The 9 best earbuds of 2026, tested by audio experts

Read our full review of the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds.

Sony's new XM6 earbuds are the follow-up we've been waiting for from the brand. Though they cost a lot, they justify their price point in an excellent all-around performance, which brings some of the best ANC, sound quality, design, and ease of use to one elegant package.

Sony built a reputation for providing some of the best sound quality available in the game, and while we still think the Technics on this list eke out a better performance, Sony's overall package is unrivaled.

The earbuds sound great out of the box, but the 10-band equalizer gives the user plenty of options for customization. Whether we listened to classic rock or straight-up classical concertos, these earbuds made music sound immersive, rich, and clear. To supplement the great sound quality, Sony also stepped up its ANC game from the previous gen, resulting in the best ANC we've ever encountered on a pair of earbuds. Though we wish it were adjustable (especially at this price point), if you're looking to block out the world around you as much as possible, we think these perform even better than our former favorites, the Bose QC Ultra 2 buds.

Where Bose has Sony beat is in comfort. Sony did redesign the shape of its earbuds from the previous gen, helping provide an even more comfortable and flush fit. Still, Bose's stability band still takes the cake for the best fit we've ever experienced — but Sony is closing that comfort gap.

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

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.

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.

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Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen).

For those who value noise cancellation and all-day wear above all else, the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen) are worth the investment. With spatial audio and some of the best ANC we've encountered, these earbuds deliver immersive sound that envelopes you in your music.

Over-ear headphones are the typical pick for those who want the best noise cancellation, but these days, you're no longer limited if you prefer earbuds but still want top-tier ANC.

Bose's second iteration of its QuietComfort Ultra earbuds doesn't change too much from the original, with the main improvements coming in the form of wireless charging, improved speech clarity on calls, and better adaptive ANC, but we also noticed some minor improvements to the sound profile, which also did a great job of sounding full and resonant right out of the box.

Where these earbuds really shine, however, is in their name: it's their fit and noise cancellation. Though they only have three sizes of ear tips and stability bands, the design of these earbuds allows for a fit that's both secure and comfortable enough to wear for hours on end, which isn't a given with earbuds. The noise cancellation impresses, too, even without any music playing, thanks to the eight microphones packed into these buds. Common household sounds like air conditioning, neighbors, and other people existing in your space all but disappear with the ANC bumped all the way up. If you don't like that much blockage, you can turn on transparency mode or manually adjust the level of ANC.

So what are the downsides? Besides being priced like a premium pair of earbuds (which, to be fair, they are in their performance), the six-hour battery life is starting to lag behind competitors. Plus, the equalizer is less sophisticated than what you'll find on other earbuds, and the touch controls weren't quite as seamless as we want on $300 earbuds. Still, for the combo of noise-cancelling and comfort, we can't choose a better pair of earbuds.

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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.

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.

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Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

Apple device owners will appreciate how easily these earbuds pair with multiple devices, as well as their impressive active noise cancellation and the many ways they can be used.

The AirPods Pro pop up on most best of lists, and though we've always been fans, the third generation takes these earbuds to a new level.

At the most basic level, these earbuds perform well in all the ways you'd want them to: the sound profile is robust and clear, the noise cancellation truly silences the world around you, and they pair easily to Apple devices. With this generation, Apple bumped up these buds' battery life to eight hours per charge, putting them firmly on the higher end of what's available on the market.

Then, there are the extra features. Apple included a built-in heart rate monitor, which can be used when you track your workouts with the Fitness app. How did it perform? "Perfectly," according to Mashable contributor Adam Doud's review. "I checked the heart rate against another device...and in every instance, the heart rate from the AirPods Pro 3 was within a beat or two per minute of the other device, so that speaks very well for its accuracy." Along with the IP57 water- and sweat-resistance and five sizes of ear tips for finding just the right fit, the AirPods Pro have become a much better pair of earbuds for working out this generation.

Finally, the live translation. At the time of writing, it's available in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and English from the UK. Doud wrote that it worked fairly accurately (as compared to movie subtitles) with a one to two second delay, making the feature viable for real-time use.

At $249, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on par (and even cheaper) than other premium competitors. So what's the catch? Well, for anyone looking to fine-tune their own audio experience, there's no companion app or custom equalizer, but for everything else you get, the trade-off may well be worth it.

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