Best Sounding True Wireless Earbuds [2023]

By Tinh Lee, August 26, 2021
Best Sounding True Wireless Earbuds IEMs

Updated on 26 October 2022 - These wireless earbuds sound comparable to IEMs with the same price range. We inspect thousands of products and found out that great sounding earbuds cost at least $100 and advanced codecs may not matter in some cases for sound quality and we take it with a grain of salt, but kind of drivers being used and how they are implemented will matter as IEMs enter TWS realm. We'll see a lot more TWS IEMs and their driver setup is really complicated compared to mainstream consumer TWS (that tends to sound more universal). So you may find a truly distinct sound from TWS IEMS.

However, there is occasionally an exceptional case that $30 wireless earbuds surprisingly sound good and it comes with a compromise cheap build quality and short battery life. 

How we picked?
Price range
TWS are priced from $25 to $300
Sound quality
Which kind of sounding profile you like: a pair that sounds universal or distinct
Sound signature
Balanced, Bass-centric, Mid-centric are a few terms you probably heard of.
Driver configuration
BA, DD and their combination truly contributes to the earbuds' sound, but it's more important that how manufacturers implement those drivers.
Does Bluetooth codec matter?
We take audio codecs with a grain of salt, because more advanced codecs don't necessarily mean better sound quality.

AKG N400

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Bottom Line
The AKG N400 shows off all aspects of Bluetooth audio anyone would crave for.
Their bass is exciting to listen to, the extended bass feel satisfied but isn't "creepy" into mid-range.
Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Codec
Battery life
Rated up to 6.0 hours
Water-Resistant
IPX7
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
Yes
Multipoint
No

QCY T5

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QCY T5
Bottom Line
Though the battery is quite short and earbuds have cheap build quality, the long-stem QCY T5 sound surprisingly good for the price once they fit properly in your ears. Guess how much do you have to pay for a pair, less than $40.
Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Codec
Battery life
Rated up to 5.0 hours
Water-Resistant
IPX5
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
No
Multipoint
No
Pros
Comfortable fit
Well-balanced sound
Cons
Shorter than average battery life

Samsung Galaxy Buds

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Bottom Line
Samsung Galaxy Buds is a showcase that TWS can overcome the hinderance of Bluetooth audio. The sub-bass, highs would not be better, while mid-range is characterized to make their sound overall distinguished from average TWS.
Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Codec
Battery life
Rated up to 6.0 hours
Water-Resistant
IPX2
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
No
Multipoint
No

Sony WF-1000XM4

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Sony WF-1000XM4
Bottom Line
The Sony WF-1000XM4 are the refined look and sound from their great-sounding predecessor, the WF-1000XM3.
Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Codec
Battery life
Rated up to 8.0 hours
Water-Resistant
IPX4
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
Yes
Multipoint
Yes
The XM4 did a great job on how the emphasis distributes over ranges. In order of bass, mid, treble the emphasis becomes less. This makes the sound feel way more richness, less harsh on treble. Balanced with strong bass but won't lose characteristic of treble.
Sound signature
balanced (with extra bass)
Pros
Top-notch build quality
Excellent bass performance
Cons
May be a bit big, bulky
Expensive
Surround sound

Sony WF-1000XM3

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Bottom Line
If you once listen to the Sony WF-1000XM3, then you would think the advanced codecs may not matter much because it just supports two standard codecs, SBC and AAC. Sony's audio engineers did a brilliant job for a pair of TWS, bass response is powerful and clean, mid-range is tonally accurate and treble is bright and crisp - the experience is quite close to what you have with wired earbuds.
Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Codec
Battery life
Rated up to 6.0 hours
Water-Resistant
N/A
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
Yes
Multipoint
No

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus

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Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Codec
Battery life
Rated up to 11.0 hours
Water-Resistant
IPX2
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
No
Multipoint
No
The Buds+ aren't really an upgrade from the original Buds for sound quality, but the former lasts longer and has dual drivers to cover a wider range of frequency response, perhaps it explains the +.
Pros
Very high build quality
Comfortable fit
Sports wingtip that fits securely and comfortably in your ear

Airpods Pro

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Bottom Line
AirPods Pro are excellent wireless earbuds for iPhone users with effortless pairing, natural sounding profile, and solid ANC performance. They are also technologically advanced with Spatial Audio and dynamic head tracking.
Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Codec
Battery life
Rated up to 4.5 hours
Water-Resistant
IPX4
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
Yes
Multipoint
Yes
Surround sound

Pi7 S2

Feels slick and flashy, the B&W Pi7 S2 have a circular button with a metallic finish on the round center. 

The B&W Pi7 S2 feature a 9.2mm dynamic coil and moving iron dual-unit acoustic structure and Qualcomm aptX Adaptive technology. They have dynamic sound profile - very detailed, airy. Equipped with 4 pickup mics that can effectively filter out background noise for calls. 

The B&W Pi7 S2 can last up to 5 hours, and up to 21 hours with the charging box.

products

Pi7 S2

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Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Battery life
Rated up to 5.0 hours
Water-Resistant
IP54
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
Yes
Multipoint
No
With wide soundstage, enhanced clarity and detail the overly expensive Pi7 S2 still lack in advanced features that their cheaper virals have like 3D surround.
Pros
Clear, detailed, spacious sound
Cons
Shorter than average battery life
Overly expensive

The best sound now gives more comfort

The top-dog for sound now improves the design. Sony WF-1000XM5 is the next gen of Sony WF-1000XM4 have been improved in fit and comfort compared to its predecessor. They have a more refine look and offer better noise cancellation. 

The Sony WF-1000XM5 feature 8.4mm driver unit (Dynamic Driver X as company claimed), which delivers more powerful bass, and better instrument separation and separation of the higher frequencies.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 do both great noise reduction both physically and technically and they can last up to 8 and 12 with ANC on and off respectively. 

products

Sony WF-1000XM5

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Sony WF-1000XM5
Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Codec
Battery life
Rated up to 9.0 hours
Water-Resistant
IPX4
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
Yes
Multipoint
Yes
Sound signature
balanced (with extra bass)
Pros
Top-notch build quality
Comfortable fit
Outstanding noise cancellation
Very detailed, warm and bright sounding profile with good amount of bass
Cons
Overly boosted bass
Expensive
Surround sound

The Marshall Motif II looks a lot like AirPods Pro 2, but it's in full black color with the iconic logo (M) on the housing. The Motif II still keeps the strong appearance of 1st gen -  knurled stems and a solid texture.

The Marshall Motif II use Bluetooth 5.3 technology with support for AAC, LC3 codecs, allowing more stable connection and better sound quality. It is equipped with a 6mm custom tuned single dynamic, and the frequency response range is broadly 20Hz~20kHz, which can provide Marshall's typical sound signature.

The Motif II support 10 levels of ANC so you can adjust the ANC level to your perference and they can last up to 6 hours with ANC on and 9 hours ANC off.

products

Marshall Motif II ANC

Bluetooth version
Ratings
Editor's Rating
Codec
Battery life
Rated up to 9.0 hours
Water-Resistant
IPX4
Noise-Cancelling (ANC)
Yes
Multipoint
Yes

The Technics EAH-AZ80 charge you the most in this list, but if you are looking for an alternative to Sony WF-1000XM5, but with better call quality, the Technics EAH-AZ80 are truly worth a try. 

products
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