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Cordless headphones: a selection of the models tested
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
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The story is as old as listening to music on a cell phone: Many smartphones come with bad-sounding cable headphones, but not even that with the new iPhones. You need headphones all the time for music, videos, games.
The small speakers in the cell phones are no serious substitute for this.
And real wireless headphones, i.e. those with no cable running between the two earphones, are usually so light and small that you can always have them with you.
The following test should clarify which are comfortable, sound good and offer extras such as active noise suppression.
I tried 13 earphones from different manufacturers and price ranges.
Some things are the same for almost all of them: They are delivered with a box in which they are not only charged, but which also has its own battery so that the headphones can be recharged with electricity on the go.
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As different as the headsets: The cases of some of the tested headphones
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
Almost all of them also have functions for music control via start / stop commands, for accepting and rejecting calls and for calling up the digital assistant that runs on the respective mobile phone.
Because that's the same for all of them: They work with every smartphone, regardless of whether it is Apple or Android.
However, Apple headphones do not offer all functions on Android phones, only in conjunction with an iPhone.
Conversely, a Huawei headset can do more on Android smartphones than on Apple phones.
Apple AirPods
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The trend towards completely wireless headphones began with the AirPods.
Apple is currently delivering the second generation of these earphones, which are no different from the first, but have an improved chip that enables new functions and has slightly improved the sound.
The widely copied design has fans and enemies.
The smooth earphones are inserted into the ears without a silicone attachment.
If that fits, that's great, if you have unusually shaped auricles, it can happen that they sit a little loose.
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Apple AirPods with wired charging case (2nd generation)
From € 129.36
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This is how they sound:
If they sit well in the ears, the AirPods produce a transparent sound with easily audible, but not necessarily oppressive, bass.
The clean midrange reproduction ensures good speech intelligibility for podcasts and phone calls.
I really like the fact that playback is undistorted even at high volume.
This is included:
Lightning charging case (can be charged wirelessly for an extra charge), Lightning cable.
This is how long they last:
Up to five hours plus another 19 hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
Protected against sweat and water according to IPX4;
Possibility to couple two pairs to one device;
Possibility of coupling to Apple TV.
List price:
174 euros
Apple AirPods Pro
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The Pro version of the AirPods differs from the normal AirPods primarily in three things: They sit more firmly in the ears thanks to adjustable silicone attachments, have active noise suppression and are always supplied with a charging case that can be charged wirelessly.
The wearing comfort is very good.
For Apple users, they offer special features such as seamless switching between different devices, the ability to connect two pairs of AirPods to the same device or to pair the earphones with an Apple TV for watching TV.
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Apple AirPods Pro
From € 194.76
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This
is what
they sound like:
The Kang picture is overall warm and balanced, with powerful, but by no means overemphasized, bass that goes far down.
It looks just as good with the mids and highs, which are also reproduced comfortably warm.
This is included:
Wirelessly chargeable Lightning charging case, Lightning cable.
This is how long they last:
Up to 4.5 hours plus another 19.5 hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
Protected against sweat and water according to IPX4, active noise suppression, possibility of coupling two pairs to one device, possibility of coupling to Apple TV.
List price:
272 euros
Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The Bose earbuds are pretty bold in every way.
Your transport and charging box easily has twice the volume of the box in which the AirPods Pro come.
The earphones themselves are also quite large, but they sit securely and firmly in my ears right away - and that for hours too.
What is remarkable is the very effective noise suppression, the strength of which can be regulated with a tap of the finger on the left earphone.
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Bose QuietComfort Noise Canceling Earbuds - Completely Wireless In-Ear Headphones - Black
From € 239.00
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This is how they sound:
Fine, there is hardly any other way to describe the sound of the Bose.
The large volume of the plugs should play its part in making them sound as if they still had reserves, even at high volume.
The bass is very well pronounced without droning, the entire mid and high range is reproduced very evenly and softly, like with good hi-fi speakers.
This is included:
Large USB-C charging case, USB-C cable.
This is how long they last:
up to six hours plus a further twelve hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
Protection against sweat and water according to IPX4.
List price:
273 euros
Earfun Air
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
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EarFun Air Bluetooth headphones in ear, wireless headphones with noise canceling microphone, deep bass, touch control, USB-C Quick Charge, wireless charging box, 35 hours of playtime, IPX7 waterproof
From € 59.99
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The Earfun Air comes in a well-made case that is pleasant to the touch with its matt surface, but is so light that it indicates a weak battery.
A USB-C cable is included for charging.
In addition, the case can be charged wirelessly, provided you have a corresponding charging pad.
This is what they sound like:
A real surprise is the clear, very spatial and powerful sound that makes some branded headphones look old.
