headset
by Sohaib Arif
Updated
1 years ago
Music is the food of the soul. To feel it more adequately, invest your money in a good pair of headphones that fits the style of your requirement.
When looking for the best budget headphone, several factors come into account. Sound clarity, durability, and battery life should be the primary concern. But not all budget headphones can meet these requirements altogether.
You need to go in-depth to get the desired equipment of your choice. You might get some advanced features while staying on a low budget. But it requires a lot of research and effort.
Luckily, we stocked some best budget headphones of 2021 in this article. Let’s have a look!
At A Glance:
Best pick
Sony WH-1000XM4
Sony WH-1000XM4
✓
Excellent noise cancellation.
✓
Additional features via the Sony headphone app.
✓
Countless connectivity options.
Staff Pick
Sony WH-CH510
Sony WH-CH510
✓
Lightweight.
✓
Travel-friendly.
✓
Comfortable.
Budget Pick
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro
✓
Crisp and balanced audio.
✓
Sturdy and sleek design.
✓
Lightweight.
Our Recommendations
Sony WH-1000XM4
Best pick
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Brand: Sony | Model Name: WH-1000XM4 | Connector Type: Wireless | Colour: Sliver | Form Factor: Over-Ear
Last but not least. Sony WH-1000XM4 is probably the most expensive headphone on our list. But in terms of features and performance, we can mark it the best budget headphone we ever talked about.
If you want to spend your cash on the best budget headphone, then we advise you to have a look at this one. Till now, it’s the best noise-canceling model of Sony at this moment. They have already beaten up their competitors in the market in numerous categories.
It comes with an extended battery life of 30 hours. This means players can stream video games for a bit longer. Music enthusiasts can enjoy well-balanced sound clarity all the time.
In the 2020 model, they introduced a new feature: “wearing detection.” It automatically pauses the song when you take it off due to the proximity and acceleration sensor embedded in each ear cup. And automatically plays the song from where it paused when you put it back. Due to which this headphone is worth spending.
The Pros
✓
Excellent noise cancellation.
✓
Additional features via the Sony headphone app.
✓
Countless connectivity options.
The Cons
✗
Battery life is good, but could be improved
✗
It don’t support APTX or APTX HD
Sony WH-CH510
Staff Pick
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Brand: Sony | Model Name: WHCH510/B | Colour: Black | Connector Type: Wireless | Form Factor: Over-Ear
Sony is the favourite brand of audiophiles for headphones or audio equipment. Because the company never compromises on the quality of the products. By remaining within the budget of $50, you can get a fantastic battery life along with a compact design.
WH-CH510 offers wireless connectivity. So, it is easy to connect it with smartphones or Bluetooth-enabled computers. But for this reason, you need to depend upon the devices that ensure wireless connectivity only. Well, it doesn’t seem legit to some users. However, modern devices support Bluetooth connectivity in one way to another.
The lightweight design makes it travel-friendly. It also allows users to wear it for longer hours while listening to music or gaming without hurting their ears.
Still, it comes with some issues. Premium material is often bulky. WH-CH510 constructors tried to build this headphone as lighter as possible. This means they optimise cheap material that leads to flimsy construction somehow.
The Pros
✓
Lightweight.
✓
Travel-friendly.
✓
Comfortable.
The Cons
✗
No headphone jack.
✗
Constructed with fragile material.
Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro
Budget Pick
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Brand: Beyerdynamic | Model Name: DT 240 Pro | Colour: Black | Connector Type: Wired | Form Factor: Over the Ear
Another budget-friendly headphone in our list. This on-ear headphone resembles the circumaural ones. The metal and plastic combination keeps the headphone intact, lightweight, and comfortable. Professional level headphones are relatively pricier. But thanks to the 240 pro that offers a sleek design and pro features at this low price.
Headphones are marvellous in their performance as studio monitor headphones. So, the sound produced through it is clear and well-balanced as it should be. That’s why it stands with the competitors for having a low price with advanced features.
Its headphones are interchangeable, which is one more enticing feature of this equipment. The combined weight of headphones and wire is 230 grams, ensuring low contact pressure on the ears. Overall it’s a good choice for audio production as well.
