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The best cheap noise canceling earbuds
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get great noise canceling earbuds.
November 8, 2025
Chase is the Managing Editor at SoundGuys, where he oversees content related to headphones, earbuds, speakers, and all things audio. As a founder of the non profit organization Music For Mental Health, Chase is also passionate in uncovering the ways music creation and listening can serve individuals and the community. You can find music he produces by searching his name on Spotify, Apple Music, and all other streaming platforms. Chase studied Commerce and Applied Music Technology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
If you’re trying to get effective noise canceling on a budget, good news—there are more solid options now than ever before. A few years ago, cheap ANC earbuds were more hype than help, often delivering poor sound and ineffective noise reduction. That’s no longer the case. In our testing, we’ve found a growing number of affordable models that don’t just cancel noise—they do it well, with respectable battery life, decent sound, and surprisingly capable connectivity.
Whether you’re looking to drown out airplane noise, focus better at the office, or just enjoy podcasts without background hum, there’s something here that’ll get the job done without draining your wallet. We tested each of these picks in our SoundGuys lab and have ranked them based on their noise canceling performance.
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- Compare tableProductVotes
- 10 total votes10 total votes
$90
8.3
8.1
7.5
9.5
8.0
6.2
10.0
9.8
- 14 total votes14 total votes
$100
8.2
8.4
10.0
8.0
8.0
6.3
5.0
9.5
- 9 total votes9 total votes
$59
8.2
8.3
7.5
8.0
8.5
6.0
10.0
9.5
- 11 total votes11 total votes
$100
7.9
8.0
7.5
8.5
9.0
6.3
5.0
9.8
- 12 total votes12 total votes
$39
7.9
8.2
7.5
9.0
8.5
5.9
5.0
8.8
- 5 total votes5 total votes
$80
7.7
8.3
7.5
8.5
8.0
6.2
5.0
6.3
- 10 total votes10 total votes
$59
7.6
8.1
5.0
9.0
8.0
6.0
5.0
8.8
- 1 total votes1 total votes
$100
7.4
8.0
10.0
9.0
8.0
6.3
10.0
0.0
- 5 total votes5 total votes
$90
7.2
7.5
5.0
9.8
8.5
5.7
0.0
9.5
- 1 total votes1 total votes
$80
7.1
7.6
3.0
8.2
8.5
6.3
5.0
8.8
- 1 total votes1 total votes
$80
7.0
7.5
3.5
9.5
8.5
6.1
0.0
9.5
- 6 total votes6 total votes
$80
7.0
7.5
3.5
8.0
6.5
5.6
5.0
9.5
Product chart
In the chart above, you can see how the best noise canceling earbuds compare based on their price and the ANC score we measured for each.
We test and measure all of our noise canceling earbuds the same way, regardless of the price tags. This includes objective measurements using our trusted Bruel & Kjaer 5128 for isolation, ANC effectiveness, and frequency response. We test battery life and microphones the same way each time, too. In essence, by repeating the same tests utilizing the same methods, we can objectively analyze the data to discover answers to questions about sound and noise cancelation.
Of course, we are all humans living in the real world, and what appears great on paper does not always work as advertised. That’s why we also tested and reviewed the earbuds on this list in actual use conditions. We want to make sure that our tests and subsequent scores inform how we choose the best.
Here at SoundGuys, we’ve been testing audio products for over a decade. Our team comprises audio product experts who have tested hundreds of different headphones, earbuds, and speakers. Moreover, our team comes from diverse backgrounds and a wealth of expertise, including audio engineering, film production, journalism, podcasting, music production, and even touring musicians.
Everything we recommend results from our objective measurements and great subjective experiences. Ultimately, we want you to enjoy your purchase or, at the very least, leave our site with a little more knowledge about the inner workings of audio. To see why you can trust us with your purchase decision, make sure to check out our ethics policy.
As with anything “cheap,” you ought to expect to make some concessions because it’s not just hype and marketing that differentiates the best (and more expensive) ANC earbuds from the rest. You might’ve noticed that some of our picks for the best list aren’t from the most instantly recognizable brands, and that doesn’t mean the quality is worse, only that you aren’t paying for the cachet of, say, Apple. Sure, the reputation of Bose or Sennheiser (for instance) is well earned because their products are consistently pretty good. Rest assured, we’ve tested these choices out, so you don’t have to gamble. Cheap ANC earbuds are a boon for all of us, but we want to make sure you don’t misstep and buy the wrong ones.
Bear in mind that with budget-friendly ANC earbuds, you probably won’t get everything you want, but you can get close. You may get great ANC, but maybe the app isn’t the best, or the controls have some limitations that premium sets aren’t hampered by, or maybe the mic is a weak point. Here, we’ve tried to round up some options to cover most priorities. If you’re an Android user, you might have to dig a little to get something with codecs other than AAC or SBC. At this point, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything good with spatial sound on a budget. However, technology has improved vastly in recent years, so you can find some gems for not much money.
Poll
What matters most to you in budget ANC earbuds?
