Whether you are a professional musician, a music enthusiast, or just a regular everyday listener who uses music to help you focus when you’re working or working out… the one thing you must have is a good pair of earbuds or in-ear headphones.
Although some people prefer on-ear, over-ear, or semi-in-ear headphones, the in-ear ones provide a more secure and noiseless sound. There is also the fact that in-ear headphones won’t fall off when you’re running at a speed or working out and you need to remain hands-free.
So, these are the ideal kind of headphones for those who lead an active life. In this article, I bring you some of the best earbuds for Android Phones I have come across over the ears. Oops! I mean, years
Top-Rated in-Ear Headphones for Android
When it comes to earbuds for Android Smartphones, you’ll find products in thousands. Yet, very few of them actually hold up their end and give us the output matching their promises. Even that number reaches three figures for many people. Don’t worry! I’m not telling you to buy from a pool of 100 earphones. Instead, I’ve narrowed it down to 7. Yes, these are short earbud/in-ear headphone reviews of the products I used and got a phenomenal performance in their lifespan. Let’s discuss the machines.
Sony WF-1000XM3
Sony has been providing us with good music sine the era of cassette players and the iconic Walkman. Staying true to their reputation, they have made some excellent earbud in various price ranges. The WF-1000XM3 is one amongst them.
The new Sony WF-1000XM3 is not the company’s first entry in the truly wireless earbuds space. That honor goes to the sporty WF-SP700N. But WF-100XM3 enters the scene with a classier aesthetic, better sound, more features and, yes, quality noise cancellation. Also, don’t forget its longer battery life.
How does it look? Well, let’s start by judging a book by its cover: whether you go for black or silver version, these earbuds radiate sophistication. Sony made the design flatter and slimmer which gives the buds a certain mystique that will draw admiration from gawkers.
Although, they do seem to occupy more ear real estate than one might desire. But the comfort these pill-shaped earbuds provides will make you ignore that issue. Also, WF-100XM3 have three contact points designed to comfortably distribute pressure along the outer ear.
To check how user-friendly these actually are, I took them along with me for a run.
Keep in mind that, the WF-1000XM3 is built specifically for casual listening. So, if you’re a sweaty listener then you might want to steer away from this product. The casing doesn’t support water-resistant protection like the WF-SP700N, yet it’s still sturdy enough to survive tumbles onto the concrete.
The charging case is as attractive as the buds. From a glance, it bears the look of a sleek cigarette holder when held to the side. The two-tone black-and-copper colorway gives it some pop, too.
Bundled with the earbuds and case are a USB-C charging cable and two types of earbuds (silicone and memory foam), three pairs of each in different sizes. That is a fair number of accessories for the asking price.
The carrying case has a battery life of up to 24 hours. But to make up for that, the earbuds come with a quick charging time of 10 minutes that will provide you with a playtime of up to 90 minutes.
Sony has made big strides with the WF-1000XM3s’ battery life. It gives six hours of playback as standard, while the case has enough power for an extra three charges, giving a total of 24 hours when using Bluetooth and noise-cancelling together.
If you’re caught short, just 10 minutes of charging time is enough to breathe 90 minutes of life into them. Turn off the noise-cancelling and the battery life jumps to eight hours, with the case bumping it up to an impressive total of 32 hours. Sony just did good for people who love to travel, didn’t they?
The WH-100M3, Sony’s flagship headphones, proved the company could do touch controls right. With the WF-1000XM3, not so much. The tap gestures and on-ear detection don’t operate as well as they do on the AirPods.
The outer section of each earpiece is smooth plastic with a small, glossy, circular patch on the surface of both left and right buds. These patches are actually touch sensitive control pads; the functions vary depending on the earpiece.
Unfortunately, you can select only one function to enable on each bud, which you can assign on the Sony Headphones app. The functions include playback, Google Assistant, Ambient Sound Control or None Assigned, which only allows for “pairing and operations during calls.”
The controls aren’t that responsive though, especially when trying to enable the listening modes. On-ear detection would work only half of the time, struggling to recognize whether I removed the buds from my ears or placed them back on.
All negatives aside, the touch panel is a lot more intuitive than it initially seemed. For instance, I found it worked better when using slide gestures instead of taps. This technique made it easier to cycle through listening modes and command playback.
