Best budget over ear headphones

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Sure, true wireless earbuds are all the rage, but don’t count out the age-old reliability of over-ear headphones just yet. If you think premium sound and comfort are beyond your budget, think again. We’ve scoured the market to bring you the best budget over-ear headphones that won’t leave your wallet crying.

For under $100, the JLab JBuds Lux are crazy good value

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC offers a comfortable fit thanks to its well-padded ear cups and breathable cloth-covered headband. It also folds up compactly for easy portability. The headphones provide decent active noise cancelation, effectively reducing low-frequency noise by 50-75% and isolating high-frequency noise by up to 46dB. While the ANC may not match more expensive models, it adequately handles daily commuting noise.

The sound quality is consumer-friendly, with a bass-heavy profile and boosted high-end that caters to those listening in noisy environments. Battery life is impressive, with the headphones lasting over 44 hours on a single charge. Additionally, they support fast charging, providing 4 hours of listening time from a 10-minute charge. The JLab companion app offers useful features like a 10-band EQ, adjustable ANC modes, and a volume limiter.

Overall, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC delivers excellent value for budget-conscious consumers seeking over-ear headphones with solid noise cancelation, comfortable fit, and long battery life. While they may not have premium features like spatial audio or health sensors, they excel at the fundamentals

Best features on a budget: Edifier W830NB

For those seeking high-end features without a high-end price tag, the Edifier W830NB stands out in the budget category. These headphones pack capabilities typically found in much more expensive models, including LDAC support for high-resolution audio streaming, multipoint connectivity for switching between devices, and audio over USB-C that lets you listen while charging.

Sound quality is decent out of the box with a treble-leaning signature. Thankfully, the ConneX app provides a four-band parametric EQ that goes beyond the basic presets found in most budget headphones. Battery life is another standout feature, offering up to 54 hours of playback with ANC enabled and extending to 94 hours with it disabled. The active noise cancelation performs well against low-frequency sounds, making it suitable for commuting.

The plastic construction reveals its budget nature with some creaks, but the plush ear cushions and balanced clamping force keep things comfortable for long listening sessions. While the lack of a carrying case and water resistance rating are notable omissions, the extensive feature set at under $80 makes these trade-offs easier to accept.

If you’re a creator, you want the Sony MDR-7506

Then you have something like the Sony MDR-7506 headphones, which is arguably one of the best headphones under $100 period when it comes to anything to do with creating. You’ll find these headphones everywhere, from TV production studios to recording booths, and it doesn’t seem like that’s going to change anytime soon.

The lightweight plastic build is fairly comfortable, and it folds to a fraction of its size, making it easy to transport. Plus, the long coiled cable means you’re free to move around somewhat without pulling equipment off the table with you. It doesn’t give too much emphasis to any one area of the frequency response, which means that you get one of the cleanest looks at your raw audio as you edit in the business.

The EarFun Wave Pro excel for travel or commuting

The EarFun Wave Pro headphones stand out as a top pick for budget-conscious consumers looking for on-ear headphones with solid features without breaking the bank. Priced at $79.99, these headphones deliver a commendable blend of performance and convenience, making them ideal for travelers and commuters alike. With an exceptional battery life that lasts up to 52 hours with ANC enabled and the ability to function both wired and wirelessly, they cater well to long journeys and diverse user preferences.

Although the design is fairly nondescript with a basic black plastic construction, the headphones are lightweight and come with a sturdy hardcover case that enhances their portability. The inclusion of ANC is a notable feature for headphones at this price point, effectively reducing low-frequency noises like airplane engines by about 75%. However, the sound quality is average, suitable for casual listening but not for audio enthusiasts seeking high-fidelity sound. They support Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC, offering high bit-rate streaming which is rare for budget models, though they lack features like touch controls and water resistance.

Overall, the EarFun Wave Pro headphones are recommended for anyone needing affordable, feature-packed headphones primarily for travel or daily commute. They provide good comfort, effective noise cancelation, and practical connectivity options, though they fall short on sound quality and premium features.

Get the most for your money with the Anker Soundcore Life Q20

The Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headset is a prime example of high value for a low price. It made some of the best budget over-ear headphones because it features a comfortable fit and straightforward functionality. Its battery reaches 51 hours and 50 minutes on a single charge, and it uses a somewhat outdated micro-USB port.

Audio is transmitted using AAC and SBC codecs via a headphone jack or Bluetooth. There’s no app, and your controls are buttons on the ear cups, which keeps things simple. Best of all, though, are the 40mm drivers that, when paired with pretty decent active noise canceling, deliver an enjoyable listening experience. It’s certainly cheap, but it doesn’t lack much, except some luxuries like multipoint.

Pay a bit more for the better Anker Souncore Life Q30

The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 is another strong contender in the best budget over-ear headphones category. It offers robust active noise cancelation (ANC) across low and mid-frequencies, a battery life exceeding 46 hours with fast-charging capabilities, and a comfortable fit. It also uses the more modern USB-C charging port.

