Smule (formerly Sing!) is a popular singing app for iOS and Android smartphones that offers several social features such as the ability for singers to quickly record and share their performances via audio and videos; While being able to add several sound effects to their voices, as well.
However, to achieve a great result, you must have a pair of headphones with great sound quality, easy connectivity technology, and, above all, a good built-in microphone. Fortunately, it is not so expensive to find a superb unit at a great price, since there are options for all kinds of budgets.
In this article, we are going to show you the best headphones for Smule, as well as pick our favorites across three different categories: overall best, best earbuds, and best budget option. We are also going to give you some tips and tricks on how you can improve your Smule performances. Keep tuned to learn more.
Tip: Also check our Best Headphones for Big Heads and Best Headphones for Small Heads articles to check out the best models for your anatomy.
We Tested 9 Products and Found the Bose 700 to be The Best Headphones for Smule
The Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) and the Sony WH-CH510 Were Our Best Earbuds and Best Budget Headphones Choices, Respectively
Best Headphone for Smule in our Tests
Table of Contents
- Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)
- Bose SoundSport
- HyperX Cloud II
- Bose 700
- Beats Solo3
- Sony WH-CH510
- Beats EP
- Sony WH-1000XM4
- Jabra Elite Active 75t
1. Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)
The Apple AirPods needs no introduction. They’re made by one of the most famous companies in the world, after all. Even though they’re not the most affordable pair, they offer a great balance between compactness and sound quality. Plus, if you have an iOS device, they will work seamlessly with your smartphone.
Product Specifications
- In-Ear Earbuds
- Bluetooth
- Includes Charging Case
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- One of the most compact earbuds on the list. The charging case is pretty convenient as well since you can take them with you anywhere you go without worrying about losing them.
- Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking technology.
- They’re pretty resistant to water and sweat.
- Adaptive EQ technology.
- Improved connectivity with Apple devices.
- Impressive build quality and overall great-looking design.
- Superb built-in microphone with great cancellation of background noise.
- Superfast charging: 5 minutes in the charging case provides 1 hour of battery life.
- Up to 6 hours of playback and 30 hours battery life with the charging case.
Cons
- May not be 100% compatible with non-Apple devices.
Conclusion
The Apple AirPods are the standard choice for many fans of the brand. One of the greatest things about is that, if you already own a device from the manufacturer such as the iPhone and the iPad, the connection and the communication between the products will be seamless. This is one of the best qualities of Apple, in our opinion.
The built-in microphone is pretty decent and can block a whole lot of background noise. There are some great features for music listening as well.
2. Bose SoundSport
The Bose Soundsport Bluetooth earbuds have excellent sound quality and are built to last, as this product has its focus primarily on athletes: you can expect these to be very resistant to weather and sweat. Nonetheless, it also packs in a great built-in microphone with loud and detailed sound and minimum audio delay.
Product Specifications
- In-Ear Headphones
- Bluetooth
- Carrying Case Included
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Bose active EQ technology.
- Extremely weather and sweat resistant.
- The earbuds are extra-secure in your ears due to the exclusive rubber ear tips.
- Bluetooth and NFC pairing.
- High quality and easy to reach inline microphone.
- Unlike Bluetooth models without a cable between the earbuds, with the Bose SoundSport, you can control how close or far you want to be from the microphone, therefore giving you a different sound.
- Bose Connect App for quickly controlling things such as EQ and volume.
- Can be paired with the Tile App for whenever you need to know where your Bose SoundSport earbuds are.
Cons
- No charging case.
Conclusion
The Bose SoundSport is for those singers who also like to get active. With a loud and clear sound and a superb built-in microphone that can be easily reached, these in-ear headphones will work for Smule just fine. The only thing we didn’t like was that it doesn’t come with a charging case.
3. HyperX Cloud II
The HyperX Cloud II are actually gaming headphones, but they also offer an immersive listening experience and a good quality headset mic. The pair is very comfortable to wear for prolonged listening/recording sessions and has a passive noise cancellation feature.
Product Specifications
- Over-Ear Headphones
- Wired
- Closed Back
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- The built-in microphone can easily be positioned wherever you prefer them to be, as they are mounted in the ear cups. This can help you achieve the best sound quality possible.
- The microphone quality is pretty good and they sound very clear.
- Comfort is one of the best qualities of the HyperX Cloud II. They have extra-thick foam ear pads and a cushioned headband. You can wear them for hours and hours.
