If you wear earbuds for hours at a time, your ears could be taking in more than your favorite tunes. Dermatologists say constant earbud use creates the perfect environment for irritation and even a germ party in your ears.
If you wear earbuds for hours at a time, your ears could be taking in more than your favorite tunes. Dermatologists say constant earbud use creates the perfect environment for irritation and even a germ party in your ears.
“Wearing them for hours creates occlusion that can trap sweat, dead skin cells and bacteria under the skin,” said Dr. Adam Friedman, chair of dermatology at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
“When you plug the ear canal for long stretches, you create a warm, moist microenvironment — basically almost a hot tub for inflammation,” he said.
That cozy space can lead to clogged pores and pimples called “acne mechanica,” along with allergic reactions and bacterial or fungal infections, Friedman said.
Sweat can even erode protective coatings on earbuds, exposing skin to irritants.
“The longer the earbud is in, the sweat can erode away the protective coating, allowing for those potential allergens or irritants to get out and irritate the skin in your ear canal,” Friedman said.
Earbuds made of plastic, rubber or metal can also trigger allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to those materials, especially if they have eczema. And while buying from reputable brands with quality assurance can help, Friedman said the bigger issue is chronic use.
“That irritation, pain, itching is your skin telling you it needs that break,” he said.
So what can you do? Friedman’s advice is simple.
The first tip is to give your ears a five-minute break every hour to let your skin breathe. Second, clean your earbuds daily with alcohol or soap and water to remove sweat, oil and bacteria.
“If you are not cleaning them regularly, you are reintroducing that junk right back onto the skin,” Friedman said.
Mixing up your listening gear can help, too. Over-the-ear headphones or alternating between styles can reduce friction. And if you notice pain, itching or irritation, that’s the cue that it is time to take a break.
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Looking to score almost 50 percent off on a pair of high-end true wireless earbuds? Amazon currently has the Black Graphite Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) marked down to just $180, a full $170 off their list price, with lesser discounts on the regular black and white varieties.
Courtesy of Sennheiser
Sennheiser
Momentum True Wireless 4
If you’ve ever used a pair of Sennheiser headphones before, you know they have a consistently excellent sound quality, and the True Wireless 4 are no exception. They’re incredibly detailed, particularly for earbuds, regardless of your favorite genre. Our reviewer Ryan Waniata “had a lovely time letting the buds loose across [his] whole music library” and had high praise for the excellent dynamics and precision. If you’re an audio nerd who wants every note to stand out and shine, these are a great pick, particularly without the high price barrier.
The noise-canceling isn’t perfect, but it does a great job of tuning out traffic and other busy city noises, if you want to sit out in a park and just enjoy some music without being bothered. They compared well to the Sony WF-1000XM5 (7/10, WIRED Review), and did a great job of tuning out airplane noise, in case you don’t want to lug your over-ears on a quick trip.
In addition to the excellent audio quality and active noise-canceling, they have all the trimmings you’d expect from a modern pair of wireless earbuds. There’s a smartphone app that will let you adjust codec settings, or tweak a five-band EQ to fit your preferred listening style. They have multipoint pairing as well, in case you need to switch between your phone and laptop regularly. We were able to get between seven and eight hours of runtime with the ANC turned on, so they should last you through most of the day, and the case brings the total to around 30 hours.
While the textured case and classy earbuds have a unique, eye-catching design, they’re both a bit on the large side. If you have small ears, or only carry a small bag, these might not be the best pick, but our guide to the best wireless earbuds would be a good place to start. Otherwise, audio enthusiasts should at least consider the excellent sound the Sennheiser True Wireless 4 can provide.
Speaking of critical listening, the XC1 work with Sony’s hi-res capable LDAC Bluetooth codec, should you happen to own a compatible Android phone (sorry, iPhone users). Using LDAC can reveal more detail, especially when listening to a source of lossless audio, but for these earbuds, I don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze. Using LDAC disables your EQ settings and Bluetooth Multipoint, and the XC1 struggle to maintain a steady Bluetooth connection when LDAC is set to its highest-quality setting.
Baseus also includes two Dolby Audio modes (Music and Cinema), which are meant to create a more immersive, spatial experience. For me, it’s the opposite. I find they wash out the sound, with Cinema being downright muddy. At 60 percent volume, there was more than enough power for an engaging listening experience indoors. Outside, I needed a bit more oomph.
Beyond Music
Photograph: Simon Cohen
Calling on the Inspire XC1 is good. Whether indoors or outdoors, your callers will find it easy to understand you, and almost all background sounds are kept at bay. However, as with most clip-style open-ear earbuds, your voice won’t be crystal clear—some distortion does manage to creep in, particularly when outside.
Baseus rates battery life on the XC1 at eight hours per charge, with 40 hours of total use when you include the case’s battery, numbers that are only eclipsed by the OpenDots One’s 10/40 combo. Baseus assumes 50 percent volume and does not include the use of either Dolby Audio or LDAC. LDAC can be very power hungry, often reducing battery life by up to 30 percent, which is one more reason to avoid it.
Open-ear earbuds aren’t for everyone, but with great sound quality, a comfortable, clip-style design, and easy-to-use controls, the Baseus Inspire XC1 are an excellent choice. They check a lot of boxes for a price that’s considerably less than their nearest competitors, including strong water and dust resistance, optional LDAC mode, and Bluetooth Multipoint. The only thing that’s missing is support for Auracast. Sadly, that feature has yet to see widespread adoption. If you’re after an affordable pair of open buds that compete with the best, these are among the best we’ve tried.
The Amiron 300 have a classic Beyerdynamic sound profile, which is delightfully rich and smooth, with a mostly neutral base that has good definition at the far ends of the spectrum. Reviewer Parker Hall was particularly impressed with the vocal quality, which he called “clear and dynamic” and didn’t get “overwhelmed by such a well-defined low end.” These are particularly good for jazz and vocal-heavy acoustic music, but anyone with good ears will be impressed with the performance.
They also come with five sizes of ear tips, so most people shouldn have no trouble finding some that are a good fit, which also helps provide excellent sound isolation. That helps make up for the fact that the active noise canceling isn’t quite as sharp as it is on earbuds from the likes of Sony or Bose. They do have excellent pass-through audio, though, which could trick you into thinking there isn’t any noise canceling on at all.
There’s a mobile app that’s non-intrusive and useful, letting you change the functions of the buttons on the outside. As someone who constantly skips tracks by accident when pulling my hood up, I can appreciate the ability to tweak these settings. There are a variety of other options too, including an EQ to adjust, and a low latency mode if you want to use them to catch up on your favorite shows while riding the bus to work.
Overall, these make for a nice upgrade from more budget-friendly true wireless earbuds, particularly for those with discerning ears and a penchant for vocal music or podcasts. Their understated design and great compatibility help round out an otherwise appealing package, and the lower price helps seal the deal. If you’re still not sold, make sure to check out our full roundup of true wireless earbuds for all of our top picks.
