The Jabra Elite 45h wireless headset, which was released in mid-2020, was described as the best on-ear affordable headphones for the money. While it isn't very flashy, it is now one of the finest on-ear headphone values, with good sound quality, a solid build, and a comfortable fit (for on-ear headphones, anyway). It also works well as a phone headset, including a sidetone feature that allows you to hear your own voice in the headphones so you don't speak too loudly. The battery life is likewise excellent. It's available in a variety of colours and costs $100, but it's now only $60.

1. Edifier has a few new true-wireless earbuds, and most of them, including the TWS 330NB, are excellent buys. While the TWS 330NB buds lack a sensor that automatically pauses your music when you remove them from your ears, they offer excellent sound quality for the price, good active noise cancellation with a transparency mode, and reliable voice calling (they have three microphones in each bud for noise cancelling and noise reduction during calls).

   They're essentially AirPods Pro clones that fit my ears well, and while the touch controls are limited, they can be programmed using the Edifier Connect app for iOS and Android (you can also set the level of touch sensitivity). They have an IP54 designation, which means they're splash and dust resistant, and the battery life is stated at four hours with noise cancellation on and five hours without (at moderate volume levels). That's OK, but the charging case comes with an extra two charges.

   It's worth noting that on Amazon's product page, there's occasionally an instant discount code that lowers the price of items.

Under $50 standout

1. The Earfun Free Pro appears to be identical to the Fiil T1XS in terms of design. The Earfun Free Pro, on the other hand, boasts more features, including active noise cancellation with transparency mode, wireless charging, and Bluetooth 5.2 (supposedly, a Fiil T1X Pro with noise cancellation is available in some parts of the world). They have a battery life of 7 hours without the noise-canceling feature turned on and around 6 hours with it turned on. They're water-resistant to IPX5 standards, which means they can endure a steady stream of water.

   These sound good for the price, with good clarity and bass, and I recommend them, as well as the Mpow X3 (see below), to anyone searching for inexpensive true wireless noise-canceling earbuds. These are also good for making calls and are now less expensive than the Mpow X3. Expect mediocre noise cancellation, but it is functional. They are listed for $60, but there is frequently an instant coupon available on Amazon that reduces the price by a few dollars.

1. For the money, you can't get much better than Anker's SoundCore Life Q30 in terms of sound, comfort, and build quality. It doesn't have the same clarity or bass definition as some of the top luxury models, but it's less than a third of the price and gets you about 75% of the way there in terms of sound (it's well balanced overall, with a powerful bottom, and there's an app to modify the sound). The noise cancellation is adequate for the price, but not as strong as the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. With USB-C charging, the battery life is claimed to be an astonishing 40 hours.

   The only area where the Q30 falls short is in terms of durability.

.

Bang & Olufse

1. Bang & Olufsen's Beoplay HX headphones are the successors to the company's H9 series headphones (the X represents a Roman numeral 10) and cost $500. Because of its high price, it competes directly with Apple's AirPods Max, which weigh 384.8 grammes compared to 285 grammes for the HX. I'm not sure if the HX is more comfortable than the AirPods Max, but over extended listening sessions, I found the two versions to be similar in terms of comfort, and they do have the usual snazzy B&O lambskin-covered memory foam ear cushions.

   When you pair an AptX-enabled Android device with specific music streaming services like Qobuz, the HX boasts bespoke 40mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.1, and support for Qualcomm's AptX Adaptive (which includes AptX HD) for high-resolution wireless streaming.

   Their sound is comparable to that of the AirPods Max, with a deep, well-defined bass, authentic-sounding mids (where vocals reside), and enticing treble detail (the sound is overall well-balanced). You can adjust the EQ via the Bang & Olufsen app for iOS and Android to give the headphones a warmer or brighter profile if you want to emphasise the treble or bass.

   These are more expensive than the Sony WH-1000XM4, but they provide more accurate sound. Their noise cancellation is also excellent, as are their voice-calling features. They also have multipoint Bluetooth pairing, allowing you to link them to a smartphone and a PC at the same time (for Windows machines, they're Microsoft Swift Pair enabled), allowing you to effortlessly choose between the two (the Sony WH-1000XM4 also has this feature). With noise cancellation turned on, the battery life can last up to 35 hours, and without it, it can last up to 40 hours. Those are fantastic figures.

   Bang & Olufsen's previous versions came with a flimsy case (actually a bag), while the HX comes with a sturdy case. As I previously stated, it is pricey, but the minor enhancements over the previous flagship Bang & Olufsen noise-canceling headphones make it worthwhile.