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Finding the best earphones that suit your needs in Australia is important. You need to understand how you will use them.
In many cases, in-ear models are better for exercise thanks to the secure fit and water resistance ratings.
They also do a great job in professional situations, with a discrete profile that doesn’t stand out during the Zoom meetings with your boss.
While earphones come in a number of different styles, included corded, cordless and true wireless, it’s interesting to see that there is a definite trend towards the true wireless market.
In fact, all of the best earphones recommended in this guide fall into the true wireless category, despite the fact we have a dedicated guide for the best true wireless headphones.
Remember that everybody’s needs are different, so what we’ve listed here may not be right for you.
Whether you’re after a pair of the best noise cancelling headphones or just the best headphones, we’ve done the research to help make your decision easier.
We’ll also help you out if you need to buy a new pair of gaming headphones.
These are the best earphones in Australia right now:
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
Recommended by 70% of review sites
All the best earphones in Australia offer incredible sound quality, and the 2nd generation of AirPods Pro are no different.
With improvements to the noise cancellation and more sizing options, the newer AirPods Pro offer a secure fit in the ear and great audio quality.
Battery life has also been improved, while iPhone and Mac owners will love the seamless pairing with their Apple devices.
Sony WF-1000XM5
Recommended by 60% of review sites
It wasn’t a surprise to see the WF-1000XM5 replace the XM4 models in this update to the best earphones in Australia.
With a smaller shape and memory foam eartips, you get a much more comfortable fitting and improved passive noise cancellation.
Active noise cancellation has also been improved, letting you enjoy your music or podcasts without outside noise leaking through.
Audio quality is exceptional, as you’d expect, and you’ll get about 8 hours of battery life from a single charge.
Beats Fit Pro
Recommended by 50% of review sites
Beats may be owned by Apple, but it still has its own signature style and sound. The Beats Fit Pro are geared towards the active wearer, with funky-looking wing tips designed to ensure a secure fit.
With active noise cancellation and an IPX4 rating, the Beats Fit Pro will deliver impressive bass and quality sound.
They work comfortably with both iOS and Android phones too.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Recommended by 30% of review sites
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds offer a breakthrough in immersive spatial audio for incredible audio experiences.
Music is placed in front of you, which makes you feel like you’re listening without earbuds.
With up to six hours of battery life, simple touch controls and Bose’s world-class noise cancellation, Bose’s Ultra earbuds are an exceptional offering.
CustomTune tech also lets you customise every aspect to your personal preference. There are nine possible eartip and stability band combinations for the perfect fit as well.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2
Recommended by 30% of review sites
Bose’s second generation of QuietComfort earbuds improved the original in almost every way, with better noise cancellation, a more comfortable fit and a longer battery life.
Water resistant with an IPX4 rating, the QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are versatile enough to use while at the gym or in the office.
The case also manages to hold enough charge for three extra charges, so you could use them for most of a long-haul flight.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
Recommended by 30% of review sites
Sennheiser is another brand that has long excelled at delivering exceptional audio through in-ear headphones. The Momentum True Wireless 3 has cut the cords completely, offering a robust pair of earphones for exercisers and commuters alike.
With stabilising fins on each earbud, you get a secure yet comfortable fit perfect for extended listening sessions
And with an eight hour battery life, the Momentum True Wireless 3 should get you through a full day.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Recommended by 30% of review sites
Designed to seamlessly integrate with Samsung’s exceptional range of smartphones, the Buds 2 Pro offer 360-degree Dolby Atmos surround sound playback.
24-bit Hi-Fi quality playback means you will hear every note as the artist intended, while three high Signal-to-Noise ratio microphones promise to block out all kinds of sounds for active noise cancellation.
Plus, when partnered with a compatible Samsung phone, you can record the audio from your earbuds when shooting video to create a truly immersive video experience.
