Wireless earbuds with the best microphone (+recordings)
You want your earbuds to sound clear on calls and in online meetings. In short: earbuds need a good microphone. It's a real letdown to buy earbuds and hear that people can't understand you on your first few calls. Don't worry. We test the microphones on a wide range of earbuds, and you can hear the results in the audio clips in this article. Here's a preview: some earbuds stand head and shoulders above the rest!
In this article
How microphones differ between earbuds
It's striking how much microphone quality varies between earbuds. With some earbuds, people really can't understand you during calls or online meetings. With others, you sound like you're speaking into a phone, or even better.
- Here's an example of earbuds with a poor microphone: (Edifier X3)
- Here's an example of earbuds with a good microphone: (DunRock Pop)
Earbuds with a microphone filter
ENC is a useful emerging feature. It stands for Environmental Noise Canceling. Sounds pretty fancy. But is it actually useful?
Well, it helps the person you're talking to. At least, if you have something worth saying. That's because ENC is essentially a filter that can isolate your voice. The person on the other end hears you speaking. And with good ENC, they won't hear the background noise around you.
Why does a good microphone matter?
A good microphone is one of the most common requirements when you're buying earbuds. If you make a lot of calls, for work, for example, it's essential that your earbuds work well for calls and online meetings.
For earbud manufacturers, fitting a good microphone is expensive. That's why microphone quality often suffers in budget earbuds under €50. It's also why we always test the microphone in our earbud reviews.
Bluetooth earbuds with the best microphone for calls
Here are the Bluetooth earbuds with the best microphone. We're busy adding all the recordings from every pair of earbuds we've tested. Curious about the sound quality of a particular pair? Let us know in the comments!
DunRock Pop
score: 8.5 | View review
DunRock Bubble
score: 8.5 | View review
This clip was recorded in a noisy environment. You can hear that the earbud needs 1 to 2 seconds for ENC to work properly. After that, only your voice comes through. Clever technology, that ENC.
MPOW X3
score: 7.5 | View review
SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE
score: 7 | View review
SoundPEATS TrueWings
score: 7 | View review
MPOW Flame Solo
score: 6.5 | View review
SoundPEATS Trueshift 2
score: 6 | View review
SoundPEATS TrueFree 2
score: 6 | View review
QCY T6
score: 5 | View review
Edifier X3
score: 5 | View review
QCY T5
score: 5 | View review
F9 TWS
score: 3 | View review
Earbud microphones in strong wind
For many earbud users, being heard clearly on outdoor calls matters. To give you an idea of what to expect, we recorded the same pair of earbuds with and without wind.
Adjusting your expectations
Sometimes people expect too much from earbud microphones in strong wind. Remember, even the latest phones from well-known, expensive brands, usually €1000+, can't beat the wind either. How often does the person you're calling say they can't understand you when it's windy? Often.
Another example is the microphone a camera crew uses when filming outdoors. The sound operator always carries a long pole with a huge microphone. Outside, it has a big, fluffy windscreen around it. That's there purely to prevent wind noise.
OK, now that we've tempered expectations a little, let's hear the difference between earbuds in the wind and earbuds without wind.
Take the SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE, for example. Here's a clip without wind.
Earbud microphone without wind
Earbuds with a microphone in the wind
Others also viewed:
- Explore all our articles on wireless earbuds
- These are the 8 best wireless earbuds ever
- These are the best earbuds under €50
- Explore our in-depth article on QCY earbuds
- And check out our article on AirPods alternatives
- Also check out the 3 best earbuds for running
- Also check out our hands-on with the Eardopes B6 pro.
