The Best Budget Headphones Under $75

You don't need to spend $350 for good headphones. We tested 20 models under $75 and found that noise cancellation at this price is real — not as good as the flagships, but real enough to use on a plane.

#1 Pick

The best Budget Headphones Under $75

Sony WH-CH720N by Sony

The Sony WH-CH720N delivers 22 dB of noise cancellation — roughly 60% of the flagship XM6 — at one-fifth the price. Sound quality is balanced rather than bass-heavy, which is unusual at this price. At

How we tested

We used the same measurement protocol as our premium headphone test: frequency response, ANC attenuation, and comfort over extended wear. We also stress-tested build quality by folding each pair 1,000 times.

Why it won

The Sony WH-CH720N delivers 22 dB of noise cancellation — roughly 60% of the flagship XM6 — at one-fifth the price. Sound quality is balanced rather than bass-heavy, which is unusual at this price. At 192 grams, it's also the lightest ANC headphone we've tested in any price range.

Specifications

The bottom line

The Sony WH-CH720N earns our top pick because it outperformed the competition in the metrics that matter most. At an overall score of 9.0 against a category average of 6.8, the gap speaks for itself. If you are looking for the best in this category, start here.