Top inexpensive headphones in 2024
By ForGeeks Not every pair of headphones or earbuds should cost more than 20,000 rubles.
Yes, fancy, expensive flagship models from brands like Bose, Sony and Apple get a lot of attention, but the truth is that you can get great sound, comfort and convenient features without spending more than 10,000 rubles. You just need to put a little more effort into choosing the right gadget, and we can help you with that.
Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
When you buy a pair of mid-range wireless headphones, it’s a pleasant surprise to find comfort and great sound for 9,000 rubles like the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. But every once in a while, audio companies can spring a big surprise, and that’s exactly what happened with this model.
Soundcore’s Liberty 4 NC meets all the requirements most people want in an inexpensive wireless headphone: intuitive controls and terrific noise cancellation for its price, Bluetooth Multipoint, a comfortable fit in the ear, and a handy app that lets you customize various settings and debug the Liberty 4 NC.
Soundcore’s Liberty 4 NC is a great way to get the most out of your headphones.
These wireless earbuds are as good as the competition, especially when it comes to overall sound quality. The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC deliver bright and detailed mids and highs, and punchy bass that fills out the low frequencies. And if you want to make any adjustments, you can browse through the various sound presets using the Soundcore app. While they lack the Qualcomm aptX performance that models like the Tranya Nova Hybrid provide, we’d note that the inclusion of Sony LDAC definitely doesn’t hurt.
And if you want to make any adjustments to the sound presets, you’ll be able to check out the various audio presets via the Soundcore app.
These headphones are also great for long-lasting performance, with up to eight hours of listening time with ANC enabled and up to 40 hours with the charging case. They may lack some of the more advanced features from more expensive headphones or earcups, but if you’re looking for a good way to save some money without sacrificing sound, the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC — are a good choice.
Soundcore Liberty 4 NC — are a good choice.
Soundcore Liberty 4 NC — are a good choice.
SoundCore Space A40
Budget wireless headphones usually have to sacrifice something to keep their price under 10,000 rubles, — sound quality, noise cancellation or battery life. The SpaceA40s are impressive in how few such disadvantages they have. This makes them an ideal choice for those who love wireless headphones but would like to save some money when buying them. Unlike some wireless earbuds, this pair is particularly comfortable and suitable for all ear types.
A pair of wireless earbuds is a great fit for all types of ears.
You won’t hear your favorite songs sounding bad, either: the Soundcore headphones have full-frequency response with a HearID tuning process that helps you tweak the EQ (which itself has an impressive number of presets). The result isn’t perfect, but it’s deeply impressive in this price range, and Android users will appreciate the LDAC support.
Android users will appreciate the LDAC support.
In addition, the Space A40s offer better ANC than our previous JLaB Epic Air headphones, with easy mode switching via touch controls and a surprisingly good transparency mode. Unfortunately, there’s no wear sensor here — a handy feature that automatically pauses music when you take one earbud out of your ear.
Wear sensor — a handy feature that automatically pauses music when you take one earbud out of your ear.
While we praised the Epic Air’s remarkable battery life, the Space A40 once again exceeds expectations, delivering up to 10 hours on a single charge, and with the charging case — up to 50 hours (with ANC turned off). Even with ANC and other features turned on, they still last about five hours on a single charge, matching the AirPods Pro’s maximum performance.
And with ANC and other features turned on, they still last about five hours on a single charge, matching the AirPods Pro’s maximum performance.
1More SonoFlow
It’s easier than ever to get decent sound from wireless headphones for under 6,000 rubles, and we’ve already featured several models in this category above. But it’s incredible how much 1More manages to pack into its headphones while keeping the price so low. This includes features that were the domain of high-end models just a few years ago, such as excellent ANC and transparency mode, as well as a wide range of app options — from presets and EQ customization to features like simultaneous wireless connection of two devices.
All of these features are available on the 1More headphones.
The sound quality is also impressive, with 40mm drivers that rival much more expensive headphones like the Soundcore Space Q45. There’s also support for Sony’s hi-res LDAC, though access to it may be limited for some users (such as those with iPhones).
In addition, battery life is 50 hours with ANC on and up to 70 hours with it off. That’s a very impressive figure for a wireless headphone, good enough for days of playback without having to worry about finding a time and place to recharge.
With the ANC on, the battery life can be as long as you want.
1More Triple Driver
The 1More Triple Driver Chinese headphones offer all the features of high-end headphones at an affordable price, and look and feel like premium headphones. Honestly, they make other headphones seem outrageously expensive.
