Wireless vs. Wire-Free Earbuds If you think the term "true wireless" sounds like sales jargon, we're with you. Regardless of whether you call them "true wireless," "cable-free," or "wire-free," the important distinction between these and typical earphones is the complete lack of a cable connecting the earpieces. If you simply want a pair of Bluetooth earphones for exercise and don't mind a cable connecting the earpieces behind your neck, you can stop reading now and head over to our list of The Best Wireless Headphones. That said, there is something liberating about going completely wire-free. You might notice that the standard AirPods aren't on this list. While Apple may have popularized the true wireless category, the AirPods have their fair share of shortcomings compared with the competition, particularly Apple's own AirPods Pro, which we like a lot better. The Best True Wireless Earbud Deals This Week* *Deals are selected by our partner, TechBargains With that in mind, let's walk through some of the key criteria to consider when shopping for a true wireless pair. On-Ear Controls If there's one complication many models share in the operation department, it's that it's easy to accidentally pause music, skip a track, or summon a voice assistant when you merely meant to take an earpiece out or adjust it slightly. There's not a lot of real estate on most of the earpieces we've tested, and thus much of the outer panel area is devoted to housing controls. Newer models manage to strike a balance between operability and layout. Some use actual tactile buttons to control playback, call management, track navigation, and volume. Some others cleverly divide controls between the two earpieces with touch panels—tapping the left ear, for instance, will skip a track backward, while tapping the right will skip forward. Despite needing to do a little more thinking before you tap, eventually the division of controls between the two earpieces reveals itself to be intuitive. So on-ear control panels are getting more creative and user-friendly, but there's still a ways to go before they catch up with traditional wireless models. As for Bluetooth pairing, you won't find an easier pairing process than with the AirPods or the Powerbeats Pro (if you have an iOS device), which essentially do all the work for you the second you turn them on thanks to Apple's H1 (or older W1) headphone chip. Other pairs are still relatively simple to connect in your phone's Bluetooth settings menu. True Wireless Battery Life Battery life is the Achilles' heel of the true wireless category. The best estimated battery life available (and keep in mind your results will vary with volume levels) tops out at around eight hours maximum. Just about all the other options hover in the five-hour range. It kills a battery fast when you need to power two earpieces separately. The necessary solution that (nearly) all of these designs share in common is a charging case. Each case protects the earpieces when not in use, and charges them simultaneously. Most of the cases carry two extra full charges, so you can recharge your earphones on the go. It's not unlikely that this weak aspect of the true wireless realm will improve to the point that it will no longer be an issue. What If I Lose an Earpiece? This is, understandably, a concern of many potential true wireless users. Allow us to allay your fears—we can say that after over a year of testing, you have to try pretty hard to lose one earpiece. First off, just about every pair we've tested offers an extremely secure in-ear fit without sacrificing comfort. Most of the earpieces are larger than typical in-ears, while still maintaining a lightweight feel, making the likelihood of losing one while exercising (or at any other time) fairly low. See How We Test Headphones As for simply misplacing an earpiece when not in use, this also seems unlikely. The charging case is intrinsically tied to the user experience—like hanging up the phone or turning the TV off when you're finished watching, you'll automatically reach for the case to stow and charge the earphones. To put it another way: You're far more likely to misplace the whole thing—the case with both earpieces inside—than you are to misplace one earpiece. If you do somehow lose one earpiece only, however, plenty of companies like Apple will gladly sell you an extra one à la carte for less than the price of a new full set. If losing an earpiece still seems like something you can imagine happening to you, it's worth researching whether the model you're interested in offers this option. Exercise-Friendly Designs Surprisingly, many of these wire-free models can be used at the gym and even get wet, despite the fact that each earpiece has an exposed charging contact on the inside. Check the IP rating of these; some workout-friendly earphones are only IPX4-rated, so they can stand up to sweat but might be hard to wash. Others are IPX7-rated, which means they can survive getting rinsed and dunked. If durability and a true waterproof design are your main priorities, you'll either need to sacrifice some user-friendliness, or opt for a traditional neckband-style wireless design. Thus far, most of the earphones that are bundled with fitness apps or heart rate monitors have been in the neckband/cabled realm. For