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Wireless Earbuds Roundup: The Best Affordable Values

Wireless earbuds have become an essential accessory. We found the best affordable options on the market.

There’s a lot to love about wireless earbuds. From the lack of tangle-prone cords to the ease of movement, wireless earbuds promise to deliver the goods. But as we saw in our Apple AirPods review, promises can be misleading, especially when so many brands look and talk alike. We’ve put together a short list of the absolute, no questions asked, no BS list of the best wireless earbuds available today. Perfect to enjoy with any Bluetooth device (yes, even a Bluetooth record player). You can even get an inexpensive Bluetooth transmitter and use wireless earbuds with any device. Go get ’em cord cutters!

Not ready to cut the cord? Check out our monster list of the best tangle fee headphones for 2017. Need more charge in your life? We’ve also put together a list of the best Bluetooth earbuds for battery life.

Enacfire Wireless Earbuds 

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PROS

  • Great sound for frequent calls. Voices come through clear and crisp, with no annoying hisses or pops that have plagued past wireless headphones. Bluetooth pairing maintains steady reception and never stopped working mid-call.
  • Stays firmly in place without discomfort. So small and light, you’ll probably forget it’s there after a few minutes. That’s not to say the Enacfire will be totally invisible, but it comes damn close!
  • Long battery life. While the Enacfire is rated at 6+ hours of use, we were able to squeeze out 30 minutes over that number, making this tiny dynamo a wonder of modern tech.

CONS

  • Bad English translation. The instructions are simple enough, and wireless earbuds are new tech. That said, the product page on Amazon is obviously not written with english as a first language.
  • Single earbud. While the Enacfire is great for taking calls or subtly listening to music or video, it is not designed to be a stereo headset replacement. That’s pretty common in the wireless earbuds category, but worth pointing out.


Syllable Truly Wireless Earbuds

syllable wireless earbuds

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PROS

  • Super stereo sound. Sound quality is excellent, with very little to complain about from such a small set of headphones. Syllable delivers here, and provides a decent battery life to back up the loudness and range in the Truly wireless earbuds.
  • Can’t beat the price/quality ratio. At under $50 per pair, the cost of ownership is worlds below products like Apple’s Airpods, for essentially the same technology in a different wrapper. That also takes the worry out of losing one, or accidentally leaving it on the coffee table for the dog to swallow.
  • Slick charging case and included accessory package. Syllable really goes overboard here, with a cool looking charging case and a bevy of accessories, including a bag, extra silicone caps, and a USB cable.

CONS

  • Snug, but not always perfect fit. The Syllable wireless earbuds fit well, but on some ears may take a bit of getting used to. For the money it’s a safe gambit, and you can always return the product for free since it’s available on Amazon Prime.


Phaiser Sport Wireless Earbuds

Phaiser BHS-530 Bluetooth Headphones

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PROS

  • They never come off. Phaiser designed the Sport wireless earbuds to be athlete-proof. Running, jumping, lifting, or generally sweating won’t phase the Phaisers. That also means you won’t be losing them any time soon.
  • Best sound in the category, period. We were immediately blown away at the loudness, richness, and overall quality from these tiny wireless earbuds. While you barely feel them, you’ll definitely hear them.
  • Outstanding battery longevity. An incredibly solid battery life with well over 7 hours of use in a single charge.
  • Colors are the spice of life! Making wireless earbuds your own isn’t always easy when they come in black, black, and… black. Phaiser has you covered with 5 unique colors to match your own style, which may also match other wearable tech you own. Consider our USB bracelet roundup for examples of matching storage solutions.

CONS

  • None, really… At under $40 and with no true product compromises, we can’t find a thing to dislike about the Phaiser Sport. These lightweight dynamos are the epitome of state of the art, and while they aren’t tiny in-ear pieces, they do offer a bit of security and added mobility. All we can advise is to try them out, you won’t regret it.