If active noise cancellation in a true wireless design is your primary consideration, these Bose earbuds are unbeatable. Just keep in mind that the second-gen AirPods Pro make more sense for iPhone users. Jabra Elite 45h

Head-/Earphones - Denver

Most wireless headphones now include a button that summons your phone's built-in voice assistant. But the next frontier is headphones that are always listening, like smart speakers. We've only tested a few thus far that can summon a voice assistant with a wake word or phrase (like "Hey Siri" or "Alexa"), but it seems the trend is likely to gain steam. While some things have changed, much has remained the same. Apple has yet to revamp the AirPods Pro’s design and make the buds more platform neutral; Android users can expect to encounter several technical issues. Be that as it may, iPhone 14 owners have an excellent audio product to pair with their expensive new smartphone.The competition might be slowly catching up, but every new iteration in the Bose QC lineup, including the QuietComfort 45 headphones, manages to leap ahead of the crowd. In addition, we're big fans of this model's crisp, bass-forward sound and highly comfortable design. Our reviewers also test battery life, Bluetooth range, digital assistant support, ease of setup, and any app-enabled features compatible with laptops, desktops, and all portable devices like smartphones and tablets. We’re seeing more wireless earbuds boast advanced features like an adaptive EQ and active noise cancellation. These are features well worth spending on extra on, if engineered properly, and will be more common as the category evolves. How we test the best wireless earbuds The CX True Wireless was Sennheiser’s attempt at a budget alternative for their flagship Momentum True Wireless 2 wireless earbuds. It was a huge failure. Learning from past mistakes, the German audio staple went to work on an updated version, which they labeled the CX Plus, and fixed the major issues plaguing the original. They included ANC this time around, a feature that works decently to minimize ambient noise. The CX Plus also benefits from a more neutral sound profile and improved call quality.

Denver TWE-38 Bluetooth Earbuds, White, 3.70 x 4.50 x 6.70 cm

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds have a key mission with its mid range price — bring stellar sound and noise cancellation to an affordable price point.Many manufacturers, especially those in the business of making custom-molded in-ear monitors for musicians and engineers, turn to balanced armature drivers instead. Balanced armatures have the advantage of being tiny, which allows the earpieces to be smaller. Or, in the case of the aforementioned custom in-ear monitors, the earpieces can be quite large—freeing up room internally for several balanced armatures per ear, with each driver handling a specific frequency range. Generally speaking, it's possible to get excellent audio—or poor audio—from both dynamic and balanced armature drivers, although the two styles have dedicated fan bases. Once our testing is completed, every model is rated based on our five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). Any product that is truly exemplary is awarded an Editor’s Choice. The Urbanista Los Angeles headphones aren't quite competitive with class leaders in the audio or active noise cancellation departments, but they stand out for their ability to recharge via any light source. They represent a huge step forward for sustainability and we hope more products integrate this charging technology going forward. Call quality takes a dip this time around, and Sennheiser still refuses to add a Find My Buds function for locating misplaced buds. Maybe a software update could fix these issues, though neither takes away from the Momentum True Wireless 3’s greatness. These are also Anker’s first wireless earbuds to support spatial audio, though the technology doesn’t operate as well as it does on competitors. The design could have also been touched up to look more like a premium AirPods alternative.