Audio & Headphones
The Best True Wireless Earbuds Under $100 (and the One to Skip)
You no longer have to spend flagship money to get adaptive noise cancelling, hi-res LDAC audio, and multipoint pairing. We cross-checked the current picks from independent testing to find the sub-$100 earbuds that genuinely deliver. We also flag one widely sold pair that reviewers openly tell most buyers to avoid.
Our verdict
Best overall: Air Pro 4+
The EarFun Air Pro 4+ offers the deepest feature set under $100, while the Liberty 4 NC is the safer value for strong ANC around $70. If you want the best deal outright, the ~$59 CMF Buds 2 Plus is the standout — and the Beats Solo Buds are the one popular pair to avoid.
The most feature-packed earbuds you can buy for the price, and a standout sub-$100 pick.
- Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC and aptX Lossless hi-res codec support
- Dual-driver sound plus effective adaptive ANC (~80% noise reduction)
- Sits right at the $100 ceiling, so no real budget savings
- Deep feature set and app can be overkill for casual listeners
Best for: Tech-forward listeners who want the most codecs, ANC, and features under $100
The go-to strong-ANC bargain, routinely named the best noise cancelling you can get for around $70.
- Class-leading adaptive ANC and isolation for the money
- Nearly 8–10 hours per charge with ANC on, plus LDAC and multipoint
- Bass-forward default tuning (fixable via EQ)
- No wireless charging
Best for: Most people who want serious noise cancelling without paying flagship prices
At about $59 it delivers sound and ANC that reviewers say compete with earbuds costing twice as much.
- Sound quality and ANC (~83% reduction) that punch far above the price
- LDAC hi-res audio, IP55 rating, and huge total battery life
- Dropped the handy physical Smart Dial from the earlier model
- Budget, plasticky build and styling
Best for: Value seekers who want near-flagship features for the lowest sensible price
Reviewers flatly say steer clear: no ANC, and a charging case that can't even recharge the buds.
- Excellent 18-hour battery life on a single charge
- Tiny, comfortable fit with simple USB-C charging
- No active noise cancelling or transparency mode
- Charging case has no internal battery, so you can't top up the buds on the go
- No wireless charging and no Bluetooth multipoint
Best for: Almost no one — only die-hard Beats fans who just want the logo at a low price
| Criteria | Air Pro 4+ | Soundcore Liberty 4 NC | CMF Buds 2 Plus | Solo Buds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | Adaptive hybrid ANC, ~50dB | Adaptive ANC 2.0, strongest in class | 50dB ANC, exceptional for the price | None |
| Hi-res codecs | LDAC + aptX Lossless (BT 6.0) | LDAC, AAC, SBC (BT 5.3) | LDAC hi-res | AAC/SBC only, no hi-res |
| Battery (ANC on, per charge) | ~6+ hours | ~8–10 hours | ~10 hours | 18 hours (no ANC), but case can't recharge buds |
| Water resistance | IPX5 | IPX4 | IP55 | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth multipoint | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Price | ~$100 | ~$70 | ~$59 | ~$80 |
How we picked
We weighed the things that separate good budget earbuds from forgettable ones: how much noise the ANC actually removes, sound balance across the codecs each pair supports, real battery life with ANC on, app control, call clarity, and all-day comfort. We ignored the marketing noise, chiefly inflated noise-cancellation dB figures and codec badges that only pay off with a matching phone. RBE does not lab-test; we synthesize independent expert measurements with long-term owner reports to see what holds up past the unboxing. Our pick is the EarFun Air Pro 4+, which pairs useful ANC with hi-res codec support at this tier. The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC runs a close second on value and app depth.
EarFun Air Pro 4+ — Buy
A feature-dense pair that punches above its tier. Inside each bud sits a hybrid engine: a 10mm composite dynamic driver paired with a lightweight FeatherBA balanced armature, fed by Qualcomm’s QCC3091 chipset with Bluetooth 6.0 plus aptX Lossless and LDAC support. The case tops out around 54 hours of total playback, so charging anxiety rarely factors.
Owners and independent reviewers most often single out the detail retrieval over LDAC, where separation and clarity edge close to earbuds costing far more. The adaptive ANC also lands well for the tier, muting bus drone and HVAC hum with little fuss.
What gets flagged less favorably: the ANC loses grip on higher-pitched noise, so clattering keyboards and voices still leak through, and the treble can turn sharp on bright tracks until you tame it in the EQ.
Right buyer: an Android owner who wants hi-res codecs and long battery without overspending. Wrong buyer: an iPhone user, who cannot access LDAC or aptX and loses much of the sonic advantage.
Soundcore Liberty 4 NC — Buy
The value workhorse of this group. The Adaptive Noise Cancelling system offers five manual strength levels plus a transport-tuned mode, and it reliably flattens traffic rumble and the steady hum of a train carriage. Battery runs close to 10 hours with ANC engaged, and a 10-minute top-up returns roughly four hours.
The companion app is the real draw. It runs a fit test, exposes 22 EQ presets alongside an eight-band custom equalizer, and lets you remap controls, so you can dial the sound to taste rather than accept the default V-shape. LDAC support is on board for Android listeners.
