Best wired headphones under $50

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If you’re looking for decent sound and some good isolation, you shouldn’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a new pair of headphones. Whether you’re looking for headphones you can carry around every day without breaking the bank or shopping for a gift, these are the best wired headphones for under $50 worth considering.

Why is the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x the best wired headphones under $50?

The Audio-Technica ATH-M20x is a great set of wired headphones under $50 because it has a decent frequency response for editing projects like podcasts and even some music. Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the creative industry or want a headset that you can enjoy a wide variety of music genres with, the ATH-M20x is a fine headset.

Unlike the famed Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, the ATH-M20x only comes in black, and the cable is not removable. While it’s understandable that the company had to take cost-saving measures, the inability to easily replace the cable is a bummer and shortens the life of the headset. The frequency response (last image in the gallery above) is very good for this price point, though, with bass notes that still allow mids to remain audible.

The over-ear design is nice, and the ear pads, while not the most comfortable, should accommodate most ear sizes. For less than $50, you’ll have a hard time finding a better headset for semi-professional and hobbyist work. Once you gain confidence and perhaps a bit of cash, you can then upgrade to the Audio-Technica ATH-M30x (at$79 at Amazon) or the better, ATH-M40x.

If you’re always on the go, pick up the Koss Porta Pro

The only thing more classic than the Koss Porta Pro is rock ‘n’ roll. Released in 1984, it epitomizes retro design and appears to be straight out of Back to the Future. The charming bare-bones build features a layered strip of metal connecting hinged ear cups. It also clips at the bottom to maintain a condensed form factor, saving you precious real estate.

Plastic, swiveling ear cups make for a comfortable fit (which can be adjusted via sliders that migrate pressure to the temples) but are also points of weakness. Surprisingly, the headphones play quite nicely with thick-rimmed glasses. Although the design nearly shouts “travel-friendly,” the semi-open style can leak a little sound when commuting. Still, as on-ear headphones go, it’s one of the most universally comfortable options.

Even with what some may consider a list of drawbacks, the Porta Pro is a favorite among audio enthusiasts for its unique sound and funky design. If you want something with a good bit of charm and features, go with the Koss Porta Pro.

Bass heads should go with the JBL Tune 500

The JBL Tune 500 has few frills and is about as straightforward as you can find. We find the Tune 500 appealing for its extremely affordable price point and generally useful features like an integrated microphone/control module.

The Tune 500 comes in four colors: black, white, blue, and pink, with ear pads to match. While the headset isn’t technically for exercise, some user reviewers have shared that it stays on during activities like basketball. As long as you wipe the ear pads down after each workout, you should be fine to do some light exercises with this headset. It won’t isolate particularly well, which is characteristic of virtually all on-ear headphones (as opposed to over-ear headphones). You can field calls, access your phone’s smart assistant, and control music playback, all without the need to reach for your phone.

Each earcup rotates toward the headband, making it easy to slide the Tune 500 into a bag for transport. Be aware, however, that the plastic is a bit creaky, the thin cable is only 1.18m long, and it may not withstand being tossed on the ground in a crowded bag repeatedly. Furthermore, the frequency response isn’t ideal, but it’s serviceable. If you’re looking for an inexpensive set of headphones with a mic that doesn’t sound too shabby at all, the JBL Tune 500 is a great pick, provided you don’t overload it with unrealistic expectations.

Gamers on a budget should get the Razer Kraken X

The Razer Kraken X is a functional, attractive gaming headset with looks that punch above its price bracket. The integrated boom mic is forgiving with regards to placement, and the headset works with PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. This is why the Kraken X belongs on our list of best cheap gaming headsets.

Razer provides a handful of accessories to pair with the Kraken X, among which is an audio splitter. If your desktop has separate audio and mic inputs, you’ll want to use this dedicated cable for the microphone to function properly.

For any vision-impaired gamers, the Kraken X is a miracle: its eyewear channels reduce pressure on the temple and ears. Wearing these with my glasses was actually enjoyable and, at worst, not painful. Of course, there are other useful features for all listeners, like the onboard volume dial and mute button, both located on the left ear cup.

Sound quality and isolation are about what you’d expect for a pair of $50 gaming headphones. Bass frequencies receive a strong boost, which is typical for economical gaming headsets. This makes explosions more impactful but can also make it difficult to hear incoming footsteps.

The Sony MDR-ZX110AP will give you the best bang for your buck

For$19 at Amazon, this headset has decent audio quality. Its 3omm drivers produce a sound signature that should please the casual listener. The Sony MDR-ZX110AP is very lightweight and has a gentle clamping force, so you can wear it for hours at a time. Even someone with lots of ear piercings shouldn’t find this on-ear headset to be too uncomfortable. You can rotate the ear cups to lay flat on your chest, but the headband is not collapsible.

