Audio Video News

Wireless Earbuds

EarFun Free Pro Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds: $60

Is it possible to a great sounding set of noise-canceling wireless buds for only 60 bucks? Absolutely, as long as you’re willing to forgo app control and settle for less-than-ideal noise cancellation. EarFun’s Free Pro earbuds — one of three Top Picks in our summer face-off — have a respectable 6-hour battery life with active noise cancellation (ANC) turned on, and will treat you to surprisingly decent sound quality. As reviewer Stewart Wolpin put it, “I was quite frankly stunned by the robust sound the cheap EarFun Free Pros provided. You get bouncy if over-emphasized bass in an otherwise airy, open soundstage.”

Though its ANC wasn’t as effective as the other buds in the roundup (all but one of which were considerably more expensive), the Free Pro was able to eliminate “around half of the most egregious airplane-engine drone” in Wolpin’s listening tests but lacks a useful ambient listening mode. And even though there’s no app (which could be a good thing, depending on your point of view), the buds have simple tap controls for navigating playback or adjusting volume and you can listen in mono with a single earbud. Playback doesn’t automatically stop when you remove the buds but you can charge them on a Qi wireless charging pad. If you’re only paying $60 who’s going to complain?

Adding to their appeal, the EarFun buds are super light so you barely feel them and come with four sets of silicone eartips and two sets of stabilizing ear wings. The buds are also tiny, which means they don’t protrude from your ears but they can also be a tad difficult to dislodge if you push them in too deep. Caveats aside, the Free Pros offer amazing value and are perfect for everyday use.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Robust sound
Light and comfortable
Decent battery life
Minus
Mediocre noise cancellation
Ineffective ambient-listening mode

Full Review Here (posted 6/9/21)

JVC HA-A50T Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds: $100

JVC's HA-A50T cost $40 more than EarFun’s Free Pro earbuds and flip the equation, offering strong noise cancellation but only good (not great) sound quality. Reviewer Stewart Wolpin was impressed with the buds ability to combat external noise, putting it on par with models costing twice as much. “I experienced a dramatic cut-off of oppressive airplane drone with just some white noise humming through, and voices nearly disappeared.” JVC’s ambient listening mode was even more impressive, delivering “nearly all the clarity you'd hear with your naked ears — far better performance than I expected given the price.”

The JVC’ buds are also water-resistant with an IPX4 rating and equipped with a practical Touch & Talk feature. When you tap the earbud to activate the ambient-sound mode, the music automatically pauses and restarts when you turn noise cancellation back on. Battery life is about the same as the EarFun, providing 6 hours of playback with ANC engaged or 8 hours with it off. Like the EarFun buds, there’s no app to personalize the sound or control operation — you control track navigation and volume by gently tapping the buds.

Though not as small and light as the Free Pro earbuds, the JVC buds feel nicely balanced and stay put in your ears. You also get five sets of silicone and memory-foam ear tips to ensure a tight, comfortable fit. The HA-A50T earbuds are ideally suited for inveterate travelers who value effective noise cancellation over tip-top sound quality.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Good noise cancellation
Useful ambient-sound mode
Decent battery life
Minus
Middling sound quality

Full Review Here (posted 6/9/21)

Monolith by Monoprice M-TWE True Wireless Earbuds: $130

The internet-based company Monoprice built a name for itself selling low-cost AV cables and accessories but in recent years has expanded into home theater speakers, subwoofers, and other core A/V categories with impressive results. That expansion continues with a special set of wireless earbuds offering three modes of noise cancellation, streaming via aptX-enabled Bluetooth, compatibility with Sonarworks’ excellent SoundID technology, and a robust battery life — all for $130.

Hands down, the coolest feature of the M-TWE earphones is the ability to use the SoundID app to create a sound profile based on your hearing acuity and listening preferences. Once you download the app and conduct a short listening test, the system generates a unique sonic fingerprint that improves and personalizes your listening experience.

Listening to Sia's "Hey Boy" and Benny Blanco’s “You (with Marshmello & Vance Joy)” on Spotify, reviewer Leslie Shapiro was rewarded with nicely balanced sound, strong stereo imaging, and a wide open soundstage. “The upper bass sounded tight and punchy [and] Sia's voice was clean and natural and its pleasant gruffness accurately conveyed.” Making a good thing even better, the M-TWE earbuds are sweat-resistant and super comfortable, even after hours of listening. Editor’s note: As of this writing, the M-TWE buds are available for $100 on monoprice.com.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Long battery life
Comfortable fit
Compatible with SonarWorks SoundID app
Minus
Complicated LED indicators
No track controls on touchpads
Sound quality reduction with ANC off

Full Review Here (posted 3/10/21)

Jabra Elite 85T Noise-Canceling Wireless Earbuds: $230

At a price that’s more than twice that of the JVC's HA-A50T earbuds and almost four times that of EarFun’s Free Pro buds, the Jabra Elite 85t earbuds are packed with features and deliver the best of all words. They’re compact and light, making them comfortable to wear and easy to tote, provide effective noise cancellation with an excellent HearThrough ambient-sound mode, and are supported by a robust app. Oh, and they sound amazing, delivering a spacious yet detailed and neutral sound out of the box and reaching the acoustic heights of the Bose QuietComfort ($279) and JBL Club Pro+ ($200) earbuds Stewart Wolpin judged to be among the top sonic performers in his ten-way face-off.

Even better, Jabra’s sophisticated Sound+ app optimizes the sound based on your hearing acuity and provides a variety of tools make it easy to get the sound just the way you like it. In addition to a five-band EQ that works with three situational modes (My Moment, Commute, Focus), you get six music presets and a series of noise-masking nature soundscapes. Wolpin raved about the Elite 85t’s superior ANC abilities: “Airplane cabin noise virtually disappears except for a low engine hum and vaguely distant-sounding voices, and that's without music playing. With music playing and ANC set to maximum — you can adjust level along a sliding scale — barely a glimmer of the outside world is left to intrude on your reverie.”

Adding to their appeal, the Jabra buds are IPX4-rated for water resistance, support Qi wireless charging, and provide 5.5 hours of playback with ANC engaged, or 7 hours with it off, when the battery is fully charged. Wait, there’s more: you can pair the buds with up to eight devices (most models don't even allow two devices to be paired) and Jabra provides a generous selection of silicone eartips. Simply put, Jabra’s Elite 85t buds is an all-around winner. Editor’s note: As of this writing, the 85t earbuds are available for $180 on Amazon.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Spacious detailed sound
Outstanding noise cancellation
Robust app with many sound-tailoring options
Minus
A little pricey

Full Review Here (posted 6/9/21)

To browse all Sound & Vision-recommended AV gear, broken out by category, visit our Top Picks page.