Best cheap headphones and earbuds 2024: Soundcore, Beats, and others

Not every pair of headphones or earbuds has to cost over $200.

Yes, the fancy, expensive flagship models from brands like Bose, Sony, and Apple get a lot of attention, but the truth is that you can absolutely get great sound, comfort, and convenient features without spending more than $100 if you shop carefully. That’s where we come in.

We’ve compiled a list of the best cheap earbuds and headphones that will cost you less than a nice dinner for two, yet they deliver the most sought-after qualities of much more expensive models.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

Best overall budget earbuds

When you’re buying a pair of midtier wireless earbuds, it’s shocking to think you can get away with spending less than $100 for something as comfortable and awesome-sounding as the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. But once in awhile, audio companies can deliver some big surprises, and such is the case with our choice for the best overall cheap earbuds.

Soundcore’s Liberty 4 NC checks all the boxes for what most folks are going to want from a set of cheap wireless buds, including intuitive controls, amazing noise-canceling for the price, Bluetooth Multipoint, a comfortable fit, and a user-friendly app you can use to adjust various settings and fine-tune the performance of your Liberty 4 NC.

These wireless buds certainly don’t underperform in any way, especially when it comes to overall sound quality. The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC bring bright and detailed mids and highs, with punchy bass to fill out the low end. And if you want to make any adjustments, you’ll be able to cycle through different audio presets with the Soundcore app. While they’re lacking the kind of Qualcomm aptX-powered performance that products like the Tranya Nova Hybrid brings to the table, let’s just say that the inclusion of Sony LDAC certainly doesn’t hurt.

These earbuds are also great when it comes to battery life, with up to eight hours of listening when ANC is enabled, and up to 40 hours when you add in the charging case. They may be lacking some of the more advanced features of higher-priced headphones or earbuds, but if you’re looking for a nice way to save some dough without compromising audio, the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are supremely good.

And for those who’d prefer a full in-ear experience, as opposed to the stem-like design of the Liberty 4 NC, the Jabra Elite 4 represent an honorable mention you’d don’t want miss. These earbuds fit like a glove and deliver top-shelf audio quality, all for a relatively low price.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

Best overall budget earbuds

SoundCore Space A40

Another excellent budget all-rounder

Budget true wireless earbuds typically have to sacrifice something to get the price under $100, often sound quality, noise cancellation, or battery life. The SpaceA40 is impressive because of just how little it gives up, making it the perfect choice for those who love true wireless but would like to save some money when they buy. And unlike some true wireless buds, this pair is particularly comfortable and likely to fit well in all kinds of ears.

You won’t be sacrificing much sound, either: Soundcore’s earbuds have a full-frequency response with a HearID tuning process that helps tweak the EQ (which comes with an impressive number of presets on its own). The result isn’t perfect, but it’s deeply impressive at this price range, and Android users will appreciate the LDAC support, too.

Plus, the Space A40 offers more effective ANC than our previous pick, the JLaB Epic Air (one of our only complaints about those buds), with easy mode-switching using the touch controls and a surprisingly good transparency mode. Unfortunately, there’s no wear sensor here, that handy feature that automatically pauses music when you pop off one of the earbuds.

While we praised the remarkable battery life of the Epic Air, the Space A40 once again goes above and beyond, sporting up to 10 hours of playtime for a single charge, making a total of 50 hours with the charging case (with ANC off). Even when powering ANC and other features, they still grind out around five hours per charge, which is what the AirPods Pro top out at.

SoundCore Space A40

Another excellent budget all-rounder

1More SonoFlow

Best overall cheap wireless headphones

Getting decent sound from a set of $100 wireless headphones is easier than ever, and we’ve featured several models in this category over time. But it’s incredible just how much 1More manages to pack into these headphones while still keeping the price so low. That includes features that were relegated to high-end models just a few years ago, such as a solid ANC and transparency mode, plus a wide range of app capabilities from presets and EQ customization to features like connecting two devices wirelessly at the same time. 

Of course, sound quality also impresses here, thanks to some 40mm drivers that are competitive with significantly more expensive headphones like the Soundcore Space Q45. There’s also support for Sony’s hi-res LDAC, although access to it may be limited for some (such as iPhone users). 

Then there’s the battery life, which clocks in at an amazing 50 hours with ANC on, and up to 70 hours with it turned off. That’s very impressive for wireless headphones, well-suited for multiple days of playback without needing to worry about finding time to recharge.

1More SonoFlow

Best overall cheap wireless headphones

1More Triple Driver

Best wired earbuds under $100

Chinese company 1More’s Triple Driver earbuds manage to deliver all the features of a high-end set of in-ear headphones at an affordable price and in a package that looks and feels premium. Frankly, they make other headphones seem outrageously overpriced.

The Triple Drivers deliver clear, quality high frequencies, with 1More claiming a 40kHz maximum range on these puppies, as well as balanced-yet-weighty bass that is comfortably present and never overwhelms the rest of the mix. That also lets you enjoy the sweet performance of the midrange and treble drivers above for a one-two-three punch of excellent sound.

