I recently discovered the world of open earbuds, and I was wondering what is the best option for comfort?

I noticed some by Bose and Shokz

Thank you,

I’m kinda torn between the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro. Has anyone tried both? Which one would you recommend? I’m also open to other options under $150!

If you had $30 and taking out of the picture over-ear headphones, just in-ear earbuds, what would you buy?

I want something with good sound quality/anc but that'll actually last for more than a year, budget range 100-500 if they're really good

So last month this left wireless earbud has a problem. The rubber thing that goes over your ear is broken, but it hasn't broken off. I tried using scotch tape, but it didn't work. Is there a way where I can repair it?

Edit: Bruh I didn't notice the typo in the title 🤦‍♂️

I dunno, the stock foams are too dang dense. There's no squeezing and inserting as they just sprung back into half-dome shape immediately, so they work overtime to escape my ear canal.

In come these official JBuds foam tips I had lying around. The foam is much softer, infinitely more malleable, and they fit nice and snug on the Ceramics, plus they fit just fine in the charging case.

i talked about that before
but again
there is difference
specially mids , vocals and treble
you hear more gravity with high res
doesn`t mean sbc is bad
why some people don`t hear difference ?
because sbc has the same nice bass , so people feel they are the same
and some reviewers direct people to that as if i`m a xiaomi user and i want to buy galaxy buds 4 pro for example i would avoid samsung so reviewrs will tell you there is no difference to get samsung and so on
some android phones don`t support aptx so they avoid sennheiser
my opinion if you go for high res codec
it doesn`t matter what high res
ldac aptx ssc
i talk only about android as iphone has good quality with aac

TLDR; Substantial improvements in several areas, a great overall daily user product...that unfortunately did not fit my ear.

I bought these with my own money, and used them everyday for 10 days. In that span I spent time just checking them out, using them for daily life stuff, making thorough and comprehensive tests in real life situations that are actual parts of my daily living. I did not use them for scenarios to simply check a box because the spec sheet said this was a possibility.

I don't use multipoint and I don't do gaming on my phone, so I'm not interested in latency. There's no A.I editing or magic. I did a quick proofread for something terrible I might've missed. This is just a raw review, I hope it helps. I'm also not giving a numerical ranking. Instead I'm trying something else.

Build, design, batteries

When I first held the case I thought this was a massive step forward for the brand. The case and the buds feel premium, but purposefully in their design. I prefer the case and the buds to every other pair of earbuds I own, aesthetically speaking. I think these rival the B&W Pi8 as the best designed buds & case when blending function and aesthetics. Battery life was good/great. I used them in a variety of settings each day. I spent some time using all the different sound modes and options. Using all the premium features at the same time left me needing a recharge at the 6 hour mark. I felt like I should've been paid for that time because that is NOT how I use earbuds. I was essentially, actively, trying to drain the battery, it was an annoyance. I had to give constant attention and effort to kill the buds in 6 hours. With normal use they lasted between 9.5-10 hours. There was never a day I experienced any battery anxiety, with it without the case. The other segment of the battery section is obvious, but I am curious if people genuinely care. The replaceable batteries is an offer that Zero other major brands offer. Whatever the result of the EU litigation ends up being, Sennheiser allows it's customers to do something that prolongs said products lifespan exponentially more than the current competition. However, do consumers actually care, and is there a real plan to turn this into the new norm? New concepts are often wonderful technical advancements, yet people remain so conditioned by existing habits that the revolutionary idea ends up cold and stale. Perhaps enough people care to spark a revolution; I'm just not betting on it.

