True Wireless: In-Ear Models 2022/2023

Headphone Show-Down: Wireless in-ear models in the upper and mid-price segments

Commuters aren’t the only ones who appreciate compact, portable wireless headphones. The rapid adoption of new technologies and the need to work in the home office have made Bluetooth in-ear headphones ubiquitous. Many can’t live without them, and for most, they’re an integral part of a life with a smartphone.

Here, we take a look at three popular models from well-known manufacturers with comparable specifications at similar prices.

JBL Tour Pro+ TWS

Speaker manufacturer JBL offers their Tour Pro+ TWS in-ear headphones with active noise cancelling (ANC) technology and a whopping 8 hours of battery life (6 when ANC is used). The charging case offers battery runtimes of up to 24 hours.
The headphones offer a rich and warm sound as standard, which can compete with many over-ear models in terms of balance. JBL implemented sophisticated ANC features in this model, which offer great comfort especially for commuters and travelers, and smooth communication via smartphone.
The biggest criticism is the lack of audio codecs that support more bandwidth, such as AptX or LDAC.

+ Comfortable
+ Good fit
– Unimpressive sound

MSRP: $229 (Mostly priced between $150-$200 in stores as of October 2022).

Apple Airpods Pro (2nd Gen).

With excellent revised ANC technology, Apple has refreshed its Airpod Pro model. Apple’s in-ear model impresses with its ability to attenuate short, loud sounds from the environment.
A balanced frequency response with slightly attenuated highs above 10 kHz provides consistent sound with the help of the adaptive active equalizer. Battery life is up to 6 hours with ANC, with 24 hours of additional runtime from the charging case.

Criticisms include the relatively high price, which makes it difficult to recommend this model over its predecessor or competing products, the practical Apple exclusivity of the AAC codec.

+ Good ANC features
+ Comfortable
+ Good fit
– Unimpressive sound
– Microphone quality leaves much to be desired
– Reduced feature set with Android devices

MSRP: $249 (predecessor model sometimes $50 cheaper.)

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

A pioneer in ANC technologies, Bose also has a current model of in-ear headphones with wireless connectivity. The lightweight headphones a wide feature set and the battery life with at least 6 hours of listening time is acceptable to good.

The built-in noise cancellation is very effective in warding off low-frequency rumble, but it cannot be disabled.
The frequency response emphasizes bass frequency and trebles, and you have to use the equalizer via the app for neutral music enjoyment.
An adequate overall package for a high price.

+ Good ANC features
+ Good sound
– Unwieldy, somewhat bulky design

MSRP: $299

read also: Best Wireless Over-Ear Headphones 2022/2023 (mid-price segment)