Here are the best cheap noise cancelling headphones (under $80) after testing:
- Noise cancelling power
- Sound quality
- Comfort
- Battery life
- (8 different key points)
Enjoy a quiet daily commute and remove distractions on a budget.
We test and review headphones based on an independent 9-point methodology. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
Here’s a quick comparison table of all models:
| Rating | Price | Battery | Type | Connection | More info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Anker Soundcore Life Q30
Best overall
|
4.6
|
Under $80
|
60h (ANC off), 40h (ANC on)
|
Over-ear, closed-back
|
Bluetooth & wired
|
|
|
Edifier W240TN
Best true wireless
 
|
4.3
|
Under $80
|
7h + 14h in case (ANC on)
|
True wireless, closed-back
|
Bluetooth
|
|
|
Treblab Z2
Most comfortable
 
|
4.3
|
Under $90
|
30h (ANC off), 20h (ANC on)
|
Over-ear, closed-back
|
Bluetooth & wired
|
|
|
4.3
|
Under $70
|
25h (ANC off), 15h (ANC on)
|
Over-ear, closed-back
|
Bluetooth & wired
|
||
|
EarFun Free Pro 2
True wireless alternative
 
|
4.4
|
Under $60
|
4.5h + 20h in case
|
True wireless
|
Bluetooth
|
|
|
4.0
|
Under $60
|
5h + 15h in case
|
True wireless
|
Bluetooth
|
||
|
4.5
|
Under $60
|
60h (ANC off), 40h (ANC on)
|
Over-ear, closed-back
|
Bluetooth & wired
|
||
|
Jlab Audio Studio ANC
Best on-ear
 
|
4.4
|
Under $50
|
34h (ANC off), 28h (ANC on)
|
On-ear, closed-back
|
Bluetooth
|
|
|
4.3
|
Under $80
|
49h (ANC off), 29h (ANC on)
|
Over-ear, closed-back
|
Bluetooth & wired
|
||
|
4.3
|
Under $80
|
6h + 27h in case (ANC on)
|
True wireless, closed-back
|
Bluetooth
|
If you’re on the hunt for the best cheap noise cancelling headphones here are the best options. We picked the top models under $80 which is considered a low price in this category.
You can find more expensive, higher-end, and the best noise canceling headphones here, but if you want to get better value for the money, you’ve come to the right place.
Sure, you can’t really compare the effectiveness of the active noise cancelling technology with premium cans like Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, Apple Airpods Max, or Sony WH-1000XM4. But it’s close enough, especially if you consider the price tag.
The lowest price for the noise-canceling pair of headphones is around $50. Lower than that is not worth considering. Here are our top picks.
More similar guides:
One Thing You Need to Know About Budget Noise Cancelling Headphones:
Most of these headphones come from generic brands that often share the design, technology, and even the drivers inside. A lot of these are made in the same factories.
A generic brand might order a large batch of a pre-developed pair of headphones, make some tweaks and sell them under their own brand. They often don’t do their own development of the products.
For this reason, you might find different brands of noise-canceling models that look awfully similar to each other.
Anyway, this isn’t a big concern if you want to maximize your value for money. You still get the benefits of large-scale manufacturing. But it’s a good thing to know what to expect.
For unique and brand-specific development, you have to spend 2-3 times the money.
Related: Are noise cancelling headphones safe?
The Best Budget Noise Cancelling Headphones
1. Anker Soundcore Life Q30
BEST BUDGET HEADPHONES WITH STRONG ANC
Soundcore Life Q30 are the best wireless noise-cancelling headphones with great sound quality at an $80 price tag.
Anker Soundcore Life Q30 review
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm
Frequency range:
16-40.000Hz
- Excellent sound quality (after EQ)
- Great ANC with 3 modes
- Comfortable fit
- Companion app with EQ
- Outstanding battery life
- The bass isn't very fast
- Looks bulky on your head
Hear the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 ANC Test:
Soundwise, these over-ear headphones have a somewhat sculpted bass-heavy sound quality.
However, inside the companion app, you can tweak them to sound natural and balanced. For the affordable price, the detail retrieval and control are excellent.
Anker’s hybrid ANC works splendidly, outperforming all of the competition. As cheap noise canceling headphones, they can even rival the kings in this category, like one of the best headphones Sony WH-1000XM4.
There’re 3 ANC levels to choose from depending on the situation: Outdoor, Indoor, and Transport. Of course, you can also activate transparency mode, which lets you hear your surroundings.
Thick earpads are comfortable to wear, and the battery life is superb. The battery runs for 40 hours on a single charge with noise cancelation activated. There’s even multipoint support if you plan to pair them with 2 different devices.