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Best overall pick: SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+ deliver top-notch specs and excellent sound for wireless earbuds under $100. They pack xMEMS drivers, LDAC support, Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint connectivity, and a PeatsAudio app with a 10-band custom equalizer for deep tuning. Our MDAQS charts and ratings add objective context; on that scale the Capsule3 Pro+ scored 4.9 overall with high marks for timbre. In testing the earbuds’ ANC blocks up to 30 dB of noise, though battery life with ANC on measured about 3 hours and 53 minutes. They’re lightweight and comfortable with an AirPods Pro–like fit, and they also earned Best Sound Quality recognition.Sourced from SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+ review – SoundGuys.
Best Battery Life pick: Skullcandy Method 360 ANC
Skullcandy Method 360 ANC stood out chiefly for endurance — it managed 7 hours and 43 minutes with ANC on and about 32 hours total with the case. Rapid Charge delivers roughly two hours of playback from a 10-minute top up, which reinforces its claim as a battery leader. The earbuds use Bose‑based drivers and include three sizes of tips and fins for a secure, comfortable fit. The touch controls are responsive, and the product also earned Best for Comfort recognition for its ergonomic design. One practical caveat from testing is the case’s slider mechanism, which became looser over time and could affect durability for active users.Sourced from Skullcandy Method 360 ANC review: Bose sound on a budget? – SoundGuys.
Best Value pick: EarFun Air Pro 4
EarFun Air Pro 4 are our best value pick thanks to a feature set that’s unusually robust for wireless earbuds under $100. They offer Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless and LDAC support, a full app suite including a 10‑band EQ and 30 presets, and wireless charging support. Battery testing returned about 8 hours and 44 minutes of playback and the case extends total runtime to around 41 hours. Strong ANC reduces external noise by roughly 75% in its highest setting, which helps on buses and noisy commutes. They also earned Best for iPhone users recognition for solid, stable connectivity with iOS devices and useful app features.Sourced from EarFun Air Pro 4 review – SoundGuys.
Best Call Quality pick: SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro
SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro are our pick for call quality, pairing adaptive ANC performance with mic features that prioritize voice clarity. The earbuds support LDAC and aptX Lossless for high‑quality Android listening and offer multiple ANC modes that reduced external noise by about 83% on average in testing. Badge details note onboard microphones with AI noise reduction that help keep voices clear in windy or street conditions. Battery life with ANC enabled measured about 3 hours and 54 minutes, and the case supports fast charging for quick top ups. They also earned Best for Android users recognition for the advanced codec and app support tailored to Android phones.Sourced from SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro review: High-end features at a budget price – SoundGuys.
Our verdict
Our picks cover different priorities for wireless earbuds under $100: SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+ for measured sound quality, Skullcandy Method 360 ANC for long battery life and comfort, EarFun Air Pro 4 for overall features and value, and SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro for call clarity and Android compatibility. The Capsule3 Pro+ leads on measured audio fidelity and codec support, while the Method 360 ANC shines where long playback and a secure fit matter most. If you want the most features per dollar and conveniences like wireless charging, the EarFun Air Pro 4 offers a broad toolkit and strong ANC performance. For Android users who need clearer calls and high‑res codecs, the Air5 Pro balances voice clarity and advanced codec support. Remaining products also fit clear niches: OnePlus Buds 4 work best with OnePlus phones and add LHDC plus a real‑time translation feature and about 5.5 hours of battery with ANC; the CMF Buds 2 offer strong battery life (roughly 9 hours with ANC off), effective ANC in low frequencies, and spatial audio with a MDAQS overall near 4.5; and the CMF Buds Pro 2 bring a unique Smart Dial on the case, convenient fast charging, and about 6 hours with ANC on. Together these options give buyers in the wireless earbuds category a useful set of tradeoffs to match priorities like sound quality, battery life, app customization, and Android codec support.
FAQ
If you wonder why you should care about ANC, consider that the less interference from the outside world your music competes with, the lower you can keep your volume to hear your music. If your volume remains at a safe level, then you have a much better chance of avoiding noise-induced hearing loss. Additionally, some folks use noise canceling earbuds as a way to better focus on a task by muting the distractions of a less-than-ideal environment.
ANC is a complicated enough task and relatively new, so we see the greatest differences between new and old ANC units and flagship and budget units. When compared to decades of research and design behind studio headphones (for example), through which the differences between cheap and expensive studio headphones eventually lead to diminishing returns, the gap between budget ANC earbuds and premium ANC earbuds is more striking. You can expect your wallet-friendly ANC earbuds to attenuate some noise but not necessarily do it as well as the latest top-tier ANC earbuds. Conversely, your brand new budget noise canceling earbuds may outperform last year's flagship because the technology rapidly improves each year.
Implementing noise canceling capabilities in earbuds requires more space-consuming hardware, adding to the manufacturing costs. Wireless earbuds with ANC use multiple microphones to receive external sounds and processors to counteract them with anti-noise signals.
You should expect at least an IPX4 rating against moisture most of the time on any noise canceling earbuds. Be careful if you choose to purchase earbuds with less than an IPX4 rating, and consider something more durable if you plan on exercising.
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