Thursday, March 28, 2024

No 3.5mm jack on the Pixel 4? No problem with these wireless headphones.

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Looking for the best wireless earbuds for your Pixel 4? We’ve rounded up the best picks in the guide below. The Pixel 4 doesn’t come with a pair of bundled earbuds in the box, so you’ll have to pick up a third-party option if you want to enjoy music on the go. Thankfully, there are plenty of great options available and the Creative Outlier Gold leads the pack with outstanding battery life, plus incredible sound. Here are the best Pixel 4 wireless headphones available right now.

1. Creative Outlier Gold: Best Overall

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Creative isn’t a brand you’d normally associate with true wireless earbuds, but the Outlier Gold aims to change that. The earbuds feature Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, along with AptX and AAC codecs, and you get a mic in each earbud for calls and invoking Google Assistant. Oh, and calls are relayed across both earbuds, unlike most options in the market today.

But what makes the Outlier Gold truly stand out is the battery life. The earbuds last 14 hours on a full charge, double that of what most true wireless earbuds manage. You get another 25 hours of charge from the case, and it charges over USB-C.

The earbuds easily slot into your ears and provide a secure fit, and the IPX5 water resistance makes them ideal for workouts as well. The sound quality is great, with the earbuds clearly oriented toward a bass-heavy sound profile. If that’s the kind of music you listen to, you’ll love the sound signature. It even includes some noise isolation, although it isn’t perfect. Overall, they’re still an absolute steal for the price.

Pros:

  • 14-hour battery life
  • Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
  • AptX and AAC audio codecs
  • Case charges over USB-C
  • IPX5 water resistance

Cons:

  • Average noise isolation
  • Bulky case

Best Overall

Creative Outlier Gold

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$80 at Amazon

Excellent in every way

With 14-hour battery life, incredible sound quality, and AptX with Bluetooth 5.0, you can’t go wrong with the Outlier Gold.

2. Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo: Best for Workouts

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Anker made a name for itself over the years for its value-driven charging accessories, and the brand is now doing the same in the audio segment. The Liberty Neo is a fantastic option if you’re looking for true wireless earbuds to take to the gym. The earbud design features a fin at the back to ensure they don’t fall out even during the most intensive workouts, and you get four sizes of ear tips and wingtips in the box to help you find the right fit.

Each earbud weighs just 5.6g, which means you won’t even notice it’s there most of the time. The Liberty Neo also has great sound via 6mm drivers, and it uses Anker’s BassUp tech to boost low-frequency sounds, with the brand claiming that you get up to 43% more bass.

Best of all, the earbuds have an IPX7 rating for water resistance, making them immune to sweat and rain. They work over Bluetooth 5.0, so you shouldn’t have any connectivity issues while working out. You get 3.5 hours of battery life from a full charge, and the case has an additional nine hours’ worth of juice. Considering you get a secure fit around your ear, these earbuds also do a great job with noise isolation. They’re fantastic value for what they cost.

Pros:

  • IPX7 water resistance
  • Secure fit
  • Lightweight design
  • Bluetooth 5.0

Cons:

  • Finicky earbud controls
  • Only OK battery life
  • Charges over Micro-USB

Best for Workouts

Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo

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$40 at Amazon

The ideal true wireless earbuds for workouts

Look no further if you want a pair of great-sounding true wireless earbuds with Bluetooth 5.0 and IPX7 to take to the gym.

3. TaoTronics SoundSurge 60: Best Value

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TaoTronics is another brand that excels at the value segment, and the SoundSurge 60 brings features from headphones that cost three or four times as much. The SoundSurge 60 even manage to look like high-end options from Sony and Bose, with leatherette pads for all-day comfort.

You get excellent sound that’s on par with more expensive options, with rich bass tones backed by warm mids and bright highs. However, the standout feature on the SoundSurge 60 is noise isolation. The headphones do a fantastic job tuning out external sounds, making them a fantastic option for travel. They even come with a hard case that’s ideal for taking them on the road.

The SoundSurge 60 connects over Bluetooth 5.0, and you shouldn’t see any connectivity issues in day-to-day usage. You get around 30 hours of battery life on a full charge, which is excellent, and they take just 45 minutes to fully charge, but you do get a two-hour playback from a five-minute charge. They charge over Micro-USB, but that’s a small trade-off when you consider the value here.

Pros:

  • Excellent noise isolation
  • Balanced sound signature
  • Comfortable over-ear design for all-day use
  • 30-hour battery life

Cons:

  • MicroUSB charging
  • No AptX

Best Value

TaoTronics SoundSurge 60

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$50 at Amazon

Exquisite sound, stellar battery life

The SoundSurge 60 has Bluetooth 5.0, great sound quality, supreme comfort, excellent sound isolation, and 30-hour battery life.

4. Jabra Elite 75t: Old Faithful

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Nearly two years after their launch, Jabra’s Elite 75t continues to be the best true wireless earbuds around. If you’re looking for versatile true wireless earbuds for your commute and workouts, they’re a great option.

They’re particularly great for taking calls, so if you’re looking for a true wireless option with a great mic, these are the ones to get. You also get a five-hour battery life, with the case adding another ten. The design also ensures the earbuds provide a tight seal around your ear, and you get great sound isolation. Plus, the overall design ensures they won’t fall out when you’re running or working out while wearing the Elite 75t.

You also get Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and IP55 water resistance. There’s a reason why the Elite 75t continue to sell so well 20 months after their debut. You get a great design with a comfortable fit, decent sound quality, IP55 rating, and rock-solid connectivity.

