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Everyone Should Have Exactly Three Pairs of Headphones. These Are My Picks

For everyday use, exercising and lengthy listening time, three is the perfect number for a headphones and earbuds collection. Let me explain.

When most people ask you what your «big three» are, they’re likely inquiring about your sun, moon and rising signs. But when I ask you the same question, I’m not trying to determine your horoscope. Instead, I’m curious what your headphones and earbuds collection looks like.

After more than a decade working as a technology journalist, I’m in the fortunate position of having what most people would consider to be too much tech in my house. I make a real effort to keep it to a minimum and try not to accumulate any superfluous gadgets. But with headphones, I’ve reached the conclusion that everyone needs at least three pairs. No matter how hard I’ve tried, I can’t pare this number back.

See also: Best Earbud and Headphone Deals: Bag Big Savings on Models From Apple, Sony and Others

First, there are the everyday earbuds. These are the ones that can slide into your smallest bag or your pocket and travel everywhere with you — on your commute, on your errands and on shopping trips.

Second, there are the over-ear, luxury headphones. These need to have that heady combo of great noise cancellation, audio quality and battery life, combined with a level of comfort that means you could easily wear them for an entire long-haul travel day.

Finally, if you’re serious about fitness, you need dedicated workout headphones. Could you wear either of the above pairs to go on a long run? Sure, and plenty of people do. But for the sake of longevity and your sanity, having a sweat-proof, durable pair of headphones that won’t budge may save your sanity in the short term and save you money in the long run.

If you’re trying to make one pair of headphones work in every scenario, you might feel frustrated that none are able to truly deliver the experience you want across the board. This is where my theory comes into play. It really doesn’t matter which headphones you choose for each of these purposes but I do believe they are distinct categories with little crossover.

And what are my big three? They may not be the same as yours but these are the headphones I absolutely can’t live without right now.

My everyday earbuds: OnePlus Buds 3

I will die on the hill that you shouldn’t spend more than $100 on your everyday earbuds — the kind that you will drop, accidentally bash and at some point, inevitably, lose. So much about buds comes down to personal preference on how they actually feel when tucked inside your ears.

Personally, I’ve settled on the OnePlus Buds 3, which list right at $100. They’re aesthetically pleasing in a pale blue that matches my preferred fashion color palette, and I find them to be supremely comfortable. I’ve been using them for a good six months and I don’t have any of the usual niggles I have with earbuds — by which I mean they don’t fall out of my ears or have any random, weird sound glitches.

Soundwise, I enjoy the heavy bass and find the ANC to suit my needs as a frequent traveler on public transportation. With 10 hours of battery life, plus an additional 44 in the case, these buds have never let me down. They’re not necessarily anything special but I keep reaching for them even though I have other options at my disposal.

My luxury over-ear headphones: Dali IO-8

At the other end of the spectrum, my favorite luxury headphones have transformed my longest travel days into periods of prolonged sonic bliss. I wear the Dali IO-8 headphones through airports, on plane journeys, all the way through to checking into my hotel. They also come with me on my daily hot girl walks. 

With 30 hours of battery life and decent ANC, they allow me to move through the world in my own little bubble. Not only are they truly the most luxurious and comfortable headphones I’ve ever used, they also provide me with glorious sound.

You can switch between two modes: hi-fi and bass. I usually stick with the former. No matter whether I’m immersed in an audiobook, bopping away to Paramore, spacing out to Sigur Ros or getting lost once again in the depths of Taylor Swift’s back catalog, the $1,100 Dali IO-8s deliver.

My workout headphones: Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

There’s no two ways about it: I’ve tried other workout headphones and I keep coming back to Beats. I’ve been known to tie up my running shoes and be halfway out the door, then calling the whole run off because I can’t find my Powerbeats.

I’ve been a fan since the earliest Powerbeats model but the latest Powerbeats Pro 2, priced at $249, are my favorite workout headphones yet. Once in, they simultaneously feel glued to my head with a tight seal in my ear, while also being so light and comfortable I forget they’re there. This is an essential combination when you’re exercising, as the last thing you want to do is deal with any discomfort or annoyance that might distract from your workout.

CNET’s resident audio expert, David Carnoy, rated the Powerbeats Pro 2 an 8.8 out of 10, noting the improved sound quality and good noise canceling. As someone who’s long been a fan of this line, I have to agree and I’d go so far as to say this latest upgrade has made running to my favorite high-energy tracks more enjoyable than ever.

