Best True Wireless Earbuds: Tech Awards 2023 Editor's Choice series
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Tech Awards 2023: Best True Wireless Earbuds
Best True Wireless Earbuds
Unencumbered by wires, true wireless earbuds represent convenience, freedom, and flexibility, and are one of the hottest-selling electronic devices these days. And since nearly every mobile and audio brand has earbuds in their lineup, it also means there is no shortage of options to choose from, which makes picking one a bit of a dilemma for most buyers.
To make the cut for this year’s award, the earbuds must be the best that the brand has to offer and they must have active noise-cancellation and an in-ear design. It must also have been released in the last 12 months.
Nominees
- Apple AirPods Pro 2022
- Bose QuietComfort II
- Google Pixel Buds Pro
- Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2
- Jabra Elite 5
- JBL Live Pro 2
- Oppo Enco X2
- Sennheiser True Wireless Momentum 3
And the winner is...
Backed by the audio powerhouse that is Harman, the JBL Live Pro 2 is finally a device that is worthy of its parent company’s rich heritage in sound. To keep things short, the Live Pro 2 is a true wireless earbud that is nearly faultless, and it works well regardless of what device you may be using.
The Live Pro 2's active noise cancellation feature is excellent, and its ambient sound mode sounds natural too. It also sounds good in the audio quality department. The bass is strong but clean, and the mid-range is adequately forward and rich. The only problematic bit is that its treble, though sufficiently bright, is noticeably uneven. Even so, the overall sound signature and frequency response is very well-judged.
On the features front, the earbuds are IPX5 water resistant, and they support multipoint connection, as well asboth the AAC and SBC codecs. Some might lament the lack of LDAC support, but I don’t consider it a huge loss since it isn’t a truly lossless codec. Battery life, which is rated at 10 hours on a single charge and an extra 30 hours with the case, is one of the longest in its class. And the charging case charges via USB-C and wirelessly. And best of all, at S$259, it is actually one of the more affordable options. As you can see, the JBL Live Pro 2 is a solid all-rounder and deserves to be the winner of our best true wireless earbuds category.
| Model | Design | Performance | Features | Value | Overall | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple AirPods Pro 2022 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.0 | 9.0 | S$362 |
| Bose QuietComfort II | 8.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.5 | S$379 |
| Google Pixel Buds Pro | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.5 | S$299 |
| Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.5 | S$298 |
| Jabra Elite 5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | S$231 |
| JBL Live Pro 2 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 9.0 | 9.5 | 9.0 | S$265 |
| Oppo Enco X2 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | S$261 |
| Sennheiser True Wireless Momentum 3 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | S$399 |
For more details on how we rated our nominees and to find out our usage experience of each device, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section below.
Meanwhile, check out our other Tech Awards 2023 Editor's Choice winners from the team behind HardwareZone and HWM. If you're looking for our pick on the best over-ear wireless ANC headphones to complement your audio gear options, here is your answer.
References
- Apple Air AirPods Pro 2022
- Bose QuietComfort II (review coming soon)
- Google Pixel Buds Pro
- Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 (review coming soon)
- Jabra Elite 5
- JBL Live Pro 2 review
- Oppo Enco X2 review (review coming soon)
- Sennheiser True Wireless Momentum 3 (review coming soon)
