The Curated Culture Holiday Guide To Earbuds

Are you looking to score a pair of the best wireless earbuds for the audiophile in your life? Trying to sort through the endless options and brands available? No matter if you’re new to the scene or a tech expert, choosing the right earbuds for your phone could be a tall task. We’re here to help with The Curated Culture’s Holiday Guide To Earbuds. A Curated List of six of the best options on the market today!

Samsung Galaxy Buds

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds line of earbuds has become some of the most popular on the market. Combining a solid price point with some next-level features, the Galaxy Buds will undoubtedly be on several gift lists this year. Perhaps the best part about them, is that you get to choose between three different types of Galaxy Buds based on which ones will fit your budget. The new Galaxy Buds 2 start at $109.99, and with that, they come with noise cancellation and balanced audio. The Galaxy Buds Live takes things up a notch by combining an ergonomic design with excellent AKG speakers and improved battery life. They’re also an incredible value at $99.99. Lastly, the Galaxy Buds Pro gives you the best of both worlds by combining a lightweight and insanely comfortable fit, with enhanced audio quality and IPX7 water resistance to boot. The Galaxy Buds Pro is the most expensive pair of Galaxy buds at $199, but definitely worth the price jump. Buy Here

Apple Airpods

As much as I’d like to say the Airpods are the buds that started the craze, that would only be a half-truth. While there’s no doubt Apple’s take on the earbud is by far one of the most popular out there, you could probably do a bit better for the price range. Either way, the Airpods will continue to be one of the most popular requests when it comes to earbuds because of their brand visibility, and the quality you’ll get for said price. There are currently 3 generations of Airpods on the market and they range between $129 – $250. The second-gen Airpods give you the base level of functionality when it comes to Apple’s ecosystem. They support wireless charging and voice-activated Siri. At $179, the third-gen Airpods give you a boost in sound quality thanks to the addition of spatial audio(3D theater sound). The Airpods Pro combines the best of everything Apple has to offer, including Adaptive EQ, Spatial Audio, and Active noise cancellation. The Airpods Pro is definitively the premium earbud offering and as such, carries the premium price tag. For $250 you can have the best that Apple has to offer, but we like the middle-of-the-road option with the third-gen Airpods. Buy Here

Google Pixel Buds

The Google Pixel Buds are a pair of solid, albeit entry-level earbuds that make this list primarily because of how amazingly comfortable they are. Full disclaimer, even though the Pixel Buds will work with virtually any device out there, they will give you the absolute best experience if you happen to be using a Pixel device. With a Pixel, you can take advantage of some of the Pixel Buds most advanced features like Adaptive Sound and Live Translate. Perhaps the best thing about the Pixel Buds is the wildly simple, yet effective touch controls. Music and volume controls are executed with a tap or swipe, and with a long press, you can activate the vast capabilities of the Google Assistant. The Pixel Buds rock a $99 price point which makes them possibly one of the best values on this list, but you’ll get even more value if you own a Pixel phone too. Buy Here

Beats Fit Pro

Compiling a list of the best earbuds wouldn’t be a list without mentioning a pair of Beats. Regardless of how you feel about them, Beats will also consistently be some of the most requested earbuds year in and year out. While they are also consistently some of the higher-priced earbuds, their performance and durability will typically make up for their price. There’s a whole spectrum of Beats earbuds available, but our suggestion for this list is the Beats Fit Pro. The Fit Pro comes in four different colors (black, white, gray, and purple), supports wireless charging, and is compatible with both Apple and Android devices. Beats Fit Pro gives users best-in-class noise cancellation, enhanced call quality, and IPX4 water resistance. Apple users will benefit from access to Spatial Audio and Apple’s quick pair feature. At $199, the Beats Fit Pro isn’t the cheapest buds on this list, but they are definitely contenders for most well-rounded. Buy Here

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

Bose has built a solid reputation as one of the industry leaders when it comes to noise cancellation. So much so, they were able to usurp a huge partnership with the NFL away from Beats back in 2014. Since then, Bose has become a go-to of sorts, for athletes and travelers alike looking for a pair of earbuds that combine premium sound with a premium design. For what it’s worth, I don’t find the QuietComfort buds to be particularly comfy, but I will go to bat as saying they are if not number one when it comes to noise cancellation, then they are damn close. They rock a $199 price tag and are a bit bigger and bulkier than virtually every other option on this list, but when it comes to all-around audio quality, the Bose QuietComfort earbuds definitely top the list. Buy Here

Sony WF-1000XM4

Despite the ridiculously long name, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is the absolute best earbud on this list. Ironically enough, its $250 price tag puts it in the same league as the Apple Airpods Pro, but the performance is leagues ahead of them, Thanks to Sony’s V1 audio processor. The V1 handles the bulk of the work when it comes to noise cancellation, and as such, Sony’s earbuds slightly edge out Bose for best overall. The noise cancellation isn’t the only thing that makes Sony’s buds great though. In my limited testing, they were also the best-sounding earbuds by a mile. These earbuds generally check all the boxes when it comes to what you’d look for when buying a pair for the long haul. They’re lightweight, comfortable, easy to set up, water-resistant, and come with a wireless charging case. My only beef with these earbuds is that the battery life leaves a little bit to be desired. Outside of that, these are our number one pick for the best wireless earbuds. Buy Here