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Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge Is Down to Just $730 Today and It’s a Low-Profile Powerhouse

The Galaxy S25 Edge is down from $1,220 — a 40% savings on Samsung’s sleekest, slimmest phone yet.

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is built for people who want it all — a powerful camera, a sleek design and AI features that actually make life easier. From finding your favorite photo with a voice command to capturing stunning night video, this phone blends performance and personality in a titanium frame that’s as tough as it is beautiful.

Amazon has dropped the price of the Galaxy S25 Edge to just $730 — a 40% discount off its $1,220 list price. This is an excellent deal, but it could end at any time, so we suggest making your order sooner rather than later.

The Galaxy S25 Edge is fast. It has a 6.7-inch QHD Plus ProScaler display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, powered by a Snapdragon processor and paired with 12GB of RAM. It has 512GB of storage, which gives you plenty of room for high-res photos and 4K video, especially with its 200-megapixel rear camera and AI-enhanced selfie system.

Samsung’s Night Video mode helps you capture crisp footage in low light, while AI tools clean up background noise and even help you find specific photos by description. The virtual assistant can handle multistep tasks like searching for a restaurant and texting a friend — all in one ask.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

The titanium body is ultra-slim yet durable, with Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 for added toughness. And with Android 15 and One UI 7, you’ll get the latest software features and customization options.

For more Android savings, check out our best Galaxy S25 deals and top phone discounts.

MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

This is one of the best prices we’ve seen on Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, and it’s packed with premium features like a 200MP camera, AI-powered search and editing and a titanium build. If you’ve been waiting for a flagship phone that’s smart, stylish and seriously discounted, this is one of the most tempting Android deals this season.

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Technologies

Nothing’s Signature Transparent Design Is Coming to a New Budget Phone This Week

Do you love the design of Nothing’s phones, but dislike the price? The Nothing 3A Lite might be the perfect device for you.

British tech company Nothing is best known for its retro-inspired transparent technology design, but it’s never been the most affordable option on the market. That looks set to change this week, with the company set to unveil the Nothing 3A Lite on Wednesday.

Nothing says that this will be its first entry-level smartphone, and it will incorporate the transparent design elements seen across the company’s range of phones and headphones. We’ve been given our first glimpse of what looks like the back panel of the phone in a photo from Nothing, but we’ll have to wait until Wednesday at 1 p.m. GMT for the full reveal.

The addition of the 3A Lite to Nothing’s phone lineup follows on from the launch of the Nothing Phone 3 (the company’s «first, true flagship») this summer, and the mid-range 3A and 3A Pro back in the spring. For the first time, the company will offer smartphones that range from budget to high-end in price, meaning that there should be something for everyone.

The Nothing Phone 3A Lite is an «interesting prospect,» said CNET Editor at Large Andrew Lanxon, who reviewed the all three of the existing phones in the 3 series. «Nothing’s phones are already budget-focused, with the existing Phone 3A coming with a low to midrange price tag,» he said. «I’ll be keen to see just how much cheaper Nothing can make its phones, while still offering a pleasant everyday user experience.

«Crucially, they should still offer long software support periods to increase the shelf life — and thereby reduce the overall carbon footprint,» he added. «Value should not come at the expense of longevity»

Nothing currently offers six years of Android support with the Nothing Phone 3, which falls short of the seven years Google offers with its latest Pixel phones. The company alsorecently  killed off its flashy Glyph interface — I personally think the replacement is better — and has increasingly been emphasizing its original use of AI as a selling point for its phones.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 27, #603

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 27, No. 603.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is fun, but some of the answers are long and quite tough to unscramble.. So if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Witch way?

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: What Harry Potter finds out he is.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

  • CARD, DINT, RANT, MULE, MALE, HARM, MALT, TALE, TINT, CANT, ROAD

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

  • WAND, CHARM, AMULET, POTION, INCANTATION, CAULDRON.

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is WIZARDRY. To find it, look for the W that’s three letters to the right on the top row, and wind down.

Quick tips for Strands

#1: To get more clue words, see if you can tweak the words you’ve already found, by adding an «S» or other variants. And if you find a word like WILL, see if other letters are close enough to help you make SILL, or BILL.

#2: Once you get one theme word, look at the puzzle to see if you can spot other related words.

#3: If you’ve been given the letters for a theme word, but can’t figure it out, guess three more clue words, and the puzzle will light up each letter in order, revealing the word.

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