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If you love listening to music in your headphones, but you’re also on a tight budget – you should check out our list of the best headphones under $50. These models provide good sound quality, but will also be very light on your wallet.
While they often won’t quite bring the sound quality or durability of much more expensive pairs, if you want to save a ton of money, any of these headphones are a great choice. Of course, there are so many cheap pairs of headphones out there.
So we aggregated millions of actual customer reviews, and tested the top models. After hours of testing, we can easily recommend the best headphones under $50. Here are our favorite models.
Our Top Pick
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
Audio-Technica is well-known for their extremely high-quality studio monitor headphones. Unfortunately, those headphones typically cost between $300 and $600.
If you’re on a tight budget, but still love sound quality – you have to get this pair of headphones. With thousands of stellar reviews, and top-notch sound – they’re our top pick. Highly recommended.
Other Great Picks
Skullcandy Hesh 2
Skullcandy is most known for their unique branding, but they also manufacture headphones with really great sound quality. This pair is not only affordable, they look (and sound) far more expensive than they really are.
These headphones also have thousands of 5-star customer reviews, and a rechargeable 15 hour battery. If you want to look hip, listen to your music in the highest quality – but still save tons of cash – this is the pair of headphones for you. Our highest recommendation.
Sony MDRZX110
Sony makes some of our favorite headphones on the market, and this pair is also one of the most affordable. With tens of thousands of 5-star user reviews, and great sound quality during our testing – this is another great choice.
While you can spend more, and get even better sound quality, these are great for the casual listener. If you’re a serious musician, we might recommend opting for a pair slightly higher up the chain, but for everyone else, this is one of the best pairs of headphones on the market today. Two thumbs (way) up.
Panasonic RP-HT21
Panasonic has been making great consumer electronic products since the 1960s, and have developed one of the best reputations. They are known for high-quality – but still very affordable – choices.
This pair of headphones is no different, and they’re backed by thousands of great user reviews. Since they only cost about the same as your favorite fast food meal, they bring the best value out of any pair of headphones on our entire list. Highly recommended.
JBL Tune 500BT
JBL is one of the best regarded manufacturers of headphones – and for good reason. This highly affordable pair brings their excellent engineering into the lowest price bracket – resulting in one of our favorite pairs of headphones on this entire list.
With thousands of great customer reviews, and very good bass – you’ll have a blast listening to your favorite tunes. While you can certainly spend more and get a pair of JBL headphones with even more features – for people on a strict budget, this is a great choice.
iJoy Matte Wireless Headphones
We weren’t as familiar with iJoy as a brand, but this pair of wireless headphones has thousands of great reviews – so we tested them out. And boy, were we pleasantly surprised.
Even though they cost less than a meal at even the cheapest of restaurants – they sound great, and will likely last for a long time. While you can certainly spend more, and get even more user-friendly features – if you’re on a budget, this is one of the best choices for wireless headphones.
Vogek Earbuds
If you want a great pair of cheap earbuds – check this pair out. We weren’t that familiar with Vogek as a brand, but this pair of earbuds is packed by thousands of 5-star customer reviews.
So we tested them out – and for a pair of headphones that costs less than a t-shirt – they are pretty darned amazing. While you could opt for Beats earbuds – you’d have to pay more than ten times as much – so we think for most people, this is an excellent pair to get instead.
OneOdio Monitor Headphones
These monitor headphones are a great value, and while the sound quality won’t be quite as good as $300 to $500 pairs – for less than the cost of a pair of sneakers – these are a great pick. The frequency response was pretty flat in our testing – which is exactly what you want for studio monitoring.
Of course, you can opt for much more expensive studio monitoring headphones, but these are backed by thousands of 5-star customer reviews. We were pretty impressed with the overall sound quality, and think these are one of the best pairs of headphones on the market today. A definite recommendation.
MuGo Wireless Earbuds
These wireless earbuds are highly affordable, and are also waterproof – which makes them perfect for wearing anywhere. They’re backed by thousands of five-star user reviews, and also performed great during all of our comprehensive tests.
MuGo is likely not a brand name most American consumers recognize, but they have definitely made a quality product here. Instead of opting for earbuds that cost 1o or 20 times more – save a ton of cash, and try these out instead. You’ll be plesantly surprised with the auditory results.
Panasonic RP-HT161
Panasonic really made a great product when they manufactured these headphones. They’re very affordable, very comfortable, and offer great sound quality.
They also have thousands of stellar user reviews, great bass, and an extra long cord. While you can spend a lot more to get even better sound quality, for most people – these are a fantastic choice. Our highest recommendation.
What Are Headphones?
Headphones are – in our opinion – one of the best consumer inventions ever created. Along with the creation of the Walkman, headphones single handedly changed the face of consumer audio.
Instead of having to carry a boombox around, or your home stereo, headphones allow you to beam your music directly into your eardrums – and even pick up on every little nuance in the original recording.