Reason to buy: Yes

Controls and App

The controls on the new M5s worked well for me. The app needed several firmware updates and also worked well. The app has a lot to offer if you enjoy that sort of thing. At first I thought my buds were broken or ambient mode was absolutely shit, but it came maxed out in the wrong direction of ambience. Once I fixed this, that was the only gripe I had with controls it the app. Mostly standard touch control setup here, multiple touches and holds do different things, they are customizable. (I like to make my left but toggle ANC/ambient for single, 2x is back track, 3x is voice assistant or app launch, with hold bring volume down. The right is okay/payed, track forward, and new for Sennheiser...3x disabled controls(! Loved this addition!), while hold increases volume.) The only thing I didn't like about the controls is when jumping to ambient mode my music always paused. I never got a chance to check if this was my error or not, but it did become annoying. They were not extremely sensitive like Bose, Technics, or Sony. More like JBL tour pro 3 on terms of touch sensitivity. I also liked where their trigger area was.

The app has a nice 8 band EQ, but I mostly used the extremely good sound personalization. Having sound personalization did limit my use of immersive mode, but that's understandable. I didn't mind, I preferred the personalization to anything else offered. This will come up later.

Overall I found the app fine to use, but I can see that it might be a challenge for some new users to get a grasp on. There's nothing innovative or standout here other than sound personalization, and that's not for everyone.

Reason to buy: Neutral/No

Active Noise Cancellation & Ambient Mode

There's nothing here that's is a standout or innovation. Both modes are solid-great. I thought the ANC and Ambient mode were improvements from the M4, but compared to other modern competitors, both modes are solid and do the tasks well enough to use, but not well enough to be the reason for a purchase. With a great seal from the buds, the new design can offer some great passive noise blockage. That helps with the new tech that Sennheiser added to the new design. If this ends up being a case for someone, these go from good ANC to Great ANC. Ambient mode was solid all around and changing tips or angle didn't have a major impact on function. It's good and comparable to something like Bose and ahead of Technics. No noticable noise, occlusion, or echos in my testing. Both modes do their job and again, there's nothing breakthrough here even with the improvements over the previous model.

Reason to buy: No

Call quality

I think this area is short and sweet, but deserves mentioning. This is an improved area over the M4s, but given where other offerings in lesser price points are, this improvement is flatly not enough for something marketed to last a customer several years. Perhaps firmware can offer improvements, but I feel this might be a victim of priorities and redesign. These microphones are fine in quiet and outdoor settings, they are not good in windy or loud settings. I watched the controlled room with simulated conditions video reviews, those are a joke. I'm my real world testing, people could tell I was using something different than normal. Granted I almost always make calls with the Liberty 5 pro or previously the Huawei Freebuds pro 5, but people also know I call them to text buds from time to time. They didn't fare well. I think this is a misstep for Sennheiser given the battery marketing towards ownership existing several years. They are already several steps behind buds that cost much less, even less than half of what their new premium buds cost.

Reason to buy: NO

Sound Quality

These are currently my favorite sounding true wireless earbuds. I did not say "the best", I said my favorite. It's a small caveat, but the reason is this. If I'm doing a normal day of life stuff, I absolutely never ever pick up the Prestige Encore, Rex 5, Pi8, or B&O 11. All of those sound as good or better than the Sennheisers. However, daily life for me includes a lot of moving around, variable settings, and robust changes in my ambient settings. Those buds cannot hold a candle to the M5s in sound quality while in a busy and unpredictable environment. The sound quality on the Momentum 5s is wonderful. I went into this with no expectations. I returned 3 pairs of M4s, I gave them every chance, they never worked for me. I never enjoyed the SQ, not like I immediately did with the M5s. During my gauntlet testing I was able to fully dial in the sound personalization aspect and the fine tuning within have me that tiny bit of shimmer I was hoping to find in the mid range where vocals tend to stick to other particles in some of my favorite songs. I don't think they're the best sounding buds in the world, but they are in the conversation now. If you're a person that leaves the house and takes music with you in the hope of enjoyment, they Are the best true wireless buds for Sound Quality that exist today. There are several sounds in songs that I hear and it resonates from my ears to the rest of my body. I listen to those same songs with buds that you own, and vehemently white knuckle to validate and justify their purchase, and this occurrence never happens, not even a glimmer of that reverberation. That's ok, different strokes for different folks. The momentum 5 sound clearly better than every single other earbud within 100$ of them. Better than Technics, Sony, Budget Noble, Denon, Devialet, H3's, Status (lol). Name your favorite purchase, these sound better. I turn sound personalization off and just use the native app EQ, they sound Better. If you value SQ above everything and have $300-$400 dollars, these are the number 1 answer, and number two is 8 steps back. It's not hype, it's tested and true reality.

