Best Headphones Under $100
Consumer Reports' testers pick great-sounding inexpensive headphones from Grado, Panasonic, Sennheiser, and other brands
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If you’re looking to give your life a better soundtrack, buying a great pair of headphones is an easy upgrade.
On a dollar-for-dollar basis, headphones sound better than speakers. The best headphones under $100 can provide great audio, come in varied styles (over-ear and earbuds), and in some cases even provide active noise cancellation.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit membership organization that works for a fairer, safer marketplace. We buy every product we rate—from headphones to Hondas—at the same places you might shop yourself. Members can access ratings of almost 200 headphones in every style and price range.
Best True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds
If you’re looking for a great deal on on a true wireless Bluetooth earbud, consider the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW. They may lack the style of Apple’s AirPods but they sound better and cost less than Apple’s popular earbuds.
The A-Ts have a number of great features. They have an ambient sound mode for when you want to keep an ear on your environment, they charge over USB-C, and they use touch controls for volume and playback, and other features. The headphones also include an unusual low latency mode, which reduces the delay in playback you sometimes get with Bluetooth headphones, for better performance with games or videos. According to Audio-Technica, they have a 6.5-hour battery life and come with a charging case that stores an extra 13 hours of power.
The only potential drawback is the fit; our testers say people with smaller ears might find these headphones don’t always stay in place.
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