Compare Earbuds

18 ranked products · Two to 4 at a time · Updated 25 Aug 2026

Pick any two to four of the 18 ranked earbuds and read them side by side. This page opens on the board's top 3, Apple AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6 and Technics EAH-AZ100.

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Earbuds compared side by side. Each column is one product, each row is one measure taken from the same research that built the board.
Measure	Apple Apple AirPods Pro 3	Sony Sony WF-1000XM6	Technics Technics EAH-AZ100	Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)	7Hz 7Hz Salnotes Zero	Sony Sony WF-1000XM5	Sennheiser Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4	EarFun EarFun Air Pro 4+	Nothing Nothing Ear	Anker Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC	Google Google Pixel Buds Pro 2	Sony Sony LinkBuds Fit	Anker Anker Soundcore Space A40	Bowers & Wilkins Bowers & Wilkins Pi8	Apple Apple AirPods 4 with ANC	Samsung Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro	Beats Beats Fit Pro	Raycon Raycon Everyday Earbuds
Tier	S	A	A	B	B	B	B	B	B	C	C	C	C	D	D	D	F	F
Rank on this board	1 of 18	2 of 18	3 of 18	4 of 18	5 of 18	6 of 18	7 of 18	8 of 18	9 of 18	10 of 18	11 of 18	12 of 18	13 of 18	14 of 18	15 of 18	16 of 18	17 of 18	18 of 18
Ladder points	887 LP	843 LP	785 LP	644 LP	604 LP	593 LP	537 LP	513 LP	511 LP	477 LP	471 LP	420 LP	367 LP	322 LP	295 LP	292 LP	170 LP	77 LP
Our verdict	The best service and firmware-longevity story in the entire category; if you own an iPhone this is the safest multi-year purchase, and it only sits second because the Sony is platform-agnostic.	The consensus 2026 benchmark across What Hi-Fi?, SoundGuys and Android Central, with Sony's mature firmware support and global warranty network; the XM5's battery issues appear addressed, so nothing blocks it from the top.	TechRadar's number one and SoundGuys' Android pick; superb engineering with a clean reliability record, held from the top two by a slightly smaller support footprint.	The 2nd Gen fixes the first generation's connectivity and case problems, and Bose warranty handling is strong; class-leading ANC with the early hardware bugs ironed out.	A budget wired IEM with reference-grade tuning; pure sound quality per dollar is off the charts, limited only by having no wireless features.	The discounted ex-flagship is now a smart buy, offering near-current performance at mid-range money.	Two-year warranty, long firmware support and reference sound; the most conservative, buy-it-and-forget-it choice here, just without the ecosystem polish of the top four.	Remarkable value with an unusually good firmware and support record for a budget brand; ranked by what it is, the best budget ownership proposition.	Near-flagship feature set at mid-price money, the strongest mid-price all-rounder for buyers who want polish without the flagship tax.	Comply's best overall budget pick; adaptive ANC and LDAC at a frequent bargain street price keep it a mainstream recommendation.	Solid build, consistent feature drops, no systemic failures; the sensible long-term pick for Android users who don't want Sony's price.	Wirecutter's top pick and a dependable mid-price all-rounder; ranks below the flagships because it is outclassed on ANC and features, not on reliability.	RTINGS' budget-class champion with Anker's responsive replacement policy; at this price some battery degradation is inevitable, but Anker actually honors it.	Genuinely premium construction and a real service network, but the price is steep and the ownership advantages over the XM6 don't justify it for most buyers.	A decent product in a dead price zone; the open fit cripples its headline ANC feature. Buy the AirPods Pro 3 or the EarFun Air Pro 4+ instead.	Sound quality nearly earns pick status, but a launch halted over manufacturing defects and ongoing QC reports sink it here; buy the Sony WF-1000XM6 instead.	A 2021 design sold at a 2025 price: no wireless charging, no multipoint, dated ANC, and Lightning-era thinking. If you want secure-fit Apple buds, the AirPods Pro 3 with the right tip does the job far better.	The clearest avoid on the board: RTINGS' measurements show mediocre sound and token ANC, sold at prices where the EarFun Air Pro 4+ and Soundcore Liberty 4 NC dominate it on every axis. This is a marketing budget with earbuds attached.