- 7.1 simulated surround sound on PC and Mac.
- Built-in advanced audio control box. You can easily change the volume of your microphone, mute it or change the audio volume directly via the built-in controller on the cable.
- The microphone is detachable.
- High definition bass frequencies.
Cons
- Can feel bulky for people with smaller heads.
Conclusion
A great pair for a great price: by the time this article was written, the HyperX Cloud II was priced at around $80, a quite affordable value considering all of the features packed inside these headphones. The comfort, extra cushions, and the detachable, free-moving built-in microphone are probably among our favorite features.
If you’re also a gamer, the headphone’s simulated surround sound is also an interesting feature. This pair will work best for those with a larger head, though. For people with smaller heads, it can feel a little bulky since the pair is very big.
4. Bose 700
We reviewed the Bose 700 in other product roundups and, in our opinion, it is without a doubt one of the best Bluetooth headphones in the market. While on the more expensive side, they offer unmatched quality, design, and comfort.
Product Specifications
- Over-Ear Headphones
- Bluetooth
- Closed Back
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Just by looking at it, you can see that Bose really went one step ahead with the design of these headphones.
- There are 8 microphones in this unit. You haven’t heard it wrong. 6 are for the active noise cancellation feature and 2 for voice.
- The best noise-canceling technology among high-end headphones.
- Audio quality-wise, this pair is really impressive.
- The building quality and the components are very sturdy and built to last.
- There are built-in controls conveniently placed on the ear cups so you can control things like volume without touching your smartphone.
- Adjustable vertical sliders on the ear cups.
- The Bose Music App will let you change a few things such as turn the active noise cancellation on and off.
- 20 hours of battery life.
Cons
- None particularly concerning.
Conclusion
The Bose 700 is one of the best noise-canceling headphones with Bluetooth technology on the market. We are really surprised by the impressive sound quality. With its dual built-in microphones for voice, plus 6 to suppress noise, it will work wonders for recording with Smule. However, the price is a bit expensive for most budgets.
5. Beats Solo3
You probably have heard about Beats before. The company is famous, particularly for the bass response of their headphones. So, if you like to sing bass heavy music genres like hip hop and some styles of pop, this pair is for you.
Product Specifications
- On-Ear Headphones
- Bluetooth
- Closed Back
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Like said before, the bass response on the Beats Solo3 is extremely great.
- The cushioned ear cups are adjustable and will fit most head sizes.
- 100% compatible with Apple devices and optimized performance.
- Fine-tuned audio acoustics that provides an immersive sound.
- Passive noise-canceling technology.
- Available in a wide range of color options.
- Built-in controls on the ear cups that are easy to reach.
- Extremely fast charging.
- The battery life on these is impressive: up to 40 hours of listening time.
Cons
- More fragile than other options on the list.
Conclusion
A great pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones, particularly for those fans of bass-heavy music genres. This pair has one of the longest battery life capacities that we’ve ever seen: up to 40 hours of playback. The charging time is pretty fast too: with 5 minutes of charging, you get up to 3 hours of use.
While the pair doesn’t have an active noise cancelation feature, it still does a great job at blocking external noise with its closed-back design. With premium sound quality, pleasant bass, and being highly versatile, you can’t go wrong with the Beats Solo3.
6. Sony WH-CH510
The Sony WH-CH510 is a great pair of quality headphones for an affordable price. By the time this article was written, it was priced around $40, but it frequently goes on sale so keep an eye out for those. Nonetheless, the product offers an advanced microphone system that will work well with Smule.
Product Specifications
- On-Ear Headphones
- Bluetooth
- Closed Back
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- The most affordable option on the list, it is the best option among headphones for Smule on a budget.
- Available in 3 colors.
- The sound quality is pretty impressive for the price.
- The compact size and lightweight design make them optimal for people with smaller heads.
- The swiveling design makes it easier to store and care for these wireless headphones with you.
- For the price that’s being charged, the battery life is insane: up to 35 hours. The model doesn’t offer a quick charge feature though.
- Pretty good build quality and materials.
Cons
- The noise-canceling technology on these is not as good as on other models.
Conclusion
A great quality headphones pair for Smule, the Sony WH-CH510 are a good choice for those on a budget. It has one of the most affordable prices on the list, and for all the features that it offers, we think that the value is pretty fair.
Sound quality-wise, it may not perform as well as some other headphones on the list, especially on the bass response, but it still does a pretty impressive job for the price. The built-in mic has a great performance.
