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Which earbuds?

Amazon.ae will show you four hundred pairs. Here are six worth your money, from AED 59 to AED 549, and what each one is actually for.

Most people: the soundcore Liberty 4 NC, AED 167. Real noise cancelling for a third of the price of AirPods.

Cheapest that is not junk: the soundcore P20i, AED 59.

For the gym: the Sport X20, AED 229. The pair I train with.

My soundcore Sport X20 earbuds in their open case, showing the ear hooks.
My X20, four months in.

The pair I actually use

I have had the Sport X20 for about four months. I bought them, nobody sent them to me.

Do they stay in? Yes. I use them on cardio machines and they have never once fallen out. The hooks hold and you stop thinking about them.

Sweat: no problem so far. To be fair, I only use them inside an air-conditioned gym, so I cannot tell you how they cope with a run outside in August.

The closed charging case of the soundcore Sport X20 held in one hand.
The case is thick, but it disappears in a gym bag.

Battery: I charge them maybe once every week or two. I am not using them all day, but I have never had them die on me mid-session.

Sound and calls: music sounds great. On calls my voice comes across a little distant, so they are not my first choice for a long conversation.

What annoys me: honestly, nothing. Which is the most boring possible review, and also the most useful one.

All six, side by side

Amazon.ae prices checked on 23 September 2026. Prices on earbuds move almost weekly.

EarbudsPriceFitNoise cancellingBattery
soundcore Sport X20 AED 229 Ear hooks, IP68 sweat and water proof Yes Up to 48 hours with the case
soundcore P20i AED 59 Standard in-ear No Up to 30 hours with the case
soundcore P30i ANC AED 88.99 Standard in-ear Yes Up to 45 hours with the case
soundcore Liberty 4 NC AED 166.99 Standard in-ear Yes, the strong kind Long, with a wireless charging case option
JBL Wave Beam 2 AED 211.57 Standard in-ear Yes, adaptive Long
Apple AirPods 5 AED 549 Open, no rubber tip Yes Good, not class leading

Pair by pair

I own these soundcore Sport X20 earbuds with their charging case.

soundcore Sport X20

AED 229

4.1 stars, 15,674 ratings on Amazon.ae

These are mine. Four months of gym sessions, and the hooks have never let go once.

  • Fit Ear hooks, IP68 sweat and water proof
  • Noise cancelling Yes
  • Battery Up to 48 hours with the case
  • Best for Gym, running, anything that makes you sweat
Check the price on Amazon.ae
Cheapest that is not junk soundcore P20i earbuds with their charging case.

soundcore P20i

AED 59

4.2 stars, 114,409 ratings on Amazon.ae

AED 59 with over a hundred thousand ratings. At this price nothing else is close, and it is the one to buy if you keep losing earbuds.

  • Fit Standard in-ear
  • Noise cancelling No
  • Battery Up to 30 hours with the case
  • Best for A first pair, or a spare pair you will not cry over
Check the price on Amazon.ae
Cheapest with ANC soundcore P30i ANC earbuds with their charging case.

soundcore P30i ANC

AED 88.99

4.3 stars, 41,494 ratings on Amazon.ae

Thirty dirhams more than the P20i buys you noise cancelling. Not the best in the world, but a lot for under AED 90.

  • Fit Standard in-ear
  • Noise cancelling Yes
  • Battery Up to 45 hours with the case
  • Best for Blocking some noise without spending real money
Check the price on Amazon.ae
Best value overall soundcore Liberty 4 NC earbuds with their charging case.

soundcore Liberty 4 NC

AED 166.99

4.3 stars, 27,411 ratings on Amazon.ae

The sweet spot of this whole list. Proper noise cancelling for AED 167, which is a third of what Apple charges.

  • Fit Standard in-ear
  • Noise cancelling Yes, the strong kind
  • Battery Long, with a wireless charging case option
  • Best for Flights, open offices, noisy cafes
Check the price on Amazon.ae
If you want a familiar brand JBL Wave Beam 2 earbuds with their charging case.

JBL Wave Beam 2

AED 211.57

4.4 stars, 1,630 ratings on Amazon.ae

The highest rated pair here. You pay a little extra for the name, and you get the bass JBL is known for.

  • Fit Standard in-ear
  • Noise cancelling Yes, adaptive
  • Battery Long
  • Best for People who trust JBL and want bass
Check the price on Amazon.ae
Only if you have an iPhone Apple AirPods 5 earbuds with their charging case.

Apple AirPods 5

AED 549

You are paying for how smoothly they work with an iPhone, not for the sound. On Android, buy anything else on this page.

  • Fit Open, no rubber tip
  • Noise cancelling Yes
  • Battery Good, not class leading
  • Best for Living inside Apple: instant pairing, switching between devices
Check the price on Amazon.ae

Questions people ask

Are cheap earbuds a waste?

Under AED 40 they usually are. From around AED 59 the big brands start, and the difference between AED 59 and AED 549 is smaller than the price suggests.

Do I need noise cancelling?

On a plane or in an open office, yes. Walking around outside, you will probably turn it off.

Which ones survive the gym?

Look for ear hooks and an IP rating. The X20 is IP68 and has handled four months of gym sweat for me, though I have not tested it outdoors in the summer heat.

AirPods on Android?

They work, but you lose the part you paid for. Buy the Liberty 4 NC instead and keep AED 380.

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