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The 5 best wireless earbuds for 2024
Apple, Bose, Jabra, Samsung, Sony
When it comes to streaming music, podcasts, audiobooks or any other type of audio, listening to audio content that’s stored on your mobile device or computer, participating in hands-free phone calls, or immersing yourself in audio from TV shows or movies, one of the best and most convenient private listening experiences is offered by wireless (Bluetooth) earbuds.
Some are waterproof and ideal for use when working out. Some offer enhanced spatial audio and Dolby Atmos support and are designed to provide a clear and enjoyable listening experience that allows you to drown-out ambient noise by taking advantage of advanced active noise cancellation. If you’re shopping for a high-quality and great sounding pair of wireless earbuds, you’ve come to the right place.
The best wireless earbuds for 2024
Our in-house team of consumer electronics experts have been testing many of the latest and most popular wireless earbuds — from a variety of well-known brands– and have curated this round-up of your best options.
The very best wireless earbuds are waterproof (or at least water resistant), easy to pair, offer spatial audio, provide noise cancellation, have a long battery life, come with a wireless charging case, and are comfortable to wear. They also offer multiple microphones to enhance noise cancellation and make hands-free calling sound great.
Best wireless earbuds overall: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Bose
Battery Life: Up to 6 hours (18 hours using the charging case) | Weight: 2.72 ounces per earbud | Driver Size: Not disclosed by Bose | Microphones: Not disclosed by Bose | Case: USB | Quick Charge: 20-minute charge = 2 hours playtime | Waterproof Rating: IPX4 | Spatial Audio: Yes | Dolby Atmos: No | Active Noise Cancellation: Yes | Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
The most feature-packed and highest-end wireless earbuds offered by Bose right now are the QuietComfort Ultras. They offer the superior active noise cancellation that the company is known for. However, this version of the earbuds also introduce spatial audio support, which is something older models don’t feature.
While these earbuds offer onboard touch controls, you’re able to customize your listening experience using the Bose Music app. Instead of just turning active noice cancellation on or off, you can adjust the level of ANC, as well as choose a specialized audio pre-set based on what you’re listening to. We love the sound quality from the QuietComfort earbuds. What’s missing, however, is wireless charging via the included case.
While providing extreme comfort, these earbuds do a remarkable job generating high-quality and clear audio while making full use of ANC and supporting spatial audio. They work particularly well in loud places.
Best wireless earbuds for Apple users: Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Apple
Battery Life: Up to 6 hours (30 hours using the charging case) | Weight: 0.19 ounces per earbud | Driver Size: 11mm | Microphones: 1 per earbud | Case: Wireless | Quick Charge: 5-minute charge = 1 hour playtime | Waterproof Rating: IP54 | Spatial Audio: Yes, with dynamic head tracking | Dolby Atmos: Yes | Active Noise Cancellation: Yes | Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are the top-of-the-line wireless earbuds in Apple’s lineup. You get top features like adaptive audio, active noise cancellation, a transparency mode, a conversation awareness feature and onboard touch controls.
The most impressive feature offered by these AirPods is the active noise cancellation. It does a really good job fighting ambient noise, even when you’re not listening to audio. Spatial audio (with dynamic head tracking) helps deliver lossless sound with ultra-low latency, so the audio is far more robust and lifelike that other AirPod models or many competitors.
Thanks to the Adaptive Audio feature and Transparency mode, you can retain some real-world awareness. Use Transparency or Conversation Awareness mode to have a conversation with someone nearby; the noise cancellation still reduces loud noises. These earbuds also adapt to your preferences, so you’ll enjoy customized audio without having to tinker with the controls as much.
Another feature we really like: Touch controls that let you tap or slide your finger along the step of an earbud. Have Siri read incoming text messages or emails, or alert you of urgent app-specific notifications.
The suggested retail price is $249, we’ve seen them regularly on sale for $189. If you’re wondering what the difference is between AirPod models, we’ve got you covered with a comprehensive buyer’s guide that explains the pros and cons of each model and what sets them apart.
