8 Best Headphones under $20

What headphones can 20 dollars get you today? Better than you might think…

In this guide, we collected decent, functional products for a dirt-cheap price.

Here are the best headphones for less than $20 among the over-ear, in-ear, and on-ear designs.

While these models aren’t going to blow you out of your socks, they still offer a great value for their price. They’re a solid choice for most users on a budget. And if the budget is $20, solid is impressive.

In case you’re looking for headphones for slightly more money, you can check more budget guides below.

Note: Sometimes the prices might jump above $20 due to market fluctuations. Wait a little time to see if the price drops again. If headphones increase in price permanently, we’ll replace them.

Check other related guides:

Best headphones under $30

Best earbuds under $30

Best wireless under $30

The Best Headphones under $20

1. Koss UR-20

The sound these over-ear headphones produce is pretty good. The frequency response is somewhat balanced, with low-end being slightly enhanced. Although, listening at high volumes can make it a little muddy.

They are most suitable for listening to calmer music. But they’re also a good choice to enjoy your favorite rock and pop.

Their main advantage is comfort. Over-ear headphones have large and soft earpads that fit around most ears. Also, the headband design is quite flexible, which makes them super comfy for many hours.

Their durability is decent, considering the price range. Although they’re made entirely out of plastic, they hold up well to everyday use.

2. Behringer HPS3000

They offer a slightly V-shaped sound signature, with a highly defined bass response and transparent highs. Perfect for anyone that likes to get extra motivated with energetic music.

The sound is also suitable for working in a studio because of the ample amount of details (considering the price range).

Despite their bulky design, they are lightweight and offer an extremely comfortable fit for most people. The oval-shaped ear cups are big enough to fit all ears. Wearing them for a long time is no problem at all.

The cable is tangle-free. Also, because of their secure fit and materials, noise isolation is better than with most sub-$20 headphones. These over-ear headphones can serve you for a long time at home or on the go listening.

3. CCA LYRA

Hear the CCA LYRA A/B Sound Test:

CCA LYRA’s sound is why they’ve earned their spot in this guide. The sound quality is outstanding for the price, with good detail, clarity, and well-balanced tuning.

Due to the over-the-ear cable, earbuds ensure excellent stability even if you shake your head a lot. They can be comfy, too, although some might disagree due to the strange design.

Staying with the cable, it’s of decent quality and can be replaced with a third-party option using 2pin connectors.

To add a cool factor, LYRA’s housing is fully transparent, so you can clearly see the single dynamic driver inside.

4. Jlab Go Air Pop True Wireless Earbuds

The Go Air Pop Bluetooth headphones focus on the general public, offering punchy lows and sparkly highs. Thankfully, the midrange stays balanced and with naturally presented musical instruments.

The great thing is that you can further boost the bass by toggling to Bass boost EQ profile or tone the lows down by picking the Balanced preset.

Earbuds have a small form factor and fit comfortably in your ear canal. They don’t poke into your earlobes so that you can wear them for long listening sessions. Furthermore, music controls are touch-sensitive.

Bluetooth technology also means the buds run on batteries. The runtime is quite impressive, clocking at eight hours on a single charge, with an additional 24 hours stored in the charging case. The USB cable is fixed to the case.

Jlab earbuds are suitable for exercising as well, providing an IPX4 rating.

More budget headphones:

Best cheap earbuds (between $10 & $50)

Best cheap headphones (between $10 & $50)

Best headphones under $30

Best headphones under $50

5. Koss KSC75

The frequency response they provide is well-balanced, with a strong bass response and forward mid-range. Their sound quality can easily be compared to more expensive headphones. They have been popular among audiophiles for years.

These are appropriate for almost every music genre. Although their bass is loud and sound clear, don’t expect too much of a bounce if you’re a basshead.

KSC75 are lightweight and don’t bother the earlobes, even if you’re wearing them for a long time. Because of their ear hook design, you can also use them for cardio workouts. Due to the ear hooks, they provide a secure fit.

In spite of them not being waterproof, they can survive most of your sweaty workouts.

Also, check out:

• The best workout headphones.

6. Panasonic RP-HT161-K

Their sound quality is balanced. The bass is deep, but it fits nicely with all other ranges. These are generally OK to listen to all music genres. They cost less than 20 bucks, after all.

But they’re not as strong as the best bass headphones.

The best thing about them is their extra-long cord. It comes especially handy while playing games or dancing to your favorite songs.

Because of their lightweight design, they are comfy, even if you wear glasses. Soft ear cushions surround the entire ear and isolate most of the ambient noise. Also, their lifespan can be quite long with some care.

Their main advantage is their long cable. Otherwise, the Panasonic RP-HT161-K are made for casual home use with a loud sound, comfy design, and an unbeatable price.

7. Sony MDR-ZX110

Hear the Sony MDR-ZX110 A/B Sound Test:

Sony MDR-ZX110 are affordable headphones that usually sell for $10, making their sound so much more impressive.

