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Best cheap headphones from our tests

The best standard and noise-cancelling headphones in our test that cost less than $250.

illustration of three cheap headphones and ear buds with ticks
Last updated: 05 September 2024
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When it comes to headphones, you tend to get what you pay for – to a point.

Factors like sound quality, ease of use and battery life typically reflect the cost of the product when you're looking at entry-level and mid-range models.

But that doesn't mean good quality audio is reserved for consumers with deep pockets. There are plenty of affordable options that earned very good results in our tests, and you can even score a good deal on mid-range and high-end headphones with a little research.

You don't need to break the bank when shopping for a pair of standard or noise-cancelling headphones. Here are our best cheap picks.

Are expensive headphones better?

Expensive headphones don't always deliver the high performance results you'd expect in our expert tests.

In fact, most of the top rated models are priced in the mid-range, alongside plenty of more expensive options. In other words, why pay $1000 when $500 can get you something in a very similar ballpark?

All that said, the key differentiator between headphones is sound quality and that is a subjective preference. Each manufacturer brings different sound profiles to the table – the way they fine tune the headphones means your favourite song may sound slightly different across various brands.

So, if a $1000 pair sounds better to your ears then that's the pair for you (if you can afford it).

So what sets expensive headphones apart?

Expensive headphones tend to have more bells and whistles than you would find in cheaper models. For example, you may be more likely to get active noise-cancellation (ANC), which isn't as common on less expensive models.Build quality and feel of the materials may also be better for expensive models.

How to improve sound quality with apps

Almost all Bluetooth headphones have an associated app for smartphones and tablets. These are used to adjust a range of settings and usually include an equaliser (EQ) of some kind. This essentially lets you adjust the volume of various audio frequencies to suit your ears.

You may want to increase the mid-levels, for example, which can help amplify vocals. Or maybe the bass is too heavy and you want to pull it down a touch. Most apps have a range of pre-sets suited to various genres and one or two free slots to set your own EQ.

It's worth installing the official app and playing with the EQ as your headphones will more than likely sound better

We test headphones on the default EQ out of the box in order to maintain a level playing field. But it's worth installing the official app and playing with the EQ as your headphones will more than likely sound better if you tweak the settings to your liking. You can find all of the information in the instruction manual.

Don't expect miracles, of course. This won't turn a poor performing pair of headphones around, but it can help you fine tune things with just a little bit of work.

App screenshots

Adjustable and pre-set equalisers can help you tweak sound quality to suit your listening preferences.

Manufacturer apps

While these apps are mostly available in the iOS App Store or Android Play Store, some manufacturers bake these settings into their operating systems and devices. This occurs when, say, a smartphone manufacturer also makes headphones.

For example, when you connect a pair of Google Pixel Buds to a Pixel smartphone, the equalizer and other options are in the Bluetooth settings rather than a separate app. Apple does something similar when you connect AirPods to an iOS device.

Passive vs active noise-cancelling headphones

There are two types of noise-cancelling headphones: passive and active. Passive noise-cancellation blocks noise from getting in by forming a snug fit in or around your ear which doesn't require battery power.

Active noise-cancellation (ANC) captures noise from your surroundings using built-in microphones, then cancels it out on the fly. The results are usually much better than passive models but the hardware and software need power to operate. That's why ANC increases battery use when active.

Models without ANC are typically called 'standard headphones'. Most standard headphones have some degree of passive noise-cancellation but some are specifically designed to enhance this feature, such as different-sized silicon tips included with earbuds.

How to get a good deal on headphones

Our round-up is based on RRP, but it's not too hard to get a good deal on some higher-quality headphones. Sales occur pretty regularly across almost all retailers and some, such as JB Hi-Fi or Harvey Norman, may even be open to haggling.

Also, older models often receive heavy discounts when new ones are released. Turnover can be as often as 12–18 months and sound quality is often more of less unchanged. Battery life tends to be the main difference so check our test results to see if an older, cheaper pair still provides enough charge for your needs.

What do we mean by 'best' headphones

When people ask about the 'best headphones' they're usually talking about the headphones with the best sound quality. This is the most important part of our test but we also look at other aspects including comfort, battery life and durability.

Our selection of best cheap headphones is based on our CHOICE Expert Rating, which factors in various performance tests. Some models with a lower sound quality score may have a higher Expert Rating for other reasons, for example, they could have performed better in the battery life or durability tests.

So, when you're looking through this list, remember to look at all of the included scores, no just the CHOICE Expert Rating. That way you can find a pair of headphones that truly suits your needs.