The build quality is another noteworthy aspect of these headphones. The Triple Drivers have durable aluminum alloy casings that gleam with a coppery, sandblasted finish, while the cable is wrapped in triple-braided Kevlar — seriously high-class materials for headphones in this price range. You’ll also get a snazzy carrying case with your purchase, too. These headphones also feature an in-line mic and triple button controls, letting you take phone calls and control playback without needing to take your phone out of your pocket. There’s really no excuse for these to not be your mainstay earbuds.

For such a high-quality listening experience, it’s almost a shock that these earbuds are often offered well under the $100 price range. The 1More Triple Driver boast both material and performance benchmarks we’d expect from headphones that cost twice as much or more. For those with a shiny new iPhone, there’s even a Lightning version available for a slightly higher price and a wireless version as well. There are very few ways to get better sound at this price point anywhere on the market, period.

1More Triple Driver

Best wired earbuds under $100

Beats Solo Buds

Best cheap earbuds for Apple fans

Not long ago, the only way you were going to get a set of Beats headphones for less than $100 would be if you found them on sale.

The Solo Buds are Beats’ first fully wireless earbuds to break that price barrier, clocking in at just $80. Much has been cut from the feature list in order to hit that price, so be sure you can live without conveniences like wireless charging, active noise cancellation, and transparency mode – they’re all absent on the Solo Buds.

However, Beats makes sure that the basics are covered. Sound quality is very good – just as good, in fact, as the Beats Studio Buds+, which cost more than twice as much.

Comfort is also excellent, as is call quality. You even get one of the smallest carrying cases in the wireless earbuds world. It’s truly tiny. However, that size was achieved by eliminating the case’s battery.

This means that when the earbuds die, you’ll need to plug the case into power to charge them – the case can’t charge the buds on its own.

Still, with a massive 18-hour claimed battery life on the earbuds themselves, you may never notice that the case doesn’t have a built-in battery.

Want to save even more money on a Beats product? The company still sells (for now) the $50 Beats Flex. They’re connected via a behind-the-neck wire, but they’re a great value from a brand that people love.

Beats Solo Buds

Best cheap earbuds for Apple fans

Amazon Echo Buds 2023

A price that’s tough to beat

Anything we say about the 2023 version of the Amazon Echo Buds has to be said in the context of price. Sure, there’s no active noise cancellation. There’s no wireless charging. There’s no Bluetooth multipoint or spatial audio or transparency modes or …

What you get here is a solid set of $50 earbuds that you likely will be able to get for even less given Amazon’s proclivity for sales prices. You get earbuds that sound good enough for typical situations in which you don’t care that they don’t have ANC. They’re the sort of earbuds that you might buy for your kids, who almost certainly will lose one of them at some point. But given that they have Amazon’s own “find my” feature built in — and, again, that price — you likely won’t go ballistic should one of the buds disappear.

Really, our biggest gripe with these is that they require the Amazon Alexa app if you want to connect them to your phone at all. That’s not how Bluetooth earbuds of any sort should work. But that’s also a relatively minor complaint. If you’re looking for something low-cost or low-concern, they’ll do just fine.

Amazon Echo Buds 2023

A price that’s tough to beat

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

Best cheap headphones for gaming

The Cloud Stinger 2 may be affordable, but it doesn’t skimp on impressive game-ready features. That includes a surprisingly comfortable, lightweight design that feels anything but cheap (ideal for lengthy gaming sessions) and excellent sound powered by 50mm drivers plus support for DTS Headphone:X for a more environmental sound that can be helpful in competitive or team play.

HyperX’s Cloud Stinger 2 offers broad platform compatibility for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation (including the latest console generations), plus Nintendo Switch, so you won’t need to worry about a lack of support. And if you prefer team play, you’ll find a solid noise-canceling condenser microphone with a flexible design and flip-to-mute functionality.

Gamers may feel the loss of some features for the sake of affordability. There’s no wireless mode, for example, which can be tricky in some console setups, and no RGB effects to play with. Some gamers may want to pay a bit more and get a different budget version like the Razer BlackShark V2. But those who want to save as much as possible will be very pleased with what they find here. You can also check out our roundup of the best budget gaming headsets for more options.

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

Best cheap headphones for gaming

Soundcore Sport X10

Best cheap earbuds for workouts

A great set of earbuds can make or break your run or workout — they need to fit snugly and stay put, offer great sound, and some kind of sweat and/or water resistance — but what’s more important is that they don’t break the bank. The Soundcore Sport X10 satisfy all that and more.

With a unique bendable earhook design that wraps around ears of all shapes and sizes, the Sport X10 are comfortable enough for even the longest of runs or sessions at the gym and they’re designed to stay securely in place. The in-ear fit is also snug, creating a comfortable seal for listening to your tunes while blocking out outside noise. But an added bonus with the sub-$80 Sport X10s is that they also come equipped with some pretty great ANC, an ambient mode (a.k.a. transparency mode) for letting in just the right amount of outside sound for environmental awareness, and a pretty good set of EQ controls (with 21 presets), all accessed and adjustable through the Soundcore app. Physical buttons on the earbuds make it easy to control music and the ANC features while you’re moving and they can be personalized in the app, too.

