Best Headphones for 2024 [CNET]

Article updated on July 28, 2024 at 7:00 PM PDT

Need a new pair of headphones? Here are our picks for the best headphones around — all tested and approved by us.

Our Experts

What are the best headphones right now?

Choosing a new pair of headphones can feel overwhelming. From in-ear buds to over-ear headphones, there are just so many options for headphones that offer great sound quality and other benefits like active noise canceling, wired vs wireless headsets, portability and more. With all the choices out there it’s hard to choose just one set of headphones to call the best overall pair of headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM5Sony WF-1000XM5, Apple AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones definitely have standout features worth looking into.

Over the last 20 years, I’ve reviewed hundreds of headphones and earbuds. I’ve fully reviewed or had hands-on listening time with all headphones and earbuds on this list. Although we have options at several different price points, we tend to highlight more affordable headphones or at least models that cost $500 or less. If you’re looking for the best sound and have the budget for it, you can go for options like the Focal Bathys, Bowers & Wilkins PX8 and Beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless (2nd generation), which deliver outstanding sound quality.

Best headphones for 2024 

Vision Pro — Apple’s $3,499 wearable headset. Is it possible that new acoustic architecture makes the buds sound subtly different from current devices like the iPhone? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, the AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) are easy to recommend to Apple users despite their high price. Pro tip: Don’t pay more than $190 for these, which is the online sale price at which they’re now frequently available.

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Apple not only swapped in USB-C for Lightning connectivity in its new iPhone 15 models, but it made the switch with the AirPods Pro (2nd generation). The new AirPods Pro 2 with MagSafe (USB-C) are nearly identical to their Lightning predecessor, delivering the same excellent sound, noise canceling and voice-calling performance. That said, they offer some other small upgrades, including additional dust resistance and a new acoustic architecture that allows for Lossless Audio with the Vision Pro — Apple’s $3,499 wearable headset. Is it possible that new acoustic architecture makes the buds sound subtly different from current devices like the iPhone? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, the AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) are easy to recommend to Apple users despite their high price. Pro tip: Don’t pay more than $190 for these, which is the online sale price at which they’re now frequently available.

WF-1000XM4 earbuds came out in 2021, we awarded them a CNET Editors’ Choice. And while they’re excellent, we had some quibbles — they’re on the large side and aren’t a good match for certain ears. Clearly, Sony took those gripes to heart when it set out to design its next-generation WF-1000XM5 flagship noise-canceling earbuds. Not only are the XM5s smaller, but they also offer improved performance pretty much across the board, with better noise-canceling, sound and voice calling. Are the XM5s perfect? Not quite. At $278 — $20 more than their predecessor — they’re costly, too. Overall, they’re really impressive; they are easily among the very top earbuds on the market.

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When Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds came out in 2021, we awarded them a CNET Editors’ Choice. And while they’re excellent, we had some quibbles — they’re on the large side and aren’t a good match for certain ears. Clearly, Sony took those gripes to heart when it set out to design its next-generation WF-1000XM5 flagship noise-canceling earbuds. Not only are the XM5s smaller, but they also offer improved performance pretty much across the board, with better noise-canceling, sound and voice calling. Are the XM5s perfect? Not quite. At $278 — $20 more than their predecessor — they’re costly, too. Overall, they’re really impressive; they are easily among the very top earbuds on the market.

Qualcomm QCC3071 system-on-a-chip with AptX Adaptive for Android and other devices that support the new LE Audio standard and LC3 audio codec, which is superior to the SBC codec (they also support AAC for Apple devices).

Lightweight and comfortable to wear — I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size — these aren’t a huge upgrade over the Earfun Air S, but they are better. They have slightly larger wool-composite drivers (11mm versus 10mm), slightly improved noise canceling and better battery life (up to seven hours with noise canceling on, according to Earfun).

In short, the Earfun Air 3 delivers strong performance for its modest price, with robust bass, good clarity and a relatively wide soundstage. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and “multidevice” connectivity. (I could pair them to two devices simultaneously, but had to pause the music on one device and hit play on the other for the audio to switch.) They’re IPX5 splash-proof and also work well (although not exceptionally well) as a headset for making calls. 

