Our top earbuds of 2026 so far: all the buds that wowed us in testing, including budget stunners that deliver stellar sound for under $40 / £30

(Image credit: Future)

We're about to enter the final stretch of 2026, and with the Black Friday sales and the festive season looming on the horizon, it felt like as good a time as any to take stock of the headphones we've tested this year, and what has impressed us most. Because we've tested just so many great headphones so far this year, in this article I've narrowed things down to just the earbuds. Below, you can see all the…