Choose your ideal wireless earbuds
Wireless earbuds are useful if you want a lot of freedom of movement. The cable cannot get stuck and the earbuds cannot be pulled out of your ear in the event of a sudden movement. But how do you choose the wireless earbuds that suit you best and what should you pay attention to? This guide will help you get started!
- #1 Form factor
- #2 With or without domes
- #3 Sound quality
- #4 Battery life
- #5 Noise cancellation
- #6 Spatial sound
- #7 Price
As an Apple user, you may immediately think of the AirPods when you are looking for wireless earbuds. There are many satisfied AirPods users, but it may not be the perfect solution for you. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to earbuds, such as wearing comfort, form factor, wireless technology used, sound quality, latency, battery life and more. There are also aspects that you need to pay less attention to, such as the presence of a built-in microphone (this is almost always present). Below we discuss the different points.
#1 Form factor of earbuds
The form factor and size are very important in your choice. Nowadays there are a lot of wireless earbuds with a stem, following the example of the AirPods. For example, take a look at the JBL Live Pro 2 or the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. These have the advantage that you can easily remove them from your ear by grasping the stem. The AirPods also have all kinds of functions in the stems, which you can activate by squeezing or tapping.
If you don’t like a model with a stem, fortunately there is plenty of choice from more compact models that sit in your ear like a ball. Examples are the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and the Sony WF-1000XM4. There are also models with rubber ear hooks, which ensure that the earplug sits more firmly in your ear. The Beats Powerbeats Pro are a good example of this.
#2 With or without domes
With the AirPods you can choose from the normal model that hangs loosely in your ear, or the Pro model with rubber eartips. These clamp in your ear and close the ear canal. Some people find this a little less pleasant. If you look at earplugs from other brands, they will often have rubber eartips. This is necessary for proper fit and for active noise cancellation, which we will discuss in more detail later. The Sony LinkBuds are a good example of earphones with rubber domes.
#3 Sound quality
Older Bluetooth headsets were not yet optimized for high-quality music playback, which resulted in strong compression. This is now OK with all earbuds, although it is often not yet possible (even with AirPods) to play lossless music in the highest possible quality. Bluetooth is often blamed for this. The wireless connection would not yet be able to transmit high-quality audio. Another factor is that Bluetooth aptX is not yet supported on the iPhone and iPad. In addition to the frequency range, it is also good to look at the Bluetooth version. The higher the better. Bluetooth 5.x is pretty much the standard for today’s earbuds.
Of course, not only Bluetooth is responsible for the final sound quality. You should also pay attention to the quality of the components and the sound settings that the manufacturer offers through its own app. Furthermore, sound experience can be very personal. What one person experiences as an excellent sound, another person finds unpleasant to hear. Preference for certain brands often plays an important role.
Earbuds that are capable of playing hi-res audio include the Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds II, Sony WF-1000XM4 and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. But the question remains whether you want to wear Samsung earbuds.
Some manufacturers have developed special techniques to optimize the audio experience. For example, Bose has CustomTune technology to adjust the noise cancellation and audio performance to the shape of your ears. When you put the earplugs in your ears, you hear a tone that ensures that the acoustics of your ears are measured. This way you enjoy personalized sound and the best possible noise cancellation.
#4 Battery life
Wireless earbuds have two disadvantages: you have to pair them before you can use them and you have to charge them regularly. The latter does not have to be a problem if you get a storage box that also serves as a charging station. Place the earphones in the box regularly and you can listen to your heart’s content. With the AirPods Pro, the usage time of 6 hours is extended to 24 hours. With other earplugs you should also expect a usage time of between 4 and 8 hours, which you can extend to 24 hours or even 30 hours thanks to charging via the box.
Prices AirPods Pro 2022 with Lightning and MagSafe
#5 Noise cancellation
With noise canceling earplugs you can choose from two variants: active and passive. Passive means that your ear canal is simply closed, usually with a rubber dome. This keeps the noise out somewhat, but you can still hear the muffled ambient sounds. This is, for example, the case with the Sony WF-C500, which is also priced somewhat lower.
With active noise cancellation (ANC), the ambient noise is actively muted. Microphones on the outside record the sound and the earphones produce anti-noise to neutralize it. This makes it possible to work with concentration, because you hear almost complete silence. This works best with monotonous sounds, such as a humming airplane engine. With sudden and shrill sounds such as children’s voices, you can still hear something. Apple’s AirPods Pro are the best-known earphones with active noise cancellation and this generally works very well.
#6 Spatial sound
Apple has Spatial Audio on the AirPods, while other manufacturers have developed their own solutions. For example, the Sony Linkbuds S offer “immersive sound”, making them ideal for AR games. Elsewhere at Apple you will find the Beats Fit Pro, which also work with spatial audio. If you also use your earphones to watch movies, spatial sound is a huge plus: it seems as if the action is coming from all sides and the placement of sound in the room makes the effect even more realistic.
#7 Price
If you are looking for wireless earbuds under 50 euros, you will have to rely on models such as the JBL Wave 300 TWS and the OnePlus Nord Buds. You could also look at AirPods clones, which often only cost a few bucks. Apple is in the middle segment with the AirPods: with an entry price of just over a hundred euros, they are certainly not the most expensive and if you look at the more expensive models from Bose and Sony, they quickly run towards 250-300 euros. In the higher segment we find, for example, the Sennheiser TV Clear Set of 350 euros and various models from Bowers & Wilkins. The fact that the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 earplugs in the photo below are relatively expensive is not only due to the sound quality but also to the quality of the materials and the finish.
Do you want to know which wireless earbuds we recommend? Read our round-up!