more, see The Best True Wireless Earbuds for Running. Earphones With Apps Many of the models we've tested use apps designed by the manufacturer to control various parameters and the setup process. Some let you set auto-off timers, disable voice prompts, and control playback. Others feature user-adjustable EQ and/or an ambient-listening modes (for listening to the sound around you) that can be adjusted. For more on EQ adjustments and other advice, see 5 Easy Tips to Extend the Life of Your Headphones. Get Ready to Spend There is a marked difference between our Editors' Choices in the true wireless category, and a typical tether-together wireless pair. You can get a good wireless (but not true wireless) set of earphones for $40. You can expect to spend at least twice as much for true wireless. The base price for most true wireless options thus far has been around $100, with the very best options costing as much as $200 or even $300, and some very strong budget contenders coming in around $50. This is not a cheap category, but it's gone past the early adopter premium if you know where to look. To get the most out of your purchase, check out 6 Ways You're Using Your Headphones Wrong. We'll be testing more true wireless pairs as they are released, but here you'll find the highest-rated models we've seen so far. Anker Soundcore Liberty Air Review MSRP: $79.99 at Pros: Affordable. Excellent, bass-forward audio. Water-resistant design.Cons: So-so battery life.Bottom Line: There's nothing flashy about Anker's Soundcore Liberty Air true wireless earphones, but they deliver very strong audio performance, especially for the price.Read Review Apple AirPods Pro Review MSRP: $249.00 at Pros: Strong audio performance. Quality active noise cancellation. Secure in-ear fit. Hands-free Siri access. Wireless charging case. Splash-resistant build.Cons: Expensive. No on-ear volume controls. ANC and EQ aren't adjustable.Bottom Line: Apple's true wireless AirPods Pro earphones are vastly superior to the standard model, with solid noise cancellation, quality audio performance, and a far better in-ear fit that justifies the extra cost.Read Review JBL UA True Wireless Flash Review MSRP: $169.95 at Pros: Powerful bass-forward but balanced audio performance. Solid mic clarity. Strong battery life. Waterproof. Includes one year premium membership to MapMyRun.Cons: Cuts off beginnings of newly navigated-to tracks and phone prompts. Minor hiss at low volumes.Bottom Line: The JBL UA True Wireless Flash earbuds deliver strong audio performance and excellent exercise-focused features.Read Review RHA TrueConnect Review MSRP: $169.95 at Pros: Excellent audio performance with rich bass and detailed, clear highs. Handsome, spare design. Sweat-resistant.Cons: Controls can be hard to memorize at first. Battery life remains a weakness for all true wireless models.Bottom Line: The secure-fitting, well-designed RHA TrueConnect earphones deliver excellent true wireless audio.Read Review Pros: Hands-free Alexa voice control. Good active noise reduction. Clear, balanced sound. Comfortable fit.Cons: Somewhat weak lows and highs. Limited controls. Not waterproof.Bottom Line: Amazon's Echo Buds are wire-free earphones with a lot of functionality for $130, including hands-free Alexa voice control and Bose-tuned active noise reduction.Read Review Pros: Powerful audio performance with intense bass depth and bright highs. Strong battery life. Exceptionally secure in-ear fit.Cons: Expensive. Wildly sculpted sound signature. Auto-play feature isn't for everyone.Bottom Line: A secure fit, easy operation, and a bass-forward sound signature make the Powerbeats Pro ideal true wireless earphones for Beats fans.Read Review Pros: Affordable. Rich, bright audio performance. Terrific charging case battery life. Water-resistant design.Cons: Audio can drop out momentarily when volume is adjusted. On-ear controls could be slightly more sensitive.Bottom Line: The EOZ Audio Air true wireless earphones deliver solid audio performance, but their price and battery life are bigger selling points.Read Review Pros: Strong audio performance with boosted bass and crisp highs. App features user-adjustable EQ. IPX7 waterproof. Secure fit for exercise. Cons: Limited on-ear controls. Bottom Line: The Jaybird Vista true wireless earphones deliver powerful audio performance in a waterproof, gym-friendly build with EQ you can adjust to taste.Read Review Pros: Powerful audio performance with intense bass and crisp highs. IPX7 waterproof rating. Exceptionally secure fit. Battery case holds more charge than much of the competition.Cons: Touch-sensitive controls are easy to misfire. Poor mic intelligibility.Bottom Line: The JBL Endurance Peak earphones deliver boosted bass and sculpted highs in an exercise-friendly, true wireless design.Read Review Pros: Excellent audio performance with rich, full bass and bright, well-defined highs. Easy to operate. Solid mic intelligibility in quiet spaces.Cons: Poor mic intelligibility in loud scenarios. So-so charging case battery life. Not waterproof.Bottom Line: Samsung's wire-free Galaxy Buds earphones deliver fantastic audio performance for a reasonable price, which is enough to overcome some dubious marketing claims.Read Review AirPod Alternatives: The Best True Wireless Earbuds for 2019
