Although it might seem as if the headphones market is dominated by headlines of high-end options constantly looking to raise the bar in terms of what features are available, this fight for innovation has actually trickled down to the lower end, providing more choice than ever for those who don’t have a lot of cash to splash. As vetted by our tech experts, here are the best cheap headphones you can buy right now.
It wasn’t that long ago when features like active noise cancelling and multi-point pairing were reserved exclusively for headphones that would cost in excess of £250/$250, but as brands at the lower end have become more competitive, we’ve seen features like these find their way into budget cans which, in some aspects, are able to outdo the premium headphones of a few years back.
Brands like Nothing/CMF and Anker have really paved the way here, but not doubt as a result of not wanting to miss out on the action, there are also plenty of globally recognised brands that also have cheaper headphones available such as Sony and Google. What all this amounts to is that, for anyone shopping for a new pair of headphones in 2026, you’ll be shocked by the amount of great options just waiting for you.
As the sector has become more competitive however, our testing process has remained steadfast, ensuring that every single one of our reviews has the type of in-depth information required to help you make the right purchasing decision. We run these headphones through a variety of music genres and entertainment, wearing them indoors and when walking through busy streets to see how they perform in all scenarios.
Only the headphones that truly surpass all others are then considered for this list, so regardless of which one you go for, you’ll be getting a top-tier product for your money. Each entry has been highlighted for its specific use case so all you have to do is select the option that best suits your needs. If you decide that you’d rather save up a bit more and opt for something more feature rich then you can check out our round-ups for the best headphones and the best noise-cancelling headphones.
Best cheap headphones at a glance
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Learn more about how we test
Not just anybody can review a pair of headphones. You don’t need superhuman hearing to tell what’s good, but you do need to know what to listen out for.
Our headphone tests are done by some of the best and most prolific reviewers in the industry, with years of experience listening to everything from the plasticky freebie earbuds that come with your smartphone, to five-figure beasts of glass and marble. We love music and we want your tunes to sound good, too.
So we listen to every pair of headphones we can get on or in our ears. We use a variety of sources, from basic MP3s playing on a laptop to high-quality tracks on dedicated hi-res audio players.
Our test tracks are wide-ranging to give headphones a thorough challenge. They’re also familiar, so we know every track backwards, and we know which bits might trouble the lesser performers.
We listen again and again, and we do that for weeks in case the sound changes – because it usually does. Then we’ll listen to similarly priced rivals and come up with a verdict that reflects the performance and features for the money.
Pros
- Smooth, enjoyable sound
- Effective noise-cancellation
- Better than expected call quality
- Comfortable fit
- Long battery life
Cons
- Slightly artificial sound to calls
- Treble performance could be better
Pros
- Lightweight and comfortable to wear
- Engaging audio
- Good Ambient Sound performance
- Long battery life
- Affordable price
Cons
- Below-par call quality
- Not the most energetic-sounding pair
Pros
- Lightweight, comfortable design
- Affordable price
- Decent noise-cancellation
- Fun, punchy audio
- Long battery life
Cons
- Average call quality
- No carry case
- Better-sounding options available
Pros
- Refined and detailed sound
- Compact and lightweight design
- Long battery life
- Cheap
Cons
- Can pinch on the ears
- Not what you’d call stylish
Pros
- Clear, balanced sound with Bass Enhancer mode
- Affordable
- Long battery life
Cons
- Average noise-cancellation
- No case or carry pouch
Pros
- No frills value
- Impressive sound quality
- Extremely lightweight
Cons
- No in-line mic
- Cable isn’t replaceable
- Faux leather only
Pros
- Delivers enjoyable sound
- Comfortable and secure fit
- Solid battery life
Cons
- The touch controls could be better
- Quite a cheap build
- Struggles in windier and louder environments
Pros
- Fairly affordable price
- Solar charging boost
- Comfortable for an on-ear
- IP55 rating
Cons
- Could sound better
- Feature-lite
Pros
- Standout design that looks great in yellow
- Good sound quality
- ANC gets the job done
Cons
- Not the comfiest buds
- Fit takes some getting used to
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Smooth, enjoyable sound -
Effective noise-cancellation -
Better than expected call quality -
Comfortable fit -
Long battery life
-
Slightly artificial sound to calls -
Treble performance could be better
Given just how prolific Sony’s efforts are at the higher end of the market, you’d be forgiven for thinking that anything it might put out in the budget sector would be something of an afterthought, but thankfully this is not the case. Not only are the Sony WF-C710N some of the best budget earbuds you can buy right now, they’re just a great wireless pair overall that, in some areas, might be prerferable than even higher-priced options.
