Best Wireless Headphones and Earbuds for iPhone 12

Earfun has put out a series of wireless earbuds over the last couple of years with one important commonality: They're very good value, made more so by frequent discounts. The company's 2023 Earfun Air Pro 3 earbuds feature the latest Qualcomm QCC3071 system-on-a-chip with AptX Adaptive for Android and other devices that support the new LE Audio standard and LC3 audio codec, which is superior to the SBC codec (they also support AAC for Apple devices).

Lightweight and comfortable to wear (with a good seal) these aren't a huge upgrade over the Earfun Air S, but they are better. They have slightly larger wool-composite drivers (11mm versus 10mm), slightly improved noise canceling and better battery life; up to seven hours with noise canceling on, according to Earfun.

The Earfun Air 3 delivers strong performance for its modest price, with robust bass, good clarity and a relatively wide soundstage. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and "multidevice" connectivity. (I could pair them to two devices simultaneously but had to pause the music on one device and hit play on the other for the audio to switch.) They're IPX5 splash-proof and also work well (although not exceptionally well) as a headset for making calls. 

While the Beats Fit Pro (on sale for $180) technically aren't AirPods, they're built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro (yes, Apple owns Beats). Unlike Beats' earlier and less expensive Studio Buds, the Beats Fit Pro includes Apple's H1 chip and has most of the AirPods Pro's features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I'd venture to call them the sports AirPods you've always wanted. For some people, they might just be better than the AirPods Pro.

Over the years, JBL has put out some decent true-wireless earbuds, but nothing exciting enough to write home about. That's finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand's new  and  buds. Both sets of buds -- the Live Pro 2 has stems while the Live Free 2 has a pill-shaped design -- offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance, plus a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging.

The Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 are equipped with the same 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips. Aside from the design, the biggest difference between the two buds is battery life; the stemless Live Free 2 is rated for up to seven hours, while the Live Pro 2 is rated for 10 hours. The Live Pro 2 is available in four color options.

Pros:

• Very good sound and a comfortable fit
  
• Good noise canceling and call quality
• Multipoint Bluetooth pairing 

Cons:

• Included ear tips might not get you a tight seal
• Chrome accent on the stem is a bit gaudy

Unlike the "open" LinkBuds, the LinkBuds S are traditional noise-isolating earbuds with tips that jam in your ears. They're more compact and lighter than Sony's flagship WF-1000XM4 and also feature Sony's V1 processor. While their sound and noise canceling don't quite measure up to the XM4s, they're close and cost less. They're the Sony buds for people who can deal with larger buds like the XM4 but want 80 to 85% of those buds' features and performance for $85 less.

The QuietComfort 45 has virtually the same design as its predecessor, the QuietComfort QC35 II, which many people consider one of the most comfortable over-ear headphones, if not the most comfortable. It has the same drivers, according to Bose, and the buttons are in the same place. There are small but notable changes. First off, these thankfully have USB-C instead of Micro-USB.

Secondly, the microphone configuration is different. Not only have the mics been shifted on the headphones, but there's now an extra external microphone for voice pick-up, which means the QC45 has a total of six microphones, four of which are beamforming and used for voice. By contrast, the QC35 II has a total of four, two of which are used for voice. (The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 also have six microphones total.)

These headphones are excellent for making calls. They're similar to the Bose Headphones 700 in that regard. They also include top-notch noise canceling and multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously. Read our Bose QuietComfort 45 review.

Featuring excellent sound, improved noise canceling and voice-calling performance as well a smaller, more refined design that includes stabilizing fins (so the earbuds stay in your ears more securely), the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 were among the best new true-wireless earbuds last year. They're also one of the best true-wireless earbuds overall, giving the Sony WF-1000XM4 a run for the money.

Take one look at the new design of the third-gen AirPods ($179), and the first thing you'll probably think is: "Those look like the AirPods Pro without ear tips." You wouldn't be wrong. While they're more fraternal than identical twins, the AirPods 3 are shaped like the AirPods Pro, with the same shorter stems and pinch controls as those of the Pro. Aside from the design change, which should fit most ears better than the AirPods 2nd Generation (although not very small ears), the biggest change is to the sound quality: It's much improved. Also, battery life is better, and the AirPods 3 are officially water-resistant.