The Sony MDR-ZX110AP has a microphone, but it’s otherwise a no-frills design, which is why it is so cheap. It would also be nice if the 3.5mm cable were replaceable, as it isn’t the most durable and may break after several months of use. But the headset is wallet-friendly, so you may as well replace the whole thing if this happens.

The AKG K72 is okay for the times you want simple over-ear headphones

The AKG K72 gives the impression of being studio headphones, but they aren’t really. However, they are lightweight closed-back headphones, so if you’re not too concerned about bassy headphones or especially accurate frequency responses, they are okay. The long 3m cable offers you some flexibility around a desk or if you want some cans to plug into an electronic instrument. With its tension-adjustable headband, you can be sure that the headphones won’t cause any headaches, but the stiff padding leaves something to be desired.

The best wired headphones under $50: Notable mentions

• AKG K240 Studio: These open-back over-ear headphones (for $56 at Amazon) are aimed at burgeoning bedroom musicians, and while the build quality isn’t amazing, they punch above their weight in sound, but also typically sell for a bit more than $50.
• Edifier H650: Edifier is known for its consumer-friendly sounds at reasonable prices. This set of on-ear headphones is pocketable, comes in a ton of colors, and has noise canceling for only $34 at Amazon.
• Sennheiser HD 300: This lightweight, around-ear pair of cans delivers a smooth frequency response for casual listening on a low budget, priced at $49 at Amazon.
• Skullcandy Riff: This budget on-ear headset offers a colorful design, pretty comfortable ear pads, and a sound signature for bass enthusiasts—all for $14 at Amazon, meaning you have enough left over to buy lunch.
• Skullcandy Riff 2: For a bit more money ($35 at Amazon), the optionally wired or Bluetooth 5.2 equipped Skullcandy Riff 2 has some incremental updates on the original. It has an equalizer in the companion app as well, which means you can tame the bass.

What you should know before you buy any wired headphones under $50

While we enjoy all of the headphones recommended above, it’s important to remember that they’re still pretty cheap headsets. Corners have been cut with each product since $50 can only take you so far. Still, there are some important fundamentals to understand before you spend your hard-earned cash on any of the headphones we recommend.

What is isolation?

The more sound that your headset is able to passively block out, the better your music will sound. Good isolation creates a solid barrier between the outside world and your ear canals; that way, you’re less likely to encounter a phenomenon called auditory masking. When headphones don’t form a good seal over your ears, then you may hear more of your environment and reflexively increase the volume. We don’t recommend you increase the volume too much since prolonged exposure to loud outputs can actually damage your hearing in the long run.

How should cheap headphones sound?

The sound quality of your headphones depends on what you’re shopping around for. Take the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x. This headset hardly boosts the bass relative to mids, which makes it a great option for listeners with eclectic tastes. It also happens to be one of the best pairs of super-cheap studio headphones you can buy. Now, suppose you want something marketed more toward the average consumer. In that case, you may find that a headset’s frequency response closely follows our consumer curve, which recommends a boost to bass and treble notes to varying degrees.

Ultimately, it depends on what you want to use your headset for. Fortunately, we live in a time with EQ apps abound, and most streaming services have basic EQs integrated into them, so you can adjust the sound of your wired headphones accordingly.

Give IEMs a try

If you’re looking to save as much money as possible, then it would be very foolish for me not to recommend wired IEMs for some people. Those without a need for a microphone or strong aversion to little plastic bits in their ears can get really stellar audio quality for peanuts nowadays. Some of the best ones are also under $50, like the Moondrop CHU II ($18.99 at Amazon) and TANGZU Wan’er S.G. ($24.99 at Amazon). You may need to budget extra for a $9 dongle, but it’s worth it.

How we pick the best headphones under $50

We’ve reviewed a ton of products here at SoundGuys, but not all of them. Naturally, it’s hard to make lists based solely on the products we’ve reviewed. Aside from products that we test directly, we do tons of research, like reading other reviews and visiting forums before including a product on a list. If it made it here, it has to be good.

In short, we put every candidate set of headphones through the wringer, and only models that we’re able to keep up even got a shot at this list. While the list itself may not be a complete cross-section of all good headphones under $50, it represents the best of our knowledge and experience. Be sure to take a look at type-specific lists if you didn’t see a type of headphones you like represented here. For true wireless earphones, be sure to check out our list of best wireless earphones under $100.

Why you should trust SoundGuys

Working at SoundGuys is each of our respective nine-to-fives, and this job has allowed each of us to get exclusive hands-on time with a wide array of audio products. When it comes down to it, we can quickly discern the gold from the gimmicks, but we don’t just rely on our ears. No, we have objective testing that we subject review units to.

All we want is for each reader to exit out of the SoundGuys page feeling confident in her future purchase decision or at least more educated about audio in general. None of our writers benefit from advocating for one product over another, and if you feel compelled, please read our ethics policy.

Frequently asked questions about headphones under $50