This is included:
USB-C charging case, USB-C cable.
This is how long they last:
up to seven hours plus another 28 hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
waterproof to IPX7, wireless charging.
List price:
60 euros
Huawei Freebuds 3i
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
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HUAWEI FreeBuds 3i True Wireless Headphones with Active Noise Canceling (Ultra Fast Bluetooth Connection, 10mm Speakers) White
From € 77.21
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The Feebuds 3i immediately sit well in my ears and visually shout out that they would have liked to become AirPods.
The Huawei earbuds absolutely do not have to hide from Apple's originals, especially since they even have active noise suppression.
With Huawei smartphones, they almost connect by themselves.
This is how they sound: In
terms of sound, the Freebuds are very clean with a clear emphasis on bass and a rather punchy, warm sound that is not common in this price range.
This is included:
USB-C charging case, USB-C cable.
This is how long they last:
Up to 3.5 hours plus a further eleven hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
Active noise cancellation
List price:
99 euros
Huawei Freebuds Pro
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
Huawei's "Pro" headset also automatically connects to Huawei cell phones.
The earphones made of black plastic are hard to get out of their case.
In any case, my fingers kept slipping on the shiny surfaces, so that in the end I got used to more or less shaking the Freebuds Pro out of the case.
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HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro, True Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with Intelligent Noise Cancellation (Dynamic Noise Cancellation), 3-Microphone System, Wireless Fast Charge, Carbon Black
From € 179.00
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This is how they sound:
Huawei's Freebuds Pro reward you for this unnecessary effort with a pleasantly warm, fat sound that you can listen to for a long time, especially since the earphones are in your ears without being pressed.
Even deep basses push themselves into the ear canal without booming, while mids and highs are pleasantly velvety and fine details are reproduced in the music.
Great.
This is included:
USB-C charging case, USB-C cable.
This is how long they last:
Up to four hours with active noise suppression plus another 16 hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
Active noise suppression, can also be used as a microphone when taken out of the ear, seamless switching between Huawei devices.
List price:
179 euros
JBL Tune 225 tws
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The matt black case will find its friends, but it doesn't look particularly high-quality.
The earphones are a bit difficult to dig out of their holders, but they sit well in the ears without adapters.
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JBL Tune 225 TWS Lifestyle Bluetooth Headphones in Ghost Black - Wireless sport earphones for up to 5 hours of music enjoyment with just one battery charge - Incl.
Charging case
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This is what they sound like:
If they are really tight, the sound of the JBL Tune 225 is also quite good.
But as soon as they loosen even a little, the otherwise audible, but not oppressive, bass disappears.
Overall, the sound development is a bit too thin and indirect for me.
This is included:
a charging case and a
bright orange USB-C cable.
This is how long they last:
Up to five hours plus another 20 hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
None
List price:
100 euros
LG Tone free F6N
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The Tone Free from LG are first noticed by their pleasantly small case.
And then by the blue light that comes on when you put the earphones in there to charge.
According to the manufacturer, UV light is supposed to kill bacteria and germs that have collected on the earmolds during charging.
That fits in with the times, of course, but raises the question of whether something like this is needed.
After all, this only makes sense if you share the parts with someone else, which is rarely the case with in-ear headsets.
I found the touch fields too sensitive and deactivated them via the app.
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
This is what they sound like: In
terms of sound, the Tone Free are set up quite well, although they tend a bit badly in the area of loundness, emphasizing bass and treble, lowering the mids.
However, they are by no means powerful, and tend to clink slightly in the high range at high volume.
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LG Tone Free HBS-FN6 In-Ear Bluetooth Headphones, White
From € 98.86
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This is included:
USB-C charging case, USB-C cable.
This is how long they last:
up to six hours plus a further twelve hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
search function, protection against rain, splash water and sweat according to IPX4.
List price:
149 euros
Nura Nuraloop
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The Nuraloops stand out from the rest of the test field for several reasons, because they are not completely wireless because the left and right earphones are connected to each other by cables.
But since they have a sound similar to the thick Nuraphones headphones, I didn't want to omit them here.
Because just like the nuraphones, the Nuraloop also adapt to the hearing of their user through a measuring process which, as it were, determines the user's hearing ability and calculates a personal sound profile from it.
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nura NuraLoop wireless Bluetooth in-ear headphones with personal sound adjustment, active noise canceling (ANC), social mode, touch buttons, 16 hours battery life, 3.5 mm jack cable
From € 229.00
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This is
what
they sound like:
As with the nuraphones, it shows that the calibration process achieves amazing things.