Best wireless earbuds for Android: Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Samsung
Battery Life: Up to 5 hours (18 hours using the charging case) | Weight: 0.19 ounces per earbud | Driver Size: 10mm | Microphones: 3 per earbud | Case: Wireless | Quick Charge: 15-minute charge = 1.7 hours playtime | Waterproof Rating: IPX7 | Spatial Audio: Yes | Dolby Atmos: No | Active Noise Cancellation: Yes | Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
If you use any Android mobile device, the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro wireless earbuds are ideal audio companions. In addition to active noise cancellation, these earbuds support enhanced 360 Audio with Dolby Atmos and head tracking to generate 24-bit Hi-Fi sound that’s wonderfully immersive. These features work particularly well when listening to audio from movies.
When using these with any Android-based device, you can take advantage of Fast Pair; the earbuds will automatically pair to the device you’re using. You can also enjoy private listening from any Samsung TV. And if the buds get lost, simply use the SmartThings Find app to locate them.
The Buds2 Pro are 15% smaller than the original Buds Pro earbuds and they’re lighter too. Yet they offer even better sound and a more robust collection of features. The earbuds (and their case) come in a variety of colors.
Best wireless earbuds for everyday use: Sony WF-1000XM5
Sony
Battery Life: Up to 6 hours (24 hours using the charging case) | Weight: 0.21 ounces per earbud | Driver Size: 8.4mm | Microphones: 3 per earbud | Case: Wireless | Quick Charge: 3-minute charge = 1 hour playtime | Waterproof Rating: IPX4 | Spatial Audio: 360 Reality Audio | High-Resolution Audio: Yes | Dolby Atmos: No | Adaptive Noise Cancellation: Yes | Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
The WF-1000XM5s are Sony’s highest-end Bluetooth earbuds and they offer tremendous versatility. Use them for crystal-clear, hands-free calls or just to drown out noise so you can better concentrate on what you’re working on. They even adapt based on your real-time head movements.
Thanks to Sony’s proprietary QN2e chip, the WF-1000XM5s offer some of the best noise cancelling technology you’ll find in any wireless earbuds. Combined with Sony’s V2 integrated processor, you get 24-bit audio processing with hi-res audio wireless, DSEE Extreme and LDAC support. This means that the earbuds can process more data and AI for audio that’s clearer, richer and more authentic than competitors.
The WF-1000XM5s can enhance audio that would otherwise get lost in compression. Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, with Google Fast Pair compatibility and on-board tap controls make these earbuds a pleasure to use. And with the Sony Headphones Connect app, you get plenty of control over your listening.
Best wireless earbuds for working out: Jabra Elite 8 Active
Jabra
Battery Life: Up to 8 hours (24 hours using the charging case) | Weight: 0.2 ounces per earbud | Driver Size: 6mm | Microphones: 3 per earbud | Case: USB | Quick Charge: 5 min charge = 1 hour playtime | Waterproof Rating: IP68 | Spatial Audio: Yes | Dolby Atmos: No, just Dolby Audio | Active Noise Cancellation: Yes | Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
For anyone who leads an active lifestyle, we highly recommend the Jabra Elite 8 Active. What sets these earbuds apart is their durability and waterproof rating.
These earbuds are waterproof and sweat proof (IP68 rated). They take advantage of what the company calls a “SnakeGrip” coating (a proprietary liquid silicone rubber) to hold the earbuds firmly in your ears in a way that also makes them very comfortable. After a few minutes, you’ll likely forget you’re wearing them.
In addition to making audio sound clear and rich, these earbuds do a nice job handling hands-free calls. Using the Jabra Sound+ app, you gain a lot of control over your listening experience. The buds support Fast Pair with Android devices. With Siri and Google Assistant support, you can use voice commands to control audio or calls. What we like most about these earbuds is their sleek, durable and comfortable design — but the audio quality is also on the higher-end.
How to pick the best wireless earbuds
Higher-end earbuds have wireless charging cases and a longer battery life; generate better audio; offer more extensive controls; take advantage of a mobile app; are waterproof (or at least water resistant) — and, of course, they’re comfy.
