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Written reviews

Ranked by the score James gave each one. Reviews he did not score follow at the end.

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HEADPHONES7 min read

Nothing Headphone (a) Review: Ranked 10th Against 28 Headphones

My Nothing Headphone (a) review finds a stylish, well-built headphone with absurd battery life and sound that responds well to EQ. It misses the mark on calls, noise cancelling and transparency for the price, though.

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#10 of 28 headphones81.4

HEADPHONES7 min read

soundcore Space 2 review: ranked 12th against 29 headphones

I scored the soundcore Space 2 across 10 categories and ranked it against 29 headphones. It finished 83.75/100, then 81.1 weighted for 12th place.

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#12 of 30 headphones81.1

HEADPHONES7 min read

CMF Headphone Pro Review: Best Budget Headphone?

The CMF Headphone Pro earned my best budget headphone award, and its 81.5/100 score shows why. It gets the big stuff right, but there are a few flaws you should know before buying.

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81

EARBUDS9 min read

Nothing Ear (3a) review: ranked, scored and why I can’t recommend them (yet)

Nothing’s budget buds add serious EQ tools and great call quality, but some rough bugs and a massive transparency-mode EQ shift spoil the experience for now.

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80.1

EARBUDS6 min read

Roseselsa Ceramics Ultra Review: The Best Sound Under $50

These budget earbuds sound GREAT after a little EQ. I scored them across sound, fit, battery, controls, calls and noise control to see where the compromises are.

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78.5

EARBUDS8 min read

SoundPEATS Air5 Pro+ Review: A Big Step Up in Sound

In this SoundPEATS Air5 Pro+ review, I found a warm, smooth and surprisingly open sound after EQ, backed by strong ANC and good call quality. The weak points are a buggy app, average battery score and microphones that pick up wind far too easily.

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78.5

HEADPHONES7 min read

Tozo HT3 Review: A Strong Budget Headphone With Great EQ

In my Tozo HT3 review, I found a cheap all-rounder with strong battery life, useful wired options and an EQ that makes the sound genuinely solid. Noise cancelling is still only average, but the value is hard to ignore if cash is tight.

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77.75

HEADPHONES7 min read

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen): Comfort Comes First

These are the most comfortable headphones I've tested, with strong noise cancelling and clear sound. Battery life, the limited EQ and an odd transparency-mode & the price makes them harder to justify.

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EARBUDS7 min read

Tough Competition! Bose Ultra Open Earbuds 2nd Gen & Sport Open

The Ultra Open 2 improves on the original in some important ways, but the Sport Open has a couple of advantages of its own. Here’s where each pair landed in my open-ear ranking.

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HEADPHONES7 min read

Technics A1000 Review: NEW Number 1

The Technics A1000 nails what is most important. Comfort, noise cancelling and sound quality. They are not perfect, but take first place in my ranking with a weighted score of 91.9 out of 100.

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EARBUDS6 min read

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 3

In this AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 3 comparison, I found small improvements to the new open-fit model, not the dramatic leap Apple’s claims might suggest. The Pro 3 remains comfortably ahead where ANC, battery and bass matter most.

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EARBUDS9 min read

Anker soundcore Liberty Buds 2: Compared to the BEST

The Soundcore Liberty Buds 2 are a $129 pair of earbuds that Anker Soundcore asked me to put directly against much more expensive competition. They do not win every category, but they get surprisingly close where it matters.

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#7 of 67 other earbuds

EARBUDS7 min read

NEW! Anker Soundcore Lineup: AeroClip 2, Space 2 Pro and Liberty Buds 2

Soundcore has launched three very different products: the open-ear AeroClip 2, the noise-cancelling Space 2 Pro headphones and the compact Liberty Buds 2. I compared their call quality and dug into where each one makes the most sense.

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EARBUDS4 min read

AirPods 5 Announced: Swipe Controls Are the Upgrade I Wanted

AirPods 5 is not shaping up as a massive overhaul, but Apple has addressed the things that matter most to me. Swipe controls, more battery with ANC, and improved noise cancelling make this a very promising open-ear update.

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OTHERS5 min read

Denon DP-500BT turntable and Denon Home 400 review

A tidy vinyl-plus-streaming setup: Denon’s DP-500BT turntable and the Denon Home 400 smart speaker. Here’s how they sound together, how I’d connect them, and where each shines.

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EARBUDS8 min read

Shokz OpenDots 2 vs OpenDots Air: ranked and scored

I scored and ranked OpenDots 2 and OpenDots Air against 44 open earbuds. Controls are finally fixed with squeeze gestures, sound gets a bump, and the 2 climbs back to the top after weighting.

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EARBUDS6 min read

AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods 4 ANC (240 days later)

Pro 3 are the technical powerhouse with stronger ANC, deeper bass, longer battery and swipe volume. AirPods 4 ANC win for comfort, natural transparency and a tiny case I carry everywhere.

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EARBUDS10 min read

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro vs 5 Pro Max: which to buy

I scored both across 10 categories and stacked them against the best from Apple, Sony, Samsung and Bose. ANC, transparency and calls are a big leap; the Max adds an AI note‑taker and a fuller case screen.

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EARBUDS6 min read

SoundPEATS Air6 HS Review: Finally a Proper Air-Line Upgrade

In this SoundPEATS Air6 HS review, I found the semi-in-ear sound SoundPEATS has been missing since the Air3 Deluxe HS. The bass is impressively full for this style of earbud, although the app’s EQ limitations keep it from being perfect.

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EARBUDS11 min read

Best Earbuds Ranked 2026: My Current Top Picks

These are my best earbuds after customizing the weighting in my scoring spreadsheet. I have kept it to one earbud per brand, so this list focuses on the strongest pick from each maker.

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EARBUDS6 min read

Samsung Galaxy Buds4 vs AirPods 4 ANC: A Clear Winner?

I compared the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 with the AirPods 4 ANC across 10 categories. The points finish tied, but the more important categories make the decision much less even.

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EARBUDS7 min read

Best Budget Earbuds Under $50: My Ranked Picks

I ranked 10 of the best budget earbuds under $50 across comfort, calls, noise cancelling, transparency, sound quality and more. The CMF Buds Pro 2 are my best all-rounder, while the TOZO NC20 are the pick if sound matters most.

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EARBUDS8 min read

Soundcore P31i vs P30i: The P31i Is a Huge Upgrade

The Soundcore P31i improves on the P30i in almost every category that matters, including fit, battery, noise cancelling, transparency and sound. The P30i still has one specific appeal: very heavy bass.

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EARBUDS8 min read

Best Clip-On Open Earbuds: 11 Models Ranked

I scored 11 of the best clip-on open earbuds across 10 categories, from comfort and calls to controls and sound. The HUAWEI FreeClip 2 wins overall, but Baseus and SoundPEATS make a strong case for spending less.

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