Our Favorite Headphones and Earbuds for $100 or Less (2024)

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Parker Hall Michael Calore

Gear

You could fill a stadium or two with all the cheap headphones out there. We tested a ton to help you pick the right pair.

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

Featured in this article

Our Favorite Headphones and Earbuds for $100 or Less (3)

Best for Most

Google Pixel Buds A-Series

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Our Favorite Headphones and Earbuds for $100 or Less (4)

Runner-Up Earbuds

1More ColorBuds

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Our Favorite Headphones and Earbuds for $100 or Less (5)

Great Over-Ears

Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

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Our Favorite Headphones and Earbuds for $100 or Less (6)

Best Noise-Canceling Headphones

Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless

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The Best headphones under $100 are harder to find than you might think. Here at WIRED, it's part of our job to listen to music all day, often on exceedingly fancy and bonkers-expensive models. We have playlists for testing bass, for assessing detail, for dance parties—we get way into it. But believe it or not, we like testing the cheap stuff just as much. It's like a treasure hunt to find the ones that pack in the most tech for the money. And they're getting better and better every year.

That doesn't mean our work is done; etailers are still overflowing with cheap headphones that sound cheap, so we'll keep listening and updating our picks every few months. While you're looking for the next great pair, be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best Wireless Headphones, Best Wireless Workout Headphones, and Best Phones With a Headphone Jack.

Updated October 2023: We've added the Anker Soundcore Space A40, Anker Liberty 4 NC, JLab JBuds Mini, Logitech G Pro X, and Logitech G333 In-Ear Gaming Monitors.

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.

  • Our Favorite Headphones and Earbuds for $100 or Less (7)

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Parker Hall is a senior 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.

Writer and Reviewer

Michael Calore oversees WIRED's consumer products coverage in print and on the web, and is one of the hosts of WIRED's weekly podcast, Gadget Lab. As a writer, he covers a range of topics including music, film, art, software, social media, and underground culture.

Director, Consumer Tech and Culture

TopicsShoppingbuying guidesHeadphones

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Our Favorite Headphones and Earbuds for $100 or Less (2024)

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