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Best wireless earbuds for every budget

Guy Hall • December 4, 2020

Thinking of getting yourself a pair of earbuds but struggling to work out which would be the best wireless earbuds for you? In this article, we’re going to share what we see as the best wireless earbuds, depending on how much you’re willing to spend. 

Over the course of the last five years, and especially since Apple first released their AirPods back in late 2016, wireless earbuds have become insanely popular. In fact, Apple’s AirPods were so popular that analysts estimate that the company sold 60 million pairs in 2019 alone, generating over $8 billion in revenue.

While they’re obviously great, not everyone can afford to drop $199 on their headphones, or even $250 if you’re looking at the AirPod Pros. That’s why we’re going to be taking a look at the best wireless earbuds at varying price ranges.

Best wireless earbuds under $30 – JLab Audio GO Air True Wireless Earbuds

Okay, considering that JLab Audio’s GO Air True Wireless Earbuds are priced at just $29.99, almost seven times cheaper than AirPods, we understand that you’re probably a little skeptical of their quality.

That said, it’s important to remember that with AirPods, although the quality is undoubtedly better, you’re also paying a premium for having the Apple name attached.

It seems that, in general, people are really pleased with JLab’s budget AirPod alternatives. We had a look at various review sites and they seemed to average around four out of five stars, or around seven out of 10.

These earbuds offer a small fit, slim case and dual connectivity, allowing you to use both earbuds independently. They also boast 20+ hours of total Bluetooth playtime, five hours in each earbud and an extra 15+ hours from the charging case, as well as touch sensor controls.

While we haven’t had experience with using them ourselves, lots of reviewers online seem pretty happy with the sound quality, design and durability. 

At just under $30, these sound like the best wireless earbuds for someone looking for an AirPods alternative on a budget.

Best wireless earbuds under $50 – Soundcore Life P2 

Costing just $49.99, the Soundcore Life P2 earbuds are a steal. In fact, they’re the earbuds that some of us here at the office, including myself, use everyday.

As the name suggests, they come from Soundcore which is a brand owned by the extremely well-reputed Anker Innovations (whose name you may recognize from their extensive range of charging gadgets).

If you do end up choosing these, you’ll notice the high quality straight away. The sound is rich, the microphone uses background noise cancellation to help keep calls clear, and the battery life is very impressive. 

With seven hours of listening time in the earbuds and an extra 40 hours in the charging case, it’s rare that you’ll ever hear, “battery low.” Even if you do, just 10 minutes in the case and the earbuds are good to go for another hour.

They’re also a great choice if you plan on using them when you’re working out or, like us, you’re just prone to dropping things in the sink, since they’re sweat and waterproof, with an IPX7 water-resistance rating.

The Life P2s are super simple to set up, the connectivity is strong and they’re very durable. I’m almost constantly dropping them, on unforgiving surfaces, and am yet to see or hear any damage.

As we’ve mentioned above, these really are fantastic value and are our pick for the best wireless earbuds under $50.

Best wireless earbuds under $100 – Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 

We’ve actually seen Cambridge Audio’s Melomania 1 earbuds described as the best wireless earbuds. Period. Regardless of price.

You really don’t have to look far online to find some pretty stellar reviews.

TechRadar claims that they “outperform the Apple AirPods”.

Trusted Reviews laud them as “talented beyond their price”.

Also, The Verge said they have “flawless wireless performance” and “outstanding battery life”.

Not bad, eh? 

From everything we’ve seen online, these glowing reviews seem warranted.

The Melomania 1 earbuds have a fantastic battery life, offering nine hours from the earbuds themselves and an additional 36 hours supplied from their charging case. 

Cambridge Audio also offers you a selection of rubber and memory foam tips to try out, so you can find a comfortable fit that works for you. This also means that you should have no problem with them falling out, even if using them when you’re working out.

There’s also no need to worry about working up a little sweat if you are using them when exercising since they come with an IPX5 water-resistance rating.

It also almost goes without saying that their sound quality is widely celebrated. Some outlets even compare them to some of the best over-ear headphones out there, which is a pretty big claim considering these are small, lightweight earbuds.

So from everything we’ve seen from reviews online, it really sounds like Cambridge Audio’s Melomania 1 earbuds are truly the best wireless earbuds under $100. 

Maybe even in any price range.

Best wireless earbuds under $200 – Jabra Elite 75t

Even though some sites will point you to the Cambridge Audio earbuds over Jabra’s Elite 75t set, we thought we would include them, just in case you really wanted to spend up to $200.

But that said, these are still a great set of earbuds and many outlets point to them as the best wireless earbuds under that $200 limit.

One of the most interesting features of these earbuds, and a feature that is pretty unique, is that you can use the earbuds with two devices simultaneously. This means you can have them paired to your laptop while watching YouTube videos, but still have calls from your phone come through them. Pretty snazzy, right? 

One common theme that seems to come up in the discussion of Jabra’s earbud offering is that a lot of bass comes through when listening to music. Now, this can be seen as a pro or a con, depending on how you like your music sounding. It’s definitely something to keep in mind if you’re considering buying them.

Other than that, these earbuds have everything that you’d expect from a pair of earbuds at this price: a sleek design, water and sweat resistance and a comfortable fit.

The battery life, 28 hours of total listening time, is less than other suggestions on this list. And honestly, from everything we’ve seen online, we’d personally go with the Melomania 1 set over these, but it’s ultimately up to you!

No budget? Get the Apple AirPods Pro 

We finally made it here, to the brand that changed the earbud game. Apple and its latest offering, the AirPods Pro earbuds. 

As with the previous earbuds, before we get into this, we just want to make it clear that we’re including these purely so that people have a full range of options. 

From our research, it really seems as though you can get more bang, or bud, for your buck if you go with one of the cheaper options.

With that disclaimer out of the way, clearly the AirPods Pro are a really great option if you’ve got the budget. They have an exceptionally clear microphone, superb sound quality, and Apple’s trademark elegant design.

Also, if you’re an Apple user, they fit into the ecosystem perfectly and are exceptionally easy to operate. 

AirPods Pro also come with Transparency Mode, which allows you to turn off their noise cancellation and let outside sound in. Pretty handy if you bump into someone you know in the street while blasting tunes, and are too lazy to take your headphones out.

Disappointingly, the AirPods Pro will give you just 24 hours of listening time, with multiple charges, which is less than some of the other earbuds mentioned on this list, and this is one of the key reasons we don’t think, overall, that these are the best choice.

That said, if you’re an Apple fan, with a big budget to blow, we’re almost positive that you’ll pick these. 

And we doubt you’d be disappointed

Which would you buy?

So there you have it, the best wireless earbuds at five different price ranges. If you were to get some tomorrow, which would you pick?

Personally, we think that either the Soundcore Life P2 or the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 are the best option, given their great value. But as we’ve said, it just depends on how much you want to spend and what you value most from your earbuds.

You have the options, the choice is yours! 

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