True wireless earbuds have come a long way in the few short years they've existed. Early offerings like the first-gen AirPods were expensive and lacked a lot of features, but as time has gone on, prices have come down and additional features have been implemented — one of which is noise cancelation. True wireless buds that can block out ambient sound are more common than ever before, and today, we're highlighting six of our favorite ones — including the as our top overall pick.
Best Overall: Sony WF-1000XM3
Should you be in a position where money isn't an obstacle and you just want the very best true wireless earbuds you can find, might we turn your attention towards the Sony WF-1000XM3. These are some of the most expensive earbuds of this form factor that you'll find, but the flagship experience they provide is well worth it.
There's a lot going on with the WF-1000XM3, so here's the elevator pitch. These things sound outstanding. All of the earbuds on this list sound good, but the WF-1000XM3 kick things up a notch with rich, powerful sound and some of the best active noise cancelation you can find. Battery life is also strong with a 24-hour total endurance, and when you need to top-up the charging case, it's done via USB-C.
Another win for the WF-1000XM3 is the gesture control. Take one earbud out of your ear, and the music automatically pauses. Put it back in, and the music resumes. It's a small thing, but in day-to-day use, it is one of those conveniences that's hard to live without once you've experienced it for yourself.
Pros:
- Some of the best ANC you'll find
- Outstanding audio quality
- Reliable 24-hour battery life
- Automatic play/pause gesture
- Case charges with USB-C
- Lacks water-resistance
- Charging case is huge
Sony WF-1000XM3
Treat yo' self
You'll pay a pretty penny to own the WF-1000XM3, but if you have a flexible budget, these are among the best earbuds you can get.
Best Value: ENACFIRE G20
If you can't justify the cost of the WF-1000XM3, check out the ENACFIRE G20. ENACFIRE may not be a household name, but the value and features you're getting with the G20 are hard to ignore.
In regards to the listening experience, the G20 excel. The noise-canceling works as advertised, helping to drown out ambient noise so you can focus on just your music/podcasts. We also love that the G20 support Qualcomm's aptX audio codec, which allows for better overall sound compared to earbuds that lack it.
The earbuds can last up to eight hours for continuous listening, and when you factor in the charging case, you're looking at a total battery life of 48 hours. The charging case is on the bulky side and uses Micro-USB, but compared to everything else the G20 bring to the table, this is an awesome package.
Pros:
- Qualcomm aptX audio
- Up to eight hours of continuous playback
- Comfortable in-ear fit
- IPX8 water-resistance
- Capacitive touch controls
- Great price
- Large charging case
- Micro-USB charging
ENACFIRE G20
Lots of features, lots of value
The ENACFIRE G20 stand out as one of our top recommendations, offering a huge list of features at a wallet-pleasing price.
Best Comfort: TaoTronics TT-BH079
If you've ever worn a pair of uncomfortable earbuds, you know just how irritating they can be on your ears. With the TaoTronics TT-BH079, that's not something you'll ever have to worry about. These are among the comfiest true wireless buds I've ever worn, offering customizable ear tips and a little wing on the top that helps get a snug and secure fit.
The TT-BH079 use "AI-Powered Noise Reduction Technology," which blocks 90% of ambient noise while preserving 95% of your voice during phone calls. Other wins for the earbuds include a 40-hour total battery life with eight hours of continuous playback, a strong Bluetooth 5.0 connection, IPX7 water-resistance, and a compact charging case that uses USB-C.
Sound quality is just OK on the TT-BH079, but it falls a little behind some of its competition. Otherwise, this is a fantastic pick-up.
Pros:
- Extremely comfortable to wear
- Total battery life of 40 hours
- Reliable Bluetooth 5.0 connection
- Compact charging case with USB-C
- IPX7 water-resistance
- Sound quality is just OK
TaoTronics TT-BH079
Your ears will thank you
Good comfort is a huge factor when buying a new pair of earbuds, and in these regards, the TaoTronics TT-BH079 come out on top.
Best Battery Life: Dyplay True Wireless Earbuds
Continuing with our recommendations, this next set of true wireless earbuds comes from Dyplay. Right off the bat, Dyplay's buds caught our attention with the stark red loop against the black charging case. I'm not sure how useful this will be for you in day-to-day use, but it's a unique design choice that helps the package stand out.
Bluetooth 5.0 is available to give you a strong and reliable wireless connection, along with support for AAC and SBC audio codecs for great-sounding music. Dyplay's earbuds also offer some of the best battery life you'll find, featuring up to seven hours of continuous use with a total life of 45 hours when you factor in the charging case.
As long as you don't mind the lack of a proper water-resistance rating, these buds are worth a look.
Pros:
- Impressive 45-hour battery life
- Supports AAC and SBC codecs
- 25dB active noise cancellation
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Loop on charging case
- No water-resistance rating
Dyplay True Wireless Earbuds
Leave battery anxiety at the door
If you're frequently traveling or otherwise without a power source, Dyplay's 45-hour battery life is hard to ignore.
Best Personalized Sound: Soundcore Liberty Air 2
Soundcore, Anker's audio sub-brand, has a mighty impressive pair of true wireless earbuds on its hands with the Soundcore Liberty Air 2. There's a lot to talk about, so let's dive right in.
