Bowers & Wilkins PI7 S2: For 2023, Bowers & Wilkins has upgraded its excellent-sounding PI7 noise-canceling earbuds. The new S2 model has better battery life and Bluetooth range, now up to 25 meters (double the previous range). Additionally, the headphones are now integrated into the new Bowers & Wilkins Music app for iOS and Android, with a much-improved setup experience.
JBL Live Pro 2: JBL has released some decent true wireless headphones over the years, but nothing that really got me too excited. That’s finally changing with the arrival of new Samsung own-brand products Live Pro 2 and free life 2 bud. Both sets of earphones (the Live Pro 2 has ear stems, while the Live Free 2 has a pill-shaped design) offer a comfortable fit, strong noise cancellation, very good sound quality and voice call performance, and a rugged set earphone.
Master & Dynamic MW09: Master & Dynamic headphones and earbuds always feature unique, eye-catching designs and include premium materials like aluminum, sapphire glass, and Kevlar. Its latest MW09 flagship headphones ($349) look very similar to the earlier MW08 headphones, but have some upgrades inside that offer better performance, especially when it comes to noise cancellation. These earbuds sound great, but are mysteriously out of stock everywhere, so we took them off our best list. If they become available we will add them back to this list.
Sony LinkBuds S: Unlike the “open” LinkBuds, the LinkBuds S are traditional sound-isolating earbuds whose tips get stuck in your ears. They are more compact and lighter than Sony’s previous flagship WF-1000XM4, and also feature Sony’s V1 processor (Sony has since released the more compact WF-1000XM5). Their sound and noise reduction aren’t quite as good as the XM4 or XM5, but they’re still pretty good. They are Sony headphones for those who can’t afford Sony’s flagship headphones but want 80% of the headphone features and performance at a lower price.
Sony WF-1000XM4: Released in 2021, the Sony WF-1000XM4 won the CNET Editors’ Choice award. They’re still excellent earbuds, but Sony has now released the next generation, the WF-1000XM5. If you find they have a good discount, they might be a good choice.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3: The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 are one of the best new true wireless headphones of 2022. The AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM5 headphones are arguably superior, so only consider buying the Momentum True Wireless 3 if they’re heavily discounted.
JBL Tour Pro 2: The JBL Tour Pro 2 headphones are getting a lot of attention because they bring something new to the table with true wireless headphones: a full-color touchscreen display embedded in the casing that allows you to access the headphones’ main features and control playback as well as adjust volume levels . It’s a bit gimmicky, but useful. For the price tag, the sound quality of these headphones may be slightly better, but overall, the JBL Tour Pro 2 are very good headphones that offer a good fit, a strong feature set, strong battery life, and stability Noise reduction and voice call performance.
beyerdynamic freebird: Beyerdynamic may be late to the game, but it’s finally launching its first truly wireless headphones with active noise cancellation, up to 11 hours of battery life (with noise cancellation turned off) and impressive sound quality.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 noise-canceling headphones, available in four colors, don’t sound as good or as noise-cancelling as the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but they’re so compact (15% smaller and 20% lighter than the earlier Buds Plus) that they’re barely will stick out of your ears) and cost significantly less. Because they sit more flush with your ears and have a curved design, they also absorb less wind noise. They are IPX2 sweat-resistant, while the upgraded Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are fully waterproof (IPX7).
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX: Bang & Olufsen’s $399 Beoplay EX headphones are the company’s best truly wireless headphones. They offer a comfortable, secure fit (except for people with very small ears), top-notch build quality, great sound quality, good noise cancellation, and improved voice call performance over the B&O EQ headphones, with three microphones in each earbud Reduce background noise while picking up your voice. They’re out of most people’s price range, are arguably the best stemmed earbuds out there, and offer slightly better sound than the AirPods Pro 2, with better clarity, deeper, more powerful bass, and more richness , more accurate sound.
The sound core of Anker Liberty 4: Their sound isn’t quite up to the level of high-end headphones like Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3, which cost significantly more, but the Anker Liberty 4’s Soundcore earphones pack a bunch of great features, including having a headband Tracking-enabled spatial audio mode, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, up to 9 hours of battery life, wireless charging, and support for Sony’s LDAC audio codec can provide sonic improvements if you have the right setup.
Sennheiser CX Plus: Momentum True Wireless 3 are Sennheiser’s flagship true wireless headphones. If you can’t afford it, the CX Plus (which has very good sound and decent noise cancellation) is a great option and a lot cheaper. The step-down CX doesn’t have active noise cancellation and costs even less.
