The best budget earbuds of 2024, tried and tested

If you’re shopping for the best true wireless earbuds on the market, you really don’t have to look any further than some of our top picks: the AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, and Sony WF-1000XM5. These flagships check all the most important boxes, including a wide soundstage, best-in-class noise cancellation and portability.

We know it might seem almost too good to be true, but these budget wireless earbuds carry many of the same traits as their luxury counterparts, and offer almost everything you can ask for.

It’s understandable that not everyone wants to break the bank on a pair of earbuds, and honestly, you don’t have to. Some of the newest budget earbuds are nearly on par with the AirPods Pro in sound quality, playback time and connectivity.

We regularly test the latest and most popular earbuds under $100 to help you save money without sacrificing performance. And after trying out dozens of models, here are the two that currently stand above the rest.

Best budget earbuds under $50: EarFun Air 2

$50 $35 at Amazon and EarFun

We could have given the title of “best budget earbuds under $50” to several other inexpensive models, including a handful from EarFun, but the Air 2 stand out the most right now.

The company spared no expense equipping these buds with some powerful specs, including Hi-Res Audio certification, personalized sound settings and Sony’s LDAC codec. Clarity and definition are exceptional for the price. Frequencies are well-balanced to hear lows, mids and highs clearly. You can tweak sound in the EarFun app by playing with the frequency levels or pick from a handful of decent presets, though we recommend sticking with the default Classic setting. Playback is flawless on Android devices, thanks to LDAC, which dynamically scales the bitrate and pulls more details from tracks on the best music streaming platforms.

These aren’t the most attractive sub-$50 buds, but they make up for their lack of style with practicality and protection. The Air 2 pull off the long stem look better than most AirPod knockoffs and their construction is notably sturdier. We love the dark silver-gray colorway that exudes chicness. IPX7 waterproofing (up to 1 meter in 30 minutes) and patented SweatShield Technology prevent moisture damage. The wireless charging case is mediocre, but good enough to keep the buds protected.

Battery life is high at 9 hours, though LDAC usage drops it to 5.5 hours. Having an additional 40 hours via the charging case certainly helps when commuting. The finicky touch controls are another flaw that can cause frustration when attempting to execute multi-touch functions. One way around this is to assign your favorite commands to the single-tap gesture.

Nonetheless, sound alone makes the Air 2 an essential pickup for budget-conscious Android users and AirPods defectors.

Best budget earbuds under $100: Sony WF-C700N

$90 $80 at Walmart or $120 $90 at Amazon

The WF-C700N bear the same hallmarks as their critically praised predecessor, the WF-C500, while bringing more functionality into the mix. Sony even added several of its proprietary sound technologies to give these mid-rangers an audio boost.

These buds come with 360 Reality Audio, a customizable equalizer, DSEE Extreme upscaling and a 5mm driver unit that ensures clear vocal quality and impactful bass. When the low end comes on strong, which it will on bass-heavy tracks, you can adjust frequencies in the EQ or choose from several well-engineered presets that complement different music genres. Lo-fi recordings receive a massive bump in clarity when toggling the DSEE feature. Sony’s spatial audio format performs well to give music and movies a more immersive feel, plus it supports Tidal, so you can enjoy hi-fi tracks in 3D.

Adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC) provides effective noise reduction. The amount of ambient noise these buds block out is impressive. You’ll barely hear any low- or mid-frequency noises, and high-frequency noises sound more like background effects on tracks. ANC also lends itself well to voice calls, keeping unwanted distractions to a minimum for clear-sounding conversations.

Extra features like Bluetooth multipoint (to pair to two devices simultaneously) and one-tap Google Fast Pair run smoothly. The physical buttons produce solid tactility and respond to various gestures quickly. Furthermore, battery life holds up well at 7.5 hours with ANC on and 10 hours with ANC off; the charging case carries an additional 28 hours.

The design isn’t much of an upgrade and the lack of certain signature features (LDAC, NFC) makes these buds feel less premium. Still, these are minor shortcomings to live with if you’re an audiophile on a budget.

Other budget earbuds we recommend

How we tested

In searching for the best budget earbuds, we put the leading models through vigorous testing. Major criteria were carefully assessed, including audio, battery life, design, functionality, usability and wearability. All design elements were examined, along with every input method and application interface element. Special features and warranties were also accounted for.

Throughout the process, we compared each pair of wireless earbuds with its competitors, new models and previous favorites to determine our final rankings.

Sound quality

The most important detail is audio. We played a wide range of tracks across every popular musical genre. Our list included a mixture of classic rock, with soaring guitars; classical, focused on the open space of popular sonatas; and, of course, pop, hip-hop and electronic to test out the bass.