The first thing that’ll surprise you above all is the sound profile onboard these earbuds. Even though the WF-C710N only have a price tag of £99/$129, they bring a level of bass that far exceeds most people’s expectations. When playing songs that are known for heavy basslines, the WF-C710N will have you head bobbing in next to no time.
It’s a very enjoyable sound profile overall, with the same signature energy that Sony’s headphones are known for. The only area where we might like to see a bit more attention is in the treble, but to our ears it’s a fair compromise given just how affordable the WF-C710N are. Of course, you can mitigate this by playing around with the equaliser in the Sound Connect app.
When it comes to the design, the WF-C710N are very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. This is a factor that sometimes gets overlooked by a decent amount of manufacturers but Sony is not among them, and with IPX4 water resistance onboard, the WF-C710N can be used for workouts without concern over how they might hold up over time.
What really helps to separate the Sony WF-C710N from the competition however is the battery life onboard. From our testing, we found that you can get around 10-hours of use from each earbud, and when the charging case is factored in, you’ll have enough juice to get through a total of 30-hours. Throw in very effective noise cancelling on top of all this and the Sony WF-C710N are the budget buds to beat.
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Lightweight and comfortable to wear -
Engaging audio -
Good Ambient Sound performance -
Long battery life -
Affordable price
-
Below-par call quality -
Not the most energetic-sounding pair
The WF-C510 take what made the C500 model so good, refines it and makes it better with the addition of a few new features and even better sound,.
The build quality is solid. They’re look simple and functional, but they offer a great fit that blocks out most sounds and they feature physical controls, which we feel are better than relying on touch controls at this price. An IPX4 rating means they’re protected against some sweat and water, so you could take the C510 for a run or wear them to the gym.
Battery life has gone up from 10 to 11 hours and 22 hours in total. In our tests we found the battery life was in line with the original, which is no bad thing as 10 hours is a long to last. There is fast-charging support but no wireless charging.
There’s no ANC support but they do come with an Ambient Sound mode that lets outside sounds in. We found the performance on the ambient mode to be loud and clear, making it easy to catch announcement and get a better sense of what’s around you. Bluetooth 5.3 covers SBC and AAC streaming, so these headphones lack wireless Hi-Res Audio but we don’t that’s a big miss at the price point.
The sound of the WF-C510 is a spacious and balanced performance. We compained about the lack of bass oomph with the previous model but this pair delivers more weight and punch. The mid- to high frequency range has good clarity and detail and while they’re not the most dynamic sounding pair, they are wholly enjoyable for the money.
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Lightweight, comfortable design -
Affordable price -
Decent noise-cancellation -
Fun, punchy audio -
Long battery life
-
Average call quality -
No carry case -
Better-sounding options available
The WH-CH720N offer a strong overall performance for the asking price. They’re the best noise-cancelling headphones for less than £100 / $100.
Build quality is decent even though the headphones’ frame and earcups are made from recycled plastic, with no noticeable creaks or groans when we bent the frame. The use of plastic also keeps the headphones lightweight at 192g. We didn’t experience periods of discomfort wearing the headphones, thanks to the use of padding on the headband and earcups.
Battery life can go as far as 40 hours from our tests with noise-cancelling on, better than the EarFun Wave Pro. They include active noise-cancellation and transparency mode, as well as Bluetooth multipoint, app support (which provides more customisation) and voice assistants in the form of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
The noise-cancellation is solid for the price, focusing on culling low frequency sounds and clearing away ambient noise so it’s less of a bother. We wouldn’t say that these headphones clear away every noise they come across, but they’ll make the daily commutes and journeys in cities feel less chaotic and disruptive.
The sound quality is similar to the WH-CH520 on-ears in that it takes on a smooth and bassy tone. Bass is punchy, the midrange is clear and detailed, and the upper frequencies and bright and clear enough to have some impact. The Final UX300 offer a more insightful performance (at least with its noise-cancelling off), but they aren’t as affordable, nor do they boast as many features for day-to-day use either.
Alternatives include the award-winning EarFun Wave Pro, Soundcore Space One and the Edifier W830NB, but none of them sound as good as the Sony, nor do they cancel noise as well.
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Refined and detailed sound -
Compact and lightweight design -
Long battery life -
Cheap
-
Can pinch on the ears -
Not what you’d call stylish
In the past SoundMagic have been specialists with affordable earphones, but they’ve been making inroads with wireless headphones, and at £49.99, the P23BT are another pair that offer excellent value.
These are on-ear design, which comes with a few inescapable issues. One we experienced is the headphones can pinch around the ear, resulting in a little bit of discomfort after prolonged use. Another is that noise from the outside world leaks through, but some may actually like awareness of what’s around them.
