Best true wireless earbuds under $100

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Today we are going to be talking about the best inexpensive bluetooth headsets for 2021-22. For this category, we will be discussing only true wireless models under $100. Let’s see which company has proven that good doesn’t have to be expensive.

EarFun Air Pro

This product on Amazon 👉https://amzn.to/31st5xm

Let’s start with a relatively expensive wireless earbuds, which still manage to fit more than comfortably into the “under $100” category.

This model pleasantly surprised both average users and more critical experts. First of all, the sound quality is quite impressive. However, this should not come as such a shock, because even at such a reasonable price, the manufacturer managed to equip the headset with good-quality speakers, and then collaborated with Edifier to tune them to perfection.

More detailed expert studies of the EarFun Air Pro’s sound characteristics show us a V-shaped sound profile. This means that these headphones will work well with a wide variety of audio content, styles, and genres.

The already good sound quality is further complemented by a high-quality active noise cancellation feature. The effectiveness of this feature really commands respect; these headphones can block out the noise of a busy street, typical background noise in a shopping center, and even more noticeable, “intentional” noises like the sound of a washing machine in the house. But if you need to hear what’s going on around you without taking them out of your ears, the noise cancellation feature can be easily turned off.

These headphones’ design, solid materials and reliable case will all impress most users. The EarFun Air Pro’s battery life is also quite good, at about 9 hours. The true wireless case can function as a mini-power bank in parallel, providing enough capacity for two and a half full charges. This is, to put it mildly, not a record capacity, but when taken as a whole, it turns out to be more than 30 hours of real wireless autonomy, which is also a good result.

Of course, we also found a few downsides. There is no “native” application here that would give the ability to flexibly adjust the frequencies using the equalizer. Another less than ideal aspect of the headset is its touch control. We are glad that there is touch control at all, but in terms of sensitivity and intuitive clarity, it clearly loses out to more expensive models.

Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2

This product on Amazon 👉https://amzn.to/3lxcIHj

These true wireless earbuds came in 2nd place in our ranking due to a good combination of key characteristics: sound quality, autonomy and ergonomics. What makes them even more attractive is their price: more than 2 times cheaper than the previous model.

A cursory glance at the characteristics and our first test gave us a very favorable impression of the product. The sound is of high quality, the bass is pronounced, and the fit is both comfortable and stable. I am also pleased with the quality and stability of the Bluetooth 5.0 connection, the presence of the USB Type-C interface and the AAC codec.

On a single charge, these earbuds work for about 8 hours, which is pretty good. If we add on the capacity of the recharging case, then we get as much as 100 hours, which is closer to the battery life of expensive models. Of course, the capacity of the case will not always be enough for such an impressive runtime, but still this aspect of the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 is outstanding when compared with other budget models. In addition, the case charges the earbuds very rapidly, 10 minutes of charging in the case is enough for 1.5 hours of use.

We should also say a few words about their ergonomics. The shape of the earbuds provides a comfortable and secure fit at the same time. The package contains replaceable ear pads, but even without them, most users say that the headphones can be worn for many hours without discomfort. Shaking them out of your ears by accident also has been shown to be a rarity, which brings the model closer to high-quality sports headsets. And finally, the IPX5 protection against rain and sweat makes them suitable and comfortable even for active sports.

The headset has some drawbacks, but they are relatively minor – a large case, software for presets and settings is not supported, and there are some issues about the ease of use. But against the background of the advantages and affordable prices, these “little issues” seem all the more insignificant.

This model has an active noise canceling version of the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 NC and can be found for less than $100 too.

JLab Go Air

This product on Amazon 👉https://amzn.to/3G6xW6o

The next model we’ll look at in our list of the best budget wireless headsets according to VoteTopBest is the JLab Go Air. They received good marks from many experts and also positive feedback from ordinary users. However, the pros and cons of this model are a bit ambiguous, and here’s why.

Immediately, we note that JLab Go Air is noticeably inferior to the two previous participants in the rating in terms of sound quality. The bass here is not so deep and pronounced, and the high … well, it’s just too high. Of course, the sound cannot be called outright bad, otherwise we would not even have it on our list. The sound is quite clean and good. To be honest, this model is not for true music aficionados, but for listening to some work material and simple conversations, this is more than sufficient.

In terms of autonomy, this headset is far from the “stellar” marks of the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2, but considering its price, it is more than enough, at about 5 hours of operation from the onboard mini-batteries and another 15 hours from case capacity. For a price of less than $30, it’s really not bad at all.

We also really appreciate the implementation of the wireless connection. Bluetooth 5.0 works well, reliably, and keeps the connection stable. Automatic connection also takes place quickly and automatically after the initial pairing.

The most unusual and surprisingly useful thing about the JLab Go Air is its ability to use the headphones separately. Meaning, you can listen to audio with one earbud while the other is charging in the case. This provides tremendous benefits in cases where it is highly undesirable to interrupt a conversation or listening to important work materials in the context of a deadline. The built-in microphones, which are in both headphones, also help with this.

Actually, we think that because of this rather unique feature, this model can be forgiven for some of the shortcomings with regard to the sound. After all, if we consider this product like a reporter’s headset, then this feature gives some really great advantages. According to user reviews, the headphones can also be used for sports; they are comfortable to wear and do not fall out.

Skullcandy Dime True Wireless in-Ear Earbud

This product on Amazon 👉https://amzn.to/2ZWuE6A

And the most inexpensive model will complete our review, literally the record holder for most affordable price among usable wireless headsets. Indeed, the $20 price tag is quite seductive.

It would be silly to expect the best features from this model, and certainly serious compromises have been made here. First of all, the plastic is of mediocre quality. Not entirely bad, but the  “results” of the savings are noticeable. The desire to reduce the cost is visible in everything – a very short charging cable, rather austere equipment, and features limited to a minimum.

The second point you have to come to terms with is the limited battery life. At most, it provides a maximum of 3.8 hours, and the case only provides 2.5 additional full charges.

The manufacturer emphatically states that the headphones are “noise-isolating”, but here you need to understand that we are talking about natural noise isolation, which, to one degree or another, is provided by any in-ear headphoness. Skullcandy Dime is really good at isolating from external sounds, but this should not be confused with the active noise canceling function, which this model does not have.

All these savings have a positive another side – unexpectedly decent sound quality. It would seem the manufacturer approached their attempts at cutting costs very conscientiously. The deeply crafted, boosted bass is excellent at keeping the fine line between depth and loss of naturalness. At the same time, high notes are not lost against the background of low notes, and they also sound distinct, bright and clean with decent detail.

Final remarks

As you can see, even on a budget, it is easy to find wireless headsets that will provide relatively high-quality sound, stable connections, and a fairly long battery life.

The manufacturer’s desire to achieve a combination of affordable prices and decent functionality sometimes plays into the hands of buyers and leads to unexpectedly striking results. We see this in the example of the good sound quality of the super-cheap Skullcandy Dime, the unexpectedly high autonomy of the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 and other aspects of the models in our budget rating list.

On the other hand, the principle “the more expensive the better” is also quite obvious here – EarFun Air Pro are the best in the budget category, but they are also the most expensive.

Choose your option and don’t forget to vote for the model you like best!