Most earbuds are now wireless, pairing the buds with each other and your phone via Bluetooth (but we do include a couple of wired models in this roundup). Many options at a variety of prices also offer active noise cancellation. They model the background noise and make an inverse waveform that effectively “cancels” the sound, taming the rumble of a subway or an airplane, or even the howl of a lawn mower.
How should you choose? We rate sound quality most heavily in our ratings because wireless and wired earbuds that sound great make you happy, while those that sound bad can put a permafrown on your face. The very best-sounding models tend to be expensive, but you can find some great options for around $100.
At Consumer Reports, a nonprofit member organization, we buy each pair of headphones at full retail, just like you might. Our diverse team of trained testers puts every pair of earbuds through a rigorous evaluation that includes using reference recordings and established benchmarks, so they’re not only compared with the dozens of models currently in our ratings but also the hundreds of models we’ve tested over the years.
Here are our picks (available to CR members) for the best wireless and wired earbuds of the year. Our headphone ratings provide a detailed breakdown of around 200 models and exclusive information on owner satisfaction and reliability.
BEST TIME TO BUY:
