Latest upload13:2220K views · 22 Sept 2026
PICKY
BY DESIGN.
James — the ears behind Picky Audio
133K subscribers · 601 video reviews
Earbuds, headphones and speaker reviews with an honest, picky approach. This is the written home of the Picky Audio channel: every video, distilled into reviews you can search, skim and trust.
Latest verdicts
NEW! Anker Soundcore Lineup: AeroClip 2, Space 2 Pro and Liberty Buds 2EarFun Wave Pro X Review: 81.7/100 With a Standout Parametric EQ — 82.2/100 — #15Sennheiser Momentum 5 TWS Review: Great Sound, Tough Competition — 87/100 — #7 of 67AirPods 5 Announced: Swipe Controls Are the Upgrade I WantedDenon DP-500BT turntable and Denon Home 400 reviewSennheiser Momentum 5 review: scored in 10 categories — 88.9/100 — #4CMF Clip Pro review: comfort, controls and sound — 87.4/100 — #4 of 46Shokz OpenDots 2 vs OpenDots Air: ranked and scored
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Latest upload13:22
Method · Tools · Results
Inside
the score.
The method, the spreadsheets, and the ranked results — together in one place.
Consistent · Weighted · Comparable
How I score
Every set of earbuds and headphones is scored across ten categories for a total out of 100, then weighted so the things that matter most count for more.
Ten categories, every time
Each review type is scored across the same ten categories, out of ten each. That gives every product a total score out of 100, and two products of the same type are always judged on the same terms.
Weighted for what matters
Those scores go into a spreadsheet that multiplies the categories that matter more. Sound quality counts ten times over; call quality, battery, controls and noise cancelling count five — and the total is rescaled so it stays out of 100.
Ranked against everything else
Because the scoring is consistent, any product can be compared against previous generations, its strongest competitors, or a cheaper alternative — at any price.
Speakers work differently. Speaker reviews have no scoring system. Each one is still tested vigorously, with a range of sound samples compared against speakers of a similar price or size. See how it all works.
The data behind the scores
Every score, in a spreadsheet
We all have slightly different preferences. Change the importance of any category and its weight updates across every product, so the spreadsheet builds a new ranking around what you actually care about.
- Downloads
- 210,000+downloads
- Spreadsheets
- 12spreadsheets
Scored · Ranked · Side by side
The leaderboard
The highest scores on the site, each one on the scale it was given.
- 92.70/100
Sony 1000X Collexion review: my scores and final ranking
- 91.20/100
HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 5 Review: My New Top-Ranked Earbuds
- 90.70/100
Sony WF-1000XM6 Review: Sony Finally Fixed My XM5 Complaints
- 90.00/100
Baseus Bowie MC2 review: amazing sound for the price
- 89.50/100
AirPods Max 2 review: ranked against 30 headphones
Each measure is a score as a share of its own maximum — which is how a 9.5/10 and a 95/100 land in the same place.
Browse the archive
Find your sound
Every written review, organised by the kind of listening it was made for.
Who gets tested
Every brand on the bench
From flagship over-ears to budget buds, these are the makers whose gear ends up on the bench. Pick a name to read every review of it.
Searchable · Skimmable · Honest