Best Wireless Headphones under $50
The best wireless headphones won’t always be expensive. With the overwhelming amount of headphones available in every price segment, it’s easy to find quality headphones at a great price with plenty of features that match the price of higher-end models. We have a long list of best AirPods alternatives under $100, but if you’re looking for the best wireless headphones under $50, we’ve rounded up a number of cheap wireless headphones worth buying. This true budget list wireless headphones can help you find a cheaper alternative – and while there are plenty of headphones out there that cost less than $50, these are the crème de la crème. Several of them are surprisingly good for their price, even rivaling the quality of major brands.
Here are my current true wireless favorites under $50, ranked from highest price to lowest price. I have tried them all and regularly update this list with new products. Note that the prices fluctuate, so some of them might be a few dollars over $50.
Learn more: Best Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
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Battery life
Rated up to 5.5 hours
noise cancellation
Yes (ANC)
Multipoint
No
helmet type
Wireless headphones
Waterproof
Yes (IPX4 — splash proof)
The Soundpeats T3 headphones have two things going for them apart from their low price: they sound decent and work well for making calls with very good noise cancellation. They are also comfortable to wear and have both an active noise cancellation mode and a transparency mode. However, the noise cancellation is only okay, not great (the same goes for the transparency mode). But you can’t expect everything for such a low price.
Equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, they are IPX4 splash-proof and have a battery life of up to 5.5 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels.
They have a relatively smooth, balanced sound and ample bass. They won’t wow you with clarity or dynamic sound, but they’re great to listen to, that’s all you could ask for in a set of budget headphones.
Callers said my voice was clearer when I used the AirPods Pro, but the Soundpeats actually reduced background noise more than the AirPods Pro. I was able to have conversations on the noisy streets of New York without a problem.
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You are receiving price alerts for SoundPeats Air 3 (Black)
Battery life
Rated up to 5 hours
noise cancellation
Yes (ANC)
Multipoint
No
helmet type
Wireless headphones
Waterproof
Yes (IPX5 — protection against low pressure water currents)
SoundPeats claims that its open-style Air 3 buds are 10% smaller than their predecessors, the TrueAir 2, and the case is really tiny, smaller than the AirPods case. The buds stayed more securely in my ears than the AirPods (I have trouble keeping the AirPods in my ears, especially if I start running). These use Qualcomm’s 3040 chipset, which has Bluetooth 5.2, and I had no problem pairing them with an iPhone 12 Pro and Google Pixel 4 XL. My connection was quite stable. The headphones support the aptX audio codec with compatible devices.
The sound quality is good for open headphones. It’s right there with the AirPods and those even have a bit more bass. I think most people will be happy with the sound. The only problem I noticed is that you can only push them so far. When playing some tracks at higher volumes, I encountered some distortion; rock tracks where multiple instruments are playing at the same time can be tricky. As a result, I kept the headphones at around 60% of maximum. You can adjust the volume using the touch controls, which work well. They play loud at higher volumes.
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You receive price alerts for Anker Soundcore Life P2
Battery life
Rated up to 7 hours
noise cancellation
No
Multipoint
No
helmet type
Wireless headphones
Waterproof
Yes (IPX7 — can be submerged for 30 minutes up to 1 meter)
Anker has released its new Soundcore Life P3 (around $70), but the Soundcore Life P2 headphones are still a good value option at around $45. The buds load horizontally in their case rather than vertically, and both the case and buds are slightly less expensive compared to the Liberty Air 2. Their sound lacks the increased treble presence that the Liberty Air 2 buds have. , so they’re not as clear with well-recorded tracks, and the bass isn’t as well-defined. But they’re warmer and more forgiving, which I appreciated, and they sound more like the original Liberty Air.
It’s also worth noting that instead of touch controls, they feature physical buttons, which some people may prefer. They have four microphones, two of which are supposed to help reduce noise on calls in louder environments. They do a decent job of reducing background noise on calls, but my voice wasn’t as clear to callers as it was with the Anker Liberty Air 2.
