The three sets of earbuds I reach for

I have been an audio reviewer for 20 years. My time as a freelance headphones panelist at Wirecutter, and the multitude of reviews I’ve written for sites like Reviewed, Digital Trends, IGN, and now The Verge, have given me the chance to listen to hundreds of earbuds. Some were truly excellent, and some were pretty hideous. Honestly, they tend to blur together as I move from new earbud to new earbud. But when something worthwhile comes around, it gets and holds my attention. These are the three sets that I reach for most often right now.

For ages I relied on the Apple AirPods Pro — first the Pro 2 and then the Pro 3. But the new $170 Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro have been my go-to earbuds for the past month. I’m using them to listen to Lofi Girl as I write this. Their sound quality is really good after you use the Soundcore app to fine-tune the frequency response (out of the box the bass is too high, which causes vocals to get muddy and snare hits to be muffled). They fit my ears securely, and since they have an IP55 rating, I could see myself using them on a run in a pinch — though I prefer running with my Powerbeats Fit buds (see below). And they also support the LDAC high-res audio codec with supported devices (sorry, iPhone users).

Noise cancellation is also top-notch and comparable to more expensive earbuds like the Apple AirPods Pro 3 (which we’ll get to in a few paragraphs). The Soundcore buds 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 as much ambient noise, allowing me to sound clear on my calls and in meetings. Whether it’s a squawk from the family parrot that’s a couple feet to the left of my desk or the Los Angeles traffic as I walk around my neighborhood, nothing distracts my conversation partners from what I’m saying. And many don’t even believe it when I tell them the amount of noise around me.

The Liberty 5 Pro have some nice extra features, including voice controls, AI translation (with the Soundcore app), and a case with a 0.96-inch TFT touchscreen and wireless charging. For $60 more, the Liberty 5 Pro Max’s case adds recording with an AI transcription and summary, but they cost $230 and the earbuds are exactly the same as the 5 Pro. I wouldn’t bother with the upgrade unless you really need to record and transcribe things regularly.

Battery life with ANC on is below average, listed as only 6.5 hours (or a total of 28 hours with the case), and that number goes down if you’re using features like hi-res audio. I find myself needing to charge the case every couple days.

It also takes some finagling to switch the earbuds between paired devices. I regularly use my work MacBook, my iPhone, and my 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.

In those cases I fall back to my Apple AirPods Pro 3. When I’m using 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, the AirPods will seamlessly switch over to the new device and alert me with a pop-up notification.

The AirPods sound a bit better than the Soundcore, although it’s not a drastic difference. And they still deliver some of the best noise-canceling performance available.

They also have a plethora of features that only work within the Apple ecosystem. Live translation on supported iPhones works decently, and their case supports magnetic wireless charging. They have Find My for if (when) you lose them, and even a hearing test. There’s also a heart rate sensor that integrates with the iOS Fitness app, and the buds are now IP57 (the Soundcore are IP55, so their 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.

Even though fit has been improved on the AirPods Pro 3 compared to the Pro 2, I still have issues with it. It’s not a concern as I sit at my desk, but a light jog or run and they start to work their way out of my ears. Earbuds fit is such a personal thing, since everyone’s ears are shaped differently, but for me, Apple has never nailed it. I also don’t like the stem design, to put it mildly. It’s iconic, sure, but also exceedingly frustrating to use when I’m running. I’m constantly jostling them loose as I try to change the track, adjust volume, or switch to a different ANC mode.

That’s where the Beats Powerbeats Fit come in. Because of their wingtip design, I never worry about them coming out of my ears, and yet they’re comfortable throughout my workout. The in-ear design also keeps out of the way of sunglasses, which is one reason I prefer them over the ear hooks of the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. And even though Beats are owned by Apple, the earbuds are not locked into the Apple ecosystem. They can connect to Android phones and still offer 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 the dry Los Angeles climate, so humidity and rain aren’t huge issues for me. I’d be cautious about running in heavy rain, but they should still be okay in most situations.

The past year has seen an influx of open earbuds. They offer great environmental awareness since they don’t go fully into your ears — but they don’t sound as good as in-ears because they don’t go fully into your ears. It affects the bass response in particular, but also the overall balance. I don’t think the tradeoff is worth it, and the Powerbeats Fit have a fine transparency mode when I need to pay attention to my surroundings. If you don’t like putting things in your ear holes though, something like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are a good option.

Most people don’t have earbuds coming into and out of their lives as I do, and most people don’t need or want three different sets of $200-ish earbuds. If I had to pick one, I’d choose the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro. Not only are they the cheapest of the bunch, they’re versatile, sound great, and have incredible call quality. With their IP55 rating, you could even use them for workouts. All three are excellent earbuds, and if you feel the need to stay within the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Pro 3 are a good choice. But to me, the Soundcore Liberty Pro 5 are the standout.