Battery life and charging capabilities

We identified the wired and/or wireless charging solution for each model. Media was played on multiple devices via onboard storage and music streaming services following a full charge to capacity. Volume had been set to a normal listening level (75%). Playtimes were analyzed when enabling ANC, spatial audio and other features. After exhausting the battery, we monitored each model’s quick-charging time to see if it matched what was advertised.

Special features

Several budget buds offered a companion app with multiple features, including active noise cancellation, ambient listening, Bluetooth multipoint, control customization, customizable EQ and music presets. Some buds even came with the latest Bluetooth version (Bluetooth 5.3), as well as hi-fi audio codecs (e.g. aptX Adaptive/Lossless, LDAC, LHDC) and one-tap pairing on proprietary platforms, all of which were tested on iOS/macOS and Android.

Other budget earbuds we tested

OnePlus Buds 3

From $100 at Amazon or $100 at OnePlus

Superb sound and noise cancellation in a premium package make the OnePlus Buds 3 a fine AirPods Pro 2 alternative at nearly half the price. There’s some stellar audio balance, creating full frequency range to consume booming lows, striking mids and transparent highs. Upgrades in ANC lead to distraction-free calls and music listening. OnePlus also loaded these buds with upscaled features like LHDC, multipoint technology and spatial audio, though the latter requires a lot of work and drains the battery quickly.

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE

$100 $90 at Amazon, Best Buy and Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE are the company’s latest attempt at developing entry-level buds with flagship performance, and the results are mostly positive. ANC stands out most, delivering noise neutralization similar to some of the company’s best earbuds, including the Galaxy Buds Pro. Ambient Mode is the true highlight and captures incidental sounds at a high level to boost situational awareness. Sound is pleasant, even if it’s a step down from previous Galaxy entries. Playtimes are also sufficient at 8.5 hours. Just know that several key Samsung features were left off the spec sheet and the generic design resembles an early Galaxy Buds prototype.

JLab JBuds Mini

From $30 at Amazon or $40 at Best Buy

Several of JLab’s inexpensive wireless earbuds could have made our list, but the JLab JBuds Mini are the most appealing and impressive of the bunch. We’ve never seen true wireless in-ears this small, nor a charging case as tiny to store them. The fact that they’re programmed with a wide array of features (including Equalizer, Google Find Device and Transparency Mode) is a technical feat. JLab’s bass-forward profile produces lively sound, and the buds come with solid isolation to prevent ambient noise from entering the soundstage. Call quality and connectivity aren’t anything to write home about, but they are forgivable considering the buds’ overall performance.

Jabra Elite 3

$80 From $50 at Amazon

The Jabra Elite 3 are an extremely close contender for one of our top spots, and if we were going by looks alone, they’d be the clear winner. These are the sleekest buds you can buy for $50, with a low-profile design and reliable physical controls that mimic much of what makes Jabra’s more expensive earbuds great. However, the lack of active noise cancellation and wireless charging holds them back against the EarFun Air 2 in terms of overall value.

EarFun Free Pro 3

$80 $54 at Amazon and $80 $56 at EarFun

The EarFun Free Pro 3 are some of the more impressive-sounding buds in their price range. Stuffed underneath the sleek rectangular design are 7mm wool composite drivers, Bluetooth 5.3 and Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codec for hi-res playback on Android devices. There’s a customizable EQ to create your own sound profile and 10 effective presets that dynamically adjust frequencies based on the music genre. EarFun does sell better noise-canceling models (cough, Air Pro 3, cough). At the same time, none are more soundful than this threequel. Score 30% off these buds at EarFun and Amazon with our exclusive code EFP3CNN1.

Anker Soundcore P20i

$25 at Amazon

Lengthy battery life (10 hours per charge), robust bass and numerous customization features via a companion app aren’t hallmarks you would expect to find on $25 buds. Well, the Anker Soundcore P20i offer it all, and a little more. They come with IPX5 sweat/water resistance and a built-in lanyard that attaches to any belt loop or everyday bag for portable convenience. Bass can be aggressive on contemporary tracks, which would have been an easy fix had a customizable EQ been available, but this doesn’t take away from the P20i’s incredible value.

EarFun Air

$50 $27 at Amazon and $66 $41 at EarFun

This former top pick remains a noteworthy pickup for music lovers wanting super-inexpensive earbuds that sound as great as the AirPods Pro in controlled and quiet, indoor settings. Audio is expansive, deep and about as good as any high-end options. One of our favorite additions is IPX7 waterproofing, meaning they can be submerged in about 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. They can also be worn in light rain or even while working out. The sound isolation and touch controls are less useful than other rivals, but neither diminishes the EarFun Air’s value. Use code CNNDEALS for extra savings.