The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are the best true wireless earbuds we've tested. These high-end buds are the next generation of the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless and have improved overall performance. They use memory foam ear tips alongsidetheir noise cancelling (ANC) system to reduce a significant amount of ambient sound. The ear tips do most of the heavy lifting, as the ANC mostly targets bass-range noise like bus rumbles. If you wish Apple’s AirPods had better isolation and gripped on to your ear like a vice, look no further than the Beats PowerBeats Pro. Although I found the Soundcore Life P3 very comfortable to wear, I did experience an annoying issue relating to their fit. Despite using the largest silicone eartips available, the earbuds would sometimes work themselves a little loose in my ears. Not to the point where they got anywhere close to falling out, but enough to affect their passive noise-cancelling seal.

With the ANC on, they last well over eight hours continuously, and their case holds a couple of extra charges if needed. Out of the box, their warm sound profile adds a touch of extra boom to mixes without overwhelming vocals and instruments. You can also finetune their sound using their app's graphic EQ and presets. These buds support LDAC, too, which is Sony's proprietary codec for streaming hi-res audio. Unfortunately, not everyone will find their fit comfortable, especially if you have small ear canals. On the upside, their continuous battery life of just under 28 hours is enough to get you through long days on the go, and you can use them passively in a pinch. They're well-built and have a comfortable fit suitable for long listening sessions. Their default sound profile also delivers extra thump, rumble, and boom while vocals and instruments are crisp. Brilliant sound, excellent noise cancelling and solid connectivity, complemented by solid battery life and an attractive design, the WF-1000XM3 are still the best-sounding true wireless earbuds. Third time’s the charm for Sony. The WF-1000XM3 finally live up to the Sony heritage with not only effective noise cancelling but truly great sound too. They stay put and are more comfortable for extended periods. They are also fairly compact for earbuds with active noise cancelling and don’t protrude as far as their Bose or Sony rivals.Seamless connectivity with Apple products is key, but they sound pretty good, have an excellent case and are a decent alternative to canal-buds, even for Android users. The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Truly Wireless have a great noise isolation performance, a comfortable in-ear fit, and some features only available on Samsung devices. However, they have a shorter continuous battery life than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless and aren't as well-built.

Within the comprehensive app, more customisation is available with a personalised function (HearID), default EQ (Soundcore Signature), Custom EQ (where you create your own) and 3D Surround Sound that opens up and widens the soundstage. I find this one reduces the impact of bass and makes music thinner. If you want noise-cancelling earbuds for an affordable sum, then these days you can get just that. True wireless such as the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are bringing noise-cancelling down to very affordable prices. The most positive praise that can be given here is that the Soundcore Life P2 buds are no worse than a typical phone speaker for calls. In some situations the sound was muffled on the receiving end of a call, but in general they work well for talking on the go, and should be subsequently better for conference calls in a quiet room.

Who should buy the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro?

When dealing with voices on a train they’re on a similar footing, and on the Northern Line tube the Anker did a good job of suppressing the noise of the carriage, though again the EarFun is a touch more convincing. I think this is to do with the EarFun’s tighter fit. There are areas the Anker matches the EarFun, but none in which it beats it hands down. Speaking of which, Siri and Google Assistant are accessible on the Life A2 NC and operate fairly well. Anker’s mic array does a standout job with speech recognition, grabbing every word for both Apple and Google’s AI bots to fully comprehend. Aside from the activation delay, my verbal inquiries were met with speedy results. But be wary when enabling the feature, as the beep noise that signals you to speak is uncomfortably loud, no matter the set volume. Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC review: Active noise cancellation