Wireless bluetooth headphones on ear: JBL Live 460NC Wireless Review

19 Best Wireless Headphones (2023): Earbuds, Noise Canceling, and More

Parker Hall

Gear

Feb 13, 2023 9:00 AM

Whether you need workout earbuds or gaming over-ears, these WIRED-tested picks sound like a million bucks.

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Featured in this article

Best Overall Headphones

Sony WH-1000XM5

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$398 at Amazon

Best Earbuds

Beats Fit Pro

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$160 at Amazon

Runner-Up

Soundcore by Anker Space A40

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$89 at Amazon

Best for Workouts

Jabra Elite 7 Active

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$180 at Amazon

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4 / 19

Whether you’re listening to the latest episode of the Gadget Lab podcast or hitting the trail with Taylor Swift’s album on repeat, the right pair of wireless headphones can make or break your day. The only problem is that there are so many to choose from. WIRED’s Gear team is constantly testing new models, and these are the very best we’ve found.

Be sure to check out all our audio buying guides, like the Best Wireless Earbuds, Best Workout Earbuds, Best Smart Speakers, and Best Bluetooth Speakers, for more music nirvana.

Updated February 2023: We’ve added the Anker Space A40, Focal Bathys, and Belkin Soundform Mini. 

Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you’d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

• Photograph: Sony

  Best Overall Headphones

  Sony WH-1000XM5

  Sony’s flagship noise-canceling headphones are now in their fifth generation, and that means a new, more elegant look to go with improved sound and noise canceling. The WH-1000XM5 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) offer 30 hours of battery life and some of the best sound quality you’ll find, thanks to Sony’s clever processing and drivers. They cancel out the world better than nearly all competitors, and they even sense when you’re talking and automatically pause your music—you’ll rarely reach for the pause button. Smaller 30-mm drivers make for a punchy, convincing soundstage that can distract you from whatever you’re using music to escape from.

  $398 at Amazon

  $400 at Target

  $400 at Best Buy

• Photograph: Beats

  Best Earbuds

  Beats Fit Pro

  The Beats Fit Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are also one of our favorite wireless earbuds right now, thanks to their excellent integration with both iOS and Android, comfortable fit, and great sound. These Apple-made buds feature the company’s proprietary h2 headphone chip, which means they work like AirPods with an iPhone, but they also function great on Android, with an app that allows you to customize the controls and perform a fit test to ensure you’re getting proper bass. They also have active noise canceling and decent mics—and (most importantly!) they come in colors besides Cupertino white.

  $160 at Amazon

  $200 at Apple

• Photograph: Anker

  Runner-Up

  Soundcore by Anker Space A40

  The Space A40 are a surprisingly great pair of wireless earbuds. For under $100, you get solid noise canceling, multipoint pairing, and a wireless charging case. The sound is solid, with an app that allows you to customize your experience, and 10 hours of battery life to boot. The only faults are that they don’t have auto pause, and the touch controls aren’t the best we’ve ever used. But if you want an AirPods Pro–like performance for much less, these are a great pair.

  $89 at Amazon

  $100 at Soundcore

• Photograph: Best Buy

  Best for Workouts

  Jabra Elite 7 Active

  WIRED Gear editor Adrienne So likes the comfortable silicone coating and small size of these Jabra buds. We’ve recommended several pairs of Jabra’s workout buds over the years, but these are the latest and greatest, with an IP57 rating for dust- and water-resistance and eight hours of battery life between trips to the charging case. Sound quality is excellent, and you can customize the EQ in Jabra’s Sound+ app if you have specific tuning requirements. 

  $180 at Amazon

  $180 at Best Buy

Most Popular

• Photograph: Apple

  Best for iPhones

  Apple AirPods Max

  They’re some of the most expensive wireless headphones on the market, but Apple’s AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED Recommends) will get you the best sound. They have rich bass, a massive soundstage, and excellent noise cancellation. My favorite part? The large Apple Watch-like knob on the top of the right ear cup, which you use to easily adjust the volume. Apple users will love how well they integrate with iOS devices, and especially how well they handle video. When watching via certain apps (HBO Max, for example), they can track your head to simulate full object-based surround sound. 