Inside a desk drawer next to me lives a collection of wired earbuds I can never bring myself to toss out. Although I’ve mainly used Bluetooth wireless earbuds for many years now—usually AirPods Pro—sometimes it’s nice to just plug in a cable and listen, without the fiddliness of a wireless connection. The one thing that’s missing? Active noise cancellation, or ANC.
I check in from time to time on the state of wired earbuds with ANC, and I’m usually disappointed. ANC needs to be powered, and you can’t get that from a 3.5mm headphone jack, so the solutions—like embedding a battery pack in the earbuds’ cable, or adding the feature via a separate USB-C-powered dongle—ditch the battery-free advantage of wired audio. Same goes for using Bluetooth over-ear wireless headphones with ANC as wired headphones. Yeah, you can do it with most wireless over-ears, but they still need power for their sound filtering, and some won’t even work as normal headphones once their battery is kaput.
Finally, in early September, Belkin unveiled almost exactly what I’d been searching for: its $29.99 SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds (USB-C). I previewed them at IFA 2025, where I found them comfortable, lightweight, and they sounded decent, but that was based on using them on a noisy show floor, which wasn’t enough to actually evaluate them. Thankfully, Belkin sent me home with a pair to review.
Belkin SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds (USB-C)
Belkin’s new SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds don’t have the best noise cancellation, but they’re convenient, cheap, and sound great for what they are.
They’ll never run out of battery
Decent, balanced sound
Comfy
Great for phone calls
Cheap!
Weak ANC
Wires make a lot of noise when bumped
Only works with devices that support audio over USB-C
I’ve always really liked AirPods Pros, from the first generation to the latest AirPods Pro 3. But as good as they are, their wireless connection can still be flaky, especially after years of battery and physical wear and tear, not to mention the occasional mandatory firmware update that makes them act weird. Like when mine identified themselves as “Not Your AirPods Pro” every time I opened the case for months on end, only returning to normal after a firmware update release that coincided with the release of the AirPods Pro 3. It’s been nice to go back to just plugging in a thing and having it work—no recharging, no Bluetooth pairing, no secret, software-breaking firmware updates. Just music or podcasts when I want them.
Belkin’s SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds are chunky—roughly the size of my aforementioned AirPods Pro—but, for me, lightweight enough that I don’t really notice them in my ears. They’re also IPX5-rated, which means they aren’t dust-tight, but they should withstand sweat and splashes of water—AirPods Pro 2 were IPX4 or IP54, depending on whether you bought the Lightning or USB-C version. The SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds come in both black and white color options, and they use a flat cable that’s pliable and tangle-resistant.
Their in-ear tips are made of a soft silicone that’s much more resistant than Apple’s AirPods to the creeping horror that is my earwax. (Sorry if that’s gross to read, but I know this happens for plenty of you, too.) They come with three pairs of tips, and they don’t attach to the earbuds in any special, proprietary way, so picking up a set of universal fit earbud tips is doable if the included ones don’t feel good.
Belkin’s wired earbuds are clunky in some ways. The volume and play/pause buttons on the small, inline control module work like you’d expect, but it’s awkward as hell to hold down both volume up and down to cycle through the three included EQ presets: bass boost, balanced audio, and Belkin Signature Sound. And I’m not sure I like the way ANC and transparency mode are activated, by long-pressing a button on the side of the module, despite not minding a long squeeze to do the same thing on AirPods Pro. Something about it being a physical button makes me want it to work differently. But those are minor complaints, and I found I didn’t really want to change the EQ preset once I set the bass boost one.
The biggest compromise is right in the name: they connect with USB-C, rather than a 3.5mm headphone plug. That means you can’t use them with older devices like MP3 players or pre-USB-C handheld game consoles. I did confirm that they work with my iPhone 15 Pro, Google Pixel 6, both of my Apple silicon Macs, and my Nintendo Switch 2. Asterisk on Nintendo’s latest handheld: the Switch 2 Pro controller, which has a 3.5mm audio jack that lets you use headsets for GameChat, doesn’t support USB-C headphones. And just so we’re clear, neither does the first-generation Switch, including the OLED model, much to my disappointment.
Still, it’s good to know that of everything I would want to use wired headphones with, Belkin’s earbuds work fine with most. USB-C also introduces another issue: longevity, or the potential lack thereof. The Belkin SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds seem to have a hardy USB-C plug, but I’ve only tested them for around a month. As often as they could be plugged and unplugged over time, the mechanism that clips them into a USB-C port is bound to wear out eventually. I hope Belkin did a good job with these and that they’ll last for years, but only time will tell whether that’s the case.
So how do they sound? Belkin outfitted the SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds with 12mm drivers, putting them right between the AirPods Pro 2 and 3. Driver size isn’t everything, and Belkin only charges $30 for these earbuds, so I didn’t expect miracles—and they didn’t give me any! But they did outrun my expectations with punchy bass that’s not too boomy, and midrange and treble that are clear without being muddy or ear-piercingly tinny, respectively. Compared to the AirPods Pro 3, their sound profile is far cooler, with thinner low-end. It’s not a fair comparison, though (the AirPods Pro 3 are pretty widely praised, after all). Overall, they’re quite decent, putting out much better sound than I would expect from similarly priced wireless earbuds.
It’s when you start to pay attention to the details that the price tag shows. The bass gets fuzzy and weak when you turn the SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds up to around 80 percent or so. And they lack definition in songs that need it; Belkin’s earbuds didn’t do any favors for tracks like Tom Waits’ “Green Grass,” overly emphasizing its crackling audio and making it sound more amateurish than an intentionally ragged stylistic choice. The earbuds also have a pretty narrow sound stage, leaving audio you listen to very much confined to the area between your ears. I tend to actually like the intimate feel of that when I’m listening to something like that Tom Waits song, but it’s not ideal for a bombastic track like “Through the Fire and the Flames” by DragonForce. There’s also a lot of cable noise that vibrates its way up into the earbuds. I could hear rustling every time I turned my head and the cable scraped against my facial hair, and a loud thump when I reached up and grabbed the wire or tapped it with my fingertips.
The SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds only mildly cancel noise—they’ll block the small desktop fan I have in my office, but generally speaking, they only deal well with certain droney sounds. Walking around near a busy street in my neighborhood, the ANC quieted other sounds well enough to listen to music and podcasts or take a phone call, but these would be your last resort on, say, an airplane or a city bus. The earbuds also have decent voice isolation. A friend I called while on that walk said that while they could tell there were cars around, my voice came through loud and clear. Turning off ANC compromised the voice isolation, such that my friend could suddenly hear way more wind and car noise. Either way, though, they said I was clear and intelligible throughout the call. That’s not always the case with my AirPods Pro 2, which tend to cut out a lot and require me to constantly repeat myself when outdoors on a phone call.
