The best wireless earbuds and headphones for Samsung phones

Earfun has released a line of wireless headphones over the past few years, and they all have one important similarity: they’re all very good value for money, and they’re often on sale, so they’re a good value. The company’s new 2023 Earfun Air Pro 3 earbuds use the latest Qualcomm QCC3071 system-on-chip with aptX Adaptive for Android and other devices that support the new LE audio standard and LC3 audio codec, which is better than the SBC codec. They also support AAC for Apple devices.

Lightweight and comfortable to wear, they’re not a huge upgrade over the Earfun Air S, but they’re better. They feature slightly larger fleece composite drivers (11mm vs. 10mm), slightly improved noise cancellation, and longer battery life (up to 7 hours with noise cancellation, according to Earfun).

In short, the Earfun Air 3 delivers strong performance at a moderate price, with strong bass, good clarity, and a relatively wide soundstage. They also come with a host of features, including a wireless charging case and “multi-device” connectivity. (I can pair them with two devices at the same time, but I have to pause the music on one device and hit play on the other to switch audio.) They are IPX5 splash-proof and work well as one device. Works well (although not particularly well).

When you have a product that a lot of people like, change is risky. Such is the case with the SonyWH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series of headphones, which were first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and have become more and more popular with each generation’s improvements. Sony has made a few tweaks to the design over the years, but nothing quite as striking as what it did with the WH-1000XM5. Aside from the higher $400 price tag, most of the changes are good, with Sony making some notable improvements in voice call performance as well as better noise cancellation and more refined sound.

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 the new Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 headsets from Samsung’s own brand. Both sets of headphones (the Live Pro 2 has an ear stem, while the Live Free 2 has a pill-shaped design) offer a comfortable fit as well as strong noise cancellation, very good sound quality, and voice call performance. They also come with a range of great features, including multi-point Bluetooth pairing, IPX5 water resistance and wireless charging.

The Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 feature the same 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips. Design aside, the biggest difference between the two is battery life: the stickless Live Free 2 is rated for up to 7 hours, while the Live Pro 2 is rated for 10 hours. The Live Pro 2 is available in four colors.

Sony’s improved entry-level noise-canceling headphones, the CH-720N, feel a bit plasticky and cheap, but are lightweight and comfortable. I thought they sounded mediocre, but I was surprised. No, they don’t sound as good as the WH-1000XM5. They sound more premium than they look and feel, and their overall performance is a big improvement over their predecessor, the CH-710N. Are they worth $150? Maybe – maybe not. The good news is that, like the CH-710N and WH-XB910 before them, these products should see some nice discounts in the near future.

Bose’s second-generation QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are not only about 30% smaller than their predecessors, but the casing is also about 40% smaller, making them truly pocket-friendly. They feature best-in-class noise cancellation and improved sound, thanks to Bose’s new CustomTune sound calibration system, which customizes the sound to your ears. Voice call performance is also significantly better than the original QuietComfort earbuds.

Another big change is the earbuds. Bose ditched the one-piece StayEar wingtips in favor of a two-piece Fit Kit system with separate ear tips and “stabilization straps” available in three sizes. You’ll have more flexibility to achieve a secure fit and tight seal.

No matter what you think about the bean-shaped design of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, it is innovative. Like the standard AirPods 3, they have an open design that eliminates the need to insert earbuds into the ears, and are very comfortable, fitting my ears better than the AirPods. That said, they won’t fit everyone’s ears equally well. These wireless earphones are very discreet and sit flush with your ears, with no little white tubes sticking out of them.

They offer good sound quality and work as a headset for phone calls, and have good background noise reduction so callers can hear you clearly even if you’re in a noisy environment. While they have active noise cancellation, the noise cancellation is milder than that found in earbuds with a sound-isolating design. In other words, buy them for their design and sound, not their noisy features.