The 20 Best Earphone/Earbud Brands (2024)
Earphones and earbuds are some of the most popular music-listening gear in the last decades. A good pair of earphones is crucial for any music enthusiast, which takes the music listening experience to a new level.
Today, there are great earphones, not only for casual music listening, but for critical listening, studio recording, and monitoring. As the desire is enormous, the market is also huge, with many different brands specializing in different kinds of earphones and offering different models.
That is why choosing the right pair of earbuds can be confusing, and this is the article that will guide you through the diverse world of earphone brands.
Contents
1. Sony
Starting with one of the biggest technology brands in the world, Sony is a Japan-based company founded in 1946. The brand is highly appreciated for its great audio equipment as well as different technological products, from video game consoles to smart devices.
As one of the largest media companies, Sony offers many different ear headphones and earbud models. Sony earphone models range from affordable to high-end premium quality models, designed for casual listeners, professional musicians, and audiophiles.
Like all Sony products, Sony earphones are high-quality, well-built, and reliable. Combined with great customer support, Sony is an excellent choice if you are looking for a decent pair of headphones for any kind of use.
Notable Model:
Sony WF-1000XM4 is a great pair of headphones that shines with its premium quality features like top-class noise canceling, exceptional sound quality, Bluetooth system, and 8 hours of battery life. They are not only great for music listening but also for calls with their clear call quality and beamforming microphone.
2. Sennheiser
The German brand Sennheiser is one of the first names to come to mind when talking about audio equipment. Founded in 1945, Sennheiser Electronics quickly became a world-leader brand in the audio sector with its high-quality studio equipment.
Sennheiser produces some of the best headphones, earphones, microphones, and monitors, which are regularly used by famous musicians, DJs, audiophiles, and in top-notch studios due to their exceptional performance.
The brand also offers relatively affordable models for casual listeners. The sound quality of Sennheiser products is fantastic, but the prices are above average at best.
Notable Model:
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 is one of the most popular Sennheiser wireless earphone models, featuring high-end audio and build quality along with some nice features such as active noise cancellation and long battery life. The quality is provided by Sennheiser’s unique 7-millimeter dynamic Earbud audio drivers, which are some of the best in the market today.
3. Shure
Another elite name in the audio equipment world is the U.S.A.-based company, Shure. Since 1925 the company has been producing great audio products that are well-appreciated for their top-tier audio quality.
Shure specializes in high-end earphones and audio equipment for professional use with its audiophile-worthy devices. However, the brand also offers basic earbuds for casual use, which shine with their above-average sonic performances.
As one of the top headphone brands, the model lines of Shure are slightly pricey, but they are worth it, in my opinion.
Notable Model:
Shure SE215 PRO is one of the versatile models of the brand which can deliver audiophile-grade detailed sound with enhanced bass. The earphones come in three different sizes of earbuds and block up to 37 dB of noise.
4. JBL
The U.S.A.-based company, JBL, is one of the best professional-grade loudspeaker producers in the world. Founded in 1946, JBL is now owned by Samsung Electronics.
The brand also produces high-quality headphones and earphones for professional and casual use. JBL earphones are decently priced and feature great audio quality along with feature-packed designs for professionals as well as music enthusiasts.
Notable Model:
JBL Tune 125TWS model reflects the JBL approach perfectly with its great audio quality with pure bass sound and spatial audio, Bluetooth connectivity, 32 hours of battery life, comfortable design with 3 sizes of ear tips, and decent price tag.
5. Apple
Founded by Steve Jobs in 1976, Apple Inc. is one of the biggest companies in the world today. Apple designs, develops, produces, and sells Apple products which are considered some of the best in the electronics sector. The Apple devices range from smart devices and laptops to consumer electronics as well as online services.
As Apple smart devices like iPhones, iPads, and Apple laptops like MacAir and MacPro are top-rated popular products, Apple EarPods and AirPods are some of the most sold earphones in the market.
The sound quality of these earphones is not the best, and the prices are a bit higher than average. The overall performance is decent, but what sells these earphones is their seamless integration with Apple devices.
Notable Model:
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) is a great model of the Apple offerings, which has significantly better sonic performance than the previous models. The perks of these earphones are the extra features that make them a joy to use with iOS devices, like quick access to Siri, more than 24 hours of battery life, and functions like the ease of sharing audio between two sets of AirPods.
6. Jabra
The Danish brand Jabra is one of the most popular earphones producers today, thanks to their great-sounding yet affordable products. The company was founded in the U.S.A. in 1983 but was purchased by the Danish company GN Audio in 2000.
The brand focuses on casual music enthusiasts and delivers earphones with great value-for-price ratios. Besides the good sound quality, the Jabra designs are feature-packed and easy to use which are the reasons why Jabra is one of the most popular brands among casual music listeners.
