Not everyone wants to run around bulky headphoneEven if full-size over-ear or round-ear headphones deliver the best sound. While headphones are sitting on top The ears are not for everyone, on-ear models with smaller earcups are more compact, travel-friendly and can also cost a little less. They have also evolved, with more models with active noise cancellation and other advanced features that used to be found only on larger over-ear models.
Here is a look at our current top offers for the best earbuds, based on key factors such as effectiveness in noise suppression and sound. They are all wireless models except the Grado Prestige series SR80e and Beats Ep.
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In late 2019, Bowers & Wilkins released its new noise-canceling headphones: the over-ear PX7 ($ 400) and the on-ear PX5 ($ 300). Both are great headphones with a chic design, strong sound, and decent noise canceling features (they’re not as good as the Sony WH-1000XM3, but not far away). The PX7 has bigger drivers and a bolder overall sound, but the PX5 is more compact, easier to carry (it takes up less space in a bag), and costs about $ 150 less than the PX7, which isn’t yet discounted.
Continue reading: Best turntable under $ 300 in 2020: Audio Technica, Project, Fluance and more
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The Solo Pro is the first beats-on-ear headphones with active noise cancellation and the first full-size beats headphones to be charged via Lightning. It uses the company’s Pure Adaptive Noise Canceling (Pure ANC), “derived from the Over-Ear Studio3 Wireless, with updated tuning to accommodate the on-ear form factor,” says Beats. At the touch of a button, you can turn this noise canceling off to extend battery life or press the button a second time to enter audio transparency mode where you can hear the outside world, not just the music you’re listening to.
The noise canceling headphones are available in several color options and are equipped with six microphones. Two of them are beamforming microphones, which you can use to improve your voice when talking on the phone or talking to your voice assistant (Apple’s H1 chip is always on board). on Siri). The sound is soft and balanced with punchy bass that doesn’t boom the music. It is comfortable for an on-ear model and its more compact design is better than some full size models on this list. I only wish it would cost a little less and would come with a cable to connect to on-board entertainment systems. Unfortunately, the Lightning-to-3.5mm is an optional accessory that costs $ 35, which is ridiculous.
Read our Beats Solo Pro test.
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Skullcandy’s Riff is the spiritual successor to the Grind Wireless that I liked for the money. It comes in several color options, costs around $ 50, and has swollen, pillow-like ear cups that make these comfortable headphones an on-ear model. It also has great sound for its price, with open, detailed sound quality and plump bass that is relatively well defined. My only advantage with the design is that the top has no padded headband (on the crown of your head) and feels a little cheap, with no metal parts. That said, it’s nice and light, and has a double hinge that allows the headphones to fold and fold flat. There is no carry bag included. The battery life is only 12 hours, but with a quick charge function you can get 2 hours of juice from a 10 minute charge (this has a micro USB charge, no USB-C).
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The BackBeat 500 is convenient for an on-ear model. It delivers a good sound and is durable. The battery life is 18 hours. It also comes in a sweat-resistant sport version, the BackBeat Fit 500, which costs about $ 10 to $ 20 more depending on the color.
Read the BackBeat 500 test.
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AKG’s N60NC headphones have been unavailable for a while, but they still sound good-sounding on-ear Bluetooth headphones with active noise cancellation. Samsung now owns Harman, which AKG owns, and Samsung doesn’t really know how to market this venerable Austrian audio brand (AKG earphones are included in Samsung phones). Originally $ 300, you can find them for a lot less (I found them for less than $ 120). At this price, they’re certainly more tempting.
Read the review of AKG N60NC Wireless.
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Formerly known as Bose SoundLink Bluetooth on-ear, the company’s only remaining on-ear model is now simply called that On-ear wireless and it comes in one color: “Triple Black”. Even though there have been minor improvements over the years, I still count it among the most convenient wireless Bluetooth headphones you can buy, and this wireless headphone set works well for people with smaller heads (including children).
As the company focuses more on noise cancellation around the ear and real wireless headphones, it is unclear whether these will be updated or even remain in the Bose headphone range. But I will miss it when it goes away.
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Beats makes many headphones at high prices, but the entry-level EP headphones offer a surprisingly good price-performance ratio. The list price is $ 100, but you can find it online for closer to $ 80 and sometimes less. The EP is an on-ear model that isn’t as chic as Beats’ somewhat forgotten on-ear Mixras well as the over-ear models Executive and Pro. But thanks to its reinforced metal frame, it reminds me of no-frills versions of these headphones. By low-frills, I mean that it is not incredibly eye-catching and cannot be folded or folded flat when traveling (it has no hinges).
I liked the way they sounded and Steve Guttenberg, who once wrote CNET’s Audiophiliac blog. They show the properties of a good Headphone: They are clean and open, especially for one ear headphoneand there are enough heights to give them some shine. (In other words, they’re not incredibly dynamic.)
The bass is a little accentuated – that’s beats after all – but it’s not bloated or booming. There’s enough bass here to satisfy a low-end lover, but not so much to knock out someone looking for a more balanced, neutral sound quality in headphones.
Read our Beats EP test.
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Grado makes some great-sounding wired on-ear models, including the entry-level SR60e ($ 80) and SR80e ($ 100), and the more expensive models SR125e ($ 150) and 325e ($ 300) . Like other Grado headphones, the SR80e has an open design that offers beautiful open, articulated sound quality. However, this sound comes out a little from the headphones so that people nearby can hear what you are hearing. Therefore, they are not ideal for an open office environment.
These headphones have been around since 2014 and they still sound great, with a soft sound balance, lots of details and deep bass. This is the wired on-ear headphones for those who want great sound for the money. You need to use an adapter to use it with phones that only have Lightning or USB-C ports and no headphone jacks.
Read the Grado SR80e review.