2. Edifier W240TN
BEST TRUE WIRELESS EARBUDS WITH ANC
True wireless earbuds with powerful performance. They surprise with solid audio quality and above-average active noise cancelling.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.3
Driver size:
10mm woofer + 6mm tweeter
Frequency range:
20-20.000Hz
- Great sound quality (after EQing)
- Comfortable & stable fit for long listening sessions
- ANC and Transparency mode performance rivals the best
- Solid build quality with an IP55 rating
- Edifier app packed with features and customizations
- Average battery life of 6+ hours per charge with ANC
- ANC makes the sound noticeably bright and thin
- Mediocre indoor Bluetooth range of around 40 feet
Hear the Edifier W240TN ANC Test:
The W240TN have a somewhat darkish sound due to the lack of treble power, but they perform with great control and good bass punch thanks to the dual-driver design (subwoofer and tweeter).
Edifier is doing an excellent job regarding active noise cancellation, with the W240TN showing outstanding performance for the price.
Earbuds can completely block low-end noise and most high-frequency sounds, rivaling best-in-class models from Sony and Apple.
You can tweak the ambient sound mode intensity using the Edifier Connect app and customize EQ (ours is in the full review).
As for ergonomics, earbuds should remain comfy during long listening sessions and reasonably stable for light workouts, despite using shallow ear tips.
For similar options, see the best headphones under $100.
3. Treblab Z2
BEST BUDGET ANC HEADPHONES FOR SPORTS
Most comfortable noise cancelling headphones suitable for sportspeople.
Treblab Z2 are the most nicely made of the bunch, with rotatable ear cups, good active noise cancelling, snug fit, and aptX support.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm
Frequency range:
20-20.000Hz
- Comfortable, plush earpads
- Great noise isolation
- Good build quality
- IPX4 water-protection
- Great sound performance
- Hard carrying case
- 35-hour battery life
- Micro-USB port
- Average ANC performance
- Earpads get a bit sweaty
Noise-canceling can affect their frequency response immensely. When the feature is off, these sound very warm and bassy, almost muddy. When noise canceling is turned on, sound quality gets more detailed and clean, but with much less bass.
If you’re a basshead, see the best bass headphones.
You get them inside a nice hard-shell carrying case for easy storage. Housing is made from plastic that has a soft finish to it.
They appear quite well-made, with many external buttons and volume controls, and ear cups swivel up to 90°.
Headphones come with an IPX4 sweat-resistant rating. That means you can even use them during workouts.
The padding on the ear cup might appear shallow, but we still find them very comfortable. For full-sized headphones, you get a very secure fit and tight seal. Noise-cancelling is quite decent and works fairly well for combating constant noises.
4. OneOdio A30
Great affordable Bluetooth headphones with good active noise cancelling and clean, energetic sound quality.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm dynamic
Frequency range:
20-20.000Hz
- Great, clean sound
- Excellent call quality
- Good comfort & fit
- Decent ANC performance
- Foldable & rotatable earcups
- Sibilance can get annoying
- Not fully over-ear earpads
- Hissing noise when you enable ANC
Hear the OneOdio A30 ANC Test:
The sound signature changes whether you enable noise cancellation or not. With ANC, the sound is flatter and slightly too bright in the treble, whereas it gets much more natural with ANC off.
Speaking of active noise cancelling, it’s more than decent for the price. It should perform well for commuting and airplane travel, successfully blocking lower frequencies of the engine.
Build quality is okay, with a reasonably sturdy frame and foldable hinges. The padding is nicely thick and ensures a comfortable fit.
The biggest highlight of the OneOdio A30 is its built-in microphone. It provides better call quality than even higher-end headphones like Apple AirPods Max or Sony WH-1000XM4.
5. EarFun Free Pro 2
ALTERNATIVE FOR BEST TWS EARBUDS WITH ANC
Best budget alternative for noise-cancelling earbuds with an ambient sound feature on board.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.2
Driver size:
6mm
Frequency range:
n/a
- Fun, dynamic sound with good detail
- Very comfortable & lightweight
- Smaller case with Qi wireless charging
- Strong Bluetooth connection
- Great active noise cancellation (for the price)
- Included swab for cleaning the earbuds
- Earbuds easily lose seal, affecting bass performance
- Less battery life compared to previous generation
- Slighty too aggressive noise reduction for voice calls
Hear the EarFun Free Pro 2 ANC Test:
Like their previous version (EarFun Free Pro review), the Free Pro 2 are very dynamic sounding for the price. Despite their strong V-shaped sound, they’re a joy to listen to.
The small housing holds a powerful Bluetooth antenna and the latest chip for active noise cancelling. The latter works excellently, especially for the price.
The ANC is capable of reducing most ambient noises. As a matter of fact, they’re only slightly worse than a much more expensive Sony WF-1000XM4 and Apple AirPods Pro. They’re also pretty good at boosting surrounding noise (ambient sound mode).