  $500 at Amazon

  $549 at Apple

• Photograph: Apple

  Best for iPhones

  Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

  I wasn’t a huge fan of Apple’s first-generation AirPods Pro, which had middling battery life to go with their excellent noise canceling and sound quality, but that issue has been solved for the second generation (9/10, WIRED Recommends). Along with six hours of juice and a new case with a speaker to help use Apple’s “Find My” feature, the new version has better touch controls for quick volume adjustments, and better noise reduction and sound. If you own an iPhone and like to listen to songs at home or on the go, these are a really solid choice.

  $235 at Amazon

  $249 at Apple

  $250 at Target

• Photograph: Google

  Best for Android

  Google Pixel Buds Pro

  The Pixel Buds Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are a perfect alternative to the AirPods Pro if you’re an Android fan, like me. The cute multicolored earbuds have great noise canceling, a super comfortable fit, and an hour more playtime (seven) than the Apple-made equivalents. I also like that they switch quickly between multiple paired devices, which makes it nice for those of us who use headphones for both work and workouts. The only downside is that they don’t work super well with iPhones. Too bad. So sad.

  $150 at Amazon

  $150 at Walmart

  $150 at Target

Most Popular

• Photograph: Bose

  Best for Phone Calls

  Bose Noise Canceling 700

  Special digital signal processing (DSP) and an advanced microphone array inside these Bose headphones allow them to limit background noise and focus on your voice alone, making them excellent for call quality. Plus, the special mics and DSP pair with Bose’s incredibly effective noise-canceling tech for amazing peace and quiet when you’re home or out and about. All of that plus great comfort, long battery life, and excellent sound quality mean the Bose 700 should be your top pick if you place a lot of phone calls and Zoom meetings.

  $330 at Amazon

  $330 at Target

• Photograph: Samsung

  Best for Samsung Phones

  Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro

  The Buds2 Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are a solid Android alternative for people who aren’t stoked on the Pixel Buds Pro. They are supremely comfortable, and the dual-driver array means they offer better sound than the Pixel Buds, albeit without the multidevice connectivity. You do, however, get better microphones than on the Google option, which makes these better for those who work and play in the same buds.

  $200 at Amazon

  $200 at Target

• Photograph: Audio-Technica

  Best Cheap Headphones

  Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

  Audio-Technica has been a fan favorite of DJs and content creators for decades for their durable build quality and great sound, and that’s what I found when I tested these great $79 over-ears earlier this year (9/10, WIRED recommends). They have excellent sound quality for the money, and they have an astonishing 60 hours of playback time between charges. It’s also great that they come with a cable for wired listening, if for some reason you lose power for… an entire work week.

  $79 at Amazon

  $79 at Adorama

  $79 at B&H

Most Popular

• Photograph: Focal

  Best-Sounding Over Ears

  Focal Bathys

  The Focal Bathys, with their bespoke French drivers and comfortable leather earpads, are the best premium wireless headphones I’ve heard yet. They look fantastic, with light-up logos on the outside of each earcup, but they sound even better. DNA from its higher-end headphones trickles down heavily here. These noise-canceling headphones possess some of the clearest, most fun sound quality I’ve heard so far. 

  When you don’t want to listen wirelessly, these have a high-quality, built-in, digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a chip that will make your laptop or cell phone sound much better if you plug it in via the USB-C port. Thirty hours of battery life means they’ll last for even the longest trips, plus rapid charging means you can plug them in for 15 minutes and get five quick hours. They’re perfect for the stylishly forgetful traveler, if you can stomach the price tag.

  $799 at Amazon

  $799 at Headphones.com

  $799 at Crutchfield

• Photograph:  Astell & Kern

  The Best-Sounding Earbuds

  Astell & Kern UW100

  If you’re an on-the-go audiophile, you’re probably used to toting a fancy portable player and wired over-ears. But nothing beats the sound/convenience combo inside Astell & Kern’s UW100 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). These buds feature a 32-bit digital-to-analog converter and the aptX adaptive codec, meaning you’ll get top-tier conversion and nearly lossless wireless sound. Two balanced armature drivers also reproduce your tunes with very high fidelity. They’re the best-sounding wireless earbuds I’ve ever tried, and awesome for folks who like to do deep listening while working out or puttering around the house.

  $299 at Astell & Kern

• Photograph: JLab Audio 

  Best for $50 or Less

  JLab Audio Go Air

  For a much more affordable option, we like these wire-free earbuds from JLab (8/10, WIRED Recommends). They get only five hours of battery life per charge, and the case (which holds about four extra charges) has an open-top design that can collect a bit of dirt and lint from your pockets, but they’re great cheap headphones. They are small and comfortable in your ears, and they sound good enough for the price. They also have an IP44 water-resistance rating, so you can sweat in them without worry. And the case has a built-in USB cable, so you don’t need to tote an extra cord. 