The best cheap headphones

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Below are the best headphones from our test that cost $250 or less. These are broken down into four categories.

  1. Active noise-cancelling headphones: In-ear
  2. Active noise-cancelling headphones: On-ear/over-ear
  3. Standard headphones: In-ear
  4. Standard headphones: On-ear/over ear
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Best cheap noise-cancelling headphones (in-ear)

These are the best in-ear, active noise-cancellation (ANC) headphones that cost less than $250.

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE

  • Cost: $199
  • Type: In-ear, true wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 80%
  • Sound quality score: 90%
  • Comfort score: 85%
  • Active noise-cancellation score: 80%
  • Battery life: 6hr 30min

As far as we can tell from our tests, you're not going to get better sound quality in a pair of earbuds that cost less than $200. That said, the battery life could be better as plenty of similar in-ear, true wireless buds deliver seven hours or more, compared to six-and-a-half hours offered here.

The app is also optimised for Android, and given that these are a first-party product there's no guarantees that non-Samsung users will have access to the same features and functions, which includes other Android devices.

Read the full Samsung Galaxy Buds FE review.

technics-eah-az40m2_2

Technics EAH-AZ40M2

  • Cost: $249
  • Type: In-ear, true wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 78%
  • Sound quality score: 87%
  • Comfort score: 81%
  • Active noise-cancellation score: 74%
  • Battery life: 5hr 45min

These are a solid alternative if you're not in the Samsung ecosystem, or if you're an Apple user – the Technics app is available for both Android and iOS. Sound quality for these earbuds is very good and they come with added LDAC Bluetooth support which does a much better job of preserving audio quality compared to standard Bluetooth.

The IPX4 water resistance rating means they can handle some splashes, so you won't need to worry if you get caught in the rain. Battery life, however, is poor though Technics does include enough power in the case for two additional charges.

Read the full Technics EAH-AZ40M2 review.

skullcandy-rail-anc_1_large

Skullcandy Rail ANC

  • Cost: $230
  • Type: In-ear, true wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 76%
  • Sound quality score: 78%
  • Comfort score: 78%
  • Active noise-cancellation score: 81%
  • Battery life: 8hr 30min

Skullcandy's earbuds are quite similar to the Soundcore headphones below in most areas of our test. Noise-cancellation is very good, the built-in microphone is better and there's onboard support for voice assistants.

Battery life is solid and the case includes two additional charges which is pretty standard. But otherwise the only major differentiator is the design which may be more appealing to some than other earbuds.

Read the full Skullcandy Rail ANC review.

soundcore-liberty-4-nc_1_large

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

  • Cost: $148
  • Type: In-ear, true wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 76%
  • Sound quality score: 78%
  • Comfort score: 73%
  • Active noise-cancellation score: 77%
  • Battery life: 9hr 30min

These are the cheapest noise-cancelling earbuds to earn a CHOICE Recommendation and they outperform Skullcandy's headphones in most of our tests. The battery, in particular, is worth noting – not only does it last an extra hour, the case comes with four additional charges. 

They're also much more durable and only a little less comfortable, with slightly less impressive (but still good) active noise-cancellation. You don't get digital assistant support and the microphone isn't very impressive either but these feel like suitable compromises for the price.

Read the full Soundcore Liberty 4 NC review.

samsung-galaxy-buds-2_1

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

  • Cost: $249
  • Type: In-ear, true wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 75%
  • Sound quality score: 76%
  • Comfort score: 82%
  • Active noise-cancellation score: 88%
  • Battery life: 7hr 15min

You're probably wondering how these compare to the cheaper Galaxy Buds FE, which earned a higher CHOICE Expert Rating.

The Galaxy Buds FE have noticeably better sound quality, but the Buds 2 scored slightly higher for active noise cancellation and durability. But the main difference between these two models is the battery life. 

The Galaxy Buds 2 have an extra 45 minutes of battery life and twice as much juice (four hours) after just 15 minutes on the charger. But the case has one less charge compared to the FE's, so while these can run a bit longer, you don't get as much charge time overall.

The microphone performance on the Buds 2 is also quite poor, so you may want to avoid making calls with these earbuds.

Read the full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 review.

Best cheap noise-cancelling headphones (on-ear or over-ear)

These are the best on-ear/over-ear, active noise-cancellation (ANC) headphones that cost less than $250.

