Not Apple, Not Bose: Owners Say These Are The Best Earbuds For Phone Calls

Looking for a pair of wireless earbuds? You probably don't even know where to start besides maybe choosing between different versions of Apple's AirPods. That said, what really matters is just knowing what features you want, and then going from there. If you're looking for the best earbuds to take phone calls or conferences with, we've seen recent buyers recommend two brands in particular: Huawei's FreeBuds Pro 5 and Anker's Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds. Said another way, people do not recommend Apple or Bose as best for phone calls.

When it comes to Anker and Huawei's buds, owners have shared anecdotes about their personal experiences about how much clearer a recording was when chatting with people. Sometimes, the person on the other end of the phone would even say something about how much clearer the call sounded. Part of the secret, reviewers have said, is the role bone induction plays with microphone pickups and noise processing for both pairs. One person on Reddit was actually convinced to pick up the Soundcore Liberty over the FreeBuds and they have reported an enjoyable experience taking a work call at a karaoke bar.

While that alone might not make the difference on a purchase decision, we should also note that the FreeBuds aren't easily available for U.S. customers due to an existing ban on Huawei products over national security concerns. Meanwhile, Anker products are available on the compnay's site, as well as Amazon, with the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro costing $170. And if you need any more reason to pick up the Liberty 5 Pro, we should say they were one of our favorite gadgets from earlier this year.

Anker, which still intermittently uses its former Soundcore brand for audio products, and Huawei both say they manage call quality in similar ways. Anker uses eight microphones and two bone conduction sensors alongside a dedicated AI chip to clean up the Liberty 5 Pro's sound pickup and processing systems. Huawei is a bit more coy, barely mentioning its "bone acoustic sensor" in specifications for the FreeBuds Pro 5. Instead, the company says it collects input from dual drivers to inform its AI model. Both sample noise in the neighborhood of about 400,000 times per second and claim the ability to reduce up to 100dB of background noise. Anker says it can pickup users' voices as low as 30dB in quiet conditions while Huawei touts wind mitigation at up to 22 mph, the equivalent of driving a car in a neighborhood.

If you're curious as to what a bone conduction sensor is, a component vendor for the FreeBuds 3 lineup says its technology tracks vocal chord vibration through your skin in order to detect and sample your voice for clarification. There are other more complex sensors that can do the same job to different degrees. Ultimately, it's just one aspect of the holistic approach that should deliver clear-cut vocals whether you're able to find some FreeBuds or end up going with the Liberty 5 Pro.