We’ve all seen the rapidly changing pace of the tech industry, but we’re now hearing it, too. Yes, I’m talking about the market ever-competitive market for earbuds, which aren’t just about listening to your favorite playlist anymore. Always-listening smart assistants, email platform compatibility—these are just a couple of the features that are transforming the earbud landscape.

Apple’s AirPods changed the game when they were released in 2016, showing that wireless headphones utilizing Bluetooth technology were the future for the listening space. Since then there’s been an influx of new products to the marketplace, all of them competing for the opportunity to earn your eardrums.

There’s been no shortage of technology updates to common accessories. We’ve got smart watches, health-monitoring bracelets, and even smart glasses on the release docket for 2020. The tech space hasn’t been as much about reinventing the wheel as it was in previous decades, but honing in on improving the day-to-day objects that we keep on our person.

Headphones have come a long way since the veritable cans that used to cover our ears and the wire-framed, foam covered headsets of the past. We’re no longer constrained and tethered by wires if we don’t want to be, with most new smart devices shunning the headphone jack altogether.

That’s made the fight for earbud supremacy one of the more intriguing tech battles to come. In a space where we’ve become accustomed to upgrades to screens and operating systems and physical features, earbuds and headphones are catching eyes (and ears) with digital upgrades and integration with existing smart devices.

It’s the new frontier for tech, and it’s been an exciting one to watch.