When you’re looking for new headphones, the price will be an important factor. Most of the time, we depend on our budget. In this article, we’ll tell you about our favorite cheap headphones you can buy. We didn’t include any models that cost more than €100, but there are some that start at €25.99.
Keep in mind that even though they are good headphones, they won’t be as good as the high-end headphones from Sony or Apple that can cost more than 200 euros. But any of the models we’re about to show you will be more than enough for the average user.
If you have more money to spend and want to look at the best headphones, you can look at our list of the best headphones of 2023, which has models at all price points.
The best cheap headphones of 2023
Enacfire A9 – The best model
The Enacfire A9 is the best budget active noise canceling (ANC) wireless headphones we’ve tested to date.
Being very affordably priced, the fact that they didn’t have ANC would have been understandable. Not the case though, as they have ANC and it’s pretty good too.
The earphones also deliver many other essentials like a very comfortable and secure fit, helpful touch controls, solid battery life, and decent sound quality. Perhaps the main drawback is that they are only available in black.
Pros
- great sound
- Helpful noise cancellation
- comfortable fit
- Good battery life
cons
- environment mode
- only in black
Adidas RPD-01 – The best for running
People who want cheap headphones to use while running or doing any other kind of exercise don’t need to look any further.
The Adidas RPD-01 are not only cheap, but they also fit well because the tips and wings come in different sizes. Neckbuds are great for people who work out because the batteries last longer and you can’t lose them.
They don’t have the best controls, but they’re simple to use and sound great. The RPD-01s also has an IPX4 rating, which keeps them safe from sweat and rain.
Pros
- awesome fit
- Great audio quality
- Easy access to budget
cons
- Long full charge time
- Battery duration
- Awkward media controls
Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC – Best ANC Performance
If you want the best noise cancellation for the least amount of money, Anker is the best place to look.
The hybrid ANC here is great, and the Soundcore Life A2 NCs are easy to find for much less than their RRP. There are three presets for different situations, and the app also lets you change how the sound is made with an equalizer.
Even though there’s no ear detection for auto-pause and the ANC doesn’t automatically switch between those profiles, the good battery life and bass performance, as well as the touch controls, make this a great buy.
Pros
- Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation
- Powerful bass performance
- good battery
cons
- No auto-pause
- The somewhat cheap casing
- No automatic switching of ANC profiles
What to consider before buying headphones
Here, we’ll tell you what to think about when looking for the best headphones for your needs and tastes. In addition to the sound quality, there are a number of other things to think about when choosing the right headphones:
1. Remote control and microphones
If you try a headset with a remote control and microphone, you’ll never want to go back to one that doesn’t have this feature.
With the remote control, you don’t have to take your phone out of your pocket to answer calls, choose a song, or turn up the volume. You can have a conversation on a call without picking up the phone if you have a microphone.
We think that these two tools are very important and can make the use of a headset much better.
2. Over-Ear Headphones
When the headphones completely cover your ears, they are called circumaural. This gives you total noise isolation and very good bass.
Also, because the earbuds completely seal around your ears, not a single sound will get out.
The problem with these types of helmets is that they are usually very big and heavy, so you should try them out for at least one day before deciding to buy them (if a friend or friend lets you borrow them).
3. On-ear headphones
Even though these headphones also have a headband that sits on the side of your head, they are not the same as headphones that go over your ears.
On-ear headphones go over your ears and give you enough volume and keep sound from leaking out. They are different from the other types because they don’t cover the whole ear.
The good thing about them is that they are usually smaller and lighter than over-ear headphones, but they don’t sound as good as studio headphones.
4. In-ear headphones
Most of the time, these are the most common kind of headphones. The reason is obvious: they are very small and don’t weigh much, so they are very easy to carry around because they can fit in any bag, backpack, or even pocket.
Most of the in-ear headphones in this group have rubber washers or spikes at the end that go into the ear canal a little bit.
If you find the right size in-ear headphones, they give you excellent sound quality, good bass, and the best noise isolation.
5. Noise isolation
Before buying headphones, it’s also important to think about how well they block out outside noise so that we can fully focus on the sound we want to hear.