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Earfun has put out a series of wireless earbuds over the last couple of years with one important commonality: They’re very good values, made more so by frequent discounts. The company’s new Earfun Air Pro 3 earbuds feature the latest Qualcomm QCC3071 system-on-a-chip with AptX Adaptive for Android and other devices that support the new LE Audio standard and LC3 audio codec, which is superior to the SBC codec (they also support AAC for Apple devices).

Lightweight and comfortable to wear — I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size — these aren’t a huge upgrade over the Earfun Air S, but they are better. They have slightly larger wool-composite drivers (11mm versus 10mm), slightly improved noise canceling and better battery life (up to seven hours with noise canceling on, according to Earfun).

In short, the Earfun Air 3 delivers strong performance for its modest price, with robust bass, good clarity and a relatively wide soundstage. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and “multidevice” connectivity. (I could pair them to two devices simultaneously, but had to pause the music on one device and hit play on the other for the audio to switch.) They’re IPX5 splash-proof and also work well (although not exceptionally well) as a headset for making calls. 

full review to find out what makes these very good headphones, albeit with some caveats.

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Love ’em or hate ’em, Beats Studio headphones are among the most popular headphones of all time, launching as wired headphones back in 2008. This is the fourth generation of them — they carry the same list price as their predecessor and look very similar on the outside but have some big changes on the inside that make them significantly better headphones. I’m tempted to describe them as more affordable plastic versions of the AirPods Max. That’s not quite accurate, due to a choice in chipsets and one notable missing feature. Read our full review to find out what makes these very good headphones, albeit with some caveats.

our review of the QuietComfort 45 to get a good take on the QuietComfort Headphones.

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When Bose released its new flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, it also replaced the QuietComfort 45s with a new, slightly updated model simply called the QuietComfort Headphones. Like the QC 45s, this model carries on the very comfortable tried-and-true legacy QuietComfort design that’s been around for a few generations and that a lot of people continue to love. The QC Ultra Headphones add Bose’s new Immersive Audio feature and have a more refined design with some metal parts (they also have Bluetooth 5.3 instead of Bluetooth 5.1). The QuietComfort Headphones still feature very good sound (the Ultras offer a small step up in sound quality), excellent noise canceling, and strong voice-calling performance.

As for differences between these and the QC45s, Bose says it adjusted some of the electronics to improve battery life (now 24 hours vs. 22 hours) and adjusted the logos to make the products “visually distinguishable and more in line with its latest design language.” It also added an inline microphone to the auxiliary cable to “help with some users who may prefer a plug-and-play solution rather than Bluetooth pairing.” There’s also a Wind Block feature and some additional small performance improvements due to software upgrades. Finally, the headphones come in new color options, including green and a light blue version that’s only available at bose.com.

While the QuietComfort Headphones carry a $350 list price that’s $50 higher than that of the QC 45s, we expect them to be regularly discounted to $250 and possibly less than over the course of the year — so look to buy them when they’re on sale. You can read our review of the QuietComfort 45 to get a good take on the QuietComfort Headphones.

third-generation AirPods, Apple has another new set of earbuds, this time from its subsidiary audio company, Beats. Technically, the 2021 Beats Fit Pro ($200) aren’t AirPods, but they’re built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro. Unlike Beats’ earlier and less expensive Studio Buds, the Beats Fit Pro includes Apple’s H1 chip and has most of the AirPods Pro’s features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio, Adaptive EQ and IPX4 water-resistance (splash-proof). I’d venture to call them the sports AirPods you’ve always wanted. And for some people, they might just be better than the AirPods Pro. Read our Beats Fit Pro review.

