Black Friday is finally here, and you can score incredible discounts on headphones of all shapes and sizes from all the major companies by shopping at Amazon. In fact, there are incredible deals to be had even with a budget of under $100—some pairs cost under $20! If you’ve been putting off getting a pair of new headphones for yourself or want a universally appreciated gift, you’ll find dozens of great deals below.

Sennheiser CX Plus $99.95 (Was $179.95)

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This $80 discount on Sennheiser’s CX Plus true wireless earbuds is a great deal for those with audiophile tastes on a tighter budget. The earbuds support active noise cancellation, get up to 24 hours of playtime (eight from the buds themselves and an additional 16 hours thanks to their battery case), and IPX4 water resistance, which makes them suitable for wear while working out. Multiple built-in microphones allow you to use these earbuds to make and take phone calls, while Sennheiser’s Smart Control App for iOS and Android allow you to tweak their sound to suit your tastes. If you’re looking for the Black Friday earbuds deal under $100, this is it. Prefer headphones? You can get the Sennheiser HD 400S around-ear headphones for only $45.99 (normally $69.99), and check out the deals below for many, many more options of all sorts.

Sennheiser headphone deals

• Sennheiser CX, $68 (Was $129.95)
• Sennheiser 350BT, $69.95 (Was $119.95)
• Sennheiser RS 120-W, $80.15 (Was $129.95)

House of Marley deals

• Positive Vibration Frequency Over-ear Wireless Headphones $59.99 (Was $99)
• CHAMPION 2 True Wireless Earbuds $69.99 (Was $89.99)

AirPods deals

• AirPods 2, $79.99 (Was $129)
• EarPods, $16.99 (Was $19)

Sony headphone deals

• Sony WH-CH520, $38 (Was $59.99)
• Sony WH-CH720N, $98 (Was $149.99)
• Sony SRS-NB10, $98 (Was $149.99)

Beats headphone deals

• Beats Solo3, $99.95 (Was $199.95)
• Beats Studio Buds, $89.95 (Was $149.95)

JBL headphone deals

• JBL Tune 510BT, $24.95 (Was $49.95)
• JBL Vibe Beam, $29.95 (Was $49.95)
• JBL Tune 710BT, $39.95 (Was $79.95)
• JBL Live Pro 2, $74.95 (Was $149.95)
• JBL Tune Buds, $49.95 (Was $99.95)
• JBL Tune 760NC, $64.95 (Was $129.95)
• JBL Tune Flex, $49.95 (Was $99.95)
• JBL Vibe Buds, $29.95 (Was $49.95)
• JBL Tune 215, $19.95 (Was $39.95)
• JBL Tune 660NC, $49.95 (Was $99.95)
• JBL TUNE 500, $14.95 (Was $29.95)

TREBLAB headphone deals

• TREBLAB Z2 Over-Ear Headphones $69.95 (Was $119.97)
• TREBLAB X3 Pro Wireless Earbuds with Earhooks $47.97 (Was $99.97)

Tribit headphone deals

• Tribit FlyBuds 3, $31.99 (Was $39.99)
• Tribit MoveBuds H1, $71.20 (Was $110)
• Tribit FlyBuds C2, $59.99 (Was $79.99)
• Tribit FlyBuds C1 Pro, $62.99 (Was $89.99)

1More headphone deals

• 1MORE Omthing AirFree Buds, $9.99 (Was $29.99)
• 1MORE SonoFlow, $63.99 (Was $99.99)
• 1MORE Aero, $54.99 (Was $109.99)
• 1MORE EVO, $89.99 (Was $159.99)
• 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini, $54.99 (Was $99.99)
• 1MORE Fit SE S30, $54.99 (Was $69.99)

Tozo headphone deals

• TOZO T10, $18.99 (Was $39.99)
• TOZO A1 Mini, $16.39 (Was $29.99)
• TOZO T20, $29.99 (Was $35.99)
• TOZO T6, $20.99 (Was $39.99)
• TOZO HT2, $39.99 (Was $49.99)
• TOZO T9, $22.94 (Was $39.99)
• TOZO A3, $16.14 (Was $22.99)
• TOZO G1, $19.99 (Was $29.99)
• TOZO A2, $14.44 (Was $18.99)

Marshall headphone deals

• Marshall Minor III, $89.99 (Was $129.99)
• Marshall Major IV, $99.99 (Was $149.99)

Jabra headphone deals

• Jabra Elite 4, $59.99 (Was $99.99)
• Jabra Elite 4 Active, $69.99 (Was $119.99)
• Jabra Evolve2 40, $89.99 (Was $168)

Soundcore deals

• Soundcore P20i, $19.99 (Was $39.99)
• Soundcore Sport X10, $49.99 (Was $79.99)
• Soundcore P3i, $34.99 (Was $59.99)
• Soundcore Q20, $41.98 (Was $59.99)
• Soundcore P2, $23.89 (Was $89.99)
• Soundcore P3, $54.98 (Was $79.99)
• Soundcore Q20+, $49.99 (Was $69.99)

Skullcandy deals

• Skullcandy Crusher Evo Over-Ear Wireless Headphones with Sensory Bass $99.99 (Was $199.99)
• Skullcandy Grind Fuel In-Ear Wireless Earbuds with Wireless Charging $39.99 (Was $79.99)
• Skullcandy Push Active In-Ear Wireless Earbuds $59.99 (Was $82.06)
• Rail ANC Wireless Earbuds $79.99 (Was $99.99)
• Rail Wireless Earbuds $59.99 (Was $79.99)

Edifier headphone deals

• Edifier WH950NB Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth 5.3 Wireless w/ LDAC $99.99 (Was $199.99)
• Edifier W820NB Plus Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones w/ LDAC $55.99 (Was $89.99)
• Edifier WH700NB Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $39.99 (Was $49.99)

Willing to spend a little more? Here are flagship earbuds at amazing prices:

• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II $199 (Was $279)
• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) $189.99 (Was $249)
• Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 Earbuds $167.50 (Was $279.95)
• Sony WF-1000XM5 True Wireless Bluetooth LDAC Noise-Canceling Earbuds $248 (Was $299)
• Sony LinkBuds S True Wireless Noise-Canceling Earbuds $128 (Was $199)
• Questyle NHB12 In-Ear Wired Headphones with Lightning Connector [Apple MFi Certified] for 192kHz Hi-Res Music $239 (Was $299)
• Linsoul 7HZ Timeless AE 14.2mm Planar HiFi In-Ear Earphone $207 (Was $299)

The post These are the best Black Friday headphone & earbud deals you can still get appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apple doesn’t discount its own hardware, and although the company is currently holding a Black Friday promotion in which you get gift cards toward a future purchase, there are deals out there that save you money immediately. We’ve scoured the web to find the best Black Friday discounts on Apple hardware, and have come up with a surprising amount of deals. If you’ve been holding off on getting a new piece of gear for the right price, now is the time to shop. We wouldn’t be surprised if many of these items sell out before the day is done.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) $189.99 (Was $249)

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Apple’s AirPods 2 are the company’s latest true wireless earbuds, and they’re down to their lowest price ever on Black Friday thanks to a $60 discount. The earbuds support active noise cancellation, are IPX5 water-resistant, and last up to six hours per charge. Their included battery case can fully recharge them four times. These earbuds support Spatial Audio, which means they can decode music and movie soundtracks with a Dolby Atmos mix and give you the feeling of listening to music in surround sound on speakers. This feature works shockingly well. Additionally, the processor in each earbud optimizes and adjusts its sound in real-time, so you always get the best EQ setting. No true wireless earbuds are as good for all-around use as the AirPods Pro 2, and this discount makes them even easier to recommend.

AirPods deals

• Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) $79.99 (Was $129)
• Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) $139.99 (Was $169)
• Apple AirPods Max $449.99 (Was $549)

MacBook deals

• 15-Inch M2 MacBook Air $1,049 (Was $1,299)
• 13-Inch M1 MacBook Air $749 (Was $999)
• 16-Inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro $2,299 (Was $2,499)

iPad deals

• iPad (9th Generation) $249.99 (Was $329.99)
• iPad (10th Generation) $349 (Was $449)
• iPad Air $649.99 (Was $749.99)
• 11-Inch iPad Pro $849 (Was $899)
• 12.9-Inch iPad Pro $1,139 (Was $1,199)

HomePod deals

• HomePod Mini $94.99 (Was $99.99)
• HomePod (2nd Generation) $284.99 (Was $299.99)

Mac Mini deals

• M2 Mac Mini $499 (Was $599)
• M2 Pro Mac Mini $1,234.05 (was $1,299)

Mac Studio deals

• M2 Max Mac Studio $1,899.05 (Was $1,999)
• M2 Ultra Mac Studio $3,799.05 (Was $3,999)

Apple Watch deals

• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS) 41mm $349 (Was $399)
• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS) 45mm $379 (Was $429)
• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS + Cellular) 41mm $699 (Was $749)
• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS + Cellular) 45mm $749 (Was $799)
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular) 49mm $739 (Was $799)

Need a monitor for that Mac Mini? Samsung has gaming flagships on sale.

Looking for more affordable audio? These headphones and earbuds are all under $100.

The post You can still get the best Apple products at the best prices … if you act fast appeared first on Popular Science.

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Black Friday is the time to get a big deal on a pair of pricey headphones you’ve lusted after for months. You can get up to a whopping 51-percent off Beats headphones at Amazon before Thanksgiving with this Black Friday deal at Amazon.

Apple Beats Studio Pro Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones $169.95 (Was $349.99)

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Get up to 40 hours of total battery life with the Apple Beats Studio Pro headphones. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency modes let you choose how to listen. Lossless audio and three built-in sound profiles let you customize what you want to hear. They also pair with a single touch for Android and Apple products.

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones $328 (Was $399.99)

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The Sony WH-1000XM5—the leveled-up cousin of the Sony WH-1000XM4—is also on sale for $328, down from $399.99. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen it, and you’d be remiss not to snag one of the best Bluetooth headphones out there.

Here are more headphone deals from Sennheiser, Bose, and more you should tune into:

• Apple Beats Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earbuds $149.95 (Was $249.95)
• Beats Studio Pro with AppleCare+ for Headphones (2 Years)-Black $194.95 (Was $378.99)
• Sennheiser Consumer Audio HD 650 $279 (Was $499.95)
• Sennheiser Consumer Audio HD 560 S Over-The-Ear Audiophile Headphones $149.95 (Was $229.25)
• Bose QuietComfort 45 Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones, Over-Ear Headphones $199 (Was $329)
• Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds $249 (Was $299)
• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II $199 (Was $279)
• JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless Headphones-Black, Small $29.95 (Was $49.95)
• JBL Tune Flex-True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds (Black), Small $49.95 (Was $99.95)
• SHOKZ OpenRun Mini-Bone Conduction Open-Ear Bluetooth Sport Headphones $89.95 (Was $129.95)
• Marshall Major IV On-Ear Bluetooth Headphone, Black $99.99 (Was $149.99)
• Marshall Minor III True Wireless In-Ear Headphones, Black $89.99 (Was $129.99)
  

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Best overall		Beats Fit Pro		SEE IT	These earbuds use wingtips that fit to your ear to stay secure.
Best over-ear		TRELAB Z2		SEE IT	This more traditional design has a tough IPX4 waterproof rating that’s tough against rain and sweat.
Best budget		Otium U18 Earbuds		SEE IT	Battery life, secure fit, and an IPX7 waterproof rating make these budget headphones a solid choice for hitting the treadmill.

Choosing the right pair of running headphones is essential for getting through your workout comfortably and safely. Listening to your favorite music and podcasts while running, jogging, and participating in other endurance exercises is a great way to bear up and push yourself that extra mile. Unlike traditional headphones and earbuds that come in all shapes and sizes, often more concerned with aesthetics than activity, the best running headphones are super lightweight and snug-fitting. They typically feature waterproof designs with long battery life. We’ve selected some of the best running headphones on the market to help you make an informed decision no matter where your workout takes you.

• Best overall: Apple Beats Fit Pro
• Best bone-conduction: SHOKZ OpenRun Pro
• Most comfortable: Ultimate Ears FITS
• Best over-ear: Treblab Z2
• Best for city runs: Sony LinkBuds
• Best battery life: JBL Endurance Peak 3
• Best budget: Otium U18 Earbuds

How we chose the best running headphones

The best running headphones are wireless, and Bluetooth requires power. Running out of battery life during a workout is inconvenient at best, so we built our list with options that feature battery capacities between 10 hours and 50 hours to ensure they’ll endure through at least two average workout days before recharging. Running headphones should fit comfortably and allow the user to exercise unencumbered, so our picks are relatively lightweight and feature secure, customizable fit options. Most of the headphones on our list are earbuds, but we added an over-ear and a bone conduction option to cover every possible use scenario and style preference.

Breaking a sweat is a normal part of running, so we selected headphones with Ingress Protection ratings ranging from a splashproof IPX3 to a completely dustproof and waterproof IP68. Most of the headphones on our list offer environmental transparency/situational awareness tech, from the ambient mic modes of the JBL Endurance Peak 3 and Apple Beats Fit Pro to the actually open designs of the Sony LinkBuds and SHOKZ OpenRun Pro.

The best running headphones: Reviews & Recommendations

Running can boost the production of your brain’s endorphins and help you de-stress. With this in mind, finding the best running headphones shouldn’t be a stressful endeavor. One of our picks should help get you on a runner’s high.

Best overall: Apple Beats Fit Pro

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Why it made the cut: The Apple Beats Fit Pro earbuds combine user-friendly design and great sound in a snug-fitting form factor.

Specs

• Weight: 0.2 ounces/earbud; 2.3 ounces with case
• IP rating: IPX4 (splash-resistant)
• Battery life: 7 hours single-charge; 30 hours with case

Pros

• Features Apple H1 chip for quick pairing and spatial tracking
• Compact form factor and tight fit perfect for running
• Great sound quality with ANC and transparency modes

Cons

• Requires iOS device to use all features
• Case incompatible with wireless charging
• No multipoint pairing

We recently featured the Apple Beats Fit Pro in our roundup of the best headphones for working out, and they’re also our top pick for running. They feature a relatively neutral and well-rounded sound profile with crisp highs that make them great for a wide range of listening duties, and their inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes make them equally useful on the road and at the gym. The Beats Fit Pro are super lightweight and compact in and out of its charging case, making them easy to keep in your pocket and comfortable to wear while active. They’re also some of the most secure earbuds we’ve tested thanks to their unique flexible wingtip design that sits firmly against the outside of your ear, aided further by three sets of interchangeable silicone ear tips.

As we mention in our full review, the Beats Fit Pro offer a user experience very similar to that of the Apple AirPods Pro thanks to their built-in H1 chip, which allows for quick and effortless pairing to your iOS device, as well as access to Apple’s immersive head tracking and spatial audio technologies. These buds do work with Android devices—you connect to them as you would any other Bluetooth earbuds—but non-iOS users will, unfortunately, miss out on those H1-provided benefits. We also wish the Beats Fit Pro featured better waterproofing than the same IPX4 rating shared by Apple’s regular line of AirPods. They also lack wireless charging and multipoint pairing, which are features that would ease switching gears before and after a run. Still, we can’t shake how we can’t shake ’em loose.

Best bone-conduction: SHOKZ OpenRun Pro

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Why it made the cut: The OpenRun Pro’s open-ear bone-conduction design allows you to work out and listen to your favorite music while maintaining full situational awareness.

Specs

• Weight: 0.95 ounces
• IP rating: IP55 (dust- and water-resistant at low pressures)
• Battery life: 10 hours single-charge

Pros

• Open-ear design for maximum situational awareness
• Highly resistant to dust and water
• Headband design stays put during the ups and downs of running

Cons

• Sound quality is limited due to design
• Audible to others
• Proprietary charging cable is inconvenient to replace

If you frequently work out in parks or along roads where you share space with bikes and cars, a pair of bone-conduction headphones like the SHOKZ OpenRun Pro will be the safest and most convenient choice for your runs. Like all of the best bone-conduction headphones, the OpenRun Pro uses vibration to send audio through your cheek and directly to your earbones, bypassing your ear canal entirely and leaving it open so you can stay aware of approaching traffic while listening to your favorite music. The OpenRun Pro weighs just under one ounce and features a snug-fitting headband design that sits comfortably around your ears and stays put through even the most strenuous sprints, and its high dust- and water-resistant design make it a great choice for exercising on any terrain in any weather.

While the design of the OpenRun Pro is perfect for maintaining situational awareness while running, it lacks bass response. That’s not entirely necessary if you’re running to podcasts or ambient/classical music, but it leaves something to be desired in dance, rock, and other bass-heavy music. Others will also be able to hear what you’re hearing, so they’re not a great choice for use on public transit or in quiet places. Plan on taking the OpenRun Pro out for multiple workouts between charges? The headphones’ 10-hour battery should be more than flexible enough, but remember that they use a proprietary magnetic charger rather than something universal like USB-C.

Most comfortable: Ultimate Ears FITS

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Why it made the cut: These ultralight running headphones from Ultimate Ears are custom-fit to your ears to deliver one of the most comfortable workout listening experiences available.

Specs 

• Weight: 0.26 ounces/earbud; 2.04 ounces with case
• IP rating: IPX3 (splash-resistant at up to 60-degree angle)
• Battery life: 8 hours single-charge; 20 hours with case

Pros

• Moldable eartips are custom-fit to your ears
• Neutral midrange frequency response with custom EQ available in-app
• Sweat-resistant design

Cons

• Design protrudes far from ear
• Sub-bass response is lacking initially
• No active noise cancellation

The Ultimate Ears FITS—or UE FITS if you’re nasty—are an incredibly comfortable and lightweight pair of custom-fit running headphones with a design and setup process that seem straight out of a sci-fi movie. After removing the FITS from their package for the first time, users simply place the earbuds in their ears and initiate the molding process via a smartphone app, during which the photosensitive polymer ear tips are literally molded to the shape of your ears with the help of some built-in flashing LEDs. Apart from downloading the app, the entire setup process takes roughly 60 seconds, after which you’re free to use the earbuds however you see fit. The process feels alien but not uncomfortable. Despite being very light and comfy, the FITS tend to protrude further from the ear than other earbuds, which may bother users who prefer a streamlined look. Those with sensitive, small ears, however, will appreciate the ability to wear them comfortably for hours.

The sound of the Ultimate Ears FITS is relatively neutral yet lacking in low frequencies out of the box; luckily, it’s easy to sculpt using the in-app EQ, so you can get lows to reach a runner’s high. They, unfortunately, don’t feature active noise cancellation, but their snug fit allows them a good measure of passive noise cancellation that can be useful in gyms and other crowded environments. The FITS’ sweat-resistant IPX3 rating is also a bit lower than the minimum IPX4 we’re used to seeing in this class of earbuds, but they’ll still make it through many a sweaty session unscathed.

Less athletically inclined but still like the idea of custom-fit earbud comfort for running errands (or the occasional power walk)? UE offers the DROPS, which have a more involved, more handcrafted process resulting in bespoke acrylic housings tailored to your personal specifications and aesthetic.

Best over-ear: Treblab Z2

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Why it made the cut: The Treblab Z2 headphones are a uniquely light, comfy over-ear option with a long battery life that makes them great for taking on a run.

Specs

• Weight: 0.53 pounds
• IP rating: IPX4 (splash-resistant)
• Battery life: 35 hours

Pros

• Super light and comfy design for running unencumbered
• Very long single-charge battery life
• Built-in control buttons are intuitive and easy to use

Cons

• No charging case
• ANC mode changes the sound profile, performs unreliably
• Prone to leaking audio

While over-ear headphones aren’t an ideal choice for running due to being much heavier and bulkier than earbuds, the Treblab Z2’s combination of lightweight comfort and long 35-hour battery life will have you covered if you have your heart set on a more traditional design. The Z2 features an IPX4 waterproof rating that’s tough enough to stand up to sweat and rain, and it has easy-to-use audio controls placed conveniently on each earcup, plus a simple switch to toggle ANC mode. They come in a custom-fit zip-up carrying case that makes them easy to stow in a gym bag, and they charge using an included micro USB cable.

The Treblab Z2’s sound profile is fairly neutral and balanced out of the box, but its ANC mode tends to roll off a lot of the headphones’ bass frequencies, giving the audio a somewhat unappealing mid-forward sound. With ANC engaged, the headphones almost give the impression of changing their EQ to mask environmental noise rather than performing active cancellation. The Treblab Z2s also feature light and airy earpads that make them very comfortable to wear while running. They do tend to leak some sound if you push the volume (not that you should, even if you push the tempo), so you’ll likely want to avoid using them in quiet or shared environments.

Best for city runs: Sony LinkBuds

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Why it made the cut: The Sony LinkBuds use a unique open-ring design to let in environmental noise while delivering the fit and sound of traditional earbuds.

Specs

• Weight: 0.14 ounces/earbud; 1.45 ounces with case
• IP rating: IPX4 (splash-resistant)
• Battery life: 5.5 hours single-charge; 17.5 hours with case

Pros

• Unique ring design lets in ambient noise
• Very comfortable and lightweight fit perfect for running
• Midrange-forward sound is great for spoken word
• EQ adjustable via the Sony Headphones Connect app

Cons

• No noise cancellation
• Very little sub-bass response
• Others can hear what you’re listening to

If you’re looking to maintain a level of situational awareness similar to that given by bone-conduction headphones but prefer the look and feel of earbuds, Sony’s innovative LinkBuds are worth considering. This unique pair of lightweight earbuds—small enough to hang from succulents, as shown above—use a ring-shaped speaker and flexible anchor to stay secure within your ear while letting in ambient noise. This makes them a great choice for running in loud environments and areas with heavy traffic. The size of each fin can be custom-fitted to your ears using an included selection of five sizes, resulting in an incredibly comfortable and snug fit that won’t budge during your run. The LinkBuds aren’t quite as easy to hear through as bone conduction headphones due to their placement in the ear canal, but they do feature a similar midrange-heavy sound with slightly more low-end. If the buds leave you wanting a little more bass, you can also fine-tune their sound further using the Sony Headphones Connect app.

Controlling the Sony LinkBuds involves either tapping directly on the earbuds or on your own facial cartilage in front of the ear, a gesture that works well but takes some getting used to. Some users reported false triggers when engaging in activity, but this effect can be mitigated by selecting the right fin size to ensure the fit is as tight as possible. Because of their open design, the LinkBuds also tend to leak sound and provide no form of noise cancellation at all, so while they might not be the best choice for critical listening unless you’re in the quietest environment (one that wouldn’t mind hearing a bit of what you’re enjoying), there’s really nothing else quite like them if you prefer the fit and feel of earbuds.

Best battery life: JBL Endurance Peak 3

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Why it made the cut: These rugged IP68 earbuds pack up to 50 hours of battery life thanks to their charging case, making them ideal for travel and frequent use.

Specs

• Weight: 0.9 ounces/earbud; 4.5 ounces with case
• IP rating: IP68 (dustproof and waterproof for 30 minutes)
• Battery life: 10 hours single-charge; 50 hours with case

Pros

• Highly waterproof and dustproof
• Very secure-fitting ear hook design
• Super long battery life

Cons

• Lack active noise canceling
• No multipoint pairing or wireless charging
• Muddy and low-heavy sound, but can be EQ’d

JBL’s new Peak Endurance 3 running headphones are a fantastic option if you run daily but don’t always have the opportunity (or memory) to charge your devices. They feature a generous 10-hour single-charge battery life plus another 50 hours thanks to their compact charging case, making them a great choice for stowing in a gym bag or for traveling. The fit of the Endurance Peak 3s uses a wireless ear hook design (JBL refers to the hooks as “TwistLock ear hook enhancers”) similar to that of the Powerbeats Pro, which goes around the back of your ear and works in tandem with three silicone ear tip options, resulting in a comfortable wearing experience that remains stable while running despite not going too far into the ear canal. They even stay stable while doing side plank rotations. The Endurance Peak 3s are also waterproof and dustproof at a very high IP68 level, which makes them impervious to salt water and easy to clean with a simple rinse.

The sound of the Endurance Peak 3s is a bit muddy out of the box, but JBL’s companion app provides an easy-to-use EQ that helps sculpt their sound to your liking. They also don’t have active noise-cancelling abilities, but the tips combined with their shape do a good job of blocking out your surroundings. Still, they do feature JBL’s Ambient Aware mode, which is effective for engaging in conversation at the gym or on the street without having to pause and remove them from your ears. However, we wish they featured conveniences like multipoint device pairing and wireless charging. And, the ear hooks get in the way of sunglasses, which is a pain while running outdoors in the bright sun. If these aren’t major cons for you, their secure fit, battery life, and ease of use make these headphones perfect for running in nearly every way. 

Best budget: Otium U18 Earbuds

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Why it made the cut: Otium’s U18 earbuds feature a secure ear hook design similar to that found in running headphones three times their price.

Specs

• Weight: 3.52 ounces
• IP rating: IPX7 (waterproof for 30 minutes; not dustproof)
• Battery life: 15 hours

Pros

• Great battery life and secure fit on a budget
• IPX7 waterproof for sweaty workouts
• Set of easy-to-use controls

Cons

• Slightly muddy sound profile
• No active noise cancelation
• Charging design is cumbersome

If you love listening to music while running but don’t want to spend a lot, the Otium U18s are a great value thanks to their battery life, secure fit, and IPX7 waterproof rating. They feature an ear hook-based design similar to that of the JBL Endurance Peak 3 and the Powerbeats Pro, with the inclusion of a connective neckband that makes them easy to hang around your neck when not in use and keeps them from getting separated. The U18’s sound profile is a bit muddy and leaves something to be desired, and because they don’t come with any EQ-enabled companion apps you’ll need to explore other options to sculpt their sound. But if you just need a beat to beat your personal best, these are a budget way to get that.

As a set of budget headphones, the Otium U18s are fairly stripped down and lack conveniences like active noise cancelation, wireless charging, and ambient modes. They do have a set of onboard controls, including an on-ear button and a rocker switch, both of which are intuitive and easy to use, but charging the headphones is a little more difficult and involves opening a small, tight-fitting door for access to a micro USB port. Still, if you’re not picky about sound quality or noise canceling, the runner-friendly fit of the U18s makes them worth a look.

What to consider when buying the best running headphones

Most of the best headphones should avoid even a hint of moisture. Heck, even some of the best Bluetooth earbuds might not be suited for more than a brisk stroll. That’s why we’ve put together these things to look at before adding something to your cart:

Do you run in a city environment?

Running in a city environment near bikes, cars, and other forms of traffic requires a high level of situational awareness to ensure you stay out of harm’s way. The best-running headphones for urban environments and crowded places include the Sony LinkBuds, which feature a snug earbud design, and the SHOKZ OpenEars Pro, a bone-conduction design that leaves your ears completely open. 

How important is sound quality to you?

If you fancy yourself an audiophile, go for running headphones with a well-rounded sound profile like the Apple Beats Fit Pro, which have extended low-end response and present highs. Some running headphones also allow you to customize their EQ via smartphone apps, including the JBL Endurance Peak 3 and Ultimate Ears FITS.

Do you need waterproof running headphones?

If you frequently run in moist environments or sweat a lot, picking a pair of running headphones with some measure of waterproofing is essential. All the best running headphones are in some way splash/sweat-resistant, but if you need maximum protection, models such as the JBL Endurance Peak 3 and Jabra Elite 7 Active are some of the best waterproof options we’ve tested.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best running headphones

• Best overall: Apple Beats Fit Pro
• Best bone-conduction: SHOKZ OpenRun Pro
• Most comfortable: Ultimate Ears FITS
• Best over-ear: Treblab Z2
• Best for city runs: Sony LinkBuds
• Best battery life: JBL Endurance Peak 3
• Best budget: Otium U18 Earbuds

For most runners, the easy-to-use Apple Beats Fit Pro are the best headphones, thanks to their well-rounded sound profile, ANC capabilities, and secure fit. Runners in city areas who want to maximize their situational awareness should consider the in-ear Sony LinkBuds or the SHOKZ OpenEars Pro. In contrast, runners interested in the most comfortable fit should look at the in-ear Ultimate Ears FITS or the over-ear Treblab Z2. For more intense workouts, the long battery life, secure fit, and high resistance to water and dust of the JBL Endurance Peak 3 make them a worthy contender. If you’re shopping for running headphones on a budget, it’s hard to beat the sub-$30 Otium U18 Earbuds, which feature a secure ear hook design and 15 hours of single-charge battery life. Now get those feet pounding on the pavement and run off into the sunset, your favorite running tunes pumping in your ears.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best running headphones for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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“Well, I’m just a modern guy. Of course, I’ve had it in my ear before. ‘Cause of a lust for life.” — Iggy Pop

I got really into Iggy Pop in 1996. There was nothing cool about doing this at the time; there was nothing cool about me at the time (though I would have disagreed at the time). Trainspotting came out that July and Danny Boyle’s unflinching film inspired would-be hedonists to choose life—or at least live vicariously through the equally kinetic soundtrack, kicked off by Iggy’s “Lust for Life” from 1977’s album of the same name. 

Less than a year later, in April 1997, Columbia Records reissued Iggy and the Stooges’ uncompromising 1973 proto-punk cornerstone Raw Power with a new mix by Iggy—an update on what he’s described as the “peculiarly English” original mix by David Bowie. This unabashedly brutal alternative, this unrelenting flagellation by digital distortion, was a rude, revealing look at what EQ could truly do to revise and personalize existing material.

So, yeah, I’ve had it in the ear before. Many, many, many times. Which I didn’t think was really an issue … until recently. And, as a modern man, I continue to lust for new ways to experience audio. So when I was introduced to the Denon PerL Pro True Wireless Earbuds, which use something called Masimo Adaptive Acoustic Technology to generate a custom EQ based on the user’s inner ear activity, I was intrigued. Would it make what goes in my head more in my face, or literally tone things down? Denon is a well-known name in AV receivers, so would the company’s earbuds (over)emphasize dimensionality? Grabbing an equally audio-obsessed coworker, Brandt Ranj, and two pairs of PerL Pros, I made and exchanged profiles and a playlist to compare and contrast whether this bespoke tuning feature was truly impactful. And what we discovered from our PerL jams versus was revealing both sonically and personally.

SEE IT

So, what are the Denon PerL Pro True Wireless Earbuds?

The PerL Pros are the $349 flagships of the Denon true wireless earbuds lineup and check all the boxes while offering some outside-the-box features. They feature multipoint Bluetooth 5.3—no longer unusual—but include aptX Lossless in their codecs. This rarity delivers 16-bit 44.1kHz quality when paired with a device sporting Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen. 1 chipset or newer (such as the ASUS ZenFone 10). Having tried the PerL Pro with both iPhone and Android, I can say that aptX Lossless sounds more crisp and cleanly articulated than AAC or even aptX Adaptive’s theoretical 24/96 transmissions. However, it’s not such an improvement that you should go spend $700 or more on a new source. 

Inside each distinctive 8.6g disc-shaped housing is a 10mm triple-layer titanium diaphragm dynamic driver with a 20 Hz-40 kHz frequency response and ultralow distortion reproduction. Multiple sizes of ear tips and “wings” make sure a secure fit is possible. Touch panels on the round outer surfaces allow access to assignable tap commands.

Battery life of the Denon PerL Pro earbuds is up to eight hours, with 24 additional hours of power within the case, which charges via USB-C or wireless Qi pad. They’re IPX4, so they’re mildly resistant to sweat and light rain. In terms of available colors, I hope you like matte black. What the Denon PerL Pros lack in aesthetic variety, however, they more than make up for in vivid sonics thanks to their definitive feature, which we’ll go into in the next section.

So, what do the Denon PerL Pro True Wireless Earbuds sound like?

Straight out of the box, the Denon PerL Pro earbuds have a neutral-ish tuning with a bit more presence in the lows than highs, making the stock tuning particularly suited for modern pop, EDM, and hip-hop. It’s flat, but to keep things from being too flat, a slider in the app, labeled “Immersion Mode,” allows you to boost or cut bass, which is taut, textured, and well-extended. 

But the defining factor of these earbuds’ sonic signature is in the name: Personalized Listening, aka PerL. When you first set up the Denon PerL Pros, the app prompts you to sit through a short test. A series of tones trigger your otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), which are vibrations from the inner ear that allow sensors in the PerL Pros to determine sound distribution and frequency sensitivity in the ear canal. (Make sure you do this process with properly sized tips and in a quiet environment; trying it in two locations did result in a perceivable difference.) This information is then analyzed and used to calibrate your profile. And, believe me, once you’ve engaged your profile, you’ll put no more stock in stock. Let’s take a look at how the Masimo Adaptive Acoustic Technology (AAT) technology made us more attuned to what we look for when we listen.

Tony’s impressions

It’s good time travel isn’t a reality yet, because I’d use it to kick my ass. 

Again, I’m part Iggy Pop acolyte, so I have to appreciate Young-Me’s joie de vivre, his teens and 20s DJing and attending concerts full of raw, unprotected audio. But if I confronted him about the damage he’d eventually do to our currently 47-year-old ears and he tried to downplay it, Now-Me could be like, I got the receipts, or at least the hearing threshold levels chart. 

For reasons completely unrelated to earbuds, I happened to book my first trip to the audiologist in many, many years soon after I got the Denon PerL Pros. And that visit confirmed what the Masimo AAT results already laid bare: Young-Me’s carefree nature cost Now-Me some top end. I could punch you, me. (And the rest of youse, wear earplugs.)

The first time I listened with my custom profile engaged, I wondered if “AAT” just stood for “Add Additional Treble.” Because I got a lot of it, accompanied by a judicious application of upper midrange. The thing was, I wasn’t mad at it. 

In Default mode, songs off of the 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by Oklahoma oddballs turned festival favorites the Flaming Lips sounded like they were performing at dusk, and I wanted dawn. The rubbery bass lines and metronomic backbeat seemed warm and wooly until I toggled on my profile and with it a great leap in contrast, though not without some grain—the equivalent of applying Photoshop’s Sharpen feature. Brandt’s profile, meanwhile, was markedly bassier and more diffuse, vocals stifled by a turtleneck of kick drums and synths. It made the Default a shimmering beacon of lite psychedelia in comparison.   

Cycling back to my profile, it added a breeziness to the reedy timbre of John Prine. It wasn’t unpleasant to hear his fingerpickin’ in such stark relief, but a rumination on growing older loses a little something when you don’t feel the full force of time passing. Brandt’s profile definitely held more of the arrangement’s weight, but, again, elements—this time what sounds like a mix of Fender Rhodes and pedal steel—threatened to engulf the vocals.

Conversely, my profile’s lofty nature put extra wind into the sails of “The Ship Song” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds—a song as stately as it is threatening to capsize under the weight of naked emotion. Chiming tones tacked triumphantly through the swelling ballad, with Cave’s calmly unsettled voice at the helm against a broadened horizon. It’s intensity amplified and resilience rewarded. Brandt’s profile, however, softened the savagery for me. The song’s a devotional about yearning and burning, but it’s not meant to be overly soft and warm. It’s a warning and celebration of relationships that burn too bright.

Overall, my audio profile injected songs with an airiness and energy that bordered on bite but stopped short of aggression. Vocals have added presence thanks to their enhanced acoustic space, while bass remained well-positioned regardless of rumble. Both the fast transients and thick distortion of guitars in Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” Explosions in the Sky’s “Your Hand In Mind,” and several other test tracks (particularly metal), reaped the benefits of this speaker-like presentation. Brandt’s profile, which filled in notches in the subbass/midbass without compensation in the upper reaches, came across as too congested for my tastes. And, to be clear, these aren’t subtle differences or slight preferences. When the PerL Pros promise you personalized listening, it’s truly personalized.

Maybe time travel is a reality, at least for my ears, because they felt rejuvenated.

Brandt’s impressions

The experience of using the PerL Pro’s personalization features was instructive as it literally allowed me to hear music through another person’s ears, so to speak, and the differences in sound were profound. Some songs, like “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” by the Flaming Lips, were entirely unlistenable on my colleague’s profile because the guitars—which are a welcome background element on my profile—were cranked up to 11. In that case, the psychedelic sound effects were drowned out to the point that it felt like I was listening to a demo rather than the completed track. On my profile, the bass was slightly boosted, and the song sounded as it should. 

This experience wasn’t universal, though, as “Hello In There” by John Prine actually sounded better to my ears on Tony’s profile. The sparse arrangement benefitted from a big boost of treble. Overall, however, my profile nailed my preferences, whether I was listening to the crunchy guitar sounds prominently featured throughout the 2023 remix of The Beatles’ Revolver or tracks on Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts. Switching from either profile to the PerL Pro’s Default EQ—which is what you get out of the box before running your hearing test—made playback sound flat. 

My ears could adjust to the Default after a few hours of listening, but in general, I liked sticking with a personalized profile. If you’re familiar with the music you’re listening to, you’ll definitely run into the occasional track that sounds unnaturally, unpleasantly sculpted, but those experiences were few and far between. And, in general, I’d describe the experience of listening to music on another person’s audio profile to be the aural equivalent of putting on another person’s shoes—you may even share the same size, but how one person wears and wears down the heel can make anyone else feel off-balance. 

The PerL Pro’s eponymous feature stands in contrast to the tactic used by other headphone makers, who make all the tuning decisions for you. Switching between the PerL Pros, Apple’s 2nd-generation AirPods Pro, and Jabra’s Elite 10 earbuds was an eye- or rather ear-opening experience. While my custom hearing profile on Denon’s earbuds sounded just right, it didn’t ruin the experience of other earbuds for me. I still enjoyed the tuning choices Apple and Jabra made and found music perfectly listenable. Both earbuds didn’t sound immediately flat like the non-customized PerL Pros, especially the AirPods Pro (2nd gen.), which I still contend offer the best out-of-the-box energy for most people. 

The stock sound signatures of both Apple and Jabra are tasteful; neither company went for the cheap trick of V-shaped tuning, artificially boosting a couple of sections of the frequency range and calling it a day. Both sets of earbuds sounded better right out of the package compared to Tony’s profile, but I ultimately preferred the sound of my personalized profile on the PerL Pros. At $349, Denon’s earbuds go for $100 or more above Apple’s and Jabra’s MSRP, but the audio quality shows the difference went into hardware and software that delivers on its promises.

