It's not that ago that in order to get your hands on a pair of great-quality headphones was by spending a hefty sum. The good news is that’s no longer the case. Thanks to rapid advancements in audio technology, many cheaper sets of headphones offer surprisingly good sound quality, all-day comfort and the kind of features that were once reserved for top-end products.
If you’re in the market for some new headphones but don't want to totally ruin your savings, then you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, I've gathered together a selection of my pick of the best headphones under £100, taking into consideration factors such as audio performance, battery life, comfort, features and the overall value they represent.
Whether you're looking for wireless over-ear headphones or compact earbuds, something for streaming music on your commute or an accessory for those evening gym sessions, you’re sure to find something on this page.
But to get you started, my no.1 pick goes to the AKG K92 which offer clear and well-balanced audio for a great price. For more information, take a look through my extensive FAQs.
Best overall
✅ Buy if you want a no nonsense pair of budget cans: The AKG K92 punch well above their price tag when it comes to pure audio.
❌ Avoid if you're after a few more bells and whistles: There's no denying the value for money on these headphones, but they're as bare bones as tech comes.
Audio rating: ★★★★★
Comfort rating: ★★★★★
Battery rating: N/A
Overall: ★★★★★
The best-performing headphones under £100 in my list aren’t the most feature-rich, nor are they the newest kids on the block. In fact, they’re about as simple as they come, and they were launched about a decade ago. This still-phenomenal set of cans is the AKG K92, an exceedingly lightweight pair of closed-back headphones that doesn’t just coast under the £100 mark, but also comes in well below £50 – and sounds incredible while doing it.
Designed as accessibly-priced studio reference monitors for musicians and producers, these headphones have clarity very much in mind. There is supple handling of bass and mid ranges without getting too pumpy, and the high end is a veritable delight. The K92 is extremely amenable to long listening sessions too, on account of the light build and comfy ear cups.
If your needs are a little more day-to-day than the AKG K92 can provide, then these naturally won’t be right for you, being wired, passive and microphone-less. But as far as bang-for-buck bare-bones listening quality goes, there are few better options on the market. For those of you that want to rediscover the detail in your desert-rock vinyl catalogue, look no further!
Best battery
✅ Buy if you want excellent battery life: The Q30's battery life is amazing - especially when you consider the price.
❌ Avoid if you're not a big fan of bass: I found the Q30s offered were a little too bass heavy for my liking.
Audio rating: ★★★★★
Comfort rating: ★★★★½
Battery rating: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★
Whenever there’s a feature on the best headphones, Anker is usually in the mix somewhere – and the Chinese company is represented here by these excellent over-ear headphpnes, which offer a highly impressive package for an amazingly low price.
Their awesome battery life (up to 40 hours with ANC switched on, up to 60 without) is just one of the many reasons to buy them. The ANC in question reduces up to 95% of low-frequency background noise, with three noise-cancelling modes – Transport, Outdoor and Indoor – enabling you to optimise them according to your environment.
The Q30’s 40mm dynamic drivers, combined with their support for high-resolution audio, ensure your favourite tunes will be delivered with impeccable clarity. Want to tweak the sound? Through the accompanying app, you can customise the equaliser settings to suit your taste.
Of course, all of this would be moot if the headphones were uncomfortable, but they’re certainly not. Lightweight and featuring soft-as-a-marshmallow memory-foam ear cushions, you’ll want to keep these on all day.
Best bass
✅ Buy if you want a comfortable, bass-heavy pair of headphones: The JBL Tune 720 BT really do pump out the bass and offer excellent battery life.
❌ Avoid if you want noise cancelling: Given their price, it's no surprise that noise cancelling takes a back seat, so look elsewhere if that's what you need.
Audio rating: ★★★★½
Comfort rating: ★★★★½
Battery rating: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★½
JBL is a consumer brand through and through, most recognised for its contributions to the world of party speakers and hi-fi systems. Its headphones are just as capable of partying hard – even if you, like I, have absolutely no time for Andrew W.K.’s most famous work whatsoever. This is the Tune 720 BT, an iteration of JBL’s Bluetooth-connective headphone range that brings the heat with a capacious battery and a significant bass-boost.
For the former, these headphones will last for up to 76 hours on a single charge, and can get charged right back up in just two. For the latter, JBL’s Pure Bass Sound puts some oomph behind your listenings; if you really want to feel like your head is all the way up Dave Grohl’s bass drum, then these are the cans for you.
The JBL Tune 720 BT may not be the most representative headphones under £100, and may even be proud of their maximalist bass-interventionism – but this may be to their credit. If you want something cheap, dependable and drowning in low end, this is it.
