The 9 best earbuds to buy in 2025 selected by Mashable expects |...

After vigorous testing, these are the 9 best earbuds of 2025

Overview

Earbuds aren't as straightforward as they used to be. While you can still find wired earbuds that plug in and go (you'll even find a pair on this list), the market is flooded with wireless options. Now, you'll find models with advanced noise cancellation to block out the sounds of busy coffee shops and commutes. Plus, a good pair should have a quality microphone so you can take calls on the go. And the good news is, you have a lot of options for quality earbuds.

Prices on earbuds range anywhere from $10 to $1,000, especially if you're going for professional-grade studio earphones. And if you care about noise cancellation, you can easily spend $300 — that's the price of peace and quiet. And these days, you can get hyperspecialized models like sleep earbuds.

Our top picks for earbuds are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Panasonic Technics AZ100s, which provide outstanding sound quality — but keep in mind, both of these models cost $299. While we stand by the value of everything on this list, we know that spending $300 on a pair of headphones is a lot to stomach.

Major shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day are usually the best time to buy these gadgets; however, good deals pop up year-round, and we're particularly good at tracking them.

So, whether you need a pair of cheap wireless earbuds stat or you're ready to splurge on premium noise cancellers, we found the best earbuds of 2025, all tested and approved by Mashable reviewers.

Our Pick

A pair of Panasonic Technics earbuds on a table next to a mini record player.

The Good & The Bad

Creates rich, textured sound
Well-balanced audio
Connects to three Bluetooth devices at once
Exceptional active noise cancellation
Good for small ears

Uncomfortable for all-day wear
Expensive price point

Our review

Read our full review of the Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds.

Who it's for

Panasonic's Technics EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds are made for audiophiles. If you want to hear every note in perfect crisp detailed sound, these headphones make music better thanks to their magnetic fluid drivers. Whether you want a fully customizable experience by adjusting your bass and treble, or you just want to pop in your buds and experience delicious spatial audio without the fuss, the Technics offer users both.

Why we picked this

Panasonic blew us away with its Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds. If you've ever thought that earbuds can't deliver the same potent sound quality as over-ear headphones, then let the AZ100s prove you wrong. The buds come with four different ear tips that range from extra small to large, delivering a snug and secure fit suitable for even those with small or narrow ears who struggle to find earbuds that fit. That being said, they aren't the most comfortable headphones we've ever tested (nothing beats the Bose QuietComfort Ultras), as they get uncomfortable after a couple of hours of wear.

However, what you're really after here is the incredible sound quality of the Technics. Music just sounds better on the AZ100 earbuds. The earbuds deliver music as close to the source as possible. While listening to James Brown's "The Boss," the song sounded rich and textured, with layers of horn and deep bass bursting through. Plus, it picks up on the most subtle details, like in "Angel Of My Dreams" by Jade, the soft shuttering of cameras flashing on the backing track rang through in crisp detail.

Plus, these headphones have impressive active noise cancellation. While testing them on a trip to New York, they blocked out the clatter of the subway and ruckus of noisy streets. With such excellent ANC, nothing distracts from the superior audio quality. The three-way multipoint connection is another huge advantage of these headphones. I could seamlessly switch between my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro without having to open the app.

Not to mention, these earbuds have killer battery life. They last for 10 hours with an additional 28 hours available with the charging case.

Details

black bose qc ultra earbuds on table next to laptop

The Good & The Bad

Unbeatable noise cancellation
Comfortable and secure fit
Long battery life
Easy connectivity

Can be difficult to remove from charging case

Our review

Check out our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds.

Who it's for

For those who value noise cancellation above all else, the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are worth the investment, offering the best ANC experience we've had with a pair of earbuds. With spatial audio, these earbuds deliver immersive sound that envelopes you in your music.

Why we picked this

Over-ear headphones are the typical pick for those who want the best noise cancellation, but in recent years, high-end earbuds have started to prove themselves worthy competitors. Bose is already known for offering some of the best ANC, so it's no shock that the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are some of the best the brand has to offer.

Mashable contributor Timothy Beck Werth said that these earbuds offer the best ANC of any he's tested, a lineup that includes products from Apple, Beats, and Jabra. In fact, he writes, "Bose's noise cancellation is so good that I often use these earbuds when I'm not even listening to music." Customizable stability bands help create a tight but comfortable seal that helps unwanted sound stay out (and sets these earbuds apart from other ANC buds on the market).

Though we appreciate the QuietComfort Ultra's noise-cancellation first and foremost, we also enjoyed Bose's foray into spatial audio with the Immersive Audio feature that can be toggled on and adjusted via the companion app. It's good, not great, and definitely not the top reason to get these earbuds, but still a pretty nice feature — and certainly welcome at this price point.