As you’re shopping for best wireless earbuds to meet your needs, here are some useful features and functions to seek out:
Battery life: Each wireless earbud has its own internal battery, which will last anywhere from four to eight hours. Use their wireless charging case to juice them back up a couple of times without requiring an external power source. Many earbuds also offer a quick-charge option.
Case and charging: All wireless earbuds come with a charging case. Consider is the size and weight of the case (since you’ll likely be carrying it in your pocket), and how many times it can recharge the earbuds before needing an external power source, and whether the case offers Qi wireless charging.
Microphones: The number of microphones within each earbud, which can range from between one and three, impacts the quality of the noice cancellation feature, as well as how clearly you’ll be heard during calls. Some of the better wireless earbuds even have microphones with integrated wind reduction.
Multipoint pairing: This is a convenient feature that allows one pair of wireless earbuds to be paired with multiple devices at the same time. So, as you switch between using your smartphone, smartwatch, tablet and computer, the earbuds will automatically pair with the equipment you’re using. Some earbuds can also establish a connection to a smart TV to offer a private listening experience.
Noise cancellation: This reduces or flat-out eliminates ambient sounds, so you can focus on your listening. We really like the noise cancellation offered by Bose, Sony and Apple — each of which uses different technology to successfully achieve the same objective.
Price: You should be able to get your hands on a high-quality pair of noise cancelling, Bluetooth earbuds from a well-known brand for around $200.
Spatial audio: This makes audio sound three-dimensional — like it’s originating from all around your head. Spatial audio (or Dolby Atmos support) adds a sense of immersion.
Waterproof rating: Not all Bluetooth earbuds are waterproof or even water-resistant. And even those that are waterproof are not designed to be used when swimming or participating in underwater activities. Waterproof earbuds, like the Jabra Elite 8 Active, can be fully submerged in water.
For even more advice on choosing the best tablet, Android-based tablet, Apple iPad, tablet for kids, desktop computer, wireless headphones or earbuds, laptop computer, budget-friendly laptop computer, Chromebook, Android smartphone or cell phone, be sure to check out our extensive and continuously updated tech coverage.
On Tuesday, a new Malcolm Gladwell book comes out. And if history is any guide, it will be a bestseller. “They’re stories about ideas,” he said. “They have characters. They have plots. I’m usually trying to say something about the world.”
His first book, “The Tipping Point,” published in 2000, established the Gladwell recipe: he explores a theme through anecdotes and little-known scientific studies. “‘Tipping Point’ was about the epidemic as an incredibly useful way of understanding how ideas move through society,” Gladwell said. “And epidemics have rules. Let’s learn the rules, right?”
His seven New York Times bestsellers have sold 23 million copies in North America alone. His fee for corporate speeches is $350,000. His fans have downloaded a quarter-billion episodes of his podcast, “Revisionist History,” and he founded a company called Pushkin Industries to produce it.
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In other words, Gladwell has come a long way from the small Canadian town where he grew up, son of a British father and a Jamaican mother, whom he describes as “subversive,” someone who would write notes to excuse her son from class with a blank space. “I would just fill out the date,” said the man who skipped a lot of school.
He attended the University of Toronto, but his best education was the ten years he worked for the Washington Post. “I knew nothing about newspapers,” he said. “I was so raw. I was 23, I think, or 24. Bob Woodward was two rows away from me. I learned at the feet of the greatest journalists of my generation.”
In 1996, Gladwell joined The New Yorker. He wrote about why, in the 1990s, New York’s crime rate plummeted in an article called, “The Tipping Point.” A book followed. It introduced a recurring Gladwellian theme: hidden patterns in the way the world works.
He’s a world-class contrarian, about college (“You should never go to the best institution you get into, never; go to your second or your third choice. Go to the place where you’re guaranteed to be in the top part of your class”); about working from home (“It’s not in your best interest to work at home. … If you’re just sitting in your pajamas in your bedroom, is that the work life you want to live, right? Don’t you want to feel part of something?”); about football (“I think the sport is a moral abomination”).
Gladwell says he enjoys being provocative: “Of course!” he said. “I like poking the bear. I mean, journalists should poke the bear.”