Notable Model:
Jabra Elite 75t is one of the brand’s popular models with a great feature-packed design and high performance. The earphones have decent audio quality, long battery life of around 24 hours, active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C connectivity, and a smart device app for Android and iOS for further customizations.
7. Beats
The famous earphone brand from the U.S.A. Beats or Beats By Dr. Dre is a subsidiary of Apple Inc. Beats headphones are trendy among younger generations due to their bass-heavy sound profile and stylish designs.
The mainstream brand also offers high-quality earphones with comfortable and stylish designs. The sound profile is on the bass side and provides a good listening experience for bass-heavy genres like EDM, deep house, techno, etc.
Notable Model:
Powerbeats Pro is one of the top-quality models of the brand with its Apple H1 headphone chip and Class 1 Bluetooth for extended range, sweat-resistant, and adjustable comfy design, stylish look with different color options as well as classic bass-heavy sound profile.
8. Soundcore
Soundcore is the audio equipment brand of the Chinese giant company Anker Innovations. The brand is well-known for its innovative devices like the Soundcore Frames, and glasses with interchangeable audio frames that provide stereo sound.
Soundcore also offers many other audio devices such as headphones and earbuds. The brand is aimed at casual listeners looking for affordable earphones with versatile, decent-looking designs for everyday use. The brand is highly popular thanks to the great value-for-price ratios of its products.
Notable Model:
Soundcore by Anker Life P3 is one of the most-sold models of Soundcore, which is highly rated in many global stores like Amazon. The earphones offer decent quality audio with custom 11mm composite drivers, multi-mode noise canceling to optimize the listening experience in any environment, several color options, compact design, and a reasonable price.
9. Skullcandy
Skullcandy, another U.S.-based audio brand, is mainly known for its innovative and great-fitting designs with eye-catching aesthetics and affordable prices. The brand was aimed at snowboarders in its first days but later focused on everyday casual music listeners.
The influence of snowboarder designs is still felt in Skullcandy earphones as they have a secure fit, as well as wireless, sweat, and water-resistant designs. The eye-catching designs and affordable price tags are the main reasons to choose Skullcandy earphones.
Notable Model:
Skullcandy Dime True Wireless is a great example of Skullcandy-style earphones with a highly affordable price tag, comfortable and secure, noise-isolating fit, totally wireless design, and easy-to-reach microphone, call, track, and volume control buttons. The audio quality may not be the best, but it is not bad either.
10. Plantronics
Founded in 1961, Plantronics is a U.S.-based electronics company that produces good-quality business headsets as well as feature-packed Bluetooth headphones and earphones, among other electronic devices. The brand recently changed its name to Poly due to a collaboration with Polycom.
Most Plantronics products are produced in China and Mexico, which is the reason behind their reasonable prices. Plantronics earphones feature state-of-the-art audio and sound technology with a sleek design. The brand produces earphones more focused on casual use like business meetings and calls rather than just listening to music.
Notable Model:
The Plantronics Backbeat Fit 2100 is one of the brand’s innovative products, which features a sweatproof and waterproof wireless design with a comfortable, secure fit on the ears. Designed for training sessions, these earphones allow you to hear your surroundings while listening to music and they have decent battery life. It also comes with the Backbeat app, which allows you to customize the earphones further.
11. Philips
The Dutch company Philips is one of the largest electronics companies globally. Founded in 1891, the experienced company offers many different electronic products, from kitchen appliances to lighting solutions, as well as some decent quality earphones.
The brand puts function and value over style and focuses on producing earphones for everyday use. Philips products shine with great value for price ratios, and the earphone models are no different.
Notable Model:
Philips T2205 is one of the modest in-ear wireless models of the brand, which features average audio performance, decent construction, battery life, and a comfy, secure fit. These earphones also have voice assistance through your phone and buttons on each earbud for easy control and access.
12. 1MORE
1MORE is a China-based audio brand that focuses on delivering high-performing audio gear for reasonable prices. The brand has branches in the U.K., U.S.A., and China, and 4 times Grammy Award winner Sound Engineer Luca Bignardi takes an active role in designing 1MORE products.
1MORE earphones focus on casual music listeners and deliver a surprisingly good audio performance for affordable prices. Many models have feature-packed designs and high sonic performances for different needs in the brand’s catalog.
Notable Model:
1MORE Triple Driver is a well-appreciated model with warm and full sound delivered by two balanced armatures and a separate dynamic driver. Thanks to the in-line remote control system, the wireless earphones are also comfortable and easy to use.
13. Donerton
Another small Chinese company, Donerton, specializes in electronic supplies and components as well as audio devices, especially in-ear earphones, wireless earbuds, and Bluetooth speakers, for home and office use.
Donerton products have feature-packed innovative designs and affordable price tags. The construction quality is decent, and the life of the products is pretty good when the price is considered.
