Odi Productions
We tested over 40+ pairs of wireless noise cancelling earbuds to find the 7 best earbuds for Android users in 2026. I’m also a professional audio engineer and expert headphone reviewer with over 10 years of experience, and run the RecordingNow YouTube channel dedicated to reviewing headphones and earbuds with over 25,000+ subscribers and over 7 million views.
This list includes brands like Samsung, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, Anker Soundcore, Beats, Technics, and more.
This article will cover the following categories:
- Best for Samsung Galaxy Phones
- Best for Phone Calls and Mic Quality
- Best for Gym, Working Out, and Running
- Best Active Noise Cancelling (ANC)
- Best Audiophile Sound Quality
- Best Budget Earbuds (under $100)
- Best Overall
These are ALL wireless earbuds which we’ve reviewed and thoroughly tested individually on the website for hundreds of hours in total. You can read our review for each headphone inside the individual product boxes below.
Best for Samsung Galaxy Phones: Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro
![Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro (2026) AI True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds, Hi-Res Audio, 2-Way Speaker, ANC 2.0, Optimized Comfort, IP57, Live Translation, Black [US Version, 2 Yr Warranty]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31fYusC+WQL._SL500_.jpg)
No way, the Samsung Galaxy earbuds are the best fit for Samsung Galaxy smartphone users? Duh.
Wait… before you call me Captain Obvious, there is some strong reasoning that supports the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro specifically as the best earbuds for Galaxy phone users.
The previous generation Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro was a very good earbud, and I actually rated those higher than the popular AirPods Pro 2.
But I have the newer Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro as better than the Buds 3 Pro in every way, and the difference isn’t small, IMO.
The Galaxy Buds Pro line is Samsung’s answer to the AirPods Pro line, and as much as I enjoy the AirPods Pro 3, I think the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is arguably better. Especially for Samsung users.
The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro receives benefits when paired with modern Samsung Galaxy smartphones and eligible devices, such as their proprietary “SSC UHQ” codec for best wireless sound quality.
This feature is exclusive to Samsung phones/tablets and is on par with codecs like LDAC and aptX Lossless.
Of course, connectivity to Samsung phones and tablets is as seamless as AirPods are to iPhone and Apple devices.
I can confirm that the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro sounds excellent when listening in SSC UHQ mode, due to its dual-driver architecture that delivers huge bass and crisp treble detail from the planar tweeters.
They’re also one of the most comfortable fits as they don’t need to go too deep into the ear canal.
See our Full Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro Review on YouTube below
Best for Phone Calls and Mic Quality: Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
I’m not going to bury the lede here, the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro has “Guinness World Record certified” call quality.
If you’re unfamiliar with Soundcore, they’re the consumer-audio arm of electronics giant Anker, and they make quite good earbuds and headphones that tend to be more budget-friendly.
The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro is a great example of this, as it’s a proper flagship earbud priced at around $169 USD, but competes with the $200-$300 range of flagship earbuds.
So exactly how does the Liberty 5 Pro achieve its world-record call quality?
The hardware architecture consists of 4 microphones and 1 bone conduction sensor (aka “VPU” or “Voice Pickup Unit”) per earbud.
Powering this 10-sensor array is the “ANKER Thus AI Chip”, which is the “brain” that results in their record-setting call quality.
I can confirm that the voice isolation and background noise rejection is excellent in the Liberty 5 Pro, but that’s not a surprise at this point.
Lastly, a nice “side effect” of this investment into mic quality is also excellent active noise cancelling performance from sharing the same hardware setup.
Read the FULL Review: Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Review
Best for Gym, Working Out, and Running: Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
Now here’s an interesting twist.
Technically, the Beats brand is owned by Apple and the Powerbeats Pro 2 is even powered by Apple’s H2 chip shared by the AirPods Pro 3 and $549 AirPods Max 2 headphones.
But unlike AirPods, the Beats products have native Android app support, making them more flexible and less limited.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 has ear hooks that are a complete game-changer for working out in the gym, weightlifting, running, or any movement in general.
Aside from the secure fit from the ear hook design, Apple’s H2 chip results in pretty decent active noise cancelling and very good transparency mode for awareness of your surroundings.
Lastly, the sound quality is pretty good and tuned perfectly for working out, thanks to its exciting sound signature that is bass and treble forward. This sound profile cuts through outside noise better to isolate the vocals.
