Lots of good earbuds have been released in 2022 — but only a few great ones. CNET editor David Carnoy tells you which his favorites are. Chime in with your top picks.
Find these earbuds here:
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro –
Google Pixel buds pro –
EarFun Air S –
Sennheiser Momentum TW 3 –
Sony LinkBuds S –
JBL Live Pro 2 –
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II –
SoundPEATS Air 3 deluxe HS –
AirPods Pro 2 –
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00:00 Intro
00:41 Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
01:17 Google Pixel buds Pro
01:48 EarFun Air S
02:22 Sennheiser Momentum TW 3
02:51 Sony LinkBuds S
03:28 JBL Live Pro 2
03:58 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
04:36 SoundPEATS Air 3 deluxe HS
05:09 AirPods Pro 2
OW
November 22, 2022 at 2:40 pm
I’d have to say in addition to sound quality, integration with ecosystem plays a part. That’s why I prefer my AirPods with my iPhone rather than my Galaxy Buds with my Galaxy phone. AirPods just interact better in their respective ecosystem. Although, the Beats Fit Pro takes the cake for someone who’s into fitness.
Dr Varun Shukla
November 22, 2022 at 2:40 pm
I was expecting Jabra Elite in this list.
Mr. Martell Sincere
November 22, 2022 at 2:49 pm
I love my Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro 👍😀👍
dhruvit kheni
November 22, 2022 at 3:21 pm
Jabra Elite 7 Pro?
Vaisakh P
November 22, 2022 at 3:56 pm
Realme buds air 3
Mark Slima
November 22, 2022 at 3:58 pm
Picked up the Apple AirPod Pro 2 and it really lives up to the hype. I’m in the Apple ecosystem so it is the obvious choice for me, and it continues to deliver. Cannot recommend enough especially for iPhone/iPad/Mac owners.
Cruzan9
November 22, 2022 at 4:00 pm
I don’t like my Samsung earbuds at all. They came free with my Samsung tablet. As luck would have it I had recently lost my Airpods. I didn’t have the extra funds to replace the Airpods so I’m using the Samsung earbuds despite not liking them. It is what it is.
Joe Lobozzo
November 22, 2022 at 4:24 pm
Great list. My go to are my AirPod Pros but the battery life stinks. I just purchased Soundcore’s Liberty 4 and I have to say they are awesome. On sale now for $120
Zachary McCartney
November 22, 2022 at 9:05 pm
if bat sucks just charge them for like 2 mins ? lol lit they charge up instantly
Hung Tran
November 23, 2022 at 12:35 am
How do u compare it vs the airpod pro beside the battery life?
Joe Lobozzo
November 23, 2022 at 1:27 am
@Hung Tran these are the first generation AirPod pros. IMO the sound quality is just as good, maybe slightly better because the L4 have multiple EQ settings to play with and the also have spatial audio. They fit me much better too. I like the silicone the L4 uses more then the AirPod Pros. The case is nice but it’s a little bigger then the AirPods. The sliding top is neat but I still like the AirPods case more. The noise cancelling is better on the AirPods but not by a lot. The transparency mode is much better on the AirPods.
C Alvz
November 22, 2022 at 4:39 pm
If you want the absolute best ANC just pick up the Bose QC2 earbuds
vivek s
November 22, 2022 at 4:48 pm
Please also mention multi-device support during the reviews. It is very practical and real-life feature
Koning Klootzak
November 22, 2022 at 5:03 pm
CNET is out of sync with the real world these days.
Their reviews and what they think the best of anything is too often not agreeable.
Dami Fash
November 22, 2022 at 8:41 pm
So you think the AirPods 2 pro and Bose QC 2 aren’t some of the best sounding buds ?
Lol wtf
The list is preety accurate
They said some of the best buds in 2022 ..not every single great earbuds out there 😅
Outer Marker
November 22, 2022 at 5:26 pm
All good choices but Anker Soundcore competes, equals or outright slays anything on this list.
The App support alone is as powerful as any other at any price.
A few options,
Under 50, Life A3i, Liberty 2 Pro
Under 100, Space A40, Life P3
Under 200, Liberty 3 Pro or Liberty 4
Ricardo Diaz
November 22, 2022 at 7:44 pm
Excellent list👍
BK Kapadia
November 22, 2022 at 5:34 pm
On iPhone, what equalizer Orion do you use to test these?
Also, do you verify that the setting you chose stays when switching headphone?
For some reason, the equalizer option I choose “dance” goes back to “off” all the time, basically every day.
ilovepizzandnb
November 22, 2022 at 5:34 pm
according to the Snapdragon Summit last week, Bose will have an update on the Quietcomfort Buds II to add Snapdragon Sound, so I’m assuming Apt X as well
chaitanya shaitan
November 22, 2022 at 8:25 pm
Will they get multipoint
ilovepizzandnb
November 22, 2022 at 9:55 pm
@chaitanya shaitan not sure, i’ll have to rewatch the stream.
