Here are the best cheap headphones of all types (including over-ear, on-ear, true wireless, and wired).
Discover budget headphones with a surprisingly good sound quality and features that could easily cost more money.
Find the headphones divided into 3 price ranges: Under $50, under $30, and under $20.
| Rating | Price | Design | Connection | Mic & Controls | More info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Best wireless  | 4.5 | Under $50 | Over-ear, closed-back | Bluetooth (60h) |  | |
| Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Best wired  | 4.6 | Under $50 | Over-ear, closed-back | Wired – 3.5mm |  | |
| TaoTronics TT-BH090 Best noise-cancelling  | 4.6 | Under $60 | Over-ear, closed-back | Bluetooth (35h) |  | |
| SoundPEATS Sonic Best wireless  | 4.1 | Under $50 | True wireless, closed-back | Bluetooth (15h + 20h in case) |  | |
| Linsoul Tin Audio T2 Best wired in-ear  | 4.3 | Under $50 | In-ear, closed-back | Wired – 3.5mm |  | |
| Samson SR850 Best open-back  | 4.5 | Under $50 | Over-ear, semi-open | Wired 3.5mm & 6.3mm |  | |
| Monoprice 8323 Best under $30  | 4.1 | Under $30 | Over-ear, closed-back | Wired 3.5mm & 6.3mm |  | |
| Skullcandy Dime True Wireless Best AirPods alternative  | 4.4 | Under $30 | True wireless, closed-back | Bluetooth (3.5h + 8.5h in case) |  | |
| Koss UR-20 Best under $20  | 4.3 | Under $20 | Over-ear, closed-back | Wired – 3.5mm |  | |
| KZ ZST Best earbuds under $20  | 4.4 | Under $20 | In-ear, closed-back | Wired – 3.5mm |  | |
| Panasonic ErgoFit HJE120K Best under $10  | 4.3 | Under $10 | In-ear, closed-back | Wired – 3.5mm |  |
Last update: Updated pricing and answered more questions under FAQ.
What’s the price point for cheap, budget headphones you ask?
After talking with many people, we established the price of $50 to be what most consider cheap.
After all, $50 is less than a full tank of gas (for most cars) or the cost of a nice restaurant date for two.
And if $50 is still too much, we’ve found headphones for less: under $30, under $20, and even quality earbuds for $10 (at the bottom).
While the budget headphones can’t compare to high-end models, some offer fantastic value for your money with good quality.
What does that mean?
According to this study, people can buy happiness if their purchases match their personality. And if you’re like me, you get more happiness from buying a quality item on a budget than paying top price for a “premium” item.
If you like bargain shopping, this list of the best cheap headphones is for you.
Fine tune your search:
- The best cheap earbuds (in-ear headphones)
- Best budget noise cancelling headphones (ANC)
- Best headphones under $100 (all types)
Best Cheap Headphones under $50
1. Anker Soundcore Life Q20
Best wireless cheap headphones 
If you need the best cheap headphones with loud bass-heavy sound and noise cancellation, Anker Soundcore Life Q20 are one of the top picks.
Connection: Bluetooth 5.0 
Driver size: 40mm 
Frequency range: 16-40.000Hz - Good ANC
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Fairly balanced sound
- Not the best build quality
- Lacking detail due to dark-ish treble
If you’re a fan of a bassier sound profile, these should suit your taste. Consequently, they’re pretty warm, with a balanced midrange and smooth treble.
Life Q20 offer good active noise cancellation performance, especially when blocking low-frequency external noises. That makes them a great companion on airplanes and public transport. Sadly, they lack ambient mode.
Speaking of transport, ear cups have foldable hinges to make more space in your bag. Faux leather ear pads are nice and comfy and ensure good levels of external noise isolation.
The battery life is excellent, with up to 60 hours of continuous playtime (40 hours with noise cancellation), and the Bluetooth connectivity is also pretty solid.
Life Q20 are great budget wireless headphones if you plan to make many phone calls with a surprisingly clean built-in mic.
2. Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
Best wired cheap headphones 
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x are one of the best cheap wired headphones under 50$ from a well-known brand.
Connection: Wired- 3.5mm / 6.3mm 
Driver size: 40mm 
Frequency range: 15-20.000Hz - Affordable studio monitors
- Decent build and comfort
- Great, balanced sound for the price
- Not very portable
The ATH-M20x have a well-balanced sound signature. The overall detailed sound quality is much better than you’d expect for 50 dollars.