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Gladwell’s fans love his storytelling, and the A-ha! moments they bring. His critics, on the other hand, have described his writing as “generalizations that are banal, obtuse, or flat wrong,” and “simple, vacuous truths [dressed] up with flowery language.” “I’m with the idea that not everyone’s gonna like my work,” Gladwell said. “100% of people don’t like anything.”
In a 2021 “Sunday Morning” interview, Gladwell said, “I would rather be interesting than correct.” He called that “an overly provocative way of saying things! No, I think what I meant was, if I turn out not to be right, I’m not devastated. I accept that as the price of doing business.”
Gladwell often turns his mistakes into new chapters or podcast episodes. In “The Tipping Point,” he explained that New York’s crime drop was the result of “broken windows policing.” As he described it, “Little crimes were tipping points for big crimes.” But that philosophy led to New York’s policy of “stop and frisk.”
“Doing 700,000 police stops a year of young Black and Hispanic men is deeply problematic,” Gladwell said. “We were wrong. I was part of that. I’m sorry.”
Which brings us to the new book, “Revenge of the Tipping Point.” “The original ‘Tipping Point’ is a very optimistic, rosy book about the possibilities for using the laws of epidemics to promote positive social change,” he said. “In the last 25 years, I spent a lot of time thinking about the other side of that problem, which is, what happens when people use the laws of epidemics in ways that are malicious or damaging or self-interested?”
Little, Brown & Co.
The book’s stories range from topics as obscure as cheetah reproduction, to stories as big as the Holocaust. He writes that almost nobody talked about the Holocaust, or even called it that, until NBC aired a miniseries called “Holocaust” in 1978. “And what changed happened like [snaps fingers]. I mean, it was just there was a tipping point in our understanding of the Holocaust,” he said.
This book arrives at a tipping point in Gladwell’s own life. In a span of five years, he got engaged, had two children, turned 61, and moved from Manhattan to pastoral Hudson, New York. “It’s a lot to handle. There isn’t a single person who ever lived whose parents did not say, ‘This is a lot!'” he laughed. “I have become the person that, you know, I once despised, and nothing makes me happier.”
He also despises Ivy League colleges, accusing them of prioritizing their own reputations over focusing on their students.
Has parenthood affected his outlook on any of the things that he’s written about before? “Well, it’s prepared me for the possibility that I will be a massive hypocrite!” Gladwell laughed. “So, you know, it’s one thing to write about what you should do with your kids when you don’t have them.”
For all his success, Malcolm Gladwell maintains that nothing has changed in his approach, his work ethic, or his contrarianism. “It hasn’t changed what I do,” he said. “I don’t farm out my research; I still go on reporting trips. It hasn’t gotten old. In fact, my great regret is I don’t have time to do more.”
READ AN EXCERPT: “Revenge of the Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell
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Story produced by Wonbo Woo. Editor: Remington Korper.
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Dublin’s Grafton Street was mobbed last month when word spread that Coldplay was coming to shoot the video for their new single, “We Pray.”
“I was a little nervous for you there in the beginning,” said Mason.
“Yeah, but you have to just trust in the goodness of people – and the proficiency of the police!” laughed Chris Martin.
Martin was joined by collaborators Burna Boy, Tini, Elyanna and Little Simz. “The five of us actually had never actually played the song in the same place before,” said Martin. “So, our first time doing it was on the street in the middle of all those people.”
Coldplay was in Dublin for four sold-out nights at Croke Park, on their “Music of the Spheres” world tour. With more than 10 million tickets sold, and box office of over $1 billion, Billboard has crowned it “the biggest rock tour of all time.”
Mason asked drummer Will Champion, “You guys are in the middle of literally a record-breaking tour. Does it feel like that to you?”
“Sometimes it’s hard to see the woods for the trees,” Champion replied. “We’re aware that we’re having such a great time. We’re really enjoying ourselves.”
“It definitely was extremely loud last night,” said bassist Guy Berryman.
Champion, Berryman, Martin and guitarist Jonny Buckland haven’t always felt the love, especially in the early years. But critics, who once asked “Why does everyone hate Coldplay?” are now calling them “the 21st century’s defining band.”