This extended playtime, coupled with the convenience of fast charging — where a mere 5-minute charge delivers 4 hours of playback — makes the Life Q30 exceptionally suitable for users with active lifestyles or those who dislike frequent recharging. While the headphones do have some drawbacks, such as the lack of touch controls and water resistance, these are minor when considering the overall value offered.

The Beyerdynamic DT 880 PRO is a good budget enthusiast companion

Not particularly well suited to a commute, the Beyerdynamic DT 880 PRO is staunchly in the at-home use department. It uses a semi-open back design, which keeps your ears cool while wearing the velour ear pads. Its frequency response also reflects a more studio-style sound, so bass heads be advised.

For the money, the DT 880 PRO is a great pick for the right user. Nobody here will suggest you take it with you on the bus, for example.

The best over-ear headphones under $100: Notable mentions

• AKG K371 ($176 at Amazon): These wired headphones offer excellent sound quality with a well-balanced frequency response that closely follows our headphone preference curve.
• Anker Soundcore Life Life Q35 ($99 at Amazon): The Anker Soundcore Life Q35 may not be the most premium headset, but it is worthwhile for someone looking for incredible battery life, travel features, and immense customization without breaking the bank.
• Anker Soundcore Space One ($99.99 at Amazon): If you are in the market for noise canceling headphones, the Anker Soundcore Space One is worth considering. These headphones bring most of the same features of flagship competitors for a fraction of the price.
• Anker Soundcore Space Q45 ($149 at Amazon): Replete with features like ANC, Bluetooth LDAC, AAC, SBC, multipoint, and an app with equalizer, this wired or wireless set of cans doesn’t feel cheap.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M40x ($99 at Amazon).
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 ($198 at Amazon): Combining Bluetooth with an optional wired connection, this set of over-ears is similar to the renowned Audio-Technica ATH-M50x but with added flexibility.
• Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX ((costing $199 at Drop)): Pushing the threshold of “budget” the collaboration seeks to achieve the sound of the venerable (and pricier) Sennheiser HD 650. In that way, it is budget by comparison.
• Sennheiser HD 280 Pro ($87 at Amazon): The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro may be a little lightweight on bass, but if you’re mixing or recording, it’s a solid tool and offers a good value. It’s not the most portable, but there’s a spot in every studio where you could use it.
• Sennheiser HD 350BT ($86 at Amazon): It supports aptX Low Latency and AAC, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C charging, and, of course, a wired connection.
• Sennheiser HD 560S ($207 at Amazon): A rock solid set of headphones that supply a nice sound and a comfortable fit worthy of consideration if you’re sticking around home because it’ll leak sound.

What you should know about over-ear headphones

People like all sorts of personal audio devices, but over-ears are the mainstay of high-performing headphones. There are many reasons for this, but it mostly boils down to the fact that they’re easier to make, from the guts to the padding. If you want the most bang for your buck, you’ll get it from any of the best budget over-ear headphones.

What are over-ears anyway?

If you’ve been browsing our site looking for headphones, you may have noticed that we tend to talk about the different kinds of headphones separately. The most common that you’re probably familiar with are earbuds like the ones that come with your smartphone. Then there are Bluetooth earbuds, true wireless earbuds, on-ears, and finally over-ears.

To answer the question posed at the top of this section, over-ears are simply headphones that completely encapsulate your ears. The ear cups usually have a small indent in the padding for your ears to rest comfortably in. On-ears, on the other hand, don’t completely cover your ears and, therefore, have slightly worse isolation in most cases.

Why is isolation so important?

Isolation is arguably the single greatest factor that impacts how you perceive music. If there’s a lot going on around you, your brain has a hard time picking out some of the frequencies that lie within the range of the outside noise. For example, if you’re on an airplane the low rumble or the jets will effectively draw the attention of your brain away from that smooth bass line you’re trying so hard to listen to. It’s how humans evolved to hear: we notice the loudest sounds above all else. The more you can separate yourself from the noises around you, the better your music will sound.

An added benefit of good isolation (and noise cancelation) is that you won’t be so tempted to increase the volume beyond what’s safe for your hearing in order to drown the environmental sounds out.

What’s a Bluetooth codec?

Bluetooth has come a long way since it was first introduced as an alternative to wired listening. It still isn’t a perfect replacement for a reliable audio cable, but the advancement of the Bluetooth codec — how data is packaged and sent between two different devices over Bluetooth — has helped things a lot.

An easy way to think of it is like languages that Bluetooth devices speak. If they speak the same codec (or language), then more data can be transferred more efficiently. If not, they default back to the most basic codec, which is SBC (or, in keeping with our analogy, hand gestures). It’s not as efficient, but SBC is universal, so everything can at least fall back on it.

Why you should trust SoundGuys

We test every product that comes our way by way of recording objective measurements and using everything in a typical environment. While audio is a measurable science, we don’t neglect the importance of personal preference. Some people may really enjoy a bass-heavy sound, while others may be forever in search of their platonic ideal headset.

Here at SoundGuys, we try to account for every need and preference when collating the best lists. While our site does operate via affiliate links, none of our writers benefit from awarding one product over the other.

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