” page-position linktext linkurl like=”~ Lightweight design with integrated wingtip that fits securely and comfortably in your ear ~ Very good sound ~ Effective noise canceling and excellent transparency mode ~ Better battery life than AirPods Pro ~ Powered by Apple’s H1 chip, so they have most of the features AirPods Pro, including spatial audio ~ Beats app for Android users ” dislike=”~ No wireless charging ~ Currently no enhanced My Find with proximity view (only standard Find My) ” can-collapse=”true” can-truncate=”true” truncate-on-page-load=”true” offer=”{“id”:”fd2bf909-8834-4037-8378-212e50e18157″,”label”:”Beats Fit Pro Earbuds”,”slug”:”beats-fit-pro-earbuds”,”edition”:[“US”,”ES”],”imageId”:”a2069646-e02f-4a7e-a9f5-7bcd86ba7509″,”imgUrl”:”/content/image/redirect/a2069646-e02f-4a7e-a9f5-7bcd86ba7509/resize/75×56″,”typeLabel”:”Series”,”objectType”:”content_product_series”,”icon”:”type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product-series ct-small”}” techobjectinfo=”{“uuid”:”fd2bf909-8834-4037-8378-212e50e18157″,”slug”:”beats-fit-pro-earbuds”,”name”:”Beats Fit Pro Earbuds”,”productType”:”SERIES”,”updateType”:”PRISM”,”mod”:1722040631859}” overridecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” overridecaption=”

Best sports buds|With their built-in wingtips, the excellent-sounding Beats Fit Pro are the sporty AirPods we’ve always wanted.

” imagegroup=”{“uuid”:”3ed588b5-1b35-4cbe-a539-6bae13bb2ae5″,”alt”:”Beats Fit Pro”,”caption”:”

“,”credits”:”David Carnoy/CNET”,”imageData”:{“id”:”3ed588b5-1b35-4cbe-a539-6bae13bb2ae5″,”filename”:”1-beats-fit-pro-cnet-2021.jpg”,”path”:”https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/a5e0eaf2d65d841dc8b8f45887512f81908e85ef/hub/2021/10/29/3ed588b5-1b35-4cbe-a539-6bae13bb2ae5/1-beats-fit-pro-cnet-2021.jpg?auto=webp&height=500″,”dateCreated”:{“date”:”2021-10-29 21:38:16.000000″,”timezone”:”UTC”,”timezone_type”:3},”primeColor”:null,”hasWarning”:false},”size”:””,”float”:””,”lightbox”:false,”imageUrl”:”https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/a5e0eaf2d65d841dc8b8f45887512f81908e85ef/hub/2021/10/29/3ed588b5-1b35-4cbe-a539-6bae13bb2ae5/1-beats-fit-pro-cnet-2021.jpg?auto=webp&height=500″,”imageCaption”:”

“,”imageCredit”:”David Carnoy/CNET”,”imageAltText”:”Beats Fit Pro”,”imageFilename”:”1-beats-fit-pro-cnet-2021.jpg”,”imageWidth”:4000,”imageHeight”:2250,”imageDoNotCrop”:false,”imageDoNotResize”:false,”imageWatermark”:false,”imageDateCreated”:”2021-10-29″,”imageParallax”:””,”imageCrop”:””,”imageEnlarge”:false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{“id”:”9xvmzxt9hiyv5zs”,”type”:”listicle”}” edition=”us” data-key=”cnetlisticle__15e1b7f7-44e4-47ba-a48c-3e801f0af4ae” index=”2″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Best List – Precap” tagslugs=”gap-project,bang-olufsen,amazon-prime,hv7,freelance-update,bose,sennheiser,sony,hv14,apple” isbestlistredesign=”true” imagecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” imagealttext=”Beats Fit Pro”>

Hot on the heels of the third-generation AirPods, Apple has another new set of earbuds, this time from its subsidiary audio company, Beats. Technically, the 2021 Beats Fit Pro ($200) aren’t AirPods, but they’re built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro. Unlike Beats’ earlier and less expensive Studio Buds, the Beats Fit Pro includes Apple’s H1 chip and has most of the AirPods Pro’s features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio, Adaptive EQ and IPX4 water-resistance (splash-proof). I’d venture to call them the sports AirPods you’ve always wanted. And for some people, they might just be better than the AirPods Pro. Read our Beats Fit Pro review.

Focal is known for its high-end speakers and headphones. You might call it the Bowers & Wilkins of France. Now it’s finally done what a lot of high-end audio companies have had to do in this age of on-the-go wireless music listening: make active noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones. 