I genuinely didn’t expect to like the Belkin SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds as much as I do. My AirPods Pro 3 are in no danger of being replaced by them, but during the testing period, they were my go-to, anytime I was playing my Nintendo Switch 2, and I found I even liked using them while sitting and working at my laptop. I’d still rather use wireless earbuds if I’m up and about, mostly because I find all the noise from the cable bumping or rubbing, well, anything at all is just too distracting.
I liked the experience, which resembled a past time when I never had to mess with Bluetooth pairing and my earbuds worked with anything that output sound. It’s not the exact same, since I couldn’t use these with, say, my Sony PS Vita or my old Apple iPod nano, but most of the devices I use in my daily life have a USB-C port these days, and almost all work with Belkin’s earbuds the way I want them to. The one exception was with my Switch 2 Pro Controller, which only outputs audio through its 3.5mm audio jack. I didn’t actually expect it to do so with the USB-C port on top, but wouldn’t it have been neat if it did?
If you’ve been missing wired earbuds, or you want something that’s close to a modern Bluetooth audio experience but without the tiny, easy-to-lose earbuds and no fear of running out of battery, these are an easy recommendation for less than $30. Belkin’s SoundForm ANC Wired Earbuds (USB-C) will be available Oct. 17 on Belkin’s website, and soon thereafter on Amazon.
I’ve been very impressed with Samsung’s third-gen wireless earbuds. The Galaxy Buds3 Pro ($190), which were released in 2024, were a solid AirPods Pro competitor for Android owners. Now, they’ve been joined by the Galaxy Buds3 FE, a new entry-level model that looks nearly identical to the Buds3 Pro but trades away a lot of bells and whistles for a more accessible price: $150.
The Pro’s high-tech LED “blade” lights are gone, as is head tracking, auto-pause, dual drivers, wireless charging, and full waterproofing. What matters more is what Samsung kept: a very comfortable fit, great sound quality, and surprisingly good ANC, transparency, and call quality. In short, the Galaxy Buds3 FE get the most important stuff right.
Like all Samsung Galaxy wireless earbuds, some of their more interesting features are exclusively available when using Samsung Galaxy phones (and don’t even think about buying them if you’re on an iPhone), which narrows their prospective market. But if you’re a true-blue Samsung fan on a budget, the Galaxy Buds3 FE are a great set of wireless buds.
Midrange Gems
Photograph: Simon Cohen
Though Samsung calls them Galaxy Buds3 FE—you’d naturally assume that means they replace 2023’s Galaxy Buds FE ($100)—they’re actually a kind of midrange option. Samsung is keeping the Buds FE around (and maintaining the price), which I think is a great idea. The original Buds FE are still excellent, and now you’ve got two different fit options: the older, button-style, and the newer AirPods imitation shape. As a bonus, if you opt for the Buds3 FE, you get better water and dust protection: IP54 versus IPX2.
Between the two FE models, I’ve got to give the comfort award to the Buds3 FE. With less mass in your ear and no silicone stability fin wrapped around the circumference, it’s a gentle, easy feel. If you’ve ever tried the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, Apple AirPods Pro, or similarly shaped, stem-based models, the Buds3 FE should feel instantly familiar. However, that also means they aren’t exactly rock-solid for high-impact activities like running. This is where the original Galaxy Buds FE still have an edge: Twist them into place and it’s unlikely they’ll budge unless you want them to.
Wear App via Simon Cohen
Samsung isn’t very generous with ear tip sizes. Beyond the preinstalled medium tips, you only get a small and a large size in the box—the new AirPods Pro, for example, give you four pairs. Make sure you use the fit test in the Samsung Wear app once you get the earbuds connected. I thought the medium tips felt OK, but the test prompted me to try the large, and it was right: They gave me a better fit and a tighter seal.
Speaking of what’s in (or not in) the box, Samsung, like Apple, no longer includes a charging cable. You probably have at least one USB-C cable already, but if you don’t, you’ll need one.
Moving to the stem-based design brings pinch and swipe gestures to the FE family. Samsung borrowed this system from Apple’s AirPods Pro, but the triangular shape of the Galaxy Buds’ stems can make these controls a little harder to use than Apple’s. You do get used to them, however, and overall, I think they’re an improvement on the first-gen Buds FE’s touch controls—especially using the up/down swipe gesture to control volume.
Samsung’s AirPods
Photograph: Simon Cohen
Sound quality on the Galaxy Buds3 FE is outstanding. It not only compares well to other earbuds at this price, it holds up to many more expensive models. The sound signature is robust, with excellent response across frequencies. The low end is resonant yet snappy, the mids and highs are clear and detailed, and the soundstage has a pleasing amount of width and depth.
LG just announced two new earbuds in its xboom line of audio products, following the launch of the xboom Buds in January. The xboom Buds Plus and Buds Lite (which seems like a relatively confusing name to beer drinkers) both hit store shelves sometime this month.
The Buds Plus earbuds are filled with high-tech bells and whistles. These premium headphones boast adaptive EQ that continuously adjusts the sound profile in real time. This should ensure “optimal audio quality regardless of how the earbuds are worn.” The company says the design compensates for changes that would lead to signal degradation with other earbuds.
They include ANC and a trio of microphones for making phone calls and the like. The charging case sanitizes the earbuds after each use with UV rays, with the company claiming that the process eliminates 99.9 percent of bacteria from the surface. This case also doubles as a Bluetooth transmitter, which is useful when enjoying some in-flight entertainment. It supports wireless charging, which is nice, with up to ten hours of playback per charge on the buds and 30 hours with the case.
The Buds Lite earbuds have one advantage over the standard Buds and the Buds Plus. The battery lasts up to 11.5 hours per charge, with the case bringing that up to 35 hours. Otherwise, these are standard earbuds that offer “clear, balanced audio for music, calls and more.”
They offer ANC, though a more streamlined version than with the Plus, and four customizable EQ modes. This allows users to “fine-tune their sound profile to match their preferences.” The Buds Lite ship with several different ear tips to accommodate multiple ear canal sizes.
LG hasn’t revealed any pricing info on these products, but the original xboom Buds cost $109. It’s a safe bet the Buds Plus will cost more than that. Hopefully, the Buds Lite will cost a bit less.
These are just the latest xboom-branded audio products. The company announced a trio of speakers at CES this year.
Belkin showcased a range of recently released Qi2.2 magnetic wireless chargers at IFA 2025, along with other charging accessories and wireless earbuds. Nestled in all of this were two products that immediately caught my eye: the Belkin UltraCharge Magnetic Charger 25W and the SoundForm USB-C Wired Earbuds with ANC.
I want to talk about that second product, because this is something that has been stuck in a tiny space in the back of my mind for years. I rarely actively seek out noise-canceling wired earbuds, and when I do, I’m always disappointed to find they barelyexist. At first glance, there’s not much to Belkin’s SoundForm USB-C headphones: they’re white, with flat wires that terminate in somewhat chunky earbuds. The earbuds are water- and- sweat resistant, feature 12mm drivers (for comparison, Apple’s AirPods Pro use 11mm drivers). Belkin claims they have “rich sound and deep bass.”
