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Best earphones and earbuds in Australia

Our expert team spent hundreds of hours testing in-ear headphones to find the best wired and wireless earphones in Australia for every budget.

Sarah Brandon
Sarah Brandon

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The best earphones and earbuds in Australia

How did we pick this list?

Finder's team of experts has spent hundreds of hours testing and reviewing earphones. For each pair, we consider the design, performance, battery life and overall value for money.

Our editorial team selected the earbuds on this list based on our testing results as well as real customer reviews and key product features.

Read more detail on our methodology below.

Best overall and best noise-cancelling earphones: Sony WF-1000MX3

Sony WF-1000MX3

  • Active noise cancellation
  • Long battery life
  • Not water resistant
  • Adaptive sound feature doesn't always work

Price (RRP): $298

Buy at Amazon
Mwave Australia

Why we chose it

Our pick for the best earbuds that money can buy is the Sony WF-1000MX3 wireless noise-cancelling headphones. They offer excellent noise cancellation and also feature on our list of the best noise-cancelling headphones.

The WF-1000MX3s sound great and are comfortable to wear. They have touch controls on both earbuds that can be customised using the Sony Headphones app.

You can listen to them for up to six hours at a time with noise cancellation switched on. While the included charging case is a bit bigger than some competitors' cases, it holds three full charges, giving you a total of 24 hours of playback (with noise cancellation). It also offers a quick charge feature that gives you another 90 minutes of battery life after just 10 minutes of charging.

For more information, check out our full review of the Sony WF-1000MX3 wireless earbuds.

Best sports earphones: Plantronics BackBeat FIT 3150

Plantronics BackBeat FIT 3150

  • Non-slip earloops stay on during just about any activity
  • IP57-certified sweatproof and waterproof
  • Not the best option for making phone calls
  • No noise cancellation

Price (RRP): $249

Buy at Amazon

Why we chose it

Our recommendation for the best sports earphones is the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 3150 headphones because they're extremely durable and they stay in place better than any other in-ear headphones we've tried.

The BackBeat FIT 3150s are IP57-certified waterproof and can be submerged in 1 metre of water, so they can handle any sweaty workout. They have in-ear eartips with additional non-slip silicone ear loops that wrap around your ears to help them stay on, no matter how much you're moving.

Another big selling point of the 3150s is Plantronics' Always Aware eartips that let in enough ambient noise that you can be aware of your surroundings while you work out. They block out enough sound to remove distractions but you'll still be able to hear car horns and other essential noises that you need to be aware of when running, biking or working out outside.

While they originally had a recommended retail price of $249, you can now find them at several retailers for less than $200.

Learn more in our hands-on review of the Plantronics BackBeat FIT 3150 headphones.

Best wired earphones: 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones

1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones

  • Inline remote works with both Apple and Android devices
  • Includes 9 different eartip sizes
  • The rubber wire can get caught on clothing
  • Some customers complain that the microphone picks up ambient noise

Price (RRP): $150

Buy at Amazon

Why we chose it

If you prefer a wired option or don't want to worry about the battery running out while you're listening, we recommend the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones. Recommended by experts and customers alike, they have a 4.3 out of 5-star average rating from more than 1,400 Amazon customers and an average score of 4.4 out of 5 stars from more than 350 Google reviewers. Customers praise the overall value and audio quality for the price as well as how comfortable the headphones are.

1More's Triple Driver headphones have a rubber-coated cable with an inline remote and microphone that works with both Apple iPhones and Android mobile phones. They come with a carrying case, nine different eartip sizes and an airplane adapter.

Best earphones for bass: Beats Powerbeats Pro

Beats Powerbeats Pro

  • Great battery life
  • Balanced sound
  • No noise cancellation
  • Sweat-resistant but not waterproof

Price (RRP): $349

Buy at Amazon
Buy at Mwave

Why we chose it

If you think most in-ear headphones on the market don't have the thumping bass that you want, the Beats Powerbeats Pro might be what you're looking for.

Beats' headphones have a reputation for being stylish and tailored towards bass frequencies and the Powerbeats Pro are no exception. However, despite offering the booming bass we've come to expect from Beats, the sound is much more balanced than previous Beats models, which means they make just about anything sound good from hip-hop to classical guitar.

You can listen for up to nine hours without needing a recharge, but the charging case is big and bulky for the size of the headphones. They're also integrated with Siri for iPhone users.

