The 5 best earbuds in 2021

Fingertip touch control and fine listening details make the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds a delight for any listener. The built-in listening technology allows users to indulge in category-specific sound and Transparent Hearing. Plus, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity ensures that your calls will be crystal clear while you enjoy the unrivaled stereo sound and active noise cancellation.

Voted CNET's Editor's Choice pick for wireless earbuds in 2021, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds are a significant upgrade from the previous Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless model. Fully-customizable touch controls, 28-hour battery life, and bespoke 7mm dynamic drivers are just a few of the premium features that you'll enjoy when listening the Sennheiser way.

Built-in equalizers and cutting-edge technology pave the way for deep, juicy bass, natural mid-tones, and crystal-clear trebles whether you're listening to classical or modern rock. And, they feature some of the most popular features for this category of tech, including active noise cancellation, sweat-resistance, and water resistance.

Another exceptional product in Jabra's true-wireless line, the Elite Active 75t are tiny, sweatproof earbuds with excellent fit. Available in navy, copper black, and titanium black versions, these sports earbuds have a special grip coating and a pressure relief vent. Unlike Google's Pixel Earbuds 2 (see below), the Jabra Elite Active 75t buds block ambient sound and don't compromise bass.

The 7.5-hour battery life can be extended to 28 hours via charging case. Unfortunately, there's no wireless charging, although a wireless-charging variant is in the works. Moreover, the HearThrough feature allows for surrounding sounds to be heard (safer for those running or walking around the city), and the most popular smart assistants can be activated via an earbud button.

Our favorite feature is MySound, which we wish was available for all of Jabra's true-wireless series. On the premise that each of us hears things differently, MySound optimizes sounds to the user's profile after a hearing test. This can be activated via the Jabra Sound+ App, which includes customizable call and music EQ.

After the industry-wide boom of branded mobile lenses, Samsung is advertising branded earbud speakers. The Galaxy Buds Plus feature a two-way dynamic speaker with the signature of audio specialists AKG, acquired by Samsung a few years back. With a tweeter for high notes and a woofer for punchy bass (that, yet, doesn't match up to Jabra's Elite Active 75t), these earbuds offer a solid sound experience.

Available in Cosmic Black, Cloud Blue, white, and red versions, the Galaxy Buds Plus have a subtle design and pack an impressive 11 hours of battery life on a single charge. This can be extended to 15 years of talk-only time, or stretched by another 11 with the charging case. According to the manufacturer, it only takes three minutes of charge for the earbuds to be juiced up for another hour. Additionally, the buds can be charged wirelessly.

The Galaxy Buds Plus offer a snug fit, but be aware that there's no vent system. Although this typically makes for better passive noise cancellation, some may find the seal too tight. Furthermore, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus don't have an active noise cancellation feature, pairing two devices simultaneously isn't possible, and its sweat resistance rating isn't as high as of its competitors.

Back to the positive side, the Galaxy Buds Plus offer superior call quality and can bring in external sounds with the Ambient Aware mode. The charging case has an LED indicator for each earbud, a feature that's not yet so common, but that's appreciated by users. Finally, besides the basic play–pause–skip, call answering, and activating voice assistance, the touch controls can be personalized for specific actions, such as accessing Spotify.

As it tends to be with all things Apple, the AirPods Pro are a polarizing product. While you may not understand why someone would choose earbuds with plastic stems, others wouldn't consider stepping out of the brand's ecosystem. Whichever group you're in, we can still objectively acknowledge the pros and cons.

As in Apple's previous earbuds, the AirPods Pro are equipped with wireless charging. The construction, however, is much better than the former model's. The AirPods Pro have an in-ear design, which makes them less likely to fall off someone's ear. Although this is already the case for most earbuds, the AirPods Pro bring a rare feature to the table: active noise cancellation. Not only is it something that you can't find in most earbuds on the market, but users have rated the AirPods Pro's ANC as highly effective. Another impressive trick is Adaptive EQ, which tailors sounds to the user's ear shape.

Like most premium buds, Apple's AirPods Pro tackle the "clogging" effect with vents – this means you won't feel the earbuds are stuck in your body. Despite the strategic apertures, the bass performance is still powerful, provided that you've found the right fit. The product's companion app can help you find the right tip.

You can control the AirPods Pro by squeezing the stems. There's no button, you'll hear "click" sounds. As with regular touch controls, different squeeze patterns make for various commands. As expected, the earbuds have hands-free Siri integration, which is optimal for those using other Apple products. Although you can pair your earbuds with Android phones, you won't have access to everything the AirPods Pro can offer – such as sharing audio with someone else. Finally, at 4.5 hours, battery life disappoints, even though you can extend that to up to 24 hours of use with the charging case.

For the incredibly accessible price point, the Coumi ANC-860 earbuds offer everything you could possibly want out of portable, totally wireless earbuds. From active noise cancellation, water-resistance, and a charge time of just an hour and a half, there's nothing lacking from these budget-friendly top-tier earbuds.

Although noise cancellation features alone would be sufficient enough for most users, Coumi takes it to the next level with an ambient mode that allows you to still engage with the exterior world around you if you're out in public but want to keep the earbuds in. And speaking of being out and about in public, you'll never have to worry about needing to recharge as these earbuds come with a 5.5-hour battery life with noise cancellation turned on that extends up to 7.5 hours if you turn it off, and a whopping 40 hours if you're able to recharge the earbuds in their case.

Bluetooth 5.0 allows you to roam further from your device while listening and helps reduce power consumption, which is always a good thing. Plus, users report that the shallow fit of the earbuds themselves makes them extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time.