You also get a controlled bass response while keeping the details. They’re good enough for every music genre, and a worthy top pick on this list.
The wired headphones are well built considering the price range. They can survive most of the unfortunate drops.
See more great budget over-ear headphones.
Another great thing about them is a simple, yet sleek design that never comes out of style (they look similar to other higher-end models from Audio-Technica).
Large and well-padded over-ear ear cups provide comfort for many hours so you can enjoy your favorite music without itching.
More at this price point:
3. TaoTronics TT-BH090
Noise cancellation cheap headphones 
Having a decent price, TaoTronics TT-BH090 are becoming an excellent value for those seeking a pair of active noise-canceling headphones on a budget.
Connection: Bluetooth 5.0 
Driver size: 40mm 
Frequency range: n/a - Great price-to-performance ratio
- Good noise cancellation
- Comfortable earpads
- Smooth, enjoyable sound
- Might not fit the biggest heads
They have an overall smooth-sounding frequency response with punchy bass. Audio performance is good, with ANC only improving the sound quality. The latter is mostly due to eliminating the outside noise.
Also, these are the only best budget headphones with an AAC codec, a great feature that ensures better audio for iOS devices.
The matte black housing gives them a straightforward look, which can be a good thing if you don’t like flashy things.
Headphone cups can rotate and fold inwards to make them more portable. Underneath the ear cup, you can find volume controls, or you can ask Google assistant to inform you about the weather without touching your phone.
As mentioned, these wireless headphones provide you with active noise-cancellation, which works really well.
They’re capable of canceling out a majority of low-end humming, while also doing a good job in the office. During ANC, headphones provide enough battery life for at least a couple of days. If you end up without juice, you can always use them in wired mode.
Check our pick for the best budget noise cancelling headphones.
4. SoundPEATS Sonic
Best cheap true wireless headphones 
SoundPEATS Sonic are the best true wireless earbuds under $50.
Connection: Bluetooth 5.2 
Driver size: n/a 
Frequency range: n/a - Great sound quality
- Amazing battery life (14h/charge)
- Comfortable fit
- Reliable Bluetooth 5.2 connection
- Support for aptX Adaptive
- Overly boosted sub-bass
- Cheap-feeling construction
Check SoundPEATS A/B sound test:
If the punchy yet natural sound is what you’re looking for, then SoundPEATS Sonic are your best bet.
Their big bass boost only shows up when a song asks for it. Otherwise, they portray instruments and vocals with good balance and neutrality. With their Game mode, you can also use them as a mobile gaming headset.
The housing perfectly contours the outer ear, ensuring good stability even during sports activities. With the help of an IPX5 rating, you don’t have to worry about sweat damage.
Furthermore, the Sonic have insane battery life, playing your music for 14 hours straight. There are additional 20 hours inside the charging case (it uses USB-C charging).
Despite their low price, they come equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 and have the latest aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec for high-quality wireless listening. Sadly, no app support or touch controls.
Also check:
Best budget noise cancelling headphones
5. Linsoul Tin Audio T2
Best cheap wired in-ear headphones 
Tin Audio T2 are a great pair of wired in-ear headphones under $50 that make an excellent choice.
Connection: Wired – 3.5mm 
Driver size: 10mm (woofer) + 6mm (tweeter) 
Frequency range: 12-40.000Hz - Excellent sound for the price
- Robust, metal build with detachable cables
- Good passive isolation
- A bit bulky for users with smaller ears
Metal housing encapsulates 2 dynamic drivers: one woofer and one tweeter. Combined, they produce a powerful sound quality that exceeds the earbud’s price range.
They have a well-balanced frequency response across the midrange and treble, with lots of details and sparkle. Even if the bass is slightly boosted, it should still please most audiophiles.
Earbuds are made of solid metal and boast an industrial look. Despite their weird shape, they’re comfortable for most users.
Inside the box, you get many accessories, including foam ear tips. The latter ensures optimal stability and passive isolation, preventing the ambient sound from mixing with your music.
Another cool thing about Tin Audio T2 is the removable MMCX cable. Since that’s one of the first things to break in headphones, you can now easily replace it with a new one.
Related: More best earbuds under $50
For a bit more money check the best Bluetooth headphones under $100.
6. Samson SR850
Best open-back cheap headphones 
SR850 are the best cheap headphones with open-back, especially if seek good sound quality that you can use for studio work.
