The Best Wired Earphones

Buying Guide

Earphones are an important part of the digital experience. Often considered to be on the periphery, earphones allow you to hear all of your content without all the distractions of the outside world. While wireless headphones are all the rage, many prefer the reliability and sound quality provided by wired earphones. Whether you’re playing games on the computer, taking work calls over Zoom, talking to a friend on your phone or listening to some tunes, wired earphones are an excellent accessory to have.

There are a few different styles of earphones to consider. Over-ear headphones are the kind that cover the entire ear. They have excellent sound quality; however, they can take up a lot of space if you want to bring them with you wherever you go. In-ear monitors, sometimes called earbuds, are the small earphones that fit inside your ear. They are perfect for portability and often offer noise-canceling features. Gaming headsets provide another level of sound quality. They can be bulky, but they make up for it in surround-sound features.

• Some earphones come with a companion app. If this is the case, be sure to check whether the app collects any data from you. Some shoppers value their privacy, especially when it comes to their data, so it’s important to know who you are sharing information with, why, how often and for what purpose. Typically, there is an option to opt out of data collection from the apps, but it can take some digging to find it.
• Do you work in a noisy environment or do you listen to your earphones out in public? In this case, you may want to consider noise-isolating or noise-canceling earphones. With these, ambient noises like passing cars, lawnmowers, background chatter and electronic hums can disappear. This can truly change your auditory experience.
• If you plan to use your wired earphones while you’re walking around outside, or wear them at the gym, then you will want to get a waterproof pair. That way, if you happen to get caught in the rain or take part in a particularly sweaty workout, you don’t have to worry about your earphones getting ruined.