I got to test them a little bit, and yes, they sound decent—they’re not tinny, not muffled, the sound is reasonably balanced, and they’ve got nice-sounding bass, though it won’t rattle your brain by any means. Also, the SoundForm USB-C Wired Earbuds seemed to avoid the kind of boxy sound that I’ve noticed with some Belkin wireless earbuds. The active noise-cancelling (ANC) is far from competing with that of the AirPods Pro 2, but it does drop the noise around you—it seemed like it had a hard time with a narrow band of mid-range sounds. Maybe that’s intentional, to let you hear when people are talking to you, but it’s a weird effect. The wired earbuds also have a transparency mode, or you can turn these modes off.
The reason Belkin’s new headphones can actually do ANC is that instead of an unpowered 3.5mm headphone jack, they use USB-C. Sure, that limits where you can use them, but it’s a fine trade-off versus ANC wireless earbuds that you have to recharge and whose non-replaceable batteries are doomed to give out.
Of course, USB-C plugs don’t always last forever—the little pieces that secure them in a port can wear out, making their connection loose and finicky—so there’s a chance these may not endure any longer than the tiny batteries in wireless earbuds, especially if you use them a lot. Belkin representative Jen Wei told me that the company doesn’t hear regular complaints from customers about its USB-C plugs doing this, and it’s true that some last longer than others, but it’s something to be aware of. Still, I’m glad to see Belkin trying this. The SoundForm USB-C Wired Earbuds with ANC will be available in October for $34.99.
Belkin isn’t the only one bringing back wired earbuds. Sony also announced its own IER-EX15C earbuds (sorry, “in-ear headphones”) at IFA 2025. No ANC in these, but they also connect via USB-C. They’re $30, but for another $5, Belkin’s SoundForm USB-C Wired Earbuds seem like the better deal to get ANC.
At a glance, the UltraCharge Magnetic Charger 25W is just a MagSafe-style charging puck, but thicker and with a ring-shaped kickstand that you can also use to stabilize your phone. Unlike the UltraCharge 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Dock that Belkin released last month, product manager Laurelin Stuart-Smith told me at the booth that the standalone puck has a heatsink inside for passive cooling—magnetic charging generates a lot of excess heat, and the 25W power afforded by this charger’s use of the Qi2.2 standard will only make that worse.
The UltraCharge Magnetic Charger 25W will be available in November for $39.95.
There’s one more thing I want to nerd out about from Belkin’s booth: the BoostCharge Retractable Car Charger 75W. Its integrated USB-C cable extends 75cm (roughly 2.5 feet) and offers 60W charging. The device also has two ports (one USB-A and one USB-C) and Belkin says it actively optimizes power delivery when more than one thing is connected.
I’m always very skeptical about retractable cables, or just retractable things in general—I’ve just owned too many cheap ones whose springs give out, rendering them annoying and useless. I’m also always wary of integrated cables for the same USB-C plug wearing out. I can’t speak to how long the USB-C plug on this device will last, but retractable cables can be done well, and at least from the brief time I had tugging on Belkin’s new car charger’s USB-C cable, it felt pleasantly smooth, with none of the odd clunkiness that tells you This Thing Will Break Soon.
The BoostCharge Retractable Car Charger 75W will be available in the US in October for $29.99.
If you’re willing to spend more than $100, great headphones abound. Once Apple breached the wireless earbud dam with its initial AirPod model, excellent-sounding buds with noise-canceling, great mics, and high-fidelity sound have flooded the market. Put a list of name brands on a board, throw a dart, and buy the pair it makes that’s closest to $150. You’ll probably find something that’s reasonably good.
That’s why I’m so impressed with a new pair of headphones from relative newcomer Soundpeats, the Capsule3 Pro+. The name might be a mouthful, but for $90 retail, these earbuds offer adaptive noise canceling and high-resolution audio via a pair of drivers, including one dynamic piston for bass and one groundbreaking solid-state driver for everything else.
The combination of a tried and true AirPods-style design and modern technology inside the buds makes them my favorite cheap earbuds right now, and possibly of all time. I have never heard a pair that sounds this good for this cheap. The Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+ wipe the floor with most—not just many—more expensive models.
Standard Looks
Elon Musk would call these “Dark AirPods Pro,” and he’d be frustratingly right. A black AirPods Pro imitation case is perfectly paired with two black-and-gold AirPods Pro imitation headphones, right down to the little gold hinge on the back of the buds’ case. (It’s silver on the Apple model it imitates.)
Photograph: Parker Hall
The benefit of such blatant design reproduction is that the buds are sleek and comfortable in my ears, just like the version that’s “designed in California.” The black colorway actually makes them more discreet in public.
I didn’t have any trouble getting a good seal in my ears, thanks to three sizes of included silicone eartips. Anyone with any experience fitting AirPods or other earbuds in their ears should have similar luck.
Setup and pairing are as instant as you can expect of any modern earbuds. I just scrolled to find them on my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Bluetooth menu and they immediately connected.
Amazing Audio
The real belle of the ball is inside these otherwise bland buds. A dynamic driver works alongside a solid state xMEMS driver and Sony’s LDAC high-resolution audio codec to create some of the most lifelike audio I’ve heard from a pair of earbuds, and easily the best sound I’ve ever heard this side of $100.
Solid-state drivers don’t have the same range of physical motion as piston-like dynamic drivers, like the ones you’re used to seeing in speakers. That means the phase and speed at which the solid-state drivers can respond is superior, which in turn gets you huge separation between instruments and the ability to really hear each sound when you focus on it. xMEMs drivers can react faster across the frequency spectrum, so you get essentially the clearest possible view into what the artist wanted you to hear.
A welcome surprise from Bose, the new QuietComfort Earbuds dip into a more affordable price range without sacrificing quality or features. They’re comfortable, last up to 8.5 hours per charge, and have Bose’s signature clean sound and top-tier active noise cancellation. They come with three pairs of ear tips and stability bands to ensure a great fit.
Apple’s high-end earbuds will be able to be used a full-on hearing aids. (Apple)
Could Apple really be teeing up a change that could save my elderly mother more than $1,500? That’s the promise of the company’s newly announced initiative to add true hearing aid functionality to the AirPods Pro — and why, with all due respect to the iPhone 16 and its fancy Camera Control button, it was the most promising section of Monday’s keynote, to my eyes.
The news couldn’t have come at a better time for me. My 80-year-old mother has finally admitted that her hearing is, shall we say, subpar. And she just asked me to book her an appointment at the Miracle Ear clinic down the street (“They’re having a fall sale!”). But before I went down that road, I decided to do some research.
The frustrating world of hearing aids
I knew that there was a burgeoning market for hearing aids since the US government opened the field to over-the-counter competition in 2022. But a bit of googling confirmed that those models — even those with familiar names, like Jabra, Sony and Sennheiser — start at $300 and go north from there, sometimes topping $2,000. And while that’s certainly a lot, the crazy thing is that it’s downright cheap compared to clinical hearing aids. Those often start at $1,000, and can go as high as $5,000 or more. Yes, really.