Not adapted to the ear, the Nuraloop sound horribly sticky, with activated adaptation wonderfully round and transparent, with a balanced frequency response that can be bent between throbbing bass and rather neutral playback using the app.
That's great.
In quiet passages, however, the connection cable of the two earphones bothers me, which is clearly audible scratching my hair when moved to my head.
This is included:
a transport bag, a magnetically holding charging cable and an audio cable that is also magnetically holding, with which you can connect the earphones to the entertainment system in an airplane, for example.
This is how long they last:
According to the manufacturer, more than 16 hours.
These are the extras:
active noise cancellation, personalized sound adjustment, sweat resistance.
List price:
229 euros
Samsung Galaxy Buds live
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
Samsung is going its own way with the Galaxy Buds Live.
The rounded shape has undeniable advantages.
On the one hand, there are no antennas hanging out of your ears with the Buds Live, on the other hand, thanks to their shape and a small rubber stopper, they sit pretty tight without pressing.
And besides, they just look good.
display
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live - Wireless Earphones Mystic Black
From € 136.90
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This is how they sound:
The sound of the Galaxy Buds is very clean and rich in detail, but at the same time very fat.
Despite their small size, Samsung's Buds produce powerful, downright oppressive bass - without booming.
For that to work, however, they also have to sit perfectly in the ears.
This is included:
a USB-C charging case with a USB-C cable.
This is how long they last:
Up to six hours of battery life plus another 15 hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
wireless charging, active noise cancellation, two pairs of Buds Live can listen to the same music from one device together, seamless switching between Samsung devices, "Find My Buds" function.
List price:
184 euros
Sennheiser CX 400BT True Wireless
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The Sennheiser were so stuck in the packaging that they could only be removed by force.
When you've finally tickled them out of the box and put them in your ears, you'll be rewarded: The very bulky earphones fit straight away, they sit comfortably tight, but not oppressive in my ears.
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Sennheiser CX 400BT True Wireless Earbuds - Bluetooth in-ear headphones for listening to music and making calls - long battery life and customizable touch control, black
From € 179.00
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This is what they sound like:
The CX 400 BT deliver a sound that impresses with its clarity.
The relationship between highs, lows and mids is very well coordinated, allowing many details to be perceived without appearing thin.
The bass reproduction is strong, but not oppressive.
In terms of sound, they belong to the top group in this test.
This is included:
a USB-C charging case with a USB-C cable.
This is how long they last:
Up to 6.5 hours of battery life plus an additional 13.5 hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
functions and sound can be influenced via the app.
List price:
199 euros
Skullcandy Sesh
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
It starts off badly: When unpacking the Sesh, the ear adapters got stuck firmly in the plastic packaging and can only be removed with a lot of fiddling.
Once you have them out of the box, they sit in your ears as tightly as they did in the box.
That's fine, but it squeezes after a while.
I wouldn't want to wear them on a long haul flight.
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Skullcandy Sesh true wireless in-ear headphones with charging case, Bluetooth technology and microphone, up to 10 hours of battery life, sweat, water and dust resistant (IP55), black
From € 58.75
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This
is what
they sound like:
The sound of the Sesh is very bass-heavy, that is the trademark of Skullcandy, so to speak.
Due to the fat bass, however, they tend to boom on tracks that are not perfectly mixed.
What would annoy audio purists goes quite well with hip-hop and dense R&B tracks.
Similar to the bass, the highs are sometimes overemphasized.
Anyone who likes to listen to rock or classical music will miss Mitten.
This is included:
a charging case with LED display and an old-fashioned micro-USB cable.
This is how long they last:
up to three hours of battery life plus another seven hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
Protection against sweat, water and dust according to IP55.
List price:
60 euro
Teufel Airy True Wireless
Icon: enlargePhoto: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
Loudspeaker manufacturer Teufel has also been offering headphones for some time and now wants to make a name for itself with wireless headsets.
Visually, the entrance takes getting used to: The blue plastic box in which the headphones are transported and charged looks cheap.
The angular shape of the Airy's antenna boom doesn't make it easy to find the right angle to put it back in the case after use, but you get used to it.
It is all the easier for them to get out.
The fit is very traditional, the silicone plugs are comfortable to wear, but don't sit particularly tight.
This is how they sound:
The sound of the devil can be described as inconspicuous, which is not to say that they sound bad.
On the contrary, they produce a balanced sound with no particular highs or lows, which just lacks a little warmth.
This is included:
a charging case with LED display and an old-fashioned micro-USB cable.
This is how long they last:
Up to six hours of battery life plus another 19 hours by charging in the case.
These are the extras:
Splash and water jet protection according to IPX5.
List price:
150 euros
The case is charged via micro USB, a suitable cable is included.
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