The 6 Best Earbuds With A Mic — Summer 2023 Reviews
Thanks to their portable and convenient design, earbuds and in-ears can be excellent daily headphones. However, they generally don’t have the best microphone quality, especially if they rely on a Bluetooth connection. In comparison, Bluetooth headsets designed for phone calls may have better microphones, but they often only have one earbud, making them less than ideal for listening to music at work or during your daily commute. Luckily, there are more and more earbuds on the market that balance call quality and casual versatility, which is great if you work from home or take calls on the go.
We’ve tested over 255 pairs of earbuds and in-ear headphones with microphones, and below are our recommendations for the best earphones with mic capability to buy. If you’re looking for our top picks for other earbuds and in-ear headphones, check our recommendations for the best earbuds and in-ears, the best truly wireless earbuds, and the best Bluetooth headsets for phone calls.
Best Earbuds With A Mic
Sony WI-1000XM2 Wireless
The best headphones with a microphone we’ve tested are the Sony WI-1000XM2 Wireless. These in-ears aren’t completely wireless since they have a cable that goes around your neck, so their style may not be for everyone. However, their in-line mic sits closer to your mouth than most integrated microphones on truly wireless earbuds. It makes your voice sound clear and understandable over the phone and does an okay job separating it from background noise. Their sound is well-suited for phone calls since voices reproduce clearly and accurately. They last about eight hours of continuous use and have a decently comfortable fit, although the neckband can snag longer hair. They also have a good selection of differently-sized ear tips, including foam and silicone options. Their very good active noise cancelling (ANC) feature can block out the low rumble of bus engines during your commute and ambient chatter at work. You can connect them to your phone and computer simultaneously and easily take calls on either device.
Best Upper Mid-Range Earbuds With A Mic
Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless
The best earbuds with microphone capability in the upper mid-range category we’ve tested are the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless. As well as being cheaper than our top pick, these earbuds have a smaller, more compact, truly wireless design. It also means they have an integrated mic, so it sits further away from your mouth than the Sony WI-1000XM2 Wireless’ in-line mic. It captures your voice well, meaning you’ll be heard clearly over the phone. There’s a sensor in each earbud to detect wind, which is meant to improve the mic’s noise handling when you’re outside. They support multi-device pairing, so you can stay connected to your computer while you take a call on your phone. Their neutral sound profile ensures voices sound clear and accurate, but if you prefer a different sound, it can also be customized with a graphic EQ and presets in the companion app. These earbuds also have ANC, but unfortunately, it’s not very effective, so these aren’t the buds for you if you want to cut out the sound of rumbling engines during your commute. That said, they passively block out a decent amount of mid-range noise like background chit-chat.
Best Mid-Range Earbuds With A Mic
EarFun Air Pro 3 True Wireless
For something a bit more affordable, check out the EarFun Air Pro 3 True Wireless . These comfortable buds have an integrated mic, which offers a fair overall performance and ensures your voice is easy to understand. That said, loud sounds can overwhelm speech, making it harder to hear you well. On the upside, the buds have an ANC system that offers a significantly better performance than the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless, and it does a very good job of isolating you from sounds like ambient chatter and traffic. With their ANC on, they also last over six hours continuously, and their carrying case holds an extra four charges. By default, these buds have a very bass-heavy sound. While this sound is great for genres like EDM and hip-hop, all that extra thump, rumble, and boom can also muddy voices. Luckily, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you get the most out of them. The buds also support multi-device pairing, which is handy if you want to stay connected to your PC and smartphone simultaneously and have a well-built design.
Best Budget Earphones With A Mic
TOZO T6 Truly Wireless
The best earbuds with mic capability we’ve tested in the budget category are the TOZO T6 Truly Wireless. These budget-friendly earbuds have an in-line mic that makes your voice sound clear and natural. Like most other picks on this list, though, they have trouble separating speech from background noise, which can be troublesome if you call from a noisy office. On the upside, they have a decently comfortable fit and come with various differently-sized ear tips. Unlike the EarFun Air Pro 3 True Wireless, they don’t have an ANC feature, but they can block out a reasonable amount of mid-range noise like background chatter. Their bass-heavy sound profile emphasizes thump and rumble in genres like EDM and hip-hop, but voices reproduce clearly and accurately. However, they lack an app and customization features. They last for about five hours of continuous use, which isn’t very good, but they come with a case that holds four additional charges, so you can always top up the battery partway through your day.
Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds With A Mic
Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3
If you’re looking for high-powered noise cancelling buds with a solid mic performance, you’ll want to check out the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 . Their mic’s recording quality falls short of the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless, but they have significantly better noise isolation, thanks to their ANC system. It does a great job of isolating you from a wide range of noise, including bass-range noise like rumbling engines. Their mic still offers an okay overall performance, but to make the most of it, you’ll want to take calls from a quiet space to ensure you’re heard clearly. You can adjust their bass-heavy sound profile with a graphic EQ and presets in the companion app. They also have a long continuous battery life of about eight hours, which is nice for long journeys or workdays. The portable charging case holds about three extra charges. If you want earbuds with a mic but care more about noise isolation than mic performance, you might prefer the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless. These earbuds have an outstanding ANC performance but a mediocre mic performance. Still, recorded speech is understandable as long as you call from a fairly quiet place.
Best Wired Earbuds With A Mic
SteelSeries TUSQ
If you prefer a wired design, you’ll want to check out the SteelSeries TUSQ, the best wired earphones with mic capability we’ve tested. Although they’re designed with gaming in mind, they come with a boom mic for clearer recording quality and an in-line mic if you want to use them more casually. Your voice sounds clear and natural using the detachable boom mic, so you won’t have any problems being understood. That said, even though you can position the mic closer to your mouth than the Sony WI-1000XM2 Wireless in-line mic, it still has trouble separating speech from ambient noise. As a result, your voice can get lost in the noise if you’re taking a call from a busy street or office. These earbuds have a decently comfortable fit and are lightweight. Their excited sound is well-suited for genres like rock and pop as it adds extra thump, rumble, and boom while vocals and instruments are bright. However, voices also sound muddy, and the headphones lack customization features to help you adjust them to your liking. They also struggle to block background sound, so it can be hard to hear your conversations clearly.
Notable Mentions
- JBL CLUB PRO+ TWS True Wireless: The JBL CLUB PRO+ TWS True Wireless are truly wireless earbuds that feel more premium than the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless. However, they don’t support multi-device pairing, and their continuous battery life isn’t as long-lasting. See our review
- Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless: The Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless are stylish in-ears with better overall noise isolation than the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless. Their mic also has better noise handling. However, their recording quality falls short of the Jabra, and their continuous battery life isn’t as long-lasting. See our review
- Logitech G333: The Logitech G333 are wired earbuds meant for gaming. They’re better built than the SteelSeries TUSQ, but their integrated mic doesn’t perform as well. See our review
- Turtle Beach Battle Buds: The Turtle Beach Battle Buds are wired gaming headphones that, like the SteelSeries TUSQ, have a detachable boom mic. Their mic has better noise-handling performance; however, the headphones aren’t as comfortable or well-built. See our review
Recent Updates
- May 29, 2023: We’ve replaced the EarFun Air Pro True Wireless with the EarFun Air Pro 3 True Wireless, as the original model isn’t currently available. We’ve also added the Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless to the Notable Mentions.
- Mar 17, 2023: Checked that the picks represent the best recommendations and that the products are in stock.
- Jan 18, 2023: We’ve added the SteelSeries TUSQ as the ‘Best Wired Earbuds With A Mic’ and made minor updates to the text for clarity and accuracy.
- Nov 04, 2022: Added the Logitech G333 to Notable Mentions.
- Aug 26, 2022: We’ve restructured this article to provide a better selection of picks that align with the market. The Jabra Elite 65t have been discontinued, and we’ve replaced them in this article with the Sony WI-1000XM2. We’ve also added the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless, which are designed with calls in mind, and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 as a noise cancelling option.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best earphones with microphone capability to buy for most people. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn’t worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all earphones we’ve tested with a mic. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.