Check out our full review of the Beats Powerbeats Pro for more information.

Best high-end earphones: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

  • Offers active noise cancellation
  • Excellent audio quality
  • Some customers complain that the eartips don't fit in smaller ears
  • No wireless charging

Price (RRP): $499.95

Buy at Amazon

Why we chose it

For audiophiles who don't mind paying more for incredible audio quality, we recommend the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 headphones. They have a 4.4 out of 5-star rating from more than 1,000 Amazon customers and have positive reviews from experts and customers across a wide range of sites.

Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 2 headphones have 7mm dynamic audio drivers that pack a huge sound into a small package. They offer active noise cancellation with a transparent heading mode that lets in ambient noise so that you can stay aware of your surroundings.

The True Wireless 2 headphones offer up to 7 hours of listening on a single charge and a total of 28 hours of playtime with extra charges from the included charging case.

Best earphones under $200: Audio-Technica ATH-CK3TW

Audio-Technica ATH-CK3TW

  • Good battery life
  • Available in several colours
  • Touch controls can be tricky to use
  • Battery case is heavy for the size

Price (RRP): $189

Buy at Amazon
Buy at Mwave

Why we chose it

If you're looking for the best earbuds under $200, you can't go wrong with the Audio-Technica ATH-CK3TW headphones. They offer balanced sound, good quality for the price and come in several different colours.

You can listen to the ATH-CK3TWs for up to 6 hours on a single charge and up to 24 hours with extra charges from the included case. While only the right earbud has a microphone, they pick up your voice surprisingly clearly.

They aren't noise cancelling and they don't have the easiest to use touch controls, but they have a lot to offer for the asking price. For more information, check out our full review of the Audio-Technica ATH-CK3TW.

Best earphones under $100: SoundMagic E11C

SoundMagic E11C

  • Noise isolating
  • Great sound for the price
  • Not the best sounding headphones
  • Wired only

Price (RRP): $99

Buy at Amazon

Why we chose it

The best sounding earbuds you can get for under $100 are the SoundMagic E11C earphones. They have a 4.3 out of 5-star rating from more than 80 Amazon reviews with customers praising their value for money and audio performance.

The brushed aluminium metal buds and reinforced cable are stylish and durable. Several customer reviews mention how comfortable they are to wear but some users had trouble with fit.

The SoundMagic E11C earphones aren't noise cancelling but the in-ear tips offer a surprising amount of noise isolation. They come with a storage case and three different sizes of eartips.

Best earphones under $50: JBL Endurance RUN In-Ear Sports Headphones

JBL Endurance RUN In-Ear Sports Headphones

  • Includes an inline remote
  • Comes with 3 eartip sizes
  • They're sweatproof but don't have an IP rating
  • Not the most accurate sound

Price (RRP): $29.95

Buy at Amazon

Why we chose it

The best cheap earbuds you can buy in Australia are the JBL Endurance RUN In-Ear Sports Headphones. With more than 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 1,700 Amazon customers and more than 3.6 out of 5 stars from 145 JBL customers, they sound surprisingly great for a pair that cost well under $50.

They've been designed with fitness enthusiasts in mind so they're sweatproof and can be worn in two ways – in your ear and behind your ear – to help them stay in when you're moving around.

They come in several different colours and have a decent microphone for making phone calls.

Best earphones for Apple fans: Apple Airpods Pro

Apple Airpods Pro

  • Noise cancelling
  • Easy to pair and use with iOS devices
  • Not the cheapest option
  • Case is wider and bulkier than the original Airpods case

Price (RRP): $399

Buy at Amazon
Buy at Mwave

Why we chose it

For Apple enthusiasts, the newest version of the brand's iconic earbuds, the Apple Airpods Pro, are the best of the bunch. They're more comfortable than the originals and have better audio quality and noise cancellation. The Airpods Pro have an average score of 4.7 out of 5 from more than 24,500 Google reviewers.

You can get around 4 hours of listening per charge, with a total of up to 24 hours of listening with the included charging case.

For more information, check out our full review of the Apple Airpods Pro.

Methodology

29
Brands considered
75+
Products compared
9
Best earphones chosen
  • Our editorial team has spent hundreds of hours testing and reviewing headphones.
  • We based our top picks on our own reviews plus reviews from real customers (as of October 2020) and key product features.
  • The products on this list are chosen by our editorial team and are not selected based on commercial relationships.

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