Exchanging profiles might not have let me fully walk in Tony’s sonic shoes for a day, but it did give me a feel for what might get his toes tapping. It gave me empathy and deeper insight into how he evaluates audio gear. And, without a trip to the audiologist of my own, I walked away with a better understanding of my own hearing. The Denon PerL Pros haven’t ruined the experience of listening to music on different earbuds for me, but they have made me think twice about what colors my perception of musicality.

So, who should buy the Denon PerL Pro True Wireless Earbuds?

Sometimes I get really into missing 1996. For all the things I’d do differently (always carry earplugs, and definitely wear more sunscreen), there are a million I wouldn’t. And I’m always going to love listening to Iggy. But, because Young-Me wasn’t bright, my music now needs to be. The Denon PerL Pro Earbuds put more of that raw power back into songs and memories somewhat dulled by time. And, most importantly, they did it effortlessly. This is one of the reasons we count the PerL Pros among the best earbuds currently available.

Maybe you’ve been to the audiologist or know exactly what you’re searching for, so it’s easy for you to pick from the hundreds of personal audio choices out there. Maybe your hearing is still fully intact, and you want gear that can fine-tune that clarity. If you’re still of two minds about what to put in your two ears, the Denon PerL Pro Earbuds offer a great alternative to the one-sound-fits-all approach used by virtually every other headphone company. Youth fades. Frequency sensitivities change. But, thankfully, so does technology. Masimo AAT worked as advertised. So, with earbuds that can customize their sound based on your hear and now, getting excited by music can remain a constant.

The post Denon PerL Pro Earbuds review: A true wireless tune-up appeared first on Popular Science.

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Amazon’s October Prime Day is a perfect time to shop if you’ve wanted to elevate your audio without increasing your budget. Whether you want space-filling sound from speakers that won’t crowd your room or to cancel more noise and more cost with discounted headphones and earbuds, Oct. 10-11 offers some sweet-sounding deals. Whether you’re an on-the-go gear connoisseur or setting up a luxurious listening station, you’ll find we’re on the same wavelength with our focus on assembling a more affordable audio oasis with gear offered at its lowest price in months. But act fast, as prices and inventory are highly volatile and could change at any moment.

Note: You’ll have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of most of these deals, so be sure you’re signed up before making a purchase.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Wireless Earbuds with USB-C $189 (was $249)

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Apple recently released a version of its AirPods Pro that charge via USB-C instead of the now-defunct Lighting cable. And you can also score $50 off the retail price of this new model right now before Prime Day. These AirPods give you all the Pro features you expect, including active noise cancelation and Spatial Audio, with the added bonus of needing to carry one less cord. On top of that, they’re the only model (currently) that will support lossless audio with the upcoming Vision Pro headset. With the holidays coming up, they’re a fantastic gift, even if you’re giving them to yourself. (Still want the Lightning version? It’s also discounted. Want the AirPods Max instead? Also on sale!)

Earbud deals

• Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless IPX Earbuds $85 (was $179)
• Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 IPX4 Earbuds $142 (was $279)
• Samsung Galaxy Buds2 $89 (Was $149)
• Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro $169 (was $229)
• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II True Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Technology Earbuds $199 (was $279)
• Sony WF-1000XM5 True Wireless Bluetooth Noise-Canceling Earbuds $278 (was $299)
• Sony LinkBuds True Wireless Earbuds with Open-Ring Design for situational awareness $128 (was $179)
• EarFun Air Pro 3 Noise-Cancelling Earbuds $66.39 (was $79)
• EarFun Air S Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds $39.99 ($35.99 w/ coupon PD201PR1, was $59.99)
• Jabra Elite 7 Active Noise Cancellation True Wireless Bluetooth Sports Earbuds $79 (was $179)
• Jabra Elite 7 Pro Active Noise Cancellation True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds w/ MultiSensor Voice Tech $113 (was $199)
• House of Marley Champion 2 True Wireless Earbuds 15% off (was $89)
• TREBLAB X3 Pro Earbuds $49.99 (was $99.97)
• 1MORE PistonBuds Pro ANC Earbuds $39.99 (was $49.99)
• Skullcandy Grind True Wireless Earbuds $45.99 (was $79.99)
• Skullcandy Mod True Wireless Earbuds $36.99 (was $59.99)
• Skullcandy Jib 2 True Wireless Earbuds $27.99 (was $39.99)

Headphone deals

• Sennheiser HD 600 Audiophile Hi-Res Open-Back Dynamic Headphone $284 (was $449)
• Sennheiser HD 650 Audiophile Hi-Res Open-Back Dynamic Headphone $326 (was $499)
• Sennheiser HD 660S2 Wired Audiophile Headphones w/ Optimized Transducer System, Sound $427 (was $599)
• Sennheiser RS 120-W On-Ear Wireless Headphones w/ Transmitter/Charger for TV listening $77 (was $129)
• Beats Studio Pro Bluetooth Noise-Cancelling Headphones $179 (was $349)
• HIFIMAN Deva-Pro Over-Ear Open-Back Planar-Magnetic Headphones with Bluetooth 5.0 R2R DAC Receiver $199 (was $329)
• HIFIMAN HE-R10D Dynamic Topology Driver Close-Back Over-Ear Headphones with Bluemini R2R DAC Receiver $599 (was $1,299)
• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Premium Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones $248 (was $348)
• Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Over The Ear Headset $98 (was $149)
• Bose Headphones 700 Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth Over-Ear Wireless Headphone $279 (was $379)
• Sennheiser HD 450BT Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Headphone with Active Noise Cancellation $94 (was $129)
• beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 wired professional recording/mixing headphones $134 (was $169)
• beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R Gaming Headset $159 (was $199)
• TREBLAB Z2 Over-Ear Headphones $69.95 ($119.97)
• TREBLAB Z7 Pro Hybrid Over-Ear Headphones $119 (was $179)
• 1MORE SonoFlow ANC LDAC Hi-Res Headphones $74.99 (was $99.99)
• Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless Over Ear Headphones  $69.99 (was $104.99) 
• Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless Over Ear Headphones $89.99 (was $134.99) 
• Skullcandy Riff 2 Wireless Over Ear Headphones $34.99 (was $49.99) 
• Skullcandy SLYR Pro Gaming Wireless Over Ear Headphones $75 (was $99.99) 
• Skullcandy PLYR Gaming Wireless Over Ear Headphones $101 (was $129.99) 
• Shure AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones $279 (was $299)

Party speaker deals

• Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Generation) Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker $199 (was $279)
• Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 Portable Bluetooth Speaker $449 (was $599)
• Soundcore Motion X600 Portable IPX7 Bluetooth Speaker w/ 50W Sound, Pro EQ, Aux-In $149 (was $199)
• Tribit StormBox Micro 2 Portable IP67 Speaker w/ Built-in Strap $47 (was $62)
• Sony SRS-XB13 EXTRA BASS Bluetooth Lightweight Travel Speaker, IP67 Waterproof $34 (was $59)
• JBL Charge 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker $129 (was $179)
• JBL Go 3 Bluetooth Speaker $24 (was $49)
• JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth Speaker $89 (was $129)
• JBL Xtreme 2 $199 (was $429)
• JBL PartyBox Essential Encore $199 (was $299)
• House of Marley Bag of Riddim 2 Portable Speaker $149 + 15% off clickable coupon (was $229)
• House of Marley Get Together Bluetooth Portable Audio System $92 w/ clickable coupon (Was $169)
• House of Marley Get Together 2 Portable Speaker with Wireless Bluetooth Connectivity $174 w/ clickable coupon (was $249)
• House of Marley Get Together 2 XL Portable Speaker with Wireless Bluetooth Connectivity $319 + 15% off clickable coupon (was $399)
• TREBLAB HD77 Premium Bluetooth Speaker $59.96 (was $119.97)
• TREBLAB FX100 Portable Bluetooth Speaker $69 (was $89.97)
• Up to 25% OFF on Positive Grid’s Spark smart guitar practice amp w/ clickable coupons

Soundbars & wireless surround sound systems

• SENNHEISER AMBEO Soundbar Max 13 speaker 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos & DTS:X sound experience $1,699 (was $2,499)
• Bose Smart Soundbar 900 w/ Dolby Atmos, Alexa Built-In, Bluetooth connectivity $699 (was $899)
• Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Dual Wireless 10″ Subs & 4 Rear Surround Speakers $1,049 (was $1,499)
• Sony HTX8500 2.1ch Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Built-in subwoofer $198 (was $399)
• Sony HT-A7000 7.1.2ch 500W Dolby Atmos DTS:X 360 Audio Soundbar $998 (was $1,399)

Smart speakers

• Devialet Mania Portable Bluetooth + WiFi Speaker w/ Alexa Built-in $799 (was $900)
• Echo Pop, $17.99 (Was $39.99)
• Amazon Echo Dot, $22.99 (Was $49.99)
• Echo (4th Gen), $54.99 (Was $99.99)
• Echo Show 5, $39.99 (Was $89.99)
• Echo Studio, $154.99 (Was $199.99)
• Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen), $159.99 (Was $249.99)

In-ear monitors (IEMs)

• Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Linsoul 10mm Beryllium Dynamic Driver Earphone $28 (was $35)
• KZ ZS10 Pro, Linsoul 4BA+1DD 5 Driver HiFi Earphone $39 (was $49)
• KZ AS10, Linsoul 5BA HiFi Earphone $47 (was $59)
• KZ ZAX, Linsoul 1DD+7BA Hybrid Driver HiFi Earphone $55 (was $69)
• Kiwi Ears Quartet, Linsoul 2DD+2BA Hybrid Earphone $87 (was $109)
• TINHIFI P1 Plus, Linsoul 10mm Planar-Diaphragm Driver HiFi Earphone $118 (was $199)
• KZ AS24, Linsoul 12BA Hybrid Drivers Tunable Earphone $126 (was $158)
• THIEAUDIO Legacy 4, Linsoul 1DD+3BA Hybrid Driver Earphone w/ 2 Tuning Switch $159 (was $199)

Music streamers

• WiiM Pro AirPlay 2/Chromecast WiFi Multiroom Streamer $119.20 ($149)
• WiiM Pro Plus AirPlay 2/Chromecast Receiver w/ Premium AKM DAC $175.20 ($219)

Turntables

• House of Marley Stir It Up Wireless Turntable with Bluetooth Connectivity, Built-in Preamp $199 (was $249)
• House of Marley Stir It Up Lux Vinyl Record Player with Wireless Bluetooth Connectivity, Built-in PreAmp 15% off clickable coupon (was $399)

Receivers

• Sony STRDH190 2-ch Home Stereo Receiver with Phono Inputs & Bluetooth $148 (was $199)
• Sony STR-AN1000 7.2 CH Surround Sound Home Theater 8K A/V Receiver $598 (was $899)

Bookshelf & tower speakers

• Polk Audio Signature Elite ES15 Hi-Res Audio Certified Bookshelf Speakers w/ 1″ Tweeter & 5.25″ Woofer $194 (was $299)
• Polk Reserve R100 Hi-Res Bookshelf Speakers w/ 1″ Pinnacle Ring Tweeter & 5.25″ Turbine Cone Woofer $421 (was $649)
• Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50 Hi-Res Audio Certified Tower Speaker w/ 1″ Tweeter & (2) 5.25″ Woofers $269 (was $349)
• Polk Audio Reserve Series R600 Hi-Res Tower Speaker w/ 1″ Pinnacle Ring Tweeter & Dual 6.5″ Turbine Cone Woofers $524 (was $849)

Ear protection

• Vibes High-Fidelity Concert Earplugs $21.71 (was $33.99)

Microphones

• Shure MV7 Podcast Microphone – Silver $199 (was $249)
• Shure MV88 + Stereo USB Condenser Microphone $139 (was $199)

Accessorizing other activities? Take a look at our ongoing list of Big Deal Days discounts.

Want more deals delivered to your inbox weekly? Sign up for PopSci’s Deals newsletter and save money on stuff you’ll really use.

The post Save hundreds on headphones, earbuds, speakers, and more before Amazon’s Big Deal Days ends appeared first on Popular Science.

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Owning a pair of AirPods has become a meme, with photosets with greyhounds and Kris Jenner indicating the wearer has a certain level of wealth, class, and style to rock the small white earbuds. You, too, can join the elite thanks to this AirPod deal at Amazon, which knocks the price of the latest editions of the AirPods Pro and AirPods by 20%.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Wireless Earbuds (Lightning) $199 (Was $249)

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For dedicated iPhone users, the sound quality and connection simplicity of AirPods is practically unmatched. You simply slip them out of their sleek, white case, and bam: Bluetooth connected, ready to blast your favorite party jams. Apple’s H2 chips give smarter active noise cancellation and more immersive spatial audio. The custom-built driver provides crisp, clear high notes, and deep, rich bass. The company is now offering the earbuds in a MagSafe charging case with USB-C at the same price if you’re making the full port shift, just like Apple.

If you’ve lost your current pair or your first-generation AirPods have seen better days, we think this deal gives you a good excuse to finally make the upgrade.

Here are more AirPods deals:

• Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones $479.99 (Was $549)
• Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds with Lightning Charging Case $99 (Was $129)
• Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) Wireless Earbuds with Lightning Charging Case $149.99 (Was $169)

The post Save 20% on Apple AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		1More SonoFlow		SEE IT	Their ability to play for 50 hours while using active noise cancellation (ANC), and a full 70 hours max without it, makes them among the top in the category.
Best noise canceling		Anker Soundcore Life Q30		SEE IT	Anker’s Soundcore Life Q30 serves up fantastic noise cancellation, good sound, and great battery life for well under $100.
Best budget		JLab Go Air Pop		SEE IT	JLab’s Go Air Pop offers solid features, long battery life, and accessible sound at an almost unbelievably low price.

You can easily spend a mint on a great pair of Bluetooth headphones, but you don’t have to. Today’s best cheap Bluetooth headphones feel more like the premium cans of yesteryear, sporting tons of tech, good sound, and boosted battery life that lets you stream music to your heart’s content. Whether you’re looking for a gift for your teen or college student or simply want to upgrade your life without downgrading your bank account, the best cheap Bluetooth headphones have the skills to pay the bills—while assuring you have enough cash left over that you can always pay yours.

• Best overall: 1More SonoFlow 
• Best in-ears: soundcore by Anker Liberty 4 NC
• Best for Android: Sony CH520
• Best sound quality: Sennheiser HD 250BT
• Best noise-canceling: soundcore by Anker Life Q30
• Best budget: JLab Go Air Pop

How we chose the best cheap Bluetooth headphones

We chose the best cheap Bluetooth headphones through a mixture of hands-on testing by the headphone connoisseurs on the PopSci staff, critical and user reviews, and personal experience. We analyzed the best premium and budget brands equally in an attempt to quantify high-value performance and design while keeping a tight eye on budgeting.

The best cheap Bluetooth headphones: Reviews & Recommendations

After weighing the top traits across multiple headphones, we chose the most balanced models we could find for each category. Each pair on our list provides a variety of key factors, including top features at their price point, but also less tangible virtues like ease of use and ergonomic controls. We also weighed sound quality and comfort, of course, as well as battery life—after all, what good are Bluetooth headphones if they’re always charging? With all that in mind, we’re confident each pair on this list offers stellar value for each and every dollar you spend.

Best overall: 1More SonoFlow 

SEE IT

Specs 

• Battery Life: 50 hours with ANC (70 hours without)
• Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Price: $99.99 (or less)
  

Pros

• Excellent features
• Incredibly long battery life
• Clear and balanced sound
• Great noise canceling

Cons

•  Controls are just OK

1More has been a popular budget brand for years, and for good reason. The 1More SonoFlow headphones have it all: great noise-canceling, clear and accessible sound, and battery life for days, quite literally. Their ability to play for 50 hours while using active noise cancellation (ANC) and a full 70 hours max without it makes them among the top in the category. That all adds up to some of the very best Bluetooth headphones you can get for your money.

The SonoFlow set looks more like premium headphones than a budget set. Their design is foldable for a compact package that easily slips into their durable carrying case. The SonoFlow’s sound quality is admired for its clarity and good balance between registers—aided by 40mm DLC dynamic drivers, frequency response that can reach up to 40kHz, and the inclusion of the LDAC Bluetooth codec—a higher-resolution protocol that can benefit music lovers with flagship Android smartphones and dedicated digital audio players that support it (sorry, iPhone users, but at least you get native AAC). This gives them the best wireless and best Bluetooth connection of our picks, even if it’s only strongest with certain handsets. And the QuietMax noise-canceling ranks among the very best you’ll find at this price and even above. They also offer transparency mode, of course, which lets you stay aware of your environment to keep you safe in multiple scenarios.

The one minor issue we’ll take with the headphones is that the controls aren’t exactly intuitive, but we think most users will get used to them over time. Thanks to a loaded mobile app, you’ll be able to dig into the features and settings, with options like multiple EQ modes and soundscapes to let you get meditative on that daily commute.

The SonoFlow’s multi-point pairing lets you connect to two sources at once, like a phone and a laptop, for convenient multitasking. There’s even the option to use a 3.5mm cable, too, if you’re the hardwired type. If you’re on a budget and still want it all, you’ll be hard-pressed to beat the 1More SonoFlow Bluetooth headphones.

Best in-ears: soundcore by Anker Liberty 4 NC 

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Specs 

• Battery Life: Up to 8 hours with ANC (four charges in the case)
• Weight: .175 ounces (5 grams) per earbud
• Price: $99.99
  

Pros

• Very good noise-canceling
• Clear and detailed sound
• Loads of extras
• Premium look and feel

Cons

• Controls can be hit or miss
• EQ is necessary for best sound

The soundcore by Anker Liberty 4 NC’s standout feature is right there in the name: noise canceling, which fully exceeds what you’d expect at this price. It’s not just good, it’s great, competing with much pricier earbuds and even flagship options from a few years back. And that’s just part of what makes these earbuds great. 

The Liberty 4 NC earbuds are loaded to the hilt with features. You’ll get a Qi wireless charging case, autopause sensors in the earbuds themselves, multi-point pairing, and much more. You can customize the sound thanks to soundcore’s loaded app with a multi-band EQ, or use the built-in Hear ID Sound system to tune it to your individual hearing. Either way, discerning listeners will probably want to tune the sound to some degree; it’s quite good, but it can serve up too much bass and a bit of extra snap in the treble with some music.

The earbuds offer a comfy and stylish design to go with even more options like wind buffering to keep your ears from getting blown out when using the transparency mode and even a sound limiter to keep loud music in check. You can even fully customize the controls to get the perfect mix of playback options.

Speaking of the controls, they’re not always the most accurate, which is one of the few knocks against these buds. We also noticed that some features, like the 3D spatial audio, don’t really seem to change the sound quality much compared to the implementation by Apple in the AirPods Pro (2nd generation). Still, at this price, it’s hard to make much of a dust-up from any of these minor drawbacks.

With a design that feels more premium than budget, loads of extras, and excellent performance all around, these noise-canceling pros are a fabulous option at a very manageable price point.

Best for Android: Sony CH520

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Specs 

• Battery Life: 50 hours
• Weight: 5.19 ounces (147 grams)
• Price: $59.99

Pros

• Full and balanced sound
• Multi-point pairing and Google Fast Pair
• Concise yet stylish design
• Fantastic battery life
• Adjustable with Sony app

Cons

•  Not the best for commuting

If you’ve been eyeing Sony headphones but can’t quite commit to the priciest models, the WH-CH520 could be your perfect entry point. These headphones offer a rich and powerful sound profile, extremely generous battery life, and a professional-looking design that’s comfortable, all for well below $100.

The CH520’s battery playback may be their most notable asset. Without energy-draining features like active noise canceling, these budget cans sport hours of listening time to the point where you’ll probably forget you have to charge them for the first few weeks. Unless you’re on some sort of long-haul music-listening trial, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a way to drain these headphones in a week or more.

Thanks to Sony’s long-tenured sound expertise, the CH520 also sound clear and well-balanced, letting you explore all your favorite genres without the need to ramp down the bass or ramp up the treble. If you do want to play with the sound, it’s easy to do with Sony’s headphones app for mobile phones.

If you’ve got an Android phone, you’ll be happy to see these headphones offer Google Fast Pair, making them incredibly easy to get going right from the jump. And, in a surprise at a pair of headphones at this level, the CH520 also offer multi-point pairing so you can jump between your phone and laptop with ease during a busy workday.

One point to note is that, unsurprisingly at this price, there’s no active noise canceling (ANC) or transparency mode, nor do the on-ear pads provide much passive noise cancellation. That means these aren’t going to be a go-to pair for those who work in loud offices or deal with noisy commutes. Still, the CH520 headphones are a great way to get into Sony’s particular brand of wireless headphone alchemy without the need to spend hundreds of dollars.

Best sound quality: Sennheiser HD 250BT

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Specs 

• Battery Life: 25 hours
• Weight: 4.4 ounces (125 grams)
• Price: $69.95

Pros

• Fantastic sound quality
• aptX and AAC support for stable, higher-bitrate streaming
• Solid battery life
• App for EQ customization

Cons

• Budget build quality
• No padding on the headband

Sennheiser’s HD 250BT are no-nonsense, budget Bluetooth headphones with one trait you won’t often find at their price point: fabulous sound quality. You might expect nothing less from Sennheiser, but considering how affordable these headphones are, it’s impressive to see the band didn’t skimp on its notorious penchant for clear, balanced, and detailed sound that punches well above its weight.

Like the Sony WH-CH520, the Sennheiser HD 250BT skip fancy extras like active noise canceling, but also, like the Sony, they support a mobile app that lets you customize the sound and a few other features. They also offer the aptX codec for quality Bluetooth streaming with supported source devices.

When it comes to the build quality, the headphones look stylish enough (if a bit bland), but they feel a little budget and don’t offer as much padding along the top of the band as we’d like. That may make long listening sessions more of a challenge than more premium offerings.

Bass heads can ramp up the low end in EQ to get that extra groove in hip-hop and electronic tracks, because these are a cousin of DJ headphones, and they can take a beat and a beating. Sennheiser has cooked up some fabulous sound quality in the HD 250BT, which makes them a great choice for discerning listeners and/or the budding audiophile on your gift list. 

Best noise canceling: soundcore by Anker Life Q30

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Specs 

• Battery Life: 40 hours with ANC (60 hours without)
• Weight: 9.3 ounces (264 grams)
• Price: $79.99

Pros

• Excellent noise canceling
• Long battery life
• Customizable with the soundcore app
• Comfortable, compact design

Cons

• Rather heavy
• Bass needs some EQ

Anker’s soundcore headphones have built a reputation for fabulous noise cancellation for the money, and the Life Q30 Wireless headphones are a prime example. These headphones offer seriously impressive noise canceling, good sound, and fabulous battery life for a price that would have been unheard of in the early days of ANC.

Their big battery life is especially notable, considering noise canceling is notorious for draining the life out of Bluetooth headphones. With up to 40 hours on reserve with ANC and up to 60 hours without noise canceling, you won’t have to think twice about leaving the house with the Q30. 

Speaking of leaving the house, the headphones are easy to take along thanks to a foldable design and a solid carrying case. They’re a little bit heavy for headphones in this class, but extra padding to makes them relatively comfortable for long listening sessions. Anker’s mobile app for iOS and Android lets you customize features and sound quality, including an adjustable EQ to tweak the profile to your liking. That’s a good thing because the bass response can sometimes be a little overzealous on particularly heavy tracks.

The Q30’s noise canceling is the star of the show, of course, offering pleasant solace from frustrating exterior noise, especially low-frequency rumbles and drone sounds. Thanks to a firm fit, they also have effective passive noise canceling, making them a great noise-canceling commuting option. The Q30 headphones also offer some handy extras, like sleep modes and the ability to activate transparency mode by holding your hand on the right earcup.

It’s hard to beat what the Q30 headphones cook up at well below $100, making them an excellent choice when you need to quiet the world around you on a tight budget.

Best budget: JLab Go Air Pop

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Specs 

• Battery Life: 8 hours (32 hours with the case)
• Weight: .138 ounces (3.9 grams) per bud
• Price: $25

Pros

• Solid, accessible sound
• Compact and light design
• Great battery life
• Multiple EQ modes

Cons

• Baseline performance
• No app

When we first tried the Go Air Pop, it was with great trepidation. How could any earbuds be decent at a price less than what you’ll pay for a decent meal at most local restaurants? To our surprise, these JLab buds offer perfectly serviceable sound, a relatively comfy fit, and fantastic battery life.

You won’t get fancy extras here like noise canceling or multi-point pairing, but you will get solid controls, and even some style points, thanks to a variety of fun colors to peruse. If you’re into maximizing your fashion sense, JLab also offers a clear version of the Go Air Pop for a $10 upgrade.

There are some distinctive features here, too. The charging case, which bolsters the earbuds’ playback time with three extra charges, includes a built-in USB connector to make it easier to plug it in on the go. The headphones don’t have a mobile app to adjust settings, but they allow you to cycle through a few different EQ modes to customize the sound. You’ll also get some handy convenience features like the ability to use one earbud at a time.

While you can certainly get more extras and improved performance from plenty of other earbuds, the Air Go Pop earbuds cost a tenth the price of premium earbuds like Apple’s AirPods Pro. That makes them a fabulous stocking stuffer, a great way to dip your own toes into wireless buds, and a serious dollop of value in a world where virtually everything else seems to keep getting pricier.

What to consider before buying cheap Bluetooth headphones

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pair of cheap Bluetooth headphones for you. Below, you’ll find the ones we found most important while conducting research for this guide.

Wireless headphones vs. Bluetooth headphones

The vast majority of wireless headphones transmit audio via Bluetooth, so the words are essentially synonymous. There are some wireless headphones, including many gaming headsets, that send wireless audio over a 2.4GHz or 5GHz signal, but all portable wireless headphones support Bluetooth. 

It’s worth noting that, in general, newer Bluetooth versions are often more stable and can offer higher bandwidth. Different Bluetooth codecs, such as AAC for Apple devices or aptX/HD/Adaptive and LDAC for select Android devices, can offer improved sound quality over the more basic SBC codec. All of these factors can lead to a better wireless audio experience. That said, most modern Bluetooth headphones are free from the issues that plagued earlier generations, like instability and cutouts or notably poor audio resolution.

Active Noise Cancellation

Active noise cancellation is a very popular feature for its ability to help suppress ambient sound in multiple environments. ANC uses small microphones (often three or more per earcup or earbud) to capture the sound around you, analyze it digitally, and create an inverse waveform that reverses the signal to silence the sound. Active noise canceling requires a lot of computing power, which is why it puts a drain on battery life, and it cannot silence all sounds. However, it can be very useful, especially for heavy commuters and those who work in noisy offices.

Transparency mode

You can think of transparency mode as the opposite of active noise canceling. Instead of suppressing ambient audio, transparency mode (also called passthrough or hear-through mode) is designed to filter exterior audio into your headphone speakers so you can be more aware of the world around you. This can be especially important for those who use headphones while working out in high-traffic areas or for any situations where you need to stay aware of your environment.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best cheap noise-canceling headphones

• Best overall: 1More SonoFlow 
• Best in-ears: soundcore by Anker Liberty 4 NC
• Best for Android: Sony CH520
• Best sound quality: Sennheiser HD 250BT
• Best noise canceling: Anker Soundcore Life Q30
• Best budget: JLab Go Air Pop

You truly don’t have to spend an arm and a leg for a great pair of Bluetooth headphones anymore. Thanks to rapidly advancing technology, even cheap headphones have become surprisingly good, offering quality audio reproduction, major features like active noise canceling, and extended battery life. There may be a lot of bad news out there these days, but when it comes to cheap Bluetooth headphones, the world has never looked brighter.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best cheap Bluetooth headphones in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Treblab Z7 Pro Wireless		SEE IT	Treblab’s Z7 Pro are long-lasting, great-sounding, noise-cancelling headphones.
Best battery life		1More SonoFlow		SEE IT	Listen for up to 50 hours (70 hours with ANC disabled) without reaching for a cable.
Best budget		Soundpeats T3 earbuds		SEE IT	Solid active noise cancellation from earbuds under $50.

Not long ago, the idea of cheap noise-canceling headphones felt like a technological fantasy. Effective active noise cancellation (ANC) was reserved only for headphones costing hundreds of dollars. Thanks to the inevitable progression of time—or, more accurately, technology—that’s no longer the case. Today, you can get a bargain on a pair of headphones and still land a whole lot of goodies, including noise cancellation that would have beaten some of the best pairs on the market just a few years back. Below, we’ve collected the best cheap noise-canceling headphones (and earbuds) that will play your tunes, quiet your environment, and do much more, all at a relatively minuscule price.

• Best overall: Treblab Z7 Pro Wireless
• Best value: Soundpeats T3 earbuds
• Best for commuting: Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless
• Best battery life: 1More SonoFlow
• Best in-ears: Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

How we chose the best cheap noise-canceling headphones

We chose the best cheap noise-canceling headphones by analyzing sought-after features, general performance and fit, audio quality, and, of course, noise cancellation across a wide array of brands and models. To find the top choices, we utilized a mix of hands-on testing by the headphone fanatics on the PopSci staff plus contributors, professional and user reviews, and personal experience.

The best cheap noise-canceling headphones: Reviews & Recommendations

After much deliberation, we’ve put together a curated list of some of the very best budget noise cancellers on the market in a variety of designs and styles. We paid particular attention to budget, of course, but also looked at use cases and features like battery life, durability, audio quality, and other top factors. If you just want the most comprehensive or the cheapest, start with our best overall and best value picks. Otherwise, peruse the whole list to find the option that best suits your needs. 

Best overall: Treblab Z7 Pro Wireless

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Why it made the cut: The Treblab Z7 Pro Wireless offers an excellent mix of excellent battery life, sound performance, and noise cancellation.

Specs 

• Battery Life: 20 hours with ANC (45 hours without)
• Weight: 8.64 ounces
• Price: $159.97

Pros

• Good audio quality
• Excellent noise canceling
• Impressive battery life
• Solid features
• Light and stylish design

Cons

•  No app or EQ control

Treblab’s Z7 Pro headphones are a refreshingly stacked option at a surprisingly good price. Yes, you’ll likely pay more than $100 for these cans, but considering flagship headphones with this many extras often run well over $300, and sometimes over $600, this is a fabulous package, and the best over-ears flush with features.

First and foremost is the Z7 Pro’s noise cancellation, which really impresses for the money. These headphones tend to do best with low-frequency sounds, which are eliminated to a low hum, while high-frequency sounds tend to slip through more easily. Still, you’ll find a solid state of tranquility with noise canceling engaged, especially with some music in the mix. When you need to hear what’s around you, the headphones also provide good fidelity in transparency mode.

The Z7 Pro headphones are loaded elsewhere, too, with a clear yet powerful sound profile, extras like multi-point pairing so you can connect to and switch between two source devices, and a trim and comfy design. Controls are handled via easy swipe commands, parodying Sony’s similarly styled WH-1000XM4, and the headphones will play for up to 45 hours with noise canceling on, ranking among the market’s top offerings.

You can sweeten the Z7 Pro’s already great sound quality thanks to aptX HD for high-quality Bluetooth streaming with supported source devices. The headphones even offer a feature that plenty of pricier headphones skip (including Beats’ Studio Pro): providing convenient sensors to auto-pause sound when you take them off. 

It all adds up to a whole lot of bounty at a relatively meager price point, making the Treblab Z7 a fabulous choice for those seeking quality noise-canceling cans on a set budget.

Best value: Soundpeats T3 earbuds

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Why it made the cut: Soundpeats’ T3 seems to do the impossible, offering effective noise cancellation and pleasant sound quality at a price that barely registers.

Specs 

• Battery Life: 5.5 hours with ANC (16.5 hours with case)
• Weight: .162 ounces (4.6 grams) per bud
• Price: $45.99 (or less)

Pros

• Balanced sound profile
• Slick and comfy design
• Excellent controls
• Effective ANC

Cons

• No app or EQ
• No auto pause

When we first tried the Soundpeats T3, it was hard not to marvel at them. Priced leagues below budget noise-canceling earbuds from years past, these true wireless earbuds provide a slick and intuitive experience with relatively good sound, simple and accessible controls, solid features, and a light and airy fit. Tacking on decent noise canceling to this package seemed too good to be true.

True it is, of course, which is why the T3 buds are our top choice for those seeking noise cancellation on a budget that barely registers on your bank statement. These won’t hold up to the very best earbuds, like Bose’s QuietComfort II, when it comes to performance and comprehensive ANC, but considering that you’ll pay five times as much or more for such options, the T3 earbuds are mighty tempting.

As for the noise cancellation, it’s a modest helping, but it does well with baseline hums and other low-frequency annoyances and will also quell ambient sounds like a leaf blower down the road or cars rolling by. The T3’s transparency mode scores similarly. It sounds slightly muffled up top but does its job of keeping you aware of your environment when called upon.

The T3’s bass-forward sound isn’t going to wow the most discerning listeners, but it’s clear, accessible, and free from overt issues like flabby low frequencies or screeching treble. The controls are effective and responsive, even offering options many pricier earbuds skip like volume control. While there’s no controller app or autopause, these buds sport a few handy extras, including the ability to use one earbud at a time.

At this price, you really can’t do much better for noise-canceling earbuds with all the essentials, making the Soundpeats T3 a top choice for budget-conscious buyers.

Best for commuting: Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless

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Why it made the cut: Anker Soundcore’s Life Q30 Wireless headphones offer great battery life, solid sound quality, good features, and impressive noise cancellation in a travel-friendly package.

Specs 

• Battery Life: 40 hours with ANC (60 hours without)
• Weight: 9.3 ounces
• Price: $79.99
  

Pros

• Great battery life
• Good ANC
• Versatile app and EQ
• Comfy, foldable design

Cons

• Sound can be too bassy by default
• On the heavy side

Anker’s Soundcore headphones have made a name for themselves thanks to excellent performance at very competitive pricing, and the Life Q30 Wireless headphones are a sterling example. These headphones may not have it all, but they’ve got the goods where it counts, including impressive noise cancellation and seriously stellar battery life at well under $100.

That battery life is worth celebrating, as it’s among the best on the market. The Q30 headphones are also pleasantly packable thanks to a foldable design and a durable carrying case. The headphones are on the heavy side, but the earcups offer plenty of padding, and the fit is firm and stable.

Like other favorites in Anker’s arsenal, the Life Q30’s features can be unlocked by a powerful mobile app for iOS and Android, which is useful for adjusting settings and EQ. On that note, picky listeners will likely want to adjust the bass, which can sometimes be overwhelming out of the box.

The headphones’ ANC is appropriately impressive for their price point, offering solid suppression of frustrating exterior sounds. While they’re less effective in the higher frequencies than some of the absolute best noise cancelers, they’ll be great for your daily bus, train, or plane rides, adding solid passive noise isolation that aids their overall performance.

Useful features like different ANC modes to tune the headphones to your environment, sleep modes for that cat nap on your way to the office (or at the office), and the ability to activate transparency mode by holding your hand on the right earcup round out a fantastic package for listeners on the go.

Best battery life: 1More SonoFlow

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Why it made the cut: 1More’s SonoFlow headphones pack unbelievable battery life to go with good sound and solid features for an excellent pair of budget noise cancelers. 

Specs 

• Battery Life: 50 hours with ANC (70 hours without)
• Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Price: $99.99 (or less)

Pros

• Fabulous battery life
• Great features
• Clear, accessible sound
• Foldable design and hard case

Cons

• Controls require a learning curve

1More is another budget brand known for punching well above its weight, and the SonoFlow noise-canceling headphones live up to that reputation. The big headline here is battery life, which is simply astounding at 50 hours with ANC and a whopping 70 hours without it. But plenty more to these headphones makes them well worth considering. 

These cans pack in great style for their class. And speaking of packing, they’re easy to bring along thanks to a foldable design and a heavy-duty carrying case. The controls are a bit hard to navigate, but they get the job done, and you’ll find a bounty of features to futz with in the 1More mobile app, including multiple EQ modes and even a variety of soundscapes.

The SonoFlow’s sound profile is clear and punchy, with good balance between registers—aided by the inclusion of the LDAC Bluetooth codec, a higher-resolution protocol that can benefit music lovers with flagship Android smartphones and dedicated digital audio players that support it (sorry, iPhone users, but not you). This gives them the best wireless and best Bluetooth connection of our picks, even if it’s only strongest with certain handsets. Meanwhile, noise cancellation ranks among the best at their price point. You’ll find plenty of solitude with ANC engaged, especially in the lower registers, and cranking on the transparency mode keeps you tactfully aware of your surroundings.

You’ll also get some great convenience features, including multi-point pairing to connect to dual source devices at once, and the ability to plug the headphones in for wired connection. If you need great budget noise cancellers that keep the party going for days at a time, the 1More SonoFlow headphones are an excellent choice.

Best in-ears: Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

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Why it made the cut: Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 4 NC offer tons of features, clear sound, and fantastic noise canceling for budget buds.

Specs 

• Battery Life: Up to 8 hours with ANC  (four charges in the case)
• Weight: .175 ounces (5 grams) per earbud
• Price: $99.99

Pros

• Fantastic noise canceling
• Clear and balanced sound with EQ
• Tons of great features
• Stylish and comfy design

Cons

• Fussy controls
• Sound needs some EQ

When it comes to crazy good noise cancellation on a budget, it’s hard to compete with Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. These earbuds offer serious silencing abilities, especially for sounds like airplane hums and fans, which are all but eliminated to a soft whisper. That’s just the tip of the earbuds iceberg here, as there’s plenty of other features to explore

Some standout extras include a Qi wireless charging case, autopause sensors, and the ability to fully customize the sound to your liking manually or via the app’s Hear ID Sound system to automatically customize it. The multi-band EQ definitely comes in handy, letting you shore up some boomy bass and a snappy upper register for smooth and pleasing sound quality.

You can also customize the controls, allowing for a comprehensive layout that offers all the functions you might need, however you like it. Speaking of the controls, they can be a little hit or miss, meaning you’ll really have to be deliberate to activate them on the go. That’s one of the few drawbacks to this loaded package.

Moving further through the app, you’ll find extras like multi-point pairing to connect to two devices at once, wind buffering to keep breezes from bothering you while using the included transparency mode, and even a sound limiter that can measure your playback volume and protect your hearing accordingly.

