Here are five wireless earbuds under Rs. 20,000 from JBL, Samsung, Sennheiser, Apple and Sony, with features like ANC and spatial audio.
Galaxy Buds 4 Pro buds carry an IP57 dust and water resistance rating
You don't have to spend more than Rs. 20,000 to get a good pair of wireless earbuds, with options from JBL, Samsung, Sennheiser, Apple and Sony covering a range of features. The JBL Tour Pro 3 stand out with their touchscreen charging case, which lets you control music and check notifications without reaching for your phone. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and AirPods 4 with ANC offer features such as spatial audio and head gestures, while the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 support high-resolution audio formats. Sony's WF-1000XM5, meanwhile, combine active noise cancellation with sound upscaling and ambient sound controls.
The JBL Tour Pro 3 use a dual-driver setup, with a 10.2mm dynamic driver and a 2.8mm balanced armature driver in each earbud. They also feature six microphones, True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 and JBL Spatial 360 sound with head tracking. Support for LDAC and Hi-Res Audio caters to high-resolution listening, while Bluetooth 5.3 and the JBL Headphones app provide connectivity and controls on Android and iOS. The charging case has a 1.57-inch touchscreen for music controls, battery levels and messages, along with customisable wallpapers and support for 13 languages.
The case can also transmit audio through its aux and USB Type-C ports and supports Auracast. JBL claims up to 44 hours of total playback with the case, and an 11-minute charge gives the earbuds up to three hours of listening time. They also support wireless charging and carry an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance.
Key Specifications
The JBL Tour Pro 3 are currently priced at Rs. 19,999 on Amazon in India. They come in Black and Latte colour options.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro feature two-way speakers, six microphones and adaptive active noise cancellation with equaliser settings. They also support 360 Audio, conversation detection and siren detection. One handy extra is head gesture control, which lets users nod to accept calls or respond to Bixby, or shake their heads to reject calls and decline requests. The earbuds support Bluetooth 6.1, along with AAC, SBC, SSC, SSC-UHQ and LC3 codecs. Auto Switch and multipoint connectivity make it easier to switch between compatible devices.
Samsung claims up to seven hours of playback with ANC turned off, extending to 30 hours with the charging case. Each earbud packs a 61mAh battery, while the case houses a 530mAh cell. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro also carry an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance.
Key Specifications
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are currently priced at Rs. 17,399 on Amazon in India. They come in Black, Pink Gold and White colour options.
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 use the Qualcomm S5 Sound Gen 2 platform and support Snapdragon Sound, aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive Audio. They connect over Bluetooth 5.4 and support high-resolution audio playback at up to 96kHz. Adaptive noise cancellation and Transparency Mode let users switch between blocking out background noise and hearing their surroundings. The earbuds also have six microphones, a built-in five-band equaliser and sound customisation features through the Smart Control app. Bluetooth LE Audio with LC3 and Auracast is expected through a future firmware update.
Sennheiser claims up to 7.5 hours of playback on a single charge, with the case extending total listening time to 30 hours. If you're running low on battery, an eight-minute quick charge provides up to an hour of playback. The case charges over USB Type-C and also supports Qi wireless charging.
Key Specifications
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are priced at Rs. 18,990 in India. They come in Black Copper, Graphite and Metallic Silver colour options.
The Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are powered by Apple's H2 chip and feature an updated acoustic design that the company says improves sound quality. They support active noise cancellation, Transparency mode, Personalised Spatial Audio and Adaptive Audio, which adjusts the listening experience to your surroundings. Conversation Awareness is also available, lowering audio when you start speaking to someone.
The earbuds also support head gestures, so you can nod to answer a call or shake your head to decline one. Voice Isolation helps make calls clearer, while force sensors let users control playback. The USB Type-C charging case supports wireless charging and offers up to 30 hours of total listening time.
Key Specifications
The Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are priced at Rs. 17,900 in India.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 use an 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X and Sony's Integrated Processor V2 and QN2e chips. They support SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 codecs, along with DSEE Extreme upscaling and an Ambient Sound mode. Sony also uses bone conduction sensors and deep neural network processing to improve call quality in noisy surroundings. Bluetooth 5.3, Google Fast Pair and multipoint connectivity make pairing easier, while 360 Reality Audio and head tracking add to the listening experience. Users can access more controls through Sony's Headphones Connect app.
Sony claims up to eight hours of music playback with ANC enabled, or up to 12 hours with it turned off. The charging case adds up to 24 hours of battery life and supports both wireless and fast charging. The earbuds also carry an IPX4 rating for water resistance.
Key Specifications
The Sony WF-1000XM5 are currently priced at Rs. 13,989 on Amazon in India. They come in Black, Platinum Silver and Smoky Pink colour options.
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