The recurring gripe concerns comfort: the fit reads as average, secure enough but never disappearing in the ear over long sessions, and some owners find the touch controls finicky. Call performance is serviceable rather than standout.
Right buyer: someone who wants strong commuter ANC and deep app tuning. Wrong buyer: anyone hunting the lightest, most invisible fit for marathon listening.
CMF Buds 2 Plus — Buy
The style-forward budget option, and a capable one for Android listeners. It supports LDAC and layers on a Personal Sound feature, powered by Audiodo, that runs a short hearing test to build a profile tuned to your ears. An Ultra Bass tuning adds low-end weight, and the result over LDAC is clean, well-separated audio that reviewers rate above its tier.
The caveats are specific. The advertised 50dB hybrid ANC does not hold up under independent measurement, landing closer to the low 40s and staying weak in the 50-to-100Hz band where bus and plane rumble sit. Cut the LDAC connection, as any iPhone user must, and the sound flattens noticeably. Battery with ANC on runs about six to seven hours, short of the headline figure.
Right buyer: an Android owner who values design and a custom sound profile over raw noise-blocking. Wrong buyer: an iPhone user or a frequent flyer leaning on ANC to survive engine drone.
Beats Solo Buds — Skip
The problem here is not the sound so much as the design compromises. The Solo Buds carry a strong single-charge runtime, tested past 17 hours, and the shells are genuinely compact. But the case is the catch: it contains no battery. It cannot recharge the buds at all, it only stores them, so once they drain you are tethered to a cable rather than dropping them in for a quick top-up.
Beyond that, there is no active noise cancellation, no spatial audio, and no multipoint pairing, features the three picks above deliver at similar cost. Reviewers describe the soundstage as narrow with only average mid-to-high detail and limited instrument separation, so the sonics do not offset the missing conveniences.
Right buyer: someone set on the Beats name at the lowest entry cost and willing to accept a case that does not charge. Wrong buyer: essentially everyone else, who gets more capability from any of our three buy picks.
EarFun Air Pro 4+ vs Soundcore Liberty 4 NC: which should you buy?
Both are strong, and the choice comes down to what you optimize for. The EarFun Air Pro 4+ wins on raw sound and codec reach: its hybrid dual-driver setup and aptX Lossless support give it the more detailed, hi-res presentation, and its case battery outlasts the Soundcore by a wide margin. If audio quality and endurance top your list, take the EarFun.
The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC counters with a more polished software experience. Its fit test, 22 presets, and eight-band EQ give you finer control, and its five-level ANC with a transport mode is easy to tune on the move. It is the better pick if you commute daily and want granular noise control plus deep customization.
For most listeners the EarFun edges ahead on sound and battery; choose the Soundcore if app depth and adjustable ANC matter more.
How to choose
Start with your phone. LDAC and aptX Lossless are the headline features on most of these earbuds, and neither works on an iPhone, which relies on AAC. If you are on iOS, prioritize a pair that sounds good on AAC rather than paying for codecs you cannot use.
Treat ANC dB claims with suspicion. Advertised figures rarely survive independent measurement, and low-frequency performance, the engine and traffic rumble you most want gone, matters more than a big number on the box. Read for how a pair handles the 50-to-100Hz range specifically.
Weigh battery in real terms: quoted totals assume ANC off and count the case. Halve optimistic numbers for ANC-on listening. Then consider fit, since comfort determines whether you actually wear them for hours, and check that the case itself holds a charge.
Finally, decide how much you will use the app. If you want to sculpt sound with a multi-band EQ or remap controls, a deep app adds real value; if you just want to press play, it matters less.
The bottom line
The EarFun Air Pro 4+ is the pick for most buyers, blending useful ANC, hi-res codec support, and a case that runs for days. The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC is the smarter buy for daily commuters who want adjustable noise control and the deepest app. The CMF Buds 2 Plus rewards Android owners who value design and a custom sound profile. Skip the Beats Solo Buds: a case that cannot recharge the buds and no ANC leave it behind the field at similar cost.
Frequently asked questions
Do these earbuds work well with an iPhone?
Partly. iPhones use AAC, so you lose the LDAC and aptX Lossless quality these earbuds lean on. The EarFun and Soundcore still sound solid on AAC, but the CMF Buds 2 Plus flatten noticeably without LDAC, making them a weaker iOS choice.
Is the ANC on budget earbuds actually useful?
Yes, within limits. The EarFun and Soundcore reliably mute low-frequency drone like buses and HVAC hum. None fully silence higher-pitched noise such as voices or keyboards, and advertised dB figures overstate real performance, so judge by low-end rumble reduction rather than headline numbers.
Which pair has the best battery life?
The EarFun Air Pro 4+ leads, with a case rated near 54 hours total and strong per-bud runtime. The Beats Solo Buds last long on a single charge, but their case holds no battery, so they cannot be topped up on the go.
Are the Beats Solo Buds worth it for the brand?
Rarely. They lack ANC, spatial audio, and multipoint, and the case cannot recharge them, only store them. Unless the Beats name is your priority at the lowest entry cost, our three buy picks each deliver more capability for a similar outlay.