While not all features perform on par with flagship ANC ‘buds like Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd generation), there’s a lot of good stuff here, making these “budget buds” feel much more like a premium pair. If you’ve been eyeing top-tier noise cancelers but can’t quite commit to spending that kind of money, Anker’s Souncore Liberty 4 NC earbuds are a great alternative. These loaded buds pack the performance you want, from clear sound to killer ANC, all at a very nice price.

What to consider before buying budget noise-canceling headphones

Active noise cancellation is a coveted feature in today’s headphone market that helps suppress ambient sound. Not to be confused with passive noise cancellation (also called passive noise isolation), ANC uses tiny microphones to capture sound around you, analyze it digitally, and create an inverse waveform that reverses the signal and quiets the sound.

Noise-canceling technology responds to your environment in real-time, which requires a lot of computing power and energy. That’s why ANC technology was long reserved only for large, expensive headphones. As technology has improved and gotten smaller, so has ANC computing technology, which has made effective noise cancellation attainable not only in smaller devices but also in more affordable ones.

It’s important to understand that noise cancellation can’t suppress all sounds (though this end goal is getting closer with each new iteration). In particular, noise-canceling headphones often struggle to quiet high frequencies, which are more directional and, therefore, harder to eliminate. The better the technology, the better the noise canceling across frequencies, which is why the best ANC is still generally reserved for flagship headphones and earbuds.

Thanks to a competitive market and trickle-down technology, however, you no longer have to spend an arm and a leg to get relief from the noisy world around you. The best cheap noise-canceling headphones we’re recommending offer surprisingly good ANC and audio quality at refreshingly low prices. Below are the factors you should consider most before picking up a pair.

Active Noise Cancellation vs. transparency mode

Riding alongside ANC, transparency mode (also known as passthrough or hearthru mode) can be just as important to your daily headphone use. That’s especially true if you have small children or like to exercise in high-traffic areas. Essentially the reverse of noise cancellation, good transparency mode helps you not only converse with those around you while wearing your headphones but also helps keep you safe.

There are different quality levels for transparency mode, just like ANC. Flagship models tend to offer not only clearer, more natural-sounding ambient audio, which can increase your comfort level. Some headphones, including Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd gen.) earbuds, offer noise limiting with transparency mode so you’re not caught unaware by loud sounds. But even budget noise-canceling headphones offer transparency mode good enough to keep you aware of your environment, thus helping you stay safe.

Mult-point pairing

Multi-point pairing lets you connect wireless headphones to multiple source devices at once for easy switching between the two. For example, you might connect to your computer to take a zoom call, and a phone to take a call from a family member or play a mobile game without needing to reconnect your headphones. While it’s not always perfect, multi-point pairing can make your communication and daily workflow much more convenient.

Microphones

Whether it’s noise canceling or calling, microphones are an important aspect of modern headphones. The best microphones for call quality come with noise suppression features, letting you make clear calls in noisy areas. They’re also integral in active noise cancellation and transparency modes, utilizing digital technology to capture and analyze environmental sounds to suppress them or pass them through respectively. In general, the more microphones your headphones have, the better their calling and ambient audio skills will be.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best cheap noise-canceling earbuds

• Best overall: Treblab Z7 Pro Wireless
• Best value: Soundpeats T3 earbuds
• Best for commuting: Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless
• Best battery life: 1More SonoFlow
• Best in-ears: Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

If you’ve been wishing for a great pair of noise-canceling headphones, but your budget has stopped the presses, you’re living in the right timeline. As our list showcases, there’s never been a better time to get into noise-canceling tech at a very low price. Even if your budget is close to null, you can get noise canceling at stocking-stuffer prices these days. That’s something we can all get behind.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best cheap noise-canceling headphones of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Apple has announced its upcoming smartphones, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, which will be available for preorder this Friday, Sept. 15, and arrive on Sept. 22. These will be the first models to feature a USB-C charging and data transfer port (with the Pro models supporting 10Gbps USB 3 speeds). This will replace the Lightning port used by Apple’s smartphones since the iPhone 5 launched in 2012. Apple says it’s making the change because USB-C has become a universal standard.

In addition, the AirPods Pro (2nd generation), which we love, will also start shipping with a combination MagSafe & USB-C charging case on the 22nd. If you’ve been using an iPhone or AirPods for several years, this change means replacing all of your Lightning charging cables and accessories with ones that work with USB-C. Thankfully, USB-C is a universal standard, so plenty of options are available.

Both the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro series phones also support wireless charging at up to 7.5W using a Qi charging pad or 15W using a MagSafe magnetic charger. We’ll explore some of your best options below, so you’ll be all set for the iPhone’s launch day.

• Best USB-C cable: Anker USB C to USB C Cable
• Best USB-C power adapter: Amazon Basics 65W One-Port GaN USB-C Wall Charger
• Best MagSafe charger: Apple MagSafe Charger
• Best MagSafe battery pack Anker MagGo Wireless Portable Charger
• Best multi-device MagSafe charger: Nomad Base One Max
• Best MagSafe travel charger: ZAGG 3-in-1 travel charger with MagSafe

Best USB-C cable: Anker USB C to USB C Cable

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As far as value and quality go, this two-pack of Anker’s USB-C to USB-C cables allows you to jump into the new charger world with both feet. Both cables are six feet long and have a braided nylon covering to protect them from little nicks and scratches. Anker says the protective shielding at the base of both connectors is designed to be bent 12,000 times, which should prevent fraying. Our other reason for recommending these cables over others is that they can carry up to 100W of electricity. USB-C cables all look the same but can transfer power at dramatically different rates.

You can use this pair of USB-C cables from Anker with an iPhone, tablet, game console, or laptop and charge all of them at their maximum speed. If you can get away with using three charging cables (the one Apple includes with the iPhone and this two-pack from Anker), the total cost of your Lightning to USB-C charging transition will set you back less than $15. Anker also offers these cables in a smaller, 3.3-foot size and a couple of different colors.

Best USB-C power adapter: Amazon Basics 65W One-Port GaN USB-C Wall Charger

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If you’ve been plugging your iPhone—and other tech accessories—into a power adapter with a USB-A plug, now is the time to upgrade. Amazon Basics’ pocket-sized charger can top up your new iPhone at its maximum charging speed and is compatible with any USB-C to USB-C cable. We’re recommending this 65W power adapter over Amazon’s less expensive 30W model because it’s also powerful enough to charge a laptop or tablet.

Best MagSafe charger: Apple MagSafe Charger

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One way to side-step the Lightning to USB-C port transition on the iPhone is moving to wireless charging. Your best choice is picking up one of Apple’s MagSafe charging pucks, which support wireless charging speeds of up to 15W. This accessory will magnetically connect to the back of your iPhone, automatically aligning itself to the correct spot to optimize its charging speed. If you don’t like the look of an errant charging accessory on your desk or nightside table, we recommend picking up an inexpensive aluminum stand to house it.

Best MagSafe battery pack: Anker MagGo Wireless Portable Charger

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Anker’s MagGo is a 5000w power bank that allows you to MagSafe wireless anywhere. The battery pack magnetically attaches to the back of your iPhone and automatically begins to refill its battery. You can extend the life of your iPhone by several hours using the MagGo, but it doesn’t have quite enough juice to refill it completely. Additionally, this battery pack only supports wireless charging speeds of up to 7.5W, half MagSafe’s technical maximum. You can connect your phone to its USB-C port for faster charging speeds using a cable.

Best multi-device MagSafe charger: Nomad Base One Max

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If you’d like to kiss charging cables goodbye completely, Nomad’s Base One Max is the ultimate charging accessory. The wireless charger can top up an iPhone (at 15W via MagSafe), Apple Watch, and AirPods (both at 5W a piece) simultaneously. There are similar accessories, but none have the fit and finish of the Base One Max, whose glass and metal design matches Apple’s luxe, minimalist aesthetic. This is the wireless charging solution to permanently set on your desk, so you can grab your most-used devices at any time without feeling tethered. The one thing you’ll need to complement this accessory is a 30W power adapter, as Nomad doesn’t include one in the box.

Best MagSafe travel charger: ZAGG 3-in-1 travel charger with MagSafe

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ZAGG’s 3-in-1 travel charger with MagSafe is an excellent investment if you travel often. It has many of the same performance characteristics as Nomad’s charger, but it can fold into a neat package and be stored in a backpack pocket. Wirelessly charge your AirPods, Apple Watch, and iPhone in hotels, AirBnbs, and even internationally—if you remember to bring a power converter. ZAGG includes a power adapter with this accessory, and it fits into a specific slot in the included carrying case, so you can easily grab this charger and go.

The iPhone enters the hear and now

Another thing we love about this change is that it opens the iPhone up to a wealth of audio accessories—including some of our favorite headphones with built-in DACs (such as the Focal Bathys and Bowers & Wilkins Px8), external DAC/amps, etc.—allowing for advanced resolution playback without the need for an additional cable beyond what comes with the gear.

The post The iPhone has a new (old) charging port—here are the best accessories appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Apple AirPods Pro 2		SEE IT	Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 offer the best balance of sound, battery life, comfort, and extra features.
Best noise cancellation		Bose QuietComfort Ultra		SEE IT	The Bose QuietComfort Ultras will become the most indispensable gadget for your plane trips or commute.
Best budget		EarFun Air Pro 3		SEE IT	EarFun’s Air Pro 3 earbuds offer better sound than we’d expect from a pair that cost well under $100.

If you’re wondering just how broad the personal audio market has become, consider the vast world of earbuds, ranging from less than $25 to well over $1,000. While wired earbuds still exist, True Wireless (TWS) earbuds have become the most popular option, thanks to improvements in micro-sized receivers that can deliver huge sound. Bluetooth technology has evolved to the point it can all but guarantee seamless connections, while an array of microphones and sensors help keep music and conversations clear. That means TWS earbuds are no longer a luxury item made by a select few companies. Yet there are still times when a wire is the way to go. Whether you’re an audiophile or a devout Apple enthusiast in the market for sports or gaming earbuds, we’ve compiled what you need to know to find the best earbuds that’ll match your needs.

• Best overall: Apple AirPods Pro 2
• Best noise-cancelling: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
• Best for multiple devices: Technics EAH-AZ80
• Best for comfort: Jabra Elite 10
• Best for custom sound: Denon PerL Pro
• Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD
• Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2
• Best for gamers: ASUS ROG Cetra
• Best for working out: Apple Beats Fit Pro
• Best planar-magnetic earphones: 7Hz Timeless AE
• Best budget: EarFun Air Pro 3

How we chose the best earbuds

There are nearly infinite earbuds available—models of all shapes, sizes, and price points—so we relied on hands ears-on testing to determine the best ones currently available. Our tests helped us determine the best earbuds for several specific use cases, like gaming or podcast listening, and let us single out pairs that performed best when using key features like active noise cancellation. Audio quality was paramount when making our selections, so each earbud you see below passes our sound quality tests regardless of how much money you spend.

The most discerning listeners will be able to pick up the subtle improvements on more premium pairs, but each set of earbuds will sound great if you open up a streaming app, find the music you’re looking for, and hit play. Our focus has mostly been on TWS types, which have become the dominant style in recent years, popularized in the mainstream by Apple’s AirPods. The convenience of these earbuds is undeniable, and current-generation pairs from well-known audio companies and newcomers alike offer incredible sound for their size. But we threw in some other options, too. There’s no shortage of new and exciting earbuds, but these are the best ones you can get today.

The best earbuds: Reviews & Recommendations

Whether you’re heading out for a trail run, on an open-world quest, or need to get locked in a work groove, you can get a pair of earbuds to suit your needs. And you can find them below, where we’ve collected some of the best options for any purpose and across every price point.

Best overall: Apple AirPods Pro 2

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (3)

Pros

• Well-balanced sound
• Solid battery life
• Compatible with Spatial Audio
• Updated case with “Find My” support

Cons

• Best technical features only work when connected to Apple devices

Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro—colloquially known as AirPods Pro 2—are the best earbuds you can get in 2023; there, we said it. The latest version of Apple’s true wireless earbuds feature appreciable improvements in audio quality, active noise-cancelling performance, Spatial Audio support, and they come in an updated case with genuinely useful features. In short, it’s the total package, and it should be the default choice for many, especially if you use Apple devices.

In our first impressions, and continued tests conducted over several months of frequent use, the AirPods Pro 2 consistently impressed. The earbuds don’t have a totally flat frequency response, but Apple’s sonic sculpting—a little extra boost to the bottom end and slightly raised mids—doesn’t make songs sound unnatural or artificial. Music with a lot of low-end sounds extra full without bass distortion, while live music, pop, rock, and jazz benefit from Apple’s tweaks. We never found ourselves wanting to muck around with a digital multiband EQ. Apple did the research to determine what would sound good to most people, and it mostly stuck the landing.

The original AirPods Pro earbuds were lauded for bringing premium active noise cancellation to earbuds, and the second generation brings several improvements in this area. The AirPods Pro 2 could block out far more ambient noise—keys being typed, birds chirpings, footsteps—and loud sporadic noises like a New York City subway car clattering on the tracks. It’s not the best active noise cancellation we’ve experienced in a pair of earbuds, but it’s not too far off.

Apple says the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds get up to six hours of playtime per charge, with an extra 24 hours thanks to its battery case. That’s mostly been true in our experience, though keeping active noise cancellation enabled all the time did drain the earbuds more quickly. With one or two 15-minute breaks, you should be able to get through an entire international flight with the AirPods Pro 2’s ANC turned on. If you work in an office, coffee shop, or at home with another people, the active noise cancellation should be sufficient to create a reasonable buffer between you and the outside world.

One of the big bets with the original AirPods was support for Spatial Audio, a type of binaural surround sound you can take on the go. The technology was impressive, if unproven, but Apple has spent the past few years coaxing artists to re-release classic albums or release new ones with a Dolby Atmos mix. The library for surround sound music on Apple Music has exploded, and the AirPods 2 let you take full advantage of it—though if you want the true Dolby Atmos experience, you’ll need to pony up for an Apple TV and surround sound speaker system.

Spatial Audio tracks on the AirPods 2 do sound more immersive than their stereo counterparts, especially if you enable head tracking, which will automatically pan music based on how your head is turned to recreate the experience of listening to music on speakers. Spatial Audio mixes are still hit or miss, but at least there’s a variety of music to choose from. Apple offers a way to personalize the Spatial Audio experience by taking pictures of your face and ears, but we didn’t notice a big difference and performance.

One of Apple’s most unexpected updates to the AirPods Pro 2 was changing its case. The new case has a larger battery, lanyard loupe, and support for “Find My,” which allows you to track the location of your AirPods 2 case in case the earbuds get lost. A built-in speaker can play a chime, making it easier to find. These welcome improvements make a tangible difference in the earbuds’ overall usability. Sometimes it boils down to nice things being nice.

The only potential downside to using the AirPods Pro 2 is that they’re designed to work best with Apple’s other gear, so if you don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you’ll get a slightly worse experience. The AirPods Pro 2 will still sound the same and have identical active noise-cancelling performance, but features like instant pairing are absent. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s something to consider if you live in the Windows and Android world.

Are the AirPods Pro 2 the best-sounding earbuds? No. Are they the best active noise-cancelling earbuds? No, but by offering a great technical and audio experience, they’re the most well-rounded pair. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and we can’t imagine anyone complaining about this pair of earbuds.

Best noise-cancelling: Bose QuietComfort Ultra

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Why it made the cut: Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra have the most-effectuve noise cancellation of any earbuds we’ve ever tested—to an eerie extent.

Specs 

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (5)

Pros

• Best-in-class noise cancellation
• Five microphones per bud
• Bose app is actually helpful

Cons

• Lacks multi-device pairing

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are built upon the impressive foundation provided by last year’s QuietComfort Earbuds II, and only extend Bose’s lead in this category. We described the noise-cancellation performance of the QuietComfort Earbuds II as “scary” due to the genuine sense of isolation we felt during our tests. We’re happy—if not bewildered— to report that’s still the case. Somehow Bose has managed to make the noise cancellation performance of its A-list earbuds is even better. In quiet areas, like a home or hybrid office the earbuds, can completely eliminate moderate sounds like typing on a keyboard, walking around, and even opening doors if you play music at a low volume.

Testing these earbuds in a more demanding setting—the New York City subway system—was revelatory. Listening to a soft-pop group like the Mamas & the Papas should not have resulted in our missing an announcement that our train was rerouted. And yet it did. We weren’t trying to ignore the subway conductor’s warning, we just weren’t aware of it. The subway train’s squeaks and shuffles were audible when music was off or we listened to spoken word content like podcasts, but music at a volume level of 80% or higher would zero it out. It’s an odd sensation to feel a train moving and not being able to hear it.

This level of ANC performance comes courtesy of a five-microphone array built into each bud. That’s one more microphone per ear than last year’s model. These mics also come in handy when taking or placing phone calls, and they blocked out a fair bit of ambient noise like wind, which would have distracted our fellow caller. Simply put, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ noise cancellation is unparalleled. It’s good enough that we’d recommend them to frequent fliers and commuters on its own. Thankfully, they also sound excellent.

We put these earbuds through their paces by listening to a wide range of music genres from different eras, from Taylor Swift’s new take on “1989,” to tracks from Bob Marley’s “Sounds of Freedom” through a compilation of the 1980s proto-Britpop band The Aardvarks. Some tracks were lossless (or high resolution) streamed from Apple Music and others were lossy AAC files from our personal library. Your experience will vary based on the mastering and recording of your favorite music, but we couldn’t find fault with the way the QuietComfort Ultras sounded.

Bose’s EQ settings were subtle and tasteful, which means you won’t hear unnecessarily boomy bass or crispy treble. We found the earbuds were particularly good at reproducing the sounds of acoustic instruments from guitars in pop songs to string and brass sections in classical and jazz recordings. We had enough esteem for these earbuds that we chose to use them during our first listen of “Now and Then” the final Beatles recording featuring John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

The latter was available with a Dolby Atmos mix, which allowed us to put these earbuds “immersive audio” setting to the test. Enabling this setting allows you to hear music as if it was being played through a pair of speakers, with audio shifting as you move your head. The effect is neat, and shows how much processing power the QuietComfort Ultras have under the hood, but we mostly listened to music in stereo. If you have a problem with the way these earbuds sound out of the box, you can tweak them to your liking by adjusting their EQ within the Bose Music app available on iOS and Android.

Our experience with these earbuds was almost universally positive, but we’re puzzled by their lack of multipoint pairing. You can only keep the earbuds connected to one device at a time, which is limiting and cumbersome if you want to go from listening to your music on your phone during a commute and on your computer at your desk. It’s a hiccup that’s especially surprising because these earbuds support Bluetooth 5.3 and Spatial Audio, two cutting-edge, resource-intensive features.

There’s never been a better time to pick up a pair of noise cancelling earbuds, but anyone shopping in 2023 should start with this pair.

Best for multiple devices: Technics EAH-AZ80

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 7 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (8)

Pros

• Smooth multi-point pairing
• Four microphones per ear
• Compact size
• LDAC support

Cons

• Cost

Technics may be most synonymous with club turntables thanks to its legendary SL-1200 (now 1210MKII), a deck used worldwide by DJs. Still, music listeners (rather than performers) should immediately acquaint themselves with the company’s new EAH-AZ80 earbuds. Their marquee feature is triple multipoint pairing—the ability to keep the earbuds connected to three devices simultaneously—but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve had the opportunity to test the earbuds for a couple of weeks, and they’ve become the top pair we’ve tried in 2023.

Let’s start with their multipoint pairing, which works astonishingly well. After pairing the earbuds to a couple of devices, they would automatically connect to both as long as they were within range. If I paused music on the first device, I could hit play on the second, and the audio would immediately start to play. The same was true when I threw a third device into the mix—to be clear, I approach any Bluetooth earbuds multipoint pairing with skepticism, and no earbuds claim to work with three devices. This is very difficult to pull off technically, and the only earbuds that have done it as well are Apple’s AirPods 2. But Apple’s top-tier earbuds only support seamless multipoint pairing when connected to the company’s other devices. The EAH-AZ80s can be multipoint paired with any gear regardless of its operating system.

On the active noise cancellation front, these earbuds stand above the AirPods Pro 2 but not quite at the level of QuietComfort Earbuds II. They blocked out almost—but not quite—as much sound as the latter. Commuters and travelers can turn to Technics earbuds for excellent ANC performance, aided by a generous seven sizes of eartips, and it’s up to most of the rest of the audio industry to play catch up. As for how others can hear you through ambient noise, eight high-sensitivity MEMS mics plus advanced noise reduction capture and transmit your voice clearly. Surprisingly, Technics went from off our consumer earbud radar to near the top, but that’s how good the EAH-AZ80s have performed in our tests.

While we were pleased with the earbuds’ technical features, we were blown away by how good the 10mm free-edge drivers (housed in a custom acoustic chamber) sound. Rich bass, smooth as silk midrange, and clear highs were present each time we hit play. It didn’t matter if we were listening to Miles Davis’ “Kind Of Blue” for the umpteenth time or catching up with the latest Dawes album released earlier this year; the EAH-AZ80s would continue to reveal new sounds during repeated listenings. These are reference-grade Bluetooth earbuds, especially if you’re using one of the few devices that support the LDAC codec (either a small selection of Android smartphones or a dedicated digital audio player), which offers near-lossless audio quality streamed wirelessly. Pro tip: Choosing “Treble+” or “Dynamic” in the Technics Audio Connect app’s Sound Enhancement panel really ramps up the captivating clarity by reducing some midbass mud. With the right setup and audio files, these earbuds will wow.

All of this performance comes at a cost, and while the EAH-AZ80s aren’t the most expensive earbuds out there, they’re a sizable investment. However, if you regularly bounce between different devices, stream high-resolution audio, prefer smaller earbuds, or can appreciate any combination of the three, we can’t see how these earbuds would let you down.

Best for comfort: Jabra Elite 10

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IP57
• Microphones: Yes (6)

Pros

• Near-perfect fit
• Solid multipoint pairing
• Easy on the ears
• Built with Dolby Atmos head tracking support

Cons

• Occasionally auto muting during calls

Comfort often takes a back seat as companies race to make longer-lasting, better-sounding, more technically advanced earbuds. Thankfully, Jabra’s Elite 10 earbuds prove you can have comfortable in-ear headphones without any major sacrifices. We’ve had the opportunity to test the Elite 10s for a few weeks, and they’ve quickly become an all-time favorite because, unlike several competitors, the oval EarGels (derived from 62,000 ear scans, according to the company) provided stability, but the shells never created hot spots or excess ear-canal pressure. And this unobtrusive fit gave us the time to appreciate fully all their other features.

The Jabra earbuds immediately paired to our first device over Bluetooth right out of their case and never lost their connection. This was true even if we left our phone or computer in one room and walked several feet away to the next one. The Elite 10s support multipoint pairing out of the gate, a feature only added later to Jabra’s previous-generation earbuds, and we found switching between connected devices very seamless. The Elite 10s will scan the area for previously connected devices and let you know whether one or two are connected. In our experience, pausing audio on one device and playing something completely different on another worked seamlessly. These earbuds have six microphones, which yields two big benefits. The first is call quality; we wore these earbuds on multiple video chats, and none of the participants complained about hearing a soft or muffled voice (though the Elite 10s did automatically mute us a couple of times, which required us to push a button on either bud to unmute).

The main purpose of the Elite 10s six-microphone system is advanced active noise cancellation. These earbuds block out an incredible amount of noise, easily on par with the performance from Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, though not quite as good as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. Subway noise, air conditioners, footsteps, and keyboard typing all faded into the background as we listened to music at roughly 50%. The type of noise in your environment and preferred music genre will impact your experience. Still, we came away from our time with the Jabra Elite 10s convinced the company is making a serious attempt at creating world-class earbuds.

All of these technical and design features are impressive and important, but the Elite 10’s audio quality blew us away, given their sub-$300 price. We couldn’t find fault in their punchiness while listening to music from any genre at any volume level, whether active noise cancellation was enabled or not. All the hallmarks of great audio were there: Deep bass, clear-but-not-shimmery highs, and a lot of midrange response. Live acoustic tracks, crunchy garage rock, hard bop jazz, you name it and the Elite 10s will handle it. The mixture of Jabra’s tuning and the earbuds’ relatively large 10mm drivers delivered the goods.

Jabra has touted the Elite 10’s Dolby Atmos support, and while the quality of its head tracking is impressive, this feature never really clicked with me. We appreciate Jabra taking a forward-looking approach—albums are being released or reissued with Dolby Atmos mixes weekly through several major streaming services—but stereo (or mono!) remain our go-to formats for on-the-go music listening. If you’re the type of music listener who enjoys listening to Dolby Atmos audio on a home theater system, though, the Elite 10s deserve serious consideration thanks to their solid translation of the format.

If you listen to music for hours each day or need earbuds that won’t annoy year ears while you take conference call after conference call, we have to give Jabra’s Elite 10 the top spot.

Best for custom sound: Denon PerL Pro

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: 8 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (8)

Pros

• Custom audio profiles really work
• Top-notch sound quality
• Support for the aptX Lossless codec

Cons

• Price

Audiophiles who patiently waited to see what Denon did with Nura’s technology after the Australian company’s acquisition in summer 2023 will be rewarded with the new PerL Pro earbuds. The buds’ key feature is the ability to walk you through a two-minute audio scan (now called Masimo Adaptive Acoustic Technology, or AAT), which tests your ears’ sensitivity to different frequencies. This process is completely hands-off and done through Denon’s Headphones app, which is available on iOS and Android. Once a profile has been created, you can toggle it on and off through either an app or by linking it to a shortcut activated by tapping one of the disc-shaped ‘buds. (This is the Personalized Listening that makes up the PerL in the name.)

If you’ve struggled with hearing loss or sensitivity to sounds in certain frequencies, these earbuds may well be a revelation. In our experience, creating a profile went smoothly, and we appreciated the ability to create up to three of them if you feel that Denon didn’t get things quite right the first time. Be mindful that you’ll need to wear the correctly sized ear tips during the scan for the best results. And the result? Music did, in fact, sound better when our custom sound profile was enabled, and the difference was especially stark when toggling it on and off during the same song.

In our case, the PerL Pro earbuds determined that our ears could use a lot more low-end, which it amply supplied without going overboard. Other sound differences were more subtle but perceptible after listening to music with it turned on for an extended music listening session and then turning it off. We can’t fault the PerL Pro earbuds for their execution of this technology, but we didn’t always opt for it. We knew that their sound, while tailored to our ears, was digitally manipulated. This likely won’t bother you, but it’s something to remember if you tend to be an audio purist who resists the temptation of playing around with an EQ.

The good news is that the PerL Pro earbuds sound fantastic in their natural state. Denon took the time to build their buds with best-in-class components and support for the latest technical standards, including Bluetooth 5.3 and the SBC, AAC, and aptX/aptX Adaptive/aptX Lossless codecs. You’ll need a supported Snapdragon Sound device to use all the aptX codecs, and the Lossless tier (which purports to transmit CD-quality sound) is in very few easily procured devices outside ASUS flagship smartphones. Still, it’s good to know they’re there. Our testing, which included watching videos on YouTube, streaming lossless and lossy music on Apple Music, and various podcasts, all yielded positive results throughout the earbuds’ eight-hour battery life—so much so that we used up the 32 extra hours in the charging case enjoying albums and authors.

Audio artifacts like sibilance and low-end distortion were nowhere to be found, even at high volumes. The PerL Pros’ sound profile isn’t exactly neutral, but their 10mm Ultralow-distortion triple-layer titanium diaphragm dynamic drivers offer a vivid presentation. The whole point of these earbuds is to listen to a custom-made profile designed to fit the needs of your ears, so it’s unsurprising they’re ready for any listening tests. A trusted name in AV receivers that can handle any dynamic swings thrown at them, Denon’s focus on sonic quality is commendable, and its earbuds’ signature sound (with Dirac Virtuo processing thrown in for spatial audio) is addictive. However, we did find the PerL Pro’s ANC performance a little lacking for their price. It’s not that these earbuds are bad at blocking noise—quite the contrary—but we’d expect more adaptive, effective performance at their $350 price. Subway car noises were still slightly audible while riding on the train while listening to music at 50% volume, for instance.

Still, if you want earbuds guaranteed to sound rich and ready for any genre, Denon’s PerL Pros are easy to recommend. We look forward to making new profiles as Denon’s software continues to improve and feel good knowing custom earbud tuning is just a couple of taps away.

Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 11 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (2)

Pros

• Incredible battery life
• Bundled with eight sets of ear tips
• Phenomenal fit

Cons

• They stick out from your ears

Beyerdynamic has been a part of the audio world for decades, impressing us with its mixing headphones, among others, but its latest long-lasting earbuds took us by surprise. While we were pleased by the Free BYRD’s sound and fit, its 11-hour battery life (eight if you leave active noise cancellation off) is in the top tier of true wireless earbuds. If you toggle ANC on and off regularly, you should have no problem getting nine hours of music playback before popping them back into their case. If you do somehow run out of juice during a single listening session, the Free BYRD’s case offers an hour of music playback off a 10-minute charge.

Most true wireless earbuds last roughly five to six hours with ANC turned on—the extra two hours offered by the Free BYRDs make a huge difference on a transatlantic flight, where tuning out the whirring sound of an engine can make the difference between sleep and misery. The Free BYRDs’ battery life is impressive, but it’s not the only reason they’ve made the cut. We were also very taken by the earbuds’ noise cancellation, which only comes up short when compared to the QuietComfort Earbuds II.

While the Free BYRDs didn’t produce the same eerie isolation chamber-like effect as Bose’s earbuds, they did block out a significant amount of noise. When listening to music at 80%, only the loudest sounds—think a sudden, expected clang, or jackhammer on the street—could pierce the bubble. One of the reasons for this impressive performance was that Beyerdynamic includes eight pairs of eartips in the box, so you can find the ones that fit your ears perfectly.

A tight seal around your ear is essential to getting good active noise-cancelling performance, and the Free BYRDs pass that test with flying colors. A tight seal can put unwanted pressure on the inside of your ear, but that was never the case with these earbuds. Another upside: The earbud seal was so tight we could headbang to our heart’s content without the risk of them falling out.

Concerning audio, the Free BYRDs’ 10mm dynamic drivers produced sound on par with our top-rated earbud pick, the AirPods Pro 2. They support SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codecs in their Bluetooth 5.2 container. In our tests, which included listening to music from different genres and spoken word audio like podcasts and audiobooks, the Free BYRDs never skipped a beat. Everything we listened to sounded surprisingly natural, which is particularly great when listening to people speaking.

Punchy bass, midrange clarity, and never-crispy treble are always a winning combination, as they are here. The sound was so good we never thought about mucking with the digital EQ in beyerdynamic’s MIY app. You can run through a hearing test in the app to tune these earbuds based on how sensitive your ears are to different frequencies, but this is entirely optional. We can’t imagine anyone being upset with the way the Free BYRDs sound out of the box.

You should be aware of the guitar pick-like shape of these earbuds, which makes them protrude from your ears. It’s not that you look silly wearing the Free BYRDS, but they will look different than most modern earbuds. That’s a small price to pay for their great sound, solid active noise cancellation, and exceptional battery life.

Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX5
• Microphones: Yes (2)

Pros

• Made from sustainable materials
• Fast charging support
• Surprisingly good fit

Cons

• Lackluster app

With the Redemption ANC 2 earbuds, House of Marley has made bedfellows out of technology and sustainability without any major concessions. These earbuds—case and all—are made (in part) from a mix of solid bamboo, natural wood fiber composite, and recycled plastics.

In our tests, choosing these materials didn’t impact the Redemption ANC 2s sound, fit, or noise cancellation performance, which is especially impressive considering their relatively low price. They even beat some of our favorite earbuds in the durability department due to their IPX5 rating, which will protect them from damage by sweat or splashes of water—getting caught running in a rainstorm won’t spell trouble. This feature is especially welcome because the Redemption ANC 2 earbuds’ fit is so good that we can easily recommend them for working out. Running and jumping couldn’t dislodge them from our ears.

Active noise cancellation is the namesake feature of these earbuds, and we were pretty pleased with their performance in this area. They aren’t at the level of our more premium earbud recommendations, but that’s to be expected given their sub-$160 price. The earbuds effectively blocked keyboard typing and footsteps, but loud noises like car horns could still be heard prominently. They may not be the best choice for airplane flights, but the Redemption ANC 2s are perfectly suited for office use.

Our experience with the earbuds’ sound was similarly satisfying. We could detect a difference in clarity when comparing the Redemption ANC 2s directly to the AirPods Pro 2 or QuietComfort Earbuds II, but that didn’t dampen our enjoyment of listening to music. If you get these earbuds, you’re not going to be disappointed by the way they sound unless you veer toward audiophile hardware, in which case the Redemption ANC 2s aren’t targeted at you. There was some muddiness in the low end and some sibilance at the high end, but overall the earbuds produced a pleasing sound. You can mitigate some of these audio abnormalities by tuning the EQ in House of Marley’s app, but we were disappointed by how barebones this software was.

Despite this setback, we feel comfortable recommending the House of Marley ANC 2s to anyone who takes the sustainability of their technology seriously. You’ll end up with a good-sounding, great-fitting set of relatively inexpensive true wireless earbuds with a fair lower environmental impact than most gadgets.

Best for gamers: ASUS ROG Cetra

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 5.5 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes (Hybrid)
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes (2)

Pros

• Virtual 7.1 surround sound
• Case has an LED
• Price

Cons

• Not the fullest ANC
• So-so audio quality for music

ASUS’ ROG Cetra is a pair of budget-priced true wireless earbuds with features designed for gamers—provided you use the company’s Armory Crate software. One advantage of the ROG Cetras is that the earbuds fit into a hardware ecosystem. ASUS has desktops, laptops, mobile gaming handhelds, controllers, and these earbuds are designed to fit in. Their case has a pleasing rounded-off shape, and opening it reveals an LED—a trademark of PC gaming rigs.

The earbuds themselves feel comfortable to wear and get solid battery life for a pair that costs under $100. We didn’t find ourselves reaching for a charger more than twice a week during our tests, which is on par with earbuds that cost three times the price. The biggest difference between the ROG Cetras and their premium counterparts is noise cancellation. These earbuds support hybrid noise cancellation, which uses external and internal feedforward/feedback mics but isn’t fully effective at blocking noise. Light background sounds would fade away, but moderately loud ones remained audible.

A big draw for gamers who use ASUS Armoury Crate software is the ability to activate the low-latency gaming mode and use these earbuds to create a virtual 7.1 surround sound environment. The effect wasn’t as impressive as Spatial Audio on the AirPods Pro 2, but we could hear some additional separation when the settings were correct. The experience varied from game to game, and ASUS can’t control the sound mixing of each title, so your experience may vary.

We’re recommending these earbuds to gamers because they were designed with this use case in mind. Chiptune music from older and indie games, or explosions and dialogue from newer ones, sounded pretty good, but the ROG Cetra’s 10mm drivers weren’t tuned for music, which didn’t sound very clear. Nuances we could hear with higher-end earbuds were gone on the Cetras, and it was more difficult to discern sounds across different frequency ranges. If you need a pair of inexpensive earbuds to pair with your portable gaming machines, these are a solid pick, but music lovers should look at our other recommendations.

Best for working out: Apple Beats Fit Pro

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: 6 hours single-charge; 24 hours with case
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Microphones: Yes

Pros

• High-performance active noise canceling in a compact earbud design
• Secure design stays in ear when running or working out
• Compatible with dynamic head tracking on iOS devices
• Includes pocket-sized travel case and three eartip options

Cons

• No wireless charging
• iOS device required for full functionality
• Not protected against water immersion
• No multipoint pairing

We’ve thoroughly reviewed the Apple Beats Fit Pro, and they’re the best for working out thanks to their sound quality, movement-friendly design, and fantastic iOS compatibility. They contain the same proprietary H1 chip found in Apple’s AirPods, enabling near-instantaneous pairing, steady, reliable connections to iOS devices, and battery life optimization. Like AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro earbuds are also fully compatible with iOS head-tracking and Spatial Audio features for simulated surround sound and immersive media listening. Their inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes make them equally useful on the road and at the gym. We also love the range of colors these buds come in, particularly their unique skin tone range.

The Beats Fit Pro earbuds are designed to sit securely in your ears using small rubber wings that rest comfortably against your outer ear along with three sets of variously sized ear tips. A quick optional setup step uses the earbuds’ onboard microphones to test your fit for sound leaks. Once your optimal fit is achieved, the Beats Fit Pro can endure almost every exercise imaginable—from running to rowing—without budging. The earbuds’ conveniently pocked-sized charging case brings their total battery life to around 24 hours. While it would be nice to see wireless charging in a product with this price tag, we appreciate that the case is chargeable via USB-C rather than Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector.

If you work out regularly and are an iPhone user, you’d be seriously hard-pressed to find a better in-ear option because of the snug fit, balanced sound, and seamless iOS connectivity. If you’re sold on the Beats features but are looking for an option with earhooks, the Powerbeats Pro earbuds are also a solid choice.

Best planar-magnetic earphones: 7Hertz Timeless AE

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Specs

• Style: Wired
• Type: Closed-back earphones
• Frequency Response: 5Hz – 40kHz
• Impedance: 14.8 ohm
• Sensitivity: 104dB
• Weight: 5.5 grams (each earpiece)

Pros

• Very well-tuned, balanced sound
• Full of detail
• Good bass performance

Cons

• Unusual shape 
• Limited soundstage

Unlike dynamic and balanced armature drivers, which comprise most earbuds, planar magnetics feature larger, thinner membranes—contributing to lighting-quick low-distortion transients but often require more voltage to drive. Luckily, the technology has evolved so that planar earphones are no longer expensive unicorns. Still, there has rarely been such a well-tuned option at such an affordable price. The magic of the 7Hertz Timeless AE lies in the tuning of its 14.2mm drivers (powered by double-sided N52 magnet arrays), updated to provide deeper, more impactful bass and smoother treble for hours of easy listening. It’s a warmer sound that delivers an enjoyable amount of detail, combining to make these earphones a well-balanced buy at $249. If you’re into wired earphones and want ones that don’t skimp on the bass, the 7Hz Timeless AE is an impeccable balance of price and performance. The Timeless isn’t perfect, however. It breaks the mold with the divisive, quarter-like shape of its earpieces. You’ll either be ambivalent about the shape or outright hate the shells—there doesn’t seem to be much in between.

