2024 was a great year for wireless earbuds. This year, we saw Apple refresh its AirPods series and other heavyweights like Samsung and Google strengthen their popular TWS offerings. Newer players like OnePlus and Nothing had great TWS products to offer this year as well. Industry leaders like Sony also made strides with open earbuds, pushing the boundaries of what the experimental form factor can do. In this article, we take a look back and pick our top 10 wireless earbuds of 2024 across genres and price brackets.
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Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Google’s second-generation Pixel Buds were one of the best wireless earbuds to be launched in 2024. Unveiled at the ‘Made by Google’ launch event in August 2024, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 made significant upgrades on its dynamic driver and chipset. The TWS is powered by Google’s in-house Tensor A1 chip and produces audio output through 11mm dynamic drivers. It rocks improved algorithms for Clear Calling – a feature that suppresses the background noise on audio and video calls. The low-latency audio processing allows the Pixel Buds Pro 2 to adapt to their surroundings up to 3 million times per second, resulting in twice as good ANC as their predecessor. With ANC turned on, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 can last up to 8 hours on a full charge, with an additional 30 hours in the case.
Pros
- Compact design
- Great ANC
Buy on Flipkart for Rs 22,830
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
This year, Samsung shuffled up the design of their flagship TWS. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro made the switch from stem-less earbuds to a computational design with blade-like stems. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro produce audio output through a two-way 10.5mm dynamic driver, a 6.1mm planar tweeter, and dual amplifiers. There are 3 microphones on either earbud to facilitate high-end Active Noise Cancellation. The TWS uses Galaxy AI to translate the content from foreign languages to the user’s preferred language. Each earbud packs a 53mAh battery while the case is equipped with a 515mAh battery pack. With ANC turned off, the earbuds offer a playtime of 7 hours on a full charge.
Pros
- Sharp design
- Excellent sound quality
Buy on Amazon for Rs 18,990
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Apple’s refreshed AirPods lineup was talked about a lot this year. The Cupertino giant launched the 4th generation AirPods along with the 2nd iteration of the Pro model. The powerful H2 chip inside the AirPods Pro 2 is capable of suppressing stronger sounds at the rate of 48,000 times per second. The result is high-end ANC that is unmatched by most TWS offerings in the market. One of the great things about this year’s AirPods Pro is that they let the user take a hearing test. This test uses modern acoustic science and pure-tone audiometry to detect the severity of hearing loss. Once the user’s hearing profile is obtained, the AirPods Pro 2 can be turned into a clinical-quality hearing aid. This feature applies to music, phone calls, movies, games, and all kinds of content.
Pros
- Amazing ANC
- Can be used as a hearing aid
Buy on Apple.com for Rs 24,900
OnePlus Buds Pro 3
OnePlus added a new ‘Pro’ variant to its flagship wireless earbuds in August 2024. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 produces audio output through an 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter. The separation of frequencies created by the woofer and the tweeter adds new depth to the soundstage and ensures that no detail goes unnoticed. Even the tweeter is equipped with a 35-micrometre flat voice coil. The earbuds support 3 audio codecs – SBC, AAC, and LHDC. It can cancel 50dB of surrounding noise with ease. The earbuds offer 7-8 hours of playtime with the ANC turned off. The 566mAh battery pack in the case offers an additional 43 hours. Check out our review of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 to know more.
Pros
- Great soundstage
- Good battery life
Buy on Amazon for Rs 11,999
Audio Technica ATH-TWX7
The Audio Technica ATH-TWX7 delivers its audio output through 5.8mm high-resolution drivers. These drivers reproduce every bar and note with absolute clarity. In conjunction with a delectable soundstage, the ATH-TWX7 also offers stellar Active Noise Cancellation with its digital-hybrid tech. The built-in MEMS microphones with beamforming technology ensure that there are no hiccups or roadblocks while using these earbuds for calling. The earbuds offer 6.5 hours of playtime on a single charge with an additional 20 hours in the case. They have have IPX4 rating for water resistance, which means you can wear them while working out and not worry about any sweat-related damage.
