Hello dear readers! This is Ilya Shatilin, an analyst at the information-analytical agency “Telecom Daily”. I specialize in portable electronics market research and product reviews. I pay special attention to such a fast-growing area as wireless, namely TWS-headphones.

TWS headphones are a great thing! The wires do not interfere, the headphones “communicate” with the smartphone via Bluetooth. Compact, lightweight and comfortable – you wear it and don’t notice. At the same time, despite the miniature size, they can work on a single charge for 3 hours or more. They are always supplied with a case in which they are stored and simultaneously charged for several more cycles. In this article, I’ll share the best wireless earbuds of 2021 at various price points.

I will not build a rating of wireless headphones from best to worst or vice versa, I will just list the seven most interesting models that are relevant in 2021. It would be physically impossible to include all worthy models in the rating, so I chose those models that enjoy the greatest interest – that is, “by ear”. With a quite cunning goal: so that after indexing by search engines my article has collected more reads ?

To begin with, I will present all the participants in a comparative table.

Well, let’s start.

Table of Contents

HUAWEI FreeBuds 3, 9 rubles

Opening up a selection of good FreeBuds 3 headphones from Huawei. To begin with, I will note the advantages of the model. First of all, this is a spacious and clear sound with a well-balanced frequency range. Other advantages include a case with wireless charging and a long battery life: one charge is enough for 4 hours of audio playback, the case itself gives four more charges: a total of 20 hours! The microphone should be especially noted: firstly, the wind does not blow into it (up to a speed of 20 km / h – you can ride and talk on a bicycle), and secondly, there is a bone conduction sensor: your speech is also captured by the headphones through skull, and then a powerful processor “subtracts” all street noises from the signal – as a result, the interlocutor hears you perfectly, even if you are in the workshop of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. There is also an active noise cancellation function, but it is not particularly effective due to the design of the headphones: you can’t really listen to music in the metro, although they still cut off some of the noise.

The fact is that FreeBuds 3 repeat the classic AirPods – these are not “plugs” that tightly close the ear canal due to silicone ear pads, but earbuds with a “barbell”. At the same time, the bar knocks on the earrings – I know from the words of the girls I know. However, there are advantages to this: you can hear what is happening around – useful, for example, at the train station and at the airport, while cycling: you do not need to take out one earphone for this. There are three color options – black, white and zesty red.

These TWS earbuds also have other drawbacks – no moisture protection; on smartphones of other brands, except for Huawei and Honor, some functions are cut down (for example, there is no auto-pause option when taking out of the ear or quick pairing). And for the iPhone, there is not even a control application with settings (it allows you to adjust the degree of noise reduction). These headphones cost 9 rubles, which is a bit expensive. However, due to its excellent ergonomics and high sound quality, the HUAWEI FreeBuds 990 cannot but be included in the top 3 wireless earbuds.

CaseGuru CGPods 5.0 and lite, 3 rubles

CaseGuru CGPods are the only headphones in the ranking that do not stand on the shelves of ordinary offline stores, but are sold only online, without retail markups and expensive advertising: the emphasis is on promotion through bloggers and word of mouth, as Xiaomi once did: they say , give people quality and functionality at a good price – and they will buy and recommend to friends.

The CGPods brand was launched by CaseGuru from Tyumen in 2019. CaseGuru is engaged not only in headphones – it is the largest wholesale supplier of accessories in Russia with almost a decade of experience.

Headphones CGPods – solid and solid “middling” in the market for wireless TWS-headphones.

As part of this rating, let’s talk about the two most popular models of the Tyumen brand – CGPods 5.0 and CGPods Lite.

CGPods 5.0 are sports-type “plugs” that fit snugly in your ears not only due to silicone ear pads (three pairs of different diameters are included), but also due to additional soft “temples” – spacers that hold them inside the auricle. You can run, jump, shake your head – they not only do not fall out, but do not even lose their tightness! At the same time, no barbells and other body elements protrude outward: at least wear them under a ski helmet! And in ordinary, peaceful life, you will not be able to drop your headphones by accidentally hooking them with your hand.