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Wireless vs. Wire-Free Earbuds If you think the term "true wireless" sounds like sales jargon, we're with you. Regardless of whether you call them "true wireless," "cable-free," or "wire-free," the important distinction between these and typical earphones is the complete lack of a cable connecting the earpieces. If you simply want a pair of Bluetooth earphones for exercise and don't mind a cable connecting the earpieces behind your neck, you can stop reading now and head over to our list of The Best Wireless Headphones. That said, there is something liberating about going completely wire-free. You might notice that the standard AirPods aren't on this list. While Apple may have popularized the true wireless category, the AirPods have their fair share of shortcomings compared with the competition, particularly Apple's own AirPods Pro, which we like a lot better. The Best True Wireless Earbud Deals This Week* *Deals are selected by our partner, TechBargains With that in mind, let's walk through some of the key criteria to consider when shopping for a true wireless pair. On-Ear Controls If there's one complication many models share in the operation department, it's that it's easy to accidentally pause music, skip a track, or summon a voice assistant when you merely meant to take an earpiece out or adjust it slightly. There's not a lot of real estate on most of the earpieces we've tested, and thus much of the outer panel area is devoted to housing controls. Newer models manage to strike a balance between operability and layout. Some use actual tactile buttons to control playback, call management, track navigation, and volume. Some others cleverly divide controls between the two earpieces with touch panels—tapping the left ear, for instance, will skip a track backward, while tapping the right will skip forward. Despite needing to do a little more thinking before you tap, eventually the division of controls between the two earpieces reveals itself to be intuitive. So on-ear control panels are getting more creative and user-friendly, but there's still a ways to go before they catch up with traditional wireless models. As for Bluetooth pairing, you won't find an easier pairing process than with the AirPods or the Powerbeats Pro (if you have an iOS device), which essentially do all the work for you the second you turn them on thanks to Apple's H1 (or older W1) headphone chip. Other pairs are still relatively simple to connect in your phone's Bluetooth settings menu. True Wireless Battery Life Battery life is the Achilles' heel of the true wireless category. The best estimated battery life available (and keep in mind your results will vary with volume levels) tops out at around eight hours maximum. Just about all the other options hover in the five-hour range. It kills a battery fast when you need to power two earpieces separately. The necessary solution that (nearly) all of these designs share in common is a charging case. Each case protects the earpieces when not in use, and charges them simultaneously. Most of the cases carry two extra full charges, so you can recharge your earphones on the go. It's not unlikely that this weak aspect of the true wireless realm will improve to the point that it will no longer be an issue. What If I Lose an Earpiece? This is, understandably, a concern of many potential true wireless users. Allow us to allay your fears—we can say that after over a year of testing, you have to try pretty hard to lose one earpiece. First off, just about every pair we've tested offers an extremely secure in-ear fit without sacrificing comfort. Most of the earpieces are larger than typical in-ears, while still maintaining a lightweight feel, making the likelihood of losing one while exercising (or at any other time) fairly low. See How We Test Headphones As for simply misplacing an earpiece when not in use, this also seems unlikely. The charging case is intrinsically tied to the user experience—like hanging up the phone or turning the TV off when you're finished watching, you'll automatically reach for the case to stow and charge the earphones. To put it another way: You're far more likely to misplace the whole thing—the case with both earpieces inside—than you are to misplace one earpiece. If you do somehow lose one earpiece only, however, plenty of companies like Apple will gladly sell you an extra one à la carte for less than the price of a new full set. If losing an earpiece still seems like something you can imagine happening to you, it's worth researching whether the model you're interested in offers this option. Exercise-Friendly Designs Surprisingly, many of these wire-free models can be used at the gym and even get wet, despite the fact that each earpiece has an exposed charging contact on the inside. Check the IP rating of these; some workout-friendly earphones are only IPX4-rated, so they can stand up to sweat but might be hard to wash. Others are IPX7-rated, which means they can survive getting rinsed and dunked. If durability and a true waterproof design are your main priorities, you'll either need to sacrifice some user-friendliness, or opt for a traditional neckband-style wireless design. Thus far, most of the earphones that are bundled with fitness apps or heart rate monitors