JBL Live 770NC

JBL Live 770NC

  • Cost: $249
  • Type: Over-ear, wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 76%
  • Sound quality score: 76%
  • Comfort score: 66%
  • Active noise-cancellation score: 84%
  • Battery life: 57hr 45min

These cans score similarly to the 660NC headphones below, with both earning good results in many areas of our assessment. But there are a few key differences that will determine which pair you want to purchase.

The main difference is battery life, with the 770NCs delivering an extra 18 hours of listening time on a single charge. They also have much better active-noise cancellation, but they're not quite as comfortable, and far less durable, than the 660NCs.

Read the full JBL Live 770NC review.

JBL Live 660NC

JBL Live 660NC

  • Cost: $249
  • Type: Over-ear, wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 75%
  • Sound quality score: 77%
  • Comfort score: 70%
  • Active noise-cancellation score: 65%
  • Battery life: 42hr 00min

These headphones are consistently good across most aspects of our test, including sound quality. Active noise-cancellation and microphone quality are only OK, however. They did earn an excellent rating in our durability test, whereas the 770NCs are almost fragile with a score of 54%, so chances are these headphones will last a while provided you take care of them.

The only other key differences compared to the 770NC headphones (which also cost $249) are a shorter battery life, slightly better comfort and much worse active noise-cancellation results.

Read the full JBL Live 660NC review.

Best cheap standard headphones (in-ear)

These are the best in-ear, standard headphones that cost less than $250.

Sennheiser Sport True Wireless

Sennheiser Sport True Wireless

  • Cost: $199
  • Type: In-ear, true wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 76%
  • Sound quality score: 81%
  • Comfort score: 75%
  • Battery life: 7hr 15min

These are a pair of all-round good performers, save for the microphone quality which is borderline at best. Battery life isn't bad in the broader context of true wireless earbuds and the case comes with two additional charges which is handy.

They're also splash resistant and dustproof (IP54) and include six cushions for your ear canal so you can find the ideal fit.

Read the full Sennheiser Sport True Wireless review.

audio-technica-ath-sq1tw

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW

  • Cost: $129
  • Type: In-ear, true wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 75%
  • Sound quality score: 80%
  • Comfort score: 74%
  • Battery life: 7hr 00min

These earbuds have similar performance results to the Yamahas profiled below, but they fall behind when it comes to microphone quality and battery life.

However, they do feel more comfortable and are a little easier to clean. While sound quality is evenly matched with the Yamahas, these buds don't have an accompanying app, limiting your equalisation (and other adjustment) options to whatever is available in other apps, such as Spotify.

Read the full Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW review.

Yamaha TW-E3C

Yamaha TW-E3C

  • Cost: $129
  • Type: In-ear, true wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 75%
  • Sound quality score: 81%
  • Comfort score: 66%
  • Battery life: 8hr 30min

These headphones are about the best pair of earbuds that you're going to get on a budget. Sound and microphone quality are very good, durability is excellent and battery life is longer than other headphones in this price point with two additional charges in the case. 

They even have some water resistance at IPX5, though there aren't any claims about dust protection. Comfort and ease of use are also only OK, but these may be acceptable compromises when you consider the low RRP.

Read the full Yamaha TW-E3C review.

Best cheap standard headphones (on-ear or over-ear)

These are the best in-ear, standard headphones that cost less than $250.

jbl-tune-720bt_2

JBL Tune 720BT

  • Cost: $129
  • Type: Over-ear, wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 72%
  • Sound quality score: 75%
  • Comfort score: 57%
  • Battery life: 94hr 45min

These headphones did not earn a recommendation from our experts, but we still think they're a good option if you're on a budget.

Good sound quality and close to 95-hours of battery life may justify the otherwise middling test results such as comfort (57%), durability (55%) and microphone quality (49%), especially if you're prone to misplacing things and don't want to invest in anything too flashy as a result.

You can even find them for under $100 during the usual sales periods if you're happy to shop around, which is a good deal no matter how you slice it.

Read the full JBL Tune 720BT review.

sennheiser-hd-350bt

Sennheiser HD 350BT

  • Cost: $154
  • Type: On-ear, true wireless
  • CHOICE Expert rating: 70%
  • Sound quality score: 70%
  • Comfort score: 70%
  • Battery life: 34hr 45min

These headphones are also not recommended by our experts, but they're a decent budget option.

Though their expert rating is just below the JBLs above, they're still worth considering as their performance is generally good across the board and they have excellent durability. However, they're not all that easy to clean and ease of use is only OK, which means they can be kind of tricky to set up and adjust.

Read the full Sennheiser HD 350BT review.

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.