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.
Sony LinkBuds S: Unlike “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). While they don’t have the same sound and noise cancellation as the XM4 or XM5, 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. While the headphone’s sound quality may be slightly better than its price tag, overall, the JBL Tour Pro 2 are very good headphones, offering a good fit, a strong feature set, strong battery life, and solid degradation. Noise 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. Read our Beyerdynamic Free Byrd review.
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. While they’re out of most people’s price range, they’re arguably the best stemmed earbuds and offer slightly better sound than the AirPods Pro 2, with better clarity, deeper, more powerful bass, and Richer, more accurate sound.
The sound core of Anker Liberty 4: While their sound isn’t quite up to the level of high-end headphones like Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 and the much pricier Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 , the Anker Liberty 4’s Soundcore earphones pack a bunch of great features, including spatial audio with head tracking mode, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, up to 9 hours of battery life, wireless charging, and support for Sony’s LDAC audio codec, which 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.
