Sony Link Buds: The LinkBuds are, in a sense, Sony’s answer to Apple’s standard AirPods. While they don’t sound as good as Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM5 noise-isolating earbuds, they offer a discreet, innovative design and a more secure fit than the AirPods, as well as good sound and very good voice-calling performance.
Earfun Free Pro 2: We used to have the EarFun Free Pro 2 earbuds on this list. They’re still available at a discount and are decent earbuds for running but EarFun has released the new EarFun Free Pro 3 buds, which are a definite upgrade.
JBL Live Pro 2: Over the years, JBL has put out some decent true-wireless earbuds, but nothing that really got me too excited. That’s finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand’s new Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 buds. Both sets of buds — the Live Pro 2 has stems while the Live Free 2 has a pill-shaped design — offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance, plus a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging.
Shure Aonic 215 II: Shure’s Aonic 215 II is kind of the audiophile equivalent of the Beats Powerbeats Pro. They have a hook that wraps around the top of your ear, and they stay in my ears very securely (even more securely than the Powerbeats Pro earbuds). Like that Beats model, they have a jumbo charging case. What’s interesting about them is that the Bluetooth module is detachable. (I liked the physical control button they have instead of touch controls.) As the name implies, the Aonic 215 True Wireless Noise-Isolating Earphones incorporate Shure’s SE215 buds, the $99 model in its line of earbuds that have detachable cables. The modules, which can be bought separately for $189, are designed to drive any Shure earbuds that have a detachable cable, including the $899 SE846.
Sennheiser Sport True Wireless: The Sport True Wireless earbuds are essentially Sennheiser’s CX True Wireless earbuds with sport fins (for a more secure fit) and better durability. They have an IP54 rating that makes them splash-proof and dust-resistant. These aren’t noise-cancelling earbuds but they do have an awareness mode that allows ambient sound to leak into the buds so you can hear what’s going on around you for safety reasons. They use Bluetooth 5.2 and have support for the AAC and AptX audio codecs. Battery life is rated at up to 9 hours at moderate volume levels with an additional two charges in the charging case (there’s no wireless charging).
Sony Float Run: Sony’s Float Run is a unique take on “off-ear” headphones, which is another way to describe open earbuds that sit away from your ears. I can’t say these have the greatest sound — the bass is underwhelming — but they fit my head securely and comfortably. They’re designed for folks who don’t like to have earbuds jammed into their ears, and runners who want to hear the outside world for safety reasons.
Skullcandy Push Active: With their ear-hook design, the Skullcandy Push Active are essentially a more affordable version of the Beats Powerbeats Pro, and they fit my ears slightly better than the Powerbeats Pro. I’m not usually a fan of ear-hook style buds, but this model is one of the better ones.