Articles by Ted Kritsonis

The best wireless earbuds are comfortable, sound great, and have long-lasting battery life. These tiny headphones from companies like Jabra, Samsung, Sennheiser, Sony, and others are almost as important as the phones we have in our pockets, and the market has become crowded over the years with options. We’ve reviewed a sizeable number of models available and rated the absolute leaders of the pack, helping you find the best fit and value for your ears and budget.

Our buyer’s guide will help you navigate this space and find the pair that suits your needs and tastes the best, no matter what you like listening to. And if you’re looking for the best wireless earbud deals for Prime Day, we have you covered, too.

What are the best wireless earbuds you can buy today?

Like any pair of headphones, which wireless earbuds are right for you is subjective in a few key ways. They have to fit right, feel comfortable over longer periods, and produce sound that’s pleasing to your ears. If audio f…

When choosing between the best USB microphones for Chromebooks — or really for any laptop — you want something that will plug and play, no drivers are required. Many of the best Chromebooks you can buy today are more capable and have better support than in the past, but the path of least resistance is to find a mic that handles audio processing on its own, without relying on ChromeOS or your CPU. Thankfully there are several USB mics that let you record on the most lightweight of laptops.

Like a pro

Blue Yeti

Staff pick

The Yeti is the most popular model in the Blue Microphones lineup, and works smoothly with a Chromebook, courtesy of its plug-and-play functionality that won’t require installing drivers. With four different pattern settings and a built-in headphone jack, plus the ability to connect to a broadcast boom mic, this is a solid place to start.

$110 at Amazon
$110 at Best Buy
$110 at Walmart

The slimmer type

Blue Yeti Nano

The Yeti Nano sheds a fair bi…

At this point, Bluetooth wireless headphones have become ubiquitous, coming in a variety of styles and feature sets to support great sound. There are many great options, and chief among them are the Sony WH-1000XM4 at the top of our best wireless headphones. Their sound quality is great. They have industry-leading active noise cancelation (ANC), long battery life, and fit comfortably for long-term use.

Best overall: Sony WH-1000XM4

There aren’t many flaws to point out with the WH-1000XM4, which was in the same spot before. One of the biggest reasons is the ANC performance, which gets an upgrade here courtesy of Sony’s QN1 processor and a dual noise sensor that does the work of blocking out the background. Commuting on a bus, train, or plane won’t be a problem while wearing these. Sony’s pedigree in this area shows itself with true wireless earbuds, too.

Sony chose not to change anything about the sound signature, preserving the same bass-heavy balance that sometimes drowns out t…

Back for more

Jaybird Vista 2

$200 at Amazon

Pros

Good audio quality
Audio customization abounds
Comfortable fit and rugged design
Decent ANC and ambient modes
Improved battery life
Case is trackable and water resistant

The Bad

Still just as bulky as before
aptX support would’ve been great

The Vista 2 are a continuation of Jaybird’s focus on making earbuds that have the mix of ruggedness and performance to stand out in a very crowded field. The foundation was already there from the original Vista pair, only these take things further in ways that do count.

Still kicking it

Jaybird Vista

$150 at Amazon

Pros

Bass-heavy sound
Comfortable fit
Same audio EQ options
Ruggedized and durable
Fast charging via USB-C

Cons

No ANC or ambient mode
No auto-pause feature
Lower battery life

For Jaybird, the original Vista earbuds are a hallmark of the company’s turn to respectability in this category, and even after so many others have come out since, they hold their o…

Echo’s best buds

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

$120 at Amazon

Pros

Nice comfy fit
Hands-free Alexa access
Improved ANC performance
Maintains EQ support
Great support on both iOS and Android
Faster charging

Cons

No upgrade in battery life
No multipoint Bluetooth
Finicky touch controls

The second-gen Echo Buds gave Amazon another chance to do right by your ears with better design, better sound, and better support. The results shine through in the right ways because they feel like a real departure from what came before. With active noise cancelation (ANC) in tow, plus a more ergonomic focus, it’s easy to like wearing these earbuds.

