Best Cheap Earbuds and Headphones – CNET [CNET]

April 17, 2022 David Carnoy technology

It turns out that you don’t have to drop a couple of hundred dollars on headphones if you don’t want to. In fact, there are plenty of inexpensive, true wireless earbuds on the market that rival AirPods for sound quality and yet cost a fraction of the price – under $50. If budget is your main priority, we’ve even found some inexpensive wired headphones that cost less than $15. Our selection of cheap earbuds and headphones has something for everyone.

EarFun Free

Best true wireless under $50

Read our EarFun Free first take.

$34 at Amazon

Anker Soundcore Life Q20

Best value full-size noise-canceling

$56 at Amazon

Anker Soundcore Life P2

Best value standout

Read our Anker Soundcore Life P2 review.

$46 at Amazon

JLab Go Air

Decent true wireless for under $30

$25 at Best Buy

$25 at Amazon

TaoTronics SoundLiberty 79 (Update: Unavailable)

Best cheap earbuds under $50 for making calls

David Carnoy/CNET

TaoTronics’ SoundLiberty 79 list for $60 but sell for around $50. I don’t love their looks — the little chrome accent isn’t my thing — but they fit my ears well and sound decent for the money, with just enough definition and ample bass. All that said, they stand out most as good cheap earbuds for making calls. They get five stars in that department thanks to their excellent noise reduction — people had no trouble hearing me on the noisy streets of New York. The company’s “Smart AI noise-reduction technology” does work.

They are fully waterproof (IPX7 certified) and you can get up to 8 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels. The charging case, which provides an extra 32 hours of juice on the go, feels a little cheap, but it’s compact and has USB-C charging.