If your ear desires the ultimate in spatial audio gymnastics, the Bose QCUE are ideal – but you'll have to forego multipoint.

The OnePlus Buds 4 have a svelte design, top-notch ANC and a bassy sound, so it’s a shame that a few rough edges let them down.

The Noble FoKus Amadeus ANC earbuds combine serious run time with a gloriously tactile sound profile

The bass is a different story, but for emotive mids you'll struggle to better them

RecDot Earbuds' AI recording and transcription will wow you to the point that you'll probably accept their (very minor) shortcomings

I tested Meze Audio’s 105 Silva open-back headphones and all I got was a level of listening comfort I’d never experienced at the level, until now

The Edifier LolliClip are a great pair of open ear headphones with ANC and health monitoring and are only let down by a few small hiccups.

The Meze Audio Poet headphones offer stunning depth and clarity, and aren't too shabby to look at, either....

The Creative Aurvana Ace 3 take the framework of their predecessors and fix a few of the biggest issues, delivering better earbuds.

Some improvements; big price jump

Nothing Ear earbuds are the Ear (3) in all but name, and they bring some welcome upgrades over the Nothing Ear (2) but a low maximum volume is a problem.

You’d never know by looking at them, but Focal’s Bathys MG represent a pretty big step on from the inaugural 2022 Bathys

The Huawei FreeArcs are the first great example of open-ear headphones: they sound great, fit well and don’t break the bank.

The stamina saves the day

The Ruark MR1 Mk3 powered stereo speaker system is a pound-for-pound contender for best on the market.

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 are designed for DJs and other musicians, but they won’t appeal to everyday listeners.

The Baseus XC1 are clip-on open earbuds with a few rough edges, but they're a valid alternative to pricier rivals.

Evolution, not revolution: the second generation flagship Bose noise-cancellers are the same as the first, except where they're not (because they're better)

A lightweight, comfortable fit for all-day meetings.

The FiiO QX13 is a headphone amp/DAC with open and detailed sound to make your smartphone sing, but it's a little fiddly and has plenty of competition.

The Denon AH-C500W come at a surprising price, undercutting Apple’s AirPods – but not by enough to make them must-buy rivals

The most eco-friendly headphones just got a little bit eco friendlier – and slightly better sounding, too

They're good, others do better

Has Nothing done something truly remarkable in the true wireless earbuds arena yet again with the Ear (3)? Yes, and no.

Top-tier cans that go some way to justifying the price

Despite middling ANC, the Earfun Wave Life over-deliver considering just how cheaply you can pick them up, thanks to incredible comfort and solid build.

The Shokz OpenFit 2 are a great pair of running earbuds, but there's one major caveat holding them back

The OpenRock S try too hard with features that don’t work well and it's a shame, because at their core, these are respectable low-cost fitness earbuds

The Shokz OpenFit Air are ideal for running and everyday use where hearing situational sound is important

I tested Anker’s rival to the AirPods 4 and it was a tighter contest than I’d anticipated.