Earbuds carry up to 4.5 hours of total battery life per charge, with 20 hours packed in the pocketable case. The latter also supports Qi wireless and fast charging.
6. 1MORE PistonBuds Pro
More and more budget headphones and earbuds can provide a solid noise cancelling experience. 1MORE PistonBuds Pro are one of them.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.2
Driver size:
10mm
Frequency range:
n/a
- Well-tuned out of the box
- Comfortable fit
- Feature-rich app
- Good ANC performance
- Excellent value for the price
- Sound could be more detailed
- Not the best Bluetooth performance
Hear the 1MORE PistonBuds Pro ANC Test:
PistonBuds Pro have an overall balanced sound signature with some brightness in the upper registers. The “Acoustic” EQ preset in the app offers the best sound reproduction.
And yes, these affordable true wireless earbuds offer app support with quite a few added features, such as Low Latency, EQ presets, Smart Playback, and Soothing Sounds.
Of course, the app also lets you toggle between ANC and Pass-through (ambient sound mode).
The active noise cancellation works pretty well for the price but doesn’t do a great job with lower frequencies, which are usually the easiest to reduce.
Otherwise, the PistonBuds Pro are comfortable to wear for long listening sessions but only provide average stability (not suitable for workouts).
For more in-ear models, check the best true wireless earbuds under $50.
7. Anker Soundcore Life Q20
Anker Life Q20 are great everyday noise cancellers with excellent battery performance that are worth picking.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm
Frequency range:
16-40.000Hz
- Good ANC
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Fairly balanced sound
- Not the best build quality
- Lacking detail due to dark-ish treble
These budget headphones sound great with hip-hop tracks. They’re leaning towards a warm sound signature, with bass as a clear star of the show and a slightly recessed midrange.
Furthermore, the roll-off in higher frequencies can affect vocal and treble clarity, making the overall presentation a bit dark.
Earcup can rotate in both directions, and the size is sufficient even for most users with bigger ears. The padding is also quite generous, with memory foam inside the pleather covers.
Headphones have multiple microphones to improve call quality. They are much better than the competition at taking phone calls.
You can expect a longer battery life than most headphones, with quick charging capabilities. Interestingly, these have excellent noise cancellation for eliminating people’s speech, but it is not as effective at droning sounds from a busy street.
Also, check the updated version, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30.
8. Jlab Audio Studio ANC
BEST BUDGET ON-EARS WITH ANC
They say you need at least an in-ear or over-ear set of headphones to achieve quality noise canceling. Well, Jlab can do it on a budget with on-ears while still delivering excellent battery life.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm
Frequency range:
20-20.000Hz
- Excellent battery life
- Decent sound
- Sound lacks refinement
Audio quality is very similar to other Jlab products in the price range. It’s good enough for a casual listen, but they lack refinement. You get 3 EQ sound profiles: Jlab Signature, Balanced, and Bass Boost (Boost isn’t as strong as best bass earbuds)
To enable the ANC, you need to switch a toggle on the earcup. Performance is not rivaling the kings in this category, but their outside noise-reducing capabilities of the unwanted noise are still good.
Their average battery life is also quite good, providing up to 28 hours with noise canceling enabled.
Design-wise, these on-ear headphones aren’t the most crazy comfortable. However, Jlab uses its unique “Cloud Foam,” which ensures a cushier listening experience compared to other on-ears.
9. Edifier W820NB
Don’t let the simple looks fool you. Because of the good sound, app support, and strong ANC, the Edifier W820NB are well worth checking out.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.0
Driver size:
40mm dynamic
Frequency range:
20-40.000Hz
- Fairly balanced sound
- Good active noise cancelling
- Great passive noise isolation
- Long battery life (29h per charge)
- Plain, basic design
- Audio performance slightly lacks behind the competition
The sound quality is pretty good for the price. The signature is fairly balanced, with only a small boost in the mid-bass area to bring out the warmth. The treble is nicely smooth, so you don’t expect any sibilance.
Effective noise cancellation does a decent job, blocking low-end frequencies like bus engines, making them perfect for frequent commuters.
While their design is a bit plain, it’s at least efficient. Earcups can fold for better portability and come generously padded for long-lasting comfort.
Another area where these headphones shine is the battery life. You can expect around 30 hours with ANC on and 49 hours with ANC off.
10. EarFun Air Pro 2
AirPods lookalike aren’t as sonically pleasing as the Free Pro 2, but they match their active noise cancelling performance and surpass them in battery life.
Connection:
Bluetooth 5.2
Driver size:
10mm dynamic
Frequency range:
20-40.000Hz
- Okay sound quality
- Comfortable design
- Excellent active noise cancellation
- Good ambient mode
- Strong Bluetooth connection
- Intuitive touch controls
- Decent call quality
- Not the best passive noise isolation
- The bass can be sometimes overwhelming
Hear the EarFun Air Pro 2 ANC Test:
The audio is boosted in all regions, making for a loud, dynamic, albeit a bit unnatural sound. Still, most people will like their presentation and detail.