The Pros
✓
Crisp and balanced audio.
✓
Sturdy and sleek design.
✓
Lightweight.
The Cons
✗
Minimal noise isolation.
✗
Sound resonates through cable
Bose QuietComfort 45
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Brand: Bose | Weight: 8.5 ounces | Battery Life: 24-Hours | Bluetooth range: 30 feet | Size: 7.25 x 6 x 3 inches
Bose is famous for providing the best noise-cancelling headphones across the world. In Quietcomfort 45, music enthusiasts can precisely get what they require the most in their headphones. You don’t need to spend more on its features to make it unique and efficient.
In terms of design, it resembles its predecessor, QuietComfort QC35 version 2. But the company has made a few amendments. The previous one has a micro-USB port, but QC45 is built with a USB-C port.
They made some changes with the microphone as well. Along with this, QC45 is embedded with extra external microphones, specially built for voice pick-up. This means this one has six microphones in total. Out of which four of them are beamforming utilized for voice.
As the company’s products are famous for their noise cancellation effect. So, this one is also good in eliminating the ambient voice from the surroundings across the frequency spectrum. With the proprietary TriPort acoustic structure and a volume-optimized active EQ, you can have a solid audio performance on the lows, mids, and high voices.
The Pros
✓
Solid battery life.
✓
Excellent comfort and connectivity.
✓
Good audio clarity.
The Cons
✗
Lacks automatic pausing.
✗
Impossible to disable ANC once you enable it.
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
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Brand: Audio-Technica | Model Name : AUD ATHM20X | Color : Black | Connectivity Technology: Wired | Form Factor: Over-Ear
If you are looking for the best budget-friendly headphone, then Audio-Technica ATH-M20x can be an excellent option for you. It falls under $50. This fabulous pair of headphones meet all your needs by providing exceptional sound clarity and quality. It is manufactured with 40-millimetre drivers that make it the perfect choice for listening to music, game streaming, or monitoring your audio for professional use.
Apparently, it is built with lightweight plastic that ensures durability and comfort throughout use. It weighs almost 190 grams making it travel friendly for those who like to listen to music while travelling. We were disappointed a bit during testing when we saw that a tiny part of the cable was exposed when connecting the left and right ear cups before entering the headband.
For the price, it delivers incredible comfort to the listener. But don’t work with it all night or for long hours without having a short break. Under $50, it gives an impressive frequency response. Superb for personal use.
The Pros
✓
Lightweight.
✓
Excellent audio quality.
✓
Comfortable
The Cons
✗
Not fold down at all.
✗
Poor build quality
AKG N60NC
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Brand: Samsung Electronics | Model Name: AKG Noise | Color: Black | Ear Placement: On-Ear | Connectivity Technology: Wireless
Another smart headphone on our list is AKG N60NC. It’s a bit pricier and available from $100 to $120. With some advanced features, it’s a valuable pair for professional use.
From a design perspective, it looks a bit classy. Ear cups have metal rings that are polished along with the thick padding. With the foldable ear cups, you can carry this headphone anywhere in a pouch that comes with them. The lightweight design makes it comfortable while using. But if you use it for long hours, it gets uncomfortable after a while as it pushes the pressure on the ears directly.
Budget headphones often sacrifice some of their features. But with N60NC, AKG doesn’t comprise the features and durability by offering 30 hours long battery life. The built-in noise-cancelling feature allows you to focus on the audio while eliminating the unwanted sounds in the surroundings.
Best pair to value for your money. A close runner-up of best budget headphones of 2021.
The Pros
✓
Noise-cancelling effect.
✓
Foldable ear cups.
✓
Solid battery life.
The Cons
✗
On-ear design gets uncomfortable after a while.
✗
Harsh on the bright tracks.
JBL Tune 750BTNC
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Brand: JBL | Model Name: JBL TUNE 750BTNC – Black | Color: Black | Connectivity Technology: Wireless | Form Factor: Over-Ear
JBL is another brand that comes to the mind of music enthusiasts. Their Bluetooth speakers and headphones are famous for providing exceptional performance to their users.
It is constructed with solid plastic that feels sturdy when you hold it in your hand. According to the price, it feels more expensive. Upon weight distribution, it’s not super lightweight. But this is not a problem at all. Because on your head, you’ll not feel that the headphone is dragging your head.