Connection: Wired – 3.5mm / 6.3mm 
Driver size: 50mm 
Frequency range: 10-30.000Hz - Fantastic sound for the price
- Lightweight construction
- Decent durability
- 6.3mm adapter included in the box
- Price
- All-plastic construction feels cheap
- Below average comfort and fit
- Bad noise isolation
At the price tag, the sound quality of these cheap headphones is mind-blowing. The overall solid bass doesn’t dig very low (as in most semi or fully open-back headphones), the midrange is engagingly natural.
Detail retrieval and imaging are great, with good instrumental separation and airiness in the treble.
To save on materials, headphones are entirely made of plastic. With good care, you can have them for many years as we did. Also, the cable is thick so that it won’t break anytime soon.
You can choose between pleather or velour earpads. The latter ones are more breathable and gentler to the skin, giving you better comfort over long stretches of listening.
Due to sound leakage, they’re only usable for home listening. There’s a 6.3mm adapter in the box if you have a dedicated headphone amp or you want to plug them into a speaker amplifier.
Check the best bass headphones.
Best Cheap Headphones under $30
7. Monoprice 8323
Best budget headphones under $30 
Closed ear cups give the Monoprice 8323 over-ear headphones excellent passive isolation, and the large drivers efficiently produce a loud, robust sound.
Connection: Wired – 3.5mm 
Driver size: 50mm 
Frequency range: 20-20.000Hz - Good comfort
- Detachable cable
- Great clarity for the price
- Cheap construction
The soundstage is clear and decently spacious, and the overall driver efficiency is good. Low-end frequency response is produced with plenty of punch and depth. The mids are full and generally rich.
The only downside is that the high frequencies can get lost in the mix depending on the style of music. Brilliance and sibilance are attenuated good enough to notice.
DJs will love the earcup swivel design and tight bass response that these cheap headphones deliver, and the additional detachable audio cables are handy for a variety of uses.
Few over-ear headphones at this price point provide as much isolation while delivering quality audio.
Furthermore, the style and build make them great for use by audio engineers and DJs. Studio engineers or musicians may find them to be larger and heavier than standard studio headphones. Since they also get dangerously loud, you have to practise safe headphone use.
Related: The best headphones under $30
8. Skullcandy Dime
Best in-ear headphones under $30 
Skullcandy Dime are cheap wireless earbuds that are similar to Apple Airpods Pro but much cheaper and have surprisingly great sound quality.
Connection: Bluetooth 5.0 
Driver size: 6mm dynamic 
Frequency range: 20-20.000Hz - Excellent sound quality for the price
- Comfortable fit
- Good Bluetooth range and stability
- Decent call quality
- Annoying physical controls
- Poor battery life
- Plasticky build
While not perfect, a slightly V-shaped sound from Skullcandy Dime can easily surpass more expensive headphones. Audio quality is crisp and fun to listen to, regardless of the music genre.
Both earbuds and charging case are entirely made of plastic. They feel cheap and have a lightweight design, but thankfully, there are no visible weak points. There’re many variants with many colors to choose from as well.
These true wireless headphones have an IPX4 rating, which protects them from sweat and light rain.
The single issue is their runtime, which is only okay. With 3.5 hours of battery life on a single charge in earbuds and additional 8.5 hours in the compact design charging case.
As long as you don’t push eartips too hard in your ear canal, the Dime provide decent comfort and fit.
Related: Best wireless earbuds under $50
Best Cheap Headphones under $20
9. Koss UR-20
Best cheap headphones under $20 
Koss UR-20 are the best cheap headphones under 20$ (See below for the reasons why).
Connection: Wired – 3.5mm 
Driver size: n/a 
Frequency range: 30-20.000Hz - Balanced sound with slightly a boosted bass
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Dirt-cheap
- Bulky, plastic construction
Sound-wise, Koss UR-20 have a somewhat balanced audio performance that’s suitable for all music genres. Overall they sound decent for casual listening.
Softly padded earcups make them quite comfortable. Their large cups also fit securely adult ears. Their design is extremely lightweight, and a plastic headband doesn’t put too much pressure on top of your head.
While these aren’t built like a tank, they hold up fine to everyday use. The entirely plastic design doesn’t have state-of-the-art looks, but that isn’t a huge deal since they feel reasonably sturdy.
It’s worth mentioning they don’t isolate noise that well, so listening to high volumes can bother people around you.
Related: Best headphones under $20
10. KZ ZST
Best in-ear headphones under $20 
KZ ZST are the best inexpensive headphones under $20 at the moment.
