★★★★☆
Are you into exercise and looking for wireless earbuds that’ll take your workout punishment but not break the bank? Look no further than EarFun OpenJump Open-Ear Wireless Earbuds. They aren’t fancy, but the lightweight, hook-on earbuds deliver comfort, security and solid audio without a premium price tag.
Let’s dive into what makes these earbuds, available now for preorder at a substantial discount, stand out in a crowded market.
After teasing the upcoming release of fitness-oriented Powerbeats Pro 2 wireless earbuds in September 2024, Apple and subsidiary Beats just made new filings with regulatory agencies that all but confirm the new buds will come out soon, according to a Wednesday report. The new earbuds likely will go on sale within weeks (or a couple of months at the latest).
If you’ve been holding out on buying AirPods because the price tag felt too steep, you aren’t alone. The good news? Your waiting paid off because this pair of wireless earbuds isn’t just more affordable. These AirPods alternatives come with a touchscreen case.
While the cheapest pair of AirPods will run you $129, the Twin Sound Ultra Bluetooth earbuds cost just $29.99. Sure, they have their own limitations, but they’re a solid option for anyone looking to save some cash.
New open-ear wireless earbuds called HumanPods unveiled at CES 2025 offer voice access to different artificial intelligence personas with a tap, according to startup Natura Umana.
The new earphones, which also play music, of course, promise to deliver what the company calls “the closest experience to a telepathic connection with your technology” by offering direct access to AI assistance through simple touch controls. The company’s CEO provides a little video demo below (complete with a few bugs).
Need a good pair of earbuds at an even better price? These Beats Solo Buds have dual-layer drivers, axial-aligned drivers and a custom-built acoustic architecture. They sound expensive, but you can actually get a pair of these earbuds for just $59.99 (regularly $79) in our Beats Solo Buds sale.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport wireless earbuds that track heart rate and body temperature finally started shipping this week after their big reveal in January at CES 2024.
Heart rate and body temperature sensors were expected in AirPods Pro (2nd generation), launched in September 2022, but didn’t end up in the product (yet).
Campfire Audio’s new Fathom earbuds cost an eye-watering $1,049. What’s perhaps even more surprising is that they’re wired earbuds.
Well, there must be some special technology in those, right? Right. And even though they have a cable, of course you can use them with your Mac or another device with an audio jack.
xMEMS Labs is bringing what it calls breakthrough technology to the wireless earbuds market late next year after a CES 2024 debut — the Cypress ultrasonic speaker. It turns ultrasonic waves we normally can’t even hear into full-frequency, hi-res audio with remarkable detail, the California-based semiconductor company said Tuesday.
The solid-state microspeaker, which will find its way into various companies’ earbuds and headphones — hello, AirPods? — generates low-frequency sound pressure for a full bass response, according to xMEMS Labs.
That makes the ultrasonic speaker a true replacement for legacy speaker technology that has only been refined, not replaced, since your great-grandparents rocked the Victrola.
OneOdio unveiled its new OpenRock S Open Air Conduction Earbuds Tuesday, meant for active users who want to listen to music while doing sports activities.
Using air-conduction technology, the buds don’t go in your ear canal. So you can stay better-aware of what’s around you while you run, cycle or work out.
If you don’t want to drain your bank account to buy AirPods, why not grab these JBL Tune 220TWS true wireless Bluetooth earphones instead? Treat yourself to a pair for just $37.99 (regularly $99.95).
Apple-owned Beats hooked up with Japanese fashion brand Wacko Maria to release a new special-edition set of Beats Flex earbuds Friday featuring a leopard print, the companies said Thursday.
Beats Flex are the brand’s most affordable wireless earbuds. But now they pack a little more street cred.
Wireless earbuds are unique among smart devices because each pair comes with its own unique charging case. The Flux 7 TWS Earbuds change things up by expanding their charging case’s battery capacity — and turning it into a fully functional power bank you can use to charge other devices.
You won’t find these Bluetooth earbuds and their cool charging case during Amazon’s Prime Day. But we have our own sale called Deal Days. And, during our big sale, you can get a pair of Flux 7 Earbuds for just $24.99 (regularly $99). There’s no coupon needed, but the sale ends October 12 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
★★★☆☆
EarFun has been putting out affordable audio gear since 2018. It released its latest active noise cancelling (ANC) wireless earbuds, EarFun Air S, in June. The company recently sent me a pair to try out.
The name of the game here is value. Like some of the company’s other earbuds, Air S offers quality sound and features found in more expensive earbuds. But the product is not without a few drawbacks, which I’ll describe below.
