Top Earbud Headphones 2023

Above-average for neutral listening. The KZ ZS10 have a punchy bass, a decently well-balanced mid-range and a good treble that sounds fairly detailed with instruments and vocals without sounding too sharp like some of the in-ears we've tested. Unfortunately, although they are decently well balanced, they do sound a bit boomy and cluttered at times due to the bump in the bass range. They also tend to push instruments and vocals slightly back in the mix and have a small soundstage which won't be ideal for more neutral listeners. On the upside, they will sound good enough for most and are decent sounding in-ears, especially for their price range.

Apple's other wireless earbuds might be a better fit for you than the AirPods

The Status Between Pro are satisfactory for neutral sound. Their bass-heavy sound will please fans of EDM and hip-hop, but vocals and lead instruments are muddied by the overemphasized bass range. Additionally, the underemphasized treble range makes sibilants, like cymbals, sound dull. You can't change the sound profile either, as these earbuds lack a companion app or features like an EQ. However, they support aptX codec for better audio quality than the default codec.

Offering terrific value for the price, the Earfun Air S lack some power for anyone after strong bass, but they're feature-rich nonetheless – and it's hard to fault too much at this price.

The water-resistant, bass-forward Adidas FWD-02 Sport earphones can't keep up with similarly priced true wireless competitors that offer more features and stronger performance.

The SoundSport In-Ear are good headphones for sports use. They have a stable and open in-ear fit that allows runners to monitor their surroundings. Also, They're small enough to carry around on your person wherever you go.

FiiO has got our attention with these value-driven earbuds - it hasn't nailed every element, but there's enough here to suggest that subsequent efforts could well tick a lot of boxes.

Aside from its neckband design, the Beyerdynamic Blue Byrd ANC (2nd Generation) earphones do little to stand out from competitors that offer better noise cancellation and companion apps.

The Creative Outlier Free Pro headphones have Bluetooth and 8GB storage, making them a swim-friendly design with good comfort levels for an attractive price.

These sensibly priced earphones are easy to get on with thanks to their long battery life. Make sure you’re fine with the lack of active noise cancellation first, though, and that you can get more dynamic-sounding pairs for similar money.