  We also really like the Back Bay Audio Tempo 30 (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which suffer in call quality but have nice build quality, are waterproof, and beat the JLabs on battery life. Check out our other favorite cheap headphones for more.

  $20 at Amazon

  $30 at Target

Most Popular

• Photograph: Bowers & Wilkins

  Most Comfortable

  Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Headphones

  A combination of soft memory-foam-filled leather, flawlessly applied fabric, and high-quality plastics makes these light noise-canceling headphones (9/10, WIRED Recommends) the most comfortable I have tried. The sound, too, is remarkable. This established English audio brand showcased the full weight of its many decades of engineering high-end loudspeakers and headphones. The only downside is that this pair doesn’t cancel noise quite as well as the best from Sony or Bose, so you may want one of those if you’re primarily concerned with silence.

  $399 at Amazon

  $399 at B&W

• Photograph: Audio Technica

  Best for Producing Audio

  Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT

  Audio Technica’s ATH-M50X (9/10, WIRED Recommends) headphones are known for balanced sound and great durability. It’s made them ubiquitous in music and film studios around the globe. But what if you want to take them with you between takes? Enter the ATH-M50XBT, which brings wireless technology to the beloved workhorse headphones. Don’t worry, wire lovers, the Bluetooth version comes with the same coiled studio cable as the original corded version, so you can easily plug in for a fresh take when you get back to the studio.

  $199 at Adorama

  $199 at B&H

• Photograph: Ultimate Ears

  Best-Fitting Buds

  Ultimate Ears Fits

  Many of us struggle to find earbuds that fit our non-average ear holes. Ultimate Ears has an elegant solution: the Fits earbuds (7/10, WIRED Recommends). These weird-looking buds use an app and built-in UV lighting to custom-mold the included ear tips to your ears, virtually guaranteeing an excellent fit. I’ve taken mine on long sweaty runs and used them while doing projects around the house, and they stay in perfectly. If you can’t seem to find a pair that fits your ears, try these. (They frequently dip below $200.)

  $159 at Ultimate Ears

Most Popular

• Photograph: Sony

  Best Augmented Reality Buds

  Sony LinkBuds

  If you like hearing the sounds of the world along with the sound of music when you’re on the go, the new LinkBuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are for you. These tiny buds have holes in the center of each driver, so outside sounds can filter into your ears. This makes them great for runs or bike rides, where safety is an issue. They’re small and comfortable, and they come with a compact charging case that fits in even the smallest pockets. Our only gripe? No wireless charging.

  $148 at Amazon

  $148 at Walmart

  $150 at Best Buy

• Photograph: HyperX

  Best for Gaming

  HP HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless

  This wireless headset from HyperX has great sound and a decent mic, along with solid build quality, but that’s not what garnered it an extremely rare 10/10 in our review. That would be the insane battery life: WIRED reviewer Eric Ravenscraft has spent over 200 hours listening to these without having to recharge them—they’re rated for 300 hours. We’re still scratching our heads as to how HyperX has play times that are literally 10 times the competition, but for now the simple fact that it isn’t a lie makes them easily the best wireless gaming headset around.

  $190 at Amazon

  $200 at Target

• Photograph: Belkin

  Best for Kids

  Belkin Soundform Mini

  They come in pink! According to senior associate editor Adrienne So, this is an all-important question for an 8-year-old. The build quality is sturdy, and we like that the earcups have decent padding. Volume is limited to the OSHA-recommended 85 decibels, so your kiddos can’t damage their ears on accident. They’re rated for ages 2+, but So was able to get her own head in her daughter’s pair (albeit with a tight fit), so these should last growing kids for a while with proper treatment.

  $35 at Amazon

  $35 at Target

Parker Hall is an associate editor of product reviews at WIRED. He focuses on audiovisual and entertainment products. Hall is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied jazz percussion. After hours, he remains a professional musician in his hometown of Portland, Oregon.