In terms of sound, CaseGuru CGPods 5.0 are the “bassiest” headphones in our rating. If you love hip-hop and electronic dance music, “to rock”, then you will definitely like it: the bass is juicy and vigorous, literally penetrating.

There is no active noise cancellation, but due to the tight fit, the headphones effectively block out a significant part of external noise. Of course, only if you put on the “ears” correctly. Then, even at an average volume, you can not hear what is happening around.

In terms of design, the key feature of CaseGuru CGPods 5.0 is a cylindrical case made of aircraft-grade aluminum, nice and very durable. There is an experiment on the network, during which the CGPods 5.0 case was tested on a hydraulic press – and it withstood 220 kg! Therefore, we can say with confidence that if a user (even a heavyweight!) Accidentally steps on or sits on it, the case will not break or even bend.

The model has a convenient and very functional touch control. As many as 11 commands are available directly from the headphones, without the participation of a smartphone. By touching the touch button on the CGPods, you can adjust the volume, switch tracks, pause, start playback, answer incoming calls, and more. For comparison, in the much more expensive Huawei or Apple, only three commands can be used from the headphones (switch tracks, pause, start the voice assistant).

You can listen to music for 4 hours, and the battery case is enough to charge the headphones another 3,5 times. As a result, it turns out about 17-18 hours away from the outlet. If you listen to music for 2-3 hours a day, one charge of the case will be enough for you for 5-6 days.

The model has two main drawbacks. The first is the use of an outdated microUSB connector for charging. The second one is rather typical for most TWS headphones as a class: this is the location of the microphones at a great distance from the mouth, so that the interlocutor hears you a little “from afar” during a conversation.

Model CGPods Lite – tiny headphones in a small case. The case is made of soft-touch material (it feels like velvet), it is pleasant to twist it in your hands and click the lid! It is difficult to describe this in words – you have to try it, you will stick with a case in your hands. The case also has a capacious battery, so the total operating time reaches 20 hours. The case has a 4-point LED indicator of the remaining charge. The connector is modern Type-C.

A feature of CGPods Lite was mechanical control: the buttons are not touch-sensitive, but physical. That is, you always understand by a characteristic click whether you have pressed the button and how many times, and you do not wonder whether the sensor has worked or not. Accidental alarms (when you correct a cap, for example) are also excluded for this reason.

As for the sound, the bass in these headphones is a little less aggressive, but the mid frequencies are worked out in sufficient detail (for their price category, of course): they do not merge into a “mess”.

Both models of CGPods, by the way, are distinguished by very good “range” and quality of Bluetooth reception without the “digital interference” characteristic of budget TWS headphones, expressed in croaking, gurgling and sound dropouts.

CGPods headphones have voice guidance in Russian (notifications by the voice of the actress who voiced “Alice” from Yandex) – more pleasant than English with a Chinese accent, like inexpensive competitors.

Both CGPods are the only earbuds in our ranking to offer full IPX6 waterproof protection. This means that you can take a bath, shower, swim in the pool in them. After all, the CGPods can simply be rinsed under the tap to clean them of earwax: I’m for hygiene!

However, swimming in the pool is rather a figurative expression. I tried: if you lower your head, water is collected between the earphone and the eardrum (ear pads are not designed for water pressure!) The earphone membrane cannot transmit sound through water, so the sound becomes barely audible. I left the pool, wiped my ears, blew it out – again listening to music.

Samsung Galaxy Buds +, 10 rubles

These TWS earbuds were released at the very beginning of 2020 and since then have fallen in price by 1,5 times. The model has proven itself well in the market and therefore got into our rating of the best wireless headphones in 2021. Its main advantage is a record 11 hours of operation on a single charge. The case battery will only last for one full charge, but that’s another 11 hours of music playback, for a total of 22 hours of battery life. Charging is very fast, three minutes in the case is enough for an hour of sound. There is also support for wireless charging.

Thanks to the use of two-way speakers, developed jointly with AKG, the sound is deep, clean, frequencies are well balanced, the bass is quite juicy, but, perhaps, soft, without a pronounced “attack” – rather for an amateur. In general, it is not surprising why these headphones are the choice of many music lovers.

