Best Wireless Earbuds 2026
The true wireless earbuds market is packed with options. Every brand has at least three models with names that sound like nuclear warheads or Russian space stations. Sony WF-1000XM6. Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. Who remembers these?
We'll make this easier. Here's an honest look at what you actually need to know about earbuds in 2026 – and why a small Finnish company from Oulu can hold its own against the big boys.
What actually matters in earbuds?
There are three big lies in earbud marketing:
- "40-hour battery" – Sure, with the case. The buds themselves last 4–8 hours. That's the number that actually matters.
- "Premium ANC" – Active noise cancellation removes steady background noise. Airplane hum, office air conditioning, Pena's monotone monologue in the open-plan office. It doesn't remove kids screaming or your neighbour's renovation. Physics is physics.
- "Studio-quality sound" – This usually means some engineer looked at a frequency response curve and nodded.
What actually matters: how they sound, whether they stay in your ears, whether the battery lasts a day, and whether you can fix them when something breaks. Because something always breaks.
Valco NL25 vs. NL21 – which one's for you?
NL25 is our flagship model. ANC, transparency mode, Bluetooth 5.4, aptX Adaptive codec, wireless charging for the case, and sound tuned by hand by Jasse. Memory foam tips included. Designed by Jussi Timonen, which looks like someone actually thought about the earbuds – because they did.
Battery lasts 4.5 hours with ANC on, 6 hours without. That's an honest number. We don't count case charges and claim the battery lasts a week.
Vincent van Gogh mode lets you use one bud at a time. The other charges in the case. Essentially endless listening, as long as you remember to swap sides.
NL21 is the no-nonsense model for those who don't need noise cancellation. Bluetooth 5.0, IPX6 water resistance, 7.5-hour battery life, and an honest price. Nothing extra. No ANC, no wireless charging – but it works, it lasts, and it costs less.
IPX6 means you can run in the rain or sweat it out at the gym without worry. They'll survive your summer drinking sessions too, as long as you don't dunk them in your beer.
Why Valco?
Three reasons:
- Price. Our flagship costs what the big brands charge for their mid-range. Sound quality is still flagship-tier, because Jasse's ears are insured and he won't let anything out the door without his personal approval.
- Repairability. When your Sony buds break, you buy new ones. When our buds break, Jasse and the team fix them in Kajaani. 24-month warranty, and even after that, a repair kit exists.
- Honesty. We don't claim to be the best at everything. We claim to be the best at what we're best at. Sound quality and the fact that you don't have to bin your earbuds after a year and a half.
Every purchase funds our Death Star. We're currently at about 0.000003 percent. Henri has already budgeted a Ferrari into the corruption fund, so your contribution matters.
When should you pick someone else?
Let's be honest.
- If ANC is absolutely your number one priority, the Sony WF-1000XM6 is still the best single noise cancellation performer on the market. You'll pay double, but you get the best ANC. Our NL25's noise cancellation is good – not the best.
- If you want seamless Apple ecosystem integration, AirPods Pro work with iPhone in a way nobody else can match. Sound quality is mediocre, but the integration is excellent.
- If you want a status symbol, Bose and Sony look great in your LinkedIn profile pic. Nobody recognises us on the street yet – unless you bump into another Valco owner, in which case you nod at each other like members of a secret society.
But if you want the best sound quality for the money, earbuds that can be repaired, and support from an actual human instead of a chatbot – well, we do have a chatbot, but at least it's a funny one – then you know what to do.
Summary
| | NL25 | NL21 |
|---|---|---|
| ANC | Yes | No |
| Battery (buds) | 4.5–6 h | 7.5 h |
| Bluetooth | 5.4, aptX Adaptive | 5.0 |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No |
| Water resistance | – | IPX6 |
| Repairability | Yes | Yes |
NL25 is the pick if you want ANC, the best sound quality, and wireless charging. NL21 is the pick if you want long battery life, water resistance, and a fair price without the unnecessary fluff.
Both sound better than similarly priced competitors. That's not marketing talk, that's Jasse's handiwork.
Bye, and thanks for all the money. The Death Star won't fund itself.