TopicsShoppingbuying guidesHeadphonesBluetoothMusicaudio

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Best budget wireless headphones 2023

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(Image credit: Sennheiser)

QUICK MENU

(Image credit: Sony)

1. The list in brief
2. Best for price and performance
3. Best for no-fuss use
4. Best in-ears for a low price
5. Best low-cost option for Apple fans
6. Best budget Sony headphones
7. Best for comfort
8. Best for a fun, full sound
9. Best for easy pairing
10. Best for water resistance
11. Expert buying advice
12. How we test the best budget wireless headphones

Louder’s guide to the best budget wireless headphones proves you really don’t need to spend a massive amount of money to get your hands on a set of headphones that not only sound fantastic, but also look the part. Some of the giants of the audio world such as Sony, Beats, Apple, Jabra and AKG have released some brilliant cheap wireless headphones over the last few years and this is great to see, especially when we’re all looking after our money a little bit more these days.

Personally, I’ve had the misfortune to encounter some cheap wireless headphones which, quite frankly, were a waste of my time and money due to their horrible tinny sound. Luckily, you won’t find any such throwaway nonsense in this Louder guide, as I’ve picked out a range that deliver great comfort and clear audio. 

While some of them cut corners when it comes to extra features to keep the prices affordable, I discovered that others punch well above their weight and deliver remarkable audio. I’ve also included buying advice to make some of your decisions a little easier.

What Hi-Fi Reviews editor

Tom Parsons is a music and film fan who’s been testing audio kit of all varieties for around 15 years – from turntables and headphones, to speakers and TVs – most of those at What Hi-Fi? He also loves rock and metal and is a particularly big fan of Coheed and Cambria.

Louder E-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in journalism covering everything from audio tech and video games, to travel, sport and news. He’s written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more.

Best budget wireless headphones: Quick list

Best for price & performance

1. Anker Soundcore Q20 Life

Our top pick in our list of the best budget wireless headphones are the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 which offer brilliant performance at a great price. They boast an impressive 30-hour battery life with Active Noise Cancellation engaged and that jumps to 60 hours without it, making these headphones ideal for long journeys.

Read more below

Best for no fuss use

2. Sennheiser HD350BT

Not all headphones need noise cancelling to deliver a crystal clear sound – and the over-ear Sennheiser HD350BT prove that point perfectly. They’re a great choice for travelling as they fold down and will give you a tasty 30-hours of music. They also have Google and Siri voice activation installed so you won’t even have to use your hands for changing music.

Read more below

Best in-ears for a low price

3. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+

The in-ear headphone market might currently be dominated by the likes of Apple and Sony, but the brilliant Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ are a superb alternative and shouldn’t be overlooked – and they cost far less. There’s no noise cancelling, but their High Performance Audio mode is the way to go if you pick up a set. Bass is great and they’re a top fit for rock fans.

Read more below

Best low-cost option for Apple fans

4. Apple AirPods

This particular model may have been superseded by more recent options, but if you’re an Apple fan looking for a low budget way of listening to Apple Music on the go, then these are a recommended pick-up. Battery life might suffer a bit compared to more up-to-date models, but a three-hour charge will net you three hours of sounds. They sound great and are comfy.

Read more below

Best budget Sony cans

5. Sony WH-CH700N

Sony are known and well-respected for their wide range of awesome headphones, such as the neat Sony Wh2000XM5 but, as you would expect, many come with a fairly hefty price tag – not so the Sony WH-CH700N. Performance is very good for this price point and you also get decent noise cancelling thrown into the bargain. Good battery life too, with 35 hours’ kickback from a full charge.

Read more below

Best for comfort

6. Lindy BNX-60

The Lindy BNX-60 make the list because not only do they offer top-quality, balanced sound and comfort for long listening sessions, but they also have noise cancelling for a fantastic price. OK, so battery with a battery life at 15-hours there are better choices elsewhere, but that’s still a decent amount of playback – and when you consider the added extras, the Lindy BNX-60 are an excellent option.

Read more below

Load the next 3 products…

Best for a fun, full sound

7. Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds

I’ve got to say that I really like the Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds 2 in-ear headphones and they perform remarkably well considering the basement budget retail price. OK, so they might not have the cool looks of some of the other models in this guide, but it’s hard to argue with the fun sound that bounces around once in my ears. A great option to throw in your gym bag or trips out and about.

Read more below

Best for easy pairing

8. Beats Flex by Dre Beats X

The Beats Flex are a brilliant pair of in-ear headphones if you want to tune into your favourite sounds on the fly. They’re easy to pair with your phone and are durable enough to chuck into your gym bag without fear of damage. Battery life is decent, but what we really like is that a swift five-minute charge will give you up to two hours of sounds. Perfect if you’re in a rush.