What reviewers rate	Strongest service network in the category with trivial in-warranty swaps Battery service exists and iOS firmware support runs for many years Improved ANC and battery life per tested reviews Top pick for iPhone users	Consensus top pick across What Hi-Fi?, SoundGuys and Android Central New benchmark for sound quality at this level Multi-year firmware support history and global warranty network XM6 generation addresses the XM5's uneven battery-drain problem	TechRadar's top pick of 2026: 'a simply mindblowing pair of feature-packed wireless earbuds' SoundGuys' best earbuds for Android Conservative Panasonic/Technics engineering has aged well across the AZ line Steady firmware updates and no documented failure clusters	Second generation fixes the first gen's notorious connection-drop and finicky-case problems Bose's warranty handling is among the more generous in the category Class-leading ANC Included in PCMag's top tested picks and Android Central's best-of rotation	Entry-level price Tuning benchmarked against the Harman target Reference recommendation of the budget audiophile community Pure sound-per-dollar no budget-class wireless product can touch	Near-XM6 performance Now sells at deep discounts, often well below the XM6 Still placed second in a YouTube expert roundup behind only an ultra-premium B&O model Remains a mainstream recommendation	Two-year warranty, double the industry norm Long firmware support tail across the Momentum TW line No widespread failure reporting Sonically remains a reference at its price	Remarkable value at a budget price Unusually good record of pushing firmware fixes for this tier Honors warranties at budget prices, which is rare Recommended by both PCMag and Android Central	Hi-res codec support Effective ANC Distinctive design Polished app	Comply's best overall budget earbud Strong adaptive ANC LDAC support Street price often dips well below list	Consistent firmware feature drops for the Pixel Buds line Solid build with no systemic QC issues reported Google's hardware support has matured Best long-term ownership proposition for Pixel/Android users outside the Sony	Wirecutter's current top wireless-earbud pick Sound great, fit great, with features that work well on any phone Same Sony support infrastructure as the flagship at a lower price No flagged reliability pattern	RTINGS' best budget-class wireless earbuds Excellent ANC for the price Best customer service and replacement policy in the budget class Anker actually answers when a budget bud dies	Premium materials and construction Backed by B&W's dealer and service network Steady firmware support since the Pi7 generation	A real cross-shop, listed among PCMag's tested picks A decent product overall	Reviews well on sound quality A realistic cross-shop for Galaxy phone owners	Nothing recorded	Nothing recorded
Where it falls short	Best experience is tied to the Apple ecosystem, making it less platform-agnostic than the Sony	Predecessor XM5 generation suffered widely reported uneven battery drain	Slightly smaller support footprint than Sony or Apple	First generation was plagued by connection-drop and case issues, requiring this revision	No ANC No Bluetooth No app	Previous-generation flagship rather than the current model	Lacks the ecosystem polish of the top four	Nothing recorded	Nothing recorded	Newer models are arriving to challenge it	Support network still less proven than Sony's or Apple's over many years	Outclassed on ANC and features by the flagships	Some battery degradation is inevitable at this price	Expensive Ownership advantages over the Sony WF-1000XM6 don't justify the price for most buyers	Open-fit design means its ANC is inherently compromised It sits in a dead zone between better and cheaper options AirPods Pro 3 is dramatically better for a modest premium EarFun Air Pro 4+ beats it for substantially less	Launch marred by a genuine QC scandal: shipments paused over ear tips tearing and unit-to-unit quality variance Long-term reports of touch-strip and case issues persist Features locked to Samsung phones Support experience lags Apple and Sony at a premium price	Nothing recorded	Nothing recorded
Evidence behind it	123 sources across 94 outlets	58 sources across 45 outlets	58 sources across 44 outlets	22 sources across 18 outlets	31 sources across 27 outlets	44 sources across 36 outlets	17 sources across 17 outlets	77 sources across 60 outlets	59 sources across 45 outlets	33 sources across 32 outlets	58 sources across 48 outlets	34 sources across 32 outlets	58 sources across 52 outlets	66 sources across 52 outlets	2 sources across 2 outlets	38 sources across 34 outlets	51 sources across 48 outlets	23 sources across 22 outlets
Flagged as one to avoid	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	1 of 5 research runs	1 of 4 research runs	2 of 6 research runs	Not flagged	Not flagged
Announced	Sept 2025	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Sept 2024	Feb 2025	Not recorded	Not recorded
Where to buy	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it

Every column is the same research that built the board. Nothing here is a specification sheet copied from a maker. Read how we rank for what a tier and a ladder point mean.