Monoprice true wireless earbuds: A cut above the budget competition

There are better true wireless earbuds out there, and cheaper ones, but few match the inexpensive price and surprisingly quality of Monoprice’s true wireless earbuds.

- IAN BIRNBAUM

If you haven’t been actively shopping for earbuds or headphones in the last couple of years, you might have missed the quiet gold rush of companies competing to offer increasingly inexpensive Bluetooth earbuds. Scrolling down through search results on Amazon, there are now dozens of options in the “true wireless” earbud market starting from as low as $20.

For people interested in trying out true wireless earbuds for the first time, the Monoprice True Wireless earbuds are a solid option. I was impressed by their rich sound, good build quality, and persistent connectivity—and at only $50, they’re about the same price as other, much worse Bluetooth headsets I’ve encountered.

DESIGN

Monoprice likes words like “sleek” and “ergonomic,” but I think the best way to describe these earbuds is simply “small.” At only 20mm x 16mm x 15mm, they’re noticeably smaller than the similarly priced JBuds Air (go.macworld.com/jair), and the plain black exterior doesn’t draw attention to itself. The only texture and color comes from a single round button with an LED ring at the center of each earbud. I think they’re a great example of tech that is made to be worn and used rather than shown off. The iconic white of Apple AirPods (go.macworld.com/ap2g) might double as a fashion accessory, but the Monoprice earbuds won’t.