The Best Cheap Headphones We’ve Tried

These earbuds from Soundpeats feature a pairing of dynamic and solid-state xMEMS drivers that combine to deliver truly astonishing sound. Deep bass meets some of the best sound in the middle and treble registers I've heard from earbuds at any price, making these an utter joy to listen to. They feature Sony’s LDAC high-resolution audio codec, which works with most modern Android phones.

The Capsule3 Pro+ are a bit tired when it comes to their AirPods Pro look, but the active noise canceling (ANC), battery life, and app-based functionality are on par with Apple's best. They're even IPX4 rated, so you don't have to worry about them during workouts or rainy walks in the woods.

Nothing might often claim to be more, but where the rubber meets the road it essentially marries great design with affordable, well-made tech. That's nothing to scoff at, particularly where its earbuds are concerned. The Ear (a) (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are a particular standout in this regard; these headphones look and feel easily as nice as an Apple product, and they boast the vast majority of the same features as AirPods Pro, but cost about half as much.

You don't get the same xMEMS driver combination you get in the Soundpeats model above, but the build quality and case are nicer. I even like the lighter look and feel when compared to the more expensive Nothing Ear, especially the cool yellow colorway. 45 dB of noise cancellation is plenty for most tasks, the mics sound great on calls, and you can even get hi-res audio, provided you have an LDAC-equipped cell phone.

Anker makes everything from phone chargers to headphones, and we generally like most of its gear. The Life Q30 ANC headphones are a standout, thanks to the decent hybrid active noise-canceling tech and class-leading 40-hour playtime. These are among the best budget headphones you can buy to buck the noise of planes, trains, and automobiles. A pair of 40-mm silk diaphragm drivers even produces pretty good sound quality for the money, though they can't compete with high-end options from Sony or Bose. As the price might suggest, they're also a bit fragile; the plastic headband can crack if you sit on it, so handle with care.

Open earbuds let you get your music or podcast fix without losing touch with the world, thanks to a design that keeps your ear canals open. They're great for dog walks, ebike rides, or even just sneaking in some football on your phone while you hang with the fam. The Acefit Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) delighted me with their comfortable fit, excellent sound, slick compact case, and responsive touch controls. There aren’t a lot of fancy features here, and there’s a learning curve to get them locked in place, but you want to get a deal on use-case-specific buds, and Acefast delivers that with heaps of value. —Ryan Waniata

JLab’s Go Pop ANC should be in one of those AM/PM commercials, because there’s just too much good stuff for such a low price. At well under $50, JLab managed to squeeze in balanced sound, a light and compact design, solid battery life, and surprisingly useful noise canceling and transparency modes to escape from or stay aware of your environment. Other options like IP55 water resistance, an app for adjusting EQ and controls, and multipoint pairing just feels like showing off. I noticed a few connection hiccups in one small area, and I don’t love the case’s tiny USB-C cable, but considering their aggressively low price, this is a budget home run. —Ryan Waniata

I've been a big fan of Audio-Technica's workhorse studio headphones for my entire listening life, so I was stoked to see a new, affordable pair from the brand. The ATH-M20xBT (9/10, WIRED Recommends) have 60 hours (!) of battery life, ergonomic ear cups with comfortable pads, and excellent sound for the money. They also come with a cable for easy wired listening, making them great for plugging in on planes or into portable consoles.

The Beats Flex have all of the same conveniences of more expensive Apple earbuds: quick pairing, easy access to Siri, and seamless Apple Music integration. This is all thanks to Apple's W1 chip powering it, which helps the headphones establish and maintain a rock-solid wireless connection to iOS devices and also has added power-management smarts to boost battery life. WIRED reviewer Adrienne So found the band between the two earbuds to be a bit long for her, but she liked the crisp sound and wide soundstage, all without the muddy bass that Beats was notorious for in its early days. She likes the 12-hour-plus battery life, which is good enough for a few workdays of tunes between trips to the wall charger. (They charge via USB-C, which is a bonus.)

If you're a music producer, podcaster, or streamer, you need a good pair of over-ear headphones for monitoring your creative output. The classic Sony MDR-7506 are just what you need. They've got great-sounding 40-mm dynamic drivers, and the cozy earpads help eliminate bleed into any nearby mics. Pros everywhere trust these cans; you'll find 7506s in media studios and radio stations around the world.

★ Sleeker options: There are also great headphones from several other audio brands, like these from AKG and Sennheiser. As a general rule, you can trust any company that makes studio microphones (Shure, AKG, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica) to know what it's doing with studio-style headphones.

They’re plasticky and don't feel all that durable, but if you’re not super hard on your headphones, the wired M20X closed-back headphones easily compete with the larger, more robust M50X for sound quality. The M50X litter music and podcasting studios the world over, making this cheaper variant a good option for home creators on a budget, or anyone who wants a pair of over-ear headphones that faithfully recreate their favorite tunes.

They’re also lighter in the bass department than many headphones in this price range, since manufacturers often boost the lows in cheaper headphones to impress untrained ears. This lack of strong bass is a good thing though. You’ll be able to hear more of the detail in your favorite shreddy guitar solos, without that extra low-end stomping all over them.

OK, yes. They look like the same ugly in-ear buds that came with your first portable MP3 player, but what the Shure SE-112GR lacks in looks, they make up for in sound quality. We’ve recommended various iterations of the SE-112 to friends and family since the iPod era. They’re small, comfy, and have surprisingly robust bass for headphones this small and cheap. They even come with foam ear tips that can block out up to 37 decibels of outside noise, making them great for folks who want to tune out the 15th play-through of “Baby Shark.”

These teeny tiny wireless earbuds from JLab are designed to fit on a keychain, and they're small enough to take with you anywhere. They've also become my go-to recommendation when folks tell me they can't find earbuds they like because they have smaller ears. They come with an IP55 dust- and water-resistance rating, which makes them great for workouts, and they have five and a half hours of power when you're listening. It's not the longest battery life, but certainly enough for buds this small. They also have a built-in mic for calls, but it's not the best I've ever tried.

Koss' iconic Porta Pros have a cult following in audiophile communities for their comfortable, lightweight design and oddly fantastic sound. They look like they're fresh out of a 1980s workout ad, but they're actually solidly built, and there are a ton of aftermarket earpads and other accessories to increase their comfort or help them fit your style. They also fold up, which makes them easy to take with you in a backpack or laptop bag.

The Logitech G Pro X (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite gaming headsets for many reasons. It has an expansive 7.1-channel soundstage, and the software also gives you tons of control over the quality of your voice. The mics were designed with help from Logitech-owned Blue Mics, and we really love the way they represent the human voice on streams, podcasts, and Zoom calls. When you're not gaming, we like that they look more normal than flashier headsets from other gaming brands, without flashing lights to attract attention.

Kids headphones are going to be put through a lot, and these Belkin Bluetooth headphones have held up to senior editor Adrienne So's 9-year-old, which is a very impressive feat. They have 30 hours of battery life and come in pink, which is also very important for younger folks. They sound pretty good, even if they're a bit stiff on larger heads (these really are for kids). The volume is limited to OSHA-approved 85 decibels, which will save your kiddos’ ears, at least until they head to their first rave.