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The Cheap Headphones And Earbuds Actually Worth Buying, As Picked By Audio Experts Who Really Tested Them

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Here at TechRadar, we test dozens of pairs of headphones every year. And while we've been won over by many an ultra-pricey set of cans, we also love a cheap pair of headphones that punches above its price tag. This article is dedicated to showcasing these wallet-friendly wonders. I asked TechRadar's audio specialists which headphones they'd recommend to buyers on a budget, and you'll find their suggestions below.

If it's true wireless in-ears you're after, you'd struggle to do better than the Nothing Ear (a) buds, which Audio Editor Becky Scarrott awarded a perfect five stars, calling them "a resounding home run" for the British startup and praising the noise cancellation, sound quality and battery life in particular. In the current Amazon Prime Day deals, they're unbeatable value at under $55 / £50.

In the over-ear arena, standouts are the CMF Pro and the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51, both of which earned 4.5 stars in our tests. The former were put through their paces by Becky, who was impressed with the "superb" sound quality in general, and was pleasantly surprised to discover "the sort of... personal sound profile curation [we're] more used to seeing in headphones much higher up the food chain". The latter were reviewed by our review's team's resident headphone specialist Harry Padoan, who praised the "adept audio, noise-crushing ANC and eye-catching design". Both are even better value than usual right now, too, thanks to those Prime (and rival-Prime) deals.

Read on for more budget-maximizing buys — and hit the 'View details' button for a summary of what we thought of them in our tests, plus links to the full reviews.

Top cheap earbuds and headphones

Nothing
Ear (a)

Pros

  • Fun, zealous, expansive sound
  • Vastly improved active noise cancellation
  • Smaller, more pocketable case

Cons

  • No wireless charging support
  • No flagship sound profile curation
1More
Sonoflow Pro HQ51

Pros

  • Customizable, satisfying sound
  • Effective ANC
  • Fantastic battery life

Cons

  • App situation is a bit messy
  • Button controls appear a little cheap
  • Build feels slightly flimsy
Huawei
FreeArc

Pros

  • Top-tier sound
  • Competitive price
  • Comfortable fit

Cons

  • App download pains
  • Middling battery life
  • Would benefit from ANC
CMF
Headphone Pro

Pros

  • Excellent hearing tests; unexpected at the level
  • Emotive, circumaural sound
  • Exemplary battery life

Cons

  • ANC isn't amazing
  • Energy slider feels a tad gimmicky
  • No hard carry case or USB-C charger in the box

Anker
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro

Pros

  • Strong noise cancellation
  • Rock-solid fit
  • Fun, bassy sound

Cons

  • Charging case on the bulky side
  • Could do with a discount
  • Touchscreen can be unresponsive
Sony
WH-CH720

Pros

  • Great sound balance
  • Lots of detail in audio
  • Effective noise cancellation
  • Full of useful features

Cons

  • Sound feels constrained
  • Noise cancellation leaks in low sounds
  • Plastic feels a little cheap
OneOdio
Focus A6

Pros

  • Sensational sound quality
  • Extensive software features
  • Comfy, quality construction

Cons

  • On-ear controls are a little sensitive
  • ANC is good rather than game-changing
JLab
Go Pods ANC

Pros

  • Solid ANC
  • Lightweight build
  • Truly low price

Cons

  • Poor eartip fit
  • Lean battery life
  • Aggressive transparency mode
Soundpeats
Clip1

Pros

  • Fantastic listening test
  • Comfortable build
  • Competitive value

Cons

  • Low max volume
  • Cheap-feeling case
  • Touch control issues