Best cheap wireless headphones under $100 in 2024

There are headphone types available, such as in-ear, on-ear, over-ear, wired, and wireless options. The best wireless headphones are the over-ear and on-ear ones, even though they may be larger and bulkier. They provide the best sound quality and include features such as active noise cancellation (ANC), a comfortable design that can be worn for long periods, and a quick wireless connection.

However, these high-end wireless headphones can be expensive. If you are on a budget, there are still some affordable options available. These budget-friendly wireless headphones include features like ANC and Hi-Res audio but without the high price tag.

• 

  Treblab Z2 Headphones

  Best overall

  $90 $120 Save $30

  Treblab isn’t a household name, but they’ve been quietly making some solid headphones over the past ten years. Their Z2 headphones include premium features like ANC aptX neodymium-backed 40mm speakers, perfect for gaming and music. Plus, they’re splash- and sweat-resistant, so they’ll survive your workouts. The plush but sturdy ear pads are also super comfy, and there’s a generous 35-hour playtime.

  $90 at Amazon

• 

  Sony WH-CH720N

  Premium pick

  $98 $150 Save $52

  We have another Sony pick on this list, but these headphones are impressive. The noise cancellation is top-notch, thanks to Sony’s Integrated Processor V1. Then there are the Adjustable Ambient Sound and Adaptive Sound modes to determine how much of the outside world you want to hear. The responsive microphones for hands-free calls are also a plus; they even work well with voice assistants. And comfort-wise, they’re pretty slim and lightweight compared to other brands.

  $98 at Amazon$150 at Best Buy

• 

  Edifier W600BT

  Best value

  The new W600BT over-the-ear headphones from Edifier are truly worthy of their value. Available in black or gray, they offer clear and rich sound with powerful bass. Connecting via Bluetooth 5.1, they decode SBC or AAC streams into 40mm NdFeb drivers that do justice to them. They also have an aux 3.5mm port for when you run out of charge or need better quality or bitrate. Targeted as an all-purpose pair of headphones, they run 30 hours easily on each full charge.

  $40 at Amazon

• 

  Anker Soundcore Life Q30

  $56 $80 Save $24

  The King of this hill is indubitably the Anker Soundcore Life Q30, which strikes the best balance in sound quality, battery power, connectivity, communication, and build quality. With a futuristic, simplified, yet sleek look, these cans will impress you at first look. Hybrid ANC with multiple modes, Hi-res decoding support, 40 hours of playtime, excellent Bluetooth connectivity, and drivers with silk diaphragms deliver the best bang for your buck.

  $56 at Amazon$80 at Anker

• 

  1More SonoFlow

  $64 $100 Save $36

  With excellent sound reproduction from their 40mm dynamic drivers, the 1MORE SonoFlow headphones are right on the upper edge of affordability. They support LDAC, meaning you can enjoy genuinely high-quality 990 Kbps audio from your smartphone. They also sport a great ANC feature, but you can get up to 70 hours of playtime with ANC off. The 1MORE SonoFlow are great for comfortable listening, with sound just at the sparkly range that most people love.

  $75 at Amazon$64 at 1MORE

• 

  Sennheiser HD 350BT

  $86 $120 Save $34

  The HD 350BT, falling into the low price bracket, doesn’t disappoint with its collapsible, simplistic design, stellar audio quality, and sturdy build. The headphones connect via Bluetooth 5.0 (using AAC and aptX) and have no trouble playing for 30 hours on a single charge. If you love a balanced, detailed sound quality, you will definitely love these. There is no bloated bass, just pure clarity and natural tonality.

  $86 at Amazon

• 

  Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

  The ATH-M20x were originally wired headphones from Audio-Technica. Then, due to popular demand, the company made a wireless set with Bluetooth connectivity, and they work surprisingly well for the price. Plus, the earpads fit really well and are comfortable. The 40mm rare-earth magnet drivers with copper-clad voice coils boost out a rich vocal region and can go on for up to 60 hours on a single charge. The sound is close to studio quality without artificial enhancements on the decoder.

  $79 at Amazon

• 

  Sony WH-CH520

  $38 $60 Save $22

  With native DSEE support, Sony brings some excellent audio to this simplistic package. The WH-CH520 Bluetooth headphones are a great choice at this price bracket, and they offer a solid premium-plastic build not often seen there. The sound quality is quite balanced and targeted to the regular consumer psyche, and the 50-hour-long battery life truly helps. In addition, you can whip this llama into an even better shape using the Sony companion audio app.

  $38 at Amazon$40 at Best Buy

• 

  Creative Zen Hybrid

  With a beautiful design, the Creative Zen Hybrid wireless headphones are great for those who want to enjoy some quality music in peace but don’t want to pay through the nose for it. These cans can reduce a lot of unwanted background noise or quickly switch into ambient mode to give you heightened awareness. The custom-tuned 40mm neodymium drivers provide good depth and detail for your audio, helped by the AAC codec.

  $45 at Amazon

• 

  Plantronics BackBeat Fit 6100

  For those who love to take their tunes to the gym or out on a run, the Plantronics Backbeat Fit 6100 are the best cheap wireless headphones. These very serious-looking cans have IPX5-grade protection from water, so you can wear them when sweating or in the rain. The rich, powerful sound is backed by a big 24-hour battery which charges quickly. The perforated, breathable ear cups provide ample support and overhead grip to your head while minimizing fatigue and heat.

  $70 at Amazon

• 

  Anker Soundcore Space One

  $80 $100 Save $20

  Though a bit on the costly side, the Soundcore Space One over-ear headphones from Anker are a beautiful product. Available in stylish blue, white, and black, they not only look great, but they also sound great. Supporting LDAC streaming over Bluetooth 5.3, they produce high-resolution rich audio that is a bliss to hear. The ANC is strong with this one, as is the battery life of a whopping 40 hours with ANC on.

  $80 at Amazon

• 

  JLab Studio Pro ANC

  $80 $100 Save $20

  With its 40+ ANC and Bluetooth playtime, JLab’s Studio Pro ANC Wireless Headphones should probably cost more than they do. The Studio Pro even offers four ANC modes to customize your listening experience. Couple that with its form-fitting ear pads, balanced bass, and receptive universal microphone, you’ve got yourself one hack of a deal. You even get a 3.5mm aux cable and a travel bag.

  $80 at Best Buy$80 at B&H Photo Video

A few notes on checking the audio quality of headphones

When testing your device, it’s important to remember that sound quality depends on device performance and source audio. If you’re listening to low-quality tracks, you can’t expect high-quality sound even from the best audio devices. For instance, audio quality from sources like YouTube or downloaded MP3s is considered lossy, as they don’t carry the full spectrum of the originally recorded audio.

Only perfectly sourced audio can test a driver’s limits, so try to use audio files encoded with a 32-bit Lossless codec with 320 Kbps bitrate on at least 48 kHz. This will at least ensure that your source file is as good as possible. Do note that even then, faults in recording can diminish the sound quality (think of very old songs when it was all discs).

Bluetooth dims the sound

The output quality is another factor to consider. Wireless headphones, earbuds, and speakers use Bluetooth to transmit audio data, which reduces sound quality regardless of the audio source. Whenever you hear wireless audio over Bluetooth, you can expect a drop in quality. Bluetooth sends a lot of data over a short bandwidth, so it must heavily compress the audio. Even the best Bluetooth standards offer only up to 16-bit 44 kHz audio data, which is barely CD quality. Some headphones and earphones try to mitigate this loss by artificially augmenting the sound with built-in tuning chips. Samsung’s AKG series and Sony’s DSEE are quite good at this, and you will be amazed by the ‘upscaled’ audio; just remember that you won’t hear the original audio as its creator intended.

Bluetooth technology has improved a lot over time. Nowadays, even the basic low-grade SBC codec has improved enough that Bluetooth 5.2 or above can send so much data that you won’t feel the difference unless you have a trained ear. The latest LDAC and LC3 codecs are remarkable in that they can carry nearly a thousand Kbps of data over Bluetooth 5.3. Therefore, make sure your source files are of at least that quality when testing a device that supports these codecs.

Big batteries can be a headache

Companies don’t often advertise battery life. Over-ear headphones, especially, have huge drivers at 40-50mm in diameter. As a result, they draw a lot of power. This can be fixed by using bigger batteries; the devices in this list are sometimes large enough to accommodate the larger battery. However, big batteries make the headset heavier, and nobody wants that, so manufacturers often juggle these factors and reach a compromise. Check what you’re getting in the power department before you buy.

Wondering how to pick the best cheap headphones?

Well, the two big things to consider are sound quality and comfort. Sometimes, brands skimp on these aspects to save money. If you absolutely can’t compromise on those, you might want to consider the more expensive options. But if you’re good with standard usage, the ones covered above should do the trick just fine.

First up are the Treblab’s Z2 Headphones. While they don’t have the brand clout of their competitors like Sony and Edifier, our recent review noted impressive ANC capabilities and overall sound quality. The headphones are all-around champs with a long-lasting 35-hour battery and an IPX4 rating, all for under $100. Of course, if you’re willing to spend a bit more, Sony’s WH-CH720N headphones are where it’s at for awesome sound and comfy wear, even during marathon listening sessions. Their microphone isn’t bad either, responding well to voice assistant commands.

But, hey, if you’re on a tight budget, check out the Edifier W600BT. With the low sticker price, they can be your go-to all-purpose option. And for all you sporty folks out there, the Plantronics Backbeat Fit 6100 headphones are great for workouts and active living. Though they’re slightly old, they perform admirably.

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