Best cheap headphones: your guide to the best budget headphones in 2020

Looking for cheap headphones, but don't want to skimp on sound quality, comfort, and modern conveniences like noise cancellation and Bluetooth? You've come to the right place. 

Headphones are like pieces of art: while the real connoisseurs can spend a fortune on them, for most folks, budget models work just as well. Just like art, there's a big difference between finger painting and Picasso – with a happy medium somewhere in between – and the same is true for headphones. 

Here at TechRadar, we’ve sort of built a reputation for covering all of the latest, greatest and priciest technology in the world. However, even in the face of all of that high-end equipment, we still have a passion for finding great tech items that anyone can afford, and the best cheap headphones are a great place to start. 

It’s this passion for affordability that inspired us to create this list of the best cheap headphones on the market in 2020 – and they're all under $100 / £100.

Best cheap headphones at a glance

Cheap earphones: 1More Triple Driver in-ear headphones
Cheap wireless earphones: Optoma NuForce BE Sport 4
Cheap true wireless earbuds: Lypertek Tevi
Cheap on-ear headphones: Sony WH-CH510
Cheap over-ear headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
Cheap noise-cancelling headphones: JBL Tune 750BT
Cheap studio monitor headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro

Our top picks

What are the best cheap headphones?

1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone

(Image credit: 1More)

Cheap earbuds: 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone

The best earbuds you can buy in 2020

Acoustic design: Closed | Weight: N/A | Cable length: N/A | Frequency response: 20 - 40,000Hz | Drivers: N/A | Driver type: Dynamic | Sensitivity: 99 dB at 1KHz | Impedance: 32 ohms | Battery life: N/A | Wireless range: N/A | NFC: N/A

Lush sound quality
Excellent build and design
Unmatched value
Plastic remote feels cheap

Not only are the 1More Triple Driver in-ear headphones the best cheap earbuds you can buy right now, they're also our favorite earbuds of 2020 overall. 

These wired headphones end in a 3.5mm jack, and for $100 / £100 / around AU$168 (and usually less now that they're a little older), it’s hard to think of a better sounding and built headphone than the 1MORE Triple Driver. That said, if you want just that little extra refinement and luxury materials, the 1MORE Quad Drivers are still a bargain at twice the price. 

There’s very little we can fault the Triple Drivers for. Their rubber cable is annoying and its remote control feels cheap but these are just nitpicks.For their price, it’s impossible to do better than 1MORE's Triple Driver in-ear headphones. 

Read the full review: 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone review

optoma nuforce be sport 4

(Image credit: Optoma)

Cheap wireless earbuds: Optoma NuForce BE Sport4

Practically flawless wireless earbuds

Acoustic design: Closed | Weight: 15.5g | Cable length: 58 ± 2cm | Frequency response: 20Hz - 20,000kHz | Drivers: 6mm | Driver type: Dynamic | Sensitivity: 92dB ± 3dB | Impedance: 32 ohms | Battery life: 10 hours | Wireless range: N/A | NFC: N/A

Impressive audio
Customized eartips
Practical design
Not suited to one-ear listening

The NuForce BE Sport4 wireless earbuds are that rare find: earbuds that are good for basically all situations. While they're specifically designed for use in the gym and on the track, the BE Sport4 do an awesome job isolating audio in a crowded city environment and are even good enough for home listening.  

The BE Sport4 earbuds have claimed 10-hour battery life, which we found to be pretty close to the mark in our time with them, and from empty you can get two hours of use from just a 15-minute charge – ideal for those needing a quick top-up while they put on their trainers and pack a gym kit. 

Consider this a warning shot fellow audio manufacturers: build and audio quality do not need to be sacrificed in order to keep earbuds affordable, and with discounts common on the BE Sport4, you can really bag yourself a bargain. 