Read more below

Best for water resistance

9. SoundMagic E11BT Wireless

Keeping with the in-ear theme, we really enjoyed our time with the SoundMagic E11BT Wireless earbuds. They secure around your neck while not in use – and they are IPX4 certified so you can get out and about with them in the rain without any cause for panic. No noise cancelling here, but for the price you can pick these up for, we’re not complaining.

Read more below

Best for price and performance

(Image credit: Anker)

1. Anker Soundcore Q20 Life

The best noise cancelling headphones for a low price

Specifications

Type: Over-ear

Noise cancelling: Yes

Battery Life: 30 hours

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Astonishing value for money

+

Active noise cancelling

+

Long battery life

Reasons to avoid

–

Design looks a little cheap

Making quite a noise for themselves in the cheap wireless headphone area, Soundcore offers active noise cancelling at a seriously low price that few audio brands can match.  Impressively, its flagship Anker Soundcore Life Q20 cans are high-res audio enabled too. That’s unreal considering how cheap these wireless headphones are.

40mm drivers boast an extended frequency response, and there’s proprietary BassUp technology for extra slam. They don’t skimp on battery life either. In fact, it rivals the best at 30 hours with Active Noise Cancellation engaged. Switch noise cancelling off and the Life Q20 jumps to 60 hours of listening time per charge. Even better, there’s a quick charge mode when you need to juice up and dash.

From a style perspective they’re clearly aiming to woo fans of the Sony WH-1000XM3, and at a quarter of the price the spec sure looks tempting too. Tribute band or the real deal? You decide, but these are the best budget wireless headphones you’ll find right now.

Read our Anker Soundcore Life review

Best for no-fuss use

(Image credit: Sennheiser)

2. Sennheiser HD 350BT Wireless Headphones

The best value Sennheiser headphones you can buy right now

Specifications

Type: Over-ear

Noise cancelling: No

Battery Life: 30 hours

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Grown-up sound quality

+

Impressive battery life

Reasons to avoid

–

No 3. 5mm jack

–

The fit is a bit try-before-you-buy

These cut-price Sennheiser over-ear headphones aren’t just big on value, they’re feature rich too. The Bluetooth implementation is leading edge, at 5.0 with support for AAC, AptX and AptX low latency codecs (the latter giving better sync when watching videos on your smartphone), and there’s a dedicated Voice Assistant button for use with Siri or Google. 

The Sennheiser HD 350BT’s battery life is impressive too, with around 30 hours per full charge – there’s USB-C fast charging when you get low on juice. The over-the-ear design is comfortable for sure, but there’s definitely been some skimping on the headband padding. Performance wise, I found the 350BT’s were smooth and measured, which is surprising considering how cheap they are. 

Unsurprisingly, there’s no noise cancelling on these budget wireless headphones, but there’s no option for wired 3.5mm connectivity either. Hmm. This means you won’t be able to use them with onboard in-flight entertainment systems, but then if you’re not planning to fly anytime soon, that won’t be an issue.

Read our Sennheiser HD 350BT review

Best in-ears for a low price

(Image credit: Cambridge Audio)

3. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus

The best budget wireless in-ear headphones at this price point

Specifications

Type: In-ear

Noise cancelling: No

Battery Life: 7-9 hours

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Great value

+

Top performance

+

Snug fitting

Reasons to avoid

–

No noise cancelling

Cambridge Audio weren’t messing around when they upgraded their popular Melomania 1 model – packing the Plus version with more than enough audio goodness to keep users grinning.

True, they don’t feature any noice cancelling tech, but don’t write these earbuds off too quickly. You’ll get a tasty seven hours of charge when using the Melomania Plus’ High Performance Audio mode and another couple of hours on top of that without. You can even fine tune the settlings through the Cambridge Audio Melomania app, and that includes EQ levels, firmware updates, battery checks and more.

The Melomania 1 Plus’ audio is wonderful with High Performance Audio mode and is definitely the way to go if you pick up a set. The audio filling your head is spacious without trickling away into the ether and the bass is top drawer – just the right amount for rock and metal.

They might look a little like earplugs, but that’s a very minor quibble for what you’re getting out of the box and the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus come highly recommended.

