The best wireless earbuds available in Australia

If you're looking for new headphones, the wireless earbud market can be pretty overwhelming. You've got plenty of choices across a whole range of price points, and one size does not fit at all. 

Whether you're looking for a cheap pair of buds, a pair with a great sounding microphone, or a pair you can wear all day, we're here to help with our picks for the best wireless earbuds you can buy in Australia right now. 

Why we like them: The new AirPods Pro are so good we even think they're a great pick for Android users. Sure, you miss out on voice assistant functionality and fast pairing if you use them with an Android phone, but you still get excellent sound quality and noise-cancelling. 

Add in reliable battery life, a comfortable design, and the best microphone quality and ambient mode around, and you've got a pair of high-end earbuds that are hard to beat. 

Why we like them: If your tastes in music are a little mainstream and you don't invest too much stock in the finer details of audio technology, you should save yourself some cash and opt for some cheap wireless earbuds like the Jabra Elite 4.

Jabra's Elite 4are cheap enough that you shouldn't have to stretch your budget that far to afford them, and they deliver a ton of bang for your buck when it comes to features. On a gutsy technical level, the Jabra Elite 3 earbuds sport 6mm dynamic drivers, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and IP55 splash and sweat resistance. All this is to say that you're not missing out a lot when it comes to the essential features by going for the cheaper earbuds option.

That said, it's in the finer, everyday details where you start to make a few concessions. For example, the charging case does feel a little cheap. All the same, Jabra's latest remain a compelling but budget-friendly choice for those who can afford the $139 asking price.

Why we like them: If you're all about that bass, but just as into battery life, it's hard to pass on Anker's take on true wireless.

The heavy-duty Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro wireless earbuds boast eight hours of playback per earbud, and an extra 24 hours of charge in the case. That's one of  the most impressive figures out there when it comes to battery life in true wireless earbuds.

However, unlike something like the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW earbuds, the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro deliver long battery life without compromising on either everyday comfort or fidelity. The punchy sound profile won't be for everyone, but we were blown away by the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro earbuds' ability to produce such powerful and crisply detailed sound in a tiny package.

Why we like them: For sportier sound-junkies, we can't recommend the Beats Fit Pro highly enough.

To the eye, Beats' latest are a little sportier than the AirPods or Galaxy Buds. That said, they're still streamlined enough that you could probably wear them elsewhere without giving yourself away as a gym rat

While the carry-case for these gym-friendly buds is a little bulky at 55g, the slim form factor of the earbuds themselves has little impact on either battery life or sound quality. The Beats Fit Pro will give you 6 hours of playback per bud, and another 18 hours of charge in the case.

While they don't hit the same heights of something like the Sony WF-1000X M4 earbuds for fidelity, the overlap in hardware here between these earbuds and the AirPods Pro works to their benefit in surprising and not so surprising ways. Like the AirPods Pro, the Beats Fit Pro are a set of sleek earbuds that combine premium sound quality and design with practical perks like sweat resistance, fast-charging and noise-cancellation.

Why we like them: The Beats Studio Buds Plus are aesthetically stunning earbuds that harken back to the era of the Atomic Purple Game Boy and Bondi Blue iMac G3. While they're a little more subtle than the translucent tech of the 90s and early 00s, we're suckers for design that gives you a peak behind the curtain. 

Fortunately, there's more to the these earbuds than nostalgia. While the striking design hooks you in, they're also a great-sounding pair of true wireless earbuds regardless of whether you favor iOS or Android. If you're looking for something that's better than the standard AirPods but not quite as exxy as the AirPods Pro, these are a solid middle ground.

Why we like them:  The new AirPods Pro are just as impressive as the original premium true wireless earbuds. The noise cancelling is top-notch, the sound quality remains standout, and the stem-based control scheme offers up a tangible advantage on everything else in the market.

While it's unfortunate that some of the AirPods Pro's most impressive features are exclusive to the Apple ecosystem, there's no doubt that iPhone, iPad and Mac users benefit from the extra bells and whistle, such as Spatial Audio, Siri, Find My compatibility and seamless switching between devices.

Why we like them:  The Sony WF-1000XM5 improves on the WF-1000XM4 in more ways than one. The drivers are bigger, the ear tips have been replaced, the processors have been upgraded and the exterior has gotten a facelift.

