Earbuds with noise cancellation (December 2024)

• 1.

Sony WF-1000XM5 is Sony’s flagship TWS in-ear earphones. Coming in at a price of ₹22,990 at the time of writing, they offer a great selection of features, including Sony’s personalised audio calibration, baked into the Sony Headphones Connect app. Couple that with excellent build quality and fit, and you already have a winner. The sound quality on these buds is crisp, thanks to a balanced sound signature. In terms of ANC, Sony outclassed itself and delivered a pair of TWS in-ear earphones that would cancel out almost all the noise coming in, thanks to their improved fit and reduced overall size of the buds. The combination of the fit and the improved noise cancellation hardware inside the earbuds make them the one to beat in the Indian market right now. If you are a purist, then with a little bit of tuning, you will get great sound from these earbuds.

• 2.

Bose built one of the best TWS in-ear earphones in the market, with the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra earbuds. Sitting at the top of Bose’s lineup of TWS in-ear earphones, these new entrants opened the door with a bang. The signature Bose design allows most users to get a secure and comfortable fit with these earbuds. They are heavy on your pocket, though, beating Sony to the highest-priced TWS on this list. At the time of writing, these earbuds were retailing for a price of ₹25,900. What Bose might lose out in terms of some fancy features, they make up in their excellent performance and build quality.

• 3.

Apple AirPods Pro (Gen 2), updated with USB-C are the best TWS in-ear earphones that Apple has to offer right now. Sporting an iconic case an earbuds design, it is hard to miss someone who is rocking these in-ear earphones. They work phenomenally with Apple devices, offering seamless connectivity and handover between devices and providing what can be called a truly state-of-the-art experience to their owners. These earbuds lack some of the fancy bells and whistles that their contenders might have, but they make up for all of that with their performance. Their sound signature is one of the best of the lot, but the lack of a native EQ makes them fall short of the top mark. Their ANC and microphone performance make these earbuds would have made them a solid contender in the overall market, but the walled garden that is the Apple Ecosystem holds them back.

• 4.

Sennheiser Momentum TWS 4 in-ear earphones are one of the best alternatives to the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra TWS and the Sony WF-1000XM5. These earbuds offer performance that is pretty close to that of the Sony and the Bose, but are more economical than any of the two, coming in at a price of ₹18,990 at the time of writing. The sound signature of these earbuds is fairly well rounded, and they bring excellent ANC performance to back it up. This is thanks to their excellent fit. Overall, combined with the features, these earbuds make for a definite consideration for anyone looking for a pair of premium TWS in-ear earphones. They have a very modern aesthetic, a slightly bulky but pocketable case, and lightweight and well-fitting earbuds that can be customised to your liking using the companion app.

• 5.

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro are the best pair of TWS earbuds under ₹10,000. They offer a great and detailed sound signature, thanks to their dual-driver setup and partnership with AKG, which definitely bore them with very sweet fruits. They come in a compact case that is very pocketable and sturdy. These earbuds also offer a great selection of features and ANC that is very hard to match for manufacturers selling products in this price range. These earbuds leave no box unchecked and ensure that Samsung’s presence is felt with dominance in the TWS market. Their battery life is the only thing that might be a letdown, coming in at 4 hours and 32 minutes in our tests.

• 6.

With the Jabra Elite 10, you cannot go wrong with the fit and the robustness of the buds and their microphone quality. Jabra is known to be one of the brand which has cemented its place in the TWS market to be the ones to add the best microphone array into their TWS in-ear earphones. At ₹20,000 these earbuds are slightly pricey, and the buyers would expect great ANC and sound quality from these buds. And, that is what they deliver. They have a fairly neutral sound signature, with their highs seeing a slight boost, making the sound lean towards the brighter side, without lacking the thump and rumble of the lower frequencies (bass). Their ANC might be slightly off the mark when compared to the top 2 earbuds in the list, but it works well, cancelling out the mid and low-end frequencies really well.

• 7.

Sony WF-LS900N make for a great purchase for anyone who is a fan of Sony and is looking for a budget alternative to their flagship WF-1000XM5. These pack the same hardware as the outgoing flagships, the WF-1000XM4 and that contributes to their solid overall performance. These earbuds are well-built and pack a 19-hour battery (including the case). The overall aesthetics of the buds are muted, and the minimalists would love the darker colour variants of these buds. The sound signature of these buds leans towards the warmer side, with the under-emphasised high mids being our biggest gripe with these buds. The ANC is spot on, thanks to the inclusion of the same hardware as the WF-1000XM4 being packed into these earbuds.

• 8.

Jabra Elite 8 Active TWS in-ear earphones are the one for fitness enthusiasts. These earbuds bring in all the bells and whistles of Jabra’s well-renowned TWS earbuds and pack them into a rugged and well-built package. The excellent fit of these earbuds adds to the already impressive ANC, and their V-shaped sound signature makes them a delight to listen to. You will get a well-rounded sound signature. Bass-lovers might need to tinker with the EQ a bit to pump up the bass, but overall, they do not sound bad. With volume set to 70 per cent and ANC on, we tested the battery life of these earbuds to come around seven and a half hours, which is pretty impressive.

• 9.

Google Pixel Buds Pro are the brand’s entry into the TWS market with the aim to take on brands like Bose, Sennheiser, Sony, and the like. These earbuds offer a solid overall feature set, with the Google Assistant integration being the best of the lot. Well, they are made by Google, and we would not expect anything less. Due to their warm sound signature, the mids take a hit, but these earbuds are perfect for bass heads who also love commanding their phones via Google Assistant. The ANC on these earbuds is effective in cancelling out low-end sounds like the hum of an AC or the droning sound of aeroplane engines. The battery life on these earbuds is also great, coming in at 20 hours (including the case). For ₹19,990 (at the time of writing), these earbuds are perfect for the folks who love the Google Assistant and want a bass-heavy sound and ANC, which is adequate for in-office use or in flights.

• 10.

Sony WF-C700N bring the best of Sony’s TWS in-ear earphone ecosystem into a budget-friendly package. Priced at ₹7,990 (at the time of writing), these in-ear earphones come in a package similar to the WF-C500, which has been applauded for its excellent fit. This helps these earbuds produce excellent acoustic cocoons for you when ANC is turned on and you are listening to your favourite tunes. You will see a boost in the lows (bass), and while the bass-lovers would enjoy it, purists will want to tone it down a bit using the Sony Headphones Connect app. In terms of the ANC, these earbuds hold their own in diverse environments. You can rock them at your workplace or during your commute, and you will be satisfied with their performance for the most part. In our tests, with ANC turned on, and volume set to 50 per cent, these earbuds clocked in four and a half hours of continuous playback, which is fairly close to the brand’s claim of a five-hour battery on these earbuds.