I Rigorously Reviewed the Best Earbuds of 2025. Here Are the Ones That Reigned Supreme
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Wireless earbuds (and, in some cases, their wired counterparts) are as essential to your everyday carry as your wallet or smartphone. More portable and discreet than headphones, the best earbuds fit seamlessly into workouts, travel days, and commutes. For Men's Journal's 2025 Tech Awards, I tested dozens of options to find the best superlative picks across a slew of categories. See my top recommendations below, from truly wireless to open-ear earbuds.
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Best Earbuds at a Glance
- Best Wireless Earbuds Overall: Technics EAH-AZ100
- Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Best Earbuds for Workouts: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
- Best Earbuds for iPhone: Apple Airpods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation
- Best Earbuds for Android Users: Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3
- Best-Sounding Earbuds: Master & Dynamic ME05
- Best Budget Earbuds: RayCon The Open
Best Earbuds of 2025, Tested and Reviewed
Best Earbuds Overall: Technics EAH-AZ100
Why I Chose Them
There’s so much to love about these new flagship earbuds from the storied Japanese audiophile brand, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, not least of which is the understated gold and brushed metal detailing on the case and earbuds that’s reminiscent of its best 1980s stereo components.
Sound is elegant, full, and balanced: Technics uses something called “Magnetic Fluid” technology in its drivers that’s designed to reduce distortion. This leads to bass that isn't overbearing or monolithic, but solid, along with more separation between instruments in other ranges. The app offers many customization options, everything from an equalizer to levels of awareness and noise cancellation. There’s also a Dolby Atmos spatial audio setting that applies head tracking to any track, Dolby Audio, spatial, or otherwise.
Also superlative: The noise cancellation on this pair of audiophile wireless buds rivals that of Bose. The reduction in sound from the heavy metal playing in the background at a coffee shop equaled that of the Bose earbuds, while nearly every other earbud was about two-thirds as good at blocking out the same noise. And since I have both an Android and an iPhone, as well as a couple of laptops, I appreciated the three-device multi-point connectivity, which lets me toggle from one device to another instantly.
Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
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Why I Chose Them
Bose headphones and earbuds can sometimes be bass heavy for some, but as far as minimizing outside noise, they’re tough to beat. Only a couple of earbuds I tested came close to reducing the prominence of background music and conversations at the gym and coffee shop, not to mention construction noise outside my apartment. Softer ambient noise like the rustling of papers or flight attendants serving food disappeared almost entirely, though it can't drown out sirens.
These earbuds deliver solid sound, especially for rock, pop, and spoken word or TV/movie content. They also offer lots of customizability, including an Immersive Audio quasi-Dolby Atmos setting that lets you toggle through a standard stereo and head-tracking mode, facilitating a spatial audio experience with any kind of music or movie file from any source.
Often, I opted for the standard stereo mode, especially on electronic, rock, or pop tunes because it just felt louder and boomier. Sometimes noise cancellation is so good I get paranoid about not hearing danger outside, so I like the “Auto Transparency” feature: As soon as you take off one earbud, it automatically shuts down noise cancellation on the remaining earbud (so you can hear more easily from both sides). I also like the ability to go between my PC and iPhone just by swiping on my right earbud, thanks to multi-point Bluetooth capability.
Best Earbuds for Workouts: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
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Why I Chose Them
I refuse to wear in-ear earbuds or headphones while riding my bike or running outside, despite the improved quality of “transparency” modes across the board. I need to have my ears open to the world when cars or pedestrians are involved. Even some in-ear models feel too immersive, in terms of audio quality, to keep me safely engaged.
Designed with a unique mix of alternative audio technologies, OpenRun Pro 2 hangs over your ears and around your neck, with the sound units themselves resting between your ears and temples. Bone conduction technology blasts sound vibrations through your cheekbones, which helps with bass, while air conduction sends a blast of focused sound to your earbud through the air, much more like a traditional open-ear earbud.
The sound quality won't blow you away by any means, but dance and rock music sounds better than expected, especially with EQ bass boost mode flipped on (via the companion app). It’s just not as loud as most other models, which is exactly what I want when running or biking through busy city streets anyway.
The headset is perfect for phone calls and podcasts, too—no trouble hearing voices. And I don’t have to worry about sweaty eartips falling under a treadmill or onto dirty asphalt.
Best Earbuds for iPhone: Apple Airpods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation
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Why I Chose Them
AirPods and iPhones are designed for each other, so if easy and seamless operation out of the box is a priority, spring for Apple Airpods 4 Earbuds With Noise Cancellation. This is the first open-ear model from Apple; they sit outside the ear canal rather than inside.
Open earbuds are starting to pop up everywhere, because they’re the closest thing to one size fits all. Open-ear earbuds are also touted as safer, since you’re not completely blocked from the outside world and sound isn’t blasting directly into your plugged-up ear canals.
What’s more, even though open-ear designs inevitably don’t sound as meaty—some sound escapes without the full enclosure of an ear tip—AirPods 4 deliver audio that’s clear, detailed, and roomy. While the bass inevitably misses some of the oomph, it’s still proportionately solid and resonant.
One of my favorite reasons for using them with iPhones, iPads, and Macs, is the seamless pairing—not only at setup, but every time I take them out of the charging case. It’s instant and without fail. Chargeable via the more universal USB-C (rather than Lightning cable), wireless Qi, and even Apple Watch charger, the charging case also has a speaker, which means I can ask it to play a sound if I misplace the case via the “Find My” feature.
