The three sets of earbuds I reach for

I’ve been an audio reviewer for 20 years. My time as an independent member of the Headphones Committee at Wire cutterand many reviews I’ve written for sites like Reviewed, Digital trends, IGNAnd now EdgeYou have given me the opportunity to listen to hundreds of headphones. Some of them were really excellent, some of them were really terrible. Honestly, they tend to blur together when I move from new earbud to new earbud. But when something worthwhile comes along, it catches my eye and holds my attention. These are the three groups I turn to most often now.

For ages I’ve relied on Apple AirPods Pro – first Pro 2 Then the Pro 3. But the new one is $170 Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro They have been my favorite earbuds for the past month. I use it to listen to it Luffy’s daughter As I write this. Their sound quality is really good after using the Soundcore app to adjust the frequency response (the bass is quite loud out of the box, causing vocals to become muddy and muffle the snare hits). They fit securely in my ears, and since they’re IP55-rated, I can see myself using them while running – although I prefer running with the Powerbeats Fit headphones (see below). It also supports the LDAC High-Resolution Audio codec with supported devices (sorry, iPhone users).

Noise cancellation is also top-notch and is comparable to more expensive earbuds like the Apple AirPods Pro 3 (which we’ll get to in a few paragraphs). The Soundcore headphones let in a little more midrange, but handle low-end drone with no problem.

But call quality is the Liberty 5 Pro’s greatest strength. I’ve never heard earbuds that block out so much ambient noise, allowing me to sound clearly during my calls and in meetings. Whether it’s a screech from the family parrot two feet to the left of my desk or Los Angeles traffic as I stroll through my neighborhood, nothing distracts my conversation partners from what I’m saying. Many people don’t believe it even when I tell them how much noise is surrounding me.

The Liberty 5 Pro has some nice extra features, including voice controls, AI translation (with the Soundcore app), a case with a 0.96-inch TFT touchscreen, and wireless charging. For an additional $60, Liberty 5 Pro MaxThe Case’s case adds recording with AI transcription and summing, but it costs $230, and the earbuds are exactly the same as the 5 Pro. I wouldn’t bother upgrading unless it was you truly You need to record and transcribe things regularly.

Battery life with ANC turned on is below average, at just 6.5 hours (or 28 hours total with the case), and that number drops if you use features like high-resolution audio. I find myself needing to charge this case every couple of days.

It also takes some tweaking to switch the earbuds between paired devices. I regularly use my MacBook, iPhone, and iPad during the day, and the earbuds can only be connected to two at a time. So I find myself regularly needing to disconnect from one to allow them to work on another device.

In those cases I return to my country Apple AirPods Pro 3. When I use Apple products, I don’t have to think about them. I just take them out of their case and they work. When I open my iPad to watch a show on HBO Max or the Dropout app, my AirPods will seamlessly switch to the new device and alert me with a pop-up notification.

The AirPods sound slightly better than the Soundcore, though it’s not a drastic difference. And they still offer some of the best noise cancellation performance available.

They also have a large number of features that only work within the Apple ecosystem. Live translation On supported iPhone devices They work decently, and their case supports magnetic wireless charging. They have a “find it” if (when) you lose them, and even Hearing test. There’s also a heart rate sensor that integrates with the iOS Fitness app, and the speakers are now IP57 (Soundcore is IP55, so its water protection isn’t as strong). Although, even with the heart rate sensor and IP rating, I don’t like using the AirPods as workout earbuds for one specific reason.

Although the fit of the AirPods Pro 3 is improved compared to the Pro 2, I still have issues with them. I don’t feel anxious when I sit at my desk, but jogging or light jogging starts coming out of my ears. The fit of the earbuds is subjective, since everyone’s ears are shaped differently, but for me, Apple has never been able to achieve that. I also don’t like the trunk design, to put it mildly. It’s definitely something special, but it’s also very frustrating to use when I’m running. I’m constantly pushing them while trying to change the track, adjust the volume, or switch to a different ANC mode.

This is where Powerbeats fit beats Come here. Because of the wingtip design, i never I worry about them coming out of my ears, yet they are comfortable throughout my workout. The in-ear design is also a step away from sunglasses, which is one of the reasons I prefer them over in-ear ear hooks. Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. Although Beats is owned by Apple, the earbuds are not restricted by the Apple ecosystem. They can connect to Android phones while still offering the same functionality with the Beats app.

There’s still a drawback to the Fit as workout earbuds: their IPX4 rating. I don’t sweat profusely near my ears when I work out, and I live in a dry Los Angeles climate, so humidity and rain aren’t a big issue for me. I would be careful about running in heavy rain, but they should be fine in most situations.

Last year saw an influx of open-ear headphones. They offer great environmental awareness because they don’t go all the way into your ears – but they don’t sound as good as in-ear because they don’t go all the way into your ears. It affects the bass response in particular, but also the overall balance. I don’t think the trade-off is worth it, and the Powerbeats Fit has a good transparency mode for when I need to pay attention to my surroundings. If you don’t like putting things in your ear holes, something like this Shockz Open Run Pro 2 She is a good choice.

Most people don’t have earbuds going in and out of their lives like I do, and most people don’t need or want three different sets of $200 earbuds. If I had to choose one, I would choose the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro. Not only is it the cheapest of the bunch, it’s versatile, sounds great, and has amazing call quality. Thanks to its IP55 rating, you can even use it for workouts. All three earbuds are excellent, and if you feel the need to stay within the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Pro 3 are a good option. But for me, the Soundcore Liberty Pro 5 is the best.