Some medical insurance may defer costs, but Medicare doesn’t. While retired military personnel can get hearing aids through the VA, I remember my father’s journey down that path meant that his hearing aids arrived many months after the initial hearing exam.
Jabra Enhance’s OTC hearing aid options top out at almost $2,000. (Jabra Enhance)
And here’s the clincher: Many elderly folks seem to loathe their hearing aids, and for good reason: They’re generally tedious and unintuitive to use, sometimes with a single microscopic button to control volume. Want to turn them off? Pop open the battery cover, for starters. (And many hearing aids still use disposable microbatteries.) Case in point: My mother got one of these expensive pair of hearing aids years ago, but found the challenge of wearing and maintaining them wasn’t worth the so-so audio improvement they offered. They still power on, but they don’t seem to work effectively any more — and being out of warranty, the cause of our current hearing aid search.
The competition from the OTC market has helped in that regard, as the Jabras and Sennheisers of the world push the traditional hearing aid providers to become a bit more tech-savvy. Some eschew the behind-the-ear battery pack and go for earbud-style simplicity. Bluetooth connectivity for calls and apps for sound adjustments are finally more common, as older people become accustomed to using their phones and tablets.
But why go for what’s essentially an AirPods knockoff when you can get the real thing at a fraction of the price? (And — amazingly, in an age where everything has gone the subscription route — free of any sort of recurring monthly fees.)
Waiting for the software update — and managing expectations
So, when will the hearing aid features become available? What seemed to be weeks away may now be much closer. FDA regulatory signoff (in the US) is already a done deal, arriving just a few days after the initial announcement. That leaves the requisite software upgrade. You’ll need an AirPods Pro paired with a compatible device running iOS 18, or the equivalent 2024 OS updates for iPad or Mac. On the iPhone side, that’s pretty much every model sold after the 2018 model year (iPhone XS/XR and later). While those initial software updates hit on September 16, it’s unclear if the hearing aid functionality will arrive then, or sometime later — perhaps alongside the first Apple Intelligence coming in October. (Apple’s site simply says “coming this fall.”)
In the meantime, I’ve started the upsell to my mother. I showed her the relevant portion of Apple’s video presentation, and I had her try out my AirPods Pro, just to gauge fit and comfort. The initial response wasn’t enthusiastic. While she liked that they “didn’t fall out of my ears” like the AirPods 2, she’s put off by the penetration of the eartips into her ear canal. Countless other headphone fans agree, and that’s why the design of the new AirPods 4 is more open. But Apple hasn’t suggested the hearing aid functionality is coming to those headphones anytime soon — if ever.
Unlike traditional hearing aids, AirPods Pro are anything but discreet. (This shot is from Apple’s keynote video.) (Apple)
And let’s be honest: This isn’t envisioned as a miracle cure. Apple specifically says this feature is “intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.” I wouldn’t be surprised if my mother has graduated to the need for pro-level hearing assistance at this point, over-the-counter or otherwise. So we may end up opting for one of those Jabra Enhance models, which offer a 100-day no-hassle return policy.
But now we have the AirPods Pro as a testable alternative. Going forward, anyone in the market for hearing aids can start their journey with the AirPods Pro and its companion free audio test. If you like the results, you’re done — or you at least have a stopgap solution. And if not, you can compare and contrast them against pricier OTC or clinical options in terms of comfort, battery life, ease of use and — of course — the respective efficacy of their actual hearing assistance. The very fact that Apple is in the hearing aid conversation with a $200-ish option feels like a win.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Apple’s AirPods Pro must be feeling pretty bigheaded these days. Every year we see dozens of new earbuds aiming to model Apple’s distinctive design, with even the latest revamp of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds joining the party.
Looks aside, most models that come across my desk don’t attempt to directly compete with the AirPods Pro’s high-end performance or breezy iOS usability. Instead, buds like OnePlus’s new Nord Buds 3 Pro go the other way, heavily undercutting Apple’s top buds on price while offering solid baseline performance and features.
There’s nothing like the real thing, especially if you want earbuds that cater to all things Apple. For those on a tighter budget, the latest Nord Buds Pro serve up a comfy fit, extras like multipoint connection and decent noise canceling, and clear, punchy sound for well under $100.
Familiar Form
The Nord Buds 3 Pro’s most stand-out trait may be their exorbitantly long yet unmemorable name. No joke, I’ve had to look up the order of this word salad nearly every time I write it.
Their design recalls the AirPods Pro and their many knockoffs, of course, but it’s particularly similar to a pair I recently reviewed from Soundpeats, the Air4 Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommends), right down to their rounded and speckled charging cases. Both pairs have a budget flair with large swaps of shiny plastic throughout, though the Nord Buds’ more compact stems make them marginally easier to wield and wear.
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Their weight of 4.4 grams per bud is slightly heavier than the Air4 Pro, but still nearly a gram lighter than the AirPods Pro, which combines with their ergonomic design to do a disappearing act in your ears. Like a lot of budget pairs, they only provide three ear tip sizes, but the default pair worked fine for me, providing a stable fit and multiple hours of comfort.
The buds offer snappy and stable device connection over Bluetooth 5.4, often pairing with my iPhone before I pulled it out of my pocket, and Android users get easy one-touch initial pairing with Google Fast Pair+. Multipoint connection is similarly seamless, letting you pair the buds to a phone and a laptop simultaneously to conveniently swap between the two. To initiate, simply hold down the button on the case’s bottom, no app required.
You will want to download the OnePlus app (bizarrely named “Hey Melody”) before getting too far along because the Nord 3 Pro’s play/pause command is turned off by default. I assume this is to prevent unwanted taps while adjusting the buds, but it’s still a baffling default setting. The buds do offer sensors to automatically pause or play audio when you pull one out, something even my favorite budget buds, Soundcore’s Space A40 (8/10, WIRED Recommends), omit. You can easily assign the play/pause control in the app, alongside volume, ambient audio, and song skip commands for a well-rounded experience via generally responsive touch sensors.
I used tolove Samsung’s wireless earbuds. They came in all types of magical shapes and sizes, with designs that genuinely seemed to embrace the new frontier that totally portable listening devices offered. Why on earth the brand shifted course and began imitating Apple (badly) for its third generation of wireless buds, I honestly can’t say.
The new Galaxy Buds3 look (and mostly act) like a Cybertruck version of standard AirPods, rather than an updated version of the Buds2 that I gave a 9/10, WIRED Recommends badge a few years ago. They cost more than the AirPods, are even less comfortable, and sound worse.
What’s particularly baffling isn’t that Samsung is bobbing for Apple’s designs, it’s that it had perfectly excellent earbuds to begin with. The Galaxy Buds3 sound worse than their predecessors, work worse than their predecessors, and cost more than their predecessors. They aren’t very good at all, even when compared to AirPods (which also aren’t very good).