Note that if you want to give these a try and buy on Amazon by September 12, you get a discount plus a coupon that bring the regular price of $69.99 down to $56.41, EarFun said.
★★★☆☆
Noise-cancelling wireless earbuds that cost under $100 jostle in a competitive field. One company that consistently stands out from the crowd with high-quality goods that are a great value for what they cost is Edifier.
And the company, based in China, has done it again with the Edifier W240TN true wireless earbuds. They launch Thursday for a price of $79.99. Edifier sent me a pair to try out.
There really aren’t many reasons not to buy these if you want good earbuds for well under $100. But there are a couple of potential reasons, depending on your priorities.
★★★★☆
The new Soundcore Space A40 True-Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds came out Thursday alongside their sibling Space Q45 over-ear headphones.
Upon release, both products made a lot of noise about strong active noise cancellation (ANC) and massive battery life. And like the headphones, which I already reviewed, the earbuds don’t disappoint.
While their marquee qualities are strong ANC and lengthy play time, the A40 buds also sound good and feature lots of opportunities for audio customization.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few years, you likely already know that the iPhone no longer comes with a headphone jack. And Apple certainly doesn’t ship its smartphones with a free set of AirPods — the third-generation wireless earbuds retail for $179.
Want a more affordable option? Then you might consider these Flux 7 TWS Earbuds, which are on sale now for a wallet-friendly sum of just $25.99 (regularly $99).
Every year, the standard for wireless earbuds gets higher while the price gets lower and lower. A few years ago, it was hard to find anything even close to competing with AirPods Pro, but now you can pick up a pair of affordable wireless earbuds with many of the same refined features.
JBL Live Free NC+ in-ear noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones are on sale for only $74.99 (regularly $149) — and it’s amazing what they can do.
Sennheiser first put out its top-tier Momentum True Wireless earbuds in 2018 to rave reviews about sound quality. Next came a 2020 update and now, with a new release, we see a substantial redesign with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds.
They offer substantial upgrades at a lower-than-expected price, compared to the starting price of their predecessors.
The German maker released the new flagship buds along with its new Sport True Wireless earbuds for athletic types who want to filter out the sound of their own huffing and puffing.
A while back, German audio powerhouse Sennheiser began teasing the April release of its new, top-tier Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds. But then retailer Lufthansa WorldShop went ahead and (briefly) posted a detailed listing for the new buds ahead of Sennheiser’s official, and yet to come, release.
So now we know a bunch of the new buds’ specs as well as pricing details.
For some time now, the wireless earbud market has grown toward the bursting point, with all sorts of options for active noise canceling buds with wireless charging, long battery life, solid waterproofing and other features for prices between $75 and $150.
But if you’re sick and tired of paying less for more, Sony has something new for you. You can pay $178 for earbuds without ANC or wireless charging, plus pedestrian battery life and minimal waterproofing. Meet the all-new Sony LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbuds!
What do you get for that price? Sony’s reputation, plus an interesting new compact, lightweight, open-style design that might work great for at least some people.
How’s this for a seriously awesome gift this holiday season? You can snag a lifetime subscription to a top-rated language-learning service, plus AI-powered noise-canceling wireless earbuds to use with it. They’re on sale together in the Lifetime Language Learning Bundle featuring uTalk and xFyro for just $49.99. That’s an 85% discount off their regular price of $334.
In my recent review of Earfun’s Air Pro 2 wireless active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds, I said they packed good enough features — sound quality, active noise cancellation, comfortable fit — to be worth their affordable price tag. With the new EarFun Free Pro 2 wireless ANC earbuds, that’s even more the case. Especially because the same high quality comes in an even smaller package.
With the new Jabra Elite 7 Pro earbuds, I seem to have found near-ideal audio with active noise cancellation (ANC) for both music and phone calls. The compact earbuds offer surprisingly expansive sound and are incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
There are a lot of things to love about AirPods: In fact, they’re one of the best Apple accessories out there. But one thing that’s not so hot about them? The $159 price tag (which goes up to $199 if you want a wireless charging case).
The price is especially forbidding considering how easily the little buds can be lost, dropped or stolen.
We get it: You probably use your earbuds for everything from zoning in on a deadline to powering through the last few minutes of your morning run.
Unfortunately, immersive sound (where you can barely hear your surroundings) might seem good in theory. But just wait until your co-worker tries to flag you down in the office or you narrowly avoid a car during your morning walk.