On the audio side of things, the Liberty Air 2 come with a feature called "HearID" that creates a custom EQ for the earbuds that's made specifically for your ears. It does this by mapping your hearing sensitivity at multiple frequencies, ensuring your music sounds just right. Adding to the impressive sound are diamond-coated drivers that deliver 15% more bandwidth and twice the bass, not to mention support for Qualcomm's aptX audio codec.
Looking at other areas of the Air 2, the good news continues. There's an IPX5 rating for sweat and water-resistance, and the case can be topped up wirelessly on a Qi charger. If we had to complain about something, it'd be battery life. Don't get us wrong, 28 hours of total use is really good, but you can also spend less money for the Dyplay earbuds for substantially longer endurance.
Pros
- Quad-mic noise reduction
- Diamond speakers and aptX
- Creates custom EQ based on your ears
- Wireless charging support
- IPX5 water-resistance
- 28-hour battery life is good, but not the best
Soundcore Liberty Air 2
Creates sound just for your ears
Thanks to the unique HearID feature, the Liberty Air 2 create an EQ profile just for your ears. Pretty cool, huh?
Best Alexa: Amazon Echo Buds
After popularizing Alexa with its Echo speakers, Amazon has now brought the iconic digital helper to true wireless earbuds. The end result? Echo Buds.
The Echo Buds utilize Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology, which while not quite as powerful as full-blown ANC, still does a great job at blocking out unwanted ambient noise. Sound quality is also really good, and there are built-in settings for changing the Echo Buds' EQ.
Being an Echo product, it only makes sense that Alexa is baked in. Just say "Alexa" at any time while wearing the Echo Buds to set a timer, ask about the weather, get turn-by-turn directions, and more. We also love the 20-hour total battery life and the addition of sweat-resistance.
The downsides? The charging case plugs in using Micro-USB, and at this price, we would have loved to see support for wireless charging.
Pros
- Audio is great
- Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology
- Hands-free Alexa
- 20-hour battery life
- Sweat-resistant
- No wireless charging
- Case charges via Micro-USB
Amazon Echo Buds
Help whenever you need it
With built-in Alexa, the Echo Buds can tell you about the weather, set timers, and more no matter where you go.
Best Bass: Bicboz Sabbat E12
If your top priority with true wireless earbuds is a great sound, look no further than the Bicboz Sabbat E12. With support for Qualcomm aptX and bass-heavy speakers, the E12 buds are a joy to listen to. Music is rich, loud, and full of life in a way other options at this price can't always compete with.
Outside of the impressive sound, the Sabbat E12 deliver in plenty of other ways, too. You get between 6-8 hours of continuous battery life, there's an IPX5 rating for water-resistance, and the charging case has both USB-C and Qi wireless charging. Adding icing to the cake are the varied colors that Bicboz has for you to choose from.
Bicboz's charging case is a little on the bulky side for our liking, but that's about the biggest drawback to the Sabbat E12. If you can afford them, you're getting a lot for your money.
Pros:
- High-quality audio with Qualcomm aptX
- 6-8 hours of continuous use
- Lots of colors to choose from
- IPX5 water resistance
- Qi wireless charging and USB-C
- Bulky charging case
Bicboz Sabbat E12
Bring your music to life
The Bicboz Sabbat E12 kick out mind-blowing sound for such a small form factor, including big bass and aptX support.
Best Apple: Apple AirPods Pro
Moving right along with our list, we need to talk about the AirPods Pro. Easily some of the most popular true wireless earbuds in existence, the AirPods Pro deliver an excellent user experience in return for the high price.
Similar to the Sony WF-1000XM3, the AirPods Pro offer some of the best noise cancelation you'll find in the true wireless segment. The amount of background sound these little buds can block out is darn impressive, and easily one of the main reasons to consider picking them up. Similarly, the Transparency mode does the exact opposite and allows you to clearly hear everything around you when wearing the earbuds.
You can technically use the AirPods Pro with an Android phone, but you miss out on some of the features that make AirPods so great in the first place. As such, we're more inclined to recommend these if you have an iPhone.
Pros:
- Noise cancellation is top-notch
- Unique and effective stem gestures
- Very enjoyable sound
- Transparency mode is incredibly useful
- Qi wireless charging
- Charging case uses Lightning
- Loses features with non-Apple devices
Apple AirPods Pro
Have an iPhone? Get these
While that value proposition isn't as good for Android owners, the AirPods Pro are an easy recommendation if you have an iPhone.
Bottom line
True wireless earbuds that have noise cancelation are quickly exploding in popularity, and as of right now, the best ones you can buy are the .
In just about every regard, the WF-1000XM3 come out on top. Sound quality is excellent, the noise-canceling effect is in a league of its own, and we have no complaints about battery life.
We also like the Sony goes the extra mile with its smart features, such as the ability to place your hand over the left earbud to hear the world around you and pause music by just taking a bud out of your ear.
Unfortunately, while true wireless earbuds have better noise-canceling than ever before, it's still not the best way to experience true noise cancelation. For that you'll likely need a pair of over-ear or on-ear headphones. Luckily, there are still . If you've decided that you just want more true wireless earbuds to choose from, regardless of noise cancelation, .
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Joe Maring is Android Central's News Editor and has had a love for anything with a screen and CPU since he can remember. He's been talking/writing about Android in one form or another since 2012 and often does so while camping out at the nearest coffee shop. Have a tip? Reach out on Twitter or send an email to [email protected]!