However, their compact, lightweight and foldable frame makes them, in our opinion, easy to wear and even easier to stow away when not in use. They integrate physical and touch controls, which work surprisingly well in terms of their responsiveness. They headphones also have a 3.5mm jack in case you want to connect to a source.
They are short of features but what is provided is very good, especially for the price. Battery life is claimed to be around 54-60 hours, which is long though not as extensive as the Marshall Major IV‘s 80+ hours. They also feature aptX-HD Bluetooth for playback of wireless Hi-res audio streams from the likes of Tidal and Qobuz. By comparison, the Sony WH-CH520 have Bluetooth multipoint, though they don’t support higher quality Bluetooth streaming.
It’s the sound quality that impressed us most when reviewing the P23BT. It’s well balanced, with a detailed midrange, a big soundstage, and a clear, bright high frequency playback, plus bass that offers a decent amount of depth. They sound clearer and more detailed than the WH-CH520, and more balanced the the Major IV; though if you like plenty of bass with your music, you might want to give the Marshall pair a closer look.
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Clear, balanced sound with Bass Enhancer mode -
Affordable -
Long battery life
-
Average noise-cancellation -
No case or carry pouch
Although earbuds have come a long way in the last few years, it’s still a widely understood rule that if you want best sound quality around then opting for a pair of over-ear headphones is the way to go, and that remains true at the budget end of the market. While there are quite a few affordable options that are worth highlighting, it’s the Panasonic RB-M600B that stand out when it comes to sound quality.
Where these headphones excel is in delivering a clear and balanced soundscape that affords plenty of attention to all aspects of a track, so you never feel as if any detail is being lost as you move between genres in a playlist. Still, if you are someone who prefers a more energetic profile then you’ll appreciate the Bass Enhancer mode which, when toggled, really amps up the whole performance.
Beyond the sound profile, where the Panasonic RB-M600B really shine is in longevity. With more premium level headphones, you’d be lucky to get them to last for more than about 30/40 hours at a time, but here you can anticipate 65-hours of playback before needing to seek out a charger. This is exactly why the Panasonic RB-M600B work so well as all-day headphones.
That type of longevity makes the RB-M600B an ideal pair of headphones for work as you won’t have to worry about accidentally dropping out of a Zoom call due to the battery suddenly dipping into the red. There’s multi-point connectivity too so you can easily swap between you laptop and your smartphone, handy for when you need to take an incoming call.
The only crucial area where the RB-M600B could do with a bit more attention is in noise cancelling. While it can get the job done at times, it’s far from being the best in this category so you’re better off looking elsewhere if you plan on listening to music in busier environments. When at the office or working from home however, the Panasonic RB-M600B are a great choice.
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No frills value -
Impressive sound quality -
Extremely lightweight
-
No in-line mic -
Cable isn’t replaceable -
Faux leather only
Even though the world has largely moved over to wireless playback via Bluetooth, there’s still a lot to love about opting for a pair of headphones, not in the least because there are zero battery concerns that come with them, and in this modern age, that can be quite a nice thing. If you don’t want to worry about charging up anything else beyond your smartphone then you may want to give the M-Audio HDH40 a look.
For starters, the M-Audio HDH40 will only set you back £35 at the till, making them by far some of the most affordable headphones you can buy right now, and you certainly won’t find a brand new pair of wireless headphones for the same rate, making them ideal for students or anyone tied to a very limited budget. What’s impressive though is the soundscape that these cans bring to the table.
Don’t think that the HDH40 might fumble their audio quality based solely on the price tag they come with – far from it. Instead, these headphones use 40mm neodymium magnet drivers to pump out some truly outstanding sound, with a weighty bass that rumbles through your favourite tracks, not to mention enough detail to ensure that instruments and sounds at the mid-range don’t get lost in the mix.
In a similar vein, even though they won’t have a particularly eye-catching look, the HDH40 do go beyond their value status by offering a durable design that’s meant to withstand day to day use. They’re comfortable too, as the faux leather sits comfortably around your ears whilst also resting gently on your head.
There’s the added benefit of the headphones being incredibly lightweight as there’s no battery to factor in, so you can wear them for hours on end without ever coming across a sense of fatigue. For the sake of consumer value, it would have been nice if the cable could be removed but it’s not a dealbreaker, especially given how little you have to part with to have a pair of the M-Audio HDH40.
