THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN UPGRADING TO TRUE WIRELESS

01 SOUPED UP SOUND

Sound generally remains of lower quality than comparably priced wired or standard Bluetooth headphones but is vastly improved over earlier true wireless. In fact, the sound of the most recent contenders is so much better that they are now the ideal buds for most people in most situations.

02 MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD

As well as being great for listening to music, true wireless headphones are also very handy for making and taking calls and, with compatible models, triggering Siri, Google or Alexa. However, due to the increased latency involved with linking the two buds together wirelessly they’re not great for movies and TV, where lip-syncing is needed.

03 NEW LEASE OF LIFE

Battery life in true wireless headphones is still fairly short. However, it’s worth remembering that they all come with little cases that recharge your buds when not in use, without the need for a power socket – as long as you remember to periodically charge up the case itself, of course. So while five to nine hours may seem like quite short battery life, add the additional battery life from in-case recharging, and you’re looking at well over 20 hours in most, er, cases.

04 DON’T LOSE YOUR HEADPHONES

If a true wireless headphone should fall out of your ear, you are way more likely to lose it than wired buds, or standard Bluetooth ones. Happily, this happens much less easily now, thanks to design refinements. The best true wireless buds – whether intended for exercise or not – fit securely, despite usually being very discreet.

05 HOLD THE WIRE

And true wireless earbuds have one big advantage: they give you freedom from cables. Believe us, it’s quite hard going back to wires after trying true wireless.