Read the FULL Review: Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Review
Best Active Noise Cancelling (ANC): Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen
Bose is already legendary when it comes to noise cancelling due to their “QuietComfort” line of headphones, which are some of the best in the headphone class currently.
So it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that their earbuds carry over that excellent noise cancelling performance.
Specifically, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen is their best earbud yet when it comes to noise cancelling.
Bose achieves this through a very ergonomic fit that easily creates a strong physical seal for passive noise isolation.
Then turning on active noise cancelling (ANC) activates Bose’s proven algorithms for real-time noise blocking at all frequencies.
The AirPods Pro 3 actually has some of the best active noise cancelling currently, but the Bose is slightly better and has native Android app support, unlike the AirPods.
Read the FULL Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen Review
Best Audiophile Sound Quality: Technics EAH-AZ100 or Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 (Tie)
Luckily, sound quality is one area that Android users shouldn’t worry about missing out with AirPods, as there are a handful of audiophile options that are superior to the AirPods Pro 3.
Two of my best recommendations are the Technics EAH-AZ100 and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5. Similar level of sound quality, but different flavors.
If you prefer a more “exciting” and neutral bright sound profile (like myself), then the Technics AZ100 is a strong recommendation from me, and one of my favorite earbuds overall.
For Android users, the Technics actually has a slight advantage over the Sennheisers due to LDAC support, which is Sony’s hi-res codec that is available on most Android smartphones by default.
Basically, you can get the maximum sound quality out of the Technics without the need for a third-party dongle like the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5, which uses aptX Lossless that isn’t as widely supported as LDAC by default.
Even without aptX Lossless, the Sennheiser MTW5 is an excellent, reference-like and more neutral-sounding profile that audiophiles would really appreciate.
Both earbuds are technically excellent and sound remarkably open in their soundstage with great clarity, separation, and layering.
It simply boils down to which “flavor” and sound profile fits your listening preferences better.
Read the FULL Review: Technics EAH-AZ100 Review
See our Full Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 Review on YouTube below
Best Budget Earbuds (under $100): Soundcore Liberty 5
We mentioned the flagship Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earlier in this article due to its Guinness world-record call quality, but the “regular” Liberty 5 is no slouch either.
Currently priced at under $90 (and even $80 on sale), the Liberty 5 is actually not that far off from the $170 Liberty 5 Pro model.
It starts with sharing the same exact driver architecture that yields the same sound quality, which is quite good for this price range.
The Liberty 5 supports LDAC, which is a hi-res codec that is supported on most modern Android smartphones by default, leading to higher sound quality.
Next, the Liberty 5 has the best noise cancelling under $100 that we’ve tested so far.
This comes as no surprise, as Soundcore has above-average noise cancelling relative to price for both their earbuds and headphones, several of which we’ve tested.
Overall, the Liberty 5 actually makes for one of the best AirPods alternatives in terms of both performance and “stem” design.
Except Soundcore has native Android and iOS app support, unlike AirPods.
Read the FULL Review: Soundcore Liberty 5 Review
Best Overall: Sony WF-1000XM6
If you’re looking for a true AirPods-beater, the Sony WF-1000XM6 is our best overall earbuds for Android users.
The WF-1000XM6 is Sony’s latest flagship earbuds, and although it’s pricy, it has virtually no weaknesses and excels everywhere.
From a features standpoint, Sony has native app support for Android and LDAC hi-res codec support for higher sound quality, available on most modern Android phones by default.
The sound quality is one of the most surprising aspects of the XM6 earbuds for me, as I firmly place them in the “audiophile” tier alongside earbuds like the Technics AZ100, Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5, to name a few.
In short, this sound quality is a clear level above the AirPods Pro 3.
Next, the active noise cancelling performance is easily in the Top 3 for the class, alongside the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen and AirPods Pro 3.
Lastly, the mic quality is also one of the best in the entire class, perhaps just behind the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, and on par with AirPods Pro 3.
Overall, the Sony WF-1000XM6 is either equal or better to the AirPods Pro 3 everywhere, while also having audiophile-level sound quality that rivals the more niche brand earbuds.
As a total package, the Sony WF-1000XM6 is arguably the best overall earbud available today, period.
See our Full Sony WF-1000XM6 Review on YouTube below
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase all of the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment. Noise cancelling performance is tested in the real-world, primarily on airplane flights, coffee shops, and walking around large metropolitan city environments.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Post Update History
- September 2026: Original publication date.
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