The 5 Best Wireless Earbuds of 2024, Per Experts

Buying new headphones doesn’t seem like a difficult task, but with so many different terms, like “noise-canceling,” “spatial audio,” and “head tracking,” it can be tricky to easily find a pair that has everything you need.

Luckily, we spoke with an audio expert about what to look for (and what to try to avoid) when investing in a new pair of wireless earbuds.

John Couling is the SVP of entertainment at Dolby, a brand that’s been at the cutting edge of sound technology, be it mobile, through TV speakers and soundbars, or at the cinema, for nearly 60 years. He spoke to us about all things earbuds.

There are a few considerations Couling recommends taking into account when you’re shopping for new headphones. One of the more advanced features on the market right now is immersive audio — for earbuds, that translates to head tracking technology. There are those technical terms we’re talking about.

“In the real world, sound has direction — it comes from actual locations that may be left, right, overhead, or even behind you,” Couling explained. “Using motion-tracking sensors in the earbuds, head-tracking solutions recalibrate sounds to produce a more natural audio experience with added dimensionality that keeps you in the middle of what’s happening. You’ll feel like you’re in the center of the scene.”

Related: The Best Wireless Headphones For Watching TV

Two other important features are noise cancelation and transparency.

Noise cancelation is fairly self-explanatory and something Couling “definitely” recommends your earbuds have, but transparency is a newer feature that allows outside ambient noises to come through with intent.

“This can be a must-have feature if wearing earbuds for an extended period of time and for natural interactions with others,” Couling said.

Additionally, battery life is something to consider — if you travel a lot or don’t often have access to a charger, earbuds with a long battery life and a long case battery life are a must.

Many of the earbuds Couling recommends come with Multipoint Bluetooth, which allows headphones to pair simultaneously to two devices, making handoff easy without requiring the unpairing and re-pairing of the earbuds.

Couling’s final piece of advice has to do with price.

“You don’t have to break the bank to find a great pair of earbuds,” he said. “You can often find great earbuds in the $100 to 250 price range that support all these capabilities.”

Below are five of the best wireless earbuds you can buy in 2023, listed alphabetically — all come with a recommendation from Couling.

• Apple AirPods 3, $169

  Though Apple’s original AirPods model doesn’t have active noise cancellation, they do come with that head tracking Couling discussed in the form of Apple’s spatial audio technology. These are also sweat- and water-resistant and come with a lightning charging case.

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• Apple AirPods Pro 2, $200, original price: $249

  The major difference between the Pro model of the AirPods from the standard AirPod is the noise cancellation abilities. If that’s a priority of yours and you want to stay within the Apple ecosystem, this is the pair for you. They’re also comfortable with silicone tips that come in four different sizes, so you’ll get the best fit possible.

  This pair also supports audio sharing, so two people can listen to the same song, watch the same show, or more on various Apple devices using their own AirPods Pro.

  Like the other AirPods, these are also sweat- and water-resistant and have a head-tracking feature for immersive audio.

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• Beats Fit Pro, $200

  Beats is owned by Apple, so you’ll find a lot of similarities in the way these headphones operate. For example, these have the same H1 processor chip that the AirPods 3 do and also support audio sharing with other Beats headphones and AirPods.

  Other features include noise cancellation, transparency mode, and spatial audio with head-tracking.

  These come in 10 colors: tidal blue (pictured), beats black, beats white, coral pink, sage gray, stone purple, volt yellow, dune, earth, and moon.

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• LG Tone T90 Earbuds, $197, original price: $230

  LG’s wireless headphone model is equipped with Dolby Atmos and the brand’s new head-tracking capabilities. They also feature active noise canceling and a case with UV-C light to disinfect between uses.

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• Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, $190, original price: $2303

  You don’t have to own a Samsung smartphone to use Samsung Galaxy Buds. These also feature noise cancellation and Dolby Atmos technology. There’s 360-degree audio, too, thanks to spatial audio and Dolby head tracking.

  These come in 3 colors: the pictured bora purple, white, and graphite.

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