Music, podcasts or a series in your ears for the holidays and beyond.
Always in great demand from Santa Claus, wireless earphones have established themselves for mobile consumption of content on smartphones or tablets.
We tested several Bluetooth-connected headphones and selected the most convincing of the moment.
We have opted for credible alternatives to the famous AirPods (from 139 euros), the best-selling “true wireless” in France.
Here is a list of suggested in-ear headphones tested for all types of uses.
Universal headphones
These wireless headphones are quickly forgotten in the ears.
Yes, these in-ear headphones are furiously similar to AirPods Pro, but they will work on iOS as well as Android with a range of quality functions.
The Chinese brand Oppo has teamed up with the Danish hi-fi audio expert to develop these excellent headphones.
The sound experience resembles a clever balance between midrange and bass and, above all, the hardest to reproduce, the treble.
We are sometimes surprised to discover subtleties in a song from our playlist.
Comfortable and light, they also tick another box: to be forgotten in our ears.
The noise reduction cuts out the surrounding extraneous sounds and filters out the voices in a short radius well.
Protected against sweat, they are not designed for sport but their support in the auditory canal reassures and encourages them to be worn during a jog.
Easy to slip into a pocket, the charging and transport case can be recharged even wirelessly.
The HeyMelody application (iOS and Android) allows you to perform an insulation test and personalize listening with an interesting equalizer.
>
Oppo's Enco X2, on sale from 199.99 euros.
A pair for athletes
The Soundcore Sport X10 incorporate the strengths of the Chinese brand.
Little known in Europe, the Chinese manufacturer Soundcore has carved out its reputation with rave reviews on e-commerce sites.
This X10 model is aimed at all athletes who will validate the good fit during exercise thanks to the 210° rotating ear hooks.
Volume control comes through a responsive and smartly placed physical button on top, so there's no need to push the earbuds deeper each time.
Equipped with active noise reduction effective at this price, they also have a
transparent mode
- to hear potential danger coming - which one would be inclined to recommend when racing in the urban jungle.
The sound signature ostensibly puts the bass forward, as if they wanted to punctuate the races or the split.
With nearly 7 hours of autonomy, they will finish, like their carrier, a marathon.
>
The Sport X10 from Soundcore/Anker, on sale from 99 euros.
An all-terrain model
The Jabra Elite 5 are mid-range wireless headphones.
Transport, work and indoor sports... Jabra's Elite 5 shine with their versatility.
These "intras" hold well to the ear on the move and their everyday use is intuitive thanks to "mechanical" buttons that activate easy-to-remember control functions.
The good sound reproduction delights the senses with beautiful highs when listening to music.
We also liked the experience of the hands-free kit with clear calls.
The magnets in the charging and transport box perfectly hold the earphones in place to avoid any loss when opening them.
The active noise reduction muffles the outside environment, but does not hide it completely.
A firmware update could easily improve it.
Their autonomy flirts with 8 hours.
>
The Jabra Elite 5, on sale from 130 euros
.
Read alsoRisk of deafness: how to protect the ears of young users of headphones and earphones
Sonys at the right price
The Link Buds S are distinguished by their lightness.
Discreet, comfortable and insulating, these LinkBuds S achieve the right combination for "true wireless".
These in-ear headphones, among the smallest available, are quickly forgotten with their weight of 4.8 g and you can wear them for several hours without feeling any discomfort.
However, they hold well the sudden movements of the head on a frenzied music.
Indispensable on a high-end product, the active noise reduction filters out the din well but not completely the voices.
Journeys by metro or plane will in any case be more peaceful.
Transparency
and
sound environment
modes
allow you not to cut yourself off completely from the world without removing them.
Sony's Headphones application easily corrects a fairly neutral basic sound that can be enriched with a few manipulations within everyone's reach.
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Sony's LinkBuds S, on sale from 130 euros.
A most welcome silence
The Pixel Buds Pro will be able to mute the inconveniences in public transport.
Optimized for Google Pixel smartphones running Android, these headphones fortunately do not shun other brands or iPhones.
Easy to pair and comfortable, the Pixel Buds Pro cover the entire musical spectrum without straining.
The different instruments are easily distinguishable.
Lovers of bass and urban music will particularly find what they are looking for.
Unprecedented on headphones made in Google, the active noise reduction strives to erase the racket and offers a well-deserved break.
A solid choice especially for daily transport subscribers.
Autonomy is a big plus to last a whole day.
They are also used to make a call or participate in a virtual meeting.
> The Pixel Buds Pro, on sale from 165 euros.