Back in the Box
It gets embarrassing as soon as you start unboxing them: The case is a rip-off of the rounded rectangular thing you get with the AirPods Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but with a clear plastic top that makes it look and feel cheaper. The case works fine, with wireless and USB-C charging so you can place them on a mat by your door so you don’t forget them when you head out.
The buds themselves look as though AirPods took a flight to Austin, Texas, with nearly identical rounded plastic upper ear tips that transform into silver triangles as you go toward the tip of the elephant trunk. (They also come in white, where they look so much like Apple’s product that you probably would mistake them if you saw someone wearing them.) There is a bright red accent on the right earbud (and inside the case) to tell you which bud is which, which is admittedly a nice addition over Apple’s drab white nothingness, but otherwise these look like Cybertrucked AirPods in every sense of the word.
Photograph: Parker Hall
They’re larger and more cumbersome to insert than standard AirPods, especially thanks to said triangular design: Gripping a triangle to adjust an ear tip is significantly harder than gripping a rounded cylinder, which makes putting them in and out of your ears a test of dexterity.
Same goes for the controls, which use the same squeeze and swipe controls that AirPods offer, except the shape of the buds means I always messed up the way they were sitting in my ears whenever I wanted to adjust volume or change tracks. What happened to the simple touch controls and shockingly comfortable design of the Buds2?
On the Go
The main feature Samsung is touting for these new buds is that they have AI onboard, so you can use voice controls to change songs, adjust volume, answer calls, and even do real-time translation. The voice controls work fine, but Samsung’s AI-based translation isn’t great; I asked my wife, who is fluent in Spanish (the most likely language to be used for this here in the United States), to speak a few sentences, and the app missed all context and translated poorly. Stick to Google Translate.
The app is full of all sorts of other unhelpful features too. The headphones will, for some reason, remind you if your neck has been bent over for too long. If you’re bent over for so long you’re getting neck pain, I’m not sure a pair of headphones cheerfully chirping at you will solve the problem.
Then there is the active noise canceling: Because the headphones have such a poor seal, it’s like putting an air conditioner next to an open window. Sure, the ANC does what it can to remove outside noise, but without a physical barrier (like ear tips) to seal out the world (or place it through some sort of venting like Apple does with the AirPods Pro and Samsung used to do with the older Galaxy Buds), its abilities are limited. All this to say: You won’t get silence wearing these buds, even with ANC cranked and your music blasting along with it.
This year’s Samsung Unpacked was a pretty loaded event. We saw the release of the Galaxy Fold 6, a successor to the best folding phone. The new Samsung Galaxy Ring reminded Flo of why she hates rings, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra impressed us to the point where we thought it was essentially like the Apple Watch Ultra but for Android users. Samsung also launched its latest earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 3 series, which gave us serious deja vu.
The earbud series consists of a modest base model, the $180 Galaxy Buds 3, and its pricier counterpart, the $250 Galaxy Buds 3 Pros. Before we discuss the differences and determine which model is right for you, let’s first examine their similarities.
They are more alike than you think
You’re promised 24-bit hi-fi audio across the series, so that’s not something you should worry about. The predecessors, Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, also offered 24-bit audio, which makes the Samsung Galaxy FE Buds, the company’s entry-level $99 Buds, the only current offering without hi-fi sound. While Samsung guarantees hi-def sound across the board, the catch is that you can only enjoy it with Samsung phones. Building a wall around your features to trap consumers inside your ecosystem isn’t new and is something we’ve been seeing on Samsung’s biggest rival for ages.
Fortunately, both new buds sport ANC. ANC is often omitted on budget earbuds, but the base model’s midrange $180 price tag merits the feature. Both buds offer a fully customizable EQ so you can get your music exactly how you like it.
Of course, the buds boast a bunch of AI stuff. With Galaxy AI powering both models, you can use the Interpreter feature in Listening mode on the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Flip 6 to translate a foreign language in real-time. Your Galaxy Buds 3 series will translate the words as they are being spoken. Voice Command is another AI feature that allows you to control playback on the buds simply by uttering a short voice prompt. This allows for easy, hands-free control and reminds me of using head gestures in iOS 18 to control AirPods.
In terms of design, the Apple AirPods-style stems, sorry “blades”, can be found on both the buds. I don’t know if this was done not to look like complete AirPod duplicates, but the blades sport a strange triangular design, which is the same across both models. The blades can be pinched or swiped up or down to control your device or adjust volume. An IP57 rating (on both the buds only, not the charging cases) ensures they can withstand light splashes and sweat. Both models support quick charging and wireless charging, too.
What kind of ears do you have?
If you have weird ears like me, who can’t accept in-ear buds, the Buds 3 host an on-ear design that sits right outside your ear canal, while the Pros feature an in-ear or canal design that goes inside your ears. I know many people apart from myself (my coworker Kyle, a bunch of friends, and some family members) whose ears just aren’t built for canal buds. I took the Pros out for a quick walk to test if these were any different and found myself manually pushing them in every few seconds, or they would plop out of my ears.
Deciding this also requires considering your lifestyle. The Buds 3 will be an excellent fit if you’re into running or other outdoor activities. Open earbuds are also known as running buds for that reason. They facilitate situational awareness and allow you to keep in touch with what’s happening around you. I haven’t gotten a chance to take them out for a run yet, but I commuted with them to work, which involves a lot of walking and a Subway ride, and it felt nice not having every ambient sound blocked out. I’ve missed important train announcements because of ANC, so I liked being mindful of my environment and music simultaneously.
Just a little note: the Pros do feature an Ambient Mode, which will offer the same experience as the Buds 3, but this way, you’re paying extra money for a mode that’s the default on the base model. So, if you’re sure about your lifestyle and priorities, it’s best to opt for a model based on that simple.
Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Go For The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
Suppose you’re into those bells and whistles. The Pros, as they should be, are undeniably fancy owing to the stunning blade lights that amp up their overall look. The buds light up multiple times, such as when docking or taking them out of the case. As much as I’d hate to pay an extra $70 just for lights, I probably will if I decide between these two. That’s how pretty they are.
More importantly, go for the Buds 3 Pros if you’re an audiophile who can’t compromise on sound quality. Though both offer 24-bit, 96 KHz sound, the Pros feature a two-way speaker system with a planar tweeter and dual amplifiers. The tweeter helps with enhanced treble or high-end sound, and the amplifiers make your music sound richer and clearer.
Surprisingly, the difference was noticeable in my quick hands-on with both buds. I listened to a lot of Anjunadeep, which I turn to when I want to discern the details in music closely. The Pros offer clear highs that don’t sound excessively sharp at high volumes and mids that are balanced and sound full and rich. The low-end, I’ll admit, wasn’t as easily discernible on these despite the presence of a dedicated woofer. So, if you’re a hardcore bass fan, you might not be thrilled about these.
Though both buds do ANC, the Pros go a step ahead and feature Galaxy AI-powered Adaptive ANC. This means it can detect sharp, unexpected sirens, general ambient noise, or human voice to turn its level up or down accordingly. ANC-wise, I couldn’t feel a noticeable difference between the buds. As in, I couldn’t tell if the Pros considerably enhanced cancellation as soon as I entered the rather loud Kips Bay Trader Joe’s and decreased it as soon as I exited it. I felt like both the buds performed the same regarding ANC, but maybe that’s an opinion that will change when I get into deeper testing.