And suppose you’ve got $1,500 and want something exclusively yours. In that case, the Campfire Audio Supermoon is an in-ear monitor featuring 14mm, 2-micron-thick planar drivers in solid-body enclosures custom-molded to your ear canals. The bass is textured but controlled, the midrange is dynamic, and the treble is honest (which can be a good or bad thing, depending on the recording). Planar IEMs are really coming into their own.

Best budget: EarFun Air Pro 3

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Specs

• Style: True wireless
• Battery life: Up to 9 hours
• Active noise cancellation: Yes (Hybrid)
• IP rating: IPX5
• Microphones: Yes (6)

Pros

• Bluetooth 5.3—with support for SBC, AAC, aptX adaptive, plus LE Audio & LC3
• Multipoint connectivity
• 45-hour playtime: 9 hours + 36 hours with wireless-compatible charging case
• Delivers insane performance:price ratio

Cons

• ANC, while good, isn’t going to match premium earbuds
• Mics can pick up wind
• Volume can seem low with some devices
• Not going to rival the sonic separation of earbuds that cost 3x as much (but they cost 3x as much)

There’s cheap, and then there’s a bargain, and the two shouldn’t be confused. The EarFun Air Pro 3 is the latter: budget TWS earbuds that pack ridiculous features and value for $79 (less with regular discounts). Stemmed earbuds in the style of their namesake (the AirPods, natch), the Air Pro 3 earbuds feature active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.3, six mics, 9 hours of battery life, touch controls, multipoint connections, and more in a classic, comfortable ergonomic form factor. If you like the idea of AirPods but not the price, especially if you want that type of earbuds for an Android device, the Air Pro 3 is a top pick.

Bluetooth 5.3—with support for SBC, AAC, aptX adaptive, plus LE Audio & LC3—delivers a low-power, stable signal to feed the 11mm wool composite dynamic drivers higher-bitrate content. Bass is the standout frequency band, punchy without being paunchy, but its confident strut is nicely balanced by fleshy midrange and bright highs. And QuietSmart 2.0 hybrid active noise cancellation up to 43dB ensures you can enjoy that richly appointed range; it’s not Bose-level ANC but proves more than efficient. Plus, there’s a graphic EQ-enabled app to tweak settings and coax clarity. While imaging isn’t the best, and they’re not the most compact, the EarFun Air Pro 3 earbuds are great if you want to take some fun thump on your commute and they are the budget ANC earbuds to beat, particularly for fans of modern bass-heavy genres.

What to consider when shopping for the best earbuds

From a secure fit to fabulous sound, the best earbuds can provide what you need. Here are the main things to consider when shopping: 

How can I ensure a good fit?

TWS earbuds have become so popular, in part, because companies have been able to develop earbuds that won’t fall out. The best wireless earbuds include ear tips (typically sized S, M, and L, but sometimes including middle sizes like SM or ML) that fit snugly and comfortably in the canal of your ear. Some models offer flexible wings or fins that fit the concha and make the earbuds feel locked in place, while others come with hooks or malleable wires that curl over your ear to secure things. Deciding on the best design is a personal choice but, thankfully, many models come with multiple ear tip options—most often a mix of silicone (better for quick insertion/removal) and foam (better for isolation)—to give you a good chance of finding a fit that’s right for your ears. 

What if I might get caught in the rain?

The best earbuds offer some water resistance, and you can even find waterproof earbuds. The way to determine how your electronics can cope with environmental intrusions is by checking the Ingress Protection, or IP, rating—two numerals that indicate resistance to liquids and dust. Earbuds can go all the way up to an IP68 rating—meaning they can be fully submerged in over 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes without damage, and won’t be heard by a tumble into the sand at a beach. If you live in a wet climate or work up a prodigious sweat on the treadmill, look for models with higher water-resistance ratings. But if you just need earbuds that can withstand a little drizzle or a few drops of sweat, an IPX4 rating could suffice. Many charging cases for the best wireless earbuds offer their own amount of water and dust protection. However, some of the best budget wireless earbuds sacrifice that added security to reduce costs.  

What if I’m a music-first type? 

TWS earbuds can work for audiophiles. The best earbuds have high-resolution receivers, digital audio converters, custom-tuned drivers, and amplifiers that combine to deliver sound replicating the original recording as closely as possible. Look for the newest 5.2 or 5.3 versions of the Bluetooth protocol with support for codecs (the digital format that compresses and transmits the sound) that match your device to your earbuds. Everyone supports SBC, but Apple prefers AAC, Sony promotes LDAC, and Android devices are likelier to support aptX/aptX HD/aptX adaptive/aptX Lossless. And these various formats operate at varying bitrates, from basic to high-resolution, with the top of the scale minimizing the lossy properties of compression.

Additionally, information like frequency response can tell you how well the earbuds reproduce low tones to high notes—20Hz to 20kHz is the baseline from which to expand—while the maximum decibel output tells you its capability. At the end of the day, the surest test is to see how the buds sound in your ears, but some of the best earbuds offer detailed EQ customization that almost ensures they’ll play music tailored to your tastes. And if you’re looking for the purest signal, it’s always going to come wired.  

What if I need some peace and quiet?

Almost all earbuds provide some amount of passive noise isolation, which means that they are designed with snug-fitting tips that can mute the outside world. Many of the best earbuds, however, offer active noise cancellation (ANC), which means microphones measure surroundings and speakers emit sound waves to neutralize the ambient noise in your environment—the effect makes listeners feel like they are in a cocoon of silence (though some users report a pressurized sensation). Some high-end earbuds step it up to adaptive noise-canceling, which adapts the noise-canceling algorithm based on the sound levels/types or location, and this is often accompanied by a transparency mode, which lets in (and sometimes amplifies) ambient sound when you want to listen to music but also need to hear external announcements, the traffic coming up behind you, etc.    

Yeah, what if I still have devices with a headphone jack?

If you’re an audiophile needing the most full-spectrum sound or a gamer needing the lowest lag, or maybe you’re just traveling and want to plug into the in-flight entertainment, shop for the best wired earbuds. While Bluetooth 5.0 should provide a fairly seamless connection, the only way to entirely eliminate lag or frequency response loss is to plug in—although the best Bluetooth earbuds limit these shortcomings to the point where most users can’t even notice it.

What if I’m taking a lot of calls?

If you want to talk to your helpful virtual assistant or want to handle work calls with your staff, you’ll need earbuds equipped with microphones (and if the earbuds have features including ANC, it’s safe to assume there are mics to spare). Beamforming microphones will focus on your voice rather than the sounds around you, while cheaper microphones may mean your listener will get lost in the chatter if you’re in a busy place. Earbud microphones are typically protected by fabric designed to limit wind noise, but if you have the buds in an amplifying mode rather than a noise-canceling mode, you may find the wind distracting.     

What if I need my earbuds to last all day?

Earbuds offer playtimes anywhere from a couple of hours to the length of a workday. Charging cases add additional hours—or even days—of battery life before needing to be plugged back in (typically with a USB-C connection). While average earbud life is anywhere between four and eight hours, recharging them typically takes 1.5 hours to 3.5 hours. And many of the best earbuds offer quick-charging options that let you gain an hour or so of playtime in a tiny fraction of that time.   

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best earbuds

• Best overall: Apple AirPods Pro 2
• Best noise-cancelling: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
• Best for multiple devices: Technics EAH-AZ80
• Best for comfort: Jabra Elite 10
• Best for custom sound: Denon PerL Pro
• Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD
• Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2
• Best for gamers: ASUS ROG Cetra
• Best for working out: Apple Beats Fit Pro
• Best planar-magnetic earphones: 7Hz Timeless AE
• Best budget: EarFun Air Pro 3

In many ways, the best earbuds are earbuds that you don’t even think about. They fit in your ear without coming loose and they deliver a sound quality as good as live music. Still, shopping for the best earbuds leaves you with much to consider. Set your price point and go from there. Then, determining whether you need features like ANC, transparency, low latency, and customizable sound depends on how you plan to use them and the sharpness of your ear. With the array of earbud options available, you can definitely find the best earbuds for you. Here’s to making a sound choice.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best earbuds in 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

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School is back in session, meaning a pair of noise-canceling headphones is beneficial for ultimate studying focus in the library or for finding some peace while the youngins play a little too ferociously with their Barbies. One of our favorite Bose earbuds—which are more low-profile compared to on-ear or over-ear headphones—are $50 off on Amazon.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II $249 (Was $299)

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Per our review, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II “hold the undisputed ANC championship belt.” That’s perfect for noisy commutes, social portions of the library that are a little too social, and moments where you just want to be engrossed in the fantasy world of your audiobook. A selection of exchangeable silicon ear tips (S, M, L) and stability bands help you avoid a loose fit for running after the bus. IPX4 splash- and sweat-resistance keeps your earbuds protected in case you get caught in the rain/take a run). And a battery life of six hours in the ‘buds plus three additional charges (24 hours) in the case means long flights are covered. 9mm dynamic drivers and Bluetooth 5.3 (supporting the SBC/AAC codecs) give you smooth tunes without forgoing all textured transitions.

In case a pair of cans is more your jam, Bose has those on sale, too. The QuietComfort II’s over-ear cousins, the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, are down to $279 from $329. If you’re looking for something that looks a little more sleek with the same powerful ANC capabilities, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are on sale for $299, down from $379. We took this particular pair to a hardcore show and were able to make a phone call—yet another testament to the power of Bose’s ANC tech.

These deals are part of the company’s Bose Week promotion, so grab them before the week ends. You can get more information on the sale at the Bose website.

Here are more audio deals to tune in to:

• Bose Smart Soundbar 900 $699 (Was $899)
• Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Portable Speaker $129 (Was $149)
• SHOKZ OpenRun Mini $99.95 (Was $129.95)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds 2 Pro $177.99 (Was $229.99)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds Live $69.99 (Was $149.99)
• JBL Bar 9.1 – Channel Soundbar System with Surround Speakers $699.95 (Was $1,199.95)
• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones $278 (Was $349.99)
• Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones $348 (Was $399)
• Sony HT-A3000 3.1ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar $498 (Was $699.99)
• Sony HT-A5000 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Sound Bar $798 (Was $999.99)
• Sony HT-A7000 7.1.2ch 500W Dolby Atmos Sound Bar $998 (Was $1,399.99)
• Sony LinkBuds S Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds $128 (Was $199.99)
• Sony SRS-XG300 X-Series Wireless Portable-Bluetooth Party-Speaker $198 (Was $349)

The post Our favorite noise-cancelling Bose earbuds are $50 off on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

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Earbuds have come a long way in the audio and noise-canceling departments, but True Wireless sets still struggle to keep up when it comes to battery life because of their ultra-small design. Beyerdynamic’s Free BYRD earbuds buck that trend, offering up to eight hours of music playback with active noise cancellation enabled and 11 hours if the setting is turned off. That’s enough time to make it through a cross-country or transatlantic flight without popping the buds into their charging case, which can fully top them up twice.

beyerdynamic Free BYRD $179 (Was $229)

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The Free BYRDs have held their own well enough to be included in our guide to the best earbuds, joining the ranks of Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 and Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II. Our reviewer found the buds’ battery life to be their standout feature but was also impressed by the level of noise cancellation performance and overall audio quality. They found that listening to music at a volume level of roughly 80% would block out all but the most jarring, loud noises. This means consistent noises like the whirring of an airplane engine or screeching wheels on a train or bus shouldn’t penetrate them.

On the audio front, the Free BYRDs support the most common audio codecs and pump out well-balanced sound through their 10mm dynamic drivers. It doesn’t matter which genre of music you prefer—or if you like podcasts and audiobooks the most—you’ll have a good experience with these earbuds. Our tests found them to sound natural, with no artificially boosted lows, mids, or highs, either. If you’re looking for an earbud upgrade that keeps you from reaching for the charger daily, don’t miss this deal on beyerdynamics’ Free BYRDs.

Hear are some other deals you should vibe to:

• AirPods (3rd Generation), $149 (Was $169)
• AirPods Pro 2, $219 (Was $249)
• House of Marley Redemption ANC 2, $135.99 (Was $169.99)
• House of Marley Positive Vibration Frequency Headphones $79.99 (Was $99)
• Beats Fit Pro, $159.99 (Was $199.95)
• Beats Solo3, $129 (Was $195.95)
• Linsoul 7HZ Timeless AE, $259 (Was $299)
• Sony LinkBuds S, $128 (Was $199.99)
• Sony WF-C700N, $98 (Was $119.99)
• Jabra Elite 4, $69.99 (Was $99.99)
• Jabra Elite 7, $104.99 (Was $179.99)
• Technics EAH-AZ60-S, $130.55 (Was $227.99)
• Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX, $333.06 (Was $399)

The post Our favorite long-lasting noise-cancelling earbuds are cheaper than ever on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

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Fall may be imminent, but summer is still in full swing and a great speaker will make you a better party host wherever you are. Plus, a new pair of headphones can help you enjoy your favorite tunes when nobody’s around. Right now, you can score deep discounts on headphones and speakers from JBL, Sony, and Jabra at Amazon, and we found the best deals of the bunch.

Sony SRS-XG500 $328 (Was $499)

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You still have plenty of time to get outside and enjoy some great music while you grill, play pickleball, or just lay in the sun like a lizard. And Sony’s SRS-XG500 is the Rolls-Royce of portable Bluetooth speakers, available now at a Honda price thanks to a $171 discount on Amazon. This party speaker can jam for up to 30 hours on a single charge. Programmable LEDs around its drivers pulse along with your music to create a cool visual element. And an IP66 durability rating ensures that it’s virtually impervious to damage from dust and water. The chunky integrated handle makes it easier to carry—the speaker still weighs 12.3 pounds, so be mindful of that if you’re planning on taking it a long distance.

The SRS-XG500’s huge integrated battery can also double as a portable power bank (courtesy of two USB-A ports on the back). When you’re not charging gadgets, you can plug in a flash drive into one of those inputs to play digital audio files. You can even use the SRS-XG500 as a karaoke machine thanks to a 1/4-inch audio input. While the speaker will sound excellent on your own, you can pair it with other Sony speakers using the Party Connect feature, which will play the same music in multiple places. It’s an investment, but Sony’s SRS-XG500 is worth it—especially at this price.

Other good-sounding deals:

• JBL Vibe 200TWS, $29.95 (Was $49.95)
• JBL Flip 6, $89.95 (Was $129.95)
• Jabra Elite 7, $109.99 (Was $179.99)
• Jabra Elite 4, $69.99 (Was $99.99)
• Sony SRS-XB13, $34.99 (Was $59.99)
• JBL Tune 510BT, $34.99 (Was $49.95)
• Sony WH-CH720N, $98 (Was $149.99)

Want to come back inside to clean floors? Pick up a Roomba j7+ self-emptying robot vacuum while it’s available for just $529 (normally $799), just one of several iRobot limited-time deals.

The post Save on JBL, Jabra, and Sony headphones and speakers on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

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August’s back-to-school rush makes it a beautiful time for those looking for great-sounding deals. If you’re hankering for some new earbuds to make the walk to an 8 a.m. biology lecture more joyful—or you’re a parent that wants to listen to podcasts while waiting for afterschool activities to end—Amazon has you covered with 25% off personal audio products from 1MORE, Anker, Sony, and more.

1MORE PistonBuds Pro Hybrid Active Noise Canceling Wireless Earbuds $49.99 (Was $69.99)

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The 1MORE PistonBuds Pro Hybrid Active Noise Canceling Wireless Earbuds are 27% off on Amazon, and their impressive features punch above their price point. They include hybrid active noise canceling tech that cancels up to 38 dB of sound. A 10-millimeter dynamic driver gives you bright vocals, well-balanced outputs, and clarity across frequency ranges, while the AAC Bluetooth codec allows premium sound on iOS devices. Twelve studio-grade EQ settings made by Sonarworks give you sound recommended by 45 Grammy sound engineers for genre-specific listening. Calls are also clear thanks to four microphones and built-in deep learning AI. They’re also available on the 1MORE website for the same price.

Here are other 1MORE you can grab before the deal ends Aug. 20:

• 1MORE Aero Wireless Earbuds $82.49 (Was $109.99)
• 1MORE SonoFlow Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $85.50 (Was $99.99)
• 1MORE Omthing AirFree Buds $29.99 (Was $39.99)
• 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds $80 (Was $99.99)
• 1MORE SonoFlow Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $85.50 (Was $99.99)
• 1MORE PistonBuds Bluetooth Headphones $24.99 (Was $39.99)
• 1MORE Quad Driver in-Ear Earphones Hi-Res High Fidelity Headphones $99 (Was $129.99)
• 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Earphones Hi-Res Headphones $54.99 (Was $68.59)
• 1MORE Piston Fit in-Ear Earphones $11.99 (Was $19.99)
• 1MORE SonoFlow Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $85.50 (Was $99.99)

Here are more headphones, earbuds, and speakers on sale at Amazon:

• Bose QuietComfort 45 Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones, Over-Ear Headphones $279 (Was $329)
• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II $249 (Was $299)
• Sony WH-XB910N Noise Cancelling Headphones $148 (Was $249)
• Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless Noise Canceling in-Ear Bluetooth Earbud Headphones $98 (Was $119.99)
• Sony-INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset $148 (Was $229.99)
• Sony-INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset $248 (Was $299.99)
• Sony-INZONE H3 Wired Gaming Headset $78 (Was $99.99)
• Sony SRS-XB100 Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker $48 (Was $59.99)
• Sony SRS-XG300 X-Series Wireless Portable-Bluetooth Party-Speaker $198 (Was $349.99)
• Sony SRS-XV800 X-Series Wireless Portable Bluetooth Karaoke Party Speaker $548 (Was $649.99)
• Soundcore Anker Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $44.99 (Was $59.99)

The post Beat the back-to-school beat with 25% off earbuds and more at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

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Dazed and confused, I wake up to my head forcefully bouncing off the window of an Acela train lurching homeward after an hours-long delay. Playing paddle ball with my sleepy skull for at least 100 miles, I probably should be concerned about a possible concussion. Instead, I’m in a half-awake panic because my earbud has fallen out, and I’m convinced it rolled the length of the car and is lost forever. Blinking away what’s left of my drowsy dread, I look down and see it dangling, safe and sound. I haven’t had audio perched on my shoulders for years and years and years (maybe since I rocked a boombox), but the new beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC (2nd generation) earbuds feature an old-school neckband that may find a more permanent roost in my travel bag.

SEE IT

I admit not everyone will test their earbuds and cranium on Amtrak. And with the number of top-tier true wireless (TWS) earbuds out there (including beyer’s own Free BYRD), this is definitely a niche product. However, I have it on good authority that other use cases are particularly suited to a neckband. Mechanics and anyone transporting packages can appreciate not having to be worried an earbud will fall out into an engine or under a vehicle. Like most active noise cancellation earbuds, the Blue BYRD ANC headset has a transparency mode for conversations and general situational awareness. Still, sometimes it’s easier to pull one earbud out without worrying about where to put it. And sometimes it’s easier not to have to fish a phone out of a pocket to pause or change the volume, so controls on the right wire are convenient.

Runners can also benefit from not worrying about a slippery earbud flying out at full stride and skittering off the trail. The Blue BYRD neckband is rubberized, and the set comes with five sizes of silicone tips to help secure things, but sweat still happens (an IPX4 rating means said sweat shouldn’t hurt the ‘buds, but better to towel rather than rinse them off). Plus, the Blue BYRD ANC’s 10mm drivers have a frequency range of 10Hz-28kHz and a V-shaped signature with plentiful low-end, which is great for a high-intensity, pace-setting playlist. If that doesn’t suit you, there are a handful of EQ presets in the beyerdynamic MIY app. And if that still doesn’t suit you and you want earbuds for audiophiles that draw out every last nuanced note (and many many more dollars), there’s always the 5Hz – 50 kHz richly appointed warmth of the minituarized Tesla drivers in the $1,199 XELENTO Wireless (2nd Generation). Beyerdynamic is no stranger to studio grade-gear, so those are ultra-resolving, offering depths of details in a deceivingly diminutive body (get that high-high DAP charged up). Still, I wouldn’t recommend jogging or fixing a transmission with those, neckband or no.

OK, enough flights of fancy. Rounding off the Blue BYRD ANC earbuds’ specs, they offer Bluetooth 5.2 with supports for AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, and SBC codecs, multipoint, Qualcomm cVc microphones for clear calls, and they feature 14 hours battery life without ANC/8.5 with.

The beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC (2nd Generation) earbuds are available now for $149. Don’t care about ANC? You can get the beyerdynamic Blue BYRD (2nd Generation) earbuds for $69.99.

The post A little byrd told me neckband earbuds can still be handy appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Sound World Solutions CS50+		SEE IT	It costs more than $100, but it’s worth the extra money.
Best budget		Britzgo Otto (BH-220)		SEE IT	It’s extremely affordable, but don’t expect many advanced features.
Best headset-style option		BeHear Access		SEE IT	Its familiar form factor should make it more comfortable for some.

Virtually all hearing aids cost $1,000 or more, which makes finding the best hearing aids under $100 prohibitively challenging. Modern hearing aids contain advanced digital technology, including tiny computing systems that allow them to be highly customizable and amplify only certain sounds. Most inexpensive hearing amplifiers have not been approved as hearing aids by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and, like the hearing aids of the past, focus on simply amplifying sound without the same level of customization. Earlier this year, the FDA legalized the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids, which should open up the market for cheaper devices, but it will be a relatively slow process. For now, cheap hearing devices are tricky to navigate.

“If you go back 10, 15, 20 years ago to what hearing aids used to be, they’re now becoming more of a direct-to-consumer solution,” said Dr. Vinaya Manchaiah, director of audiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. These products are called personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) and can technically only be marketed to people without hearing loss who want to amplify their hearing.

However, many people use these items to help them with hearing loss out of necessity, either because insurance will not cover the cost of hearing aids or because they do not have insurance and cannot afford to buy a hearing aid out-of-pocket. While some cheap PSAPS have minimal benefit and can actually further damage hearing, research shows that others can benefit people with hearing loss. Here are some personal sound amplifiers that can help you hear better for under or around $100 per device.

• Best overall: Sound World Solutions CS50+
• Best headset-style option: BeHear Access
• Best body-worn device: Pocketalker Ultra
• Best discreet device: Tweak Focus+T
• Best budget: Britzgo Otto (BH-220)

How we chose the best hearing aids under $100

To find out general information on hearing aids, personal sound amplification products, the differences between them, and what determines if an amplifier is safe to use, we spoke with five audiologists and heard from a sixth over email. All sources answered questions about affordable hearing aids and amplifiers, though two answered questions focused on PSAPs and direct-to-consumer hearing aids. For more general information and our recommendations for true hearing aids, please see our article on top hearing aids.

To determine our product picks, we looked at products compared in scientific studies, a comparison published in a professional magazine, and comparative tests done by staffers at Wirecutter and Consumer Reports. We also looked at recommendations for limits on safe hearing aid sound amplification. In choosing, we mainly primarily considered each product’s price, how well it worked compared to true hearing aids, and whether it was safe to use without the potential of damaging hearing. The size and discreetness of the best hearing aids under $100 were also considered, as was ease of use.

The best hearing aids under $100: Reviews & Recommendations

Best overall: Sound World Solutions CS50+

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Why it made the cut: Though it’s on the more expensive side, this device is one of the few that can truly stack up favorably against a traditional hearing aid.

Specs

• 12 hours of battery life, rechargeable
• 3 presets, complete customization through app
• 112 dB maximum sound amplification

Pros

• Data on effectiveness when compared to a hearing aid
• Helpful features like Bluetooth for calls and music
• Highly customizable through both presets and the app
• Hundreds to thousands less than hearing aids

Cons

• More expensive than some PSAPs
• Not discreet

These devices are some of the few that stack up well against true hearing aids, according to multiple studies. In a 2017 comparison published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, these devices performed the closest to hearing aids of the five PSAPs tested, as measured by participants’ accuracy in interpreting speech. In another study published in 2018, the CS50+ performed the closest to a true hearing aid out of three PSAPs when tested for audibility, speech recognition, listening effort, and sound quality. As a well-studied and tested product, you can also be sure it’s safe to use.

The SWS CS50+ has three pre-set frequency modes, though you can customize the amplification further through the accompanying app. It uses rechargeable batteries, which have a 12-hour charge, that come with the device. You can also use the device’s Bluetooth to listen to music or take phone calls.  

The main disadvantage of these PSAPs is their significantly higher price and, since they are sold individually, you need to buy two. Still, they are hundreds or thousands of dollars less than almost any hearing aid and in many ways compare favorably in terms of quality. They are also quite bulky and noticeable, though reportedly not uncomfortable to wear.

Most affordable: Britzgo Otto (BH-220)

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: If you’re on a tight budget, these affordable devices are likely safe, amplify sound effectively, and are helpful for many.

Specs

• 500 hours battery life, disposable
• 4 preset modes
• 129 dB maximum sound amplification

Pros

• Ultra-affordable
• Extremely long battery life
• Somewhat customizable
• Positive reviews

Cons

• Limited information on safety and effectiveness
• Not rechargeable or Bluetooth compatible

At $60 per device or $113 for a pair, these Britzgo hearing amplifiers work for you if you are on a tight budget. They come in two colors—blue and silver—and are relatively discrete. The style is similar to “receiver in the ear” hearing aids, though they are bulkier than most similar-looking hearing aids.  It has four pre-set modes: one for low frequency (pitch) sounds, as well as for high frequencies, medium frequencies, and a wide range of frequencies. You can switch between them based on your preferences, hearing loss, and environment. The device is fairly easy to control and it has easily replaceable batteries that last a long time.

Not many studies evaluate devices in Otto’s price range and many do find that these devices have little benefit or are even harmful. However, with over 2,000 positive reviews on Amazon, it’s clear that many people feel that they have benefitted from these inexpensive devices. In a frequency response test done by Wirecutter, the devices amplified sound in much the same way as other amplifiers, including ones that are much more expensive, though they didn’t do as well with some of the highest frequencies.

These amplifiers are generally considered to be safe and not harmful. Birtzgo’s devices are designed by doctors and audiologists, and the Jobs Accommodations Network claims on its website that they are certified to be safe by 96% of audiologists, though it’s unclear where this claim comes from. Consumer Reports found that all but the cheapest PSAPs are generally safe to use. That said, the maximum sound amplification level and full-on gain of the Otto, two measures of sound amplification, are both above what the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) has suggested (110 dB and 35 dB, respectively) as a safe maximum level for an over-the-counter product. That means some very loud, sustained noises (such as a siren) could be dangerously loud when amplified, especially if the person still has a substantial hearing at that frequency.

Best headset-style option: BeHear Access

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Why it made the cut: This versatile and affordable device looks like a normal Bluetooth headset but can also amplify sound and reduce noise. in a variety of situations.

Specs

• 13 hours of battery life, rechargeable
• 4 preset modes + 2 telecoil modes
• 116 dB maximum sound amplification

Pros

• Bluetooth capability for calls and music
• Somewhat customizable
• Affordable
• Amplifies sound effectively and likely safely

Cons

• Limited information on safety and effectiveness
• Not discreet or appropriate in all situations

The BeHear Access costs $300 dollars in total but it only requires a single device. That means you’re effectively paying $150 per ear. That’s the general price range of many devices listed here. This device looks and in many ways works like a regular Bluetooth headset, but can also amplify sound in a wide variety of situations. Like many amplifiers, it’s especially recommended for one-on-one conversations, watching TV, and talking on the phone. It works best in situations with limited background noise. It has three modes for amplifying different frequencies and incorporates a host of technologies, including noise reduction. Like a regular Bluetooth headset, you can also use it to take cell phone calls or listen to music.

The same Wirecutter sound comparison that looked at the Otto above also found that this product amplified sound in a similar way to many other devices—specifically, in a way that would amplify high frequencies more (age-related hearing loss tends to impact higher-frequency hearing first). If anything, the BeHear Access amplified the highest-frequency sound slightly more effectively.

Like other mid-range PSAPs, this device is likely safe to use. Its maximum sound amplification is also lower than the Britzgo Otto amplifier, though still slightly over ASHA’s recommendation, though its full-on gain is higher. The device is rechargeable and features a telecoil, which can be used with some landline phones as well as with amplification systems in places like churches and movie theaters to amplify sound directly through the device. This device can be used with or without its corresponding app.

Best body-worn device: Pocketalker Ultra

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Why it made the cut: The Pocketalker is an affordable, easy-to-use hearing device that has been shown to be able to meet guidelines met by hearing aids for people with mild hearing loss.

Specs

• 200 hours of battery life, disposable
• Only one mode, adjustable tone and volume
• Roughly 123.8 dB maximum sound amplification

Pros

• Easy to use
• Some data on quality/effectiveness
• Likely safe
• Long battery life

Cons

• Virtually no customization
• Data suggests only appropriate for mild hearing loss

One of the least expensive types of PSAPs, as well as the simplest to use, body-worn devices amplify sound from a person’s surroundings through a box-like device connected to headphones. Wearers only need one device to work in both ears. 

In a 2016 analysis, the Pocketalker Ultra met many of the same sound targets met by hearing aids for mild hearing loss, as well as some for moderate hearing loss, though for moderate hearing loss it fell below the typical standard.

A main advantage of a device like the Pocketalker is that it’s extremely simple to use. There’s no app to figure out and it doesn’t have multiple modes. You simply plug in the included earbud or headphones, listen, and adjust the tone and volume as needed. Of course, this simplicity can also be a disadvantage, since it’s not as customizable as other PSAPs and far less so than hearing aids.

Though the Pocketalker comes with two headphone options, it can be used with a variety of headphones, making it somewhat more uncertain what the maximum sound amplification might be. Its specs indicate that it falls into the same place as the other devices on this list. That’s over ASHA recommendations, though not substantially, and so is likely safe to use. The Pocketalker uses two AAA batteries and boasts a battery life of 200 hours, far longer than any true hearing aid.

Best discreet device: Tweak Focus+T

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Why it made the cut: For those who value a more discreet device, the Tweak Focus+T is much less visible but still has been shown to be effective and compare favorably to hearing aids.

Specs

• 5-7 days of battery life, disposable
• 2 environment presets + telecoil, 4 amplification modes
• Unknown maximum amplification

Pros

• Data on effectiveness
• Small and discreet
• Long battery life

Cons

• Not rechargeable
•  No Bluetooth calls or music
• Not as effective as the SWS CS50+

If a larger, more noticeable hearing amplifier is a major drawback for you, this product might fit your needs. In the same 2017 JAMA study that tested the CS50+, researchers found that this device also compared favorably to hearing aids, though it did not work at well as the Sound World Solutions device. 

The Tweak Focus has a longer battery life (five to seven days) than our previous pick but its batteries aren’t rechargeable, and there is no Bluetooth compatibility for taking calls or listening to music. It’s also less customizable, though it has two presets for different environments and four ranges of amplification for different severities of hearing loss (in addition to volume control). It also has a telecoil.

Like the Sound World Solution device, this one has a higher cost but is also more easily comparable to traditional hearing aids. It’s also likely very safe because it’s been well-studied and was designed by an audiologist.

Things to consider before buying a personal sound amplification device

Get your hearing tested

The first step you should take before buying any hearing device is to take a hearing test. You’ll get the best results at a doctor’s office but there are also hearing tests that you can take online. The doctor will be able to diagnose possible causes for hearing issues, such as ear infections, injuries, or blocked canals. 

Generally, PSAPs are appropriate for those with mild or moderate hearing loss, the two least severe categories of hearing loss. If your hearing loss is categorized as severe or profound, PSAPs—even the best hearing aids under $100—may not be helpful for you. You’ll likely need true FDA-approved hearing aids to improve your hearing.

Check your insurance and consider your options

It’s worth double-checking that you aren’t able to get insurance to cover the cost of hearing aids before investing in a PSAP. Though these devices are affordable, studies show that many people tend to be more satisfied with a true hearing aid that can be customized for their hearing loss. Insurance companies will likely not cover the cost of any PSAP because they are not considered medical devices. If your barrier is not cost, but rather a hesitancy to seek or lack of access to medical care, you may also want to consider online providers of true hearing aids, such as Lively and Lexie.

Consider the risks

PSAPs range in price from less than $30 to around $500 or even more for a pair. The cheapest PSAPs are simple sound amplifiers, amplifying all sounds equally regardless of relevance. That might be okay if you are talking to only one person in a quiet room but will likely be confusing in any noisy environment. Research shows that around 90% of these devices have poor sound quality and don’t meet sound standards set for hearing aids.

“They are simply general amplifiers,” said Dr. Rachel Smith, a clinical associate professor of audiology at the University of Rhode Island.  “So they’re just kind of making everything louder.”

Other studies have found that because cheap hearing amplifiers can block the ears without amplifying sound properly, people tend to hear worse while wearing them. Very cheap amplifiers also have the potential to do more harm than good, overamplifying sound and causing further damage to hearing. Even investing more in one of the best hearing aids under $100 is usually a better choice if you want a device that has the best chance of working for you without causing further damage.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best hearing aids under $100

• Best overall: Sound World Solutions CS50+
• Best headset-style option: BeHear Access
• Best body-worn device: Pocketalker Ultra
• Best discreet device: Tweak Focus+T
• Best budget: Britzgo Otto (BH-220)

Selecting an affordable personal sound amplification product can be tricky, especially with many products that are functionally useless or could damage hearing. Though truly effective products may come with a steeper price tag, and the best hearing aids under $100 are more likely to be a true help to you in addressing hearing loss if you cannot currently access a true hearing aid, and can help you feel less cut off from the sound and the people you love. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best hearing aids under $100 appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you want to cancel more noise and more cost with your headphone and earbud selection(s), Amazon Prime Day will be music to your ears. Some top-tier active noise-canceling options are on sale and listed below, including the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, Apple AirPods Max, Focal Bathys Over-Ear Hi-Fi Bluetooth ANC Headphones, Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Over-Ear ANC Headphones, Bose QuietComfort II Earbuds, Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 ANC IPX4 Earbuds, and more. We’ve also collected some amazing budget buys so you can pump up the savings and the jams. But suppose you want the ultimate balance of comfort and clarity. In that case, we recommend going in the opposite direction, finding an already quiet corner, and plugging in the Sennheiser set we’ve spotlighted. Whether you’re an on-the-go gear connoisseur or setting up a luxurious listening station, you’ll find we’re on the same wavelength with our focus on assembling a more affordable audio oasis with gear offered at its lowest price in months.

All of these Prime Day deals require an active Amazon Prime Membership. You can sign up here for a free 30-day trial.

Sennheiser HD 660S2 Wired Open-Back Audiophile Headphones $379.95 (Was $599.95)

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Looking for an expansive listen with an expressive midrange? Sennheiser is one of the first names that come to mind when discussing reference-level headphones with low harmonic distortion. Introduced in early 2023, the Sennheiser HD 660S2 is a retooled, bass-reinforced revision in the German audiophile brand’s long-running series of headphones for exploring the silkier parts of the sonic spectrum. The soundstage is wide but precise but now extends into even more dramatic depths—with sub-bass reaching to 70 Hz. While the open-back build means there’s no isolation, it also contributes to a toned sense of imaging, making these excellent headphones both for fans of musicality and musculature—the kind of comfortable, masterful set that is as good with heated gaming as it is hot tracks.

