FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling

Android App

Optimized for Android

Optimized for Apple

PERFORMANCE

Battery life buds (reviews)

Battery Rating (Rescaled)

Bluetooth Version

Manufacturer

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality (Rescaled)

Cable length (m)

Calls Score (Rescaled)

Battery life case

Charging time

Color

Comfort (Rescaled)

Connectivity

Dustproof Rating

Earbud Size

Exercise Score (Rescaled)

Form Factor

Gaming Score (Rescaled)

Includes Eartips

iOS App

Lossless Codec

Low Latency

Mic Quality (Rescaled)

Mic Style

SOUND

Music Score (Rescaled)

Noise Isolation Quality (Rescaled)

Book/Podcast Score (Rescaled)

Portability Score (Rescaled)

Release Date

filter:Replaceable wires

Fit for small ears (Rescaled)

Sound Profile

Sound Quality (Rescaled)

Soundstage / Imaging (Rescaled)

Travel Score (Rescaled)

TV and Video Score (Rescaled)

Virtual Surround

Waterproof Rating

Weight

Wired

Wireless

Wireless charging

Music lovers, young or old, frugal or affluent, deserve to hear music as it was meant to be heard, as the artist intended it to be heard. Everyone deserves to hear more. That’s how 1More, a China based company, describes their mission. Their products are all tuned by Luca Bignardi, a sound engineer who’s worked side by side with artists such as Eros Ramazzotti, Laura Pausini and Andrea Bocelli, in an effort to offer premium quality audio devices at midrange prices.

Antlion Audio is an American company based in Oregon. Founded in 2011 by Jimmy Console, an engineer and physician, in order to create and offer better solutions for voice communication, specifically a microphone which could be used with any set of headphones which materialized in the very popular ModMic. The company has since expanded to include a wide variety of wired and wireless products.

Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.

Audeze is an, award-winning, American premium headphone manufacturer based in California. Founded in 2008, their products are developed around aerospace materials technology first used by NASA and are widely used by enthusiasts and professionals alike, not only in the fields of music and sound engineering but also in e-sports and the health industry.

Audio Technica is a 60-year-old, Japan-based, professional audio equipment manufacturer. They started off making phonograph cartridges and have expanded their scope of products ever since to include extremely popular models of microphones and headphones. They have been the official audio equipment supplier of several editions of the Summer and Winter Olympics and every edition of the Grammy Awards since 1998.

Bang and Olufsen is an almost century-old electronic goods manufacturer based in Denmark with a very special focus on design. Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen created the first AC radio in 1925 and went on to develop televisions, telephones and, of course, headphones and loudspeakers. Today, they are partnered with several companies, like Audi, BMW and Aston Martin, to provide very high-quality audio solutions.

Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.

Beyerdynamic is a German, family-owned, century-old, audio system manufacturer. They produce a wide array of professional-quality products such as microphones, aviation headsets, conference systems and headphones. The company has served as the main provider of audio equipment for German entertainment events like tours by the Beatles and Elton John and even government entities like the German Parliament.

Bose is an American audio equipment manufacturer based out of Framingham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 by Amar Bose with the goal of creating a speaker system that could accurately recreate the sound of a concert hall, Bose has become one of the most prominent players in the modern consumer audio market due to the premium feel of their products and their wide brand recognition.

Bowers and Wilkins is a British audio equipment manufacturer with a focus on innovation and product development. It was founded by a couple of real-life James Bonds, the co-founders John Bowers and Roy Wilkins, who met while working for MI6 during World War II. The company keeps being favored by enthusiasts due to their sound quality, craftsmanship and signature aesthetics.

Creative Labs is a Singaporean technology company specialized in the manufacture of multimedia products. They created the world-famous Soundblaster soundcard back in 1989 which was a staple of the gaming community for a long time. Nowadays, besides still marketing their discrete audio systems, they offer a wide array of headphones, gaming headsets and speakers that still preserve that same heritage.