Over three years in development, the Bathys cost $699 and feature not only wireless connectivity but a built-in DAC (digital-to-analog converter) for USB-wired listening with any computer, smartphone or tablet with USB-C. They are easily one of the best-sounding wireless headphones.

” page-position linktext=”Read our Focal Bathys first take” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/hands-on-with-the-focal-bathys-a-799-wireless-headphones-aimed-at-audiophiles/” like dislike can-collapse=”true” can-truncate=”true” truncate-on-page-load=”true” offer techobjectinfo overridecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” overridecaption=”

The Focal Bathys share the same design aesthetic as the company’s more expensive wired headphones.

” imagegroup=”{“uuid”:”40f387c6-7535-4a6e-80fc-5c79397cd01e”,”alt”:”The Focal Bathys are high-end Bluetooth headphones”,”caption”:”

They Focal Bathys share the same design aesthetic as the company’s more expensive wired headphones.

“,”credits”:”David Carnoy/CNET”,”imageData”:{“id”:”40f387c6-7535-4a6e-80fc-5c79397cd01e”,”filename”:”focal-bathys-2.jpg”,”path”:”https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/c138b33c4d82165dcc7295170b375b91e34feba6/hub/2022/10/04/40f387c6-7535-4a6e-80fc-5c79397cd01e/focal-bathys-2.jpg?auto=webp&height=500″,”dateCreated”:{“date”:”2022-10-04 18:27:52.000000″,”timezone”:”UTC”,”timezone_type”:3},”primeColor”:null,”hasWarning”:false},”size”:””,”float”:””,”lightbox”:false,”imageUrl”:”https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/c138b33c4d82165dcc7295170b375b91e34feba6/hub/2022/10/04/40f387c6-7535-4a6e-80fc-5c79397cd01e/focal-bathys-2.jpg?auto=webp&height=500″,”imageCaption”:”

They Focal Bathys share the same design aesthetic as the company’s more expensive wired headphones.

“,”imageCredit”:”David Carnoy/CNET”,”imageAltText”:”The Focal Bathys are high-end Bluetooth headphones”,”imageFilename”:”focal-bathys-2.jpg”,”imageWidth”:4032,”imageHeight”:2268,”imageDoNotCrop”:false,”imageDoNotResize”:false,”imageWatermark”:false,”imageDateCreated”:”2022-10-04″,”imageParallax”:””,”imageCrop”:””,”imageEnlarge”:false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{“id”:”44rlgqcwrdu8gud”,”type”:”cross-content-listicle”}” edition=”us” data-key=”cross_content_listicle__e9879520-84c7-487b-b543-9ebe1c359aa2″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Best List – Precap” tagslugs=”gap-project,bang-olufsen,amazon-prime,hv7,freelance-update,bose,sennheiser,sony,hv14,apple” isbestlistredesign=”true” imagecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” imagealttext=”The Focal Bathys are high-end Bluetooth headphones”>

French audio company Focal is known for its high-end speakers and headphones. You might call it the Bowers & Wilkins of France. Now it’s finally done what a lot of high-end audio companies have had to do in this age of on-the-go wireless music listening: make active noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones. 

Over three years in development, the Bathys cost $699 and feature not only wireless connectivity but a built-in DAC (digital-to-analog converter) for USB-wired listening with any computer, smartphone or tablet with USB-C. They are easily one of the best-sounding wireless headphones.

AirPods Pro without ear tips.” You wouldn’t be wrong. While they’re more fraternal than identical twins, the AirPods 3 are shaped like the AirPods Pro, with the same shorter stems and pinch controls as those of the Pro. Aside from the design change, which should fit most ears better than the AirPods 2nd Generation (though not very small ears), the biggest change is to the sound quality: It’s much improved. Also, battery life is better, and the AirPods 3 are water-resistant.