They’re a great way to make your headphones look and feel premium.
The triple drivers deliver clean, high-quality treble (1More claims a maximum range of 40kHz) and balanced but weighty bass that’s comfortable and doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the sound. This allows the midrange and tweeter to deliver one-two-three punch of excellent sound.
Allowing you to enjoy the excellent sound of the midrange and tweeter for one-two-three punch of excellent sound.
Build quality — another notable aspect of these headphones. The Triple Drivers’ housings are made of durable aluminum alloy that shines in copper or silver with a sandblasted finish, and the cable is wrapped in triple-braided Kevlar — very high-end materials for headphones in this price range. You’ll also receive a sleek carrying case with your purchase. These headphones also feature a built-in microphone and three-button control on the wire, allowing you to take phone calls and control playback without having to take your phone out of your pocket every time.
For such high sound quality, it’s almost surprising that these headphones are often priced below 7,000 rmb. The 1More Triple Driver boast both the material and performance we’d expect from headphones costing twice as much or more. There’s also a wireless version of these headphones.
A wireless version of these headphones is also available.
Beats Solo Buds
Solo Buds — are the first fully wireless Beats headphones to break the age-old price barrier and cost 8,000 rubles. To keep within that price, a lot has been cut from the feature list, so rest assured you can live without conveniences like wireless charging, active noise cancellation and transparency mode. All of these are missing from the Solo Buds.
The Solo Buds.
Nevertheless, Beats has taken care of the basic features. The sound quality is very good — no worse than the Beats Studio Buds+, which cost more than twice as much.
Comfortability is also top notch, as is call and talk quality. You even get one of the smallest cases in the wireless headphone world. It’s really tiny. But that size is thanks to the case’s lack of a battery.
This means that when the headphones run out of power, you’ll have to plug the case in to charge them — the case can’t charge the headphones on its own.
When the headphones run out of power, you’ll have to plug the case in to charge them.
But thanks to the claimed 18-hour battery life of the headphones themselves, you might not realize that the case doesn’t have a built-in battery.
Baseus Eli Sport 1
Open-ear headphones — are a very different type of sound, and sometimes the results are so good that we just have to tell you about it. That’s the case with the Baseus Eli Sport 1 open-ear headphones, which are available in black, white, or green.
Baseus Eli Sport 1 open-ear headphones are available in black, white, or green.
What makes the Eli Sport 1 unusual in the open headphone category is the included neck lanyard, which can be quickly and easily attached to the back of the headphones for added security and convenience.
What makes the Eli Sport 1 unusual in the open headphone category is the included neck lanyard, which can be quickly and easily attached to the back of the headphones for added security and convenience.
Open headphones often lack decent bass, but the Eli Sport 1 has a bass boost mode that’s surprisingly effective. If you like the idea of open headphones, but are concerned that you’ll miss the rhythmic feel of music, the Eli Sport 1 — is a great choice.
The Eli Sport 1 — is a great choice.
The Eli Sport 1 — is a great choice.
As with all open models, they’re very comfortable for long sessions. The Bluetooth Multipoint feature allows you to connect to two devices at once, and the microphones are great for making calls.
Bluetooth Multipoint is a great choice.
Battery life is a respectable 7.5 hours on a single charge and a total of 30 hours if you include the charging case. There’s no wireless charging, but at this price point, that feature —s a rarity.
Wireless charging is not included, but at this price point, it’s a rarity.
They may be completely lacking in ANC, but if you’re looking for open headphones that won’t break your wallet and still sound phenomenal, the Eli Sport 1 should appeal to you.
The Eli Sport 1 is a great value.
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
It always seems that iOS devices take priority in the world of headphones and earbuds, at least when it comes to app-specific improvements. So it’s nice when an equally good product comes along that focuses on the needs of Android users. If you’re looking for an inexpensive headphone that will pair well with your Galaxy or Pixel devices, check out the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE.
And if you’re looking for an inexpensive headphone that will pair well with your Galaxy or Pixel devices, check out the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE.
These are inexpensive headphones that fit comfortably, sound great, and have very impressive ANC performance. The Galaxy Buds FE do a great job of suppressing environmental sounds that get in the way (like traffic or airplane noise), and you’ll be able to switch between several different ANC modes.
What really makes these Samsung headphones stand out is the ability to customize with the Samsung Galaxy Wearable App. It’s not available for iOS devices, but Android fans will be able to use it to customize up to four gestures for each headphone, including Spotify Tap, volume control, and ANC toggling.