Earfun is an audio equipment manufacturer, headquartered in California, that specializes in producing quality, very affordable earbuds and wireless speakers. According to their site, their mission is to provide high-quality sound that the general public can hear, perceive, and afford.

EPOS is a relatively new company with a very long heritage. Previously known as Sennheiser Communications, EPOS is the result of the joint venture between the German headphone manufacturer Sennheiser and the Danish Demant that sought to develop premium audio communication solutions. They specialize in two main product groups, enterprise communications and gaming communication headsets and processing devices.

Etymotic Research is an American based research, development and manufacturing company founded in 1983. They invented the first insert earphones that were used for the diagnosis and research of hearing loss and other auditory disorders. They went on to pioneer the market of high fidelity, isolating, in-ear earphones.

Mainly known as the most popular search engine on the planet, Google is a multinational technology company that also offers a variety of audio-oriented products. Beside their smart speakers under the Nest product line, Google offers several models of true wireless earbuds under the Pixel line, some of which happen to be an affordable but very powerful option for those already in the Android ecosystem.

Grado Labs is a small, family-owned, business based in Brooklyn New York that specializes in high-end, boutique, dynamic headphones and turntable cartridges. They boast a particular house sound, that is to say their products have a particular sound signature unique to Grado, that some audiophiles seem to really like and are unable to find anywhere else. Their high-end headphones are all hand made, completely in house, from a variety of exotic woods and materials going so far as to making one of their most popular products out of hemp.

HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.

Starting originally as a high-performance and gaming line of memory modules within Kingston and later acquired by HP, HyperX is a dedicated esports and gaming division focused on developing peripherals, microphones and headsets. Providing budget-friendly, comfortable and highly functional products, HyperX has become the go-to for many gamers around the world, resulting in sales of over 20 million headsets throughout the years.

Jabra is a subsidiary of GN Store Nord, a 150-year-old Danish company that specializes in the manufacturing of hearing aids, headsets and earphones. Jabra has a focus on fit and comfort and quality control over everything else. According to Peter Karstromer, Jabras CEO, they “design and engineer technology that frees people to work, live and communicate how and where they want to, equipping them with the tools to live their life to a new rhythm”.

Jaybird is an American headphone and activity tracker manufacturer focused on the exercise and sports market. The company was founded in 2006 by Judd Armstrong who sought for a product that was thoroughly sweatproof and that wouldn’t get in the way during physical activity. Jaybird is a part of the Swiss company Logitech International, since 2016.

JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

Koss is an American headphone manufacturer established in 1953. In 1958, they created the first set of stereophones, that is headphones with stereo sound, and in 1984 they released the world-famous Porta Pro, a set of on-ear headphones that has remained essentially unchanged for more than 30 years and that is still made, sold and loved by many audio enthusiasts around the world today.

Moondrop is a Chinese brand of smart audio equipment, portable audio players, earbuds and headphones started in 2015. During the last few years they have become one of the major players in what is lovingly referred to as the Chi-fi market, the bulk of Chinese companies that have managed to actually compete with the western manufacturers in both prices and superior quality. Products such as the Blessing II, Chu and Kato are among the most popular offerings of the brand, more popular among those users that wish for good quality audio that won't break the bank. Besides audio, the brand also works in what they call the ACGN field (Animation, Comics, Games and Short Novels).

Yes, Nothing’s the name of the brand! Nothing is a British consumer electronics manufacturer founded in 2020 by the co-founder of the smartphone manufacturer OnePlus. The company has developed and released 3 different pairs of earbuds, 2 models of smartphone and even their own brand of beer.

Philips is a Dutch conglomerate and electronics manufacturer with over 130 years of history. Philips makes the Fidelio audio line which includes several models of full-sized wired and wireless headphones, true wireless earbuds. soundbars and wireless speakers.

