Apple’s AirPods are so ubiquitous, they’ve become the Kleenex of Bluetooth earbuds. But whether you own an iPhone or an Android, AirPods are hardly the only compelling option. As long as you stay clear of the cheapest budget options you see in checkout lines, Bluetooth earbuds, in general, are all pretty awesome.
Most earbuds sound great now
I’ve reviewed a half dozen earbuds over the past year. I’ll be honest—I did not hear a big difference in audio quality regardless of whether I was reviewing the $30 JLab GO Pods ANC or the $300 crystal-studded Moto Buds Loop. I now have several bud cases lying around my house, and I tend to reach for whatever’s closest.
Credit: Bertel King / How-To Geek
There isn’t a time when I slip one in, realize it sounds like trash, then go out in search for buds that sound better. I’m not saying they’re all the same. I’m sure audiophiles can not only tell them apart, but would reject some of the options out of hand. Most people who buy AirPods aren’t audiophiles. They just want decent sounding buds with good battery life that stay in their ear as they go about their day. That’s something most buds now deliver.
Even cheap earbuds can switch between devices
Apple gets praised and cursed alike for its ecosystem. The company’s products pair very well, and often exclusively, with other Apple devices. With AirPods, this meant you could start listening to a podcast on your phone, have your earbuds automatically switch over to the audio from your MacBook, then have that audio pause when you receive a phone call. It’s impressive technology, but it has since made its way to other earbuds.
I have a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds FE. I primarily kept them paired to my phone, but when my wife was given a Samsung Frame TV, I was surprised to see it automatically detect and prompt me to connect my Samsung earbuds. My buds now switch automatically between whichever device is currently playing audio.
While I contend that Samsung’s ecosystem is every bit as good as Apple’s, you don’t need to be devoted to one company’s products to make the magic happen. Multipoint Bluetooth can switch between various audio sources, and it’s an open standard that any company can implement. The JLab Epic Open Sport air conduction buds I tested may not have been automatically detected by my TV, but once I paired them manually, they too could switch between sources on their own.
7/10
Battery Life
19 hours (case), 7 hours (earbuds)
Charging Case Included?
Yes
Microphones
Yes
Brand
JLab
The JLab Epic Open Sport air conduction open-ear earbuds are a comfortable and secure way to listen to audio without plugging your ears. With hi-res audio and multipoint Bluetooth, these premium buds offer a superb listening experience while undercutting competitors on price.
Pairing new earbuds is easier than ever
My TV isn’t alone is being able to automatically detect earbuds. If I sign in to a Google or Samsung account when setting up on a new phone or tablet, they automatically prompt me to connect buds that I previously wore on other devices.
Even without signing in, new buds will often enter pairing mode as soon as you open the case for the first time and trigger a pop-up on your phone asking you if you want to connect. Pairing tends to happen quickly, with the biggest source of confusion being how to trigger pairing mode again when the time comes to connect them to a new device. This is something each pair of buds tends to do a little bit differently, so there’s still friction to be found switching between brands or product lines.
Most buds will last for days or weeks
Credit: Bertel King / How-To Geek
Wireless buds need to be charged, but for the most part, no matter which brand you buy, they don’t need to be charged often. The shortest battery life in a pair of earbuds I reviewed this year was just over 25 hours. The longest was over 50. Both numbers translate to several workdays of listening. If, like me, you only wear buds for a few hours a day, then you can go weeks between connecting your earbud case to a charger.
8/10
Battery Life
61.5 hours (ANC off), 33 hours (ANC on)
Charging Case Included?
Yes
Microphones
Six
Brand
CMF
The CMF Buds 2 Plus are a slightly more premium version of the CMF Buds 2, offering better battery life and supposedly improved ANC for roughly $20 more. While they aren’t all that noticeably improved over the regular model, these remain a stellar pair of in-ear earbuds for a relatively low cost.
That’s assuming you aren’t dropping your buds on a wireless charger throughout the day. While many charging stand accessories are made with an iPhone and AirPods in mind, you don’t need Apple earbuds in order to charge your buds wirelessly. This feature comes baked into virtually all similarly priced alternatives. Personally, I consider placing wireless earbuds onto the back of my phone using reverse wireless charging to be one of the most convenient ways to use the feature. Since earbud batteries are substantially smaller than phone batteries, the small hit to my phone’s battery life is well worth the additional hours of earbud usage a short charge can provide.
Apple continues to innovate AirPods, and features like the ability to use the pro model as a hearing aid is a meaningful advantage they have over other earbuds. But, personally, I get more benefit out of the way other brands are innovating, such as with open air conduction or buds that hang from my earlobe. I’m happy to give my inner ears a break. As for the fundamentals of good sound, good mics, and good battery life? That’s something most earbuds have figured out.
