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Oct 19, 2024

Best Budget Earbuds for 2024: Cheap Wireless Picks - CNET

Article updated on October 16, 2024 at 10:25 AM PDT In need of a new pair of earbuds but don't want to splurge? These are the best wireless yet affordable earbuds on the market, tested by our experts.

Article updated on October 16, 2024 at 10:25 AM PDT

In need of a new pair of earbuds but don't want to splurge? These are the best wireless yet affordable earbuds on the market, tested by our experts.

What to consider

Budget

Determine how much you're willing to spend on wireless earbuds and how that lines up with quality and functionality.

Fit

Your earbuds should offer a comfortable, secure fit. The seal will determine how noise-isolating they are, so keep an eye out for how tight of a seal they provide.

Return Policy

In case the earbuds aren't a great fit for your ears, it's important that the retailer offers a good return policy.

While there are plenty of premium wireless earbuds on the market from the likes of Bose, Sony and Apple, not everybody can afford them. The good news is that in recent years the quality of budget earbuds has drastically improved, and "cheap" earbuds now offer better sound, more features and surprisingly good performance for their modest price points. I've tested all of the earbuds on this list, which includes only earbuds that cost less than $100. As other top affordable wireless earbuds are released, I'll update this list.

If you're looking for more budget-friendly tech this holiday shopping season, we've rounded up the best gifts for under $50 for everyone on your list.

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds

What to consider

Budget

Determine how much you're willing to spend on wireless earbuds and how that lines up with quality and functionality.

Fit

Your earbuds should offer a comfortable, secure fit. The seal will determine how noise-isolating they are, so keep an eye out for how tight of a seal they provide.

Return Policy

In case the earbuds aren't a great fit for your ears, it's important that the retailer offers a good return policy.

Anker makes so many value earbuds it's hard to keep track of all of them. Released in early 2024, its Soundcore P40i buds are arguably the company's best budget earbuds, with a comfortable fit (they come with six sizes of ear tips) and very solid performance for around $50. Not only do they have decent active noise canceling as well as a transparency mode, but they offer multipoint Bluetooth connectivity and respectable voice-calling capabilities. As far as sound goes, they're billed as "bass heavy" earbuds, and indeed, they deliver pretty powerful bass, though it's not boomy or muddy and there is ample detail. They just lean a little warm You can tweak the sound a bit in the sound profile, but I mainly stuck to the earbuds' "signature sound," which I thought worked well with a wide variety of music genres. Worth noting: They have a pretty wide sound stage and low-latency modes for movie watching and gaming.

As a bonus feature, the earbuds' charging case converts into a stand for your smartphone when watching video. That's a feature more earbuds cases should have. Equipped with wireless and USB-C charging, battery life is rated for up to 12 hours at moderate volume levels, but the number dips to more like 8 hours with noise canceling on. The buds are IPX5 splash-resistant (they can survive a sustained spray of water).

Earfun is one of our go-to brands for value earbuds. Its Air Pro 4 buds aren't a major upgrade over the earlier Air Pro 3s, but they do have a few enhancements that make them slightly better earbuds. (Note: Input code EAP4CNET at checkout on Amazon to get an extra 10% off).

Earfun has moved from Qualcomm's QCC3071 to the newer QCC3091 that supports aptX Lossless Audio for a select few Android devices. The buds also support Sony's LDAC audio codec, which is available with more Android smartphones, and the AAC and SBC codecs.

Like their predecessor, the Air 4 Pro are lightweight and comfortable to wear -- I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size -- and they feature slightly improved noise canceling and sound quality along with better battery life (up to 11 hours with noise canceling off and 7.5 hours with it on, according to Earfun). While the default sound leans slightly warm with a touch of bass push, you can tweak the sound in Earfun's companion app for iOS and Android, and I did think the sound measures up well to earbuds that cost twice as much.

As I said, these aren't a big upgrade over the Earfun Air 3 Pro, but once again Earfun has delivered a set of earbuds that deliver strong performance for their modest price. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and multipoint Bluetooth pairing (they're equipped with Bluetooth 4 and LE Audio). I do think the voice-calling performance is slightly improved, but the background noise reduction during calls isn't as good as what you get with higher-end earbuds like Apple's AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, as well as Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. I also thought their touch controls could work a little better than they do.

New for 2023, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC earbuds carry a lower list price than 2022's Liberty 4 buds and are arguably better. They have improved noise canceling and better sound quality, along with support for the LDAC audio codec for devices that support it. (Many Android smartphones do, and in theory, it offers slightly improved sound quality when paired with a music streaming service that offers high-res tracks.) They're lightweight buds that should fit most ears comfortably with four sizes of ear tips to choose from.

The Liberty 4 NC buds have single custom drivers compared to the Liberty 4's dynamic dual drivers -- and a completely different case design -- but I thought they delivered a more pleasant sound than the Liberty 4s. Their treble is a little smoother and they feature strong bass performance. They came across as fairly open, with a reasonably wide soundstage. You can tweak the sound profile in the companion app for iOS and Android.