In addition, the developers of Galaxy Buds + tried to solve the problem of audibility “from afar”: they use an array of three microphones (two external, one internal) on each of the headphones, which creates a directional effect. That is, the interlocutor will not hear you as if from a barrel. Well, almost: after all, Huawei did better, there are barbells.

There is also a background sound function: you can hear everything that happens around you without removing the plugs from your ears: the microphones will simply transmit the signal directly to the speakers.

These headphones can be connected to both a smartphone and a Windows 10 computer (Swift Pair function). The choice of colors is also pleasing: in addition to the classic black and white, there is also purple, red and blue.

But it was not without its drawbacks. The Galaxy Buds + are, alas, not waterproof. Although for such a price (10 rubles), the manufacturer could add moisture protection. Some users in their reviews complain about the lack of “noise reduction”, which, of course, would not hurt, however, the Galaxy Buds + “plugs” themselves quite well isolate from the outside world.

Xiaomi Redmi Airdots 2, 1 rubles

The cheapest TWS earbuds of the rating. And taking into account the cost, it’s a shame to find fault with them, especially since this model can sometimes be bought from numerous “serovoz” for 1 rubles (possibly a fake one, but the fake works the same way as the original). Of course, it makes no sense to compare headphones for 000 rubles even with budget CGPods for 1. They may look good, but there are savings on everything – on materials, on components, on software. All this leads to an unstable connection with the phone: slow connection, disconnections. You should also not expect good sound from Xiaomi Redmi Airdots 500 – the sound is flat, mediocre, high frequencies sag, and there is no bass at all: rather, these are headphones not for music, but for podcasts and watching news videos. Soundproofing is frankly weak, and microphones are sensitive in a bad sense of the word. I mean, they perfectly pick up the surrounding noises and transmit them to the interlocutor, but he almost does not hear you. So it’s better not to take this model for talking on the phone.

The presence of noise cancellation is declared, but in practice it is implemented due to the very design of the “plugs”, there is no active processing (or it does not work).

Battery life is short – 12 hours, taking into account the case. We will not mention the lack of water protection, such headphones are not a pity to lose.

There are problems when one earphone “falls off” and the sound remains in only one. The question is how to connect this Bluetooth earphone again. Usually helps to pair from scratch.

Only one color is available – black. However, Xiaomi Redmi Airdots 2 are wireless and they work. And, most importantly, they are very cheap, so many undemanding users are satisfied: they can be bought as the first TWS-headphones in order to understand what you lack in them – and then take something decent.

Apple AirPods 2, from 15 990 rubles

No top wireless earbuds in 2021 or 2020 are complete without Apple. The second generation AirPods are powered by the H1 deca-core processor, which is responsible for high-quality sound. The whole “trick” here is in the so-called “computational audio”, which works in exactly the same way as “computational photography” in a smartphone, when the processor is required to DRAW a beautiful picture based on the data obtained from the matrix. Obviously, the matrix of a mobile camera has a number of limitations (primarily due to its size), so it is foolish to require it to accurately convey all the nuances – and here artificial intelligence comes into play, whose task is not accuracy, but beauty. So it is with music: first, lossy compression for streaming over the Internet, then lossy compression for wireless transmission over Bluetooth – understandably there will be no hi-fi or studio quality. But from this signal, you can literally re-play the entire composition so that it sounded pleasant and LIKED. The sound is really very clean, voluminous and most people like it, although there are those who find fault: mostly these are people who want to listen to music in the form in which the sound engineer recorded it, and not “as Moisha sang this your Rachmaninoff.”

Another plus is energy efficiency (up to 25 hours of work taking into account the case) and fast connection to the phone. You will not even have time to think about how to connect an earphone or headphones, everything happens instantly and with beautiful animation. But, of course, only in conjunction with the iPhone. AirPods can work with other devices like regular Bluetooth headphones, but they will lose some of the “chips”. So if you don’t have an iPhone, it’s better to choose something else and save some money at the same time. There is wireless charging of the case, but you need to understand that there are two models – MV7N2ZM and MRXJ2ZM. And the one that costs 16 thousand (MV7N2ZM) does not have such a function, it is only in the more expensive version for 20 thousand.