” page-position linktext=”Read our Apple AirPods 3 review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/airpods-3-review-apple-upped-its-sound-game/” like=”~ Ultracompact, lightweight, sweatproof (IPX4) and very comfortable to wear ~ Significantly improved sound with better bass ~ Performance when making calls is excellent ~ Improved battery life (up to 6 hours) ~ Spatial audio virtual-surround feature works with a variety of Apple devices ~ Always-on Siri ” dislike=”~ May not fit ears as securely as AirPods Pro ~ Open design allows sound to leak in and out ~ AirPods Pro are frequently available at the same price ” can-collapse=”true” can-truncate=”true” truncate-on-page-load=”true” offer techobjectinfo=”{“uuid”:”66f655ae-fba0-47cf-83a4-276c6a6d8cdd”,”slug”:”apple-airpods-3″,”name”:”Apple AirPods 3″,”productType”:”SERIES”,”updateType”:”AUTOPID”,”mod”:1722040632328}” overridecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” overridecaption=”

Best open earbuds|The AirPods 3rd Generation feature improved sound quality and excellent voice-calling performance.

” imagegroup=”{“uuid”:”516e0fd0-00bc-46af-96c0-31a343444cf8″,”alt”:”AirPods 3rd Generation”,”caption”:”

The AirPods 3rd Generation have new drivers and mesh covering their microphones to reduce wind noise.

“,”credits”:”David Carnoy/CNET”,”imageData”:{“id”:”516e0fd0-00bc-46af-96c0-31a343444cf8″,”filename”:”apple-airpods-3-close-up.jpg”,”path”:”https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/f66d0bf0f78b85c95196be9291c36d4a9d3fa6bf/hub/2021/10/24/516e0fd0-00bc-46af-96c0-31a343444cf8/apple-airpods-3-close-up.jpg?auto=webp&height=500″,”dateCreated”:{“date”:”2021-10-24 15:28:02.000000″,”timezone”:”UTC”,”timezone_type”:3},”primeColor”:null,”hasWarning”:false},”size”:””,”float”:””,”lightbox”:false,”imageUrl”:”https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/f66d0bf0f78b85c95196be9291c36d4a9d3fa6bf/hub/2021/10/24/516e0fd0-00bc-46af-96c0-31a343444cf8/apple-airpods-3-close-up.jpg?auto=webp&height=500″,”imageCaption”:”

The AirPods 3rd Generation have new drivers and mesh covering their microphones to reduce wind noise.

“,”imageCredit”:”David Carnoy/CNET”,”imageAltText”:”AirPods 3rd Generation”,”imageFilename”:”apple-airpods-3-close-up.jpg”,”imageWidth”:4032,”imageHeight”:2268,”imageDoNotCrop”:false,”imageDoNotResize”:false,”imageWatermark”:false,”imageDateCreated”:”2021-10-24″,”imageParallax”:””,”imageCrop”:””,”imageEnlarge”:false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{“id”:”qs8a7pyvge74bi0″,”type”:”listicle”}” edition=”us” data-key=”cnetlisticle__9a0787dd-85eb-4106-8a7e-c8f774a77121″ index=”4″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Best List – Precap” tagslugs=”gap-project,bang-olufsen,amazon-prime,hv7,freelance-update,bose,sennheiser,sony,hv14,apple” isbestlistredesign=”true” imagecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” imagealttext=”AirPods 3rd Generation”>

Take one look at the new design of the third-gen AirPods, and the first thing you’ll probably think is: “Those look like the AirPods Pro without ear tips.” You wouldn’t be wrong. While they’re more fraternal than identical twins, the AirPods 3 are shaped like the AirPods Pro, with the same shorter stems and pinch controls as those of the Pro. Aside from the design change, which should fit most ears better than the AirPods 2nd Generation (though not very small ears), the biggest change is to the sound quality: It’s much improved. Also, battery life is better, and the AirPods 3 are water-resistant.

AKM, and there’s support for Qualcomm’s AptX Adaptive audio codec for Android and other devices that support it (the LHDC codec is also supported). Like some other high-end earbuds, these feature an ear-monitor design similar to what musicians use, with the cable wrapping around the top of your ear. 

