Headphone buying guide
The Best Headphones Under $50: An Honest Answer
None of the headphones we review sell for under $50 right now. Here's what that budget really buys, how close our cheapest picks get on sale, and what to check before you buy a cheap pair.
We'll start with the honest part: none of the headphones we review currently sell for under $50. Our cheapest reviewed models, Soundcore's Liberty 5 earbuds and Space One over-ears, sell for about $80 to $85. During Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days on October 6, 2026, we saw the Liberty 5 at $75.99 for Prime members and the Space One at $79.99 — closer, but still well over $50.
We only recommend models we've researched properly, with manufacturer specs, published reviews, and a verified Amazon listing, and we haven't finished that work for any sub-$50 pair. So instead of guessing, this guide explains what $50 realistically buys, how to shop that price safely, and why our two cheapest picks are worth stretching for. Picks and fit scores are an editorial synthesis of published reviews and manufacturer specs, not our own testing; prices are approximate Amazon prices seen October 5–6, 2026.
The short list
| # | Best for | Model | Approx. price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Closest earbuds to $50 |  | Earbuds ANC (budget) | ~$79.99 |
| 02 | Closest over-ears to $50 |  | Over-ear ANC (budget) | ~$84.99 |
Approximate Amazon prices seen October 5, 2026, not live quotes.
Ranked
Our picks
- 01
Closest earbuds to $50
Soundcore Liberty 5
- Earbuds ANC (budget)
- ~$79.99
- 2025
- Any phone
~$79.99 (list $129.99), and $75.99 for Prime members during Prime Big Deal Days on Oct 6. That's about $30 over this guide's budget, but it buys ANC that Tom's Guide, TechRadar, and Cult of Mac call strong for the money, plus LDAC, multipoint, six mics, and IP55. Expect to EQ the bass-heavy tuning.
Pros
- Pro: Strong ANC for the money, per reviewers
- Pro: LDAC, multipoint, and Bluetooth 5.4
- Pro: IP55 and a light 4.6 g per bud
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: Bass-heavy tuning needs EQ
- Trade-off: Fiddly stem controls
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- Travel
- 4 out of 5
- Workouts
- 4 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Check priceAffiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.
Read the review: Soundcore Liberty 5 - 02
Closest over-ears to $50
Soundcore Space One
- Over-ear ANC (budget)
- ~$84.99
- 2023
- Any phone
Wirecutter's budget noise-cancelling pick at ~$84.99 (list $99.99), and $79.99 on Amazon on Oct 6. It's rated for 40 hours with ANC and 55 without, with a 5-minute charge for 4 hours, LDAC, multipoint, and an AUX input. Calls and sound trail the flagships; the price gap is far bigger.
Pros
- Pro: Wirecutter's budget pick
- Pro: 40 h with ANC, 55 h without; a 5-minute charge gives 4 h
- Pro: LDAC and multipoint at a budget price
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: A 2023 model, the oldest on our list
- Trade-off: Our travel and call scores trail the flagships
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- Travel
- 4 out of 5
- Calls
- 3 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Check priceAffiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.
Read the review: Soundcore Space One
Disclosure: “Check price” buttons are Amazon affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking.
How we chose
A real under-$50 pick would need the same research as every model we review: manufacturer specs, published reviews, and a verified Amazon listing. We don't have that yet for any sub-$50 model, and we won't fill the gap with guesses or unverified listings. These two picks are the cheapest headphones we do review, chosen because they get our top value score of 5 and come closest to $50 on sale.
Wirecutter's budget pick settled the Space One; reviews from Tom's Guide, TechRadar, and Cult of Mac shaped the Liberty 5 pick. Prices are what we saw on Amazon on October 5 and, for the sale figures, October 6, 2026.
What under $50 usually buys
There are plenty of headphones under $50, including models from established brands. Expect them to give up some of the following, roughly in this order as the price falls:
- Noise cancelling: often missing, or much weaker than on our ~$80 picks.
- Codecs and multipoint: LDAC and multipoint, both standard on our two picks, are less common.
- Mics and calls: fewer microphones and weaker call quality in noisy places.
- App support: a basic app or none, which means limited or no EQ.
- Durability and support: shorter warranties and less certainty about firmware updates.
How to get close to $50
If $50 is a hard limit, these routes get you nearer to a good pair:
- Sales: Prime events, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are when budget headphones see their lowest prices. Set a price alert on the pair you want.
- Manufacturer-refurbished: brands' own stores sell renewed models with a warranty. On October 6, 2026, Soundcore's store listed a renewed Life Q20 over-ear at $29.99.
- Last year's model: older versions of budget lines often stay on sale for a while after a replacement arrives.
- Wired earbuds: if your phone or laptop has a headphone jack or you use a USB-C adapter, basic wired earbuds from established brands are the cheapest way to decent sound, with no battery to wear out.
Before you buy a cheap pair
At this price, the listing matters as much as the product. A few checks avoid most bad buys:
- Buy from the brand's official store or a listing sold by the retailer itself, not an unknown third-party seller.
- Be wary of brand names you've never seen with thousands of glowing reviews; check recent reviews, not just the star rating.
- Confirm the return window, so a pair that doesn't fit or connect reliably can go back.
- Make sure it has what you'll actually use: ANC for commutes, an IP rating for the gym, a mic for calls.
What the extra $30 buys
Stretching from $50 to our ~$80 picks gets you active noise cancelling, LDAC for Android phones, multipoint, and either a 40-hour ANC battery (Space One) or an IP55 earbud design (Liberty 5). Both get our top value score of 5. If you're buying one pair for daily use, that's the best $30 you can add to the budget.
Also consider
- Soundcore Life P3i: hybrid ANC earbuds that Soundcore's own store listed at $49.99 on October 6, 2026. We haven't reviewed them, so there's no score or link.
- Soundcore Life Q10: over-ear Bluetooth headphones listed at $43.99 on Soundcore's store on October 6, 2026. Not reviewed by us.
- Renewed models from a brand's own store, such as Soundcore's renewed Life Q20 ($29.99 on October 6, 2026), if you're comfortable with refurbished.
Frequently asked questions
Are there good headphones under $50?
Probably, but we haven't reviewed any to our usual standard, so we won't name a winner. Our cheapest reviewed picks, the Soundcore Liberty 5 (~$79.99) and Space One (~$84.99), are the closest we can vouch for.
Will the Soundcore Liberty 5 or Space One drop to $50?
There's no guarantee. The lowest we saw was during Prime Big Deal Days on October 6, 2026: $75.99 for the Liberty 5 (Prime members) and $79.99 for the Space One. Set a price alert if $50 is your limit.
Are cheap noise-cancelling headphones worth it?
At around $80 to $85, yes: the Soundcore Space One is Wirecutter's budget noise-cancelling pick, and its 4 of 5 travel score is one point behind Sony's WH-1000XM6. Under $50, ANC tends to be weaker, so check reviews before paying for it.
Is refurbished a good way to save?
It can be, if it's manufacturer-refurbished with a warranty and a normal return window. Soundcore's own store, for example, sells renewed models.
Related guides
Disclosure: Our picks are independent and editorial — a synthesis of published reviews and manufacturer specs, not our own lab measurements. Prices are approximate Amazon prices seen October 5, 2026. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.