If you're looking for Android-specific buds, the XM5s have every bell and whistle you could possible want from Spatial Audio and Multipoint to Fast Pair and Google Assistant support. These might one of the most expensive sets of true wireless earbuds money can buy, but it definitely feels like Sony has everything you could do to make that premium feel earned.

Why we like them: Bose's new QuietComfort Earbuds II are your best bet for a pair of earbuds that block out as much of the world as possible. While Bose has recently lagged behind Sony in the space, it's managed to take back the noise-cancelling crown this time around.

The QuietComfort Earbuds II also offer great sound quality and resilient battery life. On the flip side, they do have a chonky case and are a little more expensive than their competitors.

Why we like them:  The third-generation AirPods are made for a very specific user - someone who's looking for comfort above all else.

Since they don't have silicone tips, the AirPods 3 sit in your ear rather than poke into your ear canal. When combined with a light build, this makes them the comfiest earbuds we've tested. It's easy to forget you're even wearing them. 

The trade-off is an open design lets in a whole lot of noise. The AirPods 3 have no noise isolation. This isn't the biggest issue if you're listening at home, in an office, or on a quiet walk, but becomes much more problematic in louder environments, like the gym or on public transport. 

Why we like them:  Apple's new AirPods Pro don't reinvent the wheel, but it's hard to begrudge them for this adherence to a formula that works this well. In the absence of significant competition or innovation elsewhere, the sin of sticking with what works is far easier to forgive.

Every tweak that Apple has made is for the better, and most importantly, you still get that clear, natural, microphone quality. 

Why we like them:  Most earbuds are only splash resistant, which makes them great for the gym or getting caught in the rain, but that's not actual water resistance.  The Jabra Elite 7 Active wireless earbuds are rated IP57, which means they're resilient enough to survive a dunk in water up to 1m in depth. While you shouldn't go swimming with them, the Jabras are a good choice for those that value extra durability. 

Why we like them: The Razer Hammerhead HyperSpeed wireless earbuds may have better overall sound quality and a superior microphone, but the Soundcore VR P10 has better overall value. For starters, the VR P10 is $100+ cheaper than the Hammerhead HyperSpeed.

While that means no ANC for the VR P10, all other boxes are ticked, like Bluetooth 5.2 for a wide range of everyday playback possibilities. More importantly, the VR P10 also includes low-latency audio via a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. It’s built with Meta Quest 2 in mind (the dongle has USB-C pass-through), but the VR P10 is also compatible with PS5, PC and Steam Deck.

Admittedly, the sound is flat out of the box, but activating bass boost via the companion app goes a long way to fixing that. If that’s not enough, there are 20 equaliser presets to cycle through or you can fully customise your own. Ultimately, it’s hard to get past the sub-$200 price for such versatile wireless earbuds.

When we review earbuds, broadly speaking, we're looking at five main considerations:

• Sound: Obviously. Do they sound good? 
• Comfort & Design: Are they nice to wear? 
• Features: Is the battery good? Is the connectivity reliable? What's the noise-cancelling like?
• Vibe: What's the overall experience like? 
• Value: Are they good for the money?

While audio products can be quite subjective for many reasons, we have standardised testing procedures across the team designed to help us look at the category in a consistent way. You can read more about how we review wireless earbuds here. 

When wireless earbuds first began to become popular among mainstream consumers, opting for cheap often meant opting for compromises when it came to either sound quality, comfort or battery life.

Nowadays, there are decent earbuds options available at almost every price segment. Paying for something premium will likely yield better results, but even budget earbuds feel easier to get away with than they did once upon a time. If you're in the market for a set of true wireless earbuds, here are some key questions you'll want to consider.

• How much battery life do you want?
• Where are you going to be wearing these earbuds? Are they for the gym or for everyday commuting?
• Are you going to be taking hands-free calls with these earbuds?
• How important is noise-cancelling to you?
• Are you hoping to be listening to high resolution audio using these headphones?
• Do you care about having earbuds that neatly integrate with the operating system of your connected device?
• How bulky does a case have to be for it to bother you?
• How much money feels like too much money to spend on a set of earbuds?

Everyone's needs are different, so your answers to the questions above will vary accordingly. Regardless, getting a sense of what features and specs you care about is usually the simplest way to navigate a crowded gadget landscape. That's just as true for true wireless earbuds as anything else.

And hey, maybe earbuds aren't for you. If you'd prefer over-ear headphones, check out our top picks here.