Speaking of the price point, we were shocked that at $299, these earbuds don't offer functional multipoint pairing. While you can technically connect more than one device at a time, you do have to manually change your device with the app, instead of switching back and forth simply by changing your audio output, like you can with the Sony WF-1000XM5 or AirPods Pro. While we do think Bose needs to update this feature ASAP, the ANC, combined with the comfort for long-term wear and sound quality, still earned these earbuds a spot on our list.

Details

soundcore p20i earbuds and case

The Good & The Bad

Good sound quality
Has find device feature
Long battery life

No noise cancellation
No multi-point connection

Who it's for

If you don't want to be too precious about your earbuds (there's nothing wrong with being accident-prone) the Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds will be the kindest to your wallet, while still delivering an all-around decent listening experience. If ANC is essential for you though, you'll want to pass on these buds.

Why we picked this

We'll be honest: We weren't expecting much from a pair of earbuds that cost less than $40. However, we were shocked to find that these earbuds not only had an impressive array of features, but in some cases also had better features than earbuds that cost hundreds of dollars more.

First, let's start with the sound. Admittedly, we weren't too blown away by how they sounded at first. However, once we played around with the equalizer presets on the companion app, we found the Treble Boost produced the kind of well-rounded sound we expect from pricier earbuds. The app also allowed you to set up to three touch controls on each earbud, which actually worked decently well once we played around with them (the touch controls have just the right level of sensitivity). However, the most exciting feature in the app was the "find device" tab. Unlike Apple AirPods, which only play a sound from the case when you're trying to find your earbuds, the Soundcore earbuds each play a loud tone when you activate this feature, making it easier to locate a single bud.

The P20i buds also best AirPods in battery life. Per charge, we were able to get about nine-and-a-half to 10 hours of battery life. The case overall holds 30 hours of charge total. Admittedly, these earbuds don't have ANC, so that helps, but we were still impressed. (For comparison, the most recent AirPods Pro and standard AirPods without ANC offer six hours per charge).

Obviously, a budget pair of earbuds will have some more noticeable drawbacks. For the P20i, that would be the lack of multipoint pairing. Not only can you not pair more than one device at a time, but we also found that we often had to manually unpair the earbuds from one device before pairing with another. The lack of pairing capability also meant that to use the companion app, you have to be connected to your phone.

Details

airpods pro usb-c next to usb-c to lightning cable and iphone

The Good & The Bad

Great sound
Solid noise cancellation
Long battery life
Easy connection to iOS and Mac devices

Only one size of ear tips
Works best on iOS
More expensive than the AirPods 4 with noise cancellation

Our review

Check out our full review of the USB-C AirPods Pro.

Who it's for

Apple device owners will appreciate how easily these earbuds pair with multiple devices and their impressive active noise cancellation.

Why we picked this

The AirPods Pro are incredibly popular for several reasons. They produce a sound that's rich and well-balanced, they have excellent noise cancellation (that falls just behind the Bose QC Ultras), and they work seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem.

What exactly does that mean? Whereas earbuds like the aforementioned Ultras might struggle to pair, and then swap between, an iPhone and an iPad quickly, the AirPods Pro were built to do exactly that. And as you'd expect from an Apple product, they do have some nice features built around convenience. In addition to great ANC and sound, Apple hones your listening experience with three modes: Conversational Awareness, which automatically lowers the volume of your music when you're talking to someone and raises it when you're done; Adaptive Audio, which functions as an ultra-smart transparency mode; and Personalized Volume, which automatically adjusts the volume based on your environment.

Outside of those listening modes, you also get lossless audio support with the Apple Vision Pro (in case you happen to own the $3,500 headset). With the new USB-C port, you can also charge the case by connecting it to any iPhone 15 device, though we don't consider that the most useful feature out there. If you're not a fan of touch controls, you're also likely to appreciate that the touch commands only require you to press the stem of the earbuds. Our biggest gripe with these earbuds? Even though they sound great, they don't offer customizable EQ like Bose and Sony.

Details

A pair of Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds

The Good & The Bad

Allows you to stream sleep sounds from app or your own audio
Tracks sleep data
Earbuds and case have great battery life
Affordably priced
Smaller case takes up less nightstand real estate
Touch controls don't get activated while you're sleeping
Comes with six different earbud tips, with three for noise blocking and three for breathability

Can't perform certain actions on app without both earbuds in
Sleep sound library is limited
App design could be more streamlined
Earbud tips have slightly tacky texture

Who it's for

If you want sleep earbuds that give you the flexibility of streaming audio or simply acting as fancier earplugs, the Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 will get the job done at an affordable price. They're not without some quirks, but on the whole, they offer the best feature-to-price-point ratio.