Best in-ears
✅ Buy if you want in-ears without a hefty price tag: The EarFun Air Pro 4+ do a lot of what Apple’s AirPods do at a fraction of the cost.
❌ Avoid if only Apple AirPods will do: If you want to rock the Apple look, then even at this price these in-ears won't be for you.
Audio rating: ★★★★½
Comfort rating: ★★★★
Battery rating: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
These true wireless earbuds deliver oodles of joy to your lugholes by way of fantastic sound quality, impressive ANC and neat battery life.
Taking their style cue from Apple’s AirPods, the Air Pro 4+ offer a lively and engaging audio performance, with punchy bass, clear vocals and enough detail to satisfy all but the most finicky listeners. And the experience is further boosted by the noise cancelling, which does a more than commendable job of reducing background noise on public transport and busy streets.
Need to make conversation? Switch to Transparency mode and you can do so without compromising your listening pleasure. As for that battery life, you can expect up to 54 hours with the charging case, which puts these natty buds right up there with the best on the market.
Overall, the EarFun Air Pro 4+ represent remarkable value, comfortably outperforming many rivals at this price, and even some in the higher bracket.
Best noise cancelling
✅ Buy if you want noise cancelling on a budget: The noise cancelling in Sony's range of cans is always great - and it's o different here. You'll also get 35 hours of battery when its activated
❌ Avoid if you want headphones for travel: Like the more expensive Sony WH-1000XM5, the WH-CH720N don't fold down.
Audio rating: ★★★★
Comfort rating: ★★★★
Battery rating: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
When it comes to noise cancelling headphones, Sony have some of the best on the market such as the over-ear WH-1000XM5 and the in-ear WF-1000XM5. However, those two examples cost way over £100, so if you're after a pair of Sonys for a great price that also offer noise cancelling, let me introduce you to the Sony WH-CH720N.
As you would expect from a Sony product, audio delivery through these over-ear headphones is well-balanced and clean - and to make things even better, they're 360 Reality Audio certified. And if you want to make things more to your tastes, the WH-CH720N are fully integrated with the official Sony headphone app where you can tweak your EQ settings to hit your personal sweet spot.
We can't quibble about the sound of these headphones, and we also can't criticise their comfort level. Their lightweight design and soft earcups ensure long listening sessions are possible, while the 35-hour battery life with noise cancellation activated is just amazing.
A seriously awesome set up headphones under £100 - and you can even find them on sale occasionally as they still tend to fly a bit under the radar.
Best for travel
✅ Buy if you want Bluetooth earbuds with ANC: A lovely alternative to some of the more well-known in-ears, the Active Noise Cancellation here is great and there's 24 hours of battery.
❌ Avoid if you want a more robust sound: Other, pricier in-ear options will give you more oomph, but just look at the price!
Audio rating: ★★★★
Comfort rating: ★★★★
Battery rating: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
Sennheiser’s earbud range is, thankfully, just as impressive as its incredible, expansive range of high-quality headphones. These are the CX Plus, a set of wireless earbuds that boast 24 hours of battery and a host of handy little tricks – including touch-sensitive earbud surfaces for controlling your phone with.
The CX Plus’ earbud design is pretty smart – and was enough to win me around to wireless earbuds as a concept, having previously been let down by ungainly products in the past.
They aren’t too light that you don’t notice them, but their weight distribution is such that they sit quite happily in your ear when seated. Unless your ear canals are remarkably unusual, or you try your absolute hardest, they don’t typically go anywhere unassisted.
The bass is a little ooshy, but this is no bad thing when you’re on a crowded bus mid-commute. If you’ve some big journeys ahead, these are a great space-saving alternative that do a decent job of both isolating sound and serving you some serious noise.
FAQ
What features can I get for less than £100?
When working to a budget, you’ll inevitably have to cherry-pick when it comes to features. However, as technology advances, more and more budget-priced headphones are offering some nice inclusions which at one point were the domain of more expensive models
These days, you’ll find well-priced headphones with noise cancelling – and although not an essential feature, it's always worthwhile if you're travelling or using your headphones regularly on the morning commute.
Since you’ll be out and about with these headphones, you might also look for a level of water resistance - ideally IPX5 or higher. This means you won’t have to give up on your umpteenth listen-through of Songs For The Deaf when the heavens open.
Wireless headphones are highly useful for out-and-about-i-ness too, minimising tangles and clutter for easier travel. This means you need to consider battery life too; of course, the longer the better.
