Best budget earbuds of 2026: Cheap wireless picks

Anker Soundcore Liberty 4NC: Released in 2023, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC earbuds carry a lower list price than the 2022 Liberty 4 and are arguably better in some ways. They have improved noise cancellation and better sound quality, along with support for the LDAC audio codec for devices that support it. (Many Android smartphones do this, and in theory offer slightly improved sound quality when paired with a music streaming service that offers high-resolution tracks.) At a nicely discounted price, they are lightweight headphones that should fit most ears comfortably with four sizes of ear tips to choose from. However, the newer P31i costs less and offers similar performance.

QCY MyLoads Pro: Like Earfun, QCY makes a variety of budget earbuds and headphones that offer good value for your money. The MeloBuds Pro sound a bit generic, but they’re lightweight, comfortable, sound good for their cost, and offer decent clarity and well-balanced sound (you can tweak their sound profile slightly using the EQ settings in the companion QCY app). They also have noise cancellation and voice calling performance is better than average for earbuds under $50. Finally, they have ear detection sensors, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, a low-latency gaming mode, and support for Sony’s high-quality LDAC audio codec (many Android devices support LDAC).

Rosesilsa Ceramics X: The truth is, I’d never heard of the Roseselsa Ceramics This would make Ceramics While I ended up liking the Final Audio ZE3000 SV better, I was impressed with the ceramic’s sound quality given its lower cost. Also, not only did they fit my ears well, I thought the noise cancellation was effective, and voice calling performance was acceptable. It also supports AAC and LDAC audio codecs for Bluetooth playback (many Android smartphones support LDAC).

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2: Anker’s Soundcore AeroFit 2 was on the list but its list price went from $100 to $130, so I had to pull it. These open-ear headphones have been completely redesigned and look completely different from the original AeroFit, which were also listed at $100. The second generation Aerofit is not only more comfortable, it looks sleeker, sounds much better and offers overall improvements. The headphones aren’t as light as the Shokz OpenFit 2 and don’t sound quite as good, but they cost a little less and provide good all-around performance with enhanced bass response. Available in multiple colors, they are a good option for those looking for open earhook-style headphones with a fairly premium design and good sound quality without paying the hefty price tag of high-end models.

Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS: What makes the $40 Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS special is that they sound surprisingly good for open-ear headphones — they’re close to what you get from Apple’s AirPods 3 for audio (they’re slightly behind the AirPods 4, which offer improved sound from the AirPods 3). Moreover, it supports Sony’s LDAC audio codec for devices that provide it. Not many cheap open-ear headphones have good sound, but these Soundpeats have good response and clarity. It’s also good for making calls and has a low-latency gaming mode. Battery life is rated at 5 hours at moderate volume levels, and it is IPX4 splash-resistant.

Amazon Echo Headphones (2023): Amazon’s 2023 Echo Buds impressed me in a number of ways I didn’t expect. For starters, they sound pretty good for inexpensive open-ear headphones, providing decent clarity and ample bass. But they also have a solid feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, hands-free Alexa and ear detection sensors that pause sound when you remove one or both buds from your ears. They’re less loud than Apple’s AirPods 4, which offer better bass performance and a fuller, cleaner sound overall (they’re better at handling more complex pieces of music with a lot of instruments playing at the same time). But the AirPods 4, even the entry-level model ($129), cost much more.

Jabra Elite 4: The lightweight Elite 4 fit my ears comfortably and deliver good, balanced sound with strong bass and decent clarity. It supports Qualcomm’s aptX audio codec (for Android and other aptX-enabled devices) but only supports the SBC codec for iPhones (no AAC support). The Elite 4 misses out on more premium features like ear detection sensors and has a four-microphone array for noise cancellation and voice calls (voice call performance is good but not exceptionally good). What’s a bit confusing is that Jabra also sells it Elite 4 activea slightly more powerful version of the same headphones that carries a list price of $120 but sometimes sells for less than the standard Elite 4. So get the Elite 4 Active if it costs less.

JBL Live Pro 2: Over the years, JBL has released some true wireless earbuds, but there haven’t been anything that really excited me. This has finally changed with the arrival of the new Samsung-owned brand Live Pro 2 and Live free 2 Sprouts. Both sets of buds – the Live Pro 2 have a stem while the Live Free 2 have a pill-shaped design – offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise cancellation, very good sound quality and voice calling performance, plus a solid set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 rating for splash resistance and wireless charging.

JBL Live Free 2: like Live Pro 2JBL’s new Live Free 2 buds are surprisingly good. With 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicone tips, it combines a comfortable fit, strong noise cancellation with very good sound quality and voice calling performance. Features include multipoint Bluetooth pairing and wireless charging, and it’s rated for up to seven hours with IPX5 water resistance (splash-proof).

Beats Studio Buds: The Beats Studio Buds look a lot like the groundlessly rumored AirPods that some people have been waiting for. Geared towards iOS and Android users, they’re missing some key features from Apple’s side (no H1 or W1 chip), but they’re small, lightweight headphones that are comfortable to wear and deliver really good sound. Although the noise cancellation is not as good as the AirPods Pro, they do have a transparency mode and are adequate for taking calls. Read our Beats Studio Buds review.

Sennheiser CX: If you can’t afford Sennheiser’s flagship Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds, the CX are a good alternative. It has very good sound, as well as noise cancellation and voice calling performance. The only problem is that they stick out of your ears a little and may not fit some small ears. This model, which often sells for under $100 on Amazon, doesn’t feature active noise cancellation but the cutting-edge CX Plus system does ( CX Plus They are also good value, especially when they go on sale.) Learn more about our all-in-one budget earbuds Sennheiser CX wireless earbuds review.