Connection: Wired – 3.5mm 
Driver size: 10mm 
Frequency range: 20-20.000Hz - Amazing value
- Great sound
- Removable cable
- Comfortable fit
- All-plastic construction
They have a V-shaped sound signature that’s fantastic at this very affordable price level. It can easily compare to earbuds around $100.
The bass is punchy and controlled, and highs have no problems with sibilance or harshness. Truly budget audiophile in-ear monitors. You might get even better sound if you drive them with high-quality audio devices.
These are one of those headphone types where the wire goes behind the ear. The fit is amazingly comfortable and stable, even for sports and memory wire provides a firm fit. But they aren’t sweatproof, so you shouldn’t use them for working out.
You only get silicone ear tips but to get a tight seal in your ear canal, comfort, and ambient noise isolation, get memory foam tips.
They are plastic and thus lightweight. That makes these cheap headphones great for long listening sessions. Plus, 1-button remote control and integrated microphone enable you to make phone calls on the go.
Related: Best earbuds under $20
What are the best cheap headphones under 10 dollars? You won’t find a decent over-ear or on-ear pair, but you can get decent in-ears.
11. Panasonic RP-HJE120
Best under $10 
Panasonic RP-HJE120 are incredibly cheap and basic earbuds that just work well and sound good.
Connection: Wired – 3.5mm 
Driver size: 9mm 
Frequency range: 10-24.000Hz - Enjoyable sound with slight bass emphasis
- Very comfortable due to ergonomic design
- Low price
- Surprisingly durable
- Cable noise
Their sound signature is somewhat balanced and doesn’t sound cheap. The lows are well-heard, slightly enhanced but can be muddy for some songs. They have an overall decent sound quality, but still satisfying for most everyday listeners.
Furthermore, while they are cheap, their durable build can last a decent amount of time. Its plastic built isn’t class-leading but much better than most similar alternatives.
Passive noise isolation is excellent too. Even if you’re listening to high volumes, they don’t leak much sound. So no one around is bothered by your music.
If you want the most popular and best-rated budget earbuds on the planet, get these affordable headphones. You can find other earbuds under $10 here.
Panasonic ErgoFit RP-HJE120 review
Honorable Mentions
Jlab Audio Go Air – Great-sounding cheap true wireless earbuds with 5-hour battery life and built-in EQ modes. (Check Go Air price)
Skullcandy Hesh 2 – Hesh 2 are one of the best cheap headphones that can add a strong bass boost to all of your songs. Thanks to big earpads with thick foam, the passive isolation is above average. (Check Hesh 2 price)
Jbuds Audio Jbuds Air – If you’re looking for great cheap wireless earbuds under $50, then the Jlab Audio Jbuds Air should be an excellent choice. With a stable fit, IP55 rating, and decent 5.5 hours of battery life (18 hours in the charging case), you can use them for sports too. For more see the best workout headphones. Jlab Audio Jbuds Air review
More budget guides:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are cheap headphones?
Cheap headphones cost under (or around) $50. This is a price range where you can still get good-quality headphones with all the latest features from popular brands like; Audio-Technica, Skullcandy, Anker, etc.
What to expect from top cheap headphones?
Even the best cheap headphones have some shortcomings: Entirely plastic structures without any fancy materials. Expect less than the best build quality. Less features and accessories as pricier models. Expect only the basics. Older Bluetooth versions and smaller battery. While this isn’t true every time, don’t expect the latest technology and updates.
What are the best cheap headphone brands?
Here are some of the best budget headphones brands:
Monoprice is probably the most known audiophile budget brand.
Koss is an old company with fantastic recognition among audiophiles.
TaoTronics specialize in all types of affordable products that offer a lot of value.
KZ are a newer Chinese brand that made a following with their cheap in-ears that sound great.
MEE Audio offer competitive products for less money across categories.
Mpow is one of the more successfully generic audio brands.
Anker makes affordable audio products and other headphones and electronics with premium features.
Aukey makes some mid-tier headphones, but their cheapest models offer the latest tech and plenty of extra features.
Shortcomings of cheap wireless headphones
Wireless Bluetooth headphones add more aspects:
The battery won’t last forever. Since you’re paying less money, you’re not getting the latest battery technology. Expect a battery to last (have satisfactory capacity) for about 2 to 3 years. If more, great, but that’s usually not the cas).
Lacking audio quality. The best cheap headphones have decent audio quality but don’t compare them to Hi-Fi audiophile headphones.