7. No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
Another option from the brand, the Beats EP is their entry-level headphones. It has a wired design with a built-in microphone on the cable. Like we mentioned before, this kind of design is great if you like to hold your mic while recording or test different positionings to improve or change your sound; Something that is not possible with most wireless headphones.
Product Specifications
- On-Ear Headphones
- Wired
- Closed Back
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- The RemoteTalk cable has a quality built-in microphone.
- The design is very lightweight and will fit most head sizes perfectly, but it is especially comfortable for those with smaller ones.
- We like the material that Beats uses on their ear pads. These seem incredibly high quality while maintaining the comfort factor.
- Beats headphones come with the optional AppleCare+ service. For an extra charge, you will receive a 2-year coverage against accidental damage and other incidents.
- The body of the headphones is made of stainless steel.
- Great bass response, particularly good for those who listen and record bass heavy music genres.
Cons
- No active noise cancellation.
Conclusion
The Beats EP is great at what it proposes. It does have a high-quality sound, particularly focused on the bass response. The wired design, as we talked about earlier, is great for those who like to hold their microphone while recording.
The lack of active noise cancellation on these over-ear headphone pairs, however, will not give the most immersive sound experience when recording in places with high ambient noise. Nonetheless, they do offer passive isolation technology.
8. Sony WH-1000XM4
This is one of the flagship wireless headphones models from Sony so you can expect nothing but great quality from them. This particular product has superb sound and 5 built-in microphones with advanced audio signal processing. Your recordings will sound as clear as they can be.
Product Specifications
- Over-Ear Headphones
- Bluetooth
- Closed-Back
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Like said before, there are 5 built-in microphones in these Bluetooth headphones. They work both for the active noise reduction technology and for clearly capturing your voice.
- Available in 3 colors.
- Multiple pairing connectivity technologies. You can change the connection from your smartphone to your laptop, for example, at the touch of a button.
- Touch-sensor controls built-in on the headphones.
- This headphone has a few interesting technologies for daily usage, such as the wearing detection, which automatically pauses playback when you take them off, and the speak-to-chat feature, which will automatically reduce the volume of your songs while you’re speaking.
- With the Sony Headphones Connect App feature, you can change things such as the amount of noise cancellation and achieve an enhanced audio performance.
- 30 hours of battery life.
- One of the best fast charging capabilities in the category: 10 minutes charge for 5 hours of playback.
Cons
- High price.
Conclusion
This Sony headphone delivers incredible sound and the microphone technology, with 5 built-in microphones for noise cancellation and capturing/recording, is one of the best on the list. This is on the more expensive side since the price, by the time this article was written, was around $350, but you get what you pay for.
Honestly, it was hard to pick our favorite between these and the Bose 700 headphones. Both units perform so well, especially when it comes to noise cancellation and the built-in microphone quality.
9. Jabra Elite Active 75t
Our last product on the list is a pair of in-ear headphones: the Jabra Elite Active 75t. Jabra products have been really surprising us regarding sound quality. This particular pair has one of the best battery life capacities among Bluetooth earbuds: up to 24 hours of playback. This is pretty impressive.
Product Specifications
- In-Ear Earbuds
- Bluetooth
- Includes Charging Case
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- The Jabra Elite Active 75t has 4 built-in microphones with high-quality sound.
- These earbuds are made with fitness in mind, so if you have an active lifestyle these will be very versatile for you. They are extremely resistant to weather and sweat.
- Complete noise-canceling technology with active processing; Can block even the loudest noises.
- With the Jabra Sound Plus App, you can control a few parameters of these earbuds and activate the My Sound technology, which will create a sound profile especially tailored for you.
- These have an impressive build quality. Looks very durable.
- One of the best battery life capacities among earbuds: up to 24 hours of playback.
Cons
- None that we found.
Conclusion
We like the Jabra Elite Active 75t, particularly due to the 4 built-in microphones which will give better sound quality to your Smule recordings. These Smule headphones have a great battery life: up to 24 hours. We haven’t seen any other earbuds with this much capability.
If, apart from singing, you also have an active lifestyle and practice lots of sports, these are the optimal pair: they are extremely resistant to weather and sweat and are very durable.
What to Look for When Choosing a Headphone for Smule
Before we head on to our top picks, we would like to list a few things you should keep in mind when shopping for the best headphones for Smule. These range to, obviously, a good quality built-in microphone to the level of comfort while using it.