Why we picked this

It was hard to pinpoint any stark differences in performance between these and a premium sleep earbuds model, which, considering their $150 price difference, is pretty impressive on Soundcore's part.

The Soundcore buds promised more battery life per charge, which I didn't really notice as both buds easily hit the eight-hour range. However, I did notice that the case held 80 hours of charge, meaning I didn't have to charge it for a week, while I had to recharge the other sleep earbuds models after two nights of using them. The Soundcore buds also connected with my device with noticeably less lag than other models.

So, where did they show their lower price point? Maybe this is more personal preference, but I wasn't a huge fan of the sleep sound library on the Soundcore app. A lot of the sounds felt too busy and too loud, even at lower volumes. One night, when I was testing out a feature that switches the audio from Bluetooth streaming to white noise when the earbuds detect you've fallen asleep, the sound of the white noise literally woke me up because of how loud it was. Admittedly, this was because of the volume I set it at, but only because the volume sounded fine (low even!) on the podcast I was streaming, and I didn't exactly expect the white noise from the Soundcore app to be significantly louder.

When playing around with the controls later in the daylight hours, I found the highest volume literally hurt my ears — thankfully, setting it that high is avoidable, but it did feel like these headphones could've used a better safeguard in terms of volume. After all, it's not like you can quickly adjust the volume when you're unconscious. In terms of the automatic switching feature, I found that it usually jumped the gun. Sometimes, I'd just settle down to close my eyes, and the earbuds would switch over (an issue I didn't experience with more premium models).

In terms of flaws, those were the only major ones I noticed. The buds stayed in my ears and felt comfortable to use while lying on my side. The Soundcore ear tips are silicone and feel slightly tacky — it didn't bother me, but my partner couldn't stand the feeling, so if you deal with any sensory sensitivity, it's something to be aware of. My audio streamed reliably (if, again, a little on the loud side), and the touch controls worked perfectly when I used them, but never accidentally triggered at night while I slept. In general, I didn't find myself using the touch controls to adjust the volume or switch between modes all that much, but they still felt like a nice addition.

The Soundcore earbuds also offer sleep data, which can be stored on the earbuds for up to a week (with a sync required to get the info in your app). I've never used any sort of sleep-tracking device before, but from the few times I've used sleep-tracking apps on my phone, these earbuds offered more accurate and detailed data on how I slept, from how long to how many times I tossed and turned.

Details

A pair of Bose headphones next to a laptop

The Good & The Bad

Amazing sound quality
Solid noise cancellation
Comfortable, secure fit
Affordable

App UX could use some improvement

Our review

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort earbuds.

Who it’s for

If you want good-quality sound but don’t want to spend over $200, the Bose QuietComfort is an affordable answer to the brand’s line-up. They’re focused on a great fit, as they not only come with multiple ear tips but multiple bands that can be changed out on the earbuds for a better fit on the crest of your ear.

The accompanying app lets you adjust audio levels, but you won’t need to, as these earbuds make all your music sound better. They’re reliable, have a long battery life, and are sure to please the pickiest of audiophiles.

Why we picked this

I’ve sung the praises of the QuietComfort Ultra, but Bose’s latest earbuds, the entry-level QuietComfort, are also fantastic, especially with their under-$200 price tag. Even after adjusting the ear tips and bands, I didn’t find the fit on these quite as secure as the Ultras. However, my colleague Bethany Allard, who also tested the QuietComfort earbuds, said they were the best earbuds that have ever fit her.

The QuietComfort’s sound quality is just phenomenal. With these earbuds, listening to Ethel Cain’s A House in Nebraska immersed me in the orchestrations. When Brick House by The Commodores came on, the earbuds elevated the snappy drum beats so that I may have been listening live.

The noise cancellation on the QuietComfort earbuds isn’t as sophisticated as the Ultras; I found they had more sound leakage and that classic ANC buzz when I was in noisy environments. However, the ANC on these is still great, especially in quiet spaces.

One tiny beef I have with the Bose QuietComfort earbuds is that they require a different app than the standard Bose one. This is annoying if you’re an existing Bose user and need to download another app; plus, this earbud app just isn’t as good as Bose’s flagship app.

All in all, these are a solid pair of headphones that, for $179, are an unbeatable value.

Details

sony wf-1000xm5 earbuds and case on a veggie background

The Good & The Bad

Includes multiple ear tips sizes for snug fit
Amazing audio quality
Good noise cancellation
Handy touch controls

Occasional connectivity issues
Sony app could be better

Who it's for

People who enjoy great active noise cancellation and even better sound quality will appreciate the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds — the full package. If you're a Sony loyalist, maybe already a fan of the WH-1000XM5, these earbuds provide impressive performance.