True wireless earbuds

A true wireless (TWS) earbud eliminates every cable: two independent earpieces, wirelessly connected to each other and to the phone, stored in a case that recharges and carries them. The connection uses Bluetooth, and each earpiece contains its own battery, antenna and electronics. Battery life is measured on two levels: a few hours of listening per charge on the earpieces, with several additional charges stored in the case before it needs to be plugged in again. Most models fit a silicone tip into the ear canal to isolate outside noise, while versions that rest at the entrance to the ear let ambient sound through. Active noise cancellation is available on a large share of the range, paired with a transparency mode that lets voices back in. Microphones for calls, touch controls, multipoint pairing between two devices and water-resistance certification for sports are common features. Sound quality depends on the codec negotiated with the source and the model’s own tuning, as each earpiece fixes the converter, amplification and processing. Latency, noticeable in video or gaming, is reduced by recent codecs without disappearing entirely. Compared with them, wired in-ear headphones retain the advantage in fidelity and require no battery, while wireless over-ear headphones last longer and provide greater isolation. A carefully chosen source remains useful, starting with a portable DAC for the wired models in the catalogue.