From the performance point of view, it works great. Overall, it looks fine. Audio quality is excellent, and battery life is impressive. The drawback is, it doesn’t come with waterproofing. Plus, some pro features are also missed. But at this reasonable price, it feels foolish to complain about.
The Pros
✓
Great sound quality.
✓
Solid plastic.
✓
Strong ANC.
The Cons
✗
Waterproofing is missing
✗
Poor battery life.
Cleer Enduro ANC
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Brand: Clear | Colour: Black | Connector Type: Wireless | Item Weight: 0.29 Kilograms | Wireless Communication Technology: Bluetooth
Cleer is a brand with which few of us are familiar. But Cleer Enduro ANC headphones have their own identity in the market among music enthusiasts. The brand offers a wide variety of earbuds, wireless speakers, and music accessories with an extraordinary battery life that can blow your mind.
Within the price of $120, it offers more than enough features for professional and personal use. Constructed with solid plastic, it weighs almost 280g which is not bad for over-ear headphones. Along with the foldable design, it is easy to store. On using a 3.5 mm detachable cable and NFC pairing, it delivers Hi-res audio support.
Sound clarity is outstanding. The bass is a bit overpowering if the volume is high. However, the sound feels pleasant at a low volume. In short, you’ll enjoy the beat with this pair of headphones.
None of the headphones comes with a 60-hours battery at such an affordable price—valuable equipment for the music enthusiast.
The Pros
✓
Long battery life
✓
Manufactured with solid plastic
✓
Efficient ANC.
The Cons
✗
Bulky.
✗
It’s a bit uncomfortable.
What You Should Consider While Buying the Best Budget Headphone
Here is a quick buying guide that can assist you further in purchasing the best budget headphones for yourself.
Design and Comfort
Design is everything while looking for the best headphone for personal or professional use. Do you want in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear headphones? Wired or wireless? Considering these questions in mind will allow you to make an informed decision when putting your hands down on any headphones. Understand your needs first and select design accordingly.
A headphone should feel comfortable on your head. Many become uncomfortable when wearing it for a bit longer. Before deciding on comfort, wear headphones for at least 20 minutes.
Weight
Weight is a factor that you should consider while making a headphone purchase. For long-term use, lighter headphones feel more comfortable. Headphones with foam pads are ideal for use.
Audio Quality
You want headphones to get better audio quality. It’s a thing you must check. Different headphones of various brands tend to offer different sound levels across frequency ranges. It’s necessary to have a headphone that matches your audio preferences. Some companies introduce their online applications, which allow them to make their profiles. Users can tweak EQ levels via these applications.
Connectivity
Modern headphones offer wireless connectivity. You can either connect them with the smartphones via Bluetooth or through ports if they have any. But it is advisable to get a headphone with multiple connectivity options.
Portability
Portability is not an issue. Lightweight headphones were in demand when they were just used in studios. But now it’s a physical activity, so a bulkier one can also go well. As far as portability is concerned, fold-up designs are more preferable.
Battery Life
Nowadays, the battery life in the devices is the most concerning aspect. What if the battery is run-out in the middle of your work? That’s why the devices that ensure longer hours of battery life along with the outclass performance are preferred. In headphones, the average battery life should be 20 to 24 hours. Longer will be best.
Summary
Conclusion
Like the various other things in your life, be conscious before investing your money in it. The articles we listed here are best in terms of performance and price. To get more advanced features, you need to increase your budget.
All the articles we discussed can be easily purchased from Amazon or any other e-commerce website. Just ensure they offer a return policy as well as a warranty.
If you find this article helpful in any way, do like, comment and share.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are in-ear headphones for?
In-ear headphones are manufactured to reject outside noise without the use of any fancy algorithm or noise cancellation effect.
Is it wrong to use headphones all day?
Wearing headphones constantly can lead to ear pain or hearing loss. “Earphone usage should not exceed more than an hour per day.” Said Dr Agarwal.
Which is the best, earphones or headphones?
For most people, earphones are the on-go choice for producing good sound output. But for the people who want to feel the music, headphones are still on the top for them.