Another feature that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to test out is battery life. The base model sports 24 hours with ANC off and 30 with it on, and the Pros provide 26 hours with ANC off and 30 with ANC On. Since there isn’t much difference, I wouldn’t recommend battery life as one of the main reasons to invest an extra $70. But stay tuned to find out what the actual scores are.
Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Which are the Buds 3 for you?
Based on my quick testing, the early verdict is pretty clear. The Pros make more sense if sound matters a lot to you and you’re someone who’d notice the upgrade and make the extra investment worthwhile. The regular Buds 3 sound decent, too, so if you’re looking for a not-so-expensive pair of Buds for your daily commute or run, they will be more than enough to fulfill your needs. They sport ANC, too, so it’s not like you’ll always have to be subjected to ambient sound.
Again, the base model doesn’t feature many of the bells and whistles the Pros do, but it’s also $70 cheaper. Feel free to pass on the Pros if you think a strip of lights on the blades isn’t worth 70 bucks. Apart from the lights, the sleek, streamlined blade design is consistent across the series.
Looking at how other features such as battery life, water resistance, wireless charging, quick charging, some AI features, and custom EQ are also shared across both new buds. If anything, I see more similarities than differences. But ultimately, it also comes down to the weightage you attribute to a feature. If the most significant reason you’re paying extra for–upgraded sound–is something you’re not willing to compromise on, then you have your answer already. The Pro is the way to go.
That’s not to say the Solo Buds sound bad. They certainly lean toward the brighter side in the treble and midrange, but their sound is accessible and never got excessively sharp in my testing. The dynamics feel rather flat, but there’s some decent detail here, and they wholly avoid the kind of muddled lower register common in so many budget options. You’ll find clear delineation of each register across a wide range of tracks and genres.
They also support Spatial Audio with supported videos and music on services like Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited, though they don’t offer the same head-tracking common with such features, designed to virtually anchor the listening position around you.
I took several calls with the Solo Buds with no complaints on either end. Beats says the buds employ a noise learning algorithm with “advanced logic” that targets your voice and suppresses “external unwanted noises.” While I wasn’t able to test them in especially windy conditions, I tried a call under the bathroom fan. The caller said my voice sounded a bit like a speakerphone call, but the fan noise wasn’t audible.
Minimal Extras
Finding the Solo Buds to be somewhere around the “just fine” level for sound quality isn’t uncommon at their price, but it does make their distinct lack of other features tougher to square. Unlike so many new options at this price (and even well below), you won’t get any noise canceling to buffer annoyances or even transparency mode to keep you aware of your surroundings.
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Also missing here are plenty of now-standard Apple offerings, like sensors to pause the sound when you pull a bud out, “Hey Siri” voice assistant summoning, or auto-switching to seamlessly swap between iCloud devices. They offer a few handy Apple exclusives, including Find My support to keep track of them, audio sharing, and one-touch pairing, popping up on your iPhone automatically when you first open them.
Like other Beats buds, the Solo can switch hit for Android gear, with some handy tricks like auto-swapping between Google-connected cloud devices, as well as the same one-touch pairing and Find My Device features you’ll get on iOS. The Beats Android app provides some basic settings adjustments and firmware updates.
It’s not nothing, but it’s a rather short list when you look at the litany of extras Soundcore offers in the A40 or the even better outfitted Liberty 4 NC (8/10, WIRED Recommends), with everything from noise canceling and transparency mode to multi-band EQ control and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. Even granting the possibility of a sound upgrade for those who can find a better fit than I did, the Solo Buds are a tough sell with so many loaded budget options out there, and countless more on the way.
If you’re after ecosystem-agnostic buds nestled in the cutest little case in the galaxy, the Solo Buds fit the bill at a modest price that’s sure to see a swift drop. Otherwise, you’ll get more for your money elsewhere.
Discover the Shokz OpenFit Air: A New Era of Earbuds
When it comes to earbuds, comfort, sound quality, and usability are key factors. Shokz, a leader in open-ear headphone technology, has introduced the OpenFit Air earbuds, designed to meet these demands and more. Let’s dive into what makes these earbuds stand out in a crowded market.
All-Day Comfort with Open-Ear Design
One of the standout features of the OpenFit Air is its open-ear design. Unlike traditional earbuds that sit inside your ear canal, the OpenFit Air rests just outside, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings. This design is particularly beneficial for those who use earbuds while exercising, commuting, or working in environments where situational awareness is crucial.
The comfort level is enhanced by the teardrop-shaped cross-section and ergonomic ear hooks. These design elements reduce pressure on your ears, making the earbuds suitable for long listening sessions. The ear hooks are also adaptable, providing a secure fit that won’t slip, even during intense activities.
Secure Fit for Every Activity
Shokz has put a lot of thought into the fit of the OpenFit Air. Engineers designed the earbuds with a 25.5° angle to move the center of gravity closer to your ear, creating a sensation of lightness. Additionally, the 18° beveled driver housing ensures the earbuds stay securely in place.
This secure fit is not only about comfort but also about ensuring the best audio experience. Whether you’re running, biking, or simply moving around during your daily routine, the OpenFit Air stays put, delivering consistent sound quality.
Immersive Audio Experience
Sound quality is a critical aspect of any earbud, and the OpenFit Air does not disappoint. Shokz has incorporated their DirectPitch™ technology, which offers balanced sound with minimal leakage. This means you can enjoy your music, podcasts, and audiobooks without disturbing those around you.
The earbuds also feature Shokz OpenBass™ Air, a proprietary technology that enhances low-frequency sounds, providing deep bass and rich audio details. This combination of technologies ensures that all genres of music sound good, from bass-heavy tracks to acoustic melodies.
User-Friendly Features
In addition to comfort and sound quality, the OpenFit Air offers a range of features that enhance usability. With Bluetooth 5.2, you get a reliable connection up to 10 meters away. The earbuds also support multipoint pairing, allowing you to connect to two devices simultaneously. This is perfect for switching between your phone and laptop without hassle.
The OpenFit Air comes with intuitive controls that can be customized through the Shokz App. Whether you need to change tracks, adjust the volume, or take calls, the controls are straightforward and easy to use. The built-in microphones with Adaptive Beamforming technology ensure clear voice quality, reducing background noise significantly.
Conclusion
The Shokz OpenFit Air earbuds bring together comfort, security, and high-quality audio in a sleek package. Their open-ear design and ergonomic fit make them ideal for all-day wear, while advanced audio technologies deliver an immersive listening experience. With features like Bluetooth 5.2, multipoint pairing, and customizable controls, they are designed for the modern, on-the-go lifestyle.