have been in the neckband/cabled realm. For more, see The Best True Wireless Earbuds for Running. Earphones With Apps Many of the models we've tested use apps designed by the manufacturer to control various parameters and the setup process. Some let you set auto-off timers, disable voice prompts, and control playback. Others feature user-adjustable EQ and/or an ambient-listening modes (for listening to the sound around you) that can be adjusted. For more on EQ adjustments and other advice, see 5 Easy Tips to Extend the Life of Your Headphones. Get Ready to Spend There is a marked difference between our Editors' Choices in the true wireless category, and a typical tether-together wireless pair. You can get a good wireless (but not true wireless) set of earphones for $40. You can expect to spend at least twice as much for true wireless. The base price for most true wireless options thus far has been around $100, with the very best options costing as much as $200 or even $300, and some very strong budget contenders coming in around $50. This is not a cheap category, but it's gone past the early adopter premium if you know where to look. To get the most out of your purchase, check out 6 Ways You're Using Your Headphones Wrong. We'll be testing more true wireless pairs as they are released, but here you'll find the highest-rated models we've seen so far. Anker Soundcore Liberty Air Review MSRP: $79.99 at Pros: Affordable. Excellent, bass-forward audio. Water-resistant design.Cons: So-so battery life.Bottom Line: There's nothing flashy about Anker's Soundcore Liberty Air true wireless earphones, but they deliver very strong audio performance, especially for the price.Read Review Apple AirPods Pro Review MSRP: $249.00 at Pros: Strong audio performance. Quality active noise cancellation. Secure in-ear fit. Hands-free Siri access. Wireless charging case. Splash-resistant build.Cons: Expensive. No on-ear volume controls. ANC and EQ aren't adjustable.Bottom Line: Apple's true wireless AirPods Pro earphones are vastly superior to the standard model, with solid noise cancellation, quality audio performance, and a far better in-ear fit that justifies the extra cost.Read Review JBL UA True Wireless Flash Review MSRP: $169.95 at Pros: Powerful bass-forward but balanced audio performance. Solid mic clarity. Strong battery life. Waterproof. Includes one year premium membership to MapMyRun.Cons: Cuts off beginnings of newly navigated-to tracks and phone prompts. Minor hiss at low volumes.Bottom Line: The JBL UA True Wireless Flash earbuds deliver strong audio performance and excellent exercise-focused features.Read Review RHA TrueConnect Review MSRP: $169.95 at Pros: Excellent audio performance with rich bass and detailed, clear highs. Handsome, spare design. Sweat-resistant.Cons: Controls can be hard to memorize at first. Battery life remains a weakness for all true wireless models.Bottom Line: The secure-fitting, well-designed RHA TrueConnect earphones deliver excellent true wireless audio.Read Review Pros: Hands-free Alexa voice control. Good active noise reduction. Clear, balanced sound. Comfortable fit.Cons: Somewhat weak lows and highs. Limited controls. Not waterproof.Bottom Line: Amazon's Echo Buds are wire-free earphones with a lot of functionality for $130, including hands-free Alexa voice control and Bose-tuned active noise reduction.Read Review Pros: Powerful audio performance with intense bass depth and bright highs. Strong battery life. Exceptionally secure in-ear fit.Cons: Expensive. Wildly sculpted sound signature. Auto-play feature isn't for everyone.Bottom Line: A secure fit, easy operation, and a bass-forward sound signature make the Powerbeats Pro ideal true wireless earphones for Beats fans.Read Review Pros: Affordable. Rich, bright audio performance. Terrific charging case battery life. Water-resistant design.Cons: Audio can drop out momentarily when volume is adjusted. On-ear controls could be slightly more sensitive.Bottom Line: The EOZ Audio Air true wireless earphones deliver solid audio performance, but their price and battery life are bigger selling points.Read Review Pros: Strong audio performance with boosted bass and crisp highs. App features user-adjustable EQ. IPX7 waterproof. Secure fit for exercise. Cons: Limited on-ear controls. Bottom Line: The Jaybird Vista true wireless earphones deliver powerful audio performance in a waterproof, gym-friendly build with EQ you can adjust to taste.Read Review Pros: Powerful audio performance with intense bass and crisp highs. IPX7 waterproof rating. Exceptionally secure fit. Battery case holds more charge than much of the competition.Cons: Touch-sensitive controls are easy to misfire. Poor mic intelligibility.Bottom Line: The JBL Endurance Peak earphones deliver boosted bass and sculpted highs in an exercise-friendly, true wireless design.Read Review Pros: Excellent audio performance with rich, full bass and bright, well-defined highs. Easy to operate. Solid mic intelligibility in quiet spaces.Cons: Poor mic intelligibility in loud scenarios. So-so charging case battery life. Not waterproof.Bottom Line: Samsung's wire-free Galaxy Buds earphones deliver fantastic audio performance for a reasonable price, which is enough to overcome some dubious marketing claims.Read Review - Zugriffe: 190