Sennheiser

• Sennheiser HD 600 Audiophile Hi-Res Open-Back Dynamic Headphones $283 (Was $449.95)
• Sennheiser HD 599 SE Around-Ear Open-Back Headphones $79 (Was $199)
• Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 ANC IPX4 Earbuds $176 (Was $279)
• Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless ANC IPX4 Earbuds $95 (Was $179.95)
• Sennheiser HD 450SE Black Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Headphone $79 (Was $199)
• Sennheiser IE 200 In-Ear Audiophile Headphones with TrueResponse Transducers $95 (Was $149.95)

Sony

• Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry-Leading Noise-Canceling Headphones (Black) $328 (Was $399)
• Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Over-The-Ear Headphones $98 (Was $149)
• Sony WF-1000XM4 Industry-Leading Noise-Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds $198 (Was $278)
• Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Noise-Canceling Earbuds $128 (Was $199)
• Sony LinkBuds Truly Wireless Open-Ring Earbuds $128 (Was $179.99)

Bose

• Bose QuietComfort 45 Bluetooth Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones $229 (Was $329)
• Bose QuietComfort ANC Earbuds II (Triple Black) $249 (Was $299)
• Bose Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones 700 $299 (Was $379)

Apple

• Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds $89 (Was $129)
• Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones w/ ANC and Spatial Audio $449 (Was $549)

Jabra

• Jabra Elite 4 Active Bluetooth Earbuds $66.99 (Was $119.99)
• Jabra Elite 5 ANC Bluetooth Earbuds $89.99 (Was $149.99) 
• Jabra Elite 7 Active ANC ShakeGrip Bluetooth Earbuds $109.99 (Was $179.99)
• Jabra Elite 7 Pro Adjustable ANC True Wireless Earbuds w/ MultiSensor Voice tech for clear calls $113.99 (Was $199.99)

Audio-Technica

• Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones (Black) $132 (Was $199)
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Professional Studio Monitor Headphones (Black) $118 (Was $169)
• Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT Wireless Over-Ear Headphones (Black) $55 (Was $79)

Cambridge Audio

• Melomania Touch True Wireless Bluetooth 5.0 earphones $59.99 (Was $99.99)

Marshall Headphones

• Marshall Minor III True Wireless earphones (Black) $85.99 (Was $129.99)
• Marshall Major IV On-Ear Bluetooth Headphones (Black) $119 (Was $149.99)

Skullcandy

• Skullcandy Indy Evo True Wireless In-Ear Bluetooth Earbuds $28.99 (Was $69.99)
• Skullcandy Sesh Evo True Wireless In-Ear Bluetooth Earbuds $27 (Was $49.99)
• Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless In-Ear Bluetooth Earbud $47 (Was $79.99)
• Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones $144 (Was $199)

1MORE

• 1MORE Aero Wireless Earbuds with Spatial Audio, 42dB Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation $65 (with coupon, Was $109.99)
• 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini Hybrid Active Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth 5.2 Earbuds $64.99 (with coupon, Was $99.99)
• 1MORE SonoFlow Active Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones with LDAC $74 (with coupon, Was $99.99)

TREBLAB

• TREBLAB Z2 Over-Ear Bluetooth 5.0 ANC Workout Headphones with Microphone $69.95 (Was $119.97)
• TREBLAB X3 Pro True Wireless Bluetooth 5.0 IPX7 Earbuds with Earhooks $47 (Was $99.97)

EarFun

• EarFun Air Pro 3 Bluetooth 5.3 Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds with aptX, 6 Mics CVC 8.0 ENC $49 (with clickable coupon & code PDAP3PR1, Was $79)

JBL

• JBL Live 660NC Wireless Over-Ear Noise-Cancelling Headphones $85 (Was $199)
• JBL Tune 230NC TWS True Wireless In-Ear Noise-Cancelling Headphones $39 (Was $99)

SteelSeries

• Nova 7 Wireless Gaming Headset $132 (Was $179.99)
• Arctis 9 Wireless Gaming Headset $109.99 (Was $199.99)
• Arctis 1 Wireless Gaming Headset $42 (Was $99.99)

Summit-Fi + Bonus Beats

• Focal Bathys Over-Ear Hi-Fi Bluetooth ANC Headphones $699 (Was $799)
• Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Over-Ear ANC Headphones $329 (Was $399)
• Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones $674 (Was $899)
• Edifier STAX Spirit S3 Wireless Planar-Magnetic Hi-Fi Headphone with Snapdragon Sound $319 (Was $399)
• Technics EAH-A800-K Bluetooth Noise-Cancelling Headphones with Multi-Point Connectivity $235 (Was $347)
• beyerdynamic Free BYRD True Wireless Bluetooth ANC Earbuds w/ Sound Personalization $179 (Was $199)
• Meze 99 Classics Walnut Gold | Wired Wooden Closed-Back Audiophile Headphones $231 (Was $309)
• KZ AS10 LINSOUL 5BA High-Resolution In-Ear Earphones with 0.75mm 2-pin Cable $47 (Was $59)
• FiiO FH3 1DD+2BA High-Resolution Wired MMCX IEMs $87 (Was $109)
• FiiO FW5 TWS Bluetooth 5.2 Earbuds w/ 10mm Dynamic Drivers, LHDC/aptX Adaptive $99 (Was $119)
• iBasso DX320 Digital Audio Player, Hi-Res Audio and Media Player $1,279 (Was $1,599)
• HiBy R5 Gen 2 Android-based Hi-Res Audio Player $299 (Was $449)

Going to see live music? Check out these deals on earplugs for concerts:

• Eargasm High-Fidelity Earplugs for Concerts, Musicians, Motorcycles, Noise-Sensitivity Conditions, and More $31
• Minuendo High-Fidelity Acoustic Adjustable dB Attenuation Earplugs $126.50 (Was $169)

The post These are the sweetest-sounding last-minute Prime Day headphone & earbud deals appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Amazon’s Prime Day shopping holiday doesn’t officially start until July 11 and 12, but the company has already started dropping prices on its own products to get the deal juices flowing. That includes Kindles, Fire TVs, Echo speakers, Eero routers, Ring home security and more. There are some decidedly cheap products here, including newer models that haven’t even been on the market that long. Here’s a look at what’s up for grabs right now. Then, make sure to come back on Prime Day proper for our extensive coverage of all the best deals.

Echo speakers (Including the limited edition Star Wars versions)

Before you get too excited, the Darth Vader Echo Dot stand isn’t on sale. It was too popular and we totally get it. The Mandalorian and Stormtrooper versions are on sale for just $30, though. We can appreciate that. You’ll need an Echo Dot speaker to go inside of them. Luckily those are on-sale, too.

• Certified Refurbished Echo (4th Gen) with clock $36 (was $48)
• Certified Refurbished Echo (4th Gen) | With premium sound, smart home hub, and Alexa | Charcoal $59 (was $89)
• Certified Refurbished Echo Studio $139 (was $179)

Amazon Fire TV early Prime Day deals

If you’re shopping Amazon’s early Prime Day TV deals, you’ll want to make sure that the deal you’re getting is actually cheaper than usual. Some of the Fire TV models have actually gone up in price very recently, which makes their current “deal” price above their normal cost. Here are some options with actual discounts happening now.

• Hisense 58-inch ULED U6 Series Quantum Dot LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV $399 (was $599)
• Hisense 50-inch ULED U6 Series Quantum Dot QLED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV $499 (was $529)
• INSIGNIA All-New 50-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV $199 (was $349)
• Toshiba All-New 65-inch Class C350 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV $329 (was $529)
• INSIGNIA 55-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV $229 (was $399)
• INSIGNIA 43-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV $169 (was $299)
• Toshiba 43-inch Class V35 Series LED Full HD Smart Fire TV $149 (was $199)
• Amazon Fire TV 75″ Omni QLED Series 4K UHD smart TV $879 (was $1,099)

Amazon Kindle early Prime Day deals

• Certified Refurbished Kindle Paperwhite (8 GB) ad supported $79 (was $124)
• Certified Refurbished Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32 GB) no ads $114 (was $169)
• Certified Refurbished Kindle (2022 release) – Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB) $89 (was $134)
• Certified Refurbished Kindle Oasis $149 (was $239)
• Certified Refurbished Kindle Oasis – Now with adjustable warm light $139 (was $209)

Echo earbuds early Prime Day deals

• Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation (2021 release, 2nd gen) $85 (was $139)
• All-new Echo Buds (2023 Release) $34 (was $49)
• Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation (2021 release, 2nd gen) $64 (was $119)

Eero router early Prime Day deals

• Amazon eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi system 3-pack $194 (was $299)
• Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi System 3-pack $399 (was $549)
• Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi System 2-pack $279 (was $399)
• Amazon eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi router $89 (was $139)
• Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi router $179 (was $249)
• Amazon eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi system $154 (was $239)

Ring security early Prime Day deals

• Certified Refurbished Ring Video Doorbell 4 $109 (was $149)
• Ring Indoor Cam (1st Gen), Compact Plug-In HD security camera $99 (was $119)
• Ring Indoor Cam (1st Gen) $49 (was $59)

The post Amazon’s early Prime Day deals have already started with Kindles, Fire TVs, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

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You may have grown accustomed to the idea that one phone plays music, podcasts, or an audiobook to one set of headphones, but that was the past—this is the future. Today’s top-end handsets are capable of sending the same sounds to two pairs of wireless headphones at the same time.

That means you can share a tune or a story with a friend or family member, whether you’re sitting on the couch, riding the subway, or anywhere else. All you need are compatible pairs of wireless headphones and a smartphone that supports the feature.

If you don’t see your Apple or Beats headphones on this list, check the Apple support page to see if your model has been added. Assuming you’ve got the right hardware in hand and one pair of headphones has already been connected to the iPhone, load up whatever you want to listen to and open the Control Center with a swipe down from the top right corner of the screen.

[Related: The best apps for listening to music on your phone]

Tap the AirPlay button (an upward arrow pointing into a concentric set of rings), then tap Share Audio. At this point, you’ll need to connect the second pair of headphones. For AirPods and AirPods Pro, hold them close to the phone in their case, then open the case lid. For AirPods Max, just hold them close to the phone. For Beats wireless headphones, put them in pairing mode as detailed in the headphone instructions, and hold them close to the phone.

That should be enough to get the iPhone to detect the second pair of headphones. When they show up on screen, tap Share Audio to connect. Back in the Control Center, you’ll see two pairs of headphones connected, with individual volume sliders for each of them. The second pair of headphones will stay hooked up to the iPhone until you remove them, which you can do by tapping the checkmark next to the headphones in the Control Center.

How to use Dual Audio on a Samsung phone

On Samsung phones, the ability to send audio to two different pairs of headphones is called Dual Audio. You can use any two pairs of Bluetooth headphones, but only certain Samsung phones offer the feature: The Samsung Galaxy S8 (and later S series phones), Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 (and later Z Fold phones), and any Samsung Galaxy Z Flip model. Your phone must also be running Android 10 or later.

The process for adding a pair of headphones is the same, whether you already have a set connected or not. Open the main Settings screen, then tap Connections and turn on the Bluetooth toggle switch if it isn’t already enabled. Select Bluetooth, and the phone will begin scanning for nearby Bluetooth devices.

At this point, your second pair of headphones (and the first, if they’re not already hooked up) needs to be in pairing mode. If you’re not sure how to do this, check the instructions that came with your headphones or run a quick online search to check—there will typically be a physical button somewhere that you can press to ensure the phone can find the headphones.

When the headphones appear on the phone’s screen, tap on them and then pick Pair to connect. Next, go back to the home screen and open the Quick Settings pane with a swipe down from the top right corner of the display. From there, tap Media output and select both headphones to send audio to both sets simultaneously. Each pair of headphones also has its own volume slider. To disconnect a set of headphones, head back to Bluetooth in Settings, tap the cog icon next to the device, then hit Disconnect.

How to share audio on other Android phones

Unfortunately, no other Android phones currently offer the same native audio-sharing feature you can get on iPhones and Samsung phones—there’s no similar functionality on Google Pixels, for example. While other Android phones can certainly connect to multiple Bluetooth devices, they can only send audio to one of them at a time.

That said, there are a few workarounds you can try. The Bose Connect app can send audio to two pairs of headphones from an Android phone, but it only works with a specific list of Bose wireless headphones (there’s a list on the app listing). Then there’s the SoundSeeder app, which syncs music across multiple phones—everyone involved can use their own headphones with their own phone to hear the same song at the same time.

[Related: 9 hidden Android features you’re missing out on]

The post How to connect 2 sets of headphones to 1 phone at the same time appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds		SEE IT	If ANC excites you, these will get your heart thumping (and they’re so efficient you can hear it happening).
Best for Apple users		AirPods Pro (2nd generation)		SEE IT	Meaningful updates improve all the marquee features and the result, especially with iOS devices, is immediately perceivable.
Best battery lyfe		beyerdynamic Free BYRD		SEE IT	A few extra hours of battery life may not sound like a lot, but it can make a big difference if you’re a big traveler.

The proliferation of noise-cancelling earbuds is one of the most impressive developments in the world of consumer audio—if not consumer electronics. The feature, which sucks up energy and requires both processing power and high-quality microphones, seemed at first like it’d be impossible to implement in gadgets that can fit in your pocket. Early noise-cancelling earbuds were wired, like their full-sized headphones counterparts, and came with a bulbous battery pack that needed to be charged frequently. However, as noise-cancellation technology (and rechargeable batteries) evolved, it came to over-ear wireless headphones, then on-ear wireless headphones, and finally earbuds. There are now plentiful earbuds with noise reduction as a standard feature, and they’re not all expensive. If you’ve enjoyed noise cancellation on over-ear headphones, but want the convenience of wearing earbuds, here are the best noise-cancelling earbuds to get.

• Best overall: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
• Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD
• Best for Apple users: AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
• Best for Android users: Google Pixel Buds Pro
• Best for custom sound: Denon PerL Pro
• Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2
• Best case: JBL Tour Pro 2
• Best budget: Edifier NeoBuds Pro

What is noise cancellation?

Noise cancellation is a feature and phrase thrown around a lot, but it can mean a couple of different things. First off, there are two types of noise cancellation: passive and active. 

All earbuds with properly fitted eartips provide passive noise cancellation, which happens when a ‘bud creates a tight seal within your ear canal. This physical barrier muffles noise from the outside world, whether your earbuds are turned on or off. Passive noise cancellation is the equivalent of hearing a loud noise in one part of your house and closing the door to the room you’re in. 

Active noise cancellation is what most people think of when they hear the term “noise cancellation.” Active noise cancellation, or ANC, was initially introduced to provide clarity and relief for pilots and passengers to combat thunderous airplane engine noise. In 1989, Bose released the first commercially available active noise reduction headphones, aptly called the Aviation Headset. Since that noise-cancelling device, ANC-equipped personal audio gear has swept the market, letting users tune out everything from a roommate’s constant cooking to construction work next door to the coffee shop where you’re working remotely. But how does it work? 

Earbuds with ANC have microphones that systematically capture outside noises within a certain frequency range. A chip inside each earbud analyzes the sounds you normally hear in real-time, then creates an inverse soundwave to counteract it. The better the microphones and algorithm, the more effective this feature is at reducing noise. 

One of the main reasons active noise cancellation drains so much energy is that it’s running all the time. Sounds from the environment around you change every second, and the earbuds you’re wearing need to adapt on the fly. Oh, and all this is happening while you’re sending audio to the earbuds over Bluetooth, which they need to play. All of this technology is especially impressive with true wireless earbuds because each bud has to do this processing on its own while staying in sync with one another and your device.

The energy drain of active noise cancellation is one of the primary reasons earbud battery life doesn’t improve very much year over year. Gains in battery life through power efficiency or new hardware are immediately “spent” on processors that require more power for better active noise cancellation. Ultimately, the tradeoff is worth it as long as battery life doesn’t get much worse. Plus, you can always turn active noise cancellation off to conserve power in a quiet environment.

How we chose the best noise-cancelling earbuds

Our noise-cancelling earbud recommendations are based on hands-on testing and research. We considered peer recommendations, critical reviews, and user impressions, as well as the PopSci staff’s extensive first-hand experience in personal audio. Below are the factors we considered most highly when deciding which noise-cancelling earbuds to include in this buyer’s guide.

The best noise-cancelling earbuds: Reviews & Recommendations

With these factors in mind, we’ve assembled a list of noise-cancelling earbuds that perform well in every category but excel in one of them. Sometimes, we’ve offered alternatives within the same category to give you even more choices. The earbuds that’ll work best for you depend on your top priority—audio quality, longevity, durability—and budget. In this guide, you’ll find our flagship picks, with some affordable alternatives, but if you want to skip straight to sampling ANC for less, you can also check out the options in our best cheap wireless earbuds guide. We’re happy to see companies continue to push one another (and themselves) to get the highest performance levels into increasingly small form factors.

Best overall: Bose QuietComfort Ultra

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Why it made the cut: Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra have the most-efficient noise cancellation of any earbuds we’ve ever tested—to an almost eerie extent.

Specs 

• Battery Life: Six hours (24 hours with charging case)
• Weight: 4.54
• Price: $299.99

Pros

• Best-in-class noise cancellation
• Multiple microphones in each bud
• Spatial Audio support

Cons

• No multipoint pairing

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds build upon the solid foundation of last year’s QuietComfort Earbuds II and continue to be best-in-class. We described the noise-cancellation performance of Bose’s previous generation as “scary” due to the genuine sense of isolation we felt when testing them. We’re here to say that’s still the case, and the noise cancellation performance is even better. In quiet areas—think home or hybrid offices—the earbuds will completely block out common sounds like typing on a keyboard, walking around, and even opening doors with the music at a low volume.

Testing these earbuds on the New York City subway system was similarly revelatory. Listening to the Mamas & the Papas should not have resulted in missing an announcement that the train was going to be rerouted on a different line, and yet it did. It wasn’t that we were trying to ignore the subway conductor’s warning, it was that we weren’t even aware of it. The subway train’s squeaks and shuffles were still audible when music was off or we listened to spoken word content like podcasts, but music would consistently zero it out. It’s a downright odd sensation to feel a train moving and not being able to hear it.

This level of ANC performance comes courtesy of a multi-microphone array built into each bud. These mics also come in handy when taking or placing phone calls, as they blocked out a fair bit of common noise like wind that would have distracted our fellow caller. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ noise cancellation is unparalleled, and enough to make us recommend them to frequent fliers and commuters on its own, but they also sound excellent.

We put these earbuds through their paces by listening to a wide range of music genres from different eras, from Taylor Swift’s new take on “1989,” to tracks from Bob Marley’s “Sounds of Freedom” through a compilation of the 1980s proto-Britpop band The Aardvarks. Some tracks were lossless (or high resolution) streamed from Apple Music and others were lossy AAC files from our personal library. Your experience will vary based on the mastering and recording of your favorite music, but we couldn’t find fault with the way the QuietComfort Ultras sounded.

The EQ choices Bose made when developing these earbuds were subtle ant tasteful, you won’t hear unnecessarily boomy bass or crispy treble. We found the earbuds were particularly good at reproducing the sounds of acoustic instruments from guitars in pop songs to string and brass sections in classical and jazz recordings. We had enough esteem for these earbuds that we chose to use them during our first listen of “Now and Then” the final Beatles recording ever made.

The latter was available with a Dolby Atmos mix, which allowed us to put these earbuds “immersive audio” setting to the test. Enabling this setting allows you to hear music as if it was being played through a pair of speakers, with audio shifting as you move your head. The effect is neat, and shows how much processing power the QuietComfort Ultras have under the hood, but we mostly listened to music in stereo. If you have a problem with the way these earbuds sound out of the box, you can tweak them to your liking by adjusting their EQ within the Bose Music app available on iOS and Android.

Our experience with these earbuds was almost universally positive, but we’re puzzled by their lack of multipoint pairing. You can only keep them connected to one device at a time, which is limiting and cumbersome if you want to go from listening to your music on your phone during a commute and on your computer at your desk. It’s a hiccup that’s especially surprising because these earbuds support Bluetooth 5.3 and Spatial Audio, two cutting-edge, resource-intensive features.

With that caveat aside, anyone who’s shopping for a pair of noise cancelling earbuds in 2023 should turn to Bose first.

Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD

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Why it made the cut: The beyerdynamic Free BYRD will likely outlast your desire to listen to music in a single sitting.

Specs

• Battery Life: Eight hours (31 hours with charging case)
• Weight: 7 grams
• Price: $299.99

Pros

• Exceptional battery life
• Comes with eight sets of ear tips
• Great fit

Cons

• Slight ear protrusion

German audio component manufacturer beyerdynamic has a rich history in the audio world (topping our mixing headphones list, among others). We were impressed by the overall performance of its Free BYRD noise-cancelling earbuds. Their marquee feature is battery life: The earbuds could run for up to eight hours with active noise cancellation turned on, and beyerdynamic says they’ll last a full 11 if you turn it off. With mixed use, you should expect to get around nine-and-a-half hours of playtime before popping the earbuds into their battery case, where they’ll offer up roughly an hour of music playback off a 10-minute charge. 

Most of the active noise-cancelling earbuds we’re recommending last around six hours, and while the difference between six and eight may not seem like a lot, it’ll make a big difference on a transatlantic flight. Eight hours of battery life means you may never have to hear the full sound of a whirring plane engine ever again. The Free BYRDs’ battery life helps the active noise-cancelling earbuds stand out but it’s not the only reason they’ve made this list. 

The earbuds have very good noise cancellation performance, and only fall short when directly compared to Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II. We weren’t completely isolated from the outside world when using the Free BYRD earbuds, but they blocked enough sound when listening to music at 80% that only very loud sounds could poke their way through the bubble. This is partly because beyerdynamic includes eight sets of ear tips with the earbuds—five silicone, three memory foam—so I found a set that fit my ears perfectly. The tight seal didn’t hurt my ears and the Free BYRDs never came loose, whether we were headbanging, running, or sitting still.

Regarding audio quality, the 10mm dynamic drivers in these guitar pick-esque earbuds were on-par with what we heard from the AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. Thanks to Bluetooth 5.2 (with SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive codecs), there was enough rich detail across the 10Hz – 22 kHz frequency spectrum to fully enjoy any music we listened to and voices during spoken word audio—be it audiobooks, dialogue from TV shows, or podcasts sounded surprisingly natural. We liked how they sounded from the moment we first turned them on—balancing punchy bass, midrange clarity, and plenty of nimble transients—and didn’t feel the need to make any changes using the software EQ in beyerdynamic’s MIY app. 

That app will run you through a hearing test to create a custom tuning based on how well you can hear specific frequencies, but we didn’t notice a huge difference before and after. Your mileage may vary based on the sensitivity of your ears, though, so it’s worth taking a couple of minutes to run through the test. Whether you choose to or not, we can’t imagine anyone being disappointed by how the Free BYRDs sound if you’re already aware of the auditory limitations of using active noise-cancelling earbuds. 

What you should be aware of is the fact that the Free BYRDs will stick out of your ears a little more than your typical pair of wireless earbuds. It’s not that they’re especially prominent, but the feeling is noticeable. The upside is that this makes them easy to install and remove from your ears, but you may be more aware of them than other earbuds depending on the sensitivity of your ears. Beyond that, there’s much to like about beyerdynamic’s Free BYRD. 

If battery life is important to you, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds are another great choice. The earbuds’ audio quality (supporting the hi-res LDAC and 360 Audio formats) and deep app-based customization options, eight-hour battery life, and active noise cancellation are superb. This is because Sony’s custom Integrated V1 processor is responsible for all three features, and you won’t find a similar pair anywhere else. These used to be the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market before the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, and we can’t see anyone being disappointed by them. 

If you want to shave off a little cost but are also willing to lose a little battery life, the company’s slightly newer LinkBuds S are also worth a look. The smaller earbuds inherit some of the WF-1000XM4s’ noise cancellation technology and dynamically change the intensity of that feature based on your environment. Plus, the earbuds have Alexa built-in, so you can control them using Amazon’s smart assistant if you prefer it over Google Assistant and Siri. All this while still managing a solid six hours of charge. Also worth noting is that both Sony models received multipoint compatibility via a firmware update. 

Best for Apple users: AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

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Specs

• Battery Life: Six hours (30 hours with charging case)
• Weight: 5.3 grams
• Price: $249.99

Pros

• Upgraded noise cancellation and audio fidelity
• Expanded tip selection
• Find My feature
• Personalized Spatial Audio

Cons

• Worse experience on non-Apple devices

The second-generation AirPods Pro earbuds (colloquially known as AirPods Pro 2) are an improvement over their predecessor in every way. The jump in the earbuds’ active noise-cancelling ability was especially impressive in our tests. Apple says the AirPods Pro 2, while still only 5.4g each, are capable of blocking up to twice as much noise as the previous generation and, while that metric is difficult to quantify, we noticed the difference immediately. 

We could fully block out the sound of a New York City subway car when listening to music at a volume level of 80%. However, a fair bit of noise was audible when we switched to a podcast. Meanwhile, listening to music at a volume of around 60% canceled out the sound of people walking and talking on a New York City street. Most of the sound from cars was eliminated, too, but we could hear horns when they were honked. 

The AirPods Pro 2’s new low-distortion, high-excursion 11mm drivers are tuned to accentuate bass frequencies and sounded best when we listened to modern pop m​​usic. Classic rock and jazz tunes sounded good, too, but these earbuds were clearly designed to appeal to the average music listener rather than an audiophile. Apple doesn’t offer a digital EQ to tweak the AirPods Pro 2’s sound either. Still, more often than not, you’ll be pleased with what you hear when you hit the play button—especially when paired with one of the newest iOS devices via Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC.

You can pair the AirPods Pro 2 to any device, but connecting them to an Apple device puts the earbuds into a league of their own. Simply opening the case near an iPhone will allow you to pair the earbuds and will automatically add them to your list of Apple devices over iCloud. If you use an iPad or Mac, the AirPods Pro 2 will be paired to them automatically. Additionally, you’ll be able to use Apple’s Find My app to locate your earbuds if they get lost. 

Find My and iCloud syncing are nice-to-have features, but Apple also locked the AirPods 2’s Personalized Spatial Audio inside of its walled garden. This iOS 16 feature allows you to improve the quality and realism of Spatial Audio—de-mixing Dolby Atmos tracks into earphone/headphone-friendly surround sound with head tracking—by scanning your face and ears with your iPhone’s selfie camera. The smartphone will use this imaging to update the Spatial Audio algorithm based on the shape and size of your head and ears. This feature takes about a minute to set up and is enabled automatically, though you can turn it off if you don’t hear a difference (we did, but mainly in spatialized stereo).

Apple updated the AirPods Pro 2’s case with a larger battery (it offers 30 hours of extra battery life instead of 24), has a speaker that chimes when it’s charging, and has a lanyard loop. The AirPods Pro 2’s case can also play a tone when you’re trying to find the earbuds using the Find My App, which makes them easier to locate. Apple made a bunch of meaningful updates to the AirPods Pro 2 over the previous generation, and it’s hard to imagine anyone creating a better pair of noise-cancelling earbuds to use with the company’s other gear.

Best for Android users: Google Pixel Buds Pro

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Why it made the cut: The Pixel Buds Pro takes advantage of Google’s most technically impressive services, whether you’re on an Android device or not.

Specs

• Battery Life: Six hours (30 hours with charging case)
• Weight: 6.2 grams
• Price: $249.99

Pros

• Multipoint pairing
• Realtime translation
• Excellent battery life

Cons

• Some features are locked into Google Services

It should come as no surprise that the best active noise-cancelling earbuds for Android users are made by—get ready for this—Google. The Pixel Buds Pro leverages some of the company’s most impressive services and marries them with sleek-looking hardware. 

The Bluetooth earbuds are platform agnostic to some degree, meaning they work identically when paired to hardware running iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, or ChromeOS. Like the AirPods Pro 2, the Pixel Buds Pro supports multipoint pairing, which means you can connect them to two devices and hop between them at will. (If this feature is a top priority, the recently released Technics EAH-AZ80, featured in our best earbuds overall roundup, ups the ante with the ability to connect to and switch between three devices, plus the wireless sound quality is really good.)

An IR sensor will detect when the earbuds are in or out of your ears, and will start or pause audio automatically based on their state. Google says the earbuds will last up to 11 hours per charge without active noise cancellation enabled, or seven when you keep it on constantly. That’s still an hour longer than the AirPods Pro, which is impressive from a pair of earbuds that’s physically smaller.

On the audio hardware side, Google’s Pixel Buds Pro earbuds are powered by a custom-designed 11mm driver that supports an interesting feature called Volume EQ, which automatically adjusts the way the earbuds sound based on how loudly or softly you’re listening to music. The average listener may appreciate this auto-balancing feature, but audiophiles may shutter at the idea that their music will sound different at different audio levels. Thankfully, you can manually adjust a five-band software EQ if you’d prefer total control. 

The Pixel Buds Pro also supports a raft of other typical-but-nice-to-have features found on many earbuds with active noise cancellation. Their case is IPX2 certified, which means it can be exposed to some water without being damaged, and it can be recharged on a wireless charger. The earbuds themselves are IPX4 certified, which means they’re sweatproof and can be exposed to a fair amount of water, like heavy rain. Touch-sensitive sensors on each earbud allow you to play or pause your music with a tap, change your songs with a swipe, or activate the Google Assistant with a long press.

Speaking of the Google Assistant, that’s the only smart assistant you’ll be able to use with the Pixel Buds Pro, which locks you into the search giants ecosystem. Additionally, some of the earbuds’ most technically-advanced features like real-time translation all happen through Google Translate. This level of lock-in isn’t as severe as Apple’s on the AirPods Pro, but it’s worth noting. If you’ve already bought into the Android ecosystem, that issue isn’t likely to bother you, in which case you should get the Pixel Buds Pro without reservation. 

Another great option for certain Android users is Samsung’s Galaxy Buds2 Pro, which we reviewed earlier this year. The earbuds look, feel, and sound great, but have features that are only enabled when you pair them to a Samsung Galaxy phone. The list of features includes Smart Things Find, Spatial Audio, and 24-bit audio decoding courtesy of the SSC Hi-Fi audio codec. Samsung took a page out of Apple’s playbook this time, and it’s kept us from recommending the Galaxy Buds2 Pro to all Android owners. If you already use a Samsung Galaxy phone, though, they deserve your consideration.

Best for custom sound: Denon PerL Pro

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Specs

• Battery life: 8 hours
• Weight: 8.6g
• Price: $349

Pros

• Custom audio profiles make a big difference
• Support for the aptX Lossless codec
• Comfortable fit

Cons

• Price

Denon’s PerL Pros are among the most interesting earbuds we’ve ever tested because everyone’s experience will be a little different. That’s because their marquee feature is the ability to use Denon’s iOS or Android app to create a custom sound profile based on your hearing. The test consists of listening to a handful of tones for a couple of minutes. The earbuds analyze the hearing response for your ears and creates a custom profile. Denon recommends you conduct this test in a quiet environment, and our tests found that there was a difference in a profile created in a place with and without much noise.

You don’t have to use the PerL Pro’s custom profile—the app even allows you to toggle it on and off in a single tap, so you can hear the difference in real time—but you’ll get used to it very quickly. We had a pair of our team members test these earbuds using the stock earbuds EQ, their personalized profile, and the other reviewers personalized profile. The differences between each was immediately recognizable, and we encourage you to read our full review.

Explaining exactly how the PerL Pros sound can be difficult, but we will say that there was a tremendous amount of detail in the music we listened to regardless of the profile that was selected. We could easily hear background elements of songs that would’ve been either drowned out or muddy on lesser earbuds. Your personalized profile will accentuate different frequencies, which may clash with your favorite genres of music, but that wasn’t true for us. If you have the right source and streaming service, these earbuds are capable of playing back tracks encoded in the aptX Lossless codec, which narrows the gap between streaming and CD-quality listening.

The Denon PerL Pro’s active noise cancellation was more than respectable, blocking out footsteps and keyboard clicks with music at a low volume. Cranking it up near 100% would cancel out most of a New York Subway car’s clanging, though some of its loudest noises were still audible. One of the big reasons for the PerL Pro’s excellent ANC performance was their very tight (but comfortable) fit in our ears. Running and jumping couldn’t dislodge them, and the solid seal ensured excellent bass performance.

These earbuds are pricey, but the technology they employ guarantees you’ll hear music in a way that’s tailor-made for your ears. If you struggle with noticeable frequency loss or sensitivities, and don’t find mucking around with a digital EQ knob to be acceptable, pick up these buds.

Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2

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Why it made the cut: House of Marley’s Redemption ANC 2s prove you can be a healthy, eco-conscious audiophile. 

Specs

• Battery Life: Six hours (24 hours with charging case)
• Weight: N/A
• Price: $169.99

Pros

• Fantastic fit
• Sustainable materials
• Fast charging

Cons

• Lackluster app

Technology and sustainability are typically at odds with one another, but the House of Marley Redemption ANC 2s prove they’re not always mutually exclusive. The earbuds and their case are made, in part, out of solid bamboo, natural wood fiber composite, and recycled plastics. 

In our experience choosing these materials didn’t hurt the performance of the Redemption ANC 2s, which compare favorably to our other active noise-cancelling earbud recommendations when you factor in their lower price. In addition, the earbuds actually beat our other recommendations in terms of durability thanks to their IPX5 durability rating, which means they’re waterproof enough not to be damaged by sweat, adding to their life-cycle and ours as they can be great for workouts. [Remember: If you choose to exercise in ANC earbuds, enable transparency mode during outdoor runs so you can stay aware of your surroundings.]

We were perfectly happy with the ANC 2’s namesake feature, which allowed the earbuds to block out a lot of noise when listening to music between 80% and 100%. The earbuds could completely eliminate softer sounds—keyboard typing, feet tapping, walking around a home—but louder sounds like car horns could still be heard pretty prominently. Commuters and air travelers will certainly notice a dip in the sound of their train and plane noises, but you’ll still sense that they’re there. 

Similarly, the Redemption ANC 2s sound very good, but audio sounds “veiled” when compared directly to beyerdynamic’s Free BYRD, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, and Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II. We couldn’t hear the same level of detail, and the music sounded slightly flatter overall. Some frequency ranges, bass especially, fared better, but we could definitely hear a little more muddiness when listening to very vocal-heavy music. There was also a bit of sibilance and a slight tendency for high frequencies to sound a little too sharp. 

None of this detracted severely from our enjoyment of the music, but the $80 difference between this pair of active noise-cancelling earbuds and a premium pair was certainly noticeable. You can adjust the EQ of these earbuds using House of Marley’s app but the software is extremely barebones. House of Marley’s app is a letdown considering how good the hardware is. 

The Redemption ANC 2s may not be able to stand toe to toe with premium earbuds in the audio and noise cancellation areas, but they have the edge over some when it comes to battery performance. The earbuds get up to six hours of music listening per charge, support wireless charging, and offer two hours of music playback off a 15-minute charge. Similarly, the earbuds are IPX5 certified, which means they can stand up to water better than more expensive pairs.

If you care deeply about the sustainability of your technology, House of Marley’s ANC 2s are the best active noise-cancelling earbuds available right now. They’re also a solid set of earbuds if you’re trying to keep your budget under $200. 

Best case: JBL Tour Pro 2

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Why it made the cut: JBL’s Tour Pro 2 is a case study in offering easier, phone-free access to settings.

Specs

• Battery Life: 8 Hours
• Weight: N/A
• Price: $249.99

Pros

• Touchscreen case
• Six-microphone array
• Smart ambiance detects sounds and adjusts ANC

Cons

• Price versus the competition

JBL’s Tour Pro 2 are unlike any ANC earbuds we’ve tried. JBL didn’t invent a new shape, battery technology, or audio codec—instead, the company focused on designing an all-new smart charging case. The Tour Pro 2’s case—available in both black and champagne—has a colorful 1.45-inch LED touchscreen on it, which is as bonkers as it sounds. By swiping across the display, you can access up to 14 settings panels without touching your phone.

The touchscreen’s functionality is surprisingly robust, which makes it feel like more of a feature than a gimmick. You can use the case for basic functions like changing your music volume or switching and pausing a track, but the features don’t stop there. Within a couple of swipes and taps you can adjust the earbuds’ ANC/Ambient Aware/TalkThru settings, change their EQ, set a playback timer, or change the spatial sound settings. You can even receive phone notifications, like a basic smartwatch (don’t expect Apple Watch-level integration, but it’s something). Basically, if you can do something inside the JBL Headphones app (iOS and Android), the Tour Pro 2’s case gives you the same options. You can even change the screensaver, so you don’t have to use our logo like in the image above (though you could).

JBL took a cue from smartphone makers and designed the case to go to sleep after 30 seconds. Once it wakes up, you have to swipe across its screen to unlock and access your settings, eliminating the chance of accidentally changing a setting while grabbing the case in your pocket. It feels odd to take some much time talking about the Tour Pro 2’s case, but it’s the standout feature of these earbuds.

Inside the case, you’ll find a pair of sleek but relatively standard-looking stemmed true wireless earbuds with a comfortable fit. They’re IPX5, ready for sweat as you rush through public transportation (the case, however, should avoid a splash). Our limited tests so far have produced positive results—the Tour Pro 2’s adaptive ANC blocked a fair amount of noise when riding on a New York City subway train and walking on its busiest streets, even without the volume cranked up. Rumble fared a bit better than chatter, but the attenuation was solid across the board. The earbuds last a fair amount of time per charge—8 hours with ANC on, with up to 30 more in the case, and I can keep track of both battery levels by checking the screen, naturally. This is great for travelers or commuters who don’t want to plug their buds in to charge every night. On that note, the Tour Pro 2’s case supports wireless charging, which is another nice plus. And it has a “Find My Buds” feature that triggers a high-pitched tone, perfect for finding that rogue earbud that fell in the couch.

As for the sound, first impressions are of a crowd-pleasing V-shaped signature, with energetic boosted bass and slightly goosed highs. JBL is a Harman company, and this is the Harman curve (a target that tries to represent the lively sound of speakers in a room). There aren’t the rich midrange details of the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 or the nimble dynamics of the AirPods Pro 2, but the 10mm dynamic drivers do a great job of conveying all the thump, if not every texture. To my ears, things sound tighter with an iPhone using the AAC codec than on an Android using SBC (the Bluetooth 5.3 Multipoint earbuds will get LE Audio’s Auracast/LC3 codec support in a future firmware for more high-resolution playback). If you want to customize the response, there are five sonic presets (Jazz, Vocal, Bass, Club, Studio), and you can draw and save your own curve with the 10-band EQ. If that feels too involved, take the Personi-Fi hearing test, which will generate a custom profile for you (according to our associate managing editor, who tried it first, the test resulted in less low-end and more highs, which he thinks tracks with the ears of an old former DJ).

If you’d like to try a pair of true wireless earbuds that feel futuristic or don’t want to take your phone out of your pocket each time you need to fumble with a setting or change a song, JBL’s Tour Pro 2 earbuds are well worth checking out. We hope that JBL introduces even more functionality through software updates since this technology feels like it has so much potential.

Best budget: Edifier NeoBuds Pro

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Why it made the cut: Edifier’s NeoBuds Pros have no right to have as many features as they do for earbuds so close to $100.

Specs

• Battery Life: 6 Hours
• Weight: N/A
• Price: $99.99

Pros

• Easily accessible sound modes
• Six microphone array
• Fast charging
• LDAC/LHDC hi-res codec support

Cons

• Only comes with three sets of eartips

Edifier’s NeoBuds Pro TWS earbuds may not seem impressive at first glance, but that quickly changes when you realize the noise-cancelling earbuds cost only $100. Name a feature, and the NeoBuds Pro checks the box: active noise cancellation, long battery life, fast charging, hi-res codecs with compatible devices, multiple (adjustable) EQ modes, solid water and dust resistance, in-ear detection, touch-sensitive buds. And, on top of that, great sound from the hybrid driver design combining a high-sensitivity Knowles balanced armature for precise highs with a composite diaphragm dynamic driver for impactful mids and lows. It’s hard to find meaningful features these budget earphones don’t have. 

We won’t say the Edifier NeoBuds Pro will be able to compete with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II in a head-to-head competition of audio and active noise cancellation performance. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better pair in this price range. We’re especially impressed by the earbuds’ six-microphone array, which will come in handy for noise cancellation and when taking phone calls. 

Most noise-cancelling earbuds have multiple pre-set sound modes, but Edifier made the wise design choice to map them to the touch-sensitive surface of the left earbud. Tapping on it twice will enable “Normal Mode” while tapping three times will cycle through game mode and spatial audio. It’s helpful to have these settings at your fingertips (literally) rather than having to fumble through an app on your phone. 

The NeoBuds Pro earbuds have the same battery life and fast charging speeds as House of Marley’s ANC 2s, which is even more impressive given their extremely low price. With five hours ANC on (plus 15 hours from the case) or six hours ANC off (and 18 hours from the case), you should be able to get through a trans-continental flight without having to top them up. Similarly, the earbuds have an IP54 durability rating, so water and dust shouldn’t impact them too much, whether heading into work or working out. 

The world of budget audio has expanded enough over the past few years that we can easily recommend earbuds under $100 for casual listeners. We’d prefer Edifiers to include more than three sizes of ear tips with the earbuds to ensure you’ll get a perfect fit, but that’s the only surface-level indication that these noise-cancelling earbuds are designed for people on a stricter budget.