High-Quality Built-In Microphone
If you think that built-in microphones are the same on every pair of headphones, that’s not the case. Some pairs like the Bose 700, for example, have improved technology: 8 mics, being 6 for active noise cancellation and 2 for recording and capturing, therefore improving your voice sound.
There are also different advantages depending on the type of built-in microphone the model you choose has. Pairs where the mic is in the cable like the Bose SoundSport, or built-in on the ear cups, like the HyperX Cloud II, allow you to position it closer or farther from your mouth, therefore helping you achieve the best sound quality possible.
Comfort
If you spend long hours on recording sessions for Smule, you need a pair of headphones that are comfortable enough. All of the options on the list take the comfort factor very seriously and will fit a wide range of head sizes. But, keep in mind that some models are better for people with larger or smaller heads, depending on their overall size and adjusting options.
Versatility
Most people want a pair of headphones that can both be used for Smule and for other activities such as your daily routine, sports, and gaming. We took that into account when selecting the products on this list and each one of them will suit a different lifestyle. Keep that in mind when making your choice.
Over-Ear vs On-Ear vs In-Ear
Larger headphones usually come in two designs: over-ear and on-ear. Smaller, more compact options are usually in-ear. The reason we included this point among the factors you should keep in mind is that depending on the design of your pair, it will affect how you hear your own voice and can be an advantage to your performance.
This is largely a matter of preference. Some people like to hear their voice naturally while singing and, if that’s your case, on-ear pairs will give you a better performance. Over-ear and in-ear headphones, on the other hand, tend to emphasize the vibrations that your voice causes on your body a lot due to their improved isolation properties.
Noise Cancellation
The vast majority of headphones nowadays offer some kind of noise cancellation technology, be it passive or active. Passive isolation will rely on the design of the headphone to isolate yourself from external noises; Active isolation, on the other hand, will use a series of built-in microphones to make complex calculations and give you the most immersive sound possible.
The amount of noise cancellation will vary greatly from pair to pair, so it is a matter of choosing which one is best for your daily usage. The feature will also affect how much you will hear yourself naturally, so keep that in mind.
Tips to Achieve a Better Recording Quality
As an extra, here are some tips you can follow to achieve better quality in your recording sessions for Smule.
- Record in a quiet environment, away from any ambient noise or distractions.
- If your headphone model allows it, try holding the microphone in different positions to see if you get a better sound. A great tip is to hold the mic slightly off-axis in relation to your mouth so as to prevent plosives, sibilance, and occasional popping noise.
- Use the audio effects provided by Smule wisely. If you’re singing a fast song, for example, it probably will sound a bit muddy if you wash your voice in reverb.
- Turn off all your phone notifications and put it into quiet mode.
- If you’re holding your microphone, be aware of any physical noises.
Conclusion
In our best headphones for Smule list, we reviewed 9 great products that span across different categories: wireless pairs, wired ones, etc. Sure, the use for recording with Smule was the primary concern on our reviews, but we also considered that most users will want, as well, to use their headphones for different activities such as music listening and practicing sports.
That’s why, even though all of the models on the list will perform well when used for singing and Smule, you may prefer one option over another depending on your lifestyle. Definitely keep that in mind when choosing the best pair for you. Without further ado, let’s look at our top picks.
Bose 700 – Overall Best Headphones for Smule
There are 8 built-in microphones in these Bose headphones. This means you will get a superb audio recording quality with them. The Bose 700 is also one of the most versatile pairs we’ve ever reviewed and will work wonders for daily usage. It also has perfect noise-canceling power.
Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) – Best Earbuds for Smule
If you’re looking for a compact option that will work wonders with Apple devices, you can’t go wrong with the AirPods. Although small, these provide one of the best experiences regarding earbuds’ built-in microphones.
Sony WH-CH510 – Best Budget Headphones for Smule
The Sony WH-CH510 is an honest pair at an affordable price. They have impressive sound quality for the value being charged and, most importantly, a high-quality built-in microphone. These are the best budget headphones for Smule.
How to Buy
You can find the link to each product on their respective titles on the list. We hope our best headphones for Smule article was helpful. Be sure to check our related guides about the subject. We wish you a great recording session!
Ian Sniesko is an experienced music producer and musician who loves to share his knowledge about the best audio equipment for making and enjoying great music. For the past 6 years, Ian has written extensively about the audio equipment industry and has contributed to many of the top music magazines.