Read the full review: Optoma NuForce BE Sport4 review

true wireless earbuds

(Image credit: Lypertek)

Cheap true wireless earbuds: Lypertek Tevi

Incredible, affordable buds

Acoustic design: Closed | Weight: N/A | Frequency response: 20-20,000Hz | Drivers: 6mm | Driver type: Graphene | Sensitivity: N/A | Impedance: N/A | Battery life (on-board): 10 hours | Battery life (charging case): 70 hours | Wireless range: N/A | NFC: No

Incredible value
Neutral audiophile-like sound
Great battery life
Design is a bit plain

If you're looking for budget-friendly true wireless earbuds, then the Lypertek Tevi are a great choice – they're among the best earbuds we've tried, especially given their low price tag.

With USB-C charging, a well-balanced sound, lengthy battery life, and waterproofing, they tick every box you could ask for, from what are basically a pair of budget buds. 

The Lypertek Tevi, surprisingly, might just blow you away, punching well above their weight and rivaling the best earbuds from some of the biggest audio brands on the planet. 

If you're looking for something audiophile-approved, you could also check out the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1. Need something even cheaper? The JLab Go Air cost just $29 / £29 – but they don't sound great.

Read more: Lypertek Tevi true wireless earbuds review

sony wh-ch510

(Image credit: Sony)

Cheap on-ear headphones: Sony WH-CH510

The best on-ear headphones for a steep budget

Acoustic design: Closed | Weight: 132g | Cable length: N/A | Frequency response: 20Hz-20,000Hz | Drivers: 30mm | Driver type: Dynamic | Sensitivity: 99db | Impedance: 32 ohm | Battery life: 35 hours | Wireless range: N/A | NFC: N/A

Incredibly affordable
Solid audio and battery life
Lightweight and compact
No 3.5mm jack or USB audio

Looking at the Sony WH-CH510, it’s mind-blowing that wireless on-ear headphones could cost this little, not to mention a pair that has decent sound, a USB-C port, and 35 hours of battery life.

If you’re looking for headphones at this price point, you’re likely already willing to make a few sacrifices. Thankfully, most of the compromises Sony has made with the WH-CH510 haven’t been too crucial – the lack of analog input mirrors the loss of the 3.5mm port on most modern smartphones while the lightweight, plastic construction improves their portability and comfort.

While they won’t have the superb clarity, balance, and sense of space that their WH-1000XM4 siblings boast, the sound these on-ear headphones produce definitely belies their size and price. You’ll find most genres perform well here, although tracks that already have low mids and bumped treble might get uncomfortably exaggerated.

It's also worth checking out the Grado SR60e, which are a little pricier, but offer impressive audio accuracy.

Read more: Sony WH-CH510 review

audio-technica ath-m20x

(Image credit: Audio-Technica)

Cheap over-ear headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M20x

For the best over-ear experience, reach for this classic

Flat EQ
Great clarity
Limited dynamic range
Plastic construction

It’s easy to spend an arm and a leg on good over-ear headphones. Barring the exception of noise-cancelling and planar magnetic cans, they are the top dogs of the audio world. Really good over-ears should be the most comfortable, most versatile headphones in your audio arsenal. They should be just as adept with Hi-Res Audio sources of 16-bit/44.1KHz as they are streaming from Spotify, and they should do so without sacrificing either end of the audio spectrum. 

In our testing we found a half-dozen that can do the job (there are even a few uber-cheap ones from Monoprice that will get the job done) but, of them all, the original Audio-Technica ATH-M20x are the best of the best. For the price they sound outrageously clear, balanced and powerful, and give you best bang for your buck. There are other options, but pros will choose the M20x in a heartbeat.

Jabra Elite 85H

(Image credit: Jabra)

Cheap noise-cancelling headphones: Jabra Elite 85H

Jabra's noise-cancelling headphones rival Sony and Bose

Acoustic design: Closed | Weight: .65 pounds | Cable length: N/A | Frequency response: 10Hz to 20kHz | Drivers: 40mm | Driver type: Dynamic | Sensitivity: N/A | Impedance: N/A | Battery life: 36 hours | Wireless range: 10 meters (33ft) | NFC: N/A

Class-leading battery life
Excellent ANC performance
Lacks support for high-end codecs
Bass could be punchier

Offering class-leading battery life, terrific style and plenty of personalization when it comes to sound profiles, the Elite 85h is easy to recommend – and they're easy on the bank balance.

