How benchmarksutra rates earbuds and headphones: maker-stated specs and Indian prices only, nothing guessed.
Quick Verdict
The benchmarksutra Audio Score rates 19 earbuds and headphones sold in India. Every spec comes from the maker's own product page, and every price from an Indian retailer's listing. We never use test results from other sites, and we never fill a gap with a guess.
Researched, not hands-on tested. Scores use only the specifications on each maker's own product page (checked 14 November 2026) and prices at Indian retailers (checked 14 November 2026). We did not test these earbuds and headphones ourselves. How the benchmarksutra Audio Score works.
What we rate
Battery life. Longest total playback the maker states (with the case for earbuds). Earbuds: 20 h rates 0, 60 h or more 100. Over-ear: 30 h rates 0, 80 h 100. Neckbands: 15 h rates 0, 50 h 100.
Active noise cancelling. Active noise cancelling named by the maker: yes 100, no 0. We do not rate the "up to X dB" figures, because makers measure them in different ways.
Hi-res codec. A hi-res Bluetooth codec named by the maker (LDAC, LHDC, aptX Adaptive/Lossless or Samsung Seamless Codec): yes 100; not named counts as no.
Water resistance. Water and sweat rating the maker states: IPX4 50, IPX5 70, IPX6 85, IPX7 100. Not stated means the row is left out.
Multipoint (two devices). Multipoint or dual pairing (connected to two devices at once) named by the maker: yes 100. Not stated means the row is left out.
Bluetooth version. Bluetooth version: 5.0 rates 0, 6.0 or later 100.
Price. Lowest price we found, against the cheapest pair of the same type (earbuds, over-ear or neckband).
Buyer profiles
What we checked
We read each maker's own product or specification page for battery life, active noise cancelling, Bluetooth codecs, water resistance, multipoint and Bluetooth version. Retail listings are used only for the price. ANC and hi-res codecs count as "no" unless named; other missing rows are left out and the weights re-spread. A pair is ranked only if its maker states at least 5 of the 7 rated specs. Battery is scored against pairs of the same type, because over-ear headphones hold far bigger batteries than earbuds.
What we do not rate
Sound quality, how well the noise cancelling actually works, call quality and fit need listening tests. We do not run them and we do not use other sites' results. The "up to X dB" ANC figures are shown as the maker states them but are not scored.
Price vs score
What the score does not measure
Sound quality and tuning.
Real-world noise cancelling and call quality.
Comfort and fit.
Battery life at your volume (makers usually test at 50–60%).
What we left out, and why
Reason | Products |
|---|---|
Maker states fewer than 5 of the 7 rated specs | 1 |
Maker page did not load | 1 |
Maker page shows no specifications | 1 |
No maker page found for this exact model | 1 |
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Prices change frequently. The prices on this page were correct when we wrote and checked it, but they may have changed by the time you read this. Check the current price on the retailer's page before you buy.
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