Best in-ear headphones 2024: tried and tested by our expert reviewers (2024)

There are lots of reasons a person might prefer in-ear headphones. Over-ears are great for full sound and lots of features, but the discrete look and lighter weight of in-ears make them ideal for millions of users, especially if you're always on the move or need a pair for sports and working out. Many even prefer the particular sonic signature you get from these small-form wonders - it's often leaner, meaner and, potentially, cleaner than many over-ear models.

Once you know you favour in-ears, you'll need to navigate a crowded and complex market to see which ones are right for you. Runners may like to opt for a true wireless pair with winged tips to give a more secure fit and seal, whereas audiophiles will care more about getting a premium set of earbuds focused on genuine audio quality, wires or no wires.

As an added layer of complexity, having tested more in-ear headphones than can easily be counted, we can safely say not all the sets doing the rounds are worth the money. We’ve tried so many sets over the year that appear great on paper and have compelling price tags, but with real-world use fail to deliver in key areas such as comfort, build quality and audio fidelity.

Here to help you avoid investing in a dud, we’ve created this guide detailing the top-performing in-ear headphones money can buy. Every set of earbuds has been tested by our team of expert reviewers both in our test rooms and the real world to ensure they’re worth your hard-earned money. You can read more about our testing process, or scroll down to find the perfect pair.

The quick list

Best wired in-ear headphones overall

Anyone who prioritises sound quality above all else but still favours the small form factor of in-ears should seriously consider what the Shure Aonic 3 are offering. They're simple but expertly made IEMs that, as far as we can tell, have few serious rivals at this level thanks to their devotion to superb musical reproduction.

Design-wise, the Aonic 3 look like your classic IEMs, with a wired connection feeding a pair of nozzles alongside some handy in-line controls. Getting a good fit is made simple by a choice of nine different eartips to get superior isolation and comfort, while a built-in mic lets you answer calls without digging out your phone all the time.

The true reason to recommend the Aonic 3, of course, is for their peerless audio at this price. The 2023 Award-winners are pros at handling dynamics as well as detail, with a sense of rhythm and timing that gives energy and life to the music they convey. If you want a pair of wired in-ear headphones that offer a step up in sound quality from the more budget SoundMagics below, then these Shures are very hard not to recommend.

Read our full Shure Aonic 3 review

Best wireless in-ear headphones overall

The Aonic 3 are great for serious music lovers, but we understand that this is 2024, a time when most users are crying out for wireless earbuds for their on-the-go listening needs. If that sounds like you, it will come as no surprise that the Award-winning Sony WF-1000XM5 are our pick of the bunch in this highly competitive field.

The sublime XM5 are smaller than their predecessors (the WF-1000XM4), with a more pocket-friendly case to match, but they’re also more comfortable to wear for long periods, even if others feel more secure when lodged in your ears. That's a great boon if you're planning on making the premium Sonys your pair of everyday buds.

Despite their diminished dimensions, there’s a bigger 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X inside each unit, resulting in unmatched levels of detail and clarity alongside absolutely top-notch musicality and timing. Noise cancelling is superb, and while Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are exceptional and highly recommended in this area, the XM5 have closed the gap by minimising unwanted racket more subtly and feeling less susceptible to those loud bangs that the Ultra Earbuds can end up accentuating.

Throw in a bunch of handy features, including Adaptive Sound Control, Speak-to-Chat, support for hi-res and 360 Reality Audio, not to mention the ability to automatically activate the ANC in certain locations, and you’ve got the undisputed new king of premium wireless earbuds, even if the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (below) are snapping at their heels.

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review

Best cheap wired in-ear headphones

Despite only having been founded in 2005, SoundMagic rose from obscurity to become multiple-Award winners. Most notable for its budget in-ear headphone range, the SoundMagic E11C provides a perfect showcase for why the brand has already enjoyed so much success.

