Here at TheIndianSubcontinent, weve sort of built a reputation for covering all of the latest, greatest and priciest technology in the world.
However, even in the face of all of that high-end equipment, we still have a passion for finding great tech items that anyone can afford, and the best cheap headphones are a great place to start.
Its this passion for affordability that inspired us to create this list of the best cheap headphones on the market in 2018 weve put our bargain-hunting prowess to great use and found a great deal of cheap headphones that you can buy without thinking twice about it.By their very nature, the headphones you prefer will ultimately boil down to your own personal taste.
However, seeing as the headphone market is extremely saturated, it is genuinely hard to figure out what the best headphones for your tastes actually are.
Thats where we come in.Now, bear with us its impossible to get our hands on every affordable pair of headphones, but we wont recommend anything we havent used ourselves.
So if we missed your favorite pair of headphones, it wasnt on purpose, we assure you.With this guide, we went through a process exhaustively testing a huge amount of cheap headphones from all over the internet in every style under the sun.
In-ear, over-ear, wireless everything you can think of.We then took the results of all of this exhaustive testing, and measured each headphone against each other until we could confidently pick a few to proudly wear the best cheap headphones badge.
So rest assured, even if we didnt pick your favorite headphone, there isnt a single pair in this list that will disappoint.What are the best cheap headphonesBest cheap earbuds: RHA S500These simply have no right to sound this goodGreat clarity/precisionGood FitNo cable noiseCan be fatiguingNo built-in microphoneEverybody loves earbuds due to their portability and noise-cancelling abilities.
Whether on a morning commute, or just a brief walk around your neighborhood, theyre perfect.
And, in this hotly popular and competitive category, the RHA S500 reigns supreme.For its cheap price, the RHA S500 frankly has no right to sound as good as it does.
We found it to have the best clarity and precision of any in-ear headphone we tested, along with a comfortable fit that doubled as a passive noise barrier.
Plus, it offered solid, balanced sound with warm mids and highs and sturdy bass reproduction.In a category with tons of great competition, the RHA S500 stands well above the rest.This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing.
Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Anker SoundBuds NB10Best cheap wireless earbuds: Anker SoundBuds NB10Looking for a workout buddy, check out the Anker SoundBuds NB10Really good bass responseSweat-proofGood fitChunky designWe knew going into this that Anker would end up on this list somewhere.
Since bursting onto the scene a few years ago, Anker has destroyed the competition, offering good-sounding in-ear headphones (and battery packs, and chargers, and cables) all for unbelievably cheap prices.When looking for a good pair of wireless in-ear headphones, Were always on the hunt for something that sounds good (duh!), feels comfortable to wear for long periods of time and, most importantly, doesnt fall out mid-workout.
The Anker SoundBuds NB10 does all of the above perfectly.What we loved most about the Anker SoundBuds NB10 is its warm sound and spectacular bass response.
Its not as heavy-handed as some other in-ear headphones, but that demureness makes it great both when youre at the gym and when its time to hang up the towel.Best cheap on-ear headphones: Skullcandy GrindFor movers and shakers, these are the best on-ears for the priceHefty bass responseBuilt-in microphoneNo volume controlsIt was love at first listen with the Skullcandy Grind.
These bass-heavy headphones bring a built-in microphone to the mix and offer amazing sound quality at a bargain basement price.They do everything we want in a pair of on-ear headphones theyre light, but not fragile.
Theyre powerful, but are directional enough that sound doesnt spew out everywhere, alerting your neighbors that youre listening to Taylor Swift again.If Skullcandys low-end-heavy tone and teenager-esque style arent for you, theres always the equally good Urbanears Plattan II a more balanced pair of on-ears that cost almost exactly the same amount as the Skullcandy Grind.Best cheap on-ear wireless headphones: Creative Sound Blaster JamLightweight wireless headphones that are the perfect office companionsLightweightGreat sound qualityNo passive noise-cancellationA bit on the fragile sideAs great as wired headphones can be, being constantly tethered to your phone, MP3 Player or PC can be downright irritating.
If you find yourself ready to tear the cord out of the jack once and for all, you need a pair of wireless cans.For those looking to cut the cord on the cheap, the Creative Sound Blaster JAM is the way to go.
It's lightweight, sounds great and is dirt cheap.
What makes it on-ear headphones Well, the foam earpads sit directly on top of your ears instead of encompassing them entirely, something some folks find more comfortable.Our only real complaint about the Creative Sound Blaster JAM is that, because they're on-ear headphones, they let in ambient noise like no one's business.
This is totally fine for the dull roar of an office (and might even be helpful if someone needs to grab your attention real quick) but, for commuters or anyone who can't stand to hear the outside world while listening to their tunes, you're best served looking at one of the over-ear options coming up on the list.This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing.
Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Skullcandy GrindBest cheap over-ear headphones: Monoprice 8323 Hi-FI DJ Style HeadphonesAlthough they're a bit fragile for on-the-go use, the 8323s are awesome at homeFlat EQGreat clarityLimited dynamic rangePlastic constructionIts easy to spend an arm and a leg on good over-ear headphones.
Barring the exception of noise-cancelling and planar magnetic cans, they are the top dogs of the audio world.
Really good over-ears should be the most comfortable, most versatile headphones in your audio arsenal.
They should be just as adept with Hi-Def audio sources of 16-bit/44.1KHz as they are streaming from Spotify, and they should do so without sacrificing either end of the audio spectrum.In our testing we found a half-dozen that can do the job (the Status Audio CB-1 come to mind, as do the Sennheiser HD201 and Audio-Technica ATH-M20X) but, of them all, the Monoprice 8323 Hi-FI DJ Style Headphones are the cream of the crop.
Theyre a bit cheaper constructed than the others, but for their price they sound outrageously clear.
Balanced and powerful, the Monoprice 8323 is the epitome of what the best cheap headphones should be.This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing.
Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Skullcandy GrindBest cheap noise-cancelling headphones: CB3 Hush Noise Cancelling HeadphonesWant to seal the noise out without draining your bank account Try theseInsanely cheap noise-cancellingHip designDistorted highsWeird button configIf over-ear headphones are the swiss-army knives of headphones, noise-cancelling cans are the paring knives: theyre useful for certain purposes and not so much for others.
What we mean here is that typically, noise-cancelling headphones trade overall audio fidelity for the ability to cancel out incoming sound waves reducing or eliminating external noise.The best noise-cancelling headphones can eliminate noise while maintaining Hi-Res Audio quality (cough, Sony MDR-1000X) while others accept the trade-off for what it is.
The CB3 Hush are most definitely in the latter camp.
But while we didnt find them the best-sounding headphones of the bunch, the CB3 does deliver on its promise of cheap, effective noise-cancellation at under $100.If you dont mind some distorted highs and lack of low-end, the CB3 will cut out a fair amount of the external noise and should serve you well either in a busy office or on your daily commute.
If youre traveling longer distances on the regular youll want something a bit more heavy duty than this, but for the causal noise-canceller, the CB3 Hush will do nicely.This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing.
UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Skullcandy Grind Best cheap planar magnetic headphones: Tidal Force Wave 5 HeadphonesPlanar magnetic for half the cost of the competitionSound quality is outrageously goodInsanely immersiveSturdy buildNone reallyIf were going to explain what, exactly, planar magnetic headphones are, were going to need you to do something for us: please put on your nerd glasses or simply put electric tape around the glasses you already own.Most headphones youve likely heard in your life are dynamic driver headphones.
They use a magnetic field to drive the diaphragm of the speaker a.k.a.
the big pulsating cone of sound.
Planar magnetic headphones also use a magnetic field to move the diaphragm, but instead of a cone, its a thin sheet of coils that allows for much greater sound uniformity.
Stay with us here.
Dynamic drivers produce spherical sound waves that are unnatural for the ear while planar magnetic produce a planar wave, which sounds more natural and give the headphones their name.
The result is a truer-to-life sound that is far more robust than anything you can hear from a dynamic driver-powered pair of cans.Tidal Forces Wave 5 Headphones utilize this technology and cost less than half of what other companies like Oppo charge.
Said simply, they sound incredible like almost bring-a-tear-your-eye amazing.
If youre an audiophile on a budget, you should do yourself a favor and check out the Wave 5.This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing.
UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Skullcandy GrindWhat to look for in cheap headphonesIn order to create this guide, weve tested, listened to and compared over 25 headphones in every category, shape and size.
When we found a great pair, we then put it against the rest back-to-back-to-back to make sure they still really deserved the title of best cheap headphones.You might be wondering what we were looking for through all this expansive testing Sound fidelity was clearly the most essential detail but we also made sure to consider comfort, design and other features also.Like most people, we prefer our music detail-rich and well-balanced.
We can live with our music sounding a bit warm with an emphasis on the mids and highs, but we still like to be able to feel the bass.
Also, its important to look for headphones with reasonable battery life if theyre wireless, a robust, durable build that will stand up to the trials of everyday commute and comfortable padding to help make longer listening sittings nice and comfortable.Keep in mind though, that testing headphones will be, at least on some level, subjective, and our taste in tonal balance might not match yours (neither will the size of our head or the shape of our ears).
Still, weve done our best to take subjectivity out of the equation and can present, through our expertise, the best cheap headphones that wont hurt your wallet.CFUM5eE2Z3xeMEHEhhA6Gh.jpg#