How To Choose Headphones Under $50
When you’re in the market for a pair of quality budget headphones you may be overwhelmed with the sheer number of choices. There are hundreds of budget headphones out there. Many of those budget models don’t offer a set of features compelling enough to pick them over budget favorites.
Luckily, there are enough quality budget headphones to allow everyone to find exactly what they’re needing, except if you want great active noise cancellation (ANC). You have to pay premium for that. Everything else can be found on the budget headphone market. Great sound. Excellent build quality. Long battery. Solid microphone for phone calls. Wireless design. You name it, aside from solid ANC.
Let’s talk about the most important points everyone should focus on when they’re looking for the next pair of budget headphones.
Sound Signature and Soundstage
There are plenty of different sound signatures. Studio headphones tend to flatten the sound, making for a neutral sound signature. Many find the sound boring, but neutral sound signature is great for critical listening, like when mastering new music in a studio.
Bassy sound (V-shaped) signature is the most popular sound signature in headphones. It features increased bass frequencies and these headphones are usually fun to listen to. But too much bass can be detrimental, it can choke the sound and erase small details in the music. This can happen when using gaming speakers. They are great for games and movies but tend to drown music in low frequencies.
In the end, it all comes down to your preferences. This is why it’s best if you can test headphones in person before buying them. But, in general, sound signature with clear mids and highs along with slightly increased and clear bass is great for most users. And yes, even budget headphones can deliver pretty solid sound.
Soundstage represents a headphones’ ability to reproduce spatial details. For instance, headphones with a wide soundstage can emulate the spatial presence of different instruments. You can feel that, for instance, guitar sounds are coming from left and right and that drums are in the middle. Over-ear and especially open-back headphones have the widest soundstage.
On-ear and in-ear models don’t have wide soundstage since they cannot bounce the sound around your ears, or outside your ears like open-back headphones. But still, even a narrow soundstage is okay if the sound quality is great.
What To Look For In Wireless Headphones
Wireless headphones are slowly starting to dominate the mainstream headphones market. Audiophile and studio headphones are still resisting, but every other niche gives way for wireless headphones. If you’re into budget wireless headphones, these are the thing to watch for:
Battery Life – probably the most important part of wireless headphones. You want battery life long enough for headphones to last you during your regular day of usage. If you’re a heavy commuter and want to use headphones while working, you probably need a pair with at least 12 hours of battery life.
If you need headphones to use in the office, look for over-ear models or a pair of true wireless headphones that come with a charging case. Over-ear headphones offer the best battery life while the true wireless headphones can be usually charged enough for multiple hours of playback during a coffee or lunch break.
Included Cable – If your pair of wireless headphones come with a detachable cable battery life becomes less important. You can carry the cable with you and then simply attach it and continue using the headphones even after their battery dies. This works with on-ear and over-ear headphones. If you need a pair of in-ear headphones it’s best to find a pair of true wireless ones that come with a charging case.
Sound lag – Some wireless headphones have a noticeable audio lag when watching videos. If you use headphones only for music, podcasts, audio-only content in general, don’t worry about it. But if you plan on playing games, watching movies or YouTube, read professional and user reviews and look whether they’re mentioning sound lag.
What To Look For In Wired Headphones
Wired headphones are still quite popular despite the surge in popularity of their wireless cousins. They are great for home, office, or anywhere where you don’t care about the cable getting in your way. These are the things to look for in wired headphones:
Cable Length – If you’re after a pair of wired headphones, look for the length of the cable. Too short and you might tear them off each time you make a sudden move. The cable should be on the longer side, at least a couple of meters.
Open Back vs Closed-Back – Open-back headphones have zero noise isolation since their drivers aren’t enclosed. This isn’t great for when you’re outside but if you plan on using the headphones in your home, open-back headphones can be a good choice. They have zero isolation but wider soundstage and allow you to know what’s going on around you.
Closed-back headphones have their drivers enclosed inside the headphone. They offer passive noise isolation and are great for commuting and listening to music outside. But they have a narrow soundstage and can be uncomfortable to wear during summertime.
Don’t Ignore Build Quality
Budget, sub $50 headphones don’t need to have flimsy build quality. If you’re in the market for a budget pair of headphones don’t settle for the average build. There are headphones out there with a pretty good build quality that also sound great.
Do You Need Headphones For Music Or For Mixed Usage?
If you only plan to use headphones for listening to, you don’t need to worry about extra features such as the presence of a microphone. Just find a pair with the sound signature shaped to your liking and be done with it. But if you do plan on using the headphones for games and movies, or with your smartphone while outside, some options can be really helpful.
A solid microphone is great in case you want to play games or use headphones with your phone. Next, headphones with booming bass that still sound great when listening to music are an excellent choice for multipurpose headphones. Their bassy sound is great for movies and games but the sound is not overwhelmed by low frequencies while listening to music. This is why many budget Hi-Fi headphones are great as budget gaming headsets, minus the microphone.
Playback controls can also be important. If you’re using headphones with your smartphone, or maybe with an MP3 player, you probably want a set of playback controls that are easy to use, so you don’t have to reach for the phone non-stop. When changing the song or adjusting volume.
Form Factor
You have three main headphone form factors – over-ear, on-ear, and in-ear. Over-ear headphones have the widest soundstage (especially open-back models), wireless models have the biggest batteries, and they offer the best passive sound isolation. They can also be very comfortable to wear.
On-ear headphones are smaller and fit directly onto the ear. They can be pretty uncomfortable for some people. They also tend to be uncomfortable for many users when worn for hours on end. But they can have the exact same sound quality as over-ear models, although with a narrow soundstage.
In-ear headphones have the narrowest soundstage but their design allows them to have amazing passive noise isolation. They also can have great sound quality, even in the budget category. Finally, true wireless earbuds don’t need any cables or such and are the most portable headphones on the market.
Noise Isolation
You have passive and active noise isolation. Passive isolation can be pretty good with over-ear and especially in-ear headphones. But it isn’t as good as active noise canceling. Now, you won’t find many headphones under $50 that offer active noise canceling, but there are a few models that offer it.
It isn’t pretty good in budget headphones since ANC is powered by algorithms, built-in microphones, and engineering prowess. This is why quality ANC cannot be found in budget headphones. If you want great ANC, look for premium noise-canceling headphones.
Other Features To Look For
Do you need a headphone AMP – Some Hi-Fi headphone models need to be used with a headphone AMP since they sound too quiet when hooked directly to a 3.5mm port on a smartphone or a PC. This happens because the output signal is too weak for headphones to emit loud enough sound.
If you’re looking for a budget headphone, you probably won’t need a headphone amplifier. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Carrying Pouch – a small but near feature if you’re often on the go. A carrying pouch is always welcome.
Collapsible Earcups – another small but handy feature that increases portability. It’s great if you can simply collapse the headphones and put them anywhere.
Water Resistance – An important feature if you’re using in-ear wireless headphones while working out or doing any physical activity. Even some budget models come with splash resistance, basically sweat resistance. If you need sweat resistance, look for headphones with an IPX4 rating.