Cheap they may be, shoddy they certainly ain't. The E11C offer a snug fit and an almost unbelievably well-balanced, energetic tone from their 10mm dynamic drivers, with decent depth to a lower end which is always complemented by a clear and crisp midrange. It's also worth noting that their high sensitivity (112dB) means that the E11Cs can deliver plenty of volume which makes them a great fit for smartphones and portable audio players, provided you have a 3.5mm socket, that is.

Functionality is kept simple with a remote and mic on the cable for the left earphone, but we're not expecting complex arrangements at this level. It’s a standard three-button job, so it should work with Apple and Android smartphones, giving you volume and stop/start functionality.

Anyone not willing to stretch to the Shure Aonic 3 above can consider the E11C as an excellent, more affordable alternative.

Read our full SoundMagic E11C review

Best cheap wireless in-ear headphones

If the SoundMagic E11C are our pick for the best wired in-ear headphones, the Sony WF-C500 are streets ahead of the competition in the race for affordable wireless bud supremacy. Sony's record recently for making everything from premium wireless earbuds to superb noise-cancelling cans has been exceptional, with the C500 proving that as much attention is being paid to the budget end of the spectrum as it is to the premium side.

If you want quality wireless buds without the high price tag, this is the only place to start, especially now that discounts are starting to cut 20% or more off the original RRP. Why? The WF-C500 sound far better than they have any right to at this price, with a well-balanced and even presentation that benefits from a detailed midrange and plenty of dynamic expression. Bass sounds are ample, too, while the top end has enough bite and crunch to keep you engaged as you listen to your favourite tunes.

No, they don't have ANC (see the C700N below), but that doesn't mean they're light on features. Battery life is 10 hours from the buds and another 20 from the case, and like Sony's pricier buds, they work with the Headphones Connect app to give you greater control over your sound profile and the buds' various functionalities. They can even upscale audio to near hi-res quality via Sony's DSEE technology, something we didn't expect to find for such a modest price.

All in all, they're the very best cheap wireless buds on the market, offering up great sound, a nice build and a substantial feature set at an unbeatable price.The C500 won a 2022What Hi-Fi?Award before repeating the trick in 2023, quickly becoming our go-to recommendation for anyone looking for great wireless sound on a tight budget.

Read our fullSony WF-C500 review

Best mid-price wired in-ear headphones

Shure's Aonic 5 certainly know how to catch the eye thanks to the transparent section on each earpiece that allows you to see their inner workings, but it's how they sound that earns them their place on this list. Some of Shure's most premium wireless monitors, these are the in-ears to go for if you truly care about sound quality and you're willing to pay handsomely to get it.

The Aonic 5 employ three high-definition balanced drivers in a dual woofer and single tweeter configuration - provided you've got the right source and material, the result is quite sensational. There's an embarrassment of detail and a wonderful sense of clarity within their presentation, with vocals sounding particularly rich and natural. Bear in mind that they're incredibly sonically transparent, so any ropey recordings will be exposed as the Aonic 5 take no prisoners with their clear, "tell-it-as-it-is" style.

As usual, Shure provides plenty of tips to help you find the right fit for the bud, but you also get two extra nozzles that you can use to change the balance of the sound. The ones labelled 'Bright' put too much emphasis on the top-end for our liking, but the 'Warm' pair offer a subtle increase in weight and substance. We'd still recommend sticking with the default ones, though, as this is where you'll get the most balance.

If you've got a decent DAC/headphone amp to drive them, the Shure Aonic 5 will show you exactly what they're capable of. If you don't, the Aonic 3 might be worth a look.

Read our full Shure Aonic 5 review

Best mid-price wireless in-ear headphones

Ah, the Sony C700N, truly worthy winners during 2023's Awards. The point of the C700N is to be a budget pair of noise-cancelling earbuds, so anyone who still wants ANC but isn't willing to splash the cash on the rather more premium WF-1000XM5 can still enjoy those isolating benefits without paying a fortune. It's a clever corner of the market, and one Sony is filling with great skill.

