Best Headphones and Earbuds to Gift in 2026 (Tested on Loud NYC Streets!)

CNET’s David Carnoy puts top earbuds through a real-world voice-calling test. And ZDNET’s Jada Jones and PCMag’s Eric Zeman pick their favorites, from the Sony WF-1000XM6 to the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below Apple AirPods Pro 3 Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation https://zdcs.link/91MYl8 Sony WF-1000XM6 Noise Cancelling Earbuds (2026 Model) https://zdcs.link/aeJyvX Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless Headphones https://zdcs.link/aXJy8p Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless Earbuds https://zdcs.link/QL2BRP EarFun Air Pro 4 Noise Canceling Wireless Earbuds https://zdcs.link/9yWpYr Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro (2026) https://zdcs.link/QbJyXG Apple AirPods Max 2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones https://zdcs.link/zn7yYy JLab, Go Pods ANC, True Wireless Earbuds https://zdcs.link/Qp2yYo *CNET may get a commission on these offers Read more about it on CNET.com CNET's Best Wireless Earbuds of 2026 https://zdcs.link/QKwd43 ZDNET's best earbuds of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed https://zdcs.link/z3KpeE PCMag's Best Wireless Earbuds for 2026 https://zdcs.link/zj3yX1 Timecode Chapters: 0:00 CNET's David Carnoy Ending the Year a Little Differently 0:24 Voice Calling Test 1 - Airpods Pro 3 0:54 ZDNet's Jada Jones Gives Her Favorites 3:00 Voice Calling Test 2 - Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 3:29 PCMag's Eric Zeman Tells us His Favorites of 2026 6:20 Voice Calling Test 3 - JLab Go Pods ANC 6:47 Voice Calling Test 4 - Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro 7:13 Conclusion - What Do You Think? Video Credits: Host: David Carnoy, Jada Jones, Eric Zeman Scripted by: David Carnoy, Jada Jones, Eric Zeman Producer: Numi Prasarn Camera: John Schwartz, Numi Prasarn Video Editor: Jonathan Angle Thumbnail Designer: Cole Kan Add CNET as a trusted news source https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=cnet.com Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉 https://bit.ly/3lO7sOU Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/cnet Subscribe to CNET on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cnet Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cnetdotcom Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnet Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cnet.com Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnet CNET's AI Atlas: https://www.cnet.com/ai-atlas Follow us on X: https://www.x.com/cnet Visit CNET.com: https://www.cnet.com #best #wirelessearbuds #wirelessearphones #earbuds #airpods #appleairpodspro #galaxybuds #noisecancelingheadphones #headphones #wirelessheadphones