But how do they sound? Well, they’re Soundcore, so you know they have a pretty good pedigree. The EQ allows you to tune them to your liking, but with their 10mm dynamic drivers the X10s are capable of, what our reviewer Ted Kritsonis described as “strong lows meet warm highs, with passable mids to create a likable sound profile that works in the conditions you would probably wear them in.” There’s also an extra bass feature, should you like a heavier thump. And while they don’t support the better sptX Bluetooth codec like the Jabra Elite 4s on our list, they do support SBC and AAC, the latter Apple fans will appreciate.

The IPX7 rating of the Soundcore X10 is a definite standout here, which is why we’ve pegged them as our pick for working out, as the rating means they can be submerged in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes, so don’t be afraid to hit the hot tub with them still in.

We’ll leave you with the X10s battery life because we know it’s a key feature should you want to run that marathon you’ve been training for. Anker says that the X10s will deliver up to 8 hours of listening time with ANC off (32 total with the charging case), and six hours with ANC on.

Soundcore Sport X10

Best cheap earbuds for workouts

JLab JBuds Mini

The best for small ears

It can be frustrating to find a solid set of earbuds for a pair of smaller ears, but all hope is not lost. Thanks to products like the JLab JBuds Mini, those of us with tiny listening canals won’t be denied a great audio experience. Expectations-wise, we thought the smaller footprint was going to be the only thing to write home about with the JBuds Mini, but we were glad to be proven wrong.

These earbuds sound really nice. This isn’t the type of flagship sound you’ll get from brands like Bose or Sony, but both the mid and high frequencies shine here. Some aspects of the sound quality can even be adjusted through the JLab app, which should bode well for individuals who prefer one type of music over another (some of the presets are genre-specific).

The JBuds Mini are also available in five different colors, and the charging case is just as bite-sized as the earbuds themselves. You’ll also get a few different sets of eartips in the box.

JLab JBuds Mini

The best for small ears

Baseus Eli Sport 1

Best cheap open-ear headphones

Open-ear headphones bring a different kind of sound to the table, and sometimes the results are so good, we just have to talk about it. Such is the case with the Baseus Eli Sport 1 open-ear headphones, which are available in black, white, or green (seen here) finishes.

What makes the Eli Sport 1 unusual in the open-ear category is their included neck lanyard, which can be quickly and easily attached to the back of the headphones, providing additional security and convenience.

Open-ear designs often lack decent bass, but the Eli Sport 1 have a bass boost mode that is surprisingly effective. If you like the idea of open-ear headphones, but worry that you’ll miss some of your music’s rhythmic impact, the Eli Sport 1 are an excellent choice.

As with all open-ear models, they’re super comfortable for long stretches. Bluetooth Multipoint keeps them connected to two devices simultaneously and the mics are great for calls (though you’ll have to look for wind-less locations).

Their battery life is a very decent 7.5 hours per charge and a total of 30 hours when you include the charging case. You don’t get wireless charging, but at this price, that feature is a rarity.

They may be missing ANC entirely, but if you’re on the lookout for open-ear headphones that don’t break the bank while sounding pretty phenomenal, the Eli Sport 1 should be at the top of your list.

Baseus Eli Sport 1

Best cheap open-ear headphones

Baseus Bowie MA10

Best bang for your buck

Sometimes having one standout feature in a pair of headphones or earbuds is all it takes to make the investment totally worth it. But in the case of the Baseus Bowie MA10, you’re getting a pair of wireless buds that rock in more ways than one. They truly offer the best bang for your buck ($25!), and there’s one feature we can’t stop talking about; It’s the battery life, plain and simple.

On a full charge, you’ll get up to 140 hours of battery life on these bad boys. And no, we didn’t accidentally type an extra digit. That’s definitely the biggest laurel to highlight, but these buds are no stragglers in the sound quality department either. The Bowie MA10 are capable of delivering a wide, immersive soundstage, and from one music genre to the next, these buds really hold their own.

The Bowie MA10 are also great for noise-canceling, although they can’t exactly match the type of premium ANC tech that you’ll find in a set of Apple or Sony earbuds. But if you’re looking to keep the cost as low as possible, there’s no better option.

Baseus Bowie MA10

Best bang for your buck

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE

The best for Android

It always seems like iOS devices receive priority in the world of headphones and earbuds, at least as far as app-specific enhancements go. So it’s nice when an equally good product comes along that’s tailored to the needs of Android devotees. If you’re looking for a cheap set of buds that will pair nicely with your Galaxy or Pixel devices, feast your eyes on the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE.

These are low-cost earbuds that fit comfortably, sound great, and bring some very impressive performance in the ANC department. The Galaxy Buds FE are champs at dialing down on the kinds of environmental sounds that intrude and disturb (like traffic and airplane noise), and you’ll be able to toggle between a few different ANC modes, too.

Where these Samsung buds really standout is when it comes to customization through the Samsung Galaxy Wearable App. This isn’t available for iOS gear, but Android fans will be able to use it to configure up to four gestures per earbud, including Spotify Tap, volume controls, and ANC toggling.

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE

The best for Android

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