Nicholas Hennessy
November 22, 2022 at 5:44 pm
I’ve had my Bose QC Earbuds Gen II for over a month, Bose is definitely back to having “audiophile” sound. (I imagine it’ll only get better with a firmware update on the Qualcomm chipset). Also the ANC is almost freaky how good it is, it’s better than just about any over-ears even Bose’s own. Really love it when the market gets competitive, and the engineers duke it out for the best overall, Bose reclaims that crown IMO.
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Aaron Fenton
November 22, 2022 at 6:13 pm
Surprised the Sony WH-1000XM4s aren’t on here. I got a good Black Friday deal and got them for £159. Sound quality is top tier and noise cancelling is rivalled by very few. Excellent value for money.
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November 22, 2022 at 6:56 pm
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Bill Tinnell
November 23, 2022 at 4:36 am
Soundcore Liberty 3 Pros are MUCH better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Coire Jones
November 22, 2022 at 6:19 pm
Unacceptable for Android earbuds to only support aac
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mulan fa
November 22, 2022 at 6:53 pm
I don’t have all these earbuds to try on, can’t tell you whether I agree with you or not.
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Wade c
November 22, 2022 at 7:27 pm
If this is where ya come to find your gear. Just buy whatever this guy recs. Otherwise check out legit non biased reviews from channels like El jefe … gamesky.. dhrme… digital slang … flossy carter… guys like that who just give their honest opinions and love amd use this gear on a daily basis
Dragonflamass
November 22, 2022 at 7:42 pm
My favorite earbuds/go to (first earbud i ever got) was TOZO’s recently because of how cheap and yet still offers great sound at the price of 30$, TOZO-A1 mini and many TOZO options if you look online on Amazon.
Paul Smith
November 22, 2022 at 8:35 pm
I only feel a little bad when I lose my Skullcandy Vinyl for $9.99 a pair when I loose them. I bought 4 pairs. They sound even better if I find them.
pratheep Anuma
November 22, 2022 at 9:28 pm
OK ขอบคุณ
EL JEFE REVIEWS
November 22, 2022 at 9:44 pm
The lack of Soundcore products here is surprising. Especially with their performance per dollar outshining most on this list.
Megatron2013
November 24, 2022 at 8:15 am
CNET is mostly for the more expensive, big name, major brands, etc. But surprisingly, they added Soundpeats Air 3 Deluxe HS & Earfun Air S as cheaper alternatives to the more expensive earbuds.
David Carnoy
November 24, 2022 at 9:12 am
@Megatron2013 And Earfun. No offense, but Earfun is a better deal than Soundcore stuff.
Outer Marker
November 24, 2022 at 12:35 pm
@Megatron2013 CNET clearly doesn’t really know much about budget brands. Kind of funny actually, like random token picks so they don’t seem out of touch lol
bozardo101
November 24, 2022 at 3:02 pm
I agree!!!!
BonafideEffek
November 22, 2022 at 11:06 pm
Can you even trust a list without the sonys?
David Carnoy
November 24, 2022 at 9:32 am
WF-1000XM4? 2021 model. Only soing buds that came out this year. (Thanks for the comment, though).
Jon Yu
November 23, 2022 at 1:12 am
Bang & Olufsen EX wins hands down. Pricing a bit steep but worth the value for the sound quality it brings.
Jothi Venkatachalam
November 23, 2022 at 1:46 am
beats pro ??
David Carnoy
November 24, 2022 at 9:32 am
Great but last year’s model.
gorrilaunit99
November 23, 2022 at 2:27 am
*We want Bass, Skullcandy has the Bass*
Adam Preset
November 23, 2022 at 3:32 am
Caaaaaaarrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnoooooooooyyyyyyyyyyyy!
David Carnoy
November 24, 2022 at 9:34 am
Hellooooooo (thanks for watching).
zunedog31
November 23, 2022 at 3:35 am
If Carnoy says it, it’s true
David Carnoy
November 24, 2022 at 9:30 am
Thanks — but as I tell my kids, 95% of the time. I can be wrong 😉
victor alvarez
November 23, 2022 at 3:36 am
Beats fit pro needed to be there, really great product
Deanta Smith
November 23, 2022 at 1:03 pm
I said the same but maybe they talking about earbuds released in 2022
David Carnoy
November 24, 2022 at 9:16 am
@Deanta Smith Yes, released in 2021. Would have been on list last year. Still very good.
deykno87
November 23, 2022 at 4:30 am
Xm4. Liberty pro 4 and 1 more evo!!!
Bill Tinnell
November 23, 2022 at 4:34 am
Apparantly this guy hasn’t tried out the Soundcore Liberty 3 buds. Really? These buds are the best buds on the planet PERIOD!! Believe ALL the reviews.Get them now while they are $100.00. They are AMAZ-Z-Z_ING!!!!!
David Carnoy
November 24, 2022 at 9:29 am
Yeah, sure, I’ve tried them (had them in several colors). And they’re from 2021, not 2022. And they’re not quite as great as some people say 😉 Anker went with new stem design for Liberty 4.
tambulee
November 23, 2022 at 7:34 am
JBLs are pretty good 👍🏽 imo
Rolins
November 23, 2022 at 9:23 am
The JBL Live Pro 2 are really very very complete, the Earfun Air S 🔥 with better microphones than all the earbuds in this video.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are good but just like the Airpods Pro 2 only have interests in their respective ecosystems.