Another pair of budget-friendly noise-cancelling earbuds you should consider is 1More’s AERO, which supports spatial audio and head tracking. The AEROs have 12 preset EQs that you can switch between, and the earbuds can dynamically adjust their noise cancellation based on your environment. The earbuds typically cost $109.99, but Amazon is currently offering a $20 off coupon that takes them under $90.

Another brand that’s really packing in the features for commuters and travelers who don’t want to hear the noise of a train car or airplane but find over-ear headphones cumbersome to pack, much less snooze with, is EarFun. There might not be a buzzword mentioned throughout this piece that isn’t found in the EarFun Air Pro 3 Bluetooth 5.3 earbuds. From aptX Adaptive to Hybrid ANC, multipoint to six Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) microphones, an app with customizable EQ to wireless charging, these stemmed AirPods alternatives factor it all in for under $80. If your budget is very tight, EarFun’s Air S earbuds offer multipoint pairing, aptX support, and a fully customizable EQ for under $70. The Air S earbuds’ six-hour battery life isn’t too shabby, either.

The popularity of ANC has really given audio companies a reason to continually improve the efficiency of their hardware and pursue improvements in digital signal processing and power efficiency. EarFun is definitely a brand that’s really maximizing technological miniaturization.

Things to consider before buying noise-cancelling earbuds

All of the earbuds we’re recommending in this guide are wireless because wired earbuds with active noise cancellation are cumbersome to use. Additionally, many devices—phones and tablets especially—don’t have a headphone jack anymore, so you’d need to carry around an adapter to use this type of tethered processor.

True wireless

There are many types of noise-cancelling earbuds, but we’ve focused exclusively on “true wireless” pairs. This is because most companies are putting their cutting-edge active noise cancellation technology into this type of earbud, so you end up with the best performance. 

The term “true wireless” means that each earbud connects to your device independently, without a cable tethering them together. Early true wireless earbuds suffered from connectivity problems—with devices and between the buds themselves—but that has changed thanks to improvements in the Bluetooth wireless protocols. Now there are all kinds of higher efficiency, higher bitrate codecs (including aptX HD/Adaptive and LDAC) that allow TWS earbuds to take advantage of advanced-resolution formats from audiophile sources, such as the best DAPs (digital audio players). The popularity of true wireless earbuds is such that they’ve also come down in price quite a bit. You’ll pay more for a pair of true wireless earbuds that support active noise cancellation than one without, but you can get away with spending less than $150 and still having a good experience.

Battery life 

We discussed the reality of earbud battery life earlier, but we’re pleased to say that newer pairs last a lot longer than those released just a couple of years ago. You should expect to get at least six hours of playtime from all of the noise-cancelling earbuds we’re recommending—though this will depend on how loudly you listen to your music. If you use active noise cancellation judiciously, you can likely get a couple of additional hours out of them. 

One of the upsides to using a pair of true wireless earbuds is that it comes with a battery case. Your earbuds will be charged any time you’re not using them—so long as you remember to plug the case in every once in a while (most accept USB-C cables, while some charge wirelessly). This accessory will keep your noise-cancelling earbuds safe when you’re not using them, and extend their life by at least 16 hours or so. 

Gummy eartips 

Silicone- and/or foam-tipped earbuds are required for active noise cancellation because they create a tight seal within the ear that insulates your ear canal from the environment and lets all the ANC counterwaves work their magic. In addition, a proper seal is required to experience quality bass response. If you’ve traditionally struggled to keep this style of earbuds in your ear, don’t worry. All of the noise-cancelling earbuds we’re recommending come with multiple sizes of ear tips, and we strongly recommend trying each set out to find the one that fits you best (and the number of third-party ear tips available on Amazon is staggering if you’re looking to emphasize a particular feel or frequency response). If your earbud’s ear tip comes loose, it won’t be able to cancel noise or play audio efficiently.  

Microphones 

Microphones are essential for active noise cancellation to work on earbuds—or any style of headphones for that matter. Every pair of earbuds in our guide has at least one microphone on each bud. 

Multipoint pairing

Originally a luxury feature, but finding its way into more and more earbuds, multipoint enables your noise-cancelling wireless earbuds to stay connected to multiple devices simultaneously. This allows you to switch from playing music on a smartphone to your computer for a conference call without dealing with settings panels and (re)pairing connections. Maintaining simultaneous connections with multiple devices is tricky, so earbuds with this feature can still be hit or miss.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best noise-cancelling earbuds

• Best overall: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
• Best battery life: beyerdynamic Free BYRD
• Best for Apple users: AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
• Best for Android users: Google Pixel Buds Pro
• Best for custom sound: Denon PerL Pro
• Best for sustainability: House of Marley Redemption ANC 2
• Best case: JBL Tour Pro 2
• Best budget: Edifier NeoBuds Pro

If you love music but live in a loud environment, noise-cancelling earbuds are your best audio investment. They’ll last an entire workday and can block the sounds of keys typing, toes tapping, and people around you talking. If you work from home but want to get out of the house, noise-cancelling earbuds can eliminate the sound of clinking cups at a cafe or people walking around in a park. It almost goes without saying that frequent travelers should consider the best noise-cancelling earbuds necessary.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best noise-cancelling earbuds in 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

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For many, graduation is behind us, and Father’s Day is around the corner, so if your new grad or old man loves music, it’s time to get them some new gear. We’ve collected the best deals on speakers and headphones that can be used to listen to everything from vintage vinyl to today’s podcasts. It doesn’t matter if that special someone has a dedicated audio room or prefers listening through headphones on the couch; you’ll find a good (and relatively inexpensive!) gift below.

Klipsch Heritage Wireless The Three II $199.99 (Was $229)

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Klipsch’s The Three II’s distinguished look is matched only by its sheer versatility. The speaker supports Bluetooth for wireless music streaming and has RCA (red and white), USB, and AUX inputs around the back. This means your grad or dad could use a single speaker with a turntable, computer, and tablet or phone with ports to spare. The Three II’s wooden cabinet, linen cover, and metal control knobs scream class and ensure the speaker catches the eye and would look nice from a den to a dorm room.

But, as always, what’s on the inside counts, and Klipsch equipped this speaker with a pair of 2.5-inch drivers, a single 5.25-inch, and two 5.25-inch passive radiators. These are impressive audio specs from a relatively small tabletop speaker, and they ensure the owner won’t have to upgrade for a long time. Amazon’s $50 discount brings the Klipsch Heritage Wireless The Three II down to its lowest price ever, and if you’re looking for an audio gift that looks like you spent way more than $180, this is the one.

If you’re looking for more kick(s) for less cash, here are more great audio options to say congratulations or provide last-minute Father’s Day gifts:

The best speaker deals

• Sonos Roam portable speaker $134 (Was $179)
• Sonos Roam SL portable speaker $119 (Was $159)
• Sonos Move portable speaker $299 (Was $399)
• Two Sonos Era 300 spatial audio/surround sound speakers $853 (Was $898)
• Sony SRS-XP500 Portable Bluetooth Karaoke Speaker, $298 (Was $399.99)
• Sony SSCS5 3-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair, $148 (Was $199.99)
• Sony SRS-XG300 Portable IP67 Party Speaker, $198 (Was $349.99)
• Klipsch R-51PM Powered Bookshelf Speakers, $299.99 (Was $599)
• Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker, $99 (Was $119)
• Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) Portable Bluetooth Speaker, $179 (Was $219)
• Tribit StormBox Blast IPX7 90W Portable Speaker with XBass, $179.99 w/ coupon (Was $269.99)
• Tribit StormBox Pro Portable IP67 Bluetooth 5.3 Speaker with 360 Sound, $99.99 w/ coupon (Was $119.99)
• Tribit StormBox Micro 2 90dB IP67 Portable Speaker with Built-in Strap, $51 w/ coupon (Was $60)

The best headphone deals

• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, $249 (Was $299)
• Bose Sport Earbuds, $119 (Was $149)
• Bose QuietComfort 45, $279 (Was $329)
• 1MORE PistonBuds Pro, $59.99 (Was $69.99)
• 1MORE PistonBuds, $29.99 (Was $39.99)
• Sony WF-C700N, $98 (Was $119.99)
• Sony WH-XB910N, $178 (Was $249.99)
• Sony WF-C500, $79.99 (Was $99.99)
• Sony LinkBuds S, $148 (Was $199.99)
• Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones, $169 (Was $349.95)
• Skullcandy Sesh Evo, $26.80 (Was $49.99)

The post Get sweet sounds and savings with dads & grads audio deals appeared first on Popular Science.

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If upbeat anthems and sunny savings make your heart go padam padam, you’ll want to free yourself long enough to scroll through this post. We’ve collected the best Memorial Day Weekend discounts on speakers, headphones, earbuds, and more to help you celebrate the unofficial start of pool season and beach vacations with more tunes in your ears and money in your pocket.

JBL Boombox 3 $399.95 (Was $499.95)

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Live sound specialists JBL makes several of our favorite portable party speakers, and the 13-pound 160W Bluetooth 5.3 Boombox 3 is the one you want to soundtrack your summer—from patio parties to friendly pick-up games. With its three-way speaker configuration, which includes a subwoofer that extends to 40 Hz, you can get any party started. And with 24 hours of battery life on a single charge, a sturdy molded handle, and IP67 (surf and sand protection), you can keep those parties going—wherever they occur. Act now and you can get all that for $100 off, so your favorite tracks slam, but your wallet isn’t hit as hard. If that’s too much body or budget for you at this time, however, there are other JBL party speakers and soundbars on sale:

• JBL Xtreme 3: $279.95 (Was $379.95)
• JBL Pulse 5 $199.95 (Was $249.95)
• JBL Flip 6: $99.95 (Was $129.95)
• JBL PartyBox Encore Essentials $199.95 (Was $299.95)  
• JBL Bar 300: $349.95 (Was $399.95)  
• JBL Bar 500: $499.95 (Was $599.95)  
• JBL Bar 700: $799.95 (Was $899.95)
• JBL Bar 1000: $999.95 (Was $1,199.95)

Need a speaker that’s purse-, pack-, and pool-friendly? The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 is our favorite pint-sized Bluetooth party to take from the bathtub to the backcountry or on a bike, and this IP67 360-degree audio orb is available for $85 (down from $99).

Want to wire something more permanent on the back deck? The fully sealed Definitive Technology AW6500 outdoor speaker—featuring a 6.5″ mid-woofer, a 1″ tweeter, and a 5″ x 10″ oval pressure-driven low bass radiator, and available in black or white—is on sale for $249 (down from $299). And the smaller AW5500 is only $199 (down from $249).

Want to go wireless in the living room instead? Save $500 when you bundle the KEF LS50 Wireless II speakers and KC62 subwoofer together for $3,799.98 (down from $4,299.98). Just add both to your cart, and you can cut cords and cost on one of our favorite powered bookshelf (or standmount) speakers, plus a compact unit that provides muscular musical bass. Or save $250 when you buy both the smaller, desktop-friendly KEF LSX II speakers and KUBE 8b subwoofer for $1,749.98.

See more sweet-sounding audio deals hear and now:

• Sony SRS-XE300 X-Series IP67 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker $148 (Was $199)
• Sony SRS-XG300 X-Series IP67 Portable Bluetooth Party Speaker $198 (Was $349)
• Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds $99 (Was $129)
• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds $199 (Was $249)
• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Canceling Overhead Headphones $278 (Was $349)
• Sony HT-A7000 7.1.2ch 500W Dolby Atmos Soundbar $1,198 (Was $1,399)
• SAMSUNG HW-Q990C 11.1.4ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar w/ wireless rear speakers + subwoofer $1,597 (Was $1,897)
• UE FITS custom-fit true wireless earbuds $169 (Was $199)
• JBL Live Free 2 True Adaptive Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds $99.95 (Was $149.95)
• JBL Live 460NC Wireless On-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones $99 (Was $129)
• JBL Live 660NC Wireless Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones $149 (Was $199)
• JBL Quantum TWS Noise-Cancelling Gaming Earbuds $99.95 (Was $149.95) 
• JBL Quantum ONE $149.95 (Was $299.95)  

The post The best Memorial Day audio deals let you blast bops all summer long appeared first on Popular Science.

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Bose practically invented the noise-cancelling headphone category with the release of its over-ear QuietComfort cans years ago, and it’s brought that same technological prowess to its earbuds. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are the company’s latest model, and they’re the best noise-cancelling earbuds we’ve ever heard—now at their best price. Amazon has knocked $50 off their price for a limited time, which brings the earbuds back down to their lowest price ever. If you travel, commute, or want to listen to music in peace and quiet in a noisy environment, the QuietComfort Earbuds II are a wise investment.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, $249 (Was $299)

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Active noise-cancelling has become a standard feature for most Bluetooth earbuds over $100, but Bose went above and beyond to eke out as much performance from these earbuds as possible. The combination of Bose’s noise-cancellation algorithm, the earbuds’ fit (which provides passive noise cancellation and creates the optimal listening environment), and microphones are a winning combination. No headphones will block out 100% of outside sounds, but we were continually surprised at how the QuietComfort Earbuds II turned cacophony into background noise. Some noises—typing on a keyboard, the ticking of a mechanical clock, light footsteps—will be completely eliminated even when music isn’t playing.

If you play music at a moderate volume, you probably won’t be able to hear the sound of a bus or train. When listening to music at maximum volume, even loud sounds like the whirring of a jet plane’s engine won’t be audible. Older generations of active noise cancellation technology caused audio to sound wonky, requiring you to choose between how your music sounded and how much outside noise you wanted blocked. The QuietComfort Earbuds II sound virtually identical whether active noise cancellation is enabled or disabled. To that end, the earbuds sound fantastic, with well-balanced audio and no sign of unwanted artifacts like distortion or sibilance.

The QuietComfort Earbuds II are still an investment at their sale price, but they’re a bargain based on their performance. If you care about audio and creating a focus-friendly environment wherever you go, don’t skip this sale.

Here are some other deals that sound good:

• Bose QuietComfort 45, $279 (Was $329)
• Bose SoundLink Flex, $129 (Was $149)
• Beats Studio Buds, $99.95 (was $149.95)
• Beats Fit Pro, $159.95 (Was $199.95)
• Google Pixel Buds Pro, $159.99 (Was $199.99)
• JBL Flip 6, $99.95 (Was $129.95)
• Therabody RecoveryAir JetBoots $699 (Was $899 Note: Only the small and medium sizes appear to be on sale.)
• Deep Tissue Kneading Electric Back Massage for Neck $39 (Was $69)
• Back Massager Neck Massager with Heat $29 (Was $49)
• Boriwat Back Massager with Heat $39 (Was $169, but regularly $60)
• FIT KING Leg and Foot Massager with Heat $78 (Was $110)
• FIT KING Hand Massager with Heat for Hand Massage $69 (Was $110)
• FIT KING Massage Gun $39 (Was $80)

The post The best Bose noise-cancelling earbuds are $50 off at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Apple Beats Fit Pro		SEE IT	A snug fit, balanced sound, and seamless iOS connectivity make these easy to add to any workout routine.
Best battery life		Jabra Elite 7 Active		SEE IT	These earbuds are highly resistant to dust and water and feature a great combination of ANC performance and battery life.
Best budget		soundcore by Anker Sport X10		SEE IT	The soundcore by Anker Sport X10 headphones are great for runners on a budget.

Using headphones for working out can transform your frame of reference and put you in the mood to grind like nothing else. Of course, exercise can be strenuous and involve tons of movement, so it’s essential to find a pair of headphones or earbuds that leave you unencumbered by wires and fit securely enough that they won’t be flung to the ground every time you move your head. In this list, we’ll break down the best headphones for working out and optimizing your circuit(s) with your favorite music and podcasts.

• Best overall: Apple Beats Fit Pro
• Best over-ear: JBL Live 660NC
• Best for CrossFit: Dóttir Freedom Sport Earbuds
• Best bone conduction: SHOKZ OpenRun
• Best for a custom fit: Ultimate Ears FITS
• Best for Spotify: Bose Sport Earbuds
• Best battery life: Jabra Elite 7 Active
• Best budget: soundcore by Anker Sport X10

How we chose the best headphones for working out

The best headphones for working out are wireless, and Bluetooth requires power. We picked headphones that offer at least five hours of single-charge battery life, and all of the earbuds include charging cases. Considering the battery life of your headphones is extremely important for keeping the flow going—you wouldn’t want the music to stop mid-workout. All of the headphones on our list fit securely around the head or in the ear to ensure that they move very little or not at all during workouts. Everyday headphones made for walking or when you’re stationary aren’t typically designed with extreme movement in mind.

Sound quality was also a big factor in considering headphones for this list, and many of the earbuds we picked either come with a full and balanced sound profile or offer the option to adjust their sound via an app. Staying aware of the activity around you is always important while wearing headphones, especially if you’re on the go. For our list, we picked headphones that either feature a transparency mode or are completely open-ear.

The best headphones for working out: Reviews & Recommendations

Prepping for a workout is all about getting your mind and body in the right place, and apart from stretching and putting on the right clothes, pumping up the jams properly can pump you up for a regular training run. One of our choices is sure to put a spring in your step the next time you go for a jog or lift weights.

Best overall: Apple Beats Fit Pro

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Why it made the cut: The Apple Beats Fit Pro features a snug fit, balanced sound, and seamless iOS connectivity that make them easy to add to any workout routine.

Specs

• Weight: 0.2 ounces/earbud; 2.3 ounces with case
• IP rating: IPX4 (splash-resistant)
• Battery life: 6 hours single-charge; 24 hours with case

Pros

• High-performance active noise canceling in a compact earbud design
• Secure design stays in ear when running or working out
• Compatible with dynamic head tracking on iOS devices
• Includes pocket-sized travel case and three eartip options

Cons

• No wireless charging
• iOS device required for full functionality
• Not protected against water immersion
• No multipoint pairing

We’ve thoroughly reviewed the Apple Beats Fit Pro, and they take the best overall award on this list thanks to their sound quality, workout-friendly design, and fantastic iOS compatibility. They contain the same proprietary H1 chip found in Apple’s AirPods, which enables near-instantaneous pairing and steady, reliable connections to iOS devices along with battery life optimization. Like AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro earbuds are also fully compatible with iOS head-tracking and spatial audio features for simulated surround sound and immersive media listening. Their inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes make them equally useful on the road and at the gym. We also love the range of colors these buds come in, particularly their unique skin tone range.

The Beats Fit Pro earbuds are designed to sit securely in your ears using small rubber wings that rest comfortably against your outer ear along with three sets of variously sized ear tips. A quick optional setup step uses the earbuds’ onboard microphones to test your fit for sound leaks. Once your optimal fit is achieved, the Beats Fit Pro can endure almost every exercise imaginable—from running to rowing—without budging. The earbuds’ conveniently pocked-sized charging case brings their total battery life to around 24 hours. While it would be nice to see wireless charging in a product with this price tag, we appreciate that the case is chargeable via USB-C rather than Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector.

While the Beats Fit Pro earbuds are unmistakably great for iPhone users, it’s unfortunate that the instant pairing and steady connectivity of the earbuds’ H1 chip aren’t extended to Android users. For their price, it would also be nice to see features like multipoint pairing and more robust weatherproofing rather than the same IPX4 rating found in standard AirPods. Still, if you work out regularly and are an iPhone user, you’d be seriously hard-pressed to find a better in-ear option. If you’re sold on the Beats features but are looking for an option with earhooks, the Powerbeats Pro earbuds are also a solid choice.

Best over-ear: JBL Live 660NC

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Why it made the cut: The JBL Live 660NC boasts full bass, and balanced sound with a 50-hour battery life, making them perfect for spur-of-the-moment workouts.

Specs

• Weight: 9.3 ounces
• IP rating: N/A
• Battery life: 50 hours

Pros

• Long-lasting 50-hour battery life
• Quick charge gives 4 hours operation in 10 minutes
• JBL app offers EQ and other advanced features

Cons

• Variable fit affects noise cancellation performance
• Integrated voice assistant button is easy to press accidentally
• Multi-button design is complicated to use and set up
• No IP rating

If you prefer the fit and look of over-ear headphones for working out, the JBL Live 660NC’s are worth considering, thanks to their snug fit and battery life. They offer up to 50 hours of operation on a single charge and a burst charge for four hours of operation in 10 minutes, so they’re almost always ready to go on a moment’s notice. The 660NC’s also feature noise canceling and ambient-aware modes, making them equally suitable for use in noisy gyms and on busy streets. We had inconsistent results with their noise-canceling abilities due to the earcups sealing differently on different peoples’ heads, so if the best noise-canceling is an absolute must in your book, you’ll want to consider noise-canceling earbuds instead of over-ears.

Thanks to their 40-millimeter drivers, the sound of the JBL 660NC is balanced and neutral with a slightly pronounced bass response that makes them great for listening to pop, dance, and other beat-heavy music while working out. The JBL headphones app offers further sculpting of the 660NC’s’ sound with EQ and ambient-aware level adjustments as well as access to battery life indicators and more. The headphones also feature their own onboard suite of control buttons. Still, they require a bit of studying to master, and the voice assistant button that covers the entirety of the left earcup is easy to press accidentally.

Lastly, the 660NCs have no official IP rating, and while we didn’t experience any technical issues from getting them a little sweaty, you’ll still want to be mindful of using them in heavy rain or other settings where they might get doused. If you absolutely need to work out with waterproof over-ear headphones, the Jabra 85h is a satisfactory alternative that features great ANC but has a slightly less secure fit.

Best for CrossFit: Dóttir Freedom Sport Earbuds

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Why it made the cut: The Dóttir Freedom Sport Earbuds simply won’t budge during high-intensity workouts thanks to their substantial ear hooks and wide range of silicone ear tips.

Specs

• Weight: 0.33 ounces/earbud; 9.5 ounces with case
• IP rating: IPX7 (waterproof for 30 minutes, not dustproof)
• Battery life: 12 hours single-charge; 72 hours with case

Pros

• Incredibly secure fit
• Built-in touch controls
• Long single-charge battery life, extended further with case

Cons

• ANC performance is spotty
• On the bulkier and heavier side for earbuds
• Max volume is lower than comparable earbuds

CrossFit enthusiasts and others who perform more strenuous exercises will like the impossibly secure fit and high sweatproof rating of the Dóttir Freedom Sport Earbuds, an easy-to-use pair of true wireless headphones with a design similar to the Apple Powerbeats Pro that cost around $100 less. Coming from Icelandic CrossFit legends Katrin Davidsdottir and Annie Thorisdottir, who have a lot of experience with sets in the box (both exercises and audio gear), these earbuds come with a whopping 12 pairs of eartip options to ensure the absolute best fit for your ear canal. In addition, they feature a substantially long earhook, so they’re not going anywhere once they’re in place. An intuitive combination of buttons and on-earbud touch controls grant access to volume adjustments and music controls, allowing you to put your phone away and focus on your workout. To accommodate their overall design philosophy and long 12-hour single-charge battery life, the Freedom Sport Earbuds are a bit bulkier than compact earbud options like the Bose Sport Earbuds and Beats Fit Pro. However, they weigh around 0.6 ounces less per bud than the Apple Powerbeats Pro. When paired with the USB-C charging case, their total battery life jumps to about 72 hours.

While the Dóttir Freedom are advertised as active noise cancelation earbuds, their ANC performance isn’t able to filter out nearly as much background noise as some other brands that specialize in noise-canceling earbuds—the official spec is 35 dB of reduction. Some chatter, traffic, and other ambient noise may come through in normal workout settings. This isn’t a huge dealbreaker, considering that it’s good to have some measure of situational awareness anytime you’re working out. Still, if you need near-silent levels of ANC performance from your earbuds, you might look elsewhere. We also noticed that the Dóttir Freedom sounded a bit quieter than the Beats Fit Pro and other earbuds on this list at max volume, but we didn’t have the equipment necessary to test their max SPL, and it’s unfortunately not published. We were always able to feel the bass so we could keep the pace, however, and did like the performance for the price. And, with an IPX7 rating, the Dóttir Freedom won’t break a sweat no matter how hard you do.

Best bone-conduction: SHOKZ OpenRun

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Why it made the cut: The unique design of the SHOKZ OpenRun keeps your ears fully open, so you can stay aware of your surroundings while running and cycling.

Specs

• Weight: 0.92 ounces
• IP rating: IP67 (dustproof, waterproof for 30 minutes)
• Battery life: 8 hours

Pros

• Fully sweatproof and weatherproof for high-impact workouts
• Open-ear bone conduction design for improved situational awareness
• Long battery life with quick charge function

Cons

• Lacks bass response
• Proprietary magnetic charger isn’t interchangeable
• Not silent—others can hear what you’re listening to

The SHOKZ OpenRun is one of the best bone-conduction headphones on the market, boasting a unique open-ear design that allows you to listen to music and podcasts while maintaining full situational awareness. Unlike traditional headphone designs, bone conduction headphones employ a clever hack of human anatomy to transfer sounds directly to the inner ear by gently vibrating your facial bones from the outside in, leaving the entire ear canal unobstructed. The drawbacks to this design include that they provide no passive or active noise cancellation, and the vibrations can be audible to others, so they’re not the best choice for quiet environments or taking public transit. Bone conduction headphones also produce markedly less bass frequencies than traditional designs, making them less ideal for immersive music listening.

On the functionality side of things, the SHOKZ OpenRun packs about eight hours of battery life on a single charge and boasts a substantial IP67 rating, making them completely impervious to dust ingress and fully waterproof for up to 30 minutes. They have a comfy and lightweight headband design with easy-to-use control buttons that makes them particularly suited for running and cycling on roads and trails. While there’s no way to adjust the headband’s fit, the OpenRun does come in two different sizes. Another minor design gripe is that the OpenRun uses a proprietary magnetic charger instead of USB-C, making it more of a hassle to replace if it breaks or goes missing.

Best for a custom fit: Ultimate Ears FITS

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Why it made the cut: These earbuds include tips that mold to your ears when first using them, creating a custom and comfortable fit. Plus, they provide up to eight hours of continuous playback. 

Specs

• Earpiece weight: 0.4 ounces
• Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.0
• IP rating: IPX3
• Battery life: 8 hours on the earbuds, 20 hours with the case

Pros

• Tips are molded to your ear shape
• They stay put even during exercise
• Lengthy battery life
• Built-in mic lets you take calls

Cons

• Switching between Bluetooth devices can be a bit finicky
• No active noise cancelation

Ultimate Ears FITS, otherwise known as UE FITS, are unique earbuds due to the custom fitting process. When you first get your pair (or a new set of tips), the app guides you through the molding process. This involves the photopolymer gel tips heating up with the use of light-forming LEDs. It’s a strange sensation but nothing uncomfortable by any means. The entire process takes just 60 seconds to let you get your earbuds and reps in almost immediately.

Once the tips are molded to your ears, they should offer more comfort and stability than other earbuds. I must have sensitive, small ears as I tend to get pain from most earbuds almost immediately, but I can wear my UE FITS for a few hours just fine. They also stay put in my ears better than anything I’ve ever used. While I don’t do any HIIT workouts, they don’t budge at all during my runs or weight training sessions (even during side planks).

Beyond fit, the UE FITS also sound good. They are slightly lacking in bass by default, but you can customize EQ settings to your liking in the easy-to-use app. Unfortunately, there is no active noise cancellation, but thanks to the snug fit, they provide a nice amount of noise isolation. And the earbuds offer eight hours of battery life on their own, with 20 hours of battery life for the case. 

Less athletically inclined but still like the idea of custom-fit earbud comfort for running errands (or the occasional power walk)? UE offers the DROPS, which have a more involved, more handcrafted process resulting in bespoke acrylic housings tailored to your personal specifications and aesthetic.

Best for Spotify: Bose Sport Earbuds

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Why it made the cut: Take your entire music library for a spin with these small-but-mighty workout earbuds that boast Bose’s signature balanced sound quality.

Specs

• Weight: 0.24 ounces/earbud; 2.15 ounces with case
• IP rating: IPX4 (splash-resistant)
• Battery life: 5 hours single-charge; 15 hours with case

Pros

• Comfortable and secure fit with interchangeable ear tips
• Well-rounded sound profile with full-bodied bass and present mids
• Easy-to-use capacitive touch controls on each bud

Cons

• Smartphone app required
• Relatively short single-charge battery life
• No active noise canceling

If you’re a stickler for sound quality, the Bose Sport Earbuds deliver a fantastic music listening experience in a compact, workout-friendly package that makes it enjoyable to dive into your music collection anywhere you go. They feature a very balanced and well-rounded sound profile with full, clear bass and detailed midrange frequency performance that’s suitable for a wide range of music styles and podcasts alike. Like any good pair of workout headphones, the Bose Sport Earbuds are IPX4 splash-resistant and feature a super secure fit aided by three sets of interchangeable ear tips. Their battery life isn’t as great as some of their competitors, clocking in at up to about five hours of use on a single charge, but this is mitigated somewhat by the 10 extra hours stored in their charging case.

Controlling the Bose Sport Earbuds is fairly straightforward thanks to their built-in capacitive touch controls, allowing users to swipe and tap their way through their music libraries, take calls, and more. Setting up the earbuds is a little less elegant, however, and relies heavily upon the Bose Connect app for everything, including device pairing and volume adjustments. Despite being a bit of a hoop to jump through, once set up, the app does offer access to EQ adjustment features and over-the-air firmware updates. One additional feature we’d like to see added is active noise cancellation, but that would likely drain the battery even quicker, and the Sport Earbuds perform reasonably well in the passive canceling department.

Best battery life: Jabra Elite 7 Active

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Why it made the cut: The Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds are highly resistant to dust and water and feature the best combination of ANC performance and battery life we’ve encountered in a pair of workout headphones.

Specs

• Weight: 0.19 ounces/earbud; 1.9 ounces with case
• IP rating: IP57 (dust-resistant, waterproof up to 1 meter)
• Battery life: 8 hours single-charge; 30 hours with case

Pros

• Very long battery life for frequent use without charging
• Snug and secure fit with three eartip sizes
• Balanced sound profile with customizable EQ via app
• Multipoint pairing

Cons

• Case can be tough to open
• Low-frequency noise cancellation could be improved
• Hit-and-miss phone call quality in loud environments

If you often find yourself in situations where you forget to charge your headphones—maybe you’re an endurance athlete, parent, or every overworked person in the modern world—the Jabra Elite 7 Active is a great-sounding and reliable option to add to your workout routine. At first glance, the low-profile design of the Elite 7 Active is reminiscent of a slightly less rugged Jaybird Vista 2 (which we’ve also reviewed in the past) with better battery life; despite weighing only 0.19 ounces per bud, the Elite 7 Active can run for eight hours on a single charge and up to 30 hours when used with their charging case, making them great for infrequent charging and ideal for stowing in a gym bag or glove compartment.

The Elite 7 Active’s noise cancellation performance is also very good in the midrange and high-frequency ranges where human conversation and music from speakers live. However, we found that they performed a little worse when dealing with car engines, noise from inside an airplane, and other very loud low-frequency information. This can be mitigated somewhat by selecting the best-fitting ear tips from the three pairs included with the buds. Still, if you’re using them for a workout, or to listen to podcasts while your kid burns through some energy (as shown above), you’ll probably want to stay aware of your surroundings and use the earbuds’ HearThrough mode anyway.

Music sounds great on the Elite 7 Active earbuds thanks to their flat and balanced sound profile, which you can sculpt further using the EQ settings in the Jabra Sound+ app. The app also offers battery life indicators, pairing options, and firmware updates, and we find it to be more user-friendly overall than the Bose Connect app. Call quality through the buds is fairly decent, although their built-in mics sometimes struggle to discern your own voice from ambient chatter when taking public transit or in other loud environments. The sleek charging case is also a great size and shape for keeping in a pocket during your workouts, but if you’ve worked up a sweat, its shape and smooth finish can make it difficult to open.

Best budget: soundcore by Anker Sport X10

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Why it made the cut: The Anker Soundcore Sport X10 offers an incredibly secure fit and long battery life for runners on a budget.

Specs

• Weight: 0.2 ounces/earbud; 1.9 ounces with case
• IP rating: IPX7 (waterproof for 30 minutes, not dustproof)
• Battery life: 8 hours single-charge; 32 hours with case

Pros

• Very secure swiveling ear hook design
• Controls customizable via a smartphone app
• Transparency mode enhances situational awareness

Cons

• No multipoint connection
• ANC performance is lacking in loud environments
• Multi-press controls are confusing and uncomfortable

If you’re less concerned about noise cancellation performance, the Anker Soundcore Sport X10s are a great budget option for working out thanks to their secure fit and long battery life. They have a unique swiveling ear hook design that folds into a compact shape for storage in their charging case and unfolds to loop securely around the front of your earlobe, keeping them snug during even the most vigorous exercise routines. The Sport X10s also features a six-microphone array that provides relatively good phone call quality and an effective transparency mode. Still, their ANC performance falls short of quieting most common midrange sounds like speech, engines, and other urban noise.

The Sport X10’s sound profile is a bit muddy and heavy in the low-mids, but this can be adjusted using the EQ settings within the Soundcore app, which includes several presets to choose from. The app also allows you to rebind custom functions to the earbuds’ onboard control buttons, which are clicky and provide some nice feedback but tend to shift the earbud around with minor discomfort. You also don’t get multipoint pairing with the Sport X10, but at their price point, that’s understandable.

What to consider before buying the best headphones for working out

You could take the best headphones to the gym, but you would probably have very sweaty ears and potentially ruin your precious investment. Heck, even some of the best Bluetooth earbuds might not be suited for more than a brisk stroll. So here is what to think about before clicking “add to cart” on the best headphones for working out and going all in on that next set:

Sweat level

Sweating is a normal part of any workout, but if you tend to sweat more than the average person while you exercise, you should consider a pair of headphones with an Ingress Protection rating of at least IPX7. Most of the headphones on our list are designed with that level of waterproofing, including the Jabra Elite 7 Active, Dóttir Freedom Sport Earbuds, and SHOKZ OpenRun. If you sweat a lot, you’ll probably also want to steer clear of over-ear designs, which can heat up your ears and exacerbate the problem.

Workout intensity

If you do CrossFit or other forms of intense workouts, choose earbuds that use an ear hook or another type of external fastener to ensure that they don’t go flying. We like the Dóttir Freedom Sport Earbuds for heavy exertion, while the Powerbeats Pro earbuds are a good alternative with a similar design.

Charging capacity

If you use your headphones frequently, have limited access to charging capabilities, or just find yourself constantly running devices on low battery, picking a set of headphones with a high battery capacity can increase the likelihood that they’ll be ready come workout time. The 8-hour single charge and 30-hour charging case with the Jabra Elite 7 Active are the best we’ve tested in the battery life department, though our budget pick, the Soundcore by Anker Sport X10, also performs well.

Situational awareness

If you spend lots of time exercising near traffic or in busy locations, it’s important to maintain a good level of situational awareness for your own safety. Many headphones include a transparency mode that allows you to hear your surroundings in addition to your music, including the Apple Beats Fit Pro and the Jabra Elite 7 Active. For maximum situational awareness, nothing beats the open-ear design of bone-conduction headphones, and we prefer the SHOKZ OpenRun.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best headphones for working out

• Best overall: Apple Beats Fit Pro
• Best over-ear: JBL Live 660NC
• Best for CrossFit: Dóttir Freedom Sport Earbuds
• Best bone conduction: SHOKZ OpenRun
• Best for a custom fit: Ultimate Ears FITS
• Best for Spotify: Bose Sport Earbuds
• Best battery life: Jabra Elite 7 Active
• Best budget: soundcore by Anker Sport X10

The best headphones for working out will fit securely in your ears or on your head while delivering great sound and a good level of situational awareness. We love the Apple Beats Fit Pro for its overall sound quality and secure fit, as well as the elevated audiophile performance of the similarly designed Bose Sport Earbuds. If you need the longest and most reliable battery performance, the Jabra Elite 7 Active and JBL 660NC are the best earbuds and over-ears for working out, respectively. The Ultimate Ears Fits mold to the shape of your ear canal for a secure fit. For high-impact workouts, the secure fit of the Dóttir Freedom Sport Earbuds is fantastic. And if you want the best situational awareness possible while cycling and running, the SHOKZ OpenRun bone conduction headphones have our vote.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best headphones for working out in 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

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FiiO makes some of our favorite digital audio players, and one of the reasons we love the company’s DAPs is the performance for the price they deliver. So when we heard there are discounts of up to 25% available through April 30—including the lowest price in months on the best bang-for-your-buck M11S—we added “Share This Sale” to our playlist and put it on repeat as we kicked out the jams and this post.

FiiO M11S, $399 (Was $499)

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The DAP days of summer are ahead of us, and you’ll be equipped with a soundtrack for every occasion if you pick up the FiiO M11S. This portable player—a personal favorite, as you can see my unit in the image above—runs on Android 10 with a global SRC bypass, allowing you to install all your favorite streaming apps (Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL w/ 8x MQA unfolding, Amazon Music, etc.) and enjoy full lossless fidelity playback. But where it really shines is during the passionate reproduction of high-resolution files up to 384kHz/DSD256, saved in 32GB of internal storage and/or on a microSD card. The 5-inch/720p display and octa-core Snapdragon 660 architecture keep performance snappy, and the dual ES9038Q2M DAC design and 670mW balanced power output make it a potent pairing for many of our favorite (wired) headphones. Support for the aptX HD and LDAC advanced-resolution Bluetooth codecs (alongside SBC and AAC) also makes it a perfect travel partner with some of our top Bluetooth headphones—including the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 and Focal Bathys—as well as the best ANC earbuds.

Need some high-performance in-ear monitors to pair with that new player? The FiiO FH7S earphones are also 25% off, bringing their price down to $299.99, a $100 savings. Combining one DLC dynamic driver for punchy lows with four balanced armature drivers for rich mids and soaring highs, these hybrid IEMs are semi-open to present all the tonal texture of your favorite songs spread across a wide soundstage with pinpoint imaging. Yes, they’re wired, which is becoming increasingly rare in the Bluetooth and WiFi world, but that allows them to take advantage of the more expressive 4.4mm balanced output on the M11S.

