feature quality performance for making phone calls, with solid noise cancellation, and offer a generally comfortable fit, though they’re bigger than the Jabras and stick out of your ear a little more. Their only significant downside is that they gradually lose their charge in the charging case and can end up completely dead after four days or so if you don’t recharge the case.

I’ve used these wireless buds in the gym, but they don’t fit quite securely enough in my ear for running. Battery life is rated at 4 hours, and you get two extra battery charges from the charging carrying case. These use Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC and aptX, and 리니지프리서버추천 a firmware update has improved their performance slightly.

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof). Read our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless review.

$210 at Amazon $219 at Walmart $300 at Best Buy Best sound under $100

1More Stylish True Wireless

Sarah Tew/CNET I don’t really know how stylish the 1More Stylish True Wireless earbuds are (yes, that’s their name), but they do sound good. With a list price of $100, they’re among the less expensive models on this list. 1More made a name for itself with its wired earbuds, the Triple Drivers, which sound great and were a good value when wired headphones were still a thing. The same clear, balanced sound is present in 1More’s first true wireless earbuds; they don’t sound as good as the Triple Drivers, but they sound very good for true wireless.

These have more of an audiophile sound profile, with more “accurate” sound, so bass lovers may be a little disappointed, but I liked them. Of course, it helped that I was able to get a tight seal with one of the included sets of ear tips. However, the stabilizer fin did nothing for me — I just jammed the tip into my ear to get a secure fit. 

Their battery life is rated at up to 6.5 hours (expect closer to 5 battery hours if you’re listening to music at higher volumes), with an extra 17 hours or so of battery life available from the charging case. These use Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC and aptX.

Water-resistant: No (lacks IPX certification). Read our 1More Stylish True Wireless review.

$100 at Walmart $100 at Amazon Audiophile sound

Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus

Sarah Tew/CNET The Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus are the second generation of the company’s MW07. They feature greatly increased battery life (10 versus 3.5 hours), Bluetooth 5.0 and active noise-cancellation with two microphones on each bud. They may not fit everyone’s ear equally well, but they certainly have a distinct look, as well as very good sound and a great listening experience if you can get a tight seal. These in-ear headphones are known for more of an audiophile sound profile, with smooth, well-balanced sound and well-defined bass. 

Available in four color options, for $299, these wireless earbuds include a swanky chrome charging case that comes with a secondary pouch for safekeeping (yes, the case can get scratched up if you leave it in a bag). The case, with its built-in chargeable battery, gives you an additional three charges (it charges via USB-C). These have support for AAC and aptX and 리니지프리서버추천 have an extended range of more than 20 meters, according to Master & Dynamic.

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX5 rating — withstands sustained spray).

$299 at Amazon More headphones

Best cheap true wireless earphones

Best headphones for running in 2020

Best over-ear headphones

Best AirPod Pro alternatives that cost less

Originally published last year. Updated as we review new products.

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