Pros:

  • Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
  • IP55 water resistance
  • Decent battery life
  • Playback controls are great

Cons:

  • Lags when watching videos
  • Older
  • No AptX

Old Faithful

Jabra Elite 75t

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$130 at Amazon
$130 at Best Buy

Still a solid option in 2021

The Elite 75t continue to deliver in the areas that matter: you get great sound quality, five-hour battery life, and a secure fit.

5. Sony WF-1000XM3: Best Noise Isolation

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Sony’s naming convention needs work as it’s easy to confuse the WF-1000XM3 with the WH-1000XM3, but these are the new true wireless earbuds that launched earlier this year. They offer the same excellent noise cancellation as the WH-1000XM3 but in a significantly smaller package. If you’re looking for true wireless earbuds that deliver the best noise isolation in the market today, the WF-1000XM3 is the one to get.

The earbuds also offer excellent sound quality, and you get AptX over Bluetooth 5.0. You get six hours of battery life from a full charge with everything enabled, and the case provides another 18 hours’ worth of charge. The case itself charges over USB-C.

You get a touchpad on each earbud that lets you control music playback, and you can just long-press the button on the left earbud to let sound from the outside world in — nifty for when you’re trying to order coffee. The earbuds also automatically pause when you remove them, and they even resume playback as soon as they’re back in your ear.

The Sony Connect app gives you an exhaustive list of options, including the ability to adjust the EQ, set the level of noise isolation, and much more. Honestly, the QF-1000XM3 are some of the most feature-packed wireless earbuds on the market today.

Pros:

  • Unmatched noise isolation
  • Excellent sound quality
  • Six-hour battery life
  • Comfortable fit

Cons:

  • No water resistance
  • No AptX HD
  • No volume controls on earbud

Best Noise Isolation

Sony WF-1000XM3

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$228 at Amazon
$228 at Best Buy
$228 at Walmart
$178 at B&H Photo

The best earbuds for sound isolation

With sound isolation that’s unmatched in this category and a comfortable design for all-day use, the WF-1000XM3 have it all.

6. Sony WH-1000XM4: Upgrade Pick

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The WH-1000XM4 continue to set the standard for wireless headphones, with the combination of sound quality and noise isolation making them a standout product. There really isn’t anything missing from the WH-1000XM4, and while they’re costly, you do get a lot for your money.

The WH-1000XM4 feature a bass-heavy soundstage that sounds great for most mainstream genres of music. But if there’s one trait that sets these headphones apart, it’s noise cancellation. If you need to tune out ambient sound, there’s nothing that comes close to these.

The controls on the left earcup are also great, they pair over NFC, and you get to configure the EQ and an array of settings via Sony Connect. Overall, the WH-1000XM4 should be your go-to option if you’re looking for a well-built pair of headphones with excellent sound and outstanding noise isolation.

Pros:

  • Incredible sound quality
  • Powerful noise isolation
  • Portable design
  • USB-C charging

Cons:

  • Costly

Upgrade Pick

Sony WH-1000XM4

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  • $348 at Amazon
  • $350 at Best Buy
  • $300 at Walmart

A truly great product in this category

The WH-1000XM4 sets a new standard for this category; with excellent sound and incredible noise isolation, they are outstanding.

7. Anker Soundcore Spirit X: Best Entry-level Pick

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If you’re looking for a budget pick, the Soundcore Spirit X is a great choice. The earbuds are based on Bluetooth 5.0 and feature IPX7 water resistance, making them ideal for workouts. You also get a 12-hour battery life from a full charge, and the 10mm drivers deliver decent sound.

The design sees a fin that hooks over your ear for a secure fit, and there’s an in-line remote for controlling music playback and adjusting volume. They may not have a flashy design, and they’re missing out on features like good noise isolation (it’s mostly sub-par), but they offer good value and sound great.

Pros:

  • Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
  • IPX7 water resistance
  • Great battery life

Cons:

  • No AptX codec
  • Sub-par noise isolation

Best Entry-level Pick

Anker Soundcore Spirit X

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$31 at Amazon

A value option that’s a cut above

Great-sounding workout earbuds that come with Bluetooth 5.0, IPX7 water resistance, and 12-hour battery life.

You can’t go wrong with any of these picks for your Pixel 4

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Bluetooth audio has come a long way in the last three years, and we’re at a point where the best wireless earbuds deliver the same audio quality as wired counterparts. That’s particularly true for headphones that feature high-def codecs like AptX. Since the Pixel 4 doesn’t come with headphones in the box and is lacking a 3.5mm headphone jack, it’s imperative you get a pair of wireless headphones if you want to listen to music. Luckily there are plenty of options.

The Outlier Gold is a fantastic option that gets a lot right. You get excellent sound, battery life that’s double that of its rivals, IPX5 rating, and USB-C charging. The only thing that’s really missing is great noise isolation, but you still get some here. Considering you can get all of this for less than half of what you’d pay for Sony or Bose, the Outlier Gold is an absolute steal.

If you’re in the market for a workout-focused pick, the Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo is a great choice. It is affordable, offers decent sound quality, IPX7 water resistance, and connects over Bluetooth 5.0. And if you want the best-sounding headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM4 can’t be beaten right now.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

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Harish Jonnalagadda is the Regional Editor of Android Central. A reformed hardware modder, he now spends his time writing about India’s burgeoning phone market. Previously, he used to ponder the meaning of life at IBM. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.

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