Sony WF-C700N
Recommended by 30% of review sites
Sony doesn’t just make exceptional high-end earphones. It also makes exceptional mid-range true wireless earphones as well.
You don’t get auto start and stop, and battery life isn’t quite as high as similarly-priced earbuds, but you do get extremely comfortable earbuds that produce excellent sound.
The WF-C700N also come in a wider range of colours than just the balck and white variants you get with the 1000XM5 earbuds as well.
How we chose the best earphones in Australia
Review sites – including this one – are subjective by nature. Everybody has a different opinion of what is best.
So to try and counter the fact that every best guide on the internet has a different opinion of what is best, we approached our list by combining the results of some of the top sites recommending earphones on the market today.
To determine this list, we followed the same journey most consumers would follow: we went to Google.
We searched for “Best earphones” and identified 10 of the top results. It’s important to note that Google results can change often.
Referenced sites
We listed out all of the earphones listed on each site, tidying up any slight differences in spelling for consistency.
We calculated the frequency in which each product was mentioned across those 10 guides. The more frequently a product is mentioned, the more agreement there is between experts reviewing these products.
We set a minimum of three mentions across all 10 guides to be eligible for inclusion here. This means that at least 30% of the sites surveyed recommend each product.
Before we created this page we took some time to remove products that are either unavailable, or difficult to find in Australia.
We also leveraged our own experience with products to ensure that we wouldn’t be recommending any product that doesn’t deliver.
What to look for when choosing new earphones
Whether you’re after one of the models listed above or something completely different, the decision factors you need to consider when buying a pair of earphones is the same.
Sound quality
Unsurprisingly, the best earphones in Australia have the best sound quality.
There’s no point spending hundreds of dollars on new earphones if they sound terrible.
Because the components of earphones are much smaller than on-ear or over-ear headphones, the sound quality may not be quite as good as those styles.
But overall, the developments in speaker technology over the past decade have meant really great quality coming from in-ear headphones.
Comfort
Earphones typically refers to the in-ear style of headphones, where a small, speaker is inserted into each ear.
Because you are basically shoving some circuits into your ear canal, comfort is extremely important.
Not only do you want something that isn’t going to cause you any pain after listening for hours and hours, but you also want something that won’t fall out every time you take a step.
This is particularly important if you want to use your earphones while exercising.
You also need to think about the style of the earphones. The products featured on this page are all true wireless models, but you can also get corded earphones.
Another option is the traditional Bluetooth earphones, where each earpiece is connected by a cable.
Features and functions
Consider how you will use the earphones and then look for the best features and functions to match.
For example, if you plan on using your earphones while cycling, you do not want to have best-in-class noise cancellation, as you need to hear everything going on around you.
If you want earphones for an open plan office, the opposite is probably true.
Battery life
Most earphones these days offer wireless (or Bluetooth) functionality, and that means you need to think about battery life. (Hot tip: Read our picks for the best Bluetooth headphones in Australia).
Things like noise cancellation can make a big difference to how long you can listen to music for. If you expect to leave it on all the time, make sure you won’t end up with no sound at all when the juice does run out.
Price
As with anything, price is a key component. The best earphones in Australia are generally fairly expensive, so make sure you understand your budget before purchasing anything.
Update history
- 8 February 2023 – First Published
- 5 April 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for each product. Reduced the number of recommendations required to three (from five). Added the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation), Google Pixel Buds Pro, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (1st generation) and Apple AirPods (3rd generation).
- 5 June 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for each product.
- 7 August 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for each product. Removed Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation), Google Pixel Buds Pro, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (1st generation) and Apple AirPods (3rd generation).
- 16 October 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for each product. Removed Sony WF-1000XM4. Added Sony WF-1000XM5, Sony WF-C700N and Anker Soundcore Space A40.
- 19 December 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations. Removed Anker Soundcore Space A40.
- 20 February 2024 – Updated the number of recommendations. Added Bose Quietcomfort Ultra earbuds.
