How do we rate the Best Earbuds?

Earbuds offer an incredible opportunity to enjoy high-quality music from virtually anywhere in the world. Even though most earbuds don’t match the quality and overall performance of top-tier headphones, they still perform relatively well plus they are less bulky, more affordable and offer excellent flexibility. This shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that all headphones are better than earbuds. That’s not correct. There are quite a lot of earbuds that offer excellent sound quality that beats over half the headphones in the market. Take the Bose QuietComfort 20i Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones, for instance; the earbuds are designed to fit in your ears perfectly to block as many outside noises as possible. This provides the room for the high-res speakers to deliver unbeaten clarity into your ears. When placed side by side with some of the expensive headphones in the market today, these earbuds can comfortably put the headphones to shame. 

The earbuds industry is just like any other in that to get the very best you will have to part ways with a considerable amount of cash. Therefore, guys with a big budget will have more options to choose from. If you are operating on a tight budget, your options will be a bit limited, but the good news is that there’s still a couple of decent picks at your disposal.

We have tested and tried dozens of earbuds from different price points. We then picked the very best earbuds that come highly recommended for various reasons as you are going to see.

 1. Bose QuietComfort 20i Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

Headphones have, for the longest time beat earbuds when it comes to noise canceling. A lot of earbuds have tried to improve on this department, but none of them could really do it as well as most headphones do. The Bose QuietComfort 20i has completely changed that. These buds are designed to rival the best full-sized headphones as far as noise reduction goes, and the best part is that they beat more than half of the headphones in the market at the moment. The buds utilize Bose’s ANC technology, which cancels all the unwanted noises coming from the outside world.

Of course, there are moments when you would want to be aware of what’s going on around you. It would be a significant inconvenience if you would have to remove the earbuds altogether for this purpose. It’s for this reason that Bose has also programmed an Aware Mode into the earbuds. This allows you to hear what’s going on around you without taking off the earbuds, and neither will you have to switch off your music completely.

Noise canceling is crucial but not as vital as audio quality is. I mean, of what use would an earbud be if they completely shielded you from outside noises just so they can bust your eardrums with scratchy and unclear sounds? Bose QuietComfort 20i features exclusive Bose technologies that produce warm sounds with excellent clarity. The Sound may feel a bit too digitized once in a while (depending on the audio format), but for the most part, the audio quality is usually superb.

The external designing of the buds is also well thought-out. They feature comfortable Stay Hear+ tips that secure the buds in place, allowing you to move and engage in other activities without worrying about the buds coming off. They are also very comfortable to wear even for prolonged periods.

The Bose QuietComfort 20i comes with a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that offers 16 hours of use. The earbuds can be recharged using a USB cable which is also included in the package. Take note that its wired connectivity allows you to use the earbuds even when the battery runs out.

They also come with an inline remote that allows you to control your iPod, iPhone, or iPod more conveniently.

Verdict: For around $249, Bose QuietComfort 20i have arguably the best noise-canceling ability of any earbuds in the market at the moment. The sound quality is also excellent, and they are super comfortable to wear. It, therefore, goes without saying that the QuietComfort 20i is well worth it.

2. Jabra Elite Active 65t Alexa Enabled True Wireless Sports Earbuds

If you are looking for the best sounding and most comfortable true wireless earbuds, then the Jabra Elite Active 65T is one of your best picks. True wireless earbuds are slowly making their mark in the market. We’ve already seen numerous companies release various true wireless earbuds, including Apple’s AirPods. From all these choices, the Jabra Elite Active 65T comes out victorious not just due to the flexibility that comes with having no wires but also due to how remarkably they perform as far as comfort and audio quality goes.

The sound quality is simply incredible. The earbuds produce perfectly balanced Sound with a punchy bass response and equally great treble. The audio output has received a significant boost from the excellent noise cancellation.

On a single charge, the Jabra Elite Active 65t will give you up to 5 hours of use. This isn’t much, but the good news is that the earbuds come with a charging case that gives you an additional 10 hours. The best part? The charging case is a supercharge that can give you 2 hours of use after just 30 minutes of charging!

The earbuds are also fitted with motion sensors. These are very useful, especially among fitness enthusiasts who are looking for earbuds that offer more than just entertainment. With the three different ear tips, everyone should be able to get a good seal whether they are just listening to music while undertaking regular tasks or if they are engaged in workouts and other physical activities that require a firmer seal.

The Jabra Elite Active 65t earbuds support different smart assistants. You can interact with the Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Siri to access various settings of the earbuds and other gadgets. The Sound + app from Jabra also allows you to personalize the earbuds by customizing the equalizer.

Finally, we have to mention that the Elite Active 65T is IP56 rated. These protect the earbuds from dust and sweat. As a result, you can work out with the earbuds and use them under unfavorable weather conditions without worrying about their performance or durability.

Verdict: Jabra Elite Active 65T is made for everyone who’s looking for high-quality earbuds for both regular and active use. They’re water and dustproof, which helps to increase their durability significantly. They also produce dynamic treble and superb bass, yet the best part is that you can personalize the buds through the equalizer. Everything considered the Elite Active 65T is your best pick if you are looking for true wireless earbuds.

3. 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Earphones

The 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Earphones are the best choice for everyone in need of excellent earbuds within an affordable price range. For less than $80, you will get these little beasts which feature solid construction, ergonomic design and top-tier audio quality which left us wondering how exactly the Chinese based company, 1More, managed to pull this off.

1more partnered with a Grammy award-winning sound engineer, Luca Bignardi, to fine tune these earbuds for accurate and precise sounds. The earphones incorporate three drivers; a dynamic driver and two balanced armatures. These work together to deliver powerful bass and dynamic highs for the ultimate listening experience.

The ergonomic design of the earphones makes sure that nothing is taken away from your experience. First of all, you will get to choose between 9 different sets of ear tip sizes. This makes sure that everyone gets something that doesn’t just fit but one that is also very comfortable. With the size, you shouldn’t experience any issues of the earbuds falling off your ears and neither will you feel any discomforts.

With the earphones comes inline remote control that can be used to select songs and adjust the volume. You can also take calls through the control, and the MEMs microphone makes sure that the person on the other end of the call hears you clearly with no background static.

As an extra, 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Earphones will come with a beautiful magnetic clasping traveling case and an equally attractive storage case.

Verdict: The 1More Triple Driver earphones are hands down the best affordable earphones you can get in the market today.