Apple's is still one of the finest true-wireless earbuds on the market right now. They are lightweight, comfortable, and feature exceptional noise-canceling capabilities. Unfortunately, Apple almost never drops the price on its own devices, and the AirPods Pro will still earn you a lot of money for something so easy to lose. That's why many people have asked, "Isn't there something I can get that's pretty good as the Pro, but something less expensive? Like less than $100?"
The answer is yes. Although there are no additional features from the AirPods Pro, such as hands-free Siri or Apple's spatial audio virtual surround mode for viewing movies and television shows, the alternatives listed below provide additional features, such as sound and voice calling. They also feature decent active noise canceling, are well designed and fit comfortably. Note that all these AirPods Pro picks work with both iOS and Android devices and aren't Apple-centric.
As new models arrive, I'll be updating this list, but here are the best "cheap" noise-canceling true-wireless ears I've ever seen.
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Edifier boasts a few different true-wireless earbuds, one of which is the TWS 330NB, which includes a touchscreen that automatically activates your music when you remove them from your ears, but they also feature excellent sound quality for the money, decent active noise cancellation with a transparency mode, and good voice calling. Each bud has three microphones for noise cancellation and noise reduction.
The two speakers are well-suited for me; while the touch controls are a little limited, they are programmable using the Edifier Connect app for iOS and Android; you can also set the level of touch sensitivity. They have an IP54 rating, which means they are splash- and dustproof, and battery life is rated at four hours with noise canceling on and five hours with it off (at moderate volume levels). That's only okay, but you get an additional two charges in the charging case.
The TWS 330NB buds are currently priced at $65, but there are currently instant discount coupons on Amazon that are increasing their price to $40.
Earfun keeps carrying out the true-wireless headphones; its latest model, the Earfun Air Pro 2, is a great one. It features robust active noise cancellation, but the sound is also impressive for its reasonable price.
The earbuds are equipped with an ear-detection sensor that stops your music when you take the buds out of your ears. It's also available with an IPX5 rating, which allows for up to seven hours of battery life on a single charge at moderate volume levels, though you'll likely get closer to 6 hours without noise canceling on.
There's also a transparent mode that lets ambient sound in. It actually sounds pretty natural and is closer to the AirPods Pro's excellent transparency mode.
Earfun highlights the Air Pro 2's voice-calling capabilities, with three microphones in each earbud; I thought call performance was excellent, but the new Soundpeats T3 is also excellent for money ($40). While the Soundpeats T3 are better for calls, the Soundpeats don't have the ear-detection sensor, and the buds are well-liked.
Another AirPods Pro knock-off is the SoundLiberty P10, which is one of the best for money, with excellent sound and good headset performance for calls. However, the noise canceling isn't up to the level of the AIrPods Pro, but it's reasonably effective and there's also an ambient mode that lets sound in (the equivalent of the AirPods Pro's transparency mode, just not as natural sounding) and an anti-wind mode.
I've had a number of TaoTronics headphones for years, but they aren't fancy, but they fit perfectly in my ears, and their case is compact, and the instructions give you a sense of how to use touch controls. They are fully waterproof, fully waterproof with an IPX8 rating, and battery life is rated at six and a half hours, with noise canceling on and volume at 50%.
The Soundpeats T3 buds have two things going for them, apart from their small price: they sound decent and work well for making calls, and thereby improving the noise quality. They're also comfortable to wear, although the noise canceling is just fine, not great (same goes for the transparency mode), but you can't expect it for a low price.
Equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, they are IPX4 splash-proof and have a battery life rating of up to 5.5 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels.
They're capable of delivering a fairly smooth, balanced sound and plenty bass. They aren't going to disappoint you with clarity or dynamic sound, but they're pleasant to listen to, which is exactly what you need for an affordable earbud.
When I was using the AirPods Pro, my voice was more evident, but the Soundpeats reduced additional background noise that was used by the AirPods Pro. I was able to have conversations on the noisy streets of New York without a doubt.
TCL is well-known for its high-quality Roku TVs, but has recently moved to the headphones arena in the last few years. I wasn't too impressed with its previous Moveaudio S600, but it provides excellent sound and active noise cancellation along with excellent battery life (up to 6.2 hours with noise canceling on and eight hours with it off, with three additional charges from the charging case). I found that headset performance for voice calls is decent, but the charging case does not offer wireless charging.
These are somewhat more geared towards Android users, since TCL makes budget Android phones, after all, and feature Google Fast Pair. Both are compatible with iPhones, and TCL's companion app is available for iOS and Android (you may customize the sounds and touch controls in the app). The earbuds also support the AAC audio codec, but not aptX.
When you pull the ears out, the headphones are IP54 splash- and dustproof. The stems are a bit long, but the ears fit me comfortably and I received a tight seal using the most powerful ears. The S600 is available in three colors.
Anker's Soundcore Life P2 buds have been used for popular budget headphones. The Life P3 has been upgraded with active noise cancellation and is now available for $1130. Both the Life P3 and the Liberty Air 2 Pro are relatively affordable (with wireless charging) and a wear-detection sensor that stops your music when you take the earbuds out of your ears. However, these headphones are quite functional (they have a bass-boost mode) and are also excellent for making calls. A companion app
Battery life is rated at up to seven hours at moderate volume levels. IPX5 waterproof devices, which ensure they can withstand a long run of water and remain splash-proof.
I was able to get a tight seal with the included tips (it should only affect a small percentage of users), so I used my own. It's crucial to have a good seal, as well as a transparency mode that allows ambient sound to come in, although the AirPods Pro's excellent transparency mode isn't on the same level.
The Life P3 has a list price of $80, but they are now on sale for $64 on Amazon, putting them in bargain territory. By contrast, the Liberty Air 2 Pro sells for $100, or $30 off their list price.
If you get a tight seal (with three different ear tips included) 1More's ComfoBuds Pro also sounds quite good, but performs well as as a headset for calls, with three microphones in each earbud. This gives these headphones a dynamic sound profile, which they are not laid-back.
With the touch controls, you may toggle between two levels of noise cancellation (as well as "off") and there's a pass-through transparency mode and a wind noise-reduction mode. The earbuds are IPX4 rated for water resistance, which means they are splash-proof, the same as the AirPods Pro.
The 1More ComfoBuds Pro, a popular budget alternative, is priced at $100, but you may pay for it at a discounted price. Note that the ComfoBuds is an open version of the AirPods, which is similar to the standard AirPods, and costs $50. This Pro version is better.
Additional headphone recommendations
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