Best Budget Headphones in 2025: Nothing Ear (a) Top Pick at Under $55
TechRadar's audio experts named the best budget headphones currently available. The Nothing Ear (a) took the top spot in the true wireless category at under $55 / £50, earning a perfect five stars from audio editor Becky Scarrott for its noise cancellation, sound quality and battery life, currently available at that price during Amazon Prime Day. Top over-ear picks include the CMF Pro and the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51.
Here at TechRadar, we test dozens of pairs of headphones every year. And while we've been won over by many an ultra-pricey set of cans, we also love a cheap pair of headphones that punches above its price tag. This article is dedicated to showcasing these wallet-friendly wonders. I asked TechRadar's audio specialists which headphones they'd recommend to buyers on a budget, and you'll find their suggestions below. If it's true wireless in-ears you're after, you'd struggle to do better than the Nothing Ear (a) buds, which Audio Editor Becky Scarrott awarded a perfect five stars, calling them "a resounding home run" for the British startup and praising the noise cancellation, sound quality and battery life in particular. In the current Amazon Prime Day deals, they're unbeatable value at under $55 / £50. In the over-ear arena, standouts are the CMF Pro and the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51, both of which earned 4.5 stars in our tests. The former were put through their paces by Becky, who was impressed with the "superb" sound quality in general, and was pleasantly surprised to discover "the sort of... personal sound profile curation [we're] more used to seeing in headphones much higher up the food chain". The latter were reviewed by our review's team's resident headphone specialist Harry Padoan, who praised the "adept audio, noise-crushing ANC and eye-catching design". Both are even better value than usual right now, too, thanks to those Prime (and rival-Prime) deals. Read on for more budget-maximizing buys — and hit the 'View details' button for a summary of what we thought of them in our tests, plus links to the full reviews. Top cheap earbuds and headphones Nothing Ear (a) Read our full review ProsFun, zealous, expansive sound Vastly improved active noise cancellationSmaller, more pocketable case ConsNo wireless charging supportNo flagship sound profile curation 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 Read our full review ProsCustomizable, satisfying soundEffective ANCFantastic battery lifeConsApp situation is a bit messyButton controls appear a little cheapBuild feels slightly flimsy Huawei FreeArc Read our full review ProsTop-tier soundCompetitive priceComfortable fitConsApp download painsMiddling battery lifeWould benefit from ANC CMF Headphone Pro Read our full review ProsExcellent hearing tests; unexpected at the levelEmotive, circumaural soundExemplary battery lifeConsANC isn't amazingEnergy slider feels a tad gimmickyNo hard carry case or USB-C charger in the box Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Read our full review ProsStrong noise cancellationRock-solid fitFun, bassy soundConsCharging case on the bulky sideCould do with a discountTouchscreen can be unresponsive Sony WH-CH720 Read our full review ProsGreat sound balanceLots of detail in audioEffective noise cancellationFull of useful featuresConsSound feels constrainedNoise cancellation leaks in low soundsPlastic feels a little cheap OneOdio Focus A6 Read our full review ProsSensational sound qualityExtensive software featuresComfy, quality constructionConsOn-ear controls are a little sensitiveANC is good rather than game-changing JLab Go Pods ANC Read our full review ProsSolid ANCLightweight buildTruly low priceConsPoor eartip fitLean battery lifeAggressive transparency mode Soundpeats Clip1 Read our full review ProsFantastic listening testComfortable buildCompetitive valueConsLow max volumeCheap-feeling caseTouch control issues
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