When you consider that Jabra’s Elite 85h headphones are the company’s first attempt at premium wireless ANC headphones, the result is quite commendable. We can’t wait to see what the company’s next premium ANC headphones will accomplish.  

If you want a cheap alternative to Sony's WH-1000XM4, these are a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones.

Read more: Jabra Elite 85H review

studio headphones

(Image credit: Beyerdynamic)

Cheap studio monitor headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro

Studio monitors meet portability and affordability

Crisp, balanced audio
Sturdy build
Only “over-ear” for smaller ears
Minimal noise isolation

Beyerdynamic makes loads of equipment for both audiophiles and audio professionals, and some of it comes at a high price. But, the Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro headphones find a sweet spot offering professional audio and a high standard in design for a lower price point.

The DT 240 Pro headphones cost $99 (£89, AU$139), making them more affordable than heaps of other studio monitor headphones. This price puts them in close competition with some of Audio-Technica’s cans, like the widely praised ATH-M40X or the wireless ATH-SR5BT, which can be found on sale in the same ballpark as the DT 240 Pro.

Beyerdynamic shines in performance with the DT 240 Pro. As studio monitor headphones, the sound produced is not very colorful, but that’s exactly as it should be. All the sound comes through clean and incredibly well balanced.

The bass is easy to pick up on without being thumpy, though with a subtle punch at higher volumes. From the bass on up to the high end, all the sounds mesh clearly, with the DT 240 Pros not boosting one register over the other.

They're neutral, perfect for recording and best of all, cheap.

Read the full review: Beyerdynamic DT 240 PRO review

What to look for

 What to look for in cheap headphones 

In order to create this guide, we’ve tested, listened to and compared over 25 headphones in every category, shape and size. When we found a great pair, we then put it against the rest back-to-back-to-back to make sure they still really deserved the title of ‘best cheap headphones’. 

You might be wondering what we were looking for through all this expansive testing? Sound fidelity was clearly the most essential detail – but we also made sure to consider comfort, design and other features also.

Like most people, we prefer our music detail-rich and well-balanced. We can live with our music sounding a bit warm with an emphasis on the mids and highs, but we still like to be able to feel the bass. Also, it’s important to look for headphones with reasonable battery life if they’re wireless, a robust, durable build that will stand up to the trials of everyday commute and comfortable padding to help make longer listening sittings nice and comfortable. 

Keep in mind though, that testing headphones will be, at least on some level, subjective, and our taste in tonal balance might not match yours (neither will the size of our head or the shape of our ears). Still, we’ve done our best to take subjectivity out of the equation and can present, through our expertise, the best cheap headphones that won’t hurt your wallet.

Which headphones style is best for you?

Check out TechRadar's exhaustive guides to the best over-ear headphones, best on-ear headphones and the best in-ear headphones.

For some more specialist pairs, take a look at our guides to the best wireless headphones, best true wireless earbuds, best wireless earbuds, and the best noise-cancelling headphones.

Need a specific brand? We have guides to the best Sony headphones, the best Bose headphones, and the best Audio-Technica headphones.

Looking for some headphones you can work out with? Check out our guide to the best swimming headphones and the best running headphones

By their very nature, the headphones you prefer will ultimately boil down to your own personal taste. However, seeing as the headphone market is extremely saturated, it is genuinely hard to figure out what the best headphones for your tastes actually are. That’s where we come in. 

Now, bear with us – it’s impossible to get our hands on every affordable pair of headphones, but we won’t recommend anything we haven’t used ourselves. So if we missed your favorite pair of Beats headphones, it wasn’t on purpose, we assure you.

With this guide, we went through a process – exhaustively testing a huge amount of cheap headphones from all over the internet in every style under the sun. In-ear, over-ear, wireless – everything you can think of. 

We then took the results of all of this exhaustive testing, and measured each headphone against each other until we could confidently pick a few to proudly wear the ‘best cheap headphones’ badge. So rest assured, even if we didn’t pick your favorite headphones, there isn’t a single pair in this list that will disappoint.

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