The C700N buds are relatively small, and while they may be more affordable than the XM5s, their lightweight design helps make them more comfortable than a whole host of more expensive rivals. Battery life is competitive at seven and a half hours, although the fact the charging case can only offer one extra charge does seem just a tad stingy.

They lack aptX HDandLDAC, which is a shame, but do feature that noise-cancelling that the WF-C500 lack. Adaptive Sound Control automatically switches listening modes depending on your location, and Sony's DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) effortlessly upscales low-res digital audio files to higher quality.

Noise cancelling is nothing if the sound quality isn't there, but Sony has once again shown why they're the best in the game in this field with audio that feels supremely balanced and refined, offering up deep, detailed bass, expressive mids and engaging highs to concoct a very musical listen for the money spent.

Multipoint Bluetooth, which lets you switch seamlessly between devices, arrived as part of a software update in 2023, and while the lack of support for aptX HDandLDAC is disappointing, it's not the end of the world at this price. Either way, the superb level of comfort, sound quality, and great feature set make these in-ear headphones easy to recommend as a supremely well-priced pair of Award-winning wireless buds.

Read our full Sony WF-C700N review

Best high-end wired in-ear headphones

Rest assured, Shure aren't the only ones who can pull out a pair of great wired in-ear headphones. Sennheiser’s excellent IE 900 earbuds will appeal to purists who want to get the best audio possible from a high-quality source, and they certainly come packaged like premium in-ear headphones thanks to six ear tip options and three cables with a choice of normal 3.5mm and balanced 2.5mm / 4.4mm connectors. The only thing they don't have is an in-line remote, but that's just about forgivable given how these bad boys sound. They're not at all cheap (retailing currently at around £1,000), which makes them a step up even on the remarkable Shure Aonic 5 above.

So what are you paying for? Well, with rigidity and minimal vibrations in mind, Sennheiser's engineers have chosen to go with a single driver rather than the more fashionable multiple-unit approach that many rivals take, and the results are exceptional. The IE 900 are impressively clear and open-sounding, able to dig deep into the production of a recording with skill and enthusiasm. They also come over as confident and insightful, uncovering layers of low-level information and organising every track they are faced with into a structured and cohesive whole.

Partner these in-ear headphones with good-quality files and a high-quality outboard DAC (see the Chord Mojo 2) and you'll hear just why the IE 900 justify their hefty price tag. A sensational pair for serious audiophiles.

Read our full Sennheiser IE 900 review

Best high-end wireless in-ear headphones

There are two clear frontrunners in the premium wireless earbuds space right now: the Sony WF-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. You'll likely have been sold by the XM5's credentials above, so what do the Ultra Earbuds offer that the Sonys don't?

For a start, they look a lot nicer. The XM5s are a little plain and stale in appearance, but these sleek, luxurious Bose buds are handsome fellas, with a secure fit and a bit more aesthetic flair than their rivals - that's a plus point in terms of perceived value.

They also excel in two key areas: ANC and sound quality. The former is back and as good as ever, taking even the noisiest environments and reducing their impact quite dramatically. Every time you pluck the buds from their case and place them in your ears, Bose’s CustomTune calibration tech lets out a tone as it surveys the noise in your environment and adjusts the sound accordingly. Bose knows noise cancelling better than almost anyone, and it shows again here.

The Ultra Earbuds have undoubtedly improved over the QC II regarding sound quality, too. This isn't a case of being better or worse than the XM5s, rather it's about preferring a certain style of sonic presentation. There's a familiar richness and fullness to the sound, but the new buds have a bit more of a skip in their step than the outgoing QuietComfort Earbuds II, as well as more detail around the edges of tones and instruments. For getting out the timbres of instruments, the Ultra Earbuds take things to the next level, offering a style that rewards you with genuine verve, dynamism and impact. The Sony XM5 are more refined and measured, but for musical insight and joie de vivre, the Ultra truly live up to their name.