Affordable audiophile gear is a unicorn, but perhaps you prefer to stream from your smartphone with as few cables as possible. Just need some budget Bluetooth headphones, earbuds for working out, or maybe a portable party speaker/power bank? Check out these additional bangers before the algorithm replaces them with completely new releases next week.

More sound, more savings, more sound savings …

• Sony WH-CH520 Bluetooth On-Ear Headphones, $48 (Was $59.99)
• Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Over-The-Ear Headphones, $128 (Was $149.99)
• soundcore by Anker Sport X10 True Wireless Bluetooth Sport Earbuds, $55.99 (Was $79.99)
• JBL CHARGE 5 Portable IP67 Bluetooth Speaker with USB charge out, $139.95 (Was $179.95)
• JBL Clip 4 Portable IP67 Mini Bluetooth Speaker with integrated carabiner, $59.95 (Was $79.95)
• FiiO Q3 Portable Headphone Amp-High-Resolution DAC, $123.99 (Was $149.99)
• FiiO K3 Type-C USB DAC Headphone Amp, $109.99 (Was $137.49)

The post Keep more music and cash in your pocket with Amazon audio deals appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Bose QuietComfort 45		SEE IT	The Bose QuietComfort 45’s long battery life, comfort, and audio clarity make them a must-have for office and remote workers.
Best noise-cancelling		Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2		SEE IT	The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 headphones have four noise-cancelling microphones to provide a pin drop-silent environment anywhere.
Best wired		beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X		SEE IT	If your job requires making content, not just consuming it, these are the headphones that will help you and your projects produce a positive (frequency) response.

Using headphones at work is one of the few constants whether you work on-site or remote, indoors or outside, or in any hybrid situation. Writing for the Harvard Business Review, psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic found research—conducted by himself and others—to suggest music can help you be more productive while working based on your personality, location, and preferred genre. Yes, music, ambient noise, or podcasts can be a distraction, but if you find something that works for you, there could be tangible benefits. And, on top of the soundtrack, headphones for work allow you to take calls in environments that aren’t always conducive to communication. The best headphones for work will allow you to complete all your assignments on time while making the process more fun.

• Best overall: Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones
• Best noise-cancelling: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2
• Best earbuds for calls: Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC
• Best for comfort: Ultimate Ears FITS
• Best wired: beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

How we chose the best headphones for work

Our recommendations for the best headphones for work are based on both hands-on testing and research. The headphones you choose—for work or otherwise—reflect several personal preferences, like whether you prefer over-ear models or earbuds, whether noise cancellation is important to you, or your budget. These factors are especially important when choosing headphones for work because you’ll be wearing them for extended periods, and they need to be a productivity tool rather than a distraction. If you’re constantly aware that you’re wearing headphones, it will split your focus. By recommending the headphones many of us use at work every day, you’ll get a good cross-section of the best options for this use.

The best headphones for work: Reviews & Recommendations

An overwhelming number of headphones could be used while you work, but these are the pairs the commerce team at Popular Science uses daily. Our recommendations reflect various headphone styles, brands, feature sets, and prices.

Best overall: Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones

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Specs

• Headphone type: Over-ear
• Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Wireless: Yes
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: Up to 22 hours
• Microphones: Yes

Pros

• High sound quality
• Two modes of active noise cancellation
• Very comfortable
• Long battery life

Cons

• Expensive
• Large, if you prefer subtler audio equipment

Using the Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones for work might seem like overkill, but they’ll certainly make the experience more enjoyable. Bose is known for the quality of its audio gear, and these headphones fulfill that promise with high-fidelity sound and adjustable EQ that lets you fine-tune your sound.

But it’s the level of active noise cancellation that makes these headphones ideal for work. Whether you’re on a plane or in a coffee shop, these headphones let you choose between a Quiet mode that effectively filters out ambient noise like the wind or conversations around you and an Aware mode that balances internal and external sounds for safety. And the four external microphones focus on your voice, filtering out background distractions and making these headphones ideal for meetings.

These wireless headphones easily sync with the associated app via Bluetooth. The QC45s are also lightweight at 8.5 ounces and incredibly comfortable, with ear cups made from plush synthetic leather that still feel good on the ears after hours of usage. They also come with an impressive up to 22 hours of battery life and recharge with the included USB-C cable in about 2.5 hours. So they’re great for work, but you’ll also want to continue to use them when you’re off the clock. And, if you prefer something pocketable, Bose also makes the QuietComfort Earbuds II—our top pick for active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds.

Best noise-cancelling: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2

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Specs

• Headphone type: Over-ear
• Weight: 10.83 ounces
• Wireless: Yes
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: 30
• Microphones: Yes

Pros

• World-class active noise cancellation
• Excellent battery life
• Multiple dedicated microphones for ANC and telephony

Cons

• Price

Bowers & Wilkins designed the Px7 S2s with travelers on long-haul flights in mind, but many of those same design choices benefit office and outdoor workers. These wireless headphones offer up to 30 hours of music playback per charge—enough to get you through several days of work without needing to be topped up. In our experience, you can get through an entire workweek without plugging them in if you only listen for a few hours daily.

The big selling point for the Px7 S2s is their excellent active noise cancellation. The headphones did a phenomenal job blocking outside sounds, whether we listened to music or used this setting on its own to muffle loud sounds. Typical office noises—the sound of typing on a keyboard, foot tapping, the occasional cough—were either greatly diminished or entirely gone. The Px7 S2s have four microphones dedicated to filtering sounds for active noise cancellation and two dedicated to telephony. Nobody on my work or personal calls complained about the sound or clarity of my voice when communicating with them.

You’re going to pay for headphones with tech specs like these, but their overall performance justifies the cost. Their tech specs are the main reasons we recommend them for workers, but it doesn’t hurt that music and podcasts sound excellent in our tests. There’s always some audio quality loss when listening to music wirelessly (assuming you’re listening to high-resolution or lossless [CD Quality] tracks). Still, the difference isn’t immediately apparent when listening casually, thanks to Bluetooth 5.2 with support for the aptX Adaptive/HD codecs (a transmission protocol that plays nicely with Android and hi-res digital audio players), plus AAC optimized for iOS devices. As a bonus, these headphones are a great companion when traveling since their ANC microphones were designed to reduce the sound of a plane’s engine greatly. Want something even more lux? The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 ratchets up the build and sonic polish (but also the price).

Best earbuds for calls: Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC

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Specs

• Headphone type: Earbuds
• Weight: .2 ounces (3 ounces in case)
• Wireless: Yes
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: 16.5 hours (with case)
• Microphones: Yes

Pros

• Noise cancellation
• Compatible with most operating systems
• Easy controls with built-in touchscreen display on charging case
• Includes BT700A USB adapter to connect to computers and compatible smartphones
• Quick Charge (3 hours for full charge of case)

Cons

• Fit can be loose
• A tad tinny on the high end

If the AirPods Pro 2 and similarly styles earbuds don’t stay in your ear, the Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC wireless earbuds probably aren’t for you. That being said, they are a great alternative to headphones for office and personal use if you like the shape and fit of stemmed earbuds. The sleek design features three sizes of conical tips that snap onto the earbuds instead of just slipping over the 10mm speaker. This makes a much more secure connection, and you won’t pull them off as you pull them out of your pocket (assuming you don’t keep them in the included charging case). Just don’t move around too much, as there aren’t any fins or other “ear locks” as you find in exercise-oriented earbuds. The Voyager Free 60+ UC Bluetooth 5.3 earbuds are all about connectivity and productivity.

The earbuds are equipped with AAC, aptX, and SBC codecs to keep them compatible with all iOS and Android devices (and multipoint helps if you use both). Plus, they have active noise cancellation to help you focus on your calls and music. There are three modes—adaptive, standard, and off. Poly also uses “sidetone” technology (aka Transparency mode) to help you not be that jerk in the office screaming with his headphones on as he tries to ask a coworker three feet away a question. I don’t personally have that problem, but I can hear myself better even with the volume cranked up.

If, for some reason, you have a laptop (or desktop) that can’t maintain a stable Bluetooth signal, the included BT700A Bluetooth USB-A adapter (with LC3 technology for efficient bandwidth) helps secure a reliable connection so you can track every word on how your teams are performing. And, with a voice-optimized three-microphone array per earbud with WindSmart technology, they’ll hear your directions just as clearly.

One of the standout features of the Voyager Free 60+ UC is the charging case. Like most charging cases, it provides extra battery life—16 hours, on top of the eight when the earbuds are fully charged. (That’s listening to music with ANC on; the numbers dip to 11 hours in the case, 5.5 in the ’buds for talk time, but that would be some ridiculously long calls.) This case stands out because the touchscreen display lets you check the battery level, answer calls, switch between ANC modes, and control your music. You can also adjust and check these levels via a smartphone app. And, in addition, the case can be plugged into an airplane’s headphone jack so you can broadcast the inflight entertainment wirelessly to your earbuds.

Controls on the earbuds also make it easy to adjust without having to fidget with the case. Swipe up or down on the side of the earbud stick to lower or raise volume. And use a physical button on the stem to pause or play music, initiate Siri/Google voice assistant, or answer a phone call (which can also happens automatically when you insert en earbud while the phone is ringing). While the price is high, so is the features set. If you’re a business traveler that needs to make anywhere your office, these earbuds could be the perfect investment.

Best for comfort: Ultimate Ears FITS

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Specs

• Headphone type: Earbuds
• Weight: 0.4 ounces
• Wireless: Yes
• Active noise cancellation: No
• Battery life: 8 hours on the earbuds, 20 hours with the case
• Microphones: Yes

Pros

• Comfortable even in small ears
• Good sound quality
• Microphone works well, even with ambient noise
• Compact case

Cons

• No active noise cancellation
• Battery life isn’t great

Ultimate Ears FITS, also called UE FITS, are unique in the earbud sphere thanks to their Lightform Technology. When you use the earbuds for the first time, you’ll be walked through a simple process that involves lightforming LEDs warming up the photopolymer gel tips in your ear canals. The earbuds glow and get warm, which is a strange sensation. It takes about 60 seconds, and then you are set to use your new earbuds.

The lightform process molds the tips to your ear shape, resulting in a more comfortable, stable fit. They’ll be easier to wear even for the longest meetings or for a day of music while you crank out work. And thanks to the snug fit, they can also easily transition to the gym or a jog, staying in place during the most intense exercise.

The sound from the UE FITS is also quite good, especially for speaking. Bass is a bit lacking by default, but you can customize that in the app. The downside of the UE FITS, especially for office settings, is the lack of active noise cancellation. But, because the gel tips are custom fit to your ears, they offer better passive noise cancellation than most of that class. And the built-in mic ensures that your voice will be heard loud and clear.

Want an even more bespoke way to burrow deep into spreadsheets and playlists? UE offers the DROPS, which have a more involved, more handcrafted process resulting in acrylic housings tailored to your personal specifications and aesthetic.

Best wired: beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

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Specs

• Headphone type: Over-ear
• Weight: 12.17 ounces
• Wireless: No
• Active noise cancellation: No
• Battery life: N/A
• Microphones: No

Pros

• Gentle clamping force
• Replaceable cable
• No battery life worries
• Decent passive noise cancellation

Cons

• No active noise cancellation
• Heavy
• Open-back design isn’t open office-friendly

Beyerdynamics’ DT 900 Pro X studio headphones are the best wired model we’ve tried for work. The over-ear headphones were designed and tuned for audio mixing, so they offer rich detail when listening to music. Whether you work in a content creation field or not, you shouldn’t have any complaints about how the DT 900 Pro X headphones sound. One of the reasons for their natural sound is the headphones’ open-back design, which allows sound to disperse through each earcup. When listening to music on closed-back headphones, sound will reverberate off the back of its earcups toward your ear, potentially muddying the frequency response with bass bloom and a narrowed soundstage. Conversely, open-back headphones offer more expansive imaging, but the sound leakage can annoy the people around you, so the DT 900 Pro X headphones may not be the right choice for open office environments.

In terms of overall build quality, we’ve been very satisfied with how these headphones have held up after more than a year of regular use. The velour ear pads show no sign of wear, and the headband hasn’t lost any tension. If you’re planning on keeping a pair of over-ear headphones on for your entire workday, you’ll appreciate the effort beyerdynamic took to nail the DT 900 Pro X’s clamping force. The earcups grip the side of your head with enough force that there’s no chance they’ll accidentally fall off, but without holding on so tightly that you constantly feel the pressure. The DT 900 Pro X’s felt coating also feels softer than the leather used on most other headphones.

Speaking of comfort, there’s no escaping that these are the heaviest headphones we recommend for work. They never felt particularly heavy to us, but they’ll be a big adjustment if you come from a pair of earbuds. You’ll also have to get used to using wired headphones again. However, the replaceable cable beyerdynamic included with the DT 900 Pro X is very long and terminates into a standard 3.5mm audio jack. If you’re an audio engineer, you’ll be happy to hear that the headphones also include a 3.5mm to 1/4-inch jack to plug into an audio interface. And the custom STELLAR.45 driver, which delivers a frequency response of 5 – 40,000 Hz, is low enough impedance to play nicely with all kinds of portable and professional gear without requiring amplification.

The lack of any microphones and active noise cancellation is unfortunate for productivity but good for sonic purity. Since they have a cable, they can use digital audio converters and headphone amps to access playback formats and finesse that wireless can’t always achieve. Still, they’re balanced out by the fact that they need to be directly connected to a computer, which will have a mic, their decent passive noise cancellation, and the fact that they’re not designed to be used in public. If you’d like to get battery anxiety off your mind while you’re working and thoroughly enjoy the audio you’re listening to or creating, we can’t think of a better option than the beyerdynamics DT 900 Pro X.

Things to consider when choosing the best headphones for work

Headphone type

The first factor to consider when choosing any pair of headphones is settling on whether you’d like earbuds, on-ear headphones, or over-ear headphones. Earbuds provide the most convenience because of their size, especially if you choose a true wireless pair, which have no cables at all. On-ear headphones are still relatively light, but you won’t feel something stuck in your ear. Over-ear headphones are larger and bulkier but offer the best active noise-cancellation and audio performance. Wireless over-ear headphones also offer better battery life than earbuds.

Wired or wireless

If your work primarily takes place at a desk all day, there’s a strong case to be made that wired headphones are a better fit. You won’t have to worry about the headphones running out of battery in the middle of your work day, and headphone companies provide relatively long cables so that you won’t feel tethered to your computer. On the other hand, wireless Bluetooth headphones make more sense if you want to use one pair of headphones for work and recreation because they’re easier to use when you’re out and about. Plus, most recent smartphones phones and tablets don’t have headphone jacks, whereas computers often do.

Active noise cancellation

Most wireless headphones released in the past couple of years support active noise cancellation, a critical feature if you get work done in a public space. Whether you’re in an office, on an airplane, or spend a few hours per week at your local cafe, you’ll need a way to tune people out. Active noise cancellation won’t block out all noise—unless you’re listening to audio at a moderate volume—but it can dampen sound enough to make working easier even when music or a podcast aren’t on. It’s important to note that enabling active noise cancellation will run down your headphones’ battery faster.

Battery life

Speaking of battery life, make sure the headphones you choose for work will last an entire day. If you plan on listening to music for eight to 10 hours, with very few breaks in between, that’ll inform your decision more than any other factor. All of the headphones we’re recommending should last an entire traditional eight-hour workday, but your listening volume and active noise cancellation preferences will impact it greatly.

Microphones

If your job requires you to be in meetings regularly, choosing a pair of headphones with a microphone is important so you can wear them while you’re on calls. Wearing headphones during meetings has been normalized, and it makes hearing your colleagues a lot easier. Microphones are required for active noise cancellation, so if your headphones support ANC, they’ll have mics built in.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best headphones for work

• Best overall: Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones
• Best noise-cancelling: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2
• Best earbuds for calls: Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC
• Best for comfort: Ultimate Ears FITS
• Best wired: beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

Getting a good pair of headphones for work can help you be more productive and happier while you’re getting things done. If you can dedicate a specific pair for this use, putting them on and taking them off can help create a psychological cue for when your work day begins and end. Headphones can make it easier to communicate during work meetings, tune out unwanted distractions, and create pleasant background noise while completing tasks. Your music may even help inspire you with a new idea or help you out of a rut. At the very least the best headphones for work may help your day go by a little more quickly, which by itself justifies picking up a pair.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best headphones for work in 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you want to get wrapped up in your playlists, not cords, you need a pair of powered, connected speakers. And if you want the best powered, connected speakers, you need the LS50 Wireless II by British high-end hi-fi audio products designer KEF. With wireless support up to 24-bit/96 kHz audio (and network file support up to 24-bit/384 kHz), the LS50 Wireless II speakers give you access to unadulterated audio no matter your service or format(s) of choice. They’re our wireless stereo speakers of choice, one of my favorite bookshelf (or standmount) speakers—that’s my Mineral White pair below—and they’re currently being offered in a bundle with an excellent subwoofer for $500 off. Who says being an audiophile can’t be (mildly more) affordable?

KEF LS50 Wireless II + KC62 Subwoofer $3,799.98 (Was $4,299.98)

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The LS50 Wireless II’s striking, copper-hued Uni-Q driver orients a 1-inch vented aluminum-dome tweeter in the acoustic center of a 5¼-inch magnesium-aluminum alloy woofer cone to create a wide listening sweet spot that’s detailed and dynamic. Stream music directly over Bluetooth, WiFi, AirPlay 2, and Google Chromecast (among others), or integrate digital and analog via wired connections, including HDMI eARC, Ethernet, coaxial and optical inputs, and 3.5mm aux-ins. And to add sonic depth without needing a deep footprint or deep pockets, the KEF KC62 ultra-compact subwoofer is a sealed compartment with dual 6-inch woofers that can bring the euphoric high of 11 Hz lows. That means a big boom without taking up big space, using DSP for muscular musical bass to open up the headroom of those main drivers. Select them both and save.

Technically this highly resolving, engaging experience does involve one cable from the speakers to the sub. But you can do away with even that if you pick up a KEF KW1 Wireless Kit, which gives you more freedom to base your bass anywhere in the room.

If the LS50 Wireless II + KC62 setup is too indulgent, you can get a bundle with the smaller, desktop-friendly LSX II speakers and a KEF KUBE 8b subwoofer for $1,749.98 (a savings of $250). Or, if you have (or plan to get) an AV receiver and are looking at passive speakers, you can get a pair of KEF Q950 floorstanding towers and a KUBE 12b subwoofer for $2,799.98 (a savings of $350).

Looking for headphones and earbuds instead of speakers? You’re in luck, as multiple brands have spring savings events running. For example, beyerdynamic is offering discounts on its Amiron Wireless headphones, which go big on bliss with details-oriented Tesla drivers and high-resolution Bluetooth in plush earcups, as well as the FREE BYRD ANC earbuds, which pack excellent comfort and battery life alongside punchy personalized sound. And there are more options below but act fast—these deals can disappear faster than cherry blossoms after a rainstorm.

Amazing audiophile deals are hear and now:

• beyerdynamic Amiron Hi-Res Bluetooth Headphones $549 (Was $649)
• beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless Copper Limited Edition Hi-Res Bluetooth Headphones $599 (Was $799)
• beyerdynamic Free BYRD Black True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds $199 (Was $229)
• Sennheiser HD 800 S Over-the-Ear Open-Back Audiophile Reference Headphones $1,599 (Was $1,699)
• Sennheiser HD 820 Over-the-Ear Closed-Back Audiophile Reference Headphones $1,799 (Was $1,999)
• Sony WF-1000XM4 Active Noise-Canceling True Wireless Earbuds $198 (Was $279)
• Tivoli Audio PAL BT Portable Bluetooth AM/FM Radio $179 (Was $219)—Price available if you select Tivoli Audio as the Ships From/Sold By vendor in the “New From” section of the right column

The post The best wireless speaker setup is $500 off for a limited time appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds firmly in place and Katy Perry queued up, I prepared for a run around the neighborhood. I planned to test the customizable sound and active noise-cancelling of these true wireless earbuds—everything I could use to get in the zone—when I saw my wife waving. Tapping twice on the Skullcandy earbuds to pause the music, I heard my 3.5-year-old daughter Ria yell, “I want to come!” as she sprinted toward me, scrambling to slip on her pink Crocs. Just like that, the plan changed, the running stroller and one earbud came out, Ambient Mode replaced ANC, and I set out on a very different outing. Katy’s fireworks in one ear, my daughter’s conversation in the other, I pushed the Skullcandy Indy ANC’s versatility to its limit and it proved capable.

The primary selling point of the Skullcandy Indy ANC is an affordable pair of true wireless earbuds just as equipped at tuning out the world and turning up a workout’s intensity as they are at delivering the hushed tones of NPR podcasts during a commute. The versatility comes in part from the Skullcandy app, which lets you customize the sound mix at the touch of a button—a feature that rivals some of the best earbuds out there. While the Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds can’t quite match the sound quality of truly top-of-the-line ANC earbuds, they also won’t match top-tier prices, either. So if you’re looking for a solid middle-of-the-road set of ’buds that’s ready whether you plan to push hard or decompress, these Skullcandy earbuds may be the perfect fit. Let’s take a closer look …

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What are the Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds?

Selling for $129, the Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds sit at the top of the Park City, Utah, company’s lineup of wireless earbuds. You can drop the active noise cancellation and save $30 with the Indy Fuel, or drop another $20 (and the wireless charging case) with the Indy Evo. The less expensive Indy models lower cost and battery life—to a total of six hours (30 hours with charging case) versus the nine hours (32 with case) you get from the Indy ANC. The Fuel and the Evo do actually add water and dust protection, though—featuring an IP55 rating versus the Indy ANC’s suitable but hardly swimsuit-worthy IPX4 (which means the ’buds are not tested against dust and will only guard against sweat and brief splashes of water). 

With ANC and impressive sound customization, it’s clear these flagship Skullcandy wireless earbuds hope to challenge high-end noise-cancelling earbuds such as the Jaybird Vista 2, the Apple AirPods Pro, and the Sony WF-1000XM4. And from a customization standpoint, the Skullcandy earbuds definitely came to play, with the app letting you set your own personalized EQ mix and offering presets optimized for music, podcasts, and movies. The EQ offerings aren’t as boundless as those you get in the Jaybird Vista 2, and the Skullcandy ’buds don’t automatically adapt the EQ mix to match your surroundings—a feature found in the Apple AirPods Pro—but the customization from Skullcandy is more than functional. It surpasses the sliding adjustors you get from the similarly priced Sennheiser CX True Wireless. Plus, isn’t a customized mix and the option to switch between music and speaking modes might be all most people really need. 

Sound quality is where the Skullcandy Indy ANC levels off. The bass is exquisite to be sure, but the level of detail doesn’t match what you get in the very best earbuds. Using 12mm drivers, the Skullcandy Indy ANC delivers a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz and a sound pressure level of 98-103dB. For comparison, the Sony WF-1000XMF only uses 6mm drivers but can drive the frequency range to 40 kHz (when connected via the high-resolution LDAC 96 kHz sampling, 990 kbps Bluetooth codec). 

Size and weight is another place where Skullcandy cut corners—or, more accurately, didn’t trim as much—in order to keep the cost down. The charging case, with the earbuds inside, weighs 76 grams. That’s much heftier than the sub-50 gram package of the Sennheiser CX True Wireless. Plus, at 2 inches tall, the case itself is twice as tall as other charging cases of earbuds I’ve tested (the Dime charging case is 1 inch tall). However, the width and length of the Indy charging case compares to other cases, measuring less than 2.5 inches long and less than an inch deep. 

Despite the case and earbuds being a little bulkier than other pairs, they fit comfortably in my ear thanks to noise-isolating silicone ear gels with a helpful extension that notches into the ear’s concha for stability. (The earbuds come with three additional silicone ear gels, half of which don’t feature the top extension.) Meanwhile, the earbuds’ long narrow stem extended just past my earlobe for a balanced, snug fit that assured they stayed in place even as I jogged, rollerbladed, and did jumping jacks. 

Setting up the Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds

The Skullcandy Indy ANC practically set up themselves. I removed them from their charging case, which automatically started the pairing process. They synced to each other and then I synced them to my iPhone by clicking “Indy ANC” in my list of available Bluetooth devices (they support Bluetooth 5.0 SBC for stable connectivity). 

Next, I downloaded the Skullcandy app—though this step was entirely for sound customization since you can use the Skullcandy earbuds without the app. In the app, I set up my personal EQ mix (more below) and toggled between ANC and Ambient Mode, as well as between sound mixes designed for music, spoken word, and movies. 

Key features of the Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds

The Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds are packed with features, especially when you consider the price point. From ANC to EQ customization, there’s plenty to like. 

Skullcandy allows you to control pretty much everything from the earbuds themselves. To change tracks, hold one of the earbud’s buttons for two seconds. To adjust the volume, tap once. The pause, tap twice. To talk to Siri (or your virtual assistant) tap three times. All of that worked fairly seamlessly (though I prefer a press-and-hold volume control that works more like a dial). But using the earbuds to change the EQ mode or switch out of ANC was more frustrating. Those controls rely on a combination of tapping and holding and more often than not I found the earbuds responding to the taps (adjusting the volume, pausing) rather than switching sound modes. However, switching sound modes in the app was no trouble at all.

Sound check

If the Skullcandy Indy ANC ’buds are your first pair of true wireless earbuds, you may be perfectly content. Overall the sound is fairly rich, especially at the lower end. But I couldn’t help but compare them to two different pairs of earbuds. I was most curious to see how they fared against the $25 Skullcandy Dime, Indy ANC’s littlest brother. To create a fair test, I set the Indy ANC to music mode and turned off ANC and my personal EQ. Then I put on John Mayer’s “In the Blood,” which has a repetitive structure, and switched between the Skullcandy Dime earbuds and the Indy ANC earbuds. To my ears, the distinction was imperceptible. To be fair, that test compared a neutered version of the Indy ANC that didn’t utilize the four-mic digital ANC and sound EQ customization. 

Next, I wanted to compare the Indy ANC to the Jaybird Vista 2, which, on paper, offer many of the same features as the Indy ANC ’buds but sell for about $70 more. It turns out that extra money pays off if you care about crispness across all frequencies. Whether it was Chadwick’s cleaner vocals on Dispatch’s “The General,” the fiddle bowing or the banjo plucks in “Wagon Wheel,” or the thumping percussion in Katy Perry’s “It Takes 2,” the Jaybird Vista 2 consistently offered a cleaner, more complete sound that made me feel closer to the music.   

Sound’s right to you

Flat, the Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds didn’t stand out. But part of the earbuds’ allure is they offer amazing sound customization. Select “Personal Sound” in the Skullcandy app and then click whether you can hear various tones—the test measures your hearing capacity in both ears and across frequencies. You can also choose between Music, Podcast, and Movie modes, while still keeping your personal mix active. Music is the standard mode, the podcast mode reduces the bass and sharpens human dialogue, and the movie mode pumps the bass for those booming action scenes while still presenting crisp dialogue. 

You can also customize what you hear around you. In ANC mode, four microphones power a system of sound-neutralizing tones that effectively mute the world. Almost too effectively, actually. I was listening to an episode of “Fresh Air”—and Terry Gross’s voice doesn’t exactly boom—and I couldn’t at all hear that my daughter was trying to get my attention. 

If the ANC did exactly what it was supposed to, Ambient Mode was unfortunately the opposite. While in Ambient Mode, I had trouble hearing cars coming behind me on jogs or my wife calling to me in the house. The noise-isolating ear gels simply eliminated too much sound on their own. If I wanted to safely jog on busier streets, I had to utilize the Solo mode—which just means using one earbud instead of two (not a feature all earbuds offer, and a welcome one at times). That worked well for hearing sounds around me, but it also felt like I was only getting half of what the earbuds are capable of offering. 

Lasts all day—and then some. 

The Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds’ battery life more than met my needs. The earbuds supply up to nine hours of runtime with ANC off and an ample five hours with ANC on. The case boosts the supply by either 14 hours or 23 hours, depending on whether ANC is activated (giving you a total of up to 32 hours between charges). Plus, the rapid charging feature generates two hours (with ANC off) in just 10 minutes. 

I also appreciated that red LED lights signify whether each earbud is properly connected to the magnetic charging ports in the case. A few times, I’ve been disappointed to find the Jaybird Vista 2 earbuds out of battery because I’d neglected to make sure they were properly resting against the case’s magnetic dots.  

Can you hear me now? 

The Indy ANC earbuds feature 2-mic noise reduction that makes for clear calls. My accountant had no trouble hearing me, even when I interrupted her to supply different numbers. And Siri was able to correctly hear and respond to my question about the weather, the Mets score—not that I really wanted to know, given their recent spiral—and the name of the president.   

So, who should buy the Skullcandy Indy ANC?

Anyone looking for an affordable set of true wireless earbuds that’ll work as well for podcasts on the train as they will for pumping tunes on the treadmill should consider the Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds. For $130, you get active noise cancellation and personalized sound customization that competes with the best earbuds out there. Plus, the ’buds fit snugly and comfortably in the ear, even during rigorous workouts (though the IPX4 rating means you’d be wise to wipe them off before putting them back in the charging case). 

You can spend more for better sound from earbuds like the Sony WF-1000XM4 or the Apple AirPods Pro. Or you can spend $200 for the Jaybird Vista 2 and get more durability; the Jaybird earbuds’ IP68 protection rating means you can drop them in the sand or even in the waves crashing along the shore, and they’ll still be fine (plus the Vista 2’s stereo sound topped the Skullcandy). For a similar price to the Indy ANC ’buds, the Sennheiser CX True Wireless earbuds offer a more evocative audiophile sound but a less comfortable fit and no ANC. Meanwhile, the Beats Studio Buds offer ANC and solid sound but feature no sound customization.

You could also go the other direction, price-wise, and sacrifice ANC, customization, durability, and battery life for the ultracheap but effective Skullcandy Dime earbuds. Still, if you’re looking for one-pair-fits-all-uses Skullcandy Bluetooth earbuds that’ll crank the bass but not jack up the cost, the Indy ANC earbuds are a sound choice.

The post Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds review: A lot of features for little money appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Spring is coming soon—and that means you’ll be able to take a walk outside and walk like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (there’s even a playlist just for doing that). Bowers & Wilkins’ March Audio Month deals can help supply you with a new pair of headphones or an upgraded house speaker to boogie away the winter blues from now until March 26.

Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar $799 (Was $999)

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The Panorama 3 combines immersive cinema-quality Dolby Atmos sound with Amazon Alexa compatibility in a single sophisticated product. The 13 drivers, including two subwoofers, placed perfectly in this sleek 400-watt strut of sound give you a true spatial audio experience—there’s a reason we called it one of the best Dolby Atmos Soundbars, thanks in part to the upward-firing drive units housed in their own optimized acoustic chamber. If “high-res audio” is your name, the Panorama 3 is your game, with support for Bluetooth aptX Adaptive and AirPlay 2 for all those streaming services. It’s easy to set up and feed content with the Bowers & Wilkins app, easy to connect to your new OLED TV thanks to HDMI eARC, and easy on the eyes: what more could you want?

The soundbar isn’t the only thing Bowers & Wilkins is including in its spring sale: the company’s dirigible-shaped bassy-but-bouyant Zeppelin smart speaker is $699, down from its $799 price, and its Px7 S2 Over-Ear Headphones are $349. That’s $50 off its regular $399 pricing.

Other audio companies will be getting in on these spring savings. The Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2) will be on sale for $299.99—down from $349—from March 20-26. In our review, we praised it for sounding just as crisp as it looks, so mark that one on your calendar.

And suppose you’re already looking for a digital audio player (DAP) to be the high-quality source for those soundbars, headphones, and speakers. In that case, the FiiO M11S Hi-Res MP3 Music Player is currently $399.99 (usually $499.99)—its lowest price in 30 days. Its bigger, beefier cousin, the FiiO M11 Plus, is one of the best DAPs of 2023.

These deals have definite end dates, some of them this week, and may not run again—much like that showing of Saturday Night Fever at your local indie theater. You’ll forgive yourself for bouncing when the movie gets deeply problematic and saving big bucks on fancy audio gear.

These other audio deals have us skipping with money-saving glee:

• EarFun Air Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds $59.99 with a 10% off coupon on the page and a 15% off discount code: AP315OFF (Was $79.99)
• Beats Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earbuds $179.95 (Was $249.95)
• Beats Fit Pro Noise Cancelling Earbuds $159.95 (Was $199.95)
• Beats Studio Buds-True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds $119.95 (Was $149.95)
• SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wired Gaming Headset $39.99 (Was $49.99)
• Soundcore by Anker Life Q35 Multi-Mode Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $87.99 (Was $109.99)
• Belkin SoundForm Mini-Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for Kids $35.99 (Was $39.99)
• Sony LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbud $148 (Was $179.99)
• Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds $148 (Was $199.99)
• Jabra Elite 85t True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds $179.99 (Was $229.99)
• Jabra Elite 4 Active in-Ear Bluetooth Earbuds $79.99 (Was $119.99)
• JBL CHARGE 5 $139.95 (Was $179.95)
• JBL TUNE 500-Wired On-Ear Headphones $24.95 (Was $29.95)
• JBL Tune 125TWS True Wireless In-Ear Headphones $59.95 (Was $99.95)
• JBL Tune 225TWS True Wireless Earbud Headphones $79.95 (Was $99.95)

The post Spring into sound with Bowers & Wilkins March Audio Month deals and more appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

The music at the gym is … not the best, nicely put. And that’s even if music is playing—I’ve personally seen televisions getting commandeered to play soap opera re-runs or whatever is happening on the sports channel. Neither have been proven to get you pumped up. Tune out the uninspirational with a pair of noise-canceling Beats Fit Pro earbuds, which come with a free $25 Amazon Gift Card. That’s free money!

Beats Fit Pro with $25 Amazon Gift Card $199.95 (Worth $224.95)

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These earbuds are one of our favorites for the gym, thanks to their active noise cancellation (ANC), powerful battery life, and comfortable fit. They offer Apple’s H1 chip for quick Bluetooth pairing with an iPhone or Apple Watch, and provide Adaptive EQ and true spatial audio like the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2. In addition, they have an IPX4 rating, so sweat doesn’t wreck your workout. Our senior gear editor liked their discrete size and secure fit so much that he re-bought them after losing the first pair. Even better, you get a $25 Amazon gift card to use for a protective cover for the Fit Pro’s clamshell case, or whatever your heart desires (like a rechargeable dish scrubber or a birthday hat for your cat).

This deal won’t last forever, so snag it before it ends—unlike the Days of Our Lives marathon running every time you’ve gone to the gym.

Here are more earbud deals that will keep you moving:

• Sony LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbud Headphones $148 (Was $179.99)
• Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbud Headphones $148 (Was $199.99)
• JBL Tune 125TWS True Wireless In-Ear Headphones $59.95 (Was $99.95)
• JBL Tune 225TWS True Wireless Earbud Headphones $79.95 (Was $99.95)
• JBL Tune 130NC TWS True Wireless In-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones $49.95 (Was $99.95)
• JBL Endurance Race Waterproof True Wireless Active Sport Earbuds $59.95 (Was $79.95)
• JBL Reflect Mini NC: True Wireless Noise Cancelling Sport Headphones $99.95 (Was $149.95)
• JBL Live Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Headphones $99.95 (Was $149.95)
• Soundcore by Anker Life P2 Mini True Wireless Earbuds $27.99 (Was $39.99)
• Soundcore by Anker Life A2 NC Multi-Mode Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds $47.99 (Was $69.99)
• Soundcore by Anker Life A3i Noise Cancelling Earbuds $49.99 (Was $59.99)
• Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo True Wireless Earbuds $29.99 (Was $49.99)
• Soundcore Anker Life P2 True Wireless Earbuds $31.19 (Was $49.99)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds Pro True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds $139.99 (Was $199.99)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds 2 Pro True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds $199.99 (Was $229.99)

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Best Wi-Fi Routers		Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi System		SEE IT	An Amazon eero 6E mesh wifi system will guarantee your giftee a fast, stable connection to the internet.
Best desk		FLEXISPOT Comhar Electric Standing Desk with Drawers		SEE IT	Ample space, accessible USB ports, and a wide drawer make this an indispensable part of any home office setup.
Best TV		Hisense U8K		SEE IT	This luxe TV will help them kick back and relax between meetings or after work is done.

If the 2020s have taught us anything, it’s that the line between your home and office is blurrier than ever. It has become increasingly thoughtful to get someone a gift that can help reduce their list of chores, improve their productivity, or kick back and relax after a long day at the office (in-home or on-site). Gifts in this category run the gamut from incredibly practical to downright extravagant, so there’s something for everybody. We’ve also been conscious of making sure our gift recommendations work whether you’re shopping for someone who rents or owns their place, be it an apartment or house. If you’re shopping for someone you live with, some of our best home and office presents below will also benefit you, so consider that a holiday bonus.

• Best Wi-Fi Routers: Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi System
• Best printer: Canon MegaTank G3270
• Best docking station: Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Dock with 100W Charging
• Best office chair: AmazonCommercial Ergonomic High-Back Bonded Leather Executive Chair
• Best mouse: Logitech MX Master 3S
• Best keyboard: Logitech Wave Keys
• Best work desk: Flexispot Electric Standing Desk with Drawers
• Best earbuds: Apple AirPods Pro 2
• Best headphones: beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X
• Best smart speaker: Sonos Era 100
• Best smart lights: GE CYNC Dynamic Effects Smart LED Hexagon Light Panels
• Best monitor: Dell S2722QC
• Best monitor riser: Grovemade Desk Shelf
• Best webcam: OBSBOT Tiny 2 4K
• Best digital picture frame: Aura Carver Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame
• Best smart decoration: Twinkly Squares LED panels
• Best retro decoration: Lava Colormax lamp
• Best TV: Hisense U8K
• Best soundbar: Sonos Ray
• Best media streamer: Roku Stick 4K
• Best wireless charger: Twelve South PowerPic
• Best gadget charger: Satechi Dock5
• Best whiteboard: Quartet Glass Whiteboard
• Best smart board: Vestaboard
• Best home gardening system: Gardyn 2.0 Hydroponics Growing System
• Best fire pit: Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0
• Best trash can: Brabantia Bo Touch
• Most practical tech accessory: SnapPower GuideLight for Outlets
• Best desk lamp: Lume Cube Edge Light 2.0
• Best robot vacuum: Narwall Freo
• Best over-the-top gift: Kül Water Dispenser
• Best for the bathroom: Kohler Moxie Bluetooth Showerhead
• Best note-taking tablet: BOOX Note Air2 Plus
• Best surge protector: Austere VII Series Power 8-Outlet 

Best Wi-Fi routers: Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi System

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One of the keys to a happy home during the holidays (or any other time) is a fast, consistent connection to the Internet. Eero’s latest Wi-Fi routers support the latest wireless standard (Wi-Fi 6E), supporting speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps. For reference, Netflix recommends just 15Mbps to stream video in 4K, which is only .006% of the routers’ total potential bandwidth. If you’re shopping for someone who pays for a fast internet connection but finds their devices don’t get the speeds promised—or they have places in their home where their wireless connection is spotty—this is the optimal solution. Amazon says this two-pack of Eero routers can cover an area of up to 4,000 sq. ft., which should be enough for most homes, and it can be connected to over 100 devices without slowing down.