At the heart of each earpiece lies a Sony QN1e HD noise-cancelling processor. Sony claims this chip delivers a 40 per cent increase in noise-cancelling quality, compared to the WF-1000X. Although this technology isn’t as powerful as ANC titans like the Bose QuietComfort 35 II or Sony’s WH-1000XM3 headphones, it’s resiliently effective.
Talking about the effectiveness, the WF-1000XM3 keeps environmental fracas mostly to a minimum. Sony programmed another listening mode into these buds called Ambient Sound, which lets you hear your surroundings more clearly. It doesn’t work as well as the Elite Active 65t though.
The buds also support Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC to make pairing seamless. The latter feature requires removing the buds from the case, but it’s no hassle. Just place your smartphone on the case’s NFC symbol and you’ll be connected. You can pair to devices through the Headphones app as well.
Whichever setup you choose, the buds hold a strong connection. I enjoyed up to 38 feet of wireless listening away from my smartphone. Stuttering only occurred when stepping out of range.
In my opinion, Sony has really pulled something special out of the bag with the WF-1000XM3s. They sound excellent, battery life is up there with the best and they are one of the only pairs on the market to pack in active noise-cancelling and executed it so well.
The touch controls take a bit of getting used to, and it would be nice to support aptX HD Bluetooth, but apart from that, you simply can’t get a more musical and engaging performance from a pair of true wireless earbuds.
LETSCOM Bluetooth Headphones IPX7 Waterproof
These earbuds are especially crafted for all the sporty folks out there. They are a pair of sports earbuds that are designed with an internal nano-coating. The coating protects the headphones from heavy rain or sweat throughout intense exercise routines. So, now you can run, jog, ride, hike, or participate in any exercising regiment wearing these without being worried about possible water damage.
The lightweight and ergonomic design of the LETSCOM Bluetooth Headphones, along with customizable accessories including gel ear tips and soft silicon ear hooks ensure a comfortable and secure placement on your ears, even during the most intense workout.
The package includes a set of ear tips of various sizes ranging from X small to large, so that you can pick one that fits and sits perfectly inside your ear cavity.
Because they are designed for sports and activities, the makers had to take extra notice in making the controls of these earbuds easy to access and operate. Keeping that in mind, they have decided to use control buttons on this thing instead of a touch enabled panel.
The result?
You can even operate it with sweaty hands or while standing in the rain. You can use the buttons to play and pause music, adjust the volume, shuffle tracks, and answer and end calls. You can also activate your voice assistant by simply holding down one button.
Now let’s talk about the real business, the sound quality. The earbuds’ 11mm vibrating diaphragm, CSR chip and technology deliver a high-fidelity audio. There is also a built-in mic for stereo sound and superb bass sound. This will ensure that you get clearly distinguishable high and low sounds. The built-in mic is
equipped with CVC noise cancellation. This means that the headphones get rid of static and environmental noises during phone calls, so that you can have clearer and more stable calls.
As a pair of sports earbuds, these have an exceptionally long battery life. The built-in polymer Li-on battery provides you with 8-hours of playtime, after 2 hours of charging. This is enough to ensure you have enough juice for music, calls, and anything else you have in mind.
On top of that, the earbuds provide a 250 hour-long standby time and whenever you connect them to a phone, the battery life will be displayed on the screen so that you get to know how much juice is left before you need to get it charged up again. IF you’re looking for sports earphones, then these are certainly among the best earbuds/in-ear headphones you will find
1MORE Stylish True Wireless Earbuds
When they say True Wireless, they mean truly wireless. When the technology was first introduced, first generation True Wireless headphones still had a wire that connected the earbuds with the rest of the device. But with the emergence of Apple’s Airpods, all the other companies got a clear idea of how a truly wireless headset should look like. And many other brands, just like 1MORE, followed suit.
These earbuds have a fast and stable connectivity with an optimized QUALCOMM chip with aptX and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) compatibility which earns it a rock-solid connection delivering music without dropouts as you unwind and relax.
The hi-res transmission technology is optimized for better sounding Bluetooth audio, so that you can enjoy higher resolution music and a higher decoding rate that requires less storage.
Speaking of high-resolution music, the sound quality of these earbuds is a combined outcome of the hi-res transmission technology and its Premium Sound Dynamic driver with a titanium composite diaphragm that balances powerful bass and exquisite details for a natural and authentic sound.