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Delivers enjoyable sound -
Comfortable and secure fit -
Solid battery life
-
The touch controls could be better -
Quite a cheap build -
Struggles in windier and louder environments
When you’re struggling through a workout, being able to listen to your favourite tracks can make all the difference, but not every pair of headphones or earbuds are well suited for the gym. After all, you need the perfect combination of sweat resistance, energetic sound and solid noise cancelling to keep the rest of the gym at bay, something that’s even rarer when shopping at the budget end, but not completely unavailable as the JLab Go Sport+ prove.
The moment you lay your eyes on these earbuds, there’s no mistaking them as being designed for any other occasion other than the gym. With fairly thick wing tips on either bud, they are designed to stay securely in place so even if you break out into a full-on sprint on the treadmill, you won’t have to worry about them going anywhere. Plus, with IP55 water resistance, they’re meant to withstand intense sessions.
Of course, as with any pair of earbuds, they wouldn’t be worth recommending if they didn’t also deliver where it counts the most: sound quality. This isn’t a problem with the JLab Go Sport+ as they use 6mm dynamic drivers to deliver a truly impressive soundscape, one that comes through with powerful bass to keep you chasing after your personal bests, as well as enough detail to give the rest of the melody room to breathe.
Something that will be a big win for marathon runners is the fact that the JLab Go Sport+ can last for up to nine hours on a single charge, although the total amount of battery life goes up to 35 hours when you factor in the charging case. The type of longevity outdoes even a handful of premium offerings like the AirPods Pro 3.
A feature we absolutely love is the built-in charging cable which neatly stows away on the case’s underside, so you don’t have to worry if you’ve forgotten to bring a separate cable to the office, and the buds are in need of a top-up before you hit the gym. We do wish that the JLab Go Sport+ had physical controls onboard as touch controls can become finicky during sweatier workouts, but it’s not a huge detriment to their overall usability.
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Fairly affordable price -
Solar charging boost -
Comfortable for an on-ear -
IP55 rating
-
Could sound better -
Feature-lite
As much as we love the JLab Go Sport+ for their sturdy design and energetic sound quality, their battery life of nine hours per bud will be great for most but not for ultramarathon runners. If you’re one such person who needs a solution that can really go the distance then there’s only one option on the budget market that can really get the job done: the Philips TAA6219.
You might not realise it to look at them but the TAA6219 actually have a solar charging panel on top of the headband, so you can enjoy continuous use when bringing the headphones with you during a run. Even if you do find yourself in a scenario where no light is able to reach the headphones, the Philips TAA6219 still pack 80-hours of charge in reserve so you’re unlikely to reach a dead battery here anytime soon.
This type of longevity is a game-changer for anyone who has a serious endurance event on the cards and anything with a battery life in the single digits just won’t do. Even with the added tech built into the headband, the TAA6219 are still very comfortable when in use. We put them to the test throughout a long working day and didn’t feel any sense of fatigue whilst wearing the headphones.
When it comes to long term durability, the TAA6219 have an official IP55 rating for dust and water resistance, so they won’t fall foul of the elements or your own sweat over time. The earpad fabric is also washable so you can keep both earpads clean and negate the build-up of bacteria.
In terms of audio quality, the Philips TAA6219 put out a solid soundscape that comes across clearly at higher volumes, but we did find that a little too much detail is lost when listening to songs at low volumes. Still, there’s Bluetooth 5.4 built-in so you won’t have to worry about the connection dropping out as you go about your day.
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Standout design that looks great in yellow -
Good sound quality -
ANC gets the job done
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Not the comfiest buds -
Fit takes some getting used to
The Nothing Ear (a) are a great-looking pair of true wireless earbuds, with the yellow colourway offering a vibrant option for those looking to stand out. If you find the Sony WF-C510 plain in terms of appearance, these buds are a much more colourful alternative.
They have transparent build, allowing you to peer inside the ear stems and creating a retro look that matches Nothing’s other devices. The case is also transparent and smaller than the case that houses the higher-end Nothing Buds. The earbuds are rated IP54 for sweat and water resistance, though the case only carries an IPX2 rating so you’ll want to avoid dropping it in water.
The gesture controls are on the earbud stem, allowing you to skip tracks and switch on active noise-cancelling with a series of pinches. You can customise these gestures in the Nothing X app, though we found the volume gesture controls unreliable. The Nothing Ear (a) aren’t the comfiest wireless earbuds, with the design digging into our ears, though there are three ear-tips included to customise the fit.
The earbuds have a considerable amount of features for their price, including adaptive ANC, a transparency mode, in-ear detection for auto play/pause, and a low lag mode for gamers. Bluetooth multi-point audio allows the buds to connect to two devices at a time, and LDAC support for higher-quality streaming on Android devices. There’s also an EQ with four presents in the app, along with the usual SBC and AAC codec support.