Razer is an American-Singaporean hardware manufacturer aimed specifically toward the gaming market. They manufacture a very wide array of gaming laptops, tablets, phones, peripherals and, of course, headphones and earbuds both wired and wireless. Since 2016, Razer has owned the THX suite, aimed at quality assurance of audiovisual systems such as speaker sets, video game consoles and even movie theaters.

Rode is an Australian audio equipment manufacturer. Rode was founded in 1967 as Freedman Electronics, transitioning into its modern brand in 1990, and it’s mainly known for their high-end microphones and audio production equipment. In 2022 they entered into the headphone market with their NTH-100 closed back headphone which was received with very good reviews from the community.

Samsung is a multinational conglomerate with over 85 years of history. They are mostly known to consumers for their high-end smartphones and TVs, however they are invested in many other markets like semiconductors and automotive. Samsung owns Harman International which itself owns other audio specialized companies like Harman Kardon, JBL and AKG who help engineer most, if not all, of Samsung audio products of their Galaxy line.

A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.

Skullcandy is an American, consumer-oriented, earbuds and headphones manufacturer with 20 years of market experience. They sell a wide variety of, budget-friendly and unique, wired and wireless products that are sure to please the vast majority of users. Among their most popular offerings, the Crusher headphones, includes a pair of actual subwoofers inside the cups which makes the bass extra prominent for a unique and extra fun sound.

Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.

Soundcore is a sub-brand belonging to Anker Innovations. Starting in 2014, initially marketing wireless, Bluetooth, speakers, Anker now offers an array of, budget-friendly, wireless earbuds and headphones that directly compete, especially in the Active Noise Canceling field, with other brands several times as expensive.

Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.

Thieaudio is the in-house brand of Linsoul Audio, a Chinese earbud and headphone retailer specializing in what the community lovingly calls Chi-fi, that is high fidelity brands out of China. Thieaudio was established in 2019 as the creative engineering branch of Linsoul. As of today, they market three different lines of earbuds, Voyager, Legacy and the extremely well-received Monarch.

headphones

Do you prefer using earbuds or headphones?

Would you rather have wired or wireless earbuds?

Would you rather have wired or wireless headphones?

Would you rather have a wired or wireless product?

Would you like your earbuds to reduce outside noise?

Would you like your headphones to reduce outside noise?

Would you like your product to reduce outside noise?

Which mobile devices will you use with your earbuds?

Which mobile devices will you use with your headphones?

Which mobile devices will you use with your product?

Have you had trouble with earbuds feeling too big?

10 Best Earbuds for Running and Working Out

95 percent or more coverage of adobeRGB is necessary for print photo editing

Adobe RGB

Backlit Keyboard

Battery Capacity

BATTERY

Users should not game on battery as that will drain the battery very quickly, like within 1-2 hours.

Battery Life

Battery Life Score (Rescaled)

Brightness

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score (Rescaled)

Content Performance Score (Rescaled)

This score evaluates the laptop's suitability for photo editing, and video editing work, with a strong emphasis on overall performance and screen quality.

Content Use Score (Rescaled)

A high score here suggests the display is ideal for content creation tasks, like video editing or photo editing.

Engineering Screen Score (Rescaled)

Contrast

Overall CPU Score

Engineering Performance Score (Rescaled)

This score assesses the laptop's suitability for graphic design, CAD and 3D work, with a strong emphasis on overall performance and screen quality.

Engineering Use Score (Rescaled)

 This score indicates the display's effectiveness for 3D design and engineering tasks, such as 3D rendering or CAD.

95 percent or more coverage of P3 gamut is necessary for professional HDR video grading. Note that HDR video grading also requires a display with 1000 nits minimum brightness

DCI-P3

DDR Version

Depth

Dimensions (W x D x H)

Display Outputs

DisplayPorts

Display Response Time

Display Technology

DLSS

Ethernet

Facial Recognition

Fan Noise Score (Rescaled)

Fingerprint Reader

Gaming Performance Score (Rescaled)

Gaming Laptop Appearance

This score emphasizes the laptop's graphics processing capability and AI performance, along with other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.