Notable Model:
Donerton Wireless Earbuds is a great Donerton product that receives high ratings in global stores, especially on Amazon. The innovative design features Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, 140 hours of playtime, waterproof earbuds, with a good emphasis on bass delivery, and a charging carry case with an LCD.
14. TOZO
Established in 2015 in the U.S.A., TOZO is an electronics brand mainly focused on producing innovative products like stereo wireless earbuds, remote control electronic devices, drones, and mobile power supplies.
The Tozo products are well-appreciated for their feature-packed yet affordable earphones that receive good ratings on many platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Aliexpress. The designs focus on versatility and affordability rather than audio quality.
Notable Model:
TOZO T10 is one of the best-selling earphones of the brand, which features Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity wireless charging case. Plus, the headphones are waterproof and can last up to 6 hours of playtime, making them ideal for use in the water or during workouts.
15. Panasonic
The worldwide famous Japanese multinational company, Panasonic, has been one of the largest electronics manufacturers since the late 20th century. The brand offers many products, including earphones for different budgets and needs.
Panasonic earphones feature solid construction, decent audio quality, and reasonable prices. They are mainly used by casual music listeners who want reliable products. As Panasonic produces earphones in Japan, the quality is quite satisfying and has great value for the price.
Notable Model:
Panasonic RP-HJE120-K is one of the most affordable earphones with decent performance for everyday use. The wired headphones come in various colors and sizes, and have the option to include a mic or not.
16. Sephia
The mid-size London-based English company Berton Ltd. Sephia offers a good range of budget earphones for casual use. The models have affordable prices, relatively solid construction, and decent audio performance for the price offered.
Sephia also adds nice details to their earphones like tangle-free cords, noise isolation, and different sizes of earbud tips.
Notable Model:
Sephia SP3060 is one of the best-selling models due to its affordable price and decent performance. Besides the metal construction, the earphones have nice extra features like 6 sets of earpads, a carry case, and a tangle-free cord.
17. Beben
Beben is a relatively new company that offers wireless earbuds for casual use. The brand offers a relatively limited range of models, but all Beben earbuds feature innovative designs that make the control and use of earphones easier and more versatile.
Beben’s wireless earbuds have great extra features like waterproof designs, making them ideal for use while exercising, running, or swimming. They have touch control technology instead of button control and long battery life. Beben may not provide the best audio quality, but extra features make the earphones quite innovative and versatile.
Notable Model:
Beben True Wireless Bluetooth is a great example of Beben innovation as it comes in an ergonomic waterproof design to use in the gym or the shower, superior battery life, single and binaural modes, and a multi-function button for ease of control.
18. TAGRY
Tagry is a new wireless earphone brand that offers only a single wireless model. The China-based brand offers single feature-packed wireless earbuds with a quite innovative design with handy extra features. The price is quite affordable for a feature-packed pair of wireless earbuds.
Notable Model:
TAGRY Bluetooth Headphones focus on everyday users with average audio quality, comfortable ergonomic designs, extra features like wireless charging, and a carry case with an LED power display.
The earphones have a one-step pairing and accessible touch control, making their use more straightforward. The earphones offer 60 hours of playtime in total with the charging case. You can use it as a single earphone or binaural in the gym or pool as the design is water and sweatproof.
19. AMZANE
Amzane is yet another Chinese wireless earbuds brand that offers only a single model at the moment. Just like other China-based new brands, Amzane also offers innovative designs with handy features for reasonable prices.
Notable Model:
AMZANE Wireless earphones come with a carry case with an LED digital display that shows the battery life of each earbud. The ergonomic design is sweatproof, making it a good companion for the gym.
It offers 35 hours of playtime in total, and the touch control makes it easy and basic to use. The audio quality is average and sits slightly on the bass side. Overall, a decent pair of wireless earbuds for casual use.
20. OKEEFE
The last brand on the list is another Chinese brand. OKEEFE Bluetooth earphones receive high ratings on platforms like Amazon, thanks to their reasonable price tags as well as feature-packed designs.
Notable Model:
OKEEFE Bluetooth has an ear hook over-ear design, which is great for exercising, especially running. Its sweat and waterproof design and comfortable fit to ears make them great to use while being active.
The earbuds come with a wireless charging case that shows each earbud’s remaining battery life. It offers 48 hours of total battery life. Each earbud features a multifunction button to control calls or music. Their sound is average at best.
Conclusion
So these are the top-rated earphone and earbud brands on the market today. As explained, each has its specialties that respond to different budgets and needs that you should consider when purchasing a pair of earphones.
Depending on your budget, need, and area of use, whether in the studio or the office, while exercising, or just some casual music-listening, this guide can help you navigate the earphone and earbud universe to find the ideal brand and model for you.
Soundcore Image Logo by: Howdini-bx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Skullcandy Image Logo by: https://www.skullcandy.com/, Fair use, Link