Read our Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus review

Best low-cost option for Apple fans

(Image credit: Apple)

4. Apple AirPods

The best budget wireless headphones for Apple fans

Specifications

Type: In-ear

Noise cancelling: No

Battery Life: 5 hours

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Fuss free always-on connection

+

Lightweight and comfortable

Reasons to avoid

–

Short battery life

–

Playback controls are limited

There’s no getting around it: Apple AirPods are the world’s most iconic earbuds, so pretty much everyone will either own a pair or be thinking about getting some. Depending on the time of year, you can often nab them for a little cheaper than the regular price too, thanks to the best AirPods deals.

Apple AirPods are incredibly simple to set up and use, and they’re always connected, so you literally take them out of the case, stick ’em in your ears and they’re ready to rock. If someone starts speaking to you, take one of the AirPods out of your ear and the music automatically pauses. Slick.

Admittedly, the battery life isn’t great compared to some other budget wireless headphones in this list, and the sound is bettered by the AKGs and Cambridge Audio Melomania 1’s, but there’s plenty else to like here. For example, they’re lightweight in the ear and fast to charge – just 15 minutes’ charge gives you three hours of listening.

The built-in microphones are responsive and will pick up your voice loud and clear if you’re using your AirPods to make and take voice calls. The music playback control is fiddly – you need to use Siri voice command to skip or replay tracks – but of course you can also sort that via your phone.  

Read our Apple AirPods review

Best budget Sony headphones

(Image credit: Sony)

5. Sony WH-CH700N

The best budget wireless headphones for the daily commute

Specifications

Type: Over-ear

Noise cancelling: Yes

Battery life: 35 hours

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Great battery life

+

Detailed and weighty sound

Reasons to avoid

–

Sonically a bit rough round the edges

–

Not the most effective noise cancellation

Sony’s clearly the dominant force in noise cancelling headphones these days, and if you want a taste of what the company can do but don’t have nearly £300 to buy the WH-1000XM3, the more entry-level WH-CH700N could be the best budget noise-cancelling headphones for you.

Naturally, the sound quality isn’t as accomplished and the noise cancellation is a little less effective, but for the money this is a really accomplished set of headphones. There’s a slight skewing towards the bassy end of the tonal spectrum, but not in a bad way. The overall balance is natural, there’s plenty of detail, and everything ticks along at a good lick.

On top of all that, this is a really comfortable pair of headphones to wear, and the battery life is amazing at roughly 35 hours. If £100 is your upper limit, you could do a heck of a lot worse.

Read the full Sony WH-CH700N review

Best for comfort

(Image credit: Lindy)

6. Lindy BNX-60

The budget wireless headphones for rock fans on a budget

Specifications

Type: Over-ear

Noise cancelling: Yes

Battery life: 15 hours

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Awesome value

+

Very good sound

+

Comfy fit

Reasons to avoid

–

Nothing at this price

The BNX-60s were perhaps the first to prove that it really is possible to get both noise-cancelling and Bluetooth technology for a low price – and all without sacrificing sound quality.

These Lindy cans make my best budget noise-cancelling headphones list because they offer a comfortable and snug fit. They sport a volume control, on/off switch for active noise-cancellation (ANC), and a blue light that indicates when the ANC feature is in use on one ear.

There’s also a USB input for charging, pause/play/skip track controls, a Bluetooth connection light, and a standard wired headphone output on the other ear. A full charge gives you about 15 hours of wireless music playback, or a little less when the active noise-cancelling / noise cancellation is switched on.

Cheaper headphones often fall into the trap of producing loads of low-quality bass or overly sharp treble, but these Lindy headphones are surprisingly balanced and grown-up in their delivery. They’ve got a real groove and clarity to them, making them particularly well-suited to rock.

Read the full Lindy BNX-60 review

Best for a fun, full sound

(Image credit: Skull Candy)

7.

Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds 2

The best budget wireless headphones for affordable, fun sounds

Specifications

Type: In-ear

Noise-cancelling: No

Battery life: 7 hours

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Exceptionally affordable

+

Full, fun sound

Reasons to avoid

–

Weak battery

–

Some wireless drop-out

Get past the cringeworthy name and the bargain Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds 2 in-ears are some of the best budget wireless headphones for anyone looking to rock out on a limited budget. A fairly hefty neckband helps to keep them in place while you wear them, but you can quickly ditch it if you think it’s too chunky.

That leaves behind a fairly lightweight pair of earbuds tethered together by a thin cable that includes a remote and microphone. Sound quality is also good, particularly for the money, and while the battery life and wireless signal aren’t the best, you can’t have the moon on a stick when you’re only paying this much.