On top of that, you can expect top-notch active noise cancelling performance. Earbuds block most frequencies with ease and only struggle with more demanding background sounds like speech.
Furthermore, the Air Pro 2 can boost the external noise quite naturally. As a result, you don’t have to take your earbuds off to speak to someone.
On top of a reliable Bluetooth 5.2 connection, you also get pretty good battery life. Earbuds hold more than 6 hours on a single charge, while the charging case packs extra 27 hours.
Find related among the best earbuds under $50.
Honorable Mentions
Aukey EP-N7
The EP-N7 frequency spectrum is suitable for all music genres, but they add warmth and punch to the sound.
Noise-canceling technology on these does a better job than you might think. The difference is noticeable, and while not on par with bigger over-ears, they can block an impressive amount of noise.
iTeknic IK-BH005
Over-ears come with an ANC that works successfully with most of the constant noises. Also, commuters and frequent flyers will find the collapsible and comfortable design quite useful.
Mpow H5
Once the best noise cancelling headphones under $100 can still surprise you with 30 hours of battery life and a balanced sound profile.
Avantree Aria
A good pick under $70 for noise cancelling headphones. Noise-cancelling isn’t as good as with the high-end models but compares to the competition of the best noise-cancelling headphones under $100.
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94
Maybe not the best noise cancellation, but it works surprisingly well, eradicating most of the low-end hum, like engine noises. That makes them an excellent option if you’re constantly on the go.
Check them on the official site.
How Do Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Work?
The extra microphones in the headphones pick up the ambient noise and then send it to the internal ANC circuitry.
The ANC technology then makes a reverse sound wave (it reverses the phase) and sends it to your ears.
When the two sounds reach your ears, they effectively cancel each other out. You can read more about how noise cancelling works here.
Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Block All the Sounds?
No matter how much you spend on noise cancelling gear, there are no perfect headphones that could completely block everything. The problem is that the world around us is too unpredictable.
Even today’s technology cannot work fast enough to block quickly changing noise. That’s why most noise cancelling headphones work best with constant noises. Maybe the next generation of products will help with that.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the difference between noise isolation and active noise cancellation?
Passive noise isolation describes how much background noise the ear cups and pads are blocking passively, whereas active noise cancelling removes it electronically.
You can read more about the difference between isolation and cancelling here.
Usually, only microphones support noise reduction technology (like cVc 6.0, 8.0,…), but not headphones themselves.
Is noise cancelling healthy?
Yes. It’s perfectly safe and doesn’t impact your ears or eardrums in any way. In fact, because it enables you to listen to your music at a lower volume, it can help you retain your hearing in the long term.
It’s because loud music damages your hearing, and you read about it here.
However, there is a small group of users who have experienced dizziness and nausea when using noise cancellation.
Do noise cancelling headphones help with tinnitus?
Tinnitus can get louder as soon as you hear a specific frequency or when you hear something loud.
Since we know that by using noise cancelling headphones, you don’t hear as much ambient noise, you can lower the volume. Therefore, ANC headphones can consequently help with tinnitus.
Does noise cancellation impact sound?
In most cases, yes. Usually, it changes some frequencies in music, and it can dramatically lower the bass range.
Thankfully, this is less common with newer budget noise cancelling headphones and almost non-existent in the best noise-cancelling headphones.
Can you use ANC headphones without music?
Yes. You can use the noise cancelling headphones to cancel the unwanted ambient sound only. Without listening to music and without being connected to a playing device.
Make sure the battery has power, turn on noise-cancellation, and enjoy peace and quiet. Many people use them like that on airplanes and on a commute to help them focus. You can do more work like that.
Check the best waterproof Bluetooth headphones for more options.
Matija Ferjan is a seasoned audio enthusiast reviewing headphones since 2015. He has personally tested hundreds of headphones and earbuds. He’s an active member of the Headphone Audio community and a true nitpicker, always looking for the “best-value-for-money” headphones.
2 Comments
Drawyne Smith
Thank you very much for this thorough review! It is very helpful! I need to mask very loud snoring so I’m considering your recommendation of TaoTronics EP002 noise. I notice also that Bose is now selling something called Sleepbuds. Since I like to sometimes sleep on my side, I wonder whether that would work as well to block sound.
HeadphonesAddict
Hi Drawyne, for sleeping it’s best to use passive noise isolation because active noise cancelling is less effective, so you might want to test ear plugs before forking over more money.
And you’re right, sleeping on the side with headphones is impossible and even many earbuds as well. Bose sleepbuds seem like a good idea but they didn’t get the best feedback, though we haven’t tried they yet.
Get something small and comfortable since this is required for quality sleep.