I’ve bought and returned a lot of earbuds. At some point that became a habit, then a hobby, then apparently a blog category. Here’s the distilled version of what I’ve learned.
The Short Version
If you want the best ANC and don’t own Apple products: Sony WF-1000XM5.
If you have an iPhone and you’re already in the Apple ecosystem: AirPods Pro 2, no competition.
If you make a lot of calls or want to connect to two devices at once: Jabra Elite 10.
If you want to spend as little as possible while still getting real ANC: Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.
That’s genuinely it. The rest of this post is just the reasoning.
Sony WF-1000XM5 — Still the Benchmark
I keep coming back to these as my daily driver. The noise cancellation handles office HVAC, airplane cabin noise, and street traffic better than anything else I’ve put in my ears. The XM5 revision made the fit noticeably less chunky than the XM4 and fixed the stability issues some people had.
Sound-wise, Sony leans warm — slightly boosted bass, smooth highs. It’s flattering for most music. If you’re an audiophile type who wants flat/neutral, you’ll be reaching for the EQ settings. LDAC support (Android only, unfortunately) lets you feed higher-quality audio than the standard Bluetooth codecs, and it’s genuinely audible on good source material.
The app is fine. Call quality is decent but not Jabra-level. Battery is 8 hours per charge which I’ve never managed to drain in a single sitting.
What I don’t love: The touch controls require you to basically memorize a secret handshake. Double tap, triple tap, tap-and-hold, and they all do different things depending on which ear. I’ve paused music when I was trying to adjust my ear tip approximately 1000 times.
AirPods Pro 2 — Best for the Apple Ecosystem
If you’re not on iPhone, stop reading this section.
If you are: the AirPods Pro 2 are the answer and have been since they launched. The H2 chip enables features that other manufacturers still haven’t replicated convincingly. Adaptive Audio blends ANC and transparency modes based on what’s around you — I know that sounds like a gimmick and it kind of is, but it’s also genuinely useful. Conversation Awareness pauses your music and activates transparency when it detects you’re talking to someone. It works.
The spatial audio is good if you watch movies on your phone or iPad. The integration means they show up instantly in your Bluetooth menu on every Apple device you own. The case now does USB-C. The ANC is excellent — second only to Sony in my experience.
Outside of Apple devices they’re just okay wireless earbuds at a premium price. Don’t buy them for an Android phone.
Jabra Elite 10 — The Call Quality Pick
Jabra doesn’t have the brand recognition of Sony or Apple but they’ve been making professional headsets for a long time, and it shows. The six-microphone array on the Elite 10 does a noticeably better job of isolating your voice in noisy environments than any other earbud I’ve used. If you work remotely and spend a lot of your day on calls, this is the one.
Multipoint Bluetooth — connecting to two devices at once — is also done well here. With most earbuds multipoint technically works but switching is slow and unreliable. On the Elite 10 it’s fast enough to actually be useful day-to-day.
The ANC is good, not great. Compared to Sony it handles background hum well but lets through more ambient conversation. Sound quality is neutral and accurate, which I prefer but some people find flat. Wireless charging on the case is a nice bonus.
Soundcore Liberty 4 NC — Under $100 and Actually Good
A year ago I would have told you to just save up for a flagship. The budget ANC options were universally bad — either the noise cancellation was fake or the sound quality was garbage or both.
The Liberty 4 NC changed my take on this. The ANC is real. It works. It’s not Sony-level but it’s good enough to make a meaningful difference on public transit or in a loud office. The sound is balanced and pleasant. The battery is rated at 10 hours per charge which I’ve roughly verified.
It feels cheaper than the $250 options because the shell is plastic and the touch controls aren’t as refined. That’s fine for $79. If you’re new to ANC earbuds and want to try it before committing to flagship pricing, this is where I’d start.
What I’d Actually Buy
I currently use the Sony XM5 daily. If I switched to an iPhone tomorrow I’d get the AirPods Pro 2. If someone told me my budget was $80 I’d grab the Soundcore without much deliberation.
The Jabra are excellent if calls are your primary use case. Otherwise I think most people would be happier with the Sony.
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