Best for easy pairing

(Image credit: Beats by Dre)

8. Beats Flex by Dre Beats X

The best budget wireless headphones for no-fuss, easy pairing

Specifications

Type: In-ear

Noise-cancelling: No

Battery life: 8 hours

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Fast charging feature

+

Easy to pair with your phone

+

Durable – fine to throw in your bag

Reasons to avoid

–

Voice call function isn’t the best

Beats Powerbeats Pro are a cracking pair of true wireless earbuds, but if you don’t have the budget for those premium wireless earphones, give the Beats Flex a whirl instead. They offer eight hours battery life and, thanks to an Apple W1 chip, they offer a fast charge function too. 

Basically, the Fast Fuel charge fives you up to two hours playback from only a five-minute mega charge. That’s ace if you’re traveling to work and have forgotten to charge your headphones overnight.  

While I found the Siri-enabled RemoteTalk function to be a little hit and miss, the sound is decent considering the Beats falls into the cheap wireless headphones price category quite nicely.

Best for Water resistance

(Image credit: Soundmagic)

9. Soundmagic E11BT Wireless

The budget wireless headphones with neckband and water resistance

Specifications

Type: In-ear

Noise cancelling: No

Battery Life: 20 hours

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Excellent battery life

+

Practical flat neckband

+

IPX4 shower-proof rating

Reasons to avoid

–

Generic design

Compact they may be, and a little AOR in design, but these low profile buds are a cut above the budget wireless headphone crowd. Their largely aluminium housing inspires confidence, and the flat neckband is an easy win. They’re also shower-proof IPX4 certified, which makes them a good choice for your daily jog… to the pub.

The E11BT buds magnetise so you can blithely wear them around your neck when supping that pint, and a simple in-line remote offers handy volume and track control; they’re not as fiddly to use as true wireless alternatives.

Wireless connectivity is Bluetooth 5.0. There’s no aptX support – but then we wouldn’t really expect it given the price. Obviously there’s no noise cancelling either, but get a good fit (a trio of tips are provided) and you can be sure of reasonable isolation. 

Battery life is an impressive 20 hours. You’ll easily go a few days without needing to recharge. When you do, the in-line remote offers up a micro-USB port.

Read our SoundMAGIC E11C earbuds review

Today’s best budget wireless headphone deals

Anker Soundcore Life Q20

£49.99

£35.99

View

See all prices

Deal ends Sun, 18 Jun

Sennheiser HD 350BT

£89.99

£69.98

View

See all prices

Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus

£119. 95

View

See all prices

Apple AirPods

£108.99

View

See all prices

Lindy BNX-60

£77.99

View

See all prices

SoundMAGIC E11BT

£65.99

View

See all prices

Expert buying advice

(Image credit: Getty/Richard Drury)

You can trust Louder
Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

You may assume that a limited budget means limited options when it comes to the best cheap wireless headphones, but $100/£80 will get you a decent pair of cheap wireless headphones: from sizeable on-ear noise-cancellers, through to in-ear run-friendly headphones. 

There’s so much choice now that it’s easy to become crippled by the options available to you. The trick when it comes to choosing is to think about when and where you’ll be doing most of your listening. If your enjoyment of Tool is severely hampered by the inane ramblings of the tools you call ‘colleagues’, definitely consider a pair of budget cans.

If a mess of cables is holding you back during a run or workout, then a pair of cheap wireless headphones that are fitness-specific (ie, sweat- and water-resistant, with a stay-put shape) will be just the ticket.

Getting the right fit for your earholes matters too, particularly when it comes to in-ear headphones. Our ears come in all shapes and sizes, and failing to ensure your chosen headphones fit yours correctly could mean they fall out, or worse still they simply won’t sound good.

When selecting from among the best budget wireless headphones, make sure to consider the battery life being offered and which version of Bluetooth is being used. The later the version – we’ve now moved up to 5.0 – the more battery-friendly and potentially better sounding it is. AptX Bluetooth, meanwhile, is specifically for audio and suggests that sound quality has been prioritised – at least to an extent.

(Image credit: Apple)

How good are the best cheap wireless headphones?

In a nutshell, yes. Of course, cheap wireless headphones do need to cut some corners in order to get the overall price down to a palatable figure, but many of them are still very impressive in terms of sound, features and performance.

The overall quality of the best budget wireless headphones here means you will get far more joy out of listening to your music, podcasts or audiobooks when you’re on the go. We’ve deliberately chosen cans that sound good when playing most genres of music, but especially rock and metal – hey, what can we say? We love rock and metal!

