The 8 best in-ear headphones for 2024: Sony, Beats, Sennheiser and more

The Soundcore H30i are inexpensive wireless on-ear headphones that compete with the Sony CH-520 and the JBL Tube 510BT (the Tune 520BT is its new successor for 2024). There’s no active noise cancellation, and the headphones aren’t fancy at all, but they have good sound quality with plenty of bass for their low price, and you can pair them with two devices simultaneously (Bluetooth multipoint). I’m a little more partial to the Sony CH-520s, which are a little more comfortable and sound a little better (have a little more clarity). That said, the H30i has a foldable design, and while they don’t come with a carrying case, they do include a headphone cord for wired listening (the Sonys are wireless only).

Battery life is impressive — the H30i is rated for up to 70 hours of listening at moderate volume levels. And while you shouldn’t expect great voice call performance, it’s acceptable in quieter environments. I also appreciated that you can change the sound profile in the companion Soundcore app for iOS and Android.

In short, the Beats Solo 4 in-ear headphones look pretty much the same on the outside as the 3s, but some noticeable improvements on the inside boost their performance by about 25% to 30% when it comes to sound quality, battery . life and the call of the voice.

Would I pay $200 for them? No, I wouldn’t. But if you look at what’s happened with Studio Pro prices — they’re sporadically discounted to $200 or $150 off their list price, and even dropped to $180 for Prime Day — the Solo 4 won’t always be 200 dollars. I’m sure we’ll see them pretty soon for what the Solo 3s cost now, which is around $130. They make a lot more sense at that price, especially if you’re looking for a more compact on-ear headphone and don’t need active noise cancellation.

JBL’s Live 670NC and Tune 670NC are among the relatively small in-ear models that offer active noise cancellation. They’re both relatively affordable, but the Live 670NC version has a more premium look and feel, with better ear cushions that are noticeably more durable. It also has sound that is slightly better, with 40mm drivers providing good detail and strong bass. Battery life is rated at up to 65 hours (or 50 hours with ANC on) and an additional four hours of battery life with just five minutes of charging. This model includes the latest Bluetooth 5.3 (with LE Audio) and multi-point Bluetooth pairing. It also features JBL Ambient Aware (transparency mode) and TalkThru. It’s available in black, white, blue and sandstone and comes with a wired listening cord.

The headphones list for $130, but regularly drop to $100.

I was a fan of the original Creative Sound Blaster Jam headphones that came out in 2015 and had a retro look and feel set with good sound for the money. Now the headset is available in a 2.0 version that has several major improvements, including Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C charging, improved call quality and Bluetooth multipoint pairing that allows you to pair it with two devices simultaneously. Battery life is rated up to 22 hours.

I was able to pair the headset with a Mac Mini and an iPhone and then switch the audio between them. Often when pairing Bluetooth headsets with Mac and Windows computers, you can run into some issues, but once I paired the headset with my computer and phone, it made a good pair of work-from-home headphones. Also, the price is right for parents looking for a good set of headphones for kids for distance learning and everyday use.

Comfortable on-ear headphones, the Jam V2 are lightweight and have nicely balanced sound with good detail and bass that’s adequate but not overwhelming. Call quality was good in my tests with callers saying they could hear me well even on the noisy streets of New York. No carrying case is included, but you do get an extra set of foam ears, which is good because they will wear out over time.

The headphones have physical buttons to control volume and playback, and there’s aptX support for devices that support the wireless streaming codec.

In recent years I’ve written about a number of new Sennheiser headphones, most of which have commanded more premium prices. But the company also has a new $70 wireless model, the 250BT, that should appeal to those on a tighter budget. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, its features seem pretty basic, but it has a 25-hour battery life, as well as support for AAC and aptX audio codecs, and also taps into Sennheiser’s Smart Control app, allowing you to customize the sound a bit.

Sennheiser describes the 250BT as club-like in sound, and that’s a pretty apt idea. There’s plenty of energy in the bass and some sparkle in the treble. This is what I like to call an exciting headphone — dynamic, fun. I can’t say it has premium build quality (looks and feels more like a budget model). But it’s light and comfortable for an on-ear model, though it lacks any padding on the inside of the headband, so I occasionally had to make adjustments to relieve some pressure on the crown of the head.

You can use the 250BT as a headset for making calls — it works well enough for that — but Sennheiser doesn’t really tout call quality, only mentioning that the headset has a built-in microphone. Noise-isolating earplugs cut background noise, giving you a better listening experience. This headphone is more about sound and has grown on me over time.

Skullcandy’s Riff is the spiritual successor to the Grind Wireless, which I liked for the money. Available in multiple color options, it retails for around $50 and has inflatable, cushion-like ear cups that make these headphones comfortable for an on-ear model. It also sounds great for its price, with open, detailed sound quality and solid bass that’s relatively well-defined. My only complaints about its ear cup design are that the top doesn’t have a padded headband (at the crown of the head) and it feels a little loose, with no metal parts. That said, it’s nice and light and has a dual hinge that allows the headphones to fold up and fold flat. No carrying case is included. Battery life is rated at just 12 hours, but the quick charge feature lets you get 2 hours of juice from a 10-minute charge (this one has micro-USB charging not USB-C).

There’s nothing terribly wonderful about the Edifier WH500 in-ear headphones. They’re light and relatively comfortable for on-ear phones, and they sound good for the money. These have a companion app so you can upgrade the firmware and customize their sound (there are some EQ settings to play with). Battery life is rated at up to 40 hours, and the headphones work well as headphones for making calls (just not good ones). They are available in three color options.