2025 has been the best year for budget earbuds. For me, anyway. I've tested loads of the best cheap earbuds this year, and I'm continually blown away by how much earbuds can do these days.
We're getting premium features like IP ratings, wear detection, app compatibility with unlimited custom EQs, and even high-end tuning by brands like Bose and Dirac. All that in earbuds that cost well under $100... yeah, 2025 is treating us.
My favorite budget earbuds under $40
The best sub-$40 earbuds of 2025 are the JLab Go Pods ANC. And there is no competition whatsoever.
While I was reviewing the JLab Go Pods ANC, one of my colleagues was reviewing the brand's similarly named slightly more premium model, the JLab JBuds Pods ANC ($69).
I genuinely thought we'd accidentally swapped pairs, as the Go Pods ANC sounded unbelievably good. I wondered to myself, "There's no way these earbuds are $36." But no — we had the correct earbuds. The Go Pods ANC are just that good.
Thanks to the bassy sound signature, