• 1. Earfun Air S


    Best budget noise-canceling earbuds


    $56 at Amazon

    Price alerts on for 1. Earfun Air S




  • 2. Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS


    Best cheap open earbuds


    $39 at Amazon




  • 3. Earfun Air Pro SV


    Very good sounding budget wireless earbuds


    $120 at Earfun




  • 4. Ugreen HiTune X6


    Surprising sound for cheap wireless earbuds under $30


    $23 at Amazon




  • 5. Tranya T20


    Best-sounding cheap wireless earbuds under $40


    $32 at Amazon




  • 6. Earfun Air Pro 2


    Impressive budget noise-canceling earbuds


    $70 at Amazon

    Price alerts on for 6. Earfun Air Pro 2




  • 7. Sony WF-C500


    Best budget Sony wireless earbuds


    $100 at Best Buy

    Price alerts on for Sony WF-C500 (Black)




  • 8. Jabra Elite 3


    Best budget earbuds from Jabra


    $75 at Amazon

    Price alerts on for 8. Jabra Elite 3




  • 9. Sennheiser CX True Wireless Earbuds


    Best affordable earbuds from Sennheiser


    $78 at Amazon




  • 10. Fiil CC2


    Best cheap open earbuds


    $30 at Amazon




  • 11. Soundpeats Air Pro 3


    Affordable noise-canceling wireless earbuds with good sound


    $54 at Amazon




  • 12. Earfun Free Pro 2


    Best budget wireless earbuds for sports


    $60 at Amazon




  • 13. Soundpeats T3


    Best budget earbuds for phone calls


    $36 at Amazon




  • 14. Soundpeats Mini Pro


    Cheap earbuds with good sound quality


    $60 at Amazon




  • 15. Soundcore by Anker Sport X10


    Best Anker wireless sports earbuds


    $80 at Walmart

    Price alerts on for Soundcore by Anker, Soundcore Sport X10 True Wireless Bluetooth 5.2 Workout Headphones, Rotatable Ear Hooks, Deep Bass, IPX7 Waterproof, Sweatproof, 32H Play, Fast Charge, Sport Earbuds, Gym, Running




  • 16. Earfun Free 2S


    Popular next-gen budget earbuds


    $60 at Amazon

Show More (11 items)

It’s true that premium wireless earbuds like Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 or Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds 2, priced at over $200, are not in everyone’s budget. That said, there are a plethora of surprisingly good affordable and even downright cheap wireless earbuds that feature solid audio quality and decent overall performance, with solid battery life and reliable Bluetooth connectivity, for both Apple and Android devices.

I’ve tested a variety of budget true-wireless earphones and found some standout AirPods alternatives for budget-conscious shoppers. All of my picks for the best cheap wireless earbuds cost $100 or less — and some of the best prices for wireless Bluetooth earbuds even come in under $50.

Many of these budget wireless earbuds also work decently for making phone calls — in fact, the best budget earbuds work quite well. I’ve also included info on battery life, audio quality, sound isolation and active noise canceling, as well as how water-resistant they are, in case you’re interested in using these for running or the gym. I’ll update this list as new affordable options are released so you can find cheap earbuds that work with your budget.  

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2023

Earfun

1. Earfun Air S

Best budget noise-canceling earbuds

Battery Life

Rated up to 6 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX5 — protection against low-pressure water streams)

In the past, we’ve recommended Earfun’s AirPro SV and Air Pro 2 as excellent budget noise-canceling earbuds choices (they’re still good values). But the new-for-2022 Earfun Air S may be the best of the trio, with multipoint Bluetooth pairing and the latest Qualcomm QCC3046 chip with the aptX audio codec for Android and other devices that support it. They have the same 10mm wool drivers as the AirPro SV and feature surprisingly impressive sound for their modest price. They also work well as a headset for making calls with decent background noise reduction. The buds have an IPX5 water-resistance rating, which means they’re splashproof and can withstand a sustained spray of water.

Note that the earbuds cost as low as $49 when you apply the CNET-exclusive discount code EFAIRS07 at checkout at Amazon, or the code E4AH201 at Earfun’s online store.

$56 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for 1. Earfun Air S

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

2. Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS

Best cheap open earbuds

Here’s a deal worth checking out on a set of open earbuds that perform surprisingly well: the Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS. Their list price is $50, but there is currently an extra 20% off on-page coupon that drops the price to $40 for a limited time.

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.

$39 at AmazonYou’re receiving price alerts for SoundPEATS True Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.0 Earphones with Built in Mic in-Ear Stereo Headphones for Sport, Deep Bass, Binaural Calls, One-Step Pairing, 35 Hours of Playtime, Upgraded TrueFree Plus

David Carnoy/CNET

3. Earfun Air Pro SV

Very good sounding budget wireless earbuds

The Earfun Air Pro SV have a few things going for them. First, they sound shockingly good for a set of earbuds in this price range. They feature big, open sound with well-defined bass and good clarity. They’re also lightweight and comfortable to wear, their noise canceling is effective and they have a fairly natural-sounding transparency mode that allows ambient sound in if you want to hear the outside world around you for safety reasons.

Earfun is highlighting how you can see the buds’ squared-off stems through the case — there’s a little window — but aside from the stems, the buds themselves have a similar shape and design to the AirPods Pro. While the case offers wireless charging, the buds are missing a sensor that pauses your music when you take them out of your ears (you can use a single bud if you want) and resumes playback when you put them back in. Their touch controls work reasonably well. They’re IPX5 splash-proof, and battery life is rated at six hours with noise canceling turned on. There’s also a low-latency gaming mode and you can upgrade the buds’ firmware and tweak sound settings in a companion app for iOS and Android.

Earfun talks about them having “six professional mics for a stunning call experience” — and they do work decently enough for calls — but I was slightly disappointed with the noise reduction while using them in the streets of New York. Aside from that small gripe, they’re a very good value, particularly now that Earfun is offering them for $54 when you input the code SUMMER40 (40% off) at checkout on its site.

Read our Earfun Air Pro SV first take.

 

$120 at Earfun

David Carnoy/CNET

4. Ugreen HiTune X6

Surprising sound for cheap wireless earbuds under $30

Battery Life

Rated up to 6 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX5 — protection against low-pressure water streams)

Yes, Ugreen’s HiTune X6 buds are a bit weird looking, but they should fit most ears well and come with a few different sizes of ear tips (I went with large). Their charging case feels solid, and the buds themselves don’t look or feel cheap. IPX5 splash-resistant, they feature active noise canceling — it does manage to muffle a reasonable amount of ambient noise — but their best feature is arguably their sound. They offer good clarity along with a wide soundstage and very plump bass that avoids being boomy. They sound as good as many buds that cost more than $100 and sometimes even $150. Note that to get the $26 price on Amazon, there’s a coupon box that must be checked on the product page.

There are some caveats. First, I noticed that these sound better with the noise canceling off (they lose some clarity with it on). Also, while the included tips should fit most people’s ears, I swapped in a pair of my favorite tips and got an even tighter seal, which improved sound quality.

Read our Ugreen HiTune X6 first take.

 

$23 at Amazon

David Carnoy/CNET

5. Tranya T20

Best-sounding cheap wireless earbuds under $40

Battery Life

Rated up to 8 hours

Noise Canceling

No

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX7 — can be submerged for 30 minutes up to 1 meter)

The Tranya T20 earbuds remind me a little of a cheaper version of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 without the noise canceling. They’re no-frills and don’t have features such as ear-detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take a bud out of your ears. But 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 8 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 feel more premium. However, 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.

$32 at AmazonYou’re receiving price alerts for 5. Tranya T20

Earfun

6. Earfun Air Pro 2

Impressive budget noise-canceling earbuds

Battery Life

Rated up to 7 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX5 — protection against low-pressure water streams)

The Earfun Air Pro 2 earbuds have solid active noise cancellation, and their sound is also impressive for their relatively modest price, with overall well-balanced sound, decent clarity and solid bass performance. Some of Earfun’s buds have had a bit too much treble push — referred to as “presence boost” — but these mostly manage to avoid that. They do sound better than the original Air Pro earbuds.

They have some extra features, like an ear-detection sensor so your music pauses when you take the buds out of your ears, and a case that has USB-C and wireless charging, which you don’t often find at this price. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, they’re splash-proof with an IPX5 rating and offer up to 7 hours of battery life on a single charge at moderate volume levels, though you’ll probably get closer to 6 hours with noise cancellation on.

There’s also a transparency mode that lets ambient sound in. It sounds pretty natural and is closer than I thought it would be to the AirPods Pro earbuds’ excellent transparency mode. Alas, there’s no companion app that allows you to tweak the sound or upgrade the firmware.

Earfun talks up the Air Pro 2 model’s voice-calling capabilities — the buds have three microphones in each earbud — and I thought call performance was good but these didn’t reduce background noise as much the new Soundpeats T3, which are also good for the money ($40). However, while the Soundpeats T3 are better for calls, the Earfun Air Pro 2 earbuds’ noise-canceling and transparency modes are superior and the Soundpeats don’t have the ear-detection sensor. Also, the Earfun Air Pro 2 buds sound better, with richer, more dynamic sound.

$70 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for 6. Earfun Air Pro 2

David Carnoy/CNET

7. Sony WF-C500

Best budget Sony wireless earbuds

Battery Life

Rated up to 10 hours

Noise Canceling

No

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)

Sony’s entry-level C500 earbuds don’t feature active noise canceling and are pretty basic as far as earbuds go, with no ear-detection sensors or transparency mode. But the buds are compact and lightweight, fit comfortably and sound good for an entry-level model. 

While these earbuds have background noise reduction during voice calls, they only have one microphone in each earbud. Many earbuds now have two or more microphones to help process ambient noise and capture your voice. 

In some ways, these are similar to Jabra’s new $80 Elite 3 earbuds, delivering respectable sound quality for less than $100 (but you’ll want to buy them for less than $60). The C500 don’t have the richer, more refined — and dynamic — sound of the high-end WF-1000XM4, but they have ample bass and decent clarity, as Sony says they benefit from its Digital Sound Enhancement Engine technology that it says helps “restore high-frequency sound to create a more authentic listening experience.” 

The earbuds are rated IPX4, so they’re splash-proof, and offer up to 10 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels on a single charge. That’s very good.

$100 at Best Buy$100 at Target$45 at AmazonYou’re receiving price alerts for Sony WF-C500 (Black)

Jabra

8. Jabra Elite 3

Best budget earbuds from Jabra

The Jabra Elite 3 headphones are Jabra’s most affordable true-wireless earbuds to date and have a fairly basic feature set, though they offer strong sound and call quality for the money. They have 6mm drivers, four microphones for calls and Jabra’s HearThrough transparency mode. Qualcomm aptX HD audio is supported for aptX-enabled devices.

Battery life is rated at up to seven hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels, with the case storing an extra three full charges (28 hours total). They 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. 

While they don’t have such extras as active noise canceling, the Elite 3 earbuds offer solid performance and a comfortable fit for a reasonable price.

$75 at Amazon$80 at Best Buy$80 at TargetYou’re receiving price alerts for 8. Jabra Elite 3

David Carnoy/CNET

9. Sennheiser CX True Wireless Earbuds

Best affordable earbuds from Sennheiser

Battery Life

Rated up to 9 hours

Noise Canceling

No

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)

The Sennheiser CX earbuds sound excellent for their price point but do stick out of your ears a little more than some buds. (Note that there’s also the new Sennheiser CX Plus model, which adds noise canceling for $50 more and sounds very similar.) 

The buds are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 and battery life is up to 9 hours at moderate volume levels (the slightly bulky charging case stores an additional three charges) versus 7 hours for the previous model. The CX also adds an extra microphone on each bud, which does improve the voice-calling experience from the earlier CX400 and makes it easier for callers to hear you speak, even in noisy environments. To be clear, however, these are not active noise-canceling earbuds — they simply offer noise reduction for calls. They have an IPX4 rating and are splash-proof. Read our Sennheiser CX first take.

$78 at AmazonYou’re receiving price alerts for Sennheiser CX

David Carnoy/CNET

10. Fiil CC2

Best cheap open earbuds

Battery Life

Rated up to 6 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes

Headphone Type

Wireless earbud

Water-Resistant

No IP rating, advertised as sweat-proof

I never tried the original Fiil CC earbuds, but the next-generation CC2 improves on the performance of the originals, with better battery life (they’re rated at 5 hours on a single charge) and no audio latency issues when watching videos.

These did stay in my ears better than the standard AirPods. They pair quickly — they’re equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 — there’s a Fiil companion app for tweaking settings and they sound quite decent for open-style buds, with just enough bass to keep you from feeling they’re bass shy. They’re also decent for making calls and have touch controls. 

One of their distinguishing features is their open case, which makes it easy to access the buds and put them back in their case. Thanks to some integrated magnets, they stay in the case securely — you can turn it upside down and the buds won’t come out. Unlike the AirPods, these have square, not rounded, stems, which seems a little weird at first, and they do fit in your ears slightly differently than AirPods as a result.

$30 at AmazonYou’re receiving price alerts for 10. Fiil CC2

David Carnoy/CNET

11. Soundpeats Air Pro 3

Affordable noise-canceling wireless earbuds with good sound

Battery Life

Rated up to 6 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)

The Soundpeats Air Pro 3 are lightweight buds that sound quite good and offer decent noise canceling for their modest price. They use Qualcomm’s latest QCC3046 chipset (Bluetooth 5.2) with the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth audio streaming that’s supported by many Android smartphones. They’re IPX4 splash-proof and have a battery life of 6 hours, with an additional three charges in their compact charging case, which is around the same size as the AirPods Pro’s case.

While the buds’ biggest strengths are their lightweight design and sound quality (you get big, bold sound with strong bass that only lacks that extra bit of clarity and definition that higher-end buds offer), the only downside is the voice-calling performance is only so-so — callers said the microphone pickup and voice clarity just wasn’t as good as some earbuds we’ve tested and reduction of background noise was not great either. In other words, don’t buy these if voice calling is a priority.

$54 at AmazonYou’re receiving price alerts for 11. Soundpeats Air Pro 3

David Carnoy/CNET

12. Earfun Free Pro 2

Best budget wireless earbuds for sports

Battery Life

Rated up to 6 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX5 — protection against low-pressure water streams)

I was a fan of Earfun’s earlier Free Pro earbuds, which offer good sound for around $50 and have little sport fins that help keep them in your ears securely. Now Earfun has released the Earfun Pro 2 buds with aluminum alloy caps, improved noise canceling and a couple of extra microphones that help boost voice-calling performance.

The Free Pro 2 deliver good sound for their modest price, with decent clarity and deep but well-defined bass. They produce relatively big, open sound. They don’t have such extra features as an ear-detection sensor so your music automatically pauses when you take one or both earbuds out of your ears, or an app that allows you to update their firmware. But they’re lightweight, should fit most ears well and have decent noise canceling along with a transparency mode. (It’s not as good as the AirPods Pro’s transparency mode, which is hard to beat.)

I found the voice-calling performance good but not great. They did an acceptable job reducing background noise and picking up my voice in noisy environments but they aren’t necessarily top-notch in this department. Battery life is rated at up to 6 hours, they’re IPX5 splash-proof and their elongated case, which charges wirelessly, is compact and lightweight. It’s better designed than the Free Pro’s case.

$60 at AmazonYou’re receiving price alerts for 12. Earfun Free Pro 2

David Carnoy/CNET

13. Soundpeats T3

Best budget earbuds for phone calls

The Soundpeats T3 buds have two things going for them aside from their modest price tag: They sound decent and work well for making calls, offering good noise reduction. They’re also comfortable to wear and have both active noise canceling and transparency mode. The noise canceling is only OK, not great (same goes for the transparency mode), but you can’t expect everything for such a low price.

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, they’re IPX4 splash-proof and have a battery-life rating of up to 5.5 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels. 

They have relatively smooth, balanced sound and ample bass. They’re not going to wow you with clarity or dynamic sound, but they’re pleasant to listen to, which is all you can ask of a budget set of earbuds. 

Callers said that my voice sounded clearer when I was using the AirPods Pro but the Soundpeats actually reduced more background noise that the AirPods Pro. I was able to have conversations on the noisy streets of New York without a problem.

$36 at AmazonYou’re receiving price alerts for SoundPEATS True Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.0 Earphones with Built in Mic in-Ear Stereo Headphones for Sport, Deep Bass, Binaural Calls, One-Step Pairing, 35 Hours of Playtime, Upgraded TrueFree Plus

David Carnoy/CNET

14. Soundpeats Mini Pro

Cheap earbuds with good sound quality

Battery Life

Rated up to 7 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX5 — protection against low-pressure water streams)

The Soundpeats Mini Pro have a few things going for them. For starters, they’re relatively compact and fit my ears comfortably and securely (I got a tight seal with the largest included ear tips). They also sound surprisingly good, with clear, nice-detailed sound and punchy bass. They sound as good or better than buds I’ve used in the $100 to $150 price range. Also, since they’re powered by a Qualcomm Bluetooth chip (it’s Bluetooth 5.2), they have support for Qualcomm’s aptX audio codec, which can offer slightly better sound on aptX-enabled devices such as some Android phones.

These are IPX5 splash-proof active noise-canceling earbuds. While the noise cancellation muffles background noise to a degree, it isn’t as effective as what you get with Apple’s AirPods Pro or top noise-canceling buds from Sony and Bose. Battery life is rated at up to 7 hours with noise canceling off and five hours with it on.

On a more critical note, voice-calling performance was only average. In quieter environments they work decently, but outdoors in the streets of New York, callers said they heard a lot of background noise and they didn’t do well with wind noise. The Soundpeats T3 ($36) are better for voice calling but these Mini Pro buds sound significantly better.

Read our Soundpeats Mini Pro first take.

 

$60 at AmazonYou’re receiving price alerts for SoundPeats Mini Pro (Black)

David Carnoy/CNET

15. Soundcore by Anker Sport X10

Best Anker wireless sports earbuds

The new Soundcore Sport X10 have an interesting design with rotating, swiveling ear hooks that flip up when you’re using them and flip down when you want to set them in their charging case, which has a smaller footprint than for a lot of earbuds with ear hooks.

As long as you get a tight seal, they sound good, with powerful, punchy bass and good detail. They also have active noise canceling, which is effective though not as good as Sony’s or Bose’s. They’re also fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating, which means they can be fully submerged in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. Battery life is rated at up to 8 hours with an additional three charges in the charging case.

$80 at Walmart$70 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Soundcore by Anker, Soundcore Sport X10 True Wireless Bluetooth 5.2 Workout Headphones, Rotatable Ear Hooks, Deep Bass, IPX7 Waterproof, Sweatproof, 32H Play, Fast Charge, Sport Earbuds, Gym, Running

David Carnoy/CNET

16. Earfun Free 2S

Popular next-gen budget earbuds

Battery Life

Rated up to 7 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (Qualcomm cVc 8.0)

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX7 — can be submerged for 30 minutes up to 1 meter)

I was a fan of the original Earfun Free buds, and now there’s an upgraded version called the Earfun Free 2 (which has been subsequently upgraded to the 2S). They’re not a huge upgrade, but like the originals they fit my ears well and deliver decent bang for the buck with strong sound — it has just a touch of treble and bass boost (there’s plenty of bass) — and extra features such as wireless charging.

Battery life is rated at up to seven hours at moderate volume levels, and these buds are fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating. These are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 and use Qualcomm’s QCC3040 chip that includes support for the aptX audio codec if you’re using a compatible device (certain Android smartphones support that protocol).

$60 at Amazon

Do cheap earbuds sound as good as the AirPods 3rd Gen and AirPods Pro 2?

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, though not the AirPods Pro 2, which offer significantly improved sound. 

What are the biggest differences between cheaper buds and more premium buds?

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.

Do cheap earbuds work well for making voice calls?

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.

More earbud recommendations

  • I Compared $32 AirPod Knockoffs to the Real Thing. Here’s What I Found Out
  • Best True Wireless Earbuds You Can Buy Right Now
  • Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for 2023
  • Best AirPods Accessories for 2023
  • Best AirPods Pro Alternatives That Cost Less

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