Best cheap wireless earbuds 2021

Best
cheap wireless earbuds
Android Central
2021

Best overall: Creative Outlier Air V3

It’s hard to beat the Outlier Air V3 on battery life. Even compared to the best wireless earbuds, they outperform most of them with up to 10 hours of audio playback per charge at default volume. Add another three charges in the case, and you’ve got about 40 hours of total listening time. Creative also finally added wireless charging, making charging easier when you don’t want to plug in.

Creative largely based the design on the previous Outlier Air V2, which are a little bigger, though used the same ear tips for improved fit and comfort. It also gives you a better seal to trap in more bass and preserve as much soundstage as possible. The codec support includes aptX and AAC for excellent compatibility on top of that — another plus for a pair of earbuds that sound so much better than their price implies. And you finally get an Ambient Sound mode to hear your surroundings, as well as an active noise reduction setting that does muffle some of that background noise.

While Creative did throw in its excellent Super X-Fi technology again, it still doesn’t work with most content that would benefit from it. For example, you can only apply it to its music and video files stored on your device rather than something you would stream. It also replaced physical buttons on the earbuds with touch controls that are just OK.

Another plus is that Creative also delivers on a companion app that offers some decent settings, including a pretty long list of equalizer presets that even includes some popular video games. With all that in play, the Outlier Air V3 are one of the best budget pairs we’ve heard right out of the box, so that counts for something.

There’s no doubt that the Creative Outlier Air are some of the very best true wireless earbuds you can buy. Still, if you’re looking for something different, Anker’s Soundcore Life P3 stand out as effective alternatives. They have ANC and a comfortable design that should work for most ears. The IPX5 rating doesn’t make them all that rugged, so you will have to be careful, but there’s a lot to like about how these earbuds perform.

They have larger drivers that kick out really good audio quality with deep bass and lively highs that are an impressive package at this price. Creative holds an edge in overall sound quality, but these are more than capable of serenading your ears and are better at nullifying background sounds. Unlike Creative’s pair, these have ANC, and it’s surprisingly good for budget buds.

It’s also nice to have the Soundcore app to alter the sound through the equalizer or make other adjustments. A sturdy Bluetooth connection and effective mics also keep phone calls going when you need them to.

Rounding out the experience is decent battery life at up to six hours of playback with ANC on (seven with it off) and another 28 hours in the case, keeping the audio going for a reasonable amount of time. Those numbers are also relative to volume levels, so keep pumping it up, and you’re not going to crack those higher battery numbers.

The purpose of this article is to highlight true wireless earbuds that sound great, work as intended, and come in at a low price. Our next pick is the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2, and if you’re in the market for a higher-end earbud experience that doesn’t have an outrageous price tag, it could be an excellent fit.

Right off the bat, the Liberty Air 2 sound wonderful. The earbuds feature “diamond-inspired drivers” and a “premium TPU diaphragm,” which translates to a wide soundstage and deep bass. So no matter what kind of music you’re listening to on the Liberty Air 2, it’ll sound great. We’re especially fond of Anker’s HearID feature, which customizes your listening experience based on your hearing sensitivity. Phone call quality could be better, and indeed, Anker did improve that with the more expensive Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro, but your results may vary here.

There are plenty of other features outside of the audio side, such as 28-hour battery life, Qi wireless charging, touch controls, and the ability to use either earbud on its own for mono playback. However, when it comes to getting a premium listening experience, the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 deliver that for a lot less money than other companies out there.

Back Bay Audio hails from Boston, and its main claim to any fame is offering more for a lot less. The Tempo 30 are ready to play, focusing mainly on two key areas to stand out. First is the audio quality, which prioritizes bass — hardly a surprise for a pair of inexpensive buds — yet offers other ways to listen, too. Bass Mode is, as it implies, pushing the lows to rumble more for a deeper sound profile. There’s also a Game Mode that reduces lag to make audio and video sync up better when playing games or watching shows and movies.

Getting the right sound is easier when you have no less than six different ear tips to choose from, and their smaller size should fit most ears relatively easily. Despite the audio focus, there are no extras, like ANC or ambient sound, so you won’t have any way to block outside noise. With a tight seal, though, you do get pretty good passive noise isolation.

Touch controls aren’t bad, all things considered, and you will have to learn how to consistently switch between modes, but otherwise, these earbuds are pretty straightforward. The second thing that makes them stand out is the IPX7 water resistance. So if you want cheaper buds to work out or run in, these may be right up your alley. Just don’t go swimming with them.

And battery life? The Tempo 30 can go up to eight hours per charge, depending on volume levels, with the case adding another 24 hours. So you can charge them up via USB-C pretty quickly, except there’s no way to fast charge them in a pinch.

If you’re reading this and have no idea what SoundPEATS is, don’t fret. It’s a relatively small and obscure company creating top-notch audio gear since 2010. When it comes to cheap true wireless earbuds, one of the best options comes from SoundPEATS.

Looking at the T2 Hybrid ANC Wireless Earbuds, there’s a lot to like off the bat. These earbuds sound better than their price would indicate, for starters, thanks to 12mm drivers that really do turn out good audio playback. Turn on ANC, and performance improves, helping round out a solid package. Comfort is pretty good, though their size isn’t as sleek as others are, so you may find them sticking out a bit more.

Battery life is impressive at up to 10 hours per charge and up to eight hours if you leave on ANC. The case includes an extra two charges, and its size is small enough to take with you just about anywhere. USB-C charging ensures you won’t need a Micro-USB cable anymore. When you run out of juice, plug in for an hour, and you should be good to go.

For someone that’s always on the move and needs earbuds that aren’t always running out of juice, the Tribit FlyBuds C1 are an easy pair to like. Where most wireless earbuds reach a limit, either for the earbuds themselves or what the case can manage, the FlyBuds C1 are adept at both. They can play for up to 12 hours per charge, while the case gives you 50 hours total.

It’s not that Tribit has set or broken a record, but it is a combination that keeps audio playing for longer than most, regardless of what they cost. The beauty of this is that the case itself isn’t massive, so you get longevity without the extra bulk to go with all that juice. Part of what enables the FlyBuds C1 to hit these numbers is that they don’t have ANC or ambient modes. Unfortunately, they don’t have a dedicated app to customize the sound, either.

Despite that, they do sound good on their own, and other elements, like call quality, comfort, and durability, hold up well to round out a good overall performance for a pair of budget buds.

If the images don’t do them justice, you can wear the EarFun Air Pro 2 and feel that they’re as comfortable a pair as you’ll find out in the market. That’s not always the case with earbuds that only offer three ear tip sizes, but with six pairs to try here, odds are good you’ll find one that suits your ears just fine.

Granted, EarFun is hardly the only brand with comfy earbuds, but the Air Pro 2 are a nice combination of form, function, and feature set that expands on their predecessors. Thanks to a more balanced soundstage, they’re suitable for longer listening sessions and sound better than the previous pair did. At this price, you can’t go wrong. Unfortunately, there is no equalizer to adjust the sound more to your liking. However, slightly improved ANC and ambient modes stand ready to block outside noises or let them in to help you hear surroundings. These modes aren’t on par with more expensive earbuds, but the results are easy to appreciate for what you pay.

That also matters for phone calls. The greater comfort means you can keep these on to take any calls. And when you do, you’ll find the six-mic array does a good job keeping voices clear and audible throughout. Battery life is up to six hours with ANC turned on. Keep it off, and that goes up to 8.5 hours. The case gives you at least another three charges (and a little extra), including USB-C and wireless charging.