Nothing claims the Ear (a) should last 5.5 hours per charge with ANC switched on (or 9 hours with ANC off), with five charges in the case. We found similar results in our own tests, though the earbuds offered a little under 5 hours of playtime with the ANC set to High. There’s no wireless charging support on the Ear (a) with Nothing reserving this feature for the Nothing Ear.
In terms of audio the Nothing Ear (a) deliver a thoroughly impressive sound, with crisp vocals and plenty of bass when required. The earbuds offer a pleasing sense of neutrality and while they aren’t as clear as more expensive earbuds, the Ear (a) boast an endearing, expansive sound that gives real depth to songs. There’s also the cheaper CMF by Nothing earbuds to consider, but the noise-cancellation isn’t as good.
FAQs
Technically speaking, earbuds present a one-size fits all body that sits on your ear canal, while earphones come with ear-tips to burrow further into the ear for a better fit.
Test Data
| Sony WF-C710N | Sony WF-C510 | Sony WH-CH720N | SoundMagic P23BT | Panasonic RB-M600B | M-Audio HDH40 | JLab Go Sport+ | Philips TAA6219 | Nothing Ear (a) |
|---|
Full Specs
| Sony WF-C710N Review | Sony WF-C510 Review | Sony WH-CH720N Review | SoundMagic P23BT Review | Panasonic RB-M600B Review | M-Audio HDH40 Review | JLab Go Sport+ Review | Philips TAA6219 Review | Nothing Ear (a) Review | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK RRP | £99 | £54.99 | £99.99 | £49.99 | £79.99 | £33.99 | £29.99 | £109.99 | £99 |
| USA RRP | $129.99 | – | $149.99 | – | Unavailable | $39 | $29.99 | – | $99 |
| EU RRP | €89 | – | €119 | – | €89.99 | €39.99 | – | €129.99 | – |
| CA RRP | – | – | CA$249 | – | – | CA$51.79 | – | – | – |
| AUD RRP | AU$189.95 | – | AU$249 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturer | Sony | Sony | Sony | SoundMAGIC | Panasonic | – | JLab | Philips | Nothing |
| Quiet Mark Accredited | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | No |
| IP rating | IPX4 | IPX4 | No | No | No | No | IP55 | IP55 | IP57 |
| Battery Hours | 30 | 22 | 35 | 60 | 65 | – | 35 | 80 | 5 30 |
| Wireless charging | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Yes | – |
| Fast Charging | Yes | Yes | – | Yes | Yes | – | Yes | – | Yes |
| Size (Dimensions) | – | x x INCHES | x x INCHES | x x INCHES | – | – | – | – | x x INCHES |
| Weight | – | 40.2 G | 192 G | 156 G | 265 G | 300 G | 58.1 G | 260 G | 4.8 G |
| ASIN | – | B0DBLN4C47 | B0BTDX26B2 | B097RF6YYF | B0DJFNG9SJ | B09S3VWMX6 | B0CYNFWD2R | B0DL69JHYH | B0CXPR5412 |
| Release Date | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2024 | – | 2024 | 2024 | 2024 |
| First Reviewed Date | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24/04/2024 |
| Model Number | – | – | WH-CH720N | – | RB-M600BE-K | – | – | TAA6219BK | – |
| Audio Resolution | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, aptX-HD, aptX | SBC, AAC | – | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC | High-Res |
| Driver (s) | 5mm | 6mm | 30mm dynamic | Dynamic 40mm Neodymium | 30mm neodymium | 40 mm neodymium magnet | 6mm Dynamic Driver | 40mm dynamic | 11m Custom Driver |
| Noise Cancellation? | Yes | – | Yes | – | Yes | – | – | – | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.2, 3.5mm jack | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.3 | 3.5 mm (1.8”) / 6.35mm (1.4”) adaptor | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.4 | LDAC, AAC, SBC |
| Colours | Pink, Glass Blue, White, Black | Yellow, Black, Blue, White | Blue, Black, White | Black | Black, Beige | – | Black, Coral, Teal, Yellow, Light blue, Sand, Green | Red/black | Yellow, Black, White |
| Frequency Range | 20 20000 – Hz | 20 20000 – Hz | 20 20000 – Hz | – Hz | 20 20000 – Hz | 15 28000 – Hz | 20 20000 – Hz | 20 20000 – Hz | – Hz |
| Headphone Type | True Wireless | True Wireless | Over-ear | On-ear | Over-ear | Over-ear | True Wireless | On-ear | True Wireless |
| Voice Assistant | – | – | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant | – | – | – | – | – | ChatGPT |