The buds come in several color options and are IPX4 splashproof, so they're suitable for running and gym use. They feature excellent battery life -- up to 10 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels -- and there's also a transparency mode that lets ambient sound in and sounds pretty natural with only a very faint audible hiss. While the noise canceling is an improvement over the Liberty 4's and is effective, it falls a bit short of what you get from Bose's and Sony's premium ANC earbuds.

Like the Liberty 4, the earbuds have six integrated mics for noise canceling and making calls, and callers said they thought the buds did a pretty good job of reducing background noise, with my voice coming through relatively clearly. They're an all-around good-performing set of buds for the money, and they offer a strong feature set, including ear-detection sensors and wireless charging.

Available in four color options, the Solo Buds are missing some key features found in more premium buds, including a battery in their very compact charging case, ear-detection sensors and active noise canceling. But they get the fundamentals right. They're lightweight and not only offer decent sound quality and strong battery life but very good voice-calling performance that rivals what you get with the company's more expensive Studio Buds Plus.

Amazon's 2023 Echo Buds impressed me in a few ways that I wasn't expecting. For starters, they sound good for inexpensive open earbuds, delivering decent clarity and ample bass. They also have a robust feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, hands-free Alexa and ear-detection sensors that pause your audio when you take one or both buds out of your ears.

Their sound falls short of that of Apple's AirPods 3, which delivers fuller bass and overall fuller, smoother sound (they're better at handling more complicated music tracks with a lot of instruments playing at the same time). The AirPods 3 cost around $150 and offer only about 15% to 20% better audio. In short, if you're looking for open earbuds -- or "semi-open" as these types of earbuds are sometimes called -- the Echo Buds are good value at their $50 list price and even easier to recommend when they go on sale.

What makes these Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS buds special is that they sound surprisingly good for open earbuds -- they're pretty close to what you get from Apple's AirPods 3 for sound. On top of that, they support Sony's LDAC audio codec for devices that offer it. Not too many cheap open earbuds have good sound but these Soundpeats have good bass response and clarity. They're also good for making calls and have a low-latency gaming mode. Battery life is rated at five hours at moderate volume levels, and these are IPX4 splash-proof.

These are listed for $60 but are currently on sale with a 25% on-page coupon, that’ll bring your total down to around $35. This is a very good deal if you're looking for open-style earbuds.

The Soundcore Sport X20 has some nice upgrades over Anker's original Soundcore X10 earbuds. They include an improved design, adaptive noise canceling, superior battery life, slightly better sound and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. Like the previous model, these have an interesting design with rotating swiveling ear hooks. However, they don't swivel as much as the X10's ear hooks, which is a good thing (they stayed on my ears very securely). I also liked that the charging case has a smaller footprint than a lot of buds with ear hooks.

Fully waterproof and dust-proof with an IP68 rating, the X20 have slightly larger drivers than the X10 (11mm instead of 10mm). As long as you get a tight seal from the included ear tips (you get 5 sizes), they're able to deliver good sound with punchy bass and good detail. They lack a bit of clarity, particularly at higher volumes (there was a touch of distortion), and the noise canceling isn't as good as Sony or Bose's noise canceling. But the buds are affordable and a good value overall.

As for battery life, it's rated at up to 12 hours with noise canceling off and 7 hours with it on. Voice-calling performance is also decent thought not exceptionally good.

Jabra has replaced its entry-level Elite 3 buds with the new-for-2023 Elite 4, which offers active noise canceling and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. What's a little confusing is that Jabra also sells the Elite 4 Active, a slightly more ruggedized version of the same buds that carries a list price of $120 but sometimes sells for less than the standard Elite 4. So get the Elite 4 Active if it costs less.

The lightweight Elite 4 fit my ears comfortably and offered good, well-balanced sound with punchy bass and decent clarity. They support Qualcomm's AptX audio codec (for Android and other devices that support AptX) but only the SBC codec for iPhones (no AAC support). The Elite 4 is missing more premium features like ear detection sensors and has a four-microphone array for noise canceling and voice calls (voice-calling performance is good but not exceptionally good). Battery life is rated at up to seven hours at moderate volume levels and the buds have an IP55 water-resistance rating, which means they can take a sustained spray of water and are also dust-resistant. As with a lot of other new buds, you can use either bud independently in a mono mode.

I didn't try the original Soundpeats GoFree earbuds, but the second-gen GoFree 2s deliver a good value, with decent sound for open earbuds that sit on top of your ears -- there's a touch of distortion at higher volumes, but they have ample bass. While they don't quite look or feel like premium buds, they also don't look or feel cheap. They're missing premium features like ear-detection sensors (when you take one off, your music doesn't automatically pause), and their companion app for iOS and Android is a bit underwhelming. I found them pretty comfortable to wear (they fit securely) and their touch controls worked well. They're equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, have support for the LDAC audio codec for devices like Android phones that support it, and are IPX5 splash-proof. Battery life is rated up to nine hours at moderate volume levels and their case is one of the more compact cases I've seen for these types of earbuds.