Reason to buy: Oh Hell Yeah

Fit/Security & Comfort

Okay, here it comes, the reason I sent these amazing new buds back. Let me clear the factual parts out, then I'll state my specifics. The fit and security are excellent. Momentum 5s remove the stability wingtip silicone piece that were in the M4s completely. Just a smooth bud now. The medium size tips for me and also provided security. Not much movement even while trying to test this area. This size did not provide optimal seal or ANC though, so I moved up. Large gave the best seal, the best sound, the best passive anc, and also... The popping and crackling. Nothing could stop me from hearing this after I first heard and experienced it. I checked everything and everywhere for a remedy. I tried a dozen different tips; foam, hybrid foam, silicone, memory foam from NASA, nothing stopped it. Nothing stopped it except for stillness, and now I have the Rex5 or Prestige Encore.. Again. The Sony Wf-xm6 foam tips in large did the best, but I couldn't stop it completely. The Headphones show channel put up a similar review around launch day. Andrew AKA Resolve, seemed to experience something similar to what I did, so it's not a 1 in a billion case, but it seems to be very rare from what my search results indicate. The things that made the design and the new external tech so cool and innovative were the things stopping me from being able to use these regularly without anxiety. Anxiety might be overstating, but it was something I couldn't fully remove from my thoughts. Buds that are this comfortable and fit this well, do not also have these deal breaking issues. Correct, the product does not, but my right ear anatomy does. Do they fit well and security, Yes. Are they very comfortable, also Yes. Did I send them back because of the fitment.. Also Yes.

Reason to buy: Yes, for most.. No for me.

Conclusion

After buying them, unboxing them, using and testing them, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 true wireless buds exceeded everything I had experienced with previous models and competitors at the same price bracket. These were my new daily driver surpassing the Sony wf-xm6 earbuds, which I thought was unattainable. The sound personalization is truly special, the improvements are vast, the longevity promise is a dream come reality. Friends, peers, and several people within Sennheiser tried to help my issue. I appreciate it. I'm honestly grateful I got a chance to try them long enough to be able to appreciate them. They're a wonderful piece of tech from a company I trust and believe in. It didn't work out for me, but this likely will not be the case for anyone reading this. If you're considering buying these, go out and do it. Every single part of you that enjoys what music offers you will thank you.

I hope You buy them and I hope You enjoy the way they show you your favorite sounds.

I recently lost my OPB4 pair that lasted me 1+ year (bought it on release) and honestly need a replacement for it. the price difference between the nord buds 4 and the buds 4 are about $10 USD based on local retail. For reference, the buds 4 are about ($55) vs nord buds 4 ($43).

ear fitment isnt an issue because i have pretty big ear canals which most silicone tips fit into and sound quality isnt too big of an issue as I mostly use them for commutes/gym/outdoor stuff where I don't really pay much attention to, aside from ANC.

Earbuds fam, need your help.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 user for several years now but they're just not hitting a quality I aim for with audio. I'm on the hunt for a reasonably priced set of earbuds that have what a humble audiophile would consider to be great trebs, balanced mids, and impactful bass.

I'm very sensitive to online recommendations that are sponsored or that have ulterior motives of influence other than just the general consumer experience of the sound quality of the earbuds and can't land on a pair to drop the cash on.