To add a bit extra to the sound quality, each of 1MORE’s earbuds are tuned by the brand’s in-house sound engineer, the Grammy Award winning Luca Bignardi, so that you get a precise representation of the artist’s intended sound.
They named the device stylish for a reason. The brand paid utmost attention to the earbuds’ looks and design. There are four color options available to match your personal style thanks to the NCVM (Non-Conduction Vacuum Metallization) color process which provides both long-lasting colors and a sleek metallic finish.
With an ergonomic design, the snug and secure-fit earbuds with 45°oblique- angled nozzles will lay in your ear canals comfortably and safe. Three additional pairs of ear tips with different sizes are included so you can get the right fit. Weighing only 52.8g these compact earbuds can fit into your pocket with ease for enhanced portability.
Operating this thing is easy-peasy lemon squeezy. The earbuds get everything done with a single no-nonsense button functionality. Say goodbye to complex panel controls. With just one button, you can activate voice control, play, pause, and fast forward music.
The battery life is also incredible with the added benefit of quick charging. You get a 24-hour playtime with fast charge. Enjoy an uninterrupted playtime of 6-5hours in a single charge and extend it to 24-hours with the charging case. Quick charge feature enables 15-min charging time to fuel up an additional 3-hours of enjoyment.
Jabra Elite 75t Earbuds
Yes, I know there are a lot of earbuds out there that promise a lot. Yet, deliver little of what they actually claim. That’s why I’m here to help out. The next one in our lineup is the Jabra Elite 75t Earbuds. This little device here not only looks cool, but sounds awesome as well.
When you look into an in-ear earbud, the connectivity should be one of your primary concerns. Equipped with the Jabra 4th generation true wireless connection, the 75T makes sure you won’t be missing out on a single detail. Also, the audio range stretches out to 10 whole meters. Cool right?!
Jabra claims that the device won’t have any audio dropouts or any kind of lag whatsoever. This makes the Elite 75T a great companion who prefer clarity above all else. It even cancels out disruptive noises around you to give you the perfect phone call experience each time.
All this is fine and great, but does it offer the same when it comes to the comfort aspects? I have to say, Jabra did make a strong impression by offering a design that makes for a perfect fit. The shape should be ideal for any type of ear. Plus, the ergonomic structure ensures comfort beyond expectations.
The best way to gain the trust of the user is to give the promise of reliability. The guys at Jabra take this message to heart. Their extra efforts can clearly be seen by how durable they actually made the buds. These babies are dust and sweat resistant to quite some extent. Which means these are built to last.
The power backup is perhaps the strongest feature of the Jabra Elite 75T. 7.5 hours of runtime with a single 15-minute charge is just insane. Can’t charge the device every day because of your busy routine? Have no fear! With the help of the charging case, you can actually get 28 hours of battery life in total.
Now that we’ve talked about the basics, let’s see what else Jabra has to offer. The one touch assistant can really come in handy for those who rely on Alexa, Siri or Google assistant. It makes accessing your digital content with voice command seem easy as pie.
If all this doesn’t seem enough, the Jabra Sound+ app is there to make your audio experience a whole lot better. Customize the settings to go about your preferences with the user-friendly interface. The additional widgets make selecting your favorite options easier than ever.
Amazon’s Echo Buds
If you’re an audiophile who’s a fan of crisp and dynamic sound that speaks of quality, then Amazon’s Echo Buds might be just the one for you. This checked all the right boxes in terms of features that made me include it in my list of best in-ear earphones / earbuds.
You might be curious about the aspects that make this earbud special. Well, first of all I have to speak of the immersive sound that it brings to the table. You’ll easily learn to love the seamless audio quality that it offers. Also, there’s an automatic sensor that pauses playback when you remove the ear buds.
Now that’s pretty sweet!
Three microphones in each bud makes your voice sound clear in every call. There are a lot of expensive ear buds that don’t focus on this particular feature. But then again, the guys at Amazon do care and they took care of every tiny detail while crafting this magnificent little device.
The echo buds make sure you get the best possible audio experience in every way. The Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology and sealed in-ear design help to cancel out external noise and distortion. Even if you want to hear what’s happening around you, switch to the passthrough mode.
Just double tab the buds and the buds will let the world get back in. This makes using these buds a lot more interesting than the average wireless earphones.
To be honest, with Alexa’s help you won’t even have to use your hands. Why make the extra effort when you can access your music library, audio books and make calls just through voice commands? Not to worry, if you want to access Siri or the google assistant, you can swap between them on the fly.