“It seems like you’ve kind of been fully embraced even by the music critics,” said Mason.
“Well, you’re very sweet. I mean, that’s just not true!” laughed Martin.
“I don’t think you’re ever fully embraced,” said Buckland.
“Also, we are really not a rock band,” said Martin. “So, when we’re judged by those parameters, we’re always gonna come up short. One thing I’d say that we’ve become more comfortable with is just being ourselves.”
Their catalog of hits stretches across a quarter of a century. Martin said, “The truth of it is, some songs arrive fully formed, basically – not Jonny’s parts or Will’s or Guy’s parts, but my part. And those are the rarest, but they’re always the best, the ones that I had least to do with.”
“But sometimes they’re the hardest to produce, because you don’t want to ruin them!” laughed Buckland.
Martin says he can feel that right away: “Definitely, yeah. The songs of ours that have connected with the most people, they connected with me first. I was like, ‘Oh, this is really good!’ ‘Yellow,’ ‘Viva La Vida,’ ‘Fix You,’ ‘Sky Full of Stars.’ They just land.”
“Viva La Vida” by Coldplay:
“So, in a strange way, you’re listening to it, you’re the first person to listen to it; that’s what it feels like,” said Martin. “With the song ‘We Pray,’ we were in Taiwan on tour about ten months ago. I think it was after a show and I woke up in the middle of the night, this song was just in my head called ‘We Pray.’ And it said, ‘You have to get outta bed and do this now.'”
Coldplay performed “We Pray” with their collaborators on stage for the first time in Dublin. “To have heard a song in the middle of the night in Taiwan and then ten months later it’s on stage in Dublin? I mean, that’s in itself an amazing journey,” Martin said.
Martin started writing songs at a young age: “The first one arrived when I was about 11,” he said.
Martin is always writing, even while on the road. Every morning, he sits down to write freeform – whatever he’s thinking about. “I do that as a way of staying sane!” he laughed. “For 12 minutes in the mornings, I write anything that’s in my head, and it’s often very terrible and very depressed or very anxious, or all of the stuff that you don’t really want anyone else to hear, but you need to release. So, I do that for 12 minutes, and then I burn it.”
“You literally light it on fire?” asked Mason.
“Yeah, or tear it up and flush it away. And it just kind of gets rid of so much nonsense,” Martin said. “Definitely helps in a band, too. Because in the old days we would have a lot more tension and a lot more volatility. But that’s calmed down a lot.”
Buckland was asked about the incredible sense of community at their concerts. “I think this is the point where we are most happy,” he said. “I think we got to that point by being in a band for 25 years and then finally it sort of all clicking into place.”
“Is that just a process of time?” asked Mason.
“Well, I think a process of time and hard work,” said Martin. “We’ve worked quite hard on how we communicate with each other and giving each other space. We tour a lot slower now. We only do about 65 shows a year, which isn’t that many.”
Coldplay’s new record, “Moon Music,” is the band’s tenth studio album.
Martin has said the band would release its last album in 2025. “It was right and it was wrong, like most things I say,” Martin explained. “We are only going to do 12 proper Coldplay albums, but we’re a little bit behind. Not too far behind!”
Buckland explained, “We’re asking for an extension!”
So, why 12 albums? “That’s just what it’s supposed to be,” Martin replied. “I don’t think anyone needs more than that from us. The Beatles did 12.”
Mason asked, “Do you guys have other things you want to do? Is that part of this?”
“Not at all. We’d like to keep playing live,” said Martin.
“So, that goes on?”
“Oh, yeah, yeah – that gets better and better,” Martin said.
“Don’t wanna stop Coldplay,” said Buckland.
You can’t stop Coldplay. Chris Martin says he has to keep sprinting across stadiums.
Why does he have to? “I think it’s like asking an apple tree why does it make apples?” Martin replied. “That’s ’cause that’s what I was made to do. And also, I’m really happy doing it.”
Coldplay performs “feelslikeimfallinginlove” at Glastonbury 2024:
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Story produced by Jon Carras. Editor: Mike Levine.
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