Feature-wise, the big news for the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is they feature Bose Immersive Audio (their version of spatial audio) and while the results are a little mixed, the ambition is definitely there. Elsewhere, though, call quality has improved while battery life remains the same, but we'll admit that the lack of Bluetooth Multipoint is a bit of a puzzler at this level.

All in all, a five-star alternative to the Sony WF-1000XM5 and a very, very decent pair of wireless earbuds full stop.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review

Best Apple in-ear headphones

Apple has historically produced decent but unremarkable wireless earbuds, performing solidly but never challenging the real class leaders from the likes of Sony and Bose. With the AirPods Pro 2, though, the Californian titan has made a pair that finally delivers the goods.

How? The buds' fit and on-ear controls are both very good, while battery life clocks in at a very competitive total of 30 hours with the charging case. You get new, iOS-compatible features such as Apple Adaptive Audio, and, most importantly, a big jump in sound quality compared to previous effort, all for the same price as the original AirPods Pro.

The noise-cancelling is effective, and Apple's Adaptive Audio tech, which dynamically adjusts the level of ANC depending on your surrounds, works a treat. And the sound quality? With weight, detail and a good dose of dynamic subtlety, they really are accomplished in-ears, and while they don't quite match the dynamism of the Bose Ultra Earbuds or the perceptiveness and balance of the Sony WF-1000XM5 or Bose QC Ultra, they're not a million miles away. That gap feels like it's never been closer with the AirPods Pro 2, and if we were gifted a pair, we'd be happy listening to them all day, iPhone or no iPhone.

All in all, a superb pair of in-ears for Apple fans everywhere.

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

How to choose the best in-ear headphones for you

First of all, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend. That will be somewhat determined by how you are going to use your new in-ear headphones – there's no point forking out hundreds of pounds or dollars for something that will sit in a drawer for most of the year.

Are you going to plug them into a smartphone or will they be used with a premium portable music player packed with hi-res music? You can go the wired route for the ultimate performance-per-pound value, but there's always the wireless option should you want a bit more convenience from your earbuds.

Compared with the best over-ear headphones, which can look and feel big and bulky, the best in-ear headphones offer a more discreet listening experience, while the use of ear tips tends to deliver decent levels of isolation from the outside world. So, you will also want to ensure the in-ear headphones you go for (and the tips you get with them) are comfortable. And, if you want to block out more of the outside world, you might want to consider active noise-cancelling, which is an increasing feature on all but the very budget true wireless earbuds these days.

There's a pair of earbuds for everyone on this list, including budget wired headphones and premium models, plus noise-cancelling headphones and Bluetooth headphones, too. Rest assured, we have tested all the in-ear headphones mentioned above, which is why you can be confident they are all up to the job. Check the most recent pricing to bag a possible discount and also don't forget our page dedicated to the best headphone deals.

• Headphones vs Earbuds: which is best for you?

How we test in-ear headphones

We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Reading where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that passes through our door, including in-ear headphones.

Testing in-ear headphones, whether it is the wired or wireless variety, naturally doesn't require us to be in a test room all the time, although when we want peace and quiet and to compare pairs with their closest rivals, then a dedicated room does come in handy. For the most part, we test in-ear headphones in our daily life and in the outside world: on a train during our commute, when walking around town, around the house and even when on a run or workout session.

We treat in-ear headphones as though they are speakers, so we give them plenty of time to run in, and then we use them with the equipment they are most likely to be partnered with, be it a smartphone, headphone amp and DAC, or portable music player.

We also try a wide range of music and music file types, and if the earbuds offer extra features such as noise-cancelling, we also test this and use them in different environments to make sure it's up to scratch.

All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we are being as consistent and thorough as possible with our reviews. There is never any input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the overall verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for nearly five decades.

Recent updates

• February 2024:Added FAQ section to help with buying decisions and commonly asked questions.
• January 2024: Replaced the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II with the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds following a five-star review for the latter.
• November 2023:What Hi-Fi?Award winners labelled after the 2023Awards Best Buys and Product of the Year announcements.

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