Pros
- Attractive design
- Lush soundstage
Buy on Amazon for Rs 19,990
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
Sennheiser came out with the 4th iteration of its ‘Momentum True Wireless’ earbuds series in 2024, 2 years after the Momentum True Wireless 3. The charging case of the Momentum 4 retains the lunchbox design from its predecessor and the earbuds stick with the stem-less in-ear design. Sennheiser says that its newest TWS is ‘future-proof’ due to features like Auracast and LE Audio. The TrueResponse transducer system on these earbuds creates a balanced soundstage with the signature Sennheiser twist. There’s high-end ANC on board as well. The upgraded battery system offers a cumulative playtime of 30 hours. The earbuds support Qi wireless charging as well.
Pros
- Unique design
- Qi wireless charging support
Buy on Amazon for Rs 17,990
Sony Linkbuds Open (WF-L910)
Sony did not update its flagship ‘WF-100XM’ TWS series in 2024, but it did come out with new open earbuds. The Sony Linkbuds Open (WF-L910) are a successor to the WF-L900 Linkbuds that were launched in 2022. The WF-L910 are slimmer and more compact compared to its predecessor. The doughnut-shaped ring that produces the audio output has a hole in the middle. This hole allows the ambient background sounds to pass through to the user’s ears. The audio output produced by these earbuds understandably lacks a strong low-end – something that is common in every open TWS. However, its solid soundstage and refined form factor make the Linkbuds Open one of our favourite wireless earbuds of 2024. Check out our review of the Sony WF-L910 to learn more about the TWS.
Pros
- Open design
- Good range of features
Buy on Amazon for Rs 18,990
Nothing Ear
While Nothing did not drop the successor to the Phone (2) this year, it focussed on more affordable offerings. The Nothing Ear was one of the best midrange wireless earbuds released in 2024. The earbuds are equipped with 11mm dynamic drivers and support 4 audio codecs – SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LHDC 5.0. On top of that, the earbuds can cancel up to 45dB of surrounding noise. The Nothing X companion app allows users to change the sound profile and even set up a custom equaliser. The Ear TWS is also capable of performing a hearing test and changing the audio output according to the user’s needs. The see-through charging case is equipped with a 500mAh battery pack while the earbuds carry 46mAh batteries. With ANC turned off, the earbuds offer a playtime of 8.5 hours with the case providing an additional 40.5 hours. To know more about the midrange TWS, read our review of the Nothing Ear.
Pros
- See-through design
- Good battery life
Buy on Flipkart for Rs 11,999
Realme Buds Air6 Pro
Moving on to the budget segment, the Realme Buds Air6 Pro grabbed our attention this year. These earbuds are packed with high-quality dual drivers comprising an 11mm bass driver and a 6mm micro-planar tweeter. With 3 microphones on either earbud, the Air6 Pro is able to actively cancel up to 50dB of surrounding noise. The TWS also offers features like 360 spatial audio, LDAC HD audio, dual device connectivity, low latency mode, Google Fast Pair, and more. The charging case and earbuds offer a playtime of up to 40 hours.
Pros
- Good sound quality
- Packed with exciting features
Buy on Amazon for Rs 4,999
Redmi Buds 5A
The Redmi Buds 5A were our favourite entry-level wireless earbuds of 2024. We reviewed these earbuds as soon as they were launched and were highly impressed with the audio quality they offered for the price. The 12mm dynamic drivers on these earbuds produce a warm and detailed audio output. Despite being an entry-level TWS, the Buds 5A also offers Active Noise Cancellation. These earbuds can cancel up to 25dB of surrounding noise with ease. Redmi claims a battery life of 5 hours on the earbuds and 25 hours on the case. Check out our review of the Buds 5A before making the purchase.
Pros
- Affordable
- Good battery life
Buy on Mi.com for Rs 1,500
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Final Thoughts
These were the best wireless earbuds to be launched in 2024. While you’re here, check out our picks for the best wireless headphones of 2024. Think we missed a TWS that deserves to be on this list? Give it a shout-out in the comments!
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