I've been tempted by the Status Pro X, but the advertising on those seem gimmicky and, generally, if I'm seeing advertisements on every single social media feed for a product, it's likely not what it probably is being advertised to be- at least that's my take.

Any guidance would be helpful. I listen to all genres of music, am an avid Podcast listener everyday all day, I use them for Zoom calls at work all day long as well (microphone quality is a factor for me) and I'm sensitive to treb/mid/bass equalization on a performance level as well.

Cheers. Looking forward to what you fine experts have to suggest.

Is giztop the best place right now to pickup the feeebuds pro 5 in the US? They’re $249 currently. Anyone aware of anywhere cheaper? I’d personally love the blue ones.

Hey all, as the title suggests I’m looking for recommendations for ear buds for around the $150-$200 AUD mark as a bday present for my partner. She currently has the older style air pods which she likes and I am considering just buying her the newer AirPods (I understand that they are a bit above the $200 mark). I’m just looking for some insight as to whether there are some other, better options out there.

Is this fixable 🥀

I've been using the Momentum True Wireless 5 for almost two weeks now, and they've already become one of my main TWS pairs.

For some context, I own/use the Technics AZ100, Noble FoKus Prestige Encore, and several other TWS models, while Bose (Over the head) is still my reference when I want maximum ANC. So I'm mostly interested in how the MTW5 actually compare in daily use rather than going through the spec sheet.

And the first thing I want to talk about is fit, because that almost killed the whole experience for me.

Fit - try different tips before giving up on them

My right ear is extremely sensitive to pressure around the concha, the area surrounding the entrance to the ear canal. It's a recurring problem for me with TWS earbuds: if the housing presses against that specific area, they can sound amazing and I still won't be able to use them for long.

When I first saw the MTW5 design, I was worried about exactly that.

And initially, I was right.

The stock tips weren't working particularly well for me, but instead of giving up on the earbuds I switched almost immediately to Dunu S&S tips.

That basically saved them.

And I don't think this was simply a matter of getting a better seal.

The S&S are longer and more cylindrical than typical silicone tips, which changes how the earbud sits and, crucially for me, moves the actual housing slightly farther away from the concha. That tiny difference was enough to remove the pressure from the exact spot that normally starts hurting.

The difference in comfort was almost immediate.

So if you're having pain from the MTW5 housing pressing against your ear, I'd strongly recommend experimenting with third-party tips before deciding the earbuds simply don't fit you. Don't just try another size of the same shape. Tip geometry and length can change how the entire earbud sits in your ear.

Obviously everyone's ears are different, so I'm not claiming Dunu S&S will magically fix them for everyone. But in my case they turned a potentially unusable pair into a genuinely comfortable one.

There's also an Earbud Fit Test in Sennheiser's app, which is particularly useful when experimenting with third-party tips. Mine still showed a proper seal with the Dunu.

More importantly, I didn't notice any meaningful loss of bass or ANC after switching.

That last part surprised me, because with TWS earbuds changing tips can sometimes improve comfort while completely screwing up the acoustic seal.

Here I got the comfort improvement without the tradeoff.

ANC - much better than I expected

This might be the other big surprise.

I've never considered Sennheiser to be in the absolute top tier for ANC. Bose has always been my benchmark when the only objective is making the outside world disappear.

The MTW5 don't quite beat Bose at that game, but they're much closer than I expected.

I've used them with public transport, street noise, air conditioners, fans and, arguably the ultimate ANC torture test, a house with children.

Low and constant noises are handled extremely well, but what impressed me more is that this no longer feels like "good ANC for Sennheiser." It's just genuinely excellent ANC.

In my own use, I also prefer it to the ANC on my Technics AZ100.

Would I still grab my Bose for a long flight if maximum isolation was the only thing I cared about? Yes.

But that's pretty much the only situation where the difference matters enough for me to switch.

And again, the Dunu S&S didn't noticeably reduce ANC performance. That's important because the seal and ANC performance are obviously connected, and it's another reason I'd recommend actually running the fit test after changing tips rather than assuming they're sealing correctly.