The Pixel Buds Pro meh!
The Bose, just the best in ANC but nothing else really transcendent and lacks too many basic features present in even $50 earbuds today
The Sennheisers, not really much to complain about, they are good in all areas, maybe not the best but easily top 3 in most areas.
The Linkbuds S, good but not really the best in their price range where there are Soundcore Liberty Air 3 Pro, JBL Live Pro 2, 1MORE and others.
On the other hand, it’s really surprising not to see Soundcore mentioned in this video.
But above all, no non-Apple earbuds over $100 should afford not to have ADAPTIVE APTX or LDAC, and especially not to have Google Fast Pair and real multipoint.
JULIAN 8591
November 23, 2022 at 11:03 am
Status BETWEEN PRO are really worth a try, really good bass sound.
Danner Banks
November 23, 2022 at 5:21 pm
I feel like the atypical earbuds shopper – I want a case that connects to my keychain, I want the case to be small, and I want multipoint. ANC and wireless charging, while nice (based on my experience with expensive earbuds in the past) aren’t as important for me. As a result, I’m using the Skullcandy Dimes. And I’ve decided for anything with a headphone jack (Meta Quest 2, switch, fire tablet, Xbox series controller) I’m just going to use wired headphones. I love your Earfun recommendation though, $60 for multipoint functionality is great.
Andrew Kimani
November 23, 2022 at 7:30 pm
The fact that this list doesn’t include any Soundcore or Jabra earbud disqualifies it, but somehow JBL makes it🤔
RoosterMcNut
November 23, 2022 at 8:54 pm
Sony earbuds are the best.
RoosterMcNut
November 23, 2022 at 8:56 pm
Way better than you can ever imagine. The quality of sound on Sony is insane.
Tom Mangan
November 23, 2022 at 11:29 pm
While sound quality is important, it seems the manufacturers forgot about functionality. AirPods 2 had the best functionality in that you could simply tap the side of your head near the earbud to move forward or backward in your playlist. This is particularly important to those who live in colder climate who routinely wear hats and gloves. Further, those who use them while running or working out appreciate the ability to tap and go rather than having to press or squeeze the stem. Now, users have to squeeze the stem or tap directly on the earbud, which simply isn’t practical while wearing thick gloves and/or a hat. And there is always the danger of having the earbud fall out while trying to tap/squeeze it while running or working out. Sure, users can say, Hey, Siri…” and all that, but nobody around you wants to hear you say that over and over while you scroll through your playlist or repeat a tune a few times.
Kevin Lee
November 24, 2022 at 2:21 am
no LG Tone Free FP9 or T90 with the plug and play feature?
David Carnoy
November 24, 2022 at 9:31 am
I do like that feature but the LG Tone buds aren’t quite top-notch for what they cost. Seem to be getting better though.
Nick S
November 24, 2022 at 7:48 am
Linkbuds S are hard to fault and a great default pair of buds for all occasion and a great deal under 150 – I like that I can lay my head flat on a pillow or against something and they arent uncomofortable in my ear. Jabra Elite 85ts werent mentioned but I think they have amazing sound with their larger drivers and accurate, punchy bass. Finally, for working out Ive always loved the Jabra 75t (I think the older Jabra 75t and 85t are better than the newer Jabra offerings) but with the 75t’s out of production, the new king of workout buds has to be the Beats Pro Fit. Great lockdown/stable fit and bright yet punchy sound which is great for Hip-Hop, Rock or EDM. Im most excited to try the new Bose.
Megatron2013
November 24, 2022 at 8:17 am
I’m surprised to find Soundpeats Air 3 Deluxe HS and Earfun Air S in the CNET recommendation of 2022. CNET should do more videos on the low cost budget earbuds.
David Carnoy
November 24, 2022 at 9:18 am
We have a best cheap earbuds list you should check out (text list). Hard to do videos for everything. But I’m always looking for good value buds.
Megatron2013
November 24, 2022 at 10:48 pm
@David Carnoy Thanks for replying! Please do video reviews on the Soundpeats Air 3 Deluxe HS and Earfun Air S. It would help the consumers out, especially that you put these budget earbuds with the higher priced buds for 2022.
SOUNDPEATS
November 24, 2022 at 8:54 am
I couldn’t agree more!
Ike Jennings
November 24, 2022 at 2:09 pm
Make sure , you ave ur codecs enabled in your phones too get/ sbc/ aac/ aptx/ etc…if you dont, you will be listening to ur twss on default mode….all.phones ave dac players in em for bt codecs…peace
Ike Jennings
November 24, 2022 at 2:39 pm
Beins my big 3 were all.made in 2021…if i wanted to get a new tws, made in 2022…it would be the lypertek z5z…lypertek knows how ta tune a tws..my lypertek sf s20z are phenomanal…
The Authentic Fan
November 25, 2022 at 1:53 pm
Dear David, what about servicing of these products? Can I get a earbuds repaired? Or is it pretty much use and throw?