However, most of these features are only really of value if you intend to use your headphones everywhere – on errands, commuting to work, or as a hands-free way of talking to loved ones. If you’re just looking for a way to listen to your Municipal Waste records loud at home, without frustrating your partner/child/neighbour/local council, then a whole new world of budget headphones opens up to you.
With no Bluetooth connectivity, no built-in microphone, no Active Noise Cancelling and no other bells and whistles filling up the budget, manufacturers can spend more time and money on the sound-good bits of their headphones, and worry a lot less about sound isolation in some cases too. This gives rise to a healthy tranche of low-cost open-back headphones, that sound fulsome and clear as a bell despite their price.
Which brands make the best headphones for under £100?
Naturally, the lower end of the headphone market is flooded with poor imitators of classic brands, or mass-manufactured fast-fashion-esque products with non-existent quality assurance. These are easy enough to recognise, and absolutely not the only options on the market.
There are some obvious and popular names at the entry level, JBL, Soundcore and Beats often hitting the top of best-seller lists for their accessibility and brand recognition. Pretty much every lauded headphone brand has a budget model or two to its name, though, many of which are now pretty surprising for their price – Sony, AKG, Audio-Technica and Sennheiser especially.
Ultimately, which brand makes the best headphones under £100 is subjective, and dependent on what you’re looking for in a set of headphones. For loads of features and a low, low price point, try Soundcore or Sony; for audio quality above all else, try Sennheiser or AKG.
Are wired or wireless headphones better?
For pure convenience, it doesn’t get better than a good set of wireless headphones or earbuds – particularly in the age of the aux-less smartphone, and of Bluetooth-everything. If you’re looking for daily-driver headphones under £100, then you want a set of wireless Bluetooth headphones. Of course, there’s a strong case to be made for wired headphones, (especially if you have one of the best phones for music, replete with 3.5mm jack cable).
For one, most wired headphones are passive devices, meaning no battery life or recharge time to contend with; they’re always good to go. If you’ve a little more to spend in your sub-£100 budget, you’ll also get better sound quality from superior drivers, making them better for listening to the loud stuff than their feature-packed active alternatives – albeit without the Active Noise Cancelling that some wireless options will offer.
Generally, the best-case scenario are wireless Bluetooth headphones that offer a wired 3.5mm connection option. This is particularly useful when travelling, and not just for keeping your listening options open when out of charge; you can use the aux ports on in-flight entertainment systems or public information kiosks, where Bluetooth might not be a possibility.
Should I choose over-ear or in-ear headphones?
Whether you go for over-ear or in-ear headphones is very much dependent on what you want from your listening experience. ln-ear headphones will take up less space in your pocket or bag when out and about, and offer better sonic isolation if you get a good fit. However, over-ears will boast a higher level of comfort, allowing for longer listening periods.
That said, comfort isn’t always a given at the cheaper end of the market. If you’re buying on- or over-ear headphones take a good look at the headphone band itself. Is it padded? Lightweight? Is the padding on the ear cups plush? Is it too plush? You want your headphones to put the ‘hard’ in ‘hard-hitting’, not ‘hard-to-wear’.
Over-ears will also, in all probability, offer better bass clarity and mid-range performance, because they’ll use larger dynamic drivers. Generally, you can expect better range and fidelity from larger headphones – but this doesn’t discount in-ears from being capable of delivering the goods. More and more brands are experimenting with smart design to deliver audiophile-grade earbuds at cheaper and cheaper prices; look out for linear-driver in-ear monitors, and give them a go.
Can I get noise cancelling for under £100?
While noise cancelling isn’t a given when you’re buying at the more affordable end of the market, canny shoppers will find good models that offer the feature.
You might see some manufacturers claim to have ‘passive noise cancelling’ in their headphones, but this is another way of saying there’s some insulation between your ears and the outside world; the one to keep an eye out for is Active Noise Cancelling (often just referred to as ANC), which can be found on headphones of pretty much any shape and size, from big over-ears to small wireless earbuds.
How does Active Noise Cancelling work?
Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) is a clever system that all-but eliminates the sound of the outside world from your headphone listening experience.
This is made possible by a simple audio trick: phase inversion. Tiny microphones located on the outside of your headphones monitor external noise; the sound picked up by these microphones is inverted and reproduced in your headphones, creating soundwaves equal and opposite to the sound of the outside world. As a result, the sound that leaks into your earcups is cancelled out, leaving just your favourite Trivium record behind.