The device is sweat resistant and offers a much more secure fit than the contenders. It won’t fall off that easily. Another thing you should know is, the Echo Buds come with in-ear seals of three types. You can choose the ones that match your ears best to ensure maximum comfort.
The battery backup of the buds isn’t bad at all. Five hours of operation after a single charge is pretty good if you ask me. The 15-minute quick charge will make them last two hours. Along with the charging case, the total lasting period is 20 hours.
The privacy protection system in the Amazon Echo Buds is quite impressive too. You can view, hear and delete all your voice recordings with voice commands easily. Muting the mic and other safety measures can easily be taken with minimal effort. To sum it all up, this device from Amazon is a quality product in every sense. This one gets a “Great Value” recommendation from my side.
Jaybird Vista
IF you’ve used in-ear earbuds before, then you probably know how vulnerable they can be. There are some models that die out just because of a little sweat or a drop from the hands. Jaybird has considered all those possibilities and ensured safety against all external elements in the Jaybird Vista.
They’re calling the feature “Earth Proof”. Why? Well’ that’s because it gives you protection against all earthly elements. This device here is waterproof, crushproof, drop-proof, and sweatproof. Not only that, but the IPX7 construction makes sure it can stay in place during any kind of workout session.
The safety issues aside, Jaybird offers the promise of great connectivity with their cutting-edge JBS1 true wireless Bluetooth technology. The high quality zero lag audio is something you’ll learn to appreciate. Whether it be phone calls or music, a strong connection with your device will be ensured each time.
With the help of the Jaybird iOS and Android app, you’ll always be able to stay in the groove. With the help of the infinite EQ control over Vista’s highly efficient 6-millimetre drivers, your audio experience will never be the same again. You’ll get customizable options that’ll boost up every beat you hear.
If you’re worried about the dimensions and size, then you’ll be glad to know that that this pair of earbuds are one of the smallest premium headphones you’ll possibly find in the market. The feather light comfort will make you forget that you’ve even got them on.
The Jaybird vista comes with three interchangeable sizes of ear gels. These actually help out a lot. Not all of us have the same ear size and this addition helps you to get the perfect fit for yourself.
Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s get into the additional stuff that this device has to offer. It’s pretty much obvious that it comes with a charging case. The case itself is pretty compact and low-profile. This makes carrying the earbuds around seem effortless.
The Vista earbuds ensures 6 hours of continuous premium audio experience with a single charge. You get 10 more hours of backup with the charging case. So, 16 hours of total runtime will be at your fingertips. If you use one bud only then the time gets extended to 32 hours!
Another handy little feature is the 5-minute quick charge. Just in case you want to chill with your favorite playlist or listen to an audiobook for a while, this’ll provide backup for a whole hour.
The final cherry on top that turns this earbud into a piece of perfection, is the tracking system. You can always locate the exact position of your earbuds with the Jaybird app. If that’s not convenient, then I don’t know what is!
Samsung Galaxy Buds+
We’ve reached the end of our list and I want to wrap this up with something classy. Let me introduce you to the Samsung Galaxy Buds+. When we talk about Samsung, quality goes hand in hand with every one of their products. If you consider quality over gimmicks, these earbuds won’t fail your expectations.
The Galaxy Buds+ specialize in producing rich and natural sound with the help of a two-way dynamic speaker system and a boosted driver. You get the best of both worlds with a powerful bass along with crisp high notes. Irrelevant of your music taste, you’ll find yourself moving with the beat at all times.
Music and other media content become clearer with the balanced and spacious audio crafted by AKG. Even the microphone quality is top notch. The adaptive 3-microphone system ensure that your voice is prioritized by negating distracting background noise. Make yourself heard with clarity like never before.
If you deliberately want to know what’s happening in the outside world, just switch on the Ambient Aware feature. The noises and sounds around will become clearer instantly so you can be more in-tune with the surroundings. Flight announcements and incoming traffic alerts won’t be unheard anymore.
Samsung isn’t a new player in the game and they know every single thing when it comes to user convenience. To make the ear buds a perfect fit for all users, they put in three separate ear gels. You’ll get a perfect fit regardless of the shape and size of your ears.
If you’re even the slightest bit concerned about the battery backup that the buds have, then this will be music to your ears. 11 hours of nonstop music is no small deal. You can have the luxury of an extended audio experience as the charging case will offer 11 more hours of battery backup.
