Best true wireless earbuds 2023

Sony has done it yet again and the WF-1000XM5s are the best wireless earbuds you can buy, although it does mean you might be tempted by the now cheaper XM4 model.

If you want the latest and greatest, though, then these are them with a winning combination of sound quality, top-notch active noise cancelling, great battery life, and truly clever and useful smart features.

Each time we wonder how Sony can improve but somehow it does and we’re particularly impressed with how the XM5s sound for music with “deep booming bass with clear mids and crisp highs no matter the genre”.

They’re also great for video and phone calls thanks to three mics on each bud and clever software. Sony has also added a smaller ear tip size to cater for more users, although our tester had the odd issue with them coming loose. There’s very little to dislike here if you can afford them and will use the plethora of smart features such as Speak to Chat and Adaptive Sound Control.

Bose has really stepped up its game with the QC Earbuds 2 with a more compact and modern design that still have wingtips for extra security, excellent touch controls and a better case design.

The already excellent ANC is even better with unbelievable pure performance as well as a clever aware mode. Paird with top-notch sound quality and you’ve got yourself a very decent pair of wireless earbuds.

As previously, Sony is the thorn in Bose’s side here with – if it bothers you – better battery life, a better range of smart features and Hi-Res Audio.

Samsung has followed up its original Pro wireless earbuds with another solid effort. As well as improved sound quality, they are compact, comfortable and available in a trio of colour options.

As you’d expect from Pro level earbuds, there are features like active noise cancelling, wireless charging and 24-bit audio support – although the latter requires a Samsung phone.

That combined with limited iOS support means these are best for Samsung users and if you don’t need the high-end features then the Galaxy Buds 2 make for a better value purchase.

The AirPods Pro 2 represent the pinnacle of true wireless earbud performance for iPhone users, with not only impressive audio performance with improved ANC and transparency mode capabilities, but a swathe of smart features that push the AirPods Pro 2 above other third-party options.

It’s not so clear-cut if you’re an Android user, losing out on many of the smarts that make the AirPods Pro 2 what they are, but if you’ve got an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac, the AirPods Pro are the ideal high-end performers.

While there’s still a basic splash-resistant rating, there’s still one glaring thing missing from Apple’s earbuds and that’s a lossless codec.

The Pixel Buds have finally gone Pro and they offer a very well-rounded experience for less money than a lot of rivals.

as well as all the things you’d expect from a flagship pair of earbuds like great sound quality, noise cancelling and good battery life, the Pixel Buds Pro have better touch controls than most along with Google Assistant integration to boot.

It’s not all plain sailing as that lower price does mean you miss out on things like proper waterproofing and Hi-Res Audio.

It’s hard to stand out in a saturated market but JBL has done it with the Tour Pro 2 thanks to an ‘I wish I’d thought of that’ case.

A charging case with a built-in display has got us wondering why all wireless earbuds don’t have this feature. It’s genuinely useful, providing contol over playback, ANC while giving you information such as battery life and the time. It means you can avoid using your phone, earbud touch controls or otherwise which is easier and safer while out and about.

It’s an oversight that you can’t see what’s playing but the Tour Pro 2 have other tricks up their sleeve such as personalised sound, excellent noise cancelling and solid battery life (despite the screen). Some rivals are more comfortable and you’ll need to look elsewhere if you want Hi-Res Audio.

Huawei’s follow-up to its original Pro level earbuds are phenomenally good apart from some small annoyances, which can largely be avoided or forgotten about.

At a much lower price than some rivals, you get incredible sound from the dual-driver setup which unusually features planar drivers. They also fit really well and the active noise cancelling and call quality are nothing short of excellent, even if you need the app to select specific ANC modes beyond on and ambient.

There is a selection of useful smart features such as wear detection, fit test, custom EQ and more. Most markets will get wireless charging, but it’s a shame battery life isn’t any better and the new Silver Blue colour attracts fingerprints.

If sound quality is your number one request from earbuds, and why shouldn’t it, then the Denon PerL Pro are insanely good. The stand-out feature here is Masimo AAT (Adaptive Acoustic Technology) which can customise the sound to your personal hearing.

The process takes a few minutes but it well worth it as hearing the nuances of music in wireless earbuds is a rare thing. The PerL Pro also have very good noise cancelling with different modes, good call quality, various options in the app and handy touch controls.

It’s just a shame they are so expensive and only come splash-proof. We also found the wing tips incredibly hard to install, though the fit was good even without them.

From a brand like Technics you would expect the EAH-AZ80 to be some of the best sounding wireless earbuds money can buy and that is certainly the case with sublime performance. This is largely thanks to 10mm aluminium drivers, an acoustic control chamber and a harmoniser giving them “one of the most open, expansive soundscapes I’ve heard yet from earbuds, with a clarity to the sound that’s hard to find elsewhere” for our tester.

It’s just a shame there isn’t any automatic personalised sound like the Denon PerL Pro, and the case is bigger than most rivals.

However, there are lots of things to like elsewhere with Hi-Res support, good ANC and smart features like customisable controls and Alexa support. We’re also impressed with battery life but the fact you can connect the earbuds to three devices at the same time makes them unique on the market. If you juggle devices daily then these are the buds to get.

The regular AirPods – now third-generation – remain the obvious default purchase for Apple users if you can’t afford the Pro model.

A number of improvements have been made including a more comfortable design, Spatial Audio support, improved Find My support and wireless charging as standard – both Qi and MagSafe.

Still, there are downsides such as the lack of noise cancelling and the open-fit design means no ear canal seal for proper noise isolation like the AirPods Pro and most rivals.

Great earbuds, but not quite a no brainer at the increased price.