Overall, don’t think that because these cheap wireless headphones may cost way less than the premium wireless cans they must sound way worse, because that’s simply not true. We love the versatility of the Beats by Dre Beats X, and use them for commuting, working out and blasting tunes at home, while the AKG Y50BT will blow you away with such impressively detailed sound.

How we test the best budget wireless headphones

While their price tags may be low, our expectations at Louder are still high for budget headphones. We’re no less demanding when it comes to testing their ability to rock, and there are other criteria we assess too, including battery life and feature count.

Battery life is obviously a big deal as the last thing we want are headphones that will let us down midway through Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Freebird. Thankfully, budget wireless headphones usually offer stonking playtime, because they often don’t have the drain of Active Noise Cancelling.  

We consider the flavour of Bluetooth important too, as this can have a material impact on both sound quality and battery life. Generally we favour Bluetooth 5.0 or higher, as this iteration is more economical when it comes to energy (which translates to longer playtimes) and stable, so you won’t drop out when wind-milling your air guitar.

Ultimately though, audio performance remains the big clincher. For our tests, we listen to a barrage of cuts, from tried and tested classic rock favourites, through more tonally complex prog rock, and then full-on bangers. As budget headphones tend to have smaller drivers and cut-price electronics, we particularly want to hear how well they articulate guitar tones and aggressive drum fills. 

Read more on how we test products and services at Louder.

• Plug your lugs with the best earplugs for concerts
• The best budget wireless headphones
• Best headphones for music: supercharge your listening
• The best audiophile headphones: Get more from your music
• The best earbuds and in-ear headphones: From wireless to wired
• The best headphone amps: Boost the mood
• The best kid’s headphones: Headphones that are great for children
• Loudest headphones: You want volume and lots of it? You got it

The latest news, features and interviews direct to your inbox, from the global home of alternative music.

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Tom Parsons is a music and film fan who’s been testing audio kit of all varieties for around 15 years – from turntables and headphones, to speakers and TVs – most of those at What Hi-Fi? He also loves rock and metal and is a particularly big fan of Coheed and Cambria.

Bluetooth headset: how to connect and use

A wireless headset is a real liberation for your hands. It is convenient in different situations: at work, when you need to print and answer calls at the same time; driving when talking on a regular phone is prohibited by law; at home when you need to be in touch and deal with urgent matters. But how does a bluetooth headset work and how to use it correctly?

Bluetooth Features

Bluetooth is a communication technology using radio waves. The bluetooth radio module is very small and cheap to manufacture, so most modern gadgets are equipped with it. The Bluetooth operating range is 2.4-2.48 GHz, license-free frequencies that are often used in science, medicine and industry.

Currently, there are 4 versions of Bluetooth, the latest of which has a data transfer rate of up to 24 Mbps. Through this wireless connection, the signal is transmitted over a distance of up to 100 meters. It should be borne in mind that the maximum range of Bluetooth operation is provided only in line-of-sight conditions and in the absence of interference.

How to connect a headset to the phone

Modern wireless headsets, such as Olmio TWE-04 wireless headphones with a microphone, automatically connect to phones, you just need to turn on bluetooth on both devices. But some models may require a pairing code.

General connection diagram:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone.
2. Turn on the headset. Usually, for this you need to hold down and hold the answer and volume buttons for 15-20 seconds. When the device flashes its lights, it is turned on.
3. Find the name of the headset in the Bluetooth search on your phone and click on it.
4. If pairing is not established because a code is required, enter 0000. This is the default code.

How to charge the headset

Currently, models with replaceable batteries are very rare. They, of course, do not require charging, but only need to replace the batteries. There are expensive bluetooth headsets that come with a docking station and charge from it.

Most wireless headsets run on lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries. They come with charging cables with a micro USB connector that can be connected directly to your smartphone. Thanks to the same type of power connector, the smartphone and headset can be charged with one charger.

Possible connection problems

Wireless headsets do not have complex settings that the user can change. If there was any problem when connecting, then there are three explanations for this:

• Bluetooth is not enabled on the phone;
• the headset is not turned on or is discharged;
• The headset has already been paired with another device.

This article will help you fix the problem.

If you are just thinking about purchasing a wireless headset, pay attention to Olmio products. Inexpensive and high-quality headsets that work with Bluetooth 5.0 version do not cause problems either during connection or in subsequent operation.

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