More expensive headphones are able to deploy more monitoring microphones and have greater processing power, but even inexpensive offerings can be quite effective here. Also, while impressive, ANC isn’t completely perfect at its job. For better noise cancellation, look out for brands that quote a high percentage efficiency for their ANC.
Do noise cancelling headphones sound better?
Headphones with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) do not necessarily sound better. Sure, your listening experience might be improved by the reduction of interference from the outside world, but there’s no impact on the fidelity of the drivers in the headphones. In fact, some headphones under £100 with ANC might sound a little worse than similarly-priced headphones that don’t, simply because more of the production budget has gone to installing extra features than ensuring quality sound in the first place.
Indeed, ANC isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for a fun listening experience either. If your earbuds fit snugly, or those over-ears seal off your lugholes, then you may find that passive isolation does most of the work in dampening any exterior interruptions.
Of course, if you distract easily, or your journey is especially loud, then you are absolutely within rights to find the right set of noise-cancelling headphones for your needs. Just be prepared to pay a little more for good audio quality too.
How we test headphones
When we put headphones through their paces, we hook them up to a variety of musical genres at various volumes from the comfort of our homes and when out and about. We do this to give an accurate representation of how you'll find them when using them. Sure, testing headphones in a controlled environment such as a studio has benefits, but by doing things our way, we believe we can better report on how they perform out in the real world.
We also test to see how comfortable the headphones are and if they stand up to every day wear and tear. If the products have Active Noise Cancelling, we test this too - usually when walking or running on busy roads, in the gym or even at home when the TV is on. Battery life is also important to us and we'll always tell you how much playtime you'll get when fully charged.
Why you can trust us
⚡ Louder was established in 2017 and founded on long-running brands including Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Prog (launched in 1986, 1998 and 2009 respectively)
⚡ Over 80,000 products reviewed on site, from music listening tech to albums and box sets
⚡ Our reviewers are all passionate music fans who draw on decades of testing experience
Louder’s team of writers and reviewers are a collection of passionate music fans, musicians and professional product testers, who between them have racked up years of product testing and written thousands of words on music listening gear across hundreds of reviews on Louder and for other publications.
As lifelong music fans, the whole Louder team are serious about the tech we listen to our favourite artists on. We want them to sound amazing, giving us all the detail those bands intended us to hear, and deliver the perfect balance of bass, mids and highs.
We take into account every aspect, covering audio quality, comfort, Bluetooth capability, battery life and value for money.
We test products in a variety of settings too, from distraction-free intentional listening at home where we can really focus on the music, to our daily commute to the office and out and about on journeys to the gym, pub, shops etc.
These scenarios are real-world and mean we can experience products exactly as you would and report our findings honestly.
Meet the experts
Steve is a home entertainment technology specialist who contributes to a variety of UK websites and mags, including Louder Sound, Yahoo UK, Trusted Reviews, T3, The Luxe Review and Home Cinema Choice. Steve began his career as a music journo, writing for legendary rock weekly Sounds, under the nom de plume Steve Keaton. His coverage of post punk music was cited in the 2015 British Library exhibition Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination, as a seminal influence on the Goth music scene.
James Grimshaw is a freelance writer and music obsessive with over a decade in music and audio writing. They’ve lent their audio-tech opinions (amongst others) to the likes of Guitar World, MusicRadar and the London Evening Standard – before which, they covered everything music and Leeds through their section-editorship of national e-magazine The State Of The Arts. When they aren’t blasting esoteric noise-rock around the house, they’re playing out with esoteric noise-rock bands in DIY venues across the country; James will evangelise to you about Tera Melos until the sun comes up.
Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog.
Paul has spent the past nine years testing and writing about gadgets and technology for the likes of Louder, T3 and TechRadar. He might not have the wealth or the looks of Tony Stark, but when it comes to knowing about the latest cool kit, Paul would surely give Iron-Man a run for his money. As for his musical leanings, Paul likes everything from Weyes Blood to Nirvana. If it's got a good melody, he's on board with it.
Latest updates
09/03/26: The guide has received a full audit to ensure that all content is up to date, with two new headphones added to the list: Anker Soundcore Life Q30 and EarFun Air Pro 4+. Copy throughout the guide has also been updated, including the intro, FAQs and the Why You Can Trust US section. 11/03/25: Three new headphones were added: AKG K92, JBL Tune 720BT and the Sennheiser CX Plus. "At a glance" boxes are now included on all six headphone entries, along with a star rating. Expert verdicts have been included where applicable, while the FAQ section has been expanded. A section detailing why you can trust the Louder team has been included, and there's also now a "meet the experts" section so you get to know the faces behind the guide.
Read more
You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
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