Best printer: Canon MegaTank G3270

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Every home or office needs an all-in-one printer for when a document needs to be scanned, printed, or copied. This may only happen a handful of times a year (unless the printer is living in a house with school-age kids), but you’re guaranteed to get a “THANK YOU!” text each time it does. We like Canon’s G3270 because it uses ink tanks rather than in cartridges. Canon says you should be able to print roughly 6,000 black and white and 7,700 color pages without having to refill them.

If the person you gift this to prints 100 pages of each per month, this means they won’t have to buy new ink for several years. Households with kids—or folks who like to craft—will have to change them more frequently. In our experience, the G3270 had no problem printing text and photos without blotches or smudging, even during long jobs. The fact that this printer is wireless is especially appreciated because they won’t have to keep plugging and unplugging it into a computer.

Best docking station: Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Dock with 100W Charging

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The downside to laptops getting thinner and lighter is the loss of ports, which makes it annoying to connect accessories to them. If you know someone who’s always carrying around a bunch of adapters, you can simplify their life significantly by gifting them Plugable’s new Thunderbolt 4 Dock. This tool has four USB-A ports, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SD card slot, HDMI 2.0 port, headphone jack, Gigabit Ethernet jack, and a USB-C to HDMI adapter.

Your friend and family member can use UGREEN’s hub to connect their computer to three external displays (assuming their computer supports this feature) and nearly a dozen other accessories with a single USB-C cable. The hub can even recharge their laptop while connected, which is an excellent bonus.

Best office chair: AmazonCommercial Ergonomic High-Back Bonded Leather Executive Chair

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Nobody thinks about ergonomics until their body starts hurting, so this gift serves two purposes. AmazonCommercial’s Ergonomic High-Back Bonded Leather Executive Chair is so comfortable that we can recommend it to anybody who works at home. The chair has ample padding, height-adjustable arms, and a satisfying swivel. We recommend gifting a high-back chair, which cradles the back, shoulders, and neck to address multiple potential pain points. This is a type of gift nobody thinks about getting for themselves.

Best mouse: Logitech MX Master 3S

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Logitech’s MX Master 3S is the tech accessory office workers don’t know they needed. The Bluetooth mouse is shaped so an entire hand can fit on top of it, with a dedicated thumb resting on its left side. The MX Master 3S’ design makes it much more comfortable to use over long periods. Additional buttons on the side and top of the mouse give users quick access to different apps or system functions, which can save the person you gift it to several minutes every day. One of this mouse’s coolest features is the ability to pair it with up to three devices, so your friend or family member can use it with their work and personal computer. Nobody thinks about the computer mouse they use, but once you gift someone the Logitech MX Master 3S, they’ll never return to a generic wired one.

Best keyboard: Logitech Wave Keys

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If you’re already gifting someone an ergonomic mouse, pairing it with a mechanical keyboard makes sense. Logitech’s newly released Wave Keys is one of the best we’ve ever tested. It can connect to a PC or Mac wirelessly over Bluetooth, or with a USB-C cable, so it’s great if you’re shopping for someone who works on MacOS and Windows. The sensation of typing on an ergonomic keyboard after years of using the slim ones built into laptops is revelatory. The built-in palm rest will keep their wrists elevated, while the sloped keys are more satisfying to depress. Comfort is key when typing all day, and the person you gift this keyboard to will wonder how they ever got along without it.

Best work desk: Flexispot Electric Standing Desk with Drawers

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If you want to gift surface area to someone with limited space, Flexispot’s Electric Standing Desk with Drawers can help them stay elevated and organized. Its 55-inch work surface is more than sufficient for multiple monitors and plenty of tech accessories. This desk has four memory modes, which will allow the person you gift it to preset their optimal sitting and standing heights. A pair of USB-A ports on the front of the desk offer a convenient way to charge devices, while the drawer can help them get paperwork and other supplies off their desktop.

Best wireless earbuds: Apple AirPods Pro 2

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Let’s not beat around the bush here: Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are arguably the hottest holiday gift this season. Apple’s latest earbuds sound better, last longer, and cancel out more noise than the pair they replace while keeping the same iconic look, feel, and shape. Active noise cancellation is the biggest feature for office workers, as it’ll allow them to concentrate on work instead of being distracted by the sound of typing keys, swiveling chairs, or idle conversation. One of the most underrated features of the AirPods Pro 2 is the microphones, which are surprisingly good at picking up a speaker’s voice without much room noise. At their price, you won’t find a more well-rounded, fully featured pair of earbuds than the AirPods Pro 2. Apple recently updated its earbuds with a USB-C charging case, which is helpful so your giftee won’t have to use a proprietary charging cord.

Best headphones: beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X

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Need a gift for an audiophile who listens to music in their home office and continues their play session hours after logging off? Maybe someone you know is setting up a starter home studio but also games? Get them beyerdynamic’s DT 700 Pro X over-ear headphones, which come from the makers of our overall best mixing headphones. What separates the DT 700 Pro X apart from the pack is the extremely soft ear cushions, which make the headphones extremely comfortable to wear while simultaneously isolating a listener’s ears from unwanted outside sounds without any tonality-altering circuitry. Additionally, the headphones clamping force (how much pressure the headphones push against a listener’s head to keep them on) was also calibrated to optimize comfort without sacrificing performance. The headphones also sound excellent, with deep bass, wide midrange, and clear-but-not-crispy treble that lets you identify stray frequencies in the mix or threats in the game. And, as we said earlier, anyone who loves listening to music at home will really like these headphones.

Best smart speaker: Sonos Era 100

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If you know someone who’s been thinking about making their home smarter, but doesn’t know where to start, get them Sonos Era 100. Sonos’ latest smart speaker looks modern, has a surprisingly good multi-driver audio system, and will immediately become the hub of their smart home. The speaker can be used with Sonos’ built-in smart home assistant or Amazon’s Alexa. Both of these assistants can be used to control the speaker hands-free. We were enourmously impressed by the Era 100 during our tests, and we encourage you to read our full review for more infomration. If the person you’re shopping for cares about multichannel audio, stepping up to Sonos’ Dolby Atmos-compatible Era 300 is a great idea.

Best smart lights: GE CYNC Dynamic Effects Smart LED Hexagon Light Panels

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Smart lights are the first smart home accessory we recommend gifting people if they already have a smart speaker, and GE’s Cync Smart Hexagon Panels are a lot cooler than a typical smart light bulb. These panels can be attached to one another in any number of configurations, creating a unique art piece. Each hexagon can be adjusted to one of several million colors. You can even have multiple colors on a single hexagon, and blend them together. These smart lights would look great anywhere, and may also become a part of your friend or family’s holiday decorations, accenting other pieces they typically put up.

Best monitor: Dell S2722QC

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An external display will give your friend or family member a lot more digital space to work with, which can help improve their productivity or ability to multitask. There are a lot of monitors out there, but Dell’s S2722QC checks all the right boxes. The 27-inch 4K screen can display 1.07 billion colors and has HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C inputs so that you can connect it to any machine. The USB-C port should be of particular interest if you’re shopping for a MacBook owner since it’ll allow the display to charge their laptop while it’s connected. The S2722QC’s speakers aren’t anything to write home about, but they’re helpful in a pinch, especially if you’re gifting the monitor to someone who likes to keep their laptop lid closed while working. It’s a little more luxe than most monitors on the market, but the S2722QC is the one to get this holiday season.

Best monitor riser: Grovemade Desk Shelf

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Simple problems don’t have to get spartan solutions. Portland, Ore.-based design and fabrication shop Grovemade initially broke into the e-commerce ecosystem with engraved bamboo iPhone 4 cases and has been crafting an expanded range of workspace products ever since. A decade-plus later and the Grovemade Desk Shelf system, available in three sizes and multiple woods/finishes, is yet another product that shows how efficiency and ergonomics can be elegant. It’s a sleek platform to help align your virtual world with your real one, and it comes with shelf space that can store cords and keyboards or additional Grovemade trays, desk pads, and accessories you can add to your cocoon of productivity. Got some flagship headphones that deserve to be showcased? The Grovemade headphone stand is another statement piece that is as appealing as it is functional.

Best webcam: OBSBOT Tiny 2 4K

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Webcams have become an essential home office accessory, and OBSBOT’s Tiny 2 PTZ 4K Webcam is among the best we’ve tried. The camera can stream or record incredibly crisp video, and will automatically compensate for poor lighting conditions to help the person you gift it to look their best. What makes the Tiny 2 PTZ 4K Webcam particularly distinctive is its rotating base, which allows the lens to track a person as they move up, down, left, or right. Free software provided by OBSBOT allows you to position the webcam perfectly and lock it in place, too. If you’re shopping for someone on a video call more than three times a week, this is a slam-dunk gift.

Best digital picture frame: Aura Carver Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame

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Sharing memories with less tech-savvy family members can be tough if you only see them a few times a year, which is why Aura’s Carver Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame makes such a great gift. The 10.1-inch HD display can be loaded with photos remotely, so the person viewing them can keep up with your latest adventures. Multiple people can access the same frame so that siblings can share all of their family photos with parents or grandparents at once. Aura doesn’t charge for cloud storage either, so this picture frame will continue to show new pictures as long as it stays connected to the internet.

Best smart decoration: Twinkly Squares LED panels

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Know someone who would want to automate some ambiance to elevate an environment? With the twinkly Squares, you can change the mood without changing location. These LED panels support 16 million colors and/or warm white light, and you can group them through an app for synced scenes of animated hues or 8-bit art. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi allow you to connect and control ON/OFF, dimming, timers, etc. Additional accessories like a USB sound sensor allow you to have your setup pulse and cycle to music. Other functions include integrating with Razer Chroma RGB or OMEN Light Studio for reactive lighting, and using voice commands via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. This starter set includes 1 master tile and 5 extension tiles (64 RGB pixels total), and someone can add as many as their wall and imagination allow.

Best retro decoration: Lava Colormax lamp

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The Lava Colormax is our best overall lava lamp because it fills your room with psychedelic nostalgia without overwhelming your space. The base, cap, and glass all sport a tri-colored design that would feel right at home in a wood panel & shag carpet rumpus room or maybe the back of a conversion van with a dragon painted on the side of it. Or just bring that vibe to your standing desk. At 14.5-inches tall, it’s not overwhelmingly huge, and the 25-watt bulb makes it glow without bathing much of your room in light. Because it gets its tint from paint on the outside of the glass, the colors look bright and vibrant. It takes a solid two hours to really get the lava moving around inside the glass container but, given the chance, will make video calls to video games way more groovy.

Best TV: Hisense U8K

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We can’t think of a better holiday gift than a new TV, and Hisense’s U8K is the gold standard in its price range. The set is available in sizes ranging from 55 to a whopping 100 inches, but the 65-inch model will be the sweet spot for most people. The U8K has four HDMI ports, two of which support 4K gaming at 144Hz with high dynamic range enabled. This is a big deal if the gamer in your life has a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, as they’ll be able to play cutting-edge titles at their highest levels of fidelity. The U8K’s 1620 local dimming zones allow the TV to offer incredible contrast, while support for Dolby Vision IQ ensures colorful scenes look clear and natural rather than being blown out. If you’ve been saving up to set that special someone up with a really big gift, this should be your first (and arguably only) choice.

Best soundbar: Sonos Ray

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Need a gift for the person who’s already satisfied with their TV (or monitor)? The best answer is a soundbar, specifically the Sonos Ray. The Ray’s short size (only 21-inches wide) allows it to fit on any entertainment center without poking off the sides. Sonos designed the Ray’s drivers to point forward so that sound won’t reverberate off the sides of a shelf or a wall. Despite its small size, we were happy with how the Ray sounded in our tests. It wouldn’t distort during loud movie sequences with explosions or other sudden sound pops. You won’t find a better-engineered soundbar at the Ray’s size price, and avid movie watchers will immediately pick up on the audio upgrade.

Best media streamer: Roku Stick 4K

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If a less tech-savvy member of your friend or family group is trying to get into streaming the latest binge-worthy shows and blockbuster movies, there’s no better gift than a Roku Streaming Stick 4K. The ultra-slim media streamer is intuitive and has a simple remote plus dedicated buttons to take users directly to the most popular streaming services. The Streaming Stick 4K can playback video at its highest possible resolution, and supports every HDR (high dynamic range) standard to deliver vibrant colors. We can also recommend this accessory for people who often travel, as it’s easy to throw into a bag and hook up to a hotel or Airbnb TV, so you’re already logged into all of your streaming service accounts wherever you go.

Best wireless charger: Twelve South PowerPic

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Twelve South’s PowerPic is the most inventive wireless charger we’ve seen yet, and its unique design makes it an especially cool gift. The 10W wireless charging stand is built into a picture frame, allowing you to slip any 5×7-inch photo behind your phone’s resting spot. The picture will be revealed when the phone is not charging, so the PowerPic serves a dual purpose. If you know the person you’re gifting this to well enough, you can stealthily open the package, put in a meaningful picture, reseal it, then watch their face light up when it’s revealed.

Best gadget charger: Satechi Dock5

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Satechi Dock5 is a practical gift for anyone with several family members or roommates. The accessory has two USB-A ports and two USB-C ports, with dividers between each port so several gadgets can charge without looking messy. A Qi wireless charging pad toward the front of the Dock5 can recharge a pair of wireless earbuds or another small tech accessory. We all have someone in our lives with a messy, cable-filled section of their kitchen or living room, and this gift can resolve that issue.

Best whiteboard: Quartet Glass Whiteboard

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Quartet’s Glass Whiteboard is an unexpected gift that fully remote workers and students will immediately understand and appreciate. The large canvas is perfect for sketching ideas, collaborating on tough problems, or something as simple as a hand-drawn calendar. Most of us are used to having all this information on a screen. Still, something is satisfying about being able to directly write, slash, and erase your work immediately rather than fiddling with a mouse cursor or stylus. Plus, Quartet’s Glass Whiteboard looks so nice that it practically invites people to use it right out of the box.

Best smart board: Vestaboard

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We’ve never seen anything quite like the Vestaboard, which perfectly typifies the concept of ambient computing. The internet-connected smart board contains 132 “bits,” which flip to reveal different characters or colors. You can send messages to the Vestaboard through the company’s app, which is intuitive to use and comes pre-loaded with a few quotes and color patterns to show you its potential. A paid service called Vestaboard+ allows you to use applications to automate the board in even more creative ways, like displaying the current song you’re listening to through a streaming service, current sports scores, or playing a word game.

This is the ideal indulgent gift for someone who spends a lot of time in their home office or wants a fancy family bulletin board in their living room. Vestaboard owners can grant other people access to their board, allowing friends and family to send messages. The Vestaboard is a unique canvas for people to display meaningful quotes, words of encouragement, or mini works of art. We guarantee the person you gift it to won’t have seen anything like it.

Best home gardening system: Gardyn 2.0 Hydroponics Growing System

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In our tests, the Gardyn 2.0 has fulfilled the promise of being a (mostly) hands-free gardening tool for anyone who lacks a green thumb but wants to grow food. Once it’s set up, the Gardyn will automatically provide the correct amount of light (via LED light strips) and water (through a refillable tank), so there’s no room for error. It takes up to six weeks for plants to reach their full size, and it’s inspiring to see the plants sprout and grow over time. Two cameras on the LED light strips will automatically take pictures of your crops at regular intervals so that you can chart their progress at any time.

The Gardyn is a premium gift, but one that’ll quickly become the hit of your home. Children can learn about how food (and plant life in general) grows and the value of patience. After a few months, you can have a feast featuring fresh vegetables you’ve grown yourself—even if you live in a New York City apartment like I do.

Have a backyard or balcony and an interest in growing greens? Another option is the Lettuce Grow Farmstand starter set. This vertical hydroponic growing system starts with 12 pre-sprouted plants in a tower just under 4-feet tall, but can be customized to your space and budget. It only takes minutes each week to add the water and nutrients necessary and, within a month, you’re enjoying pesticide-free veggies, leafy greens, herbs, fruits, and lettuce.

Best fire pit: Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0

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If you’re shopping for someone who’s into backyard glamping , Solo Stove’s Bonfire 2.0 is the fire pit we recommend. It was designed to be “smokeless,” meaning a continuous flow of air, and an intelligently placed ash pan, prevent tons of smoke from billowing out of it constantly. There’ll still be some smoke but not enough to make your eyes water, which means campers can sit closer to it (but not too close) to enjoy its warmth. Solo Stove addressed our one complaint with the original Bonfire by making this model’s ash tray easily removable, which makes cleanup a breeze.

Best trash can: Brabantia Bo Touch

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Yes, we recommend you get someone in your life a trash can, but hear us out. Brabantia’s Bo Touch has a modern design that’s surprisingly eye-catching in person. Everybody needs a trash can, so why not gift them one they won’t mind looking at several times a day for decades? We also like the Bo Touch’s namesake feature: the ability to open and close its lid by lightly pressing it. Brabantia offers the Bo Touch in a handful of configurations, but the one we recommend has a single 9.5-gallon slot for trash. The person you gift this to may be confused initially, but they’ll quickly change their tune.

Most practical tech accessory: SnapPower GuideLight for Outlets

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We’ve all used a phone flashlight to navigate around the house, which is why we’re certain about gifting SnapPower’s GuideLight to just about anybody in your life. The plate attaches to any duplex outlet and has a couple of small, downward-facing LEDs, which get triggered every time somebody walks by. All you need to install the GuideLight is a screwdriver; no previous electrical engineering experience is required. There’s not much to say about the GuideLight, but it’s an incredibly practical tool that’ll fit in anybody’s home.

Best desk lamp: Lume Cube Edge Light 2.0

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An LED desk lamp is an essential accessory for anyone who works from home. It’s especially helpful as a source of illumination when making video calls. The Edge 2.0 is Lume Cube’s latest desk lamp; it has several points of articulation, which allows you to get the perfect angle below or beside a computer monitor. Its touch-sensitive base makes it easy to adjust the lamp’s illumination (up to 700 lumens) and color temperature (between 2700 and 7500 kelvin with a single swipe. Ease of use, flexibility, and design make this the perfect addition to anybody’s home office setup.

Best under-desk seated elliptical: Cubii MOVE

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Ever feel like you’re just shuffling your feet, waiting for people to get back to you or for everyone to join a video conference? Feel like you’re just spinning your wheels, waiting for tech support to figure out what’s wrong with your laptop? Well, you—or your gift recipient—can turn purgatory (or any other time) into a type of productivity with one of the many compact Cubii under-desk elliptical systems. Aimed to help folks “get fit while you sit,” the low-impact apparatus turns fidgeting into function as you activate multiple muscle groups at the pedaling intensity you prefer, thanks to six selectable resistance levels. Whisper-quiet, the MOVE can live underneath your desk for daily use without distracting others but, at under 20 lbs, can also be easily moved if needed.

Best robot vacuum: Narwall Freo

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Narwal’s Freo Robot Vacuum and Mop can do two annoying chores and does a surprisingly good job making your floors look neat. The vacuum’s sensors allow it to clean around obstacles like chairs, shoes, and walls without bumping into them and will prevent the Freo from falling down a flight of stairs. Additional sensors will know when the robot vacuum has hit a particularly dirty flooring patch and focus its energy there. A feature called “smart swing” will position the vacuum to to better clean around corners.

Once the Freo is done cleaning, it will base to charge and empty its dirt and dirty water into two chambers built into its base. The Freo Narwal can be set on a schedule to clean when your friend or family member is out of the house, so they won’t have to hear the whirring sound of a vacuum ever again. Ultimately, this is one of the few smart home tools that will truly save your friend or family member time.

Best over-the-top gift: Kül Water Dispenser

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If you’re shopping for someone who’s really into health and hydration, or really misses the office experience of gathering around the water cooler to talk about the latest must-see TV, throw caution to the wind and get them the Kül Spark. The $1,500 water purification system can be hooked up to their plumbing and create cold, hot, ambient (room temp), or sparkling water free of over 80 contaminants. Don’t worry, there’s also the option to use a refillable water tank. We’ve tried the Kül Spark for ourselves, and the difference in taste is real. The Kül Spark’s ability to dial in the perfect temperature is equally impressive. A touch-sensitive control panel on the right-hand side of the machine makes it easy to choose which type of beverage you’d like to make or change certain settings. You can even see stats like how long it’s been since you’ve changed your filter, or how full your CO2 cartridges are. Yes, it’s luxe, but the Kül Spark is an incredibly generous gift for anyone who’s overly confident that their kitchen or home office has “everything.”

Best for the bathroom: Kohler Moxie Bluetooth Showerhead

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Do you know a bathroom karaoke superstar? Or someone who likes to start their day catching up on podcasts? No gift will make them happier than Kohler’s Moxie Bluetooth Showerhead. Installing it requires you just twist off your old showerhead and spin on the new one, a process that takes two minutes. A waterproof Bluetooth speaker sits in the center of the shower head, pumping out tunes or talk for several hours before needing to be recharged. The speaker was developed by Harman Kardon and sounds pretty good. Importantly, it’s easy to turn on and off with wet and soapy hands. This is one of those gifts they’ll never see coming, and will use every day.

Best note-taking tablet: BOOX Note Air2 Plus

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BOOX’s Note Air2 Plus is a large e-ink tablet for reading and note-taking. It’s expensive but well worth the price if you need a big gift for someone whose work or school program requires them to take copious notes. The 10.3-inch e-ink tablet runs Android, so the person you gift it to will have access to download specific apps for reading, note-taking, or opening specific file types like PDFs. Much of this functionality is built into the Note Air2 Plus, but, if they’re already familiar with an app, or need a specific piece of software as part of their workflow, the Note Air2 Plus will accommodate their needs far more than a Kindle or other e-Ink tablet. The tablet comes bundled with a stylus, which was remarkably responsive in our tests, allowing us to confidently write on it without worrying about missing a line or digital pen stroke. This is a very specific gift, but if you know someone who has filled up their fair share of notebooks, and wishes they could take all that information with them, this will become their go-to gadget.

Best surge protector: Austere VII Series Power 8-Outlet 

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This gift may not immediately impress, but is incredibly important for the home office worker. Austere’s VII Series Power 8-Outlet will protect their equipment in case of a sudden power surge, which could fry their computer, monitor, and other expensive tech accessories. Gifting someone this surge protector could save them thousands of dollars in the long run. We like Austere’s VII Series Power 8-Outlet because of its sturdy construction, seven-year guarantee, and USB ports, which allow you to charge smaller devices without taking up one of the outlets with a power adapter. Is this gift practical? Extremely. But no home office is truly complete without one.

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The AirPods Pro 2 earbuds are Apple’s latest premium wireless audio offering, and you can get a pair right now at their lowest price since the holiday season. Normally $249, the earbuds are available for just $199.99 at Amazon.

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The AirPods Pro 2 earbuds, were released last September, have 2x better active noise cancellation, up to six hours of playtime per charge, and come with a battery case that can fully recharge them five times. Apple has adjusted how these earbuds sound to improve their overall audio quality, especially bass performance. It’s also included a new pair of XS-sized eartips in the box so that the earbuds can fit more ears comfortably. Improvements to Spatial Audio—including using pictures of your ears to personalize the tuning—will make audio mixed in Dolby Atmos sound more 3D.

Apple hasn’t changed the look or size of its pro-level earbuds, but it has significantly changed their case. The new AirPods Pro 2 case has a speaker, which will play a chime if you ping them using Apple’s “Find My” feature, making the earbuds easier to locate. The case also has a lanyard loop if you want to carry the AirPods Pro 2 around. These little tweaks add up, and we can easily say these earbuds are better than any of Apple’s other options. They also stack up well compared to sub-$200 earbuds from companies like Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufsen, Jabra, or Soundcore.

This deal isn’t tied to a larger sale like Black Friday, so it could end at any time. If you want to take advantage of the discount, you’ll have to act fast.

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My gym plays awful music. Yours probably does, too. The typical fitness soundtrack oscillates between hair gel “hard rock” from the early 2000s and current pop songs that are only popular because the hook went viral on TikTok or Instagram. That’s what makes a solid pair of noise-canceling workout earbuds so valuable. I’ve tried many of the most popular options, and the Beats Fit Pro earbuds stand out in several aspects, including overall sound quality, ease of use (as long as you’re an iPhone user), and the ability to stay in my oddly shaped ear canals. While they aren’t cheap, the Beats Fit Pro are some of the best gym earbuds available.

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What are the Beats Fit Pro earbuds?

The Beats Fit Pro earbuds are basically first-gen. AirPods Pro in a muscle suit. The Beats offer Apple’s H1 chip, which enables quick and simple Bluetooth pairing with an iPhone and Apple Watch. Also, like the AirPods Pro, the Beats offer active noise cancellation (ANC) that constantly adjusts its performance to match your content and surroundings. They even provide true spatial audio with head tracking to create a truly immersive sound stage—same as you find on the less workout-friendly AirPods 3. 

All of that tech comes wrapped in a pair of rugged true wireless housings with an IPX4 rating, which makes them tough enough to survive extended workouts even if you’re the type to start sweating during the warmup and never stop until an hour after you get home. The standard model is offered in white, black, sage grey, and stone purple, while the Beats Fit Pro x Kim Kardashian collection offers three neutral shades (moon, dune, earth).

Setting up the Beats Fit Pros

The Beats Fit Pros spend downtime in a battery-equipped, clamshell-style charging case that holds each bud magnetically in its resting place. If you have an iPhone, you can simply open the case, tap the phone to it, and fast-pairing will begin automatically. It’s extremely similar to the AirPod setup process, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise since they share the H1 chip. Once you’re done setting them up, they’ll automatically pair with your phone every time you take them out of the case. 

Android users can connect to the Beats Fit Pro as they would typical Bluetooth earbuds. A small button sits inside the battery case, and pushing it for three seconds or so will put them in pairing mode. Once paired, the Beats for Android app can enable more advanced features like instant connection and battery monitoring. I was actually surprised by how simple the Android process went.

Instead of touch-sensitive control panels like some other popular models offer, each earbud has a clicky button that encompasses most of the outer cover. I accidentally activated the button occasionally when adjusting the ’bud, but less than I would have if they had touch controls. 

You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the button commands to get the most out of them. Two quick presses skip ahead, while three quick presses skip backward. Holding down the button toggles between noise canceling modes. The button clicks pretty easily and the rubbery wing holds things firmly in place, so this isn’t as obtrusive as it sounds. 

Getting the fit

Inside the box, these earbuds include three sizes of interchangeable silicone ear tips. Once you’ve chosen the tips that sit comfortably in your ear, the earbuds can perform an automated test to ensure that you’ve achieved a snug fit—a must for proper bass response and noise cancellation. The process involves playing some sound through the buds while the built-in microphones listen for audio spilling out where it shouldn’t. If it detects a bad fit, the phone will suggest trying a different set of tips to see if it solves the problem.

The medium tips seemed to work just fine for me right out of the gate and the fit test confirmed that I was getting optimal results. I tried the small tips just out of curiosity and it recommended I try another set. 

Once the Beats Fit Pros are in your ears, a small rubbery wing nuzzles itself into each ear’s concha to establish a hold firm enough to withstand dynamic movements like air squats or even burpees. Inserting the buds requires a specific but intuitive twisting motion that ensures a secure seat. 

I’ve done everything from jumping squats, sprints, heavy bag work, kettlebell swings, power cleans, and just about every other exercise you can think of with these in my head, and they have always demonstrated impressive staying power. Even if I just shake my head vigorously side to side—a move that would literally send typical AirPods flying under the weight racks—the Beats Fit Pros didn’t budge. 

How the Beats Fit Pros sound

Sonically speaking, the Beats Fit Pros perform very similarly to the first-gen. AirPods Pro. The combination of drivers and ANC create very similar sound characteristics. As you’d expect from a Beats product by now, they emphasize bass. DMX’s “Party Up” booms just enough to rattle my brain a little at maximum volume without making things sound muddy or introducing distortion. (Not that I’d recommend testing the top volume for more than quick curiosity purposes, and iOS has a convenient decibel meter to help ensure you’re listening at safe volumes.)

Listening to one of my go-to gym tracks, “Human Carrying Capacity” by Harms Way, the Beats Fit Pro remained loyal to the crunchy-and-punchy production. The screamed vocals are just the right amount of grating, and the breakdown lands like a punch to the face … or the ears. 

I find myself using these as my go-to earbuds even when I’m not at the gym. With ANC/Transparency off, they feature Adaptive EQ—using microphones and dynamic digital signal processing to adjust the lows and mids for balance. They produce crisp voices when listening to podcasts, and the impressive spatial audio performance makes watching content feel more immersive than you’d expect when you’re looking at a 6.3-inch screen. I watched the Russell Crowe and Christian Bale remake of 3:10 to Yuma during a ride on an Amtrak train and the surround sound effect is even more pronounced—without being offputting—than it would be on the simple soundbar setup I’m currently using at home. 

Because of the H1 chip inside, the Beats Fit Pro pair easily with an Apple TV, so they’re a solid option if you want to get the full impact of an explosion-laden action movie with full surround after everyone else has gone to sleep. That fancy audio couldn’t get me absorbed into Black Adam, but I don’t think I can blame the headphones for that. 

Other features and performance

I don’t want to have to charge my gym earbuds every day and that hasn’t been an issue with the Beats Fit Pro. The buds themselves promise up to six hours of playback with ANC and Transparency on (seven hours in Adaptive EQ with ANC/Transparency off), and that’s roughly accurate. Even with all the fancy features turned on over a three-hour train ride, I still had more than a quarter of a charge left.

The USB-C (not wireless) charging case holds enough juice for up to 18 hours of extra playback. I’ve found that my best bet is to keep the Beats Fit Pro in my car’s glove box and bring them inside to charge on the weekend. 

Voice calls

Beam-forming microphones do a solid job picking up my voice and canceling out environmental noise, even in loud settings. I’ve taken several work and personal calls while on a moving treadmill, and the other person could hear my words (and often my wheezing) without issue. 

The microphones also enable voice control for Siri, which I regularly use to skip tracks, search for specific songs, and reply to messages. It all works as I’d hoped most of the time. 

So, who should buy the Beats Fit Pro earbuds?

At $200, the Beats Fit Pros aren’t the most expensive true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds around, but they’re up there for fitness-focused ones. That said, you’re essentially buying an IPX4-rated, ruggedized pair of AirPods Pro. For Android users, there are probably better options that can provide a more streamlined experience without the need for a companion app. For iPhone users, however, these are my favorite workout headphones full stop. I lost a pair and re-bought them because I like them so much. They won’t make working out fun, but they can block out all the Creed and Yung Gravy and grunting while you’re trying to deadlift, and that makes them worth the price of admission alone.

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If you or your partner love music, take advantage of beyerdynamic’s Better Together sale, which kicks off just before Valentine’s Day. This sale, which runs through Feb. 15, includes deep discounts on many of the legendary German audio systems brand’s latest headphones and earbuds, which fit in perfectly whether you’re into professional sound design, gaming, or just luxurious listening. There’s something for every type of listener at various price points. Additionally, many headphones and earbuds can be bundled with an accessory, like a charging cable or wireless adapter, for a lower price.

We’ve reviewed a few of beyerdynamic’s headphones and microphones over the past couple of years and have always come away impressed. In fact, the very models we’ve tested are currently discounted as part of this sale. You’ll find details about all of the deals currently active below, but the $70 discount beyerdynamic is offering on its Free BYRD true wireless earbuds stood out among the rest.

beyerdynamic Free BYRD $229 (Was $299)

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The Free BYRDs are Beyerdynamic’s answer to the AirPods Pro, and they stack up nicely against Apple’s latest earbuds. A big part of the Free BYRD’s appeal is an excellent fit. If you’ve had trouble with gummy-tipped earbuds falling out of your ears, beyerdynamic has you covered. The Free BYRDs are very comfortable in the ear, so—combining fit with excellent battery life—you should be able to get through an entire day of work or cross-country flight without feeling excessive pressure or ear fatigue.

We were impressed by both the earbuds’ audio quality and active noise cancellation during our tests. Music, podcasts, and audiobooks sounded detailed, and we couldn’t detect sibilance or overpowered bass while listening. Beyerdynamic offers a free mobile app that allows you to manually adjust their EQ to your taste, which is a nice touch. If you want to wear earbuds to block distracting sounds in an office, home office, or on your commute, the Free BYRDs are an excellent option. You’d be hard-pressed to find a pair of earbuds that can best their active-noise cancellation performance in the sub-$200 price range. Beyerdynamic’s limited-time sale makes the Free BYRDs even more affordable, so if you’re looking for an audio upgrade, don’t wait too long. In a couple of weeks, this price must be traveling on now.

Here are more of our favorite (buyer)dynamic deals available during this limited-time event:

The best Beyerdynamic headphones deals

• beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R, $179 (Was $299.99)
• beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, $139 (Was $259)
• beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X, $259 (Was $349)
• beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X, $259 (Was $349)
• beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO, $499 (Was $649)
• beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO, $499 (Was $649)
• beyerdynamic T5, $899 (Was $1,299)
• beyerdynamic T1, $899 (Was $1,299)

The best Beyerdynamic earphones deals

• beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless Audiophone In-ear Headphones, $1,199 (Was $1,399)
• beyerdynamic Xelento Remote Audiophone In-ear Headphones, $999 (Was $1,199)

The best Beyerdyanmic speaker deals

• beyerdynamic Space Wireless Bluetooth Speakerphone, $179 (Was $279)

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The post-holiday deal season is officially upon us and, for a limited time, you can save $120 on Sony’s WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones. The company’s flagship wireless headphones boast 30 hours of battery life and world-class audio quality courtesy of their bespoke V1 processor. This chip can even learn your usage patterns and track your location to adjust its volume based on your routine and roving, though that feature is completely optional.

The company’s WH-1000 line has been popular for years. Still, the WH-1000XM5 is the first generation Sony has radically refreshed the headphone’s design, and the updated look is as simple and sleek as the sound and software are richly detailed. At $279, these are still a premium product (they’re one of our best headphones), but they’re currently down to their lowest price ever. Given their popularity, you may want to pick up a pair ASAP in case they sell out.

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Following the success of Sony’s over-ear headphone line, the company proceeded to move into the noise-cancelling earbud market with the WF-1000XM series. The WF-1000XM4s are the latest earbuds in this line, and they’re $101 cheaper than usual. The earbuds offer up to eight hours of music playback per change, cancel a phenomenal amount of noise, and sound excellent. We considered these to be the best noise-cancelling earbuds period until Bose took the crown with their QuietComfort Earbuds II, but the difference isn’t that great. For $179, you’d be hard-pressed to find a pair of earbuds that sounds this good and cancels as much noise.

Finally, Sony’s LinkBuds S, the company’s latest noise-cancelling earbuds, are just $141.99—a $58 discount. The earbuds are smaller than the WF-1000XM4s but still use the V1 processor, which is why they sound great and block out a lot of noise. You’ll only get six hours of music playback per charge, but that’s plenty for casual listening or to get you through a commute. Smart-home fans will appreciate the built-in Alexa support, which allows you to control the earbuds using Amazon’s virtual assistant. If you want compact earbuds on a small budget, don’t skip this deal.

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New York-based boutique audio brand Master & Dynamic produces precision-engineered, painstakingly stylized wireless headphones and earbuds. The premium builds—all polished magnesium, supple lambskin, steel, ceramic, and gleaming tempered glass—have attracted many luxe collaborations, from prestige sports teams (Paris Saint-Germain) to high-end retailers (Leica). But, as you’d expect, Master & Dynamic items don’t come cheap. They do at least come cheaper, however, if you buy during the Master & Dynamic Boxing Day sale, offering 30% off on select items through Dec. 27 (while supplies last).

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One of the models available is the MG20, a gaming headphone that our review said “… looks, feels, and sounds like a finer class of device.” What’s inside these ovular ear cups are angled 40mm drivers in Beryllium—a material found in similarly plush, even more indulgently priced headphones from the $999 Mark Levinson No. 5909 to the $2,999 Focal Stellia. What this rigid but reactive diaphragm means when well-implemented—as it is here— is spry highs that achieve rarefied air, mids that are rich but refined, and bass that is resonant … reaching and rolling effortlessly.

The MG20 (on sale for $314, down from $449) offers a fair number of both wireless and wired connection options, opening the door for easy pairing with multiple devices (PlayStation, PC, and mobile devices are specifically compatible). The primary connection for gaming is a 2.4GHz wireless connection via USB dongle, as has become common practice for wireless headset makers because of the reduced latency. You can also simultaneously connect to a second device via Bluetooth 5.0 (with support for the SBC, AAC, and aptX LL/HD codecs), making it easy to switch between using it for games at home and with your phone. Specifically for gaming, there are 7.1 virtual surround sound and a detachable mic on an adjustable wire boom, among other features.

In addition to the MG20 (offered in various colorways/collaborations), the sale includes the MW08 True Wireless Earbuds (on sale for $209, down from $299), a supremely sleek Bluetooth 5.2 device with active noise cancellation, wind-reduction-equipped microphones, and 11mm version of those expressive beryllium drivers, among other features. In addition, there is the MW65, a non-gaming wireless noise-cancelling over-ear headphone (on sale for $349, down from $499) with many of the sonic and connectivity attributes already discussed, plus more finessed facets.

Note that the Master & Dynamic Boxing Day sale requires you to use code TAKE30, and these limited-time prices end Tuesday evening (or when the models run out). So take a moment to take advantage of these rare discounts ASAP.

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