A high score here implies the display is well-suited for gaming, offering smooth visuals and high clarity.

Gaming Screen Score (Rescaled)

General Use Performance Score (Rescaled)

This score evaluates the laptop's suitability for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a variety of apps and programs.

General Use Score (Rescaled)

This score suggests the display's suitability for everyday tasks like watching videos, browsing the web, and working with documents.

General Use Screen Score (Rescaled)

Overall GPU Score

GPUs can be of two types - dedicated or integrated. Dedicated  GPUs are generally more powerful and suitable for intensive tasks like AI, graphics and 3D. Integrated GPUs consume low power and are suitable for light tasks on battery.

GPU Type

Classification of GPUs and expected FPS: Basic: all integrated GPUs. Expected FPS: - Demanding/Latest Games: -1080p: Unplayable -1440p: Unplayable -2160p: Unplayable - Light/Older Games: -1080p: 60 (Medium) -1440p: 30 (Low) -2160p: Unplayable Entry-level: RTX 2050, RTX 3050. Expected FPS: - Demanding/Latest Games: -1080p: 30 (Low) -1440p: Unplayable -2160p: Unplayable - Light/Older Games: -1080p: 120 (High) -1440p: 60 (Medium) -2160p: Unplayable Lower mid-range: RTX 3060, RTX 4050, RX 7600S, RX 7700S Expected FPS: - Demanding/Latest Games: -1080p: 60 (Medium) -1440p: Unplayable -2160p: Unplayable - Light/Older Games: -1080p: 180 (High) -1440p: 90 (Medium) -2160p: 45 (Low) Mid-range: RTX 4060, RTX 4070. Expected FPS: - Demanding/Latest Games: -1080p: 90 (Medium) -1440p: 45 (Low) -2160p: 25 (Very Low) - Light/Older Games: -1080p: 240 (Very High) -1440p: 120 (High) -2160p: 60 (Medium) High-end: RTX 4080 Expected FPS: - Demanding/Latest Games: -1080p: 140 (High) -1440p: 75 (Medium) -2160p: 30 (Low) - Light/Older Games: -1080p: 240 (Very High) -1440p: 180 (High) -2160p: 100 (High) Enthusiast: RTX 4090. Expected FPS: - Demanding/Latest Games: -1080p: 200 (Very High) -1440p: 145 (High) -2160p: 60 (Medium) - Light/Older Games: -1080p: 300 (Very High) -1440p: 240 (Very High) -2160p: 120 (High)

Graphics

HDMI Ports

Heat Score (Rescaled)

Keyboard Lighting Color

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score (Rescaled)

Lower side temp (max)

Manufacturer Link

Mobility Score (Rescaled)

Name

MUX Switch or Advanced Optimus

Number Pad

Operating System

Overall Performance Score

This score indicates the overall quality of the display across various factors, suitable for a wide range of tasks.

Overall Screen Score

Palm rest temp (max)

Premium Business Laptop

Price

Priority Level

INTERNAL

Processor

RAM Slots

Ray Tracing

Refresh Rate

Resolution

98 percent or more coverage of sRGB gamut is necessary for digital photo editing, SDR video editing, grading, doing any basic graphics or design tasks as wella as web development.

sRGB

Screen Aspect Ratio

Screen Quality Score (Rescaled)

SCREEN

Screen Size

Software Performance Score (Rescaled)

This score assesses the laptop's suitability for software development, with a strong emphasis on overall performance and screen quality.

Software Use Score (Rescaled)

This score indicates the display's suitability for software development tasks like working wiht code editors and IDEs and lots of browser tabs

Media

In this article

About PerfectRec

What sets us apart from other review sites?

About Joe Golden

Academic research

Areas of expertise

In the news

Logo

Contact