What are the disadvantages of Apple headphones? First, there is poor sound insulation: these are earbuds, not plugs. Of course, you can buy AirPods Pro in a different format with active noise reduction, but they cost as much as 25 thousand rubles. Secondly, there is no protection against moisture (if you want at least protection against drops of sweat IPX4 – from you 25 thousand for a Pro), although there are much cheaper and waterproof headphones on the market.

There is only one color option – white. In my opinion, AirPods are overpriced in terms of price-performance ratio, but many are willing to pay for the “magic of Apple” and the image component, because everyone can see that you have an iPhone without having to take it out. The main thing is not to buy a fake, because there are almost more of them on the market than the original Airpods.

OPPO Enco W51, 8 rubles

The model from the Chinese brand OPPO turned out to be very successful – good sound (pleasant soft bass, good detail, balanced overall picture, although there is some bias in high frequencies), an effective active noise cancellation option, good sound insulation.

There is even IP54 moisture protection, that is, only from splashes – it’s not scary to get into the rain, but you shouldn’t take a shower, not to mention the fact that you can’t swim and swim in the OPPO Enco W51.

I note a well-assembled case with support for wireless charging, as well as fast charging (15 minutes of charging the case is enough for 9 hours of headphone operation). Operating time – up to 4 hours from batteries in headphones plus 4 charges in a case = a total of 20 hours of “autonomy” with noise cancellation on, and without it – 24 hours. Once upon a time, this model could be snatched at sales for 4 thousand, and at such a price they took out all competitors from the market in general. There are almost no sales right now, and the suggested retail price of 9 doesn’t look so attractive anymore. If you find thousands for 6 for a promotion, you can safely take it.

However, these good headphones also have their drawbacks. The main thing is that the touch control is implemented very extravagantly: there are no capacitive sensors on the case! The headphones respond to finger tapping, which is recorded by … a microphone. Therefore, the controls often do not work the first time, especially in noisy environments. Another unpleasant surprise: the microphones “hear” the wind very well. Therefore, in windy weather, the “noise reduction” must be turned off, otherwise you will hear loud rustles, and not music.

In addition, the application for customization (in particular, touch control) is only available on smartphones of the OPPO or realme brand. There may also be problems with displaying the percentage of charge. And there is no informative indicator of the case’s charge.

Bose Sport Earbuds, 18 rubles

These TWS Smartphone Earbuds rival Apple AirPods for a price. The cost of sports “ears” from the famous brand Bose is close to 20 thousand rubles, why are they so good? First of all, it is a very high quality of materials: it seems like plastic and silicone are everywhere, but you feel the “thing”. The most important thing in sports headphones is that they do not fall out, and in this model, the fasteners for a secure fit in the ears are implemented, perhaps, most conveniently: you do not have to constantly correct the “plug” in the ear, while the fasteners do not create discomfort even with long wearing , the ears do not get tired at all.

The sound is simply beautiful – bright and energetic, but at the same time very cozy Bose sound with powerful bass – so it’s understandable why these headphones are bought even for this kind of money. The brand has been specializing in Hi-Fi acoustics for many years, and this is heard by everyone who happily escaped a meeting with a bear.

There is protection against moisture IPX4 – the lightest, only from splashes. Sound insulation is weak, although there are “gags” in front of us: in fact, these are open-type headphones. Noise cancellation was also not delivered, so in the subway you will have to set the volume to maximum. But if someone turns to you or a dump truck sneaks up behind you while riding a bike, you will hear everything in the best possible way. Autonomous work – 5 hours from one charge plus two charges in the case, that is, a total of only 15 hours, for such a price it could have been more. The touch controls are quite confusing, and “out of the box” there is not even a volume control: this function is enabled separately in the application.

During a conversation, the effect of audibility “from afar” is realized, as they say, in full: these headphones are for those who listen to music more than talk on the phone.

The model is available in three colors – blue, black and gray with lemon yellow accents: cute.

Despite the frankly poor functionality, for the high sound quality and invisibility in the ears, you can close your eyes to other disadvantages and include Bose Sport Earbuds in our rating.

***

Of course, it’s hard to list all the best wireless earbuds of 2021 in one review. As new models are released, there will be new ratings, because only the first quarter has ended.

Which TWS earbuds do you think are worthy of the next ranking? Write about it in the comments!