Best cheap headphones 2022

The Enacfire A9 are the best budget wireless earbuds with active noise cancelling (ANC) we’ve tested to date.

Coming in at a very affordable price, not having ANC would be understandable and it’s not just there but very good indeed, even if the Ambient mode is fairly average.

The earbuds get a lot else right too with a comfortable fit, useful touch controls, solid battery life and decent sound quality. Perhaps the main downside is that they only come in black.

SoundMagic has come up trumps with the E11C headphones, setting a high standard for what to expect from a budget pair of cans.

They’re stylish, comfortable and have excellent features like an in-line control that works with both iOS and Android. We’d like more tips in the box, but it’s not the end of the world, especially considering how good they sound.

Subtle tweaks in the audio profile, mean these headphones punch above their weight in sound quality. Powerful, yet balanced and considered tuning make them very versatile indeed.

If you’re looking for the best noise cancelling at the lowest cost then Anker provides the best combination of the two.

The hybrid ANC on offer here is excellent and you can easily find the Soundcore Life A2 NC for a lot less than their RRP. There are three presets for different environments and the app offers EQ sound customisation, too.

Solid battery and bass performance as well as touch controls add up to a great buy, even if there’s no ear detection for auto-pause and the ANC doesn’t automatically switch between those profiles.

There’s not a lot to say apart from these are the best value for money USB-C headphones you can get – handy if your phone or other gadgets no longer has a headphone jack. It’s an increasingly common problem. 

The Type-C Bullets because worked on every USB-C phone we tested them on as well as MacBooks and Windows laptops.

They sound good, offer decent build quality and have a very reasonable price tag.

If you’re looking for cheap over-ear headphones then our current pick of the bunch is the E1200 from Nokia.

Although they have a cheap platsic build, the headphones are comfortable and have easy to use physical buttons. Perhaps most importantly, they offer excellent sound quality along with long battery life – two of the key things you should look for in wireless headphones.

You might have more on your wish list but there’s no noise cancelling here and you’ll have to put up with the older Micro-USB port rather than USB-C.

If you can afford the top end of our price cap, the Pixel Buds A are great wireless earbuds if you value smart features.

They feature the Google Assistant so you can get many things done hands-free and they can do various other things like live translation, ear detection, Fast Pair and Adaptive Sound.

You won’t find most of that on even more expensive rivals, but there’s no ANC here and battery life for the earbuds themselves isn’t anything special. However, the case can top them up quickly.

Huawei knows how to make decent wireless earbuds that don’t cost the earth and the FreeBuds 4i have a lot to like about them.

They are among the best you can get around this price with active noise cancelling, which along with sound quality, is very good indeed. They also last longer than most with 10 hours from the buds themselves.

The glossy design won’t be for everyone and the touch controls are limited. Our main gripe is having to get the AI Life app from the App Gallery for compatibility which is a pain.

If you want great-quality sound at an affordable price, the Alfa Genus V2 should be on your shortlist.

They’re excellent in-ear headphones for under £50 providing good build quality but more importantly, great sound quality. This is largely due to the interchangeable filters.

It might sound like a gimmick but they mean you can change the audio profile depending on your personal taste and/or what you’re using them for at any given moment.

Those looking for affordable headphones to use while running or other exercises should look no further.

The Adidas RPD-01 are not only cheap, but offer a secure fit thanks to different sizes of tips and wings. Neckbuds are perfect for fitness users thanks to longer battery life and the fact you can’t lose them.

They don’t have the best controls but they’re usable and the sound quality is excellent. The RPD-01 also have an IPX4 rating to combat sweat and rain.

Nothing’s first pair of wireless earbuds are surprisingly affordable making them an option for anyone who can’t afford the flagship pairs from the likes of Samsung or Apple.

At under the 100 mark, you get noise cancelling and wireless charging which is a rare combination.

If you want a pair that stand out design-wise then it is certainly these, but that mike equally put you off. Sound quality isn’t the best and our experience was buggy so they are something of a risk.