” page-position linktext linkurl like=”~ Can be Wireless or Wired ~ Comes with 10 ear tips for maximum comfort ” dislike=”~ Pricey” can-collapse=”true” can-truncate=”true” truncate-on-page-load=”true” offer=”{“id”:”a1852846-abc8-4d0d-a7cb-ba7c4f106503″,”label”:”beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless (2. Gen.)”,”slug”:”beyerdynamic-xelento-wireless-2-gen”,”edition”:[“us”],”imageId”:””,”imgUrl”:””,”imageHeight”:0,”imageWidth”:0,”typeLabel”:”Series”,”objectType”:”content_product_series”,”icon”:””}” techobjectinfo=”{“uuid”:”a1852846-abc8-4d0d-a7cb-ba7c4f106503″,”slug”:”beyerdynamic-xelento-wireless-2-gen”,”name”:”beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless (2. Gen.)”,”productType”:”SERIES”,”updateType”:”EZMONEY”,”mod”:1722050146059}” overridecredit=”Beyerdynamic” overridecaption=”

” imagegroup=”{“uuid”:”a9619c89-68e8-4318-b334-aaa9fd563af7″,”alt”:”berydynamic-xelento-wireless-2.png”,”caption”:”

“,”credits”:”Beyerdynamic”,”imageData”:{“id”:”a9619c89-68e8-4318-b334-aaa9fd563af7″,”filename”:”berydynamic-xelento-wireless-2.png”,”path”:”https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/9ef8221248532919bcaf88b0b39e95e0bb75de03/hub/2023/06/02/a9619c89-68e8-4318-b334-aaa9fd563af7/berydynamic-xelento-wireless-2.png?auto=webp&format=pjpg&height=500″,”dateCreated”:{“date”:”2023-06-02 15:31:19.000000″,”timezone”:”UTC”,”timezone_type”:3},”primeColor”:null,”hasWarning”:false},”size”:””,”float”:””,”lightbox”:false,”imageUrl”:”https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/9ef8221248532919bcaf88b0b39e95e0bb75de03/hub/2023/06/02/a9619c89-68e8-4318-b334-aaa9fd563af7/berydynamic-xelento-wireless-2.png?auto=webp&format=pjpg&height=500″,”imageCaption”:”

“,”imageCredit”:”Beyerdynamic”,”imageAltText”:”berydynamic-xelento-wireless-2.png”,”imageFilename”:”berydynamic-xelento-wireless-2.png”,”imageWidth”:1806,”imageHeight”:1019,”imageDoNotCrop”:false,”imageDoNotResize”:false,”imageWatermark”:false,”imageDateCreated”:”2023-06-02″,”imageParallax”:””,”imageCrop”:””,”imageEnlarge”:false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{“id”:”lmidu5d4jzj6uc3″,”type”:”cross-content-listicle”}” edition=”us” data-key=”cross_content_listicle__15a28875-3952-49c4-a3a6-d68060dfb1c1″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Best List – Precap” tagslugs=”gap-project,bang-olufsen,amazon-prime,hv7,freelance-update,bose,sennheiser,sony,hv14,apple” isbestlistredesign=”true” imagecredit=”Beyerdynamic” imagealttext=”berydynamic-xelento-wireless-2.png”>

If you’re willing to spend a lot of money, Beyerdynamic’s 2nd-generation Xelento Wireless earbuds deliver fantastic sound quality. Note that these can be used wired or wireless, with the buds detaching from the Bluetooth 5.2 neckband so you can use them with the included traditional 3.5mm jack cable (included). 

Equipped with Berydynamic’s 11mm Tesla.11 drivers, the Xelento Wireless earbuds are special because of how clean and clear they sound, with no distortion and tight, well-defined bass that has excellent extension. They’re very accurate sounding. What’s also nice is that the earbuds come with 10 ear tips of varying sizes, as well as a mix of silicone and foam tips (I was able to get a tight seal with the 3XL size ear tips). 

The neckband has a built-in DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and amplifier courtesy of AKM, and there’s support for Qualcomm’s AptX Adaptive audio codec for Android and other devices that support it (the LHDC codec is also supported). Like some other high-end earbuds, these feature an ear-monitor design similar to what musicians use, with the cable wrapping around the top of your ear. 

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