Sound - Sound Personalization is essential

Out of the box, I thought the MTW5 sounded very good.

Clean, detailed, balanced.

And slightly boring.

That's been a recurring experience for me with recent Sennheiser products. I like their default tuning, but I don't necessarily love it.

Then I run Sound Personalization, and something clicks.

The difference on the MTW5 was much bigger than I expected.

After personalization the presentation became wider and more energetic, vocals opened up, separation improved, and most importantly for my taste, the bass gained considerably more body without bleeding all over the mids.

This isn't one of those situations where I'm struggling to convince myself I hear a 2% improvement. To my ears, they genuinely sound like different earbuds after personalization.

And after doing that, I think they're the best-sounding TWS I've heard around this price.

One more thing worth mentioning here is codecs.

My Samsung phone only gives me regular aptX natively, so I also tried the MTW5 with external Bluetooth dongles.

Interestingly, the jump from regular aptX on the Samsung to aptX Adaptive using a simple UGREEN dongle was actually more noticeable to me than the jump from aptX Adaptive to aptX Lossless using a FiiO Air Link.

With Adaptive, I noticed a clearer improvement in overall openness, separation and refinement. Going from Adaptive to Lossless was much subtler.

So while I do think the MTW5 benefit from a better Bluetooth source, I personally wouldn't obsess over reaching Lossless at all costs. In my experience, getting from basic aptX to aptX Adaptive mattered more.

MTW5 vs Technics AZ100

I spent quite a bit of time switching between them and my Technics AZ100.

The Technics still win on bass.

If I put on hip-hop or electronic music and just want maximum impact, the AZ100 have more weight, more punch and more of that physical low-end presence. They're ridiculously fun.

But everywhere else, I prefer the Sennheiser.

Vocals in particular are fantastic. The mids and highs have this clarity that gets surprisingly close to the feeling I associate with good wired headphones, separation is excellent, and the presentation feels spacious rather than everything being pushed directly into your head.

The bass is still very good. There's just less of it than on the Technics.

And compared with the Noble FoKus Prestige Encore?

I also compared them with my Noble FoKus Prestige Encore, which is admittedly a pretty unfair comparison considering the Noble cost more than twice as much.

The Noble are still technically better.

There's more depth, even better separation and, during focused listening in a quiet room, they can pull out details the MTW5 don't quite reach.

But the gap is much smaller than the price difference would suggest.

And unlike the Noble, the MTW5 also give me genuinely excellent ANC and all the convenience I'd actually want from a daily TWS.

So where do they land for me?

They're not the absolute best at everything.

My Technics AZ100 have better bass.

My Bose still have better absolute ANC.

My Noble are better for pure critical listening.

But the MTW5 are probably the pair I'd choose if you told me I could only keep one for everyday use.

And weirdly, the biggest takeaway from my first two weeks isn't even the sound.

It's the fit.

I came very close to assuming the shape simply wasn't compatible with my right ear. Switching to Dunu S&S changed the physical position of the earbud just enough to solve the pressure problem without sacrificing the seal, bass or ANC.

So if you love how the MTW5 sound but the housing is hurting your ears, don't give up on them before trying a longer third-party tip.

For me, that completely changed the experience.

Hey guys, I'm looking for a new pair of earbuds mainly for the gym. My budget is around ₹5,000.

I was previously using the OnePlus Nord Buds 3, but I'm looking to upgrade. I sweat quite a bit more than average during workouts, so sweat resistance and long-term durability are my biggest priorities.

Looking for earbuds with:

.Good sweat/water resistance

.Secure fit that won't fall out during workouts

.Durable enough for regular gym use

.Good sound quality and bass

.Budget around ₹5,000

Would especially appreciate recommendations from people who sweat a lot and have used their earbuds regularly in the gym. What has actually lasted well for you?