It’s no audiophile nirvana, but for the price, you get a good bass rendition, natural mids, and a relatively balanced treble. Unfortunately, soundstage and imaging are nothing to write home about.

Headphones are very lightweight (and plasticky), so you barely feel them on your head. And that’s despite their on-ear design.

Stability is good, even if you’re running with them, although earpads will heat your ears pretty quickly.

The MDR-ZX110 even fold inwards to save some space in your backpack. However, the folding mechanism doesn’t look very durable.

For $20, you can get the version with a built-in microphone for making phone calls in inline controls.

8. Tascam TH-02

The thing that stands out the most is their weighty bass response. In general, these are pretty W-shaped, with everything slightly boosted to appear more present and upfront.

However, the TH-02 can also introduce some sibilance in the higher frequencies, especially on poorly mastered tracks. At least the soundstage is fairly big for a closed-back headphone.

These headphones are made with portability in mind. They can fold inward to make extra room in your backpack.

Earpads sit on your ears and are relatively shallow, which isn’t the best for long-term comfort. Still, headphones can create a good seal, ensuring great passive isolation.

Honorable Mentions

KZ ATE

KZ ZST

What Can You Expect from $20 Headphones?

20 dollars is very little money, and it’s surprising you can actually get headphones for such a low price. Here’s everything you can expect from headphones at this affordable price range.

1. Cheaper build quality

Better materials cost more money. So due to the low price, audio devices are mostly made of plastics that can crack or deform. Take good care of them if you want them to last at least a couple of years.

2. Basic functionality

An in-line mic and remote control are more of a bonus than a standard feature. Usually is just a wire with a headphone jack. No touch controls either.

3. Average battery capacity or the last-gen Bluetooth version (like Bluetooth 5.0)

It means you’ll get less music per single charge and you might experience more signal disruptions. You get the very basic wireless functionality, and almost every audio device uses Micro-USB. That is why you don’t see many Bluetooth headphones or TWS earbuds in “best under $20” guides.

4. Cheaper headphones have mediocre audio quality

It doesn’t mean that the overall quality is terrible, but you can’t expect a Hi-Fi sound experience. Headphones with great sound usually cost more than $20, but it doesn’t necessarily mean expensive headphones sound better.

5. No fancy features like active noise cancellation

Don’t expect feature-packed headphones under $20. Noise cancelling tech costs more to manufacture and doesn’t fit in this price range. You have to pay more money for decent ANC cans (check our guide for best budget noise cancelling headphones).

But maybe you’re just confusing cancellation with noise isolation?

Why do Headphones Die?

Build quality varies from model to model, but this problem isn’t only focused on cheap headphones. Every electronic device dies eventually, either by itself or because something broke inside of them.

While you can’t prevent the first thing from happening, you can try to handle your headphones with care.

Knowing what are the most common causes for headphones to die will make you more aware of not repeating the same mistakes.

Damaging the cord

More and more manufacturers are going wireless, but if you’re buying headphones under $20, they most certainly have a wired design.

Of course, wires are the most vulnerable part of any headphone, especially if they’re fixed. Many accidents can happen to them, like:

• Pulling the cable instead of the plug. Especially with cheap wires, the connection between the wire and the plug isn’t always rock-solid. Therefore it’s safer that you unplug your headphones by grabbing on the plug instead of pulling the wire.
• Running them over with your chair. They might not die the first time you do that, but better don’t try out your luck.
• Pulling the cable too hard. It’s a common situation when you forget you’re wearing headphones on your head, and you quickly stand up. Consequently, the cable pulls a headphone off your head and slams it on the floor.
• Bending or tightening a cable. A bit of bending isn’t an issue. However, trying to make a knot so they can fit in a small carrying case can break the wire. Inside the cable, there are small, fragile wires. If you bend them too much, they will break quite easily.

Liquid damage

While most wireless earbuds and headphones have some level of water protection, the majority of wired ones aren’t water-resistant.

• Rain or you heavily sweat during a workout. You would need at least an IPX4 rating for your headphones to survive that.
• Keeping your headphones in a moist environment. You can accidentally leave your headphones in your sweaty clothes after an intense workout. And as we all know, liquids and electronics don’t mix that well together.

Of course, there are exceptions. Once, we accidentally washed our earbuds in a washing machine. All we needed to do to bring them back alive is blast them on high volume for a short amount of time.

Check the best waterproof Bluetooth headphones for more options.

Extreme loudness

Every speaker is rated for maximum power output. Playing your headphones loud isn’t that big of an issue if you stay below the recommended power input.

Normally, a smartphone isn’t going to kill off your headphones. However, if you have a dedicated amp, that power is easily reachable.

What happens is that a tiny copper coil, that in conjunction with the magnet creates an electromagnetic field, overheats, and melts. If that happens, it can’t create a magnetic field anymore.