The Best-Sounding Wireless Earbuds I've Tested

If you're looking for an elevated sound experience, these are CNET's current picks, including a few budget options, for earbuds that deliver the best sound quality. I've been testing true-wireless earbuds for over 10 years, and I've become really picky about their sound quality. Not surprisingly, a lot of the best-sounding wireless earbuds tend to be premium models. But knowing that not everybody can afford earbuds that cost more than $200 (or even $150), I've also included a handful of budget picks that sound very good for their price. Note that while some of the models on this list also feature excellent noise-canceling and voice-calling performance, the main criterion for being on this list is standout sound quality. I've tested all the earbuds on this list and will update it as new models become available. Our Picks Best-sounding new earbuds of 2026 Sony WF-1000XM6 Jump to details $330 at Amazon Jump to details Top-sounding earbuds from Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 Jump to details $298 at Amazon Jump to details Best-sounding wireless earbuds from B&W Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Jump to details $384 at Amazon Jump to details Best wireless earbuds for Apple users Apple AirPods Pro 3 Jump to details $210 at Amazon Jump to details Premium sound for less than $80 Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus Jump to details $100 at Amazon Jump to details Best-sounding earbuds with 3 drivers Status Pro X Jump to details $239 at Amazon Jump to details Top Bose earbuds with superb noise canceling Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen) Jump to details $249 at Amazon Jump to details Top audiophile wireless earbuds Noble Fokus Amadeus Jump to details $320 at Amazon Jump to details Top value ANC earbuds with Sound by Bose Baseus Inspire XP1 Jump to details $130 at Amazon Jump to details Supersleek earbuds with excellent sound Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven Jump to details $487 at Amazon Jump to details Best-sounding Sennheiser wireless earbuds Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Jump to details $300 at Amazon Jump to details Best-sounding earbuds from Edifier Edifier NeoBuds Planar Jump to details $200 at Amazon Jump to details Best-sounding wireless sports earbuds with ear hooks Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Jump to details $200 at Amazon Jump to details Top gaming earbuds with excellent sound Sony Pulse Explore Jump to details $199 at Amazon Jump to details Show 9 more HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK Walmart – Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Noise-Canceling Earbuds:  $200 (save $49) Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black):  $248 (save $152) Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):  $170 (save $181) Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones:  $398 (save $62) Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Twilight Blue):  $179 (save $170) Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article. Table of Contents The Best-Sounding Wireless Earbuds I've Tested What are the best-sounding wireless earbuds overall? Best-sounding wireless earbuds of 2026 Best-sounding new earbuds of 2026 Top-sounding earbuds from Panasonic Best-sounding wireless earbuds from B&W Best wireless earbuds for Apple users Premium sound for less than $80 Best-sounding earbuds with 3 drivers Top Bose earbuds with superb noise canceling Top audiophile wireless earbuds Top value ANC earbuds with Sound by Bose Supersleek earbuds with excellent sound Best-sounding Sennheiser wireless earbuds Best-sounding earbuds from Edifier Best-sounding wireless sports earbuds with ear hooks Top gaming earbuds with excellent sound Factors to consider when choosing wireless earbuds How we test the best sounding true-wireless earbuds Other top-sounding wireless earbuds we've tested Best-sounding wireless earbuds FAQ What are the best-sounding wireless earbuds overall?Sound quality is subjective -- and everybody has different musical tastes -- so what sounds best to me may not sound best to you. Sony's recently released WF-1000XM6 earned a CNET Editors' Choice award in February and currently sits at the top of the list. But the Technics EAH-AZ100 Apple AirPods Pro 3, Bowers and Wilkins Pi8, Noble's Fokus Amadeus, and Status Audio Pro X buds are right there with them for sound quality. The Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus buds are a top value pick along with the Baseus Inspire XP1.What We Updated: February 2026We added the Sony WF-1000XM6, Baseus Inspire XP1 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE, all of which earned a CNET Editors' Choice awards. We also and moved the Sony WF-1000XM5, Master & Dynamic MW09, Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, JBL Live Beam 3 and Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 to the other top-sounding earbuds we tested section.Best-sounding wireless earbuds of 2026 David Carnoy/CNET Photo Gallery 1/5 David Carnoy/CNET Best-sounding new earbuds of 2026 Sony WF-1000XM6 9.2 /10 SCORE Pros Completely redesigned with upgraded components and slightly better fit than XM5 Top-notch sound that's accurate, well-balanced and natural Excellent noise-canceling and voice-calling performance with