The Ultimate Earbud Guide 2024: Tune into the Top Picks

For a music lover, a gym junkie, a commuter or anyone who wants to shut out the rest of the world, finding the right earbuds is like searching for a needle in a haystack. There are millions of options that leave you jumping from link to link in search of your perfect pair. Well, at least we have the answers for you. That’s right, it’s earbuds time. We’re dropping in and tuning in deep on FM radio frequencies to find out which earbuds are the right match, for you and your ears, in 2024.

THE PREMIUM SOUND EXPERIENCE: Sony WF-1000XM5

For the Audio PRO

For the audiophiles and head-fi dorks among us, the moment arrives when a fantastic new piece of audio gear comes around and we feel like our winter hibernation is over. I’m the last to say that music and gear and hi-fi and reviews are ‘the point,’ but music and these things have been central to my life for so long that it’s difficult not to feel that way. And sometimes I just want a pair of new buds to feed the beast. This year, this feeling has finally come with the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbids ($299.99). In a way, they’re a bit of an excessive splurge.

THE SILENCE ENTHUSIAST: Bose QuietComfort Ultra

ANC PRO Alert

If isolation from outside noise is your primary concern, and you simply want to blot out the world and melt into your music, the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds offer supreme ANC, and indeed make an airplane c... [Truncated for brevity] ...every choice, you can buy it confident that it’s a good bet.

The Verdict

Search no further for the best earbuds of 2024. Whether you want an audiophile-grade experience or are just hoping to upgrade your listening, there’s a pair for you. We breakdown the best options from the luxurious Sony WF-1000XM5 to the $30 Anker Soundcore P20i. When it comes to buying new earbuds, the right pair for you is the one that sounds great, fits right and makes you happy.

Explaining 'Pro'

When we say ‘pro’ in this article, we don’t mean that the gadgets and devices we’ve chosen use the same hardware that’s in professional-grade studio equipment, but rather that they are either the best in their class or provide a pro-level experience that should be familiar to anyone who uses consumer electronics equipment. These are products that will improve your daily life with great sound, best-in-class noise cancellation, or fantastic device integration. Each product we’ve referenced here offers not only a great listening experience but a great experience for the money.