WIRELESS NOISE–CANCELLING EARBUDS

If you want to listen to your tunes without the hassle of cables or the distraction of external noise, we’ve got six great options

The popularity of true wireless earbuds – that is, earbuds that connect to your devices over Bluetooth, have no wires between each unit, and fit inside your ear with buds – has exploded in recent years.

While the audio quality of on- or over-ear headphones is generally better, they’re not as flexible. True wireless earbuds are tiny, by comparison, easily fitting in your pocket; they’re barely noticeable in use, and they’re more comfortable. They’re also superior when it’s hot outside or when you’re working out – many are even water resistant for that reason. True wireless earbuds are also housed in a case which charges them when not in use – a big benefit when you’re on the move.

Many of these true wireless earbuds now come with noise cancelling built in order to reduce the level of external noise. All the earbuds on test offer come with a noise-cancelling mode.

Here we test six of the best, covering a range of prices. We’ll look at fit, ease of use, battery life, active noise-cancelling ability and, most importantly, audio quality.

How we tested

We loaded up the Qobuz app (from £12.49/month, qobuz.com), which offers streaming of hi–res audio tracks on iOS or Mac, to ensure each pair of earbuds was tested using only the highest quality recordings. We specifically picked tracks that would give each pair of earbuds a work out, highlighting any inadequacies, as well as tracks that we personally loved and knew well. We also used the earbuds while watching a variety of films, including an action–packed scene from WWII flick Greyhound, to see how each pair fared when watching movies.