Is There Really a Difference Between Budget and Premium Noise-Canceling TWS Earphones?

There are tons of earbud reviews online, but whether they’re expensive or budget-friendly, the selling points are always the same—balanced tri-frequency response, wide soundstage, deep bass, accurate mids, stable highs, or the deepest noise cancellation measured in dB.
So, the real question is: What exactly makes premium earbuds more expensive?
1.Blind Testing and Rating Multiple Earphones
First up is the blind testing and rating session.
We invited three testers and made sure their hands were completely restrained and their eyes fully covered. They blindly listened and compared four earbuds from different price ranges.

The earbuds also had a similar design, ensuring no noticeable difference in fit or feel. This way, the testers could only rely on sound quality to determine which earbuds were more expensive and which were more budget-friendly.

Or could the sound quality of budget earbuds be good enough to replace their premium counterparts?

After the testing session, the results showed that while the AirPods Pro 2—often praised by audiophiles as a benchmark for balanced sound—was the most expensive among the four earbuds tested…

it was the only model that didn’t receive the highest subjective ratings from any of the testers during the blind listening session.

Meanwhile, the other three earbuds—priced at just half to one-fifth of the AirPods Pro 2—each managed to take the top spot in subjective listening scores at least once.

2.The Principles Behind Earphones Sound Quality Differences

Now that the experiment is over, let’s dive into the reasons behind the sound quality differences.

First of all, the variation in sound quality between earbuds has nothing to do with whether your electricity comes from coal, hydro, or nuclear power.

Instead, it primarily comes down to the quality and characteristics of the driver units, as well as the ability of the circuitry to drive these units effectively.

Simply put, the characteristics of the driver unit depend on factors like the diaphragm material and its texture. These differences affect how sensitively the diaphragm responds to vibrations at different frequencies, resulting in various unique frequency response curves.

By adjusting the structure of the earbud’s driver unit, engineers can shape the frequency response curve to make the sound more appealing. This process—fine-tuning the audio output—is the essence of an acoustic engineer’s tuning work.

Some engineers prefer a stronger drum impact, so they boost the sub-bass frequencies. Different designs are based on different sound aesthetics.

Our blind listening test confirmed this conclusion—differences in sound don’t necessarily mean one earbud has objectively better quality than another.

3.What Makes High-End Earphones More Expensive?

However, this conclusion doesn’t fully apply to ultra-budget functional earbuds or high-performance active noise-canceling (ANC) earbuds. The reason is that many low-cost functional earbuds don’t prioritize sound quality. To cut costs, they often use mass-produced driver units with high distortion levels.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) demands exceptionally high-performance driver units. When in use, the earbuds must simultaneously play music while generating anti-noise signals to cancel out external sounds.

The diaphragm’s amplitude and flexibility are inherently limited. To increase its movement range and enhance its elasticity, significant development costs are required.

This explains why, for a long time, Bose’s active noise cancellation was so hard to surpass.

With advancements in driver unit manufacturing and wireless earbud chip technology, the quality of the drivers is no longer the primary bottleneck for noise cancellation or sound quality.

Many smartphone brands have even managed to produce earbuds with 40dB active noise cancellation for under 500 RMB.

Today’s high-end ANC earbuds stand out mainly due to advanced technology and premium components.

For example, they utilize multi-feedback microphone arrays and more sophisticated processing algorithms to achieve deeper noise cancellation. This is the true competitive edge of top-tier brands.

4.How to Choose the Right Earphones

Now, let’s tackle the ultimate question: Is there really a difference between budget and premium noise-canceling TWS earbuds?

While there are audible differences in sound quality, these differences aren’t purely objective—they largely depend on personal preference.

Moreover, each person’s conclusion may vary, as we confirmed in the blind listening test. Different users have different perceptions of what sounds “better.”

When choosing wireless earbuds, set your budget and compare frequency response curves.

Generally speaking, the higher the response in the 20–100Hz range, the stronger the bass impact.

The higher the response in the 3,000–8,000Hz range, the more prominently instruments will stand out in the music.

The higher the response beyond 10,000Hz, the clearer high-frequency instruments like the triangle and cymbals will sound. Basing your earbud selection on these scientific principles rather than subjective online reviews will greatly reduce the risk of disappointment.

If you’re looking for a balanced and accurate sound, simply choose earbuds that follow the VDSF target curve.

VDSF is a target curve derived from Bruel & Kjaer’s (B&K) diffuse field simulation experiments. It represents the actual frequency response that the human ear perceives in a real-world listening environment.