22 total hours of runtime along with a three-minute quick charge feature makes life a lot easier. Especially for those who are on the run at all times. Plus, any Qi-compatible wireless charger or simply your Galaxy phone can be used to charge the headphones anytime, anywhere.
The Galaxy Buds+ don’t fall short in the field of additional features either. The Galaxy wearable app on Android and the Galaxy Buds+ app on iOS help to make the most of your earphones. Even accessing the Samsung cloud and volume control will remain at your fingertips.
Samsung has gone the extra mile to make this device as user friendly and convenient as possible. If top class quality that comes with easy controls matter to you, then this might be one of the best possible choices. This thing works best with Samsung Galaxy Flagship Smartphones (cue: The new Samsung Folding Smartphone which we reviewed).
How Did I Come Across The Perfect In-Ear Earbuds?
This is a question you’d ask me if you want a good product after doing a thorough research yourselves. That’s why I thought of denoting a few factors myself. These factors helped me in digging through the pile and finding the top in ear headphones for my android device. Let’s take a look at them, shall we?
Keep the Ear-Tips in Mind
This might seem like a minor part of an earbud, but trust me… I speak from experience, they matter a lot. If the ear tips are too small or too shallow, they won’t be a decent fit to your ear canals. This often results in poor sound quality. It also makes way for outside noise to seep in.
To have a proper snug fit, make sure that the earbuds you get have extra options. Ear gels of different sizes can really help in this regard. An after-market ear-tip might not be a good option. You’re better off with the ones that come with the package as they won’t have issues fitting inside the charging case.
An ear bud should perfectly sit inside the bowl of the ear. Otherwise, there will be issues regarding sound quality and the overall user experience. Falling off from the ears can cause some serious damage as well. So, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The bottom line is, choose the ear-tips that fit.
The Battery Life is Crucial
It’s best to expect 20% less from the quoted battery life of a particular ear bud. And of course, you’ll find some brands that claim that the buds can go for 12 hours or more after being charged. That’s probably the runtime after including the charge from the charging case. Don’t get easily impressed.
The buds that I’ve listed are pretty much authentic and actually offer what they promise. But still if you’re willing to get just the right one for yourself, then it’s best to balance out your needs. The ones that offer extended periods of playtime are usually on the expensive side.
How much battery life do you actually need? That’s the right question to ask in this regard. If you’re ok with a three-hour backup then there really isn’t any necessity of getting more by paying more. Also, my advice will be to look for the quick charge feature. This handy addition helps out a lot.
The Charging Case Should be Just Right
We really can’t think of in-ear wireless ear buds without a proper charging case, now can we? There are two things you should consider about a charging case when you pick up an earbud. The size, and the build.
If a charging case is too large, then you might actually have some trouble taking it along with you. Don’t go beyond the size of your pockets. No matter how flashy or cool looking the case is, it should always remain portable.
Some earbuds come with a charging case that might seem a little too flimsy. It’s only natural that the case will have to deal with a lot of external pressure. If the case gets damaged, then you’re pretty much done for. So’ it’s a good idea to look for a product that comes with a solid and robust charging case.
Check the Volume Level
Volume levels are not the same with all ear buds. Some need to be cranked up to a 100 percent to have a louder experience and there are some that offer the same with only 50 percent volume. I mean there’s no real point in using a portable headphone amplifier. So, it’s best to check it beforehand.
Prioritize the Controls
If you’re on a tight budget, then you probably won’t get the premium features that come along with the pro-grade earbuds. The expensive ones have a dedicated control pad on the ear pieces that allow you to skip tracks, issue voice commands and so on.
To be honest, these features are really nice to have. I mean, just being wireless doesn’t always cut it. Going about the settings of your media content through your phone can get annoying. So, look for the ones that offer the maximum control options keeping he price in mind.
Noise Canceling Helps
Noise canceling features are nice to have. But do keep in mind that noise canceling circuitry drain battery power. So, if you prefer this option for yourself, then be prepared to sacrifice extended operation time.
Aside that fact, noise canceling features can really be helpful. We can’t always be in secluded noise free places. To experience the best possible quality in using an in-ear earbud, this feature is a must for all the audiophiles. Of course, things get more interesting if you can adjust the noise canceling levels.
I mean we really can’t get enough of the good stuff, now can we?
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