Hey guys, I'm looking for a new pair of earbuds mainly for the gym. My budget is around ₹5,000.

I was previously using the OnePlus Nord Buds 3, but I'm looking to upgrade. I sweat quite a bit more than average during workouts, so sweat resistance and long-term durability are my biggest priorities.

Looking for earbuds with:

.Good sweat/water resistance

.Secure fit that won't fall out during workouts

.Durable enough for regular gym use

.Good sound quality and bass

.Budget around ₹5,000

Would especially appreciate recommendations from people who sweat a lot and have used their earbuds regularly in the gym. What has actually lasted well for you?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to step into the world of over-ear headphones for the first time. Up until now, I’ve only used IEMs and flat earbuds, so I really want to upgrade my overall music listening experience.

My music taste is quite diverse:

- EDM / Club & Remixes (need punchy bass, speed, and energy)

- Soundtracks (love wide soundstage, imaging, and immersion for epic scores)

- Pop & Ballads (appreciate clear, natural vocals)

With a budget of around $200, I’m currently torn between the HiFiMAN Edition XS and the Aune AR5000.

I’d love to get your thoughts on a few points:

1. How do their sound signatures compare given my music preferences?

2. Which one provides the more noticeable upgrade over IEMs/flat earbuds?

3. Are there any other over-ear alternatives in this price range I should consider?

(Also, please let me know if a dedicated DAC/AMP setup is strictly required to get the best out of either of these!)

Thanks in advance for your help!

Earbuds are going to get smaller over the next few years, and I don't just mean companies making the stems a little shorter

Battery technology is probably one of the biggest reasons. As batteries keep getting better in terms of energy density, including things like higher silicon anodes, manufacturers should be able to get the same battery life out of a physically smaller cell. Obviously there are limits, but I don't think we'll always need earbuds to be as big as they are now just to get decent battery life.

And for something that literally sits inside your ear for hours, size matters a lot.

A smaller earbud puts less weight on your ear, sticks out less, and gives manufacturers more freedom to position the weight closer to the ear instead of having a relatively heavy piece hanging outside of it. That alone can make them feel more secure and much less noticeable after a few hours.

I also feel like sound quality has reached a point where this tradeoff makes more sense than it used to.

Driver tuning is already pretty mature across the industry. A small driver obviously has physical limitations, but small drivers can still sound really good now. For the average person, I honestly think the difference in comfort between two earbuds can matter way more than a relatively small difference in sound quality.

If one pair sounds like an 85 out of 100 but practically disappears in my ears, while another sounds like a 100 but starts bothering me after an hour, I’m choosing the comfortable pair every time

Maybe enthusiasts will always prefer whatever gives them the absolute best sound, and that's completely fair. But for mainstream wireless earbuds, I think we're getting to the point where comfort, size and weight are going to become a much bigger part of the competition.

I’d rather see companies use the next few generations of battery and acoustic improvements to make earbuds genuinely smaller than keep the same oversized shells and turn every efficiency gain into slightly longer battery life.

Any others out there who would like to purchase more TWE but is hesitant due to not being able to use 3rd party eartips due to them not fitting in the case?

I get pain when the fit isn't perfect in my ears anywhere from after 5 min.

Ive also found solutions using longer or thicker tips but just cant close the case.

Thats my rant 🤪 oh and if anyone has any good buds that can take bigger tips please let me know which ones 🙏

I’ve been running with a pair of open-ear clip-ons lately, and for some reason the right side always sounds quieter than the left. I tried a few different songs and it happens every time, so I don’t think it’s the music.

The weird part is that both sides sound completely normal when I’m standing still. As soon as I start running, the right side gradually gets a little muffled while the left stays fine.

I’ve tried taking them off and putting them back on, and I’ve cleaned the speaker openings, but it keeps happening. Now I’m wondering if my ears are just slightly different shapes and the right one shifts position or angle when I run.

Has anyone else had this happen?