Record-low deal alert: The best budget earbuds we've tested are down to $45 (40% off)

If I may get a little overenthusiastic: I love … no, I LOVE my Anker Soundcore earbuds. I wear them to the gym, while running errands, even to bed — they survived a lazy river splashing from armies of tweens and still managed to cancel out said tweens' epic Mario Kart tournament. They last for days on a single charge and never budge even during my solo dance parties. They're better than all the pricier models I've tried, and now they're on sale for just $45, an all-time low. These earbuds truly outpace options for double their price. Read on for why I love them so darn much (and why I just bought a backup pair).

Why is it a good deal? 💰

Usually, an under-$100 pair of earbuds leaves you bracing for compromises like thin sound, weak battery life or a fit that abandons ship mid-workout. With these, you're getting hi-res audio, wireless charging, noise cancellation and up to 50 hours of playtime. Scoring that level of performance for under $50 feels almost unreal. Grab the blue 'buds for $45 — a record 45% off — or pay a few more bucks for black, purple or green.

Why do I need this? 🤔

I'll admit it: I'm not exactly the household tech whisperer, so I had to sanity-check my obsession with these earbuds. Was I onto something, or just a Luddite in denial? Our resident technology expert, Senior Tech Editor Rick Broida, weighed in: "Soundcore has some of the best budget audio gear, full stop." Translation: I was right. (And yes, I'm gloating.) No wonder these are among Rick's picks for the best cheap earbuds for 2025.

In my experience, great earbuds aren't just about carrying on while you're listening to music — they're about keeping up with everyday life and delivering a little peace. I live in the middle of one of the busiest parts of Los Angeles, and I can attest that the noise-cancelling on these buds is elite. According to the specs, they knock out up to 98% of background noise (sounds about right), so my playlists never have to battle blaring sirens, gunning engines or the endless construction at my neighbor's place. Construction? What construction?!

They're compact and featherlight, yet somehow stay locked in place — whether it's during my sweatiest Peloton ride or the full-throttle chaos of God knows how many tween boys yelling in my house. With 10 hours per charge (50 with the case), I usually run out of things to listen to long before these earbuds run out of power. And if you forget to top them off, a 10-minute charge buys you another four hours — more than enough for a workout, a commute or "just one more" episode of your favorite true-crime podcast.

Plus, they come with an incredibly intuitive app that allows you to fully customize your listening, from tweaking sound levels to adjusting the noise cancellation, so the earbuds adapt to you, not the other way around.

What reviewers say 💬

With nearly 12,000 five-star reviews behind them, these earbuds are in perfect harmony with what shoppers want: clean, balanced audio, noise-cancelling that actually works and a battery that goes the distance. Reviewers also love that they are comfortable enough to wear from morning playlists to late-night podcasts.

Pros 👍

"I gotta say, these are pretty darned good earbuds. I wasn't expecting much for the price, but these beauties are full of surprises. ... Deep, solid bass came out of nowhere. … Acoustic guitar passages, deep bass, synth pop, oldies, progressive deep cuts, even progressive metal all sound great! … Bluetooth compatibility was another big surprise. Switching between my car and phone is automatic… So keep it real: Get a set of these," said a multitasking audiophile.

"These Soundcore A40s changed everything — they block noise even with a single earbud, and to my surprise, they deliver THE BEST SOUND QUALITY I'VE HAD IN YEARS. I'm a music lover, and this is the closest I've come to studio-level headphones in such a small package," said a superior-sound seeker. "The sound profiles are customizable, the battery lasts all day, and they're honestly the most comfortable earbuds I've ever bought. Soundcore really nailed it with these — I'm a lifelong customer now."

"The Space A40s are now my No. 1 go-to earbuds. … No fatigue, perfect fit, no need to adjust constantly. Amazing, beautiful sound. Battery life is amazing," said a perfect-fit fan. "The perfect earbuds for me. I will definitely be purchasing at least two more pairs."

Cons 👎

Some reviewers feel the touch controls are overly sensitive. "I like these a lot, but the controls aren't the best," said one shopper. "They're good. In a world without AirPods, I'd say they’re great. Multi-tapping is just inferior to gesture controls, and the fact that I need both earbuds in to be able to both increase and decrease volume is sub-optimal. If they had better controls, or the touch sensitivity was more dialed in to my liking, these would be an easy five stars."

"I love the sound from these and love the HearID, which allows you to customize the EQ settings based on your hearing ... definitely a cool feature," said another reviewer. "However, I have one major issue with these and that is the touch-sensitive controls on the sides. The area that is touch sensitive is so large on the side you can't put them in or adjust them (the biggest problem for me), without activating one of the control functions."

If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)

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