Expensive headphones are also very popular, but if you’re a frequent traveler, are on a tight budget, or just lose a lot of pairs – a cheap pair of headphones is a much better choice. Unlike the very cheap headphones of the past, current models are both affordable and sound fantastic – which is a big improvement from when we were kids.
What Are The Benefits Of Headphones?
The benefits of headphones are numerous. Most importantly, is the extreme portability they offer.
You can listen to your favorite music, podcasts, and lectures – no matter where you are. Airplanes, in the pool, on your bike, at the gym – it doesn’t matter – headphones will always get the job done.
If you choose a model that has superior bass, or excellent overall sound quality – you can even get a more detailed listening experience than your home stereo will offer. Wireless headphones also offer even less hassle, as their rechargeable batteries mean you can cut the messy cords forever.
What Are The Best Noise Cancelling Headphones Under $50?
While there are thousands of cheap headphones available, we have compiled a list of the 10 best headphones under $50. Any of the choices on our above list should work very well for you, so just choose whether you want bass, wireless earbuds, or something else – and we’ve got you covered.
What Are The Best Headphones For Sound Quality?
This is a fairy subjective question, but we like our top pick from Audio-Technica, when it comes to affordable headphones with great sound quality. If you want to pay more, you can choose any number of headphones with top-notch sound quality – just check out some of our other product reviews, to find the most relevant models.
Is It Worth Buying Noise Cancelling Headphones?
This one depends entirely on your own individual needs. If you’re a frequent traveler, we think noise cancelling headphones are a must. They help block out the sound of planes, other travelers, and any other distractions that might divert your focus.
If you like to sleep with music – noise cancelling headphones are a definite must-buy. They will block out all extraneous sounds, and take you away to a quieter place.
If you don’t fall into one of these categories, noise cancelling headphones are less of a priority – but they’re still a great buy, if you’re not on a very tight budget. In the future, it’s likely that all headphones will be noise cancelling, so you can get ahead of the curve now, and get a great pair that will stand the test of time.
What Are The Best Affordable Wireless Headphones?
There are many choices out there for affordable wireless headphones, but we are partial to the Skullcandy Hesh 2 model. They’re super comfortable, offer high-quality sound, and have great battery life.
More expensive models offer some extra premium features, but if you’re prioritizing affordability, they’re a perfect fit. While your definition of affordable may include spending more than $50 – for most people spending $50 or less, we think the Hesh 2 is simply unbeatable.
Are Expensive Headphones Worth It?
Expensive headphones do usually offer better drivers, better sound quality, and are typically made from longer lasting parts and materials. However, music is still music, so if budget is important – cheap headphones can still sound pretty darn great.
Should I Buy Headphones Or Earbuds?
This one comes down to personal preference. Earbuds fit right inside your ear, but are typically not as good at reproducing the full spectrum of sound.
This can result in tinny sound, with lower bass levels – compared to the full spectrum of sound offered by closed-ear headphones. Full headphones are also typically a little more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time, but that’s just our own personal preference.
Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Block All Sound?
Technically, noise cancelling headphones don’t block all sounds. However, they block all lower frequency sounds, as well as almost all middle and higher frequency sounds.
The only types of sounds like to get through, are things like birds chirping – sounds that are usually not very prevalent, or distracting. Most noise cancelling headphones use a technology called active noise cancelling – which means they produce a low frequency sound to drown out any auditory noise pollution.
Which Bluetooth Headphones Are Best?
There are tons of great Bluetooth headphones on the market, so it’s pretty much impossible to pick just one pair. There are many variables to consider – do you want earbuds, over-the-ear, or a budget pair?
No matter what your needs are, we have comprehensive lists that will offer the best products in each category. For our own listening pleasure, we love high-end, noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones.
We also prefer models that encase our full ear – we think these models offer the best sound quality, are the most comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and also block out any extra sounds we might encounter while traveling. Your mileage may vary, of course, so be sure to look at the features offered by the specific models you’re considering.
Is Noise Cancelling Bad For Ears?
Noise cancelling is not bad for your ears. In fact, since noise cancelling headphones allow you to play music at a lower volume (since outside sounds are blocked out) – they will actually help protect your hearing.
Playing music too loudly, for too long in your headphones – is actually one of the fastest ways to damage your hearing. If preserving your hearing is a priority, you’ll be best off by opting for a pair of noise cancelling headphones.
The Best Headphones Under $50
There you have it – our choices for the best headphones under $50. While some people like to indulge on flashy and well-engineered models that retail for far more – for most people, the headphones found on this list will be perfect choices.
We loved the sound quality of each model we tested, and were also impressed at just how comfortable they were (especially considering the very affordable price points). If you’re a serious musician or audiophile, you may only want t buy one of the pairs on this list as a backup option – but for everyone else – they should be a perfect fit.
If you loved this list, be sure to check out some of our other great product reviews. We’ve reviewed everything from TVs to refrigerators – so no matter what you need, we’ve got you covered. Until next time, happy listening – and don’t crank the volume too high!