I thought voice-calling performance was acceptable, although not great. These are open earbuds, so they do let sound in, and it can be a little hard to hear callers in noisier environments.

The Tranya T20 reminds me a little of a cheaper version of Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 without the noise canceling. They're pretty no-frills and missing more premium features such as an ear-detection sensor that automatically pauses your music when you take a bud out of your ears. They sound surprisingly decent for their modest price, if you get a tight seal, they sit pretty flush with your ears (they don't really stick out much) and they have decent battery life -- up to eight hours at moderate volume levels. They also work pretty well for making calls and are IPX7 waterproof.

The case feels a little cheap and the buds are lightweight. The Galaxy Buds 2 definitely feels more premium. The buds are well-tuned and have a relatively wide soundstage. Don't expect the world from them and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Priced at just $25 after you click an instant discount coupon on Amazon, the Baseus Bowie MA10 delivers surprisingly good sound along with active noise canceling for its low price (you just don't see too many active noise canceling earbuds at this price). They're IPX6 water resistant (can withstand a strong spray of water) and also have multipoint Bluetooth pairing and connect to a companion app. They stick out of your ears a bit but they did fit my ears comfortably.

The earbuds deliver impressive battery life, offering up to 8 hours on a single charger at moderate volume levels with an extra 132 hours in the charging case. Yes, you heard right -- 132 hours! However, the one big downside to these buds is that their charging case is rather large and bulky. If you can live with that, these are a very nice bargain.

Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on new earbuds. Value priced earbuds continue to improve, so you can find good "cheap" buds for not too much money (less than $60). But if you're looking for premium buds from Sony, Apple and Bose, be prepared to spend a lot more.

It's key that the earbuds you buy fit your ears well. They should offer a comfortable, secure fit. If you don't get a tight seal with noise-isolating earbuds, sound quality and noise canceling can be dramatically impacted for the worse. Open earbuds don't have that issue, but they should be comfortable to wear and sit securely in your ears.

Because the fit of your earbuds is so important, it's critical to buy your buds at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case the buds aren't a good match for your ears.

We test true-wireless earbuds based on five key criteria, comparing similarly styled and priced models. These criteria are design, sound quality, features, voice-calling performance and value.

Our reviewer David Carnoy testing voice-calling performance on the noisy streets of New York.

JBL Live Pro 2: Over the years, JBL has put out some decent true-wireless earbuds, but nothing that really got me too excited. That's finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand's new Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 buds. Both sets of buds -- the Live Pro 2 have stems while the Live Free 2 have a pill-shaped design -- offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance, plus a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging.

JBL Live Free 2: Like the Live Pro 2, JBL's new Live Free 2 buds are surprisingly good. With 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips, they combine a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance. Features include multipoint Bluetooth pairing and wireless charging, and they're rated for up to seven hours with IPX5 water-resistance (splash-proof).

Beats Studio Buds: The Beats Studio Buds look a lot like the rumored stemless AirPods some people have been waiting for. Geared toward both iOS and Android users, they are missing a few key features on the Apple side of things (there's no H1 or W1 chip), but they're small, lightweight buds that are comfortable to wear and offer really good sound. While their noise canceling isn't as good as the AirPods Pro's, they do have a transparency mode and they're decent for making calls. Read our Beats Studio Buds review.

Sennheiser CX: If you can't afford Sennheiser's flagship Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds, the CX are a good alternative, though they have . They feature very good sound, plus decent noise canceling and voice-calling performance. The only issue is they stick out of your ears a bit and may not fit some smaller ears. This model, which often sells for less than $100 on Amazon, doesn't feature active noise canceling but the step-up CX Plus does (the CX Plus is also a good value, particularly when it goes on sale).

Apple improved the sound quality of the third-gen AirPods so it raised the bar. That said, many true wireless earbuds that cost less than $100 or even less than $50 offer surprisingly good sound for the money and measure up pretty well against the AirPods and AirPods Pro, although not the AirPods Pro 2, which offer significantly improved sound.

Often, the biggest difference is build quality. Premium buds tend to feel sturdier and tend to be built with more premium materials. They also have a more premium look and feel to both the buds themselves and their charging case. In theory, premium buds should hold up better over time. Additionally, they tend to have more features such as ear-detection sensors and they pair with a companion app so you can upgrade the firmware (as well as tweak the sound and possibly customize the controls). Finally, while some cheaper buds have active noise cancellation, the performance of the noise-canceling and transparency modes tends to be better with more premium buds.

Some do. Many cheaper buds now feature multiple microphones and some do a surprisingly good job when it comes to voice calling. A few models on this list have surprisingly good noise reduction and measure up well against the AirPods, which are known for their strong voice-calling performance.