While there’s no wireless charging, you do get USB-C charging. Battery life is rated at seven hours, and this true wireless earbud option has an IPX7 water resistance rating, meaning they can be fully submerged in water for up to a depth of 3 feet and survive. They are arguably the best value in the Anker true wireless line right now. A nearly identical version of these headphones is sold at Target as the Soundcore Life Note.
I should also mention that Anker now sells the smaller Soundcore Life P2 Mini, which has shorter stems. It’s also good for the money, but this model has four microphones for voice calls while this model has two. The Life P3 has six microphones.
Read our Anker Soundcore Life P2 review.
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You receive price alerts for Earfun Free 2
I was a fan of the original Earfun Free headphones and now there is an improved version called Earfun Free 2. It’s not a huge upgrade but like the originals they fit my ears well and offer a good value with powerful sound – – it just has a touch of treble and bass boost (there’s plenty of bass) – and extra features like wireless charging.
Battery life is rated at seven hours at moderate volume levels and these headphones are fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating. These are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 and use Qualcomm’s QCC3040 chip which includes support for Qualcomm’s aptX audio codec if you’re using an aptX-enabled device (some Android smartphones support aptX).
David Carnoy/CNET
You receive price alerts for Tranya T10
The T10, which Tranya continues to update slightly while keeping the price low, has been on this list for a while and it’s still good value for money at around $25 (there’s now a low latency game mode ).
Like most true wireless earbuds from Chinese brands that are sold through Amazon, these have a fairly generic look and feel, especially the case, and they may not suit all ears equally – they protrude a little. But if you get a tight seal, they sound great, with strong, well-defined bass and good detail (for a true wireless earbud). They also work fine as a headset for making calls, thanks to decent noise reduction that helps cut out background noise so people can hear your voice better.
Battery life is rated at eight hours at moderate volume levels and these are fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating.
David Carnoy/CNET
The TaoTronics SoundLiberty P10 Bluetooth headphones are another AirPods Pro true wireless earphone, but it’s one of the best for the money, with good sound and decent headphone performance for making calls. Noise cancellation isn’t on par with the AIrPods Pro but it’s reasonably effective and there’s also an ambient mode that lets sound in (the equivalent of the AirPods Pro’s transparency but not as natural) and an anti -wind.
I’ve tried many Taotronics headphones over the years and these might be the company’s best headphones yet. Although the earbud isn’t fancy, this inexpensive wireless earbud fits my ears well, the case is compact, and the instructions clearly explain how to use the touch controls. They are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 and are fully waterproof with an IPX8 rating. Battery life is rated at six and a half hours with noise cancellation turned on and the volume at 50%.
David Carnoy/CNET
From a design standpoint, the Earfun Free Pro looks identical to the Fiil T1XS, which was previously on this list and is still good value for money. However, the Earfun Free Pro has better features, including active noise cancellation with a transparency mode, wireless charging, and Bluetooth 5.2. They’re rated for seven hours of battery life without the noise canceling feature turned on, or about six hours with it on. They are IPX5 water resistant, which means they can withstand a sustained stream of water.
They sound great for the money, with a relatively clean and balanced tone and bass that packs a punch – they sound pretty overt. Lightweight and comfortable to wear, they have small fins that hold them securely in your ears, and they’re quite discreet.
Don’t expect them to cancel noise as well as the AirPods Pro, but they do provide decent noise cancellation. It’s worth noting that you can use the left or right earbud independently, and there’s a low-latency mode for watching videos (and probably games). Call quality was also decent: callers reported hearing some background noise, but it wasn’t intrusive and they could hear my voice just fine. The touch controls were responsive.
If you choose between the Earfun Free Pro and the Mpow X3 above, it depends on the style of the headphones. The X3 has a stick-style design, whereas it’s not.
Note that the Earfun Free Pro sometimes costs upwards of $50 – but they often go down to under $50, which is why they’re on this list.
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