Beats took out top spot in Canstar Blue’s earphone ratings for the first time, scoring five stars for overall satisfaction and in all other categories except design, where it scored four stars.
Our ratings compare a range of earphones based on customer satisfaction as rated by Australians. This means you can find out what other Aussies think about their earphones before buying — it’s like asking your friends and family which earphones they think is best, but all in one place!
Canstar Blue surveyed 1,157 Australians for their feedback on earphones they’ve purchased in the last three years. This refers to in-ear earphones and includes products such as wireless earbuds. This does NOT include headphones (over-ear or on-ear).
Survey respondents are asked to rate their satisfaction with their earphones brand from zero to 10, with zero meaning extremely dissatisfied and 10 meaning extremely satisfied. Earphone brand satisfaction is rated on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the brand that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating. All the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are then combined and averaged to determine the overall winner.
To qualify in the ratings results, brands must have received a minimum of 30 responses to be included. Therefore, not all earphone brands in the market will be compared in this survey. Brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customers ratings.
Beats — also known as Beats by Dre — made a significant jump from last place in our 2023 earphones ratings up to top spot in our 2024 ratings, beating previous back-to-back winner (and parent company) Apple. It scored an impressive five stars in almost all categories, including overall satisfaction, value for money and user friendliness, while it scored four stars for design.
JBL came in second place with four stars for overall satisfaction and in a couple other categories, while it scored five stars for value for money, durability and battery and charging performance. Apple, which was our 2023 and 2022 winner, came in third place with four stars in most categories including overall satisfaction, while it scored five stars for user friendliness and design.
Samsung, Bose and Sony came in fourth, fifth and sixth place respectively, with all brands scoring four stars for overall satisfaction, while Kmart’s Anko rounded out our ratings in seventh place with three stars for overall satisfaction.
According to our survey respondents, the average price Aussies paid for earphones/earbuds was $189.41. The average amount of time the previous set of earphones lasted for our survey respondents was 2.4 years.
When purchasing earphones or earbuds, 23% said that compatibility with their phone/device was the most important factor when choosing their earphones/earbuds, followed by price (19%) and brand (18%).
Wireless earbuds were also the most popular form of earphones purchased (50%), and 43% of our survey respondents went wireless because they’re easier to use while active. However 7% wished they had purchased earphones with wireless/Bluetooth capabilities and 11% wished they had purchased earphones with noise cancelling features.
Not all brands that produce earphones have qualified for our ratings (based on the minimal sample survey size) but that doesn’t mean that these brands aren’t also worth considering. Many tech brands — including brands that specialise in smartphones — tend to produce earphones/earbuds, so there are plenty of choices. If you’re looking for a new pair of earphones, here are some other brands you might want to look into.
Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for over five years, with a dedication to providing Aussies with all the information they need to make better purchasing decisions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University and has a decade of professional writing experience in print and digital media.
Meet the Editorial Team
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Meet the Research TeamHere are the previous winners of Canstar Blue’s earphone ratings:
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