Wireless earbuds<\/a> from Apple<\/a>, Sony<\/a>, Bose<\/a> and other big-name brands may dominate the headlines, but these days you no longer need to spend triple digits to find a quality alternative. If you\u2019re looking to upgrade without breaking the bank, we\u2019ve spent countless hours digging through the bargain bin and reviewing top contenders over the past couple of years. Here are the best budget wireless earbuds we\u2019ve tested thus far.<\/p>\n Photo by Jeff Dunn \/ Engadget<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Bluetooth<\/strong>: v5.2 | ANC<\/strong>: Yes | Transparency mode<\/strong>: Yes | Custom EQ<\/strong>: Yes | Charging port<\/strong>: USB-C | Wireless charging<\/strong>: Yes | Water resistance<\/strong>: IPX4 | Multipoint connectivity<\/strong>: Yes (2 devices) | Wear detection<\/strong>: No | Battery life (rated)<\/strong>: 10 hrs, 50 hrs w\/ case | Fast charging (rated)<\/strong>: 10 mins = 4 hrs | Codecs<\/strong>: SBC, AAC, LDAC | Warranty<\/strong>: 18 months<\/p>\n Two and a half years into its life, we still haven’t found a better value among wireless earbuds than the Anker Soundcore Space A40<\/a>. Typically available between $45 and $60, it offers the kind of performance and features we’d expect from earbuds priced twice as high. Its little round earpieces are light and evenly balanced, so they shouldn\u2019t be a pain for most to wear for hours at a time. The default sound profile is good enough: It\u2019s warm, with a bump in the upper-bass and a dip in the treble that can dull some finer details, but pleasant on the whole. It doesn\u2019t completely blow out the low-end the way many cheaper headphones do. You can also customize the sound with EQ tools in the Soundcore app. Using those won\u2019t make the Space A40 sound as nice as the best wireless earbuds on the market, but they can add a touch more deep bass or high-frequency emphasis. The app in general is easy to use, and it saves any changes you make directly to the earphones.<\/p>\n The Space A40’s best feature is its active noise cancellation (ANC), which is outstanding for the money. It won\u2019t totally block out higher-pitched sounds, but it\u2019s plenty effective at muting the rumbles of a train or jet engine. By default, Anker uses an adaptive ANC system that automatically tweaks the intensity based on your surroundings, though you can manually set it to strong, moderate or weak levels, too. That\u2019s great for those with sensitive ears. There\u2019s also a transparency mode, which isn\u2019t nearly as good as what you\u2019d find on a high-end pair like the AirPods Pro<\/a> but works in a pinch.<\/p>\n Most of the little touches you\u2019d want from a modern set of headphones are here as well. The Space A40 can connect to two devices simultaneously, and you can use one earbud on its own. Battery life is solid at roughly eight hours, while the included charging case can supply another 40 or so hours. It also supports wireless charging. The IPX4 water resistance rating isn\u2019t anything special but lets the earphones survive light rain and everyday sweat. The touch control scheme can feel somewhat busy, as it lets you assign up to six different shortcuts to different taps and long presses and effectively forces you to omit a function or two, but it works reliably. We\u2019ve had no real connection issues, either.<\/p>\n The only major shortcomings are the mic quality and the lack of auto-pausing when you remove an earbud. The former doesn\u2019t handle sibilant sounds very well and can lose your voice in particularly noisy areas, so this isn\u2019t the best option for phone calls, but it\u2019s usable.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nTable of contents<\/h2>\n
Best budget wireless earbuds for 2025<\/h2>\n
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