An elite pair

Jabra Elite 75t

$150 at Amazon $150 at Best Buy From $150 at Walmart

Pros

Great sound quality
Comfortable fit
Improved battery life
Smaller charging case
ANC through firmware update
Better than most

Cons

ANC has its limitations
No wireless charging
Alexa isn’t as good here

It’s hard to argue with how well Jabra did …

Finding a headphone jack on a phone now is rare. Chances are, your phone doesn’t have one — leaving you to go the wireless route to keep the music playing. If your need coincides with a tight budget, the COWIN E7 is your best starting point to get a set of great, all-around Bluetooth headphones. Here are some of our top choices for the best Bluetooth headphones under $50.

Best overall: COWIN E7

For something at this price range, the COWIN E7 offers dependable sound quality that is, not surprisingly, centered around the bass. It’s a boosted sound that may not be for everyone, partly because the thump and rumble seem purposely tuned to be a little over the top. Don’t worry, though, COWIN did the same with the mid-range, which is one reason why these feel loud out of the box. Treble holds its presence, but it’s playing a support role in the deeper parts of the audio spectrum.

That they support active noise cancelation (ANC) is somewhat surprising at this budget-conscious price, b…

Returning Echo

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

$120 at Amazon

Pros

Smaller and better fit
Hands-free Alexa access
Improved ANC performance
Maintains EQ support
Great support on both iOS and Android
Faster charging

Cons

No real difference in battery life
No multipoint Bluetooth
Finicky touch controls

The second-gen Echo Buds are Amazon’s latest effort to improve upon their debut earbuds, and the results are largely focused on getting more out of the audio from the start. Smaller size and better fit, plus active noise cancelation, only make these newer buds worthy successors.

Sticking around

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus

$149 at Amazon

Pros

Long battery life
Great sound
USB-C and wireless charging
Ambient mode
Customizable gestures
Great color options

Cons

No ANC or ANR support
Glossy case gets messy

The Galaxy Buds Plus were the first real leap forward for Samsung when making better wireless earbuds, and they remain a pretty solid option. The colorful variants a…

Samsung fans have finally entered the modern smartphone age — the age of phones with no headphone jack. Unless you use wireless headphones or have that odd pair of USB-C earbuds, you’re going to need an adapter to get the most out of your new Galaxy S20 or S21 with your favorite set of cans. The dongle life can be cumbersome, so we give you options to pick the adapter that fits your needs, whether you need a long cord or short, a fixed dongle or flexible, and even some surprising options that will give you the most flexibility. These are the best USB-C audio adapters for the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21

Audio Powered

Accguys 2 in 1 USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Adapter

Staff Pick

This Accguys adapter isn’t the smallest, but it does pack a headphone port and a spare USB-C power port, plus the onboard audio chip means you’ll get the best sound from your device.

$12 at Amazon

Simple Cord

JSAUX USB Type C to 3.5mm

This simple yet effective adapter can bend a lot without break…

Many factors go into buying a new pair of true wireless headphones, and it’s easy to overlook the waterproof rating when shopping around. Whether you’re breaking a sweat at the gym or happen to get caught in a rainstorm, your headphones’ waterproofing will ensure they keep going, even if they happen to get a little wet. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro earned their spot as the best overall waterproof headphones, though you do have other compelling choices to consider. Here are the best waterproof headphones you can buy right now!

Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

The Galaxy Buds Pro went back to the past as a reference point for designing its most rugged wireless earbuds yet. While similar in form factor to the Galaxy Buds and Buds+, these were made a little larger and with more rigid materials to deliver their IPX7 rating. That heightened water and sweat resistance level is great for runs and workouts, but not good enough to go swimming in. And saltwater is a no-go as well.

All …

Returning Echo

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

$100 at Amazon

Pros

Smaller and better fit
Hands-free Alexa access
Improved ANC performance
Maintains EQ support
Great support on both iOS and Android
Faster charging

Cons

No real difference in battery life
No multipoint Bluetooth
Finicky touch controls

The second-gen Echo Buds are Amazon’s latest effort to improve upon their debut earbuds, and the results are largely focused on getting more out of the audio from the start. A smaller size and better fit, plus active noise cancelation only serve to make these newer buds worthy successors.

Sticking around

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus

$110 at Amazon

Pros

Long battery life
Great sound
USB-C and wireless charging
Ambient mode
Customizable gestures
Great color options

Cons

No ANC or ANR support
Glossy case gets messy

The Galaxy Buds Plus were the first real leap forward for Samsung when it came to making better wireless earbuds, and they remain a pretty solid option. Th…