The best earbuds we’ve tested for 2026

It’s hard to buy a bad pair of wireless earbuds these days, and with constant discounts and deals wherever you look, now is as good a time as any to splurge on the pair you’ve been eyeing. The market has come a long way since the early era of true wireless earbuds, when we had to deal with mediocre sound quality and unreliable performance, all for the sake of ditching cables. Things are much different now.

After several product generations, companies like Sony, Apple, Bose, and others are releasing their most impressive earbuds to date.  You can get phenomenal noise cancellation and sound quality in the premium tier of earbuds if you’re willing to spend big.

But those aren’t always the most important criteria for everyone: maybe you’re looking for the perfect fitness earbuds or for a set that works just as well for Zoom calls as for playing your favorite playlists and podcasts. Tech companies are increasingly making their earbuds work best with their own products through exclusive features and functionality, so that’s another thing to consider as you shop around.

If you want a perk like head-tracking spatial audio, you’ll need to use AirPods with an iPhone, Samsung buds with a Samsung phone, and so on.

The best wireless earbuds for most people Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 8 Pros Cons Smaller, more comfortable design Upgrades to ANC and sound quality Much clearer voice call performance Glossy texture can make them harder to remove from case Sony’s bonus features aren’t as seamless as those of its competitors Where to Buy: $329.99 $248 at Amazon $329.99 $248 at Walmart $329.99 $248 at Best Buy Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 8 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IPX4 / Bluetooth codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC / Multipoint: Yes / Works best with: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Foam (XS, S, M, L) Despite the recent arrival of Sony’s WF-1000XM6 earbuds , the last-gen WF-1000XM5 remain our top recommendation for the best noise-canceling earbuds overall.

Thanks to their larger drivers, audio quality is more detailed and dynamic than before while still retaining the warmth and clarity that made the WF-1000XM4 so enjoyable. They also deliver fantastic active noise cancellation, even if it’s not quite as impressive as it is on the newer XM6 or Bose’s Ultra Earbuds gen 2.

The XM5 do a terrific job of eliminating background noise, and battery life can stretch to eight hours with ANC turned on. Some people found the XM4 bulky and uncomfortable, but Sony has managed to shrink the XM5 by 25 percent (the XM6 are longer and narrower).

Like before, the company includes foam-style tips that expand in your ears to create an excellent seal — and there’s even a fourth (extra small) set of tips in the box. On Android phones, the 1000XM5 support Sony’s LDAC codec for higher-quality music playback. And they’re capable of dynamic head tracking spatial audio through supported video apps like Netflix.

But even if you’re not using LDAC (or have an iPhone), these are up there with the very best audio-focused premium earbuds — including Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 4, only with substantially better noise cancellation. They’re also capable of multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair them with two devices at the same time.

None of that to say the newer XM6 are a bad choice — quite the contrary, actually. Sony’s latest flagships offer improved sound, handle ambient noise better during calls, and deliver some of the best ANC you can get in a pair of wireless earbuds. But they’re also bulkier and pricier than the XM5 given the latter can often be found on sale for around $250, making the last-gen model a better option for most people.