Also cool: I can answer calls and interact with Siri via head gestures. Improved voice isolation makes phone calls less annoying for people on the other side of the line, especially while talking on windy city streets.
Best Earbuds for Android Users: Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3
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Why I Chose Them
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are arguably the best earbuds for Samsung and Android phones. They synced particularly well with both a Samsung S24 and Samsung S25 in my tests. One of the biggest positives is they can play lossless tracks in the Samsung-specific Seamless Codec Ultra High Quality (SSD UHQ), which maximizes clarity and sound on Samsung devices over other Android devices.
Also, thanks to two drivers in each bud powered by an amp, the sound is detailed, warm, and expansive on both classical and beat-heavy dance tracks. The Galaxy Wear app offers a lot of options for customizability in terms of head-tracking, ANC, and controls, but also a nifty earbud fit test that indicates through audio blasts whether or not you have the right silicone ear tip on (perfect for those of us who can’t seem to decide between sizes).
Best-Sounding Earbuds: Master & Dynamic ME05
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Why We Chose It
Originally, I went with Master & Dynamic MW09 to keep this roundup truly wireless, but I pivoted since a premium wired connection produces higher quality sound than a wireless Bluetooth connection. Wires are simply capable of transmitting more audio data with no need for compression.
Master & Dynamic’s flagship ME05 wired earbuds boast dual 3.5/USB-C connectivity, which makes them capable of playing hi-res audio up to 32-bit/384kHz resolution, either with the 3.5mm to USB-C DAC or via the 3.5mm cable alone (provided the latter connection has an on-device DAC). But it’s the ME05’s stellar design and materials that make the difference.
The brass earbuds don’t just make a style statement, they also provide a resonant chamber for the 8mm drivers inside them. The result is sound that’s warm, balanced, and detailed. Instruments are clearly separated in a three-dimensional way. On the Bruckner Symphony No. 9 Scherzo movement, the orchestra sounded several rows deep rather than a 2D blended wall of sound, as on so many other earbuds and headphones. From Rush to Cal Tjader to FKA twigs, bass tended to pop elegantly—with some realistic audio decay—rather than booming bluntly and without nuance.
There’s no companion app, ANC, or equalizer here, so passive noise cancellation and ideal sound is all in the fit. Casting a wide net at multiple ear canal sizes, ME05 comes with five different silicone ear tips and two foam ear tips to find your perfect fit. The premium ME05 earbuds don’t necessarily reinvent the wheel and stick to what works, but there’s something surprising and delightful about listening to any kind of music on a tried and true technology—not unlike listening to a vinyl record.
Best Budget Earbuds: RayCon The Open
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Why I Chose Them
Budget earbuds are getting better and better. I kept my choices under $100 for this category, though arguably you can get exponentially improved sound for just a bit more than a Benjamin. Raycon The Open Earbuds strike a balance between modern conveniences—open-ear design, multi-point technology, and eight-hour battery life—(40 more thanks to the carrying case—and nice price ($70, though sometimes less).
Unlike many open earbuds, the sound units themselves can be adjusted into different angles, so you can aim them farther or closer to your ear, depending on comfort or sound preference. I like how I can adjust their position to look discreet on my ears since some of these open-ear models can protrude in an unsightly way from the head. As with other open-ear models, they’re good for exercising since you can easily hear what’s going on outside, and an IP5-rating means they can handle heavy downpours, copious amounts of sweat, and even being submerged down to three feet underwater for 20 minutes.
Controls are simple, tap-based, and entirely on the buds. There’s no app and no ANC. With the exception of booming bass and ANC, these earbuds offer a lot of features and flexibility for active types at a low price.
How I Tested the Best Earbuds of 2025
For this story, I aimed to cast as wide a net as possible across multiple audio technologies, form factors, brands, price points, and user needs. To test out everything from detail and instrument separation to bass fidelity and mid-range clarity, I played the same tracks from a number of music genres—Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” FKA twigs’ “papi bones (feat.shygirl),” Cal Tjader’s “September Song,” and the Scherzo from Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 as performed by the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and conducted by Andris Nelsons—all of which were available in aptX HD, aptX adaptive, or LDAC, hi-res lossless audio up to 24-bit/192KHz, and/or Dolby Atmos.
I streamed tracks of this caliber from all the major music services that offer them: Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Deezer, Qobuz, and Tidal. Where applicable, I tested all the earbuds with and without their companion apps. I listened to both wired and Bluetooth wireless connections on an iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung S25 Ultra, each of which processes music files with different, sometimes competing, audio formats.
Depending on the model, I evaluated noise cancelation by listening to music, podcasts, and making phone calls on each of these headphones and earbuds over the course of six months to one week on walks through noisy city streets, on train trips, as well as on cross-Atlantic flights, taking into account any changes in music and voice fidelity with ANC on and off.
Comfort and fit were considered, but everyone’s ears are different, so I didn’t opine too heavily on these aspects.
Why You Should Trust Me
I’ve reviewed consumer products and covered music, movies, and technology, including for Men’s Journal—for more than two decades, including several years focused mainly on earbuds and headphones. I've worked remotely throughout my career on and off and travel constantly for work. As such, I always need quality earbuds and headphones. I’ve followed the progress of audio and wireless technology from the turn of the millennium to today’s magically compressed and decompressed hi-res wireless music.