Available for purchase on Shokz.com and Amazon in black, white, and pink, the OpenFit Air earbuds are priced at $119.95 USD. Whether you’re an athlete, a commuter, or someone who enjoys high-quality audio throughout the day, these earbuds are worth considering.
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
Entrepreneurs on the road building their businesses often find themselves traveling alone and into new, unknown territories. Anyone who is looking to collaborate or sell across international lines and with people who are of different cultures and speak different languages needs a plan for communication. That’s where this deal comes in.
From April 15 through 21, you can get these Mymanu CLIK S: Award-Winning Translation Earbuds on sale for a lower cost of just $89.97 (reg. $157). Featured at multiple CES events, including the most recent 2023 show, it’s even won the Red Dot Award there.
The earbuds are designed to help you hear and communicate in 37 languages, which, in theory, gives you the power to communicate with over two billion people around the world. The earbuds are designed to be comfortable with memory foam tips, so you can wear them during long business calls and meetings and if you happen to meet someone on a flight who you think might be a valuable connection.
The Mymanu CLIK S earbuds support business travelers with a lot of convenient features and design highlights. For example, it has up to 30 hours of battery life on a full charge, which helps for long stretches traveling and out of reach of a charger. They also come compatible with both iOS and Android devices, making them usable for most mobile phone carriers around the world.
How much is great sound worth to you? Sennheiser’s top wireless earbuds ask that question in more ways than one. The previous version, the True Wireless 3, was praised by reviewers, but some users raised issues like battery drain and connection glitches. The Momentum True Wireless 4 set out to address these complaints with an all-new battery system among “over a dozen major upgrades,” according to Sennheiser.
Within this context, the two earbud dropouts I experienced in my first few days of testing the MTW4 stood out more than the usual new bud jitters. Especially since the latest pair sports the exact same exterior design as the MTW3, which is, in 2024, looking downright chunky compared to the competition. Size aside, a firmware update seems to have fixed those connection woes, and I’ve experienced no other dropouts over multiple days of testing.
One thing that’s never been in question with Sennheiser is sound quality. Even given their superb sonic pedigree, the Momentum 4 caught me off guard with their clarity, their sensitivity, and the sheer sweetness and delicacy with which they render every tone. They pair that with competitive noise canceling and a solid app. The result is a package that’s worthy of a little faith—especially for those who put great sound first.
Not-So-Spyware
If you’re at all familiar with Sennheiser’s long-running Momentum line, you’ll be feeling déjà vu with the fourth-gen version. The buds arrive nestled in what looks like the same boxy case from the original 2019 Momentum. It feels downright massive when compared to cases from Apple, Sony, and others. Still, you have to admire Sennheiser’s style, cloaking it with sleek fabric straight out of the James Bond Corduroy Collection.
The buds have morphed over time, but Sennheiser made no exterior changes from 2022’s MTW3 to maintain their “timeless aesthetic.” They certainly look premium with their angled, smoked-chrome housings but, timeless or not, I would have appreciated some ergonomic updates.
The buds barely wedge into my medium-size ears with the default band that flexes around the main housing, but swapping it for the smaller of two spares made them stable and relatively comfy for a few hours at a clip. They still feel bulgy and somewhat invasive, and at 6 grams per side, they don’t quite pull the disappearing trick of Apple’s AirPods Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) or other favorites. Four ear tip sizes let you further customize the fit, but those with smaller ears may want to try before you buy.
Plenty of Goodies
Photograph: Ryan Waniata
Beneath their enameled shells, the MTW4 have undergone a relatively thorough makeover, from their new battery system (and firmware to optimize it) to support for the latest Bluetooth 5.4 protocol and a new low-latency mode for gaming. They’ve also now got dust protection, with an IP54 rating.
The battery is arguably the most important upgrade, which includes a new provider to ensure improved reliability. Playback is rated at a respectable 7.5 hours per charge, and 30 hours total with the charging case. This matched my testing, with the buds keeping pace at around seven to eight hours per charge with noise canceling on.
Call quality has been upgraded, with AI optimization designed to offer advanced clarity via the buds’ new Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. I didn’t notice anything special on my end, but I also never received major complaints from others, even while talking outdoors.
The right to repair has been a hot topic for several years now, hitting a kind of critical mass with domestic and international legislation. Advocates note that these proposals give users more control over their own property, while expanding products’ shelf life and reducing e-waste.
Fairphone is, perhaps, the most prominent hardware company to make repairability the foundation of its consumer electronic design ethos, rather than a simple afterthought. To date, the European startup has released several handsets and a pair of over-ear headphones. This week, it’s adding earbuds to that list.
While Bluetooth buds have rapidly become a commodity, user repairability has been something of a non-starter, owing to their compact size. They’re also relatively cheap to produce, making it easy to toss a pair when it stops working for some reason. If you’re going to make a product like this repairable, you have to make it a foundational feature — which, thankfully, is kind of Fairphone’s whole deal.
Image Credits: Fairphone (screenshot)
In this case, the company centered on battery life. Users can easily open the buds and case to remove the batteries once they’ve worn down. The company calls Fairbuds, “the world’s most repairable premium earbuds.” They’re certainly easier to crack open and swap out parts than competitive products from the likes of Apple and Samsung.
The €149 ($162) price puts them somewhere in the mid-tier of the earbud world. You can, of course, get buds for significantly less these days. And while the company is promoting features like active noise canceling and 11mm titanium drivers, the truth is that repairability and battery longevity need to be high up on your list of requirements to pick these out of an extremely crowded field.
In the consumer electronics world, right to repair has largely focused on handsets and PCs. Given the lower price point and smaller footprint, it seems unlikely that they’ll find their way into many laws in the near future. But anything that can help reduce e-waste and give users more control over these products is probably a net positive.
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
In a world where eight in 10 remote-capable professionals are working hybrid or fully remote (according to a Gallup survey), it’s crucial to have tools that support focus, concentration, and productivity, no matter where you are. An absolute must is a pair of wireless earbuds with noise cancellation.
While you can’t go wrong with a set like the Beats Studio Buds+ True Wireless, they can get a little pricey. However, if you grab an open-box pair, you can save 41% and get them for only $99.99, normally $169.99.
Open box: The trick for saving 41% on new buds.
What does open box mean? Exactly what it sounds like. Think of these earbuds as excess inventory from shelves that were shipped back to a warehouse, as they could no longer be sold. As a result, their packaging is imperfect, meaning you’re getting brand-new earbuds at a fraction of their usual retail price.
Your key to productivity.
But let’s focus more on how great the Beats Studio Buds+ True Wireless earbuds are for hybrid and remote hustlers. They have active noise canceling to help you tune out background noise, like while you’re trying to get work done at the coffee shop or airport, and a transparency mode so you can be aware of your surroundings, like if you want to order a muffin or cross the street without removing the earbuds.
The Beats Studio Buds+ have up to 36 hours of combined listening time with their case, meaning you can stay connected for virtual meetings or hands-free calls for several workdays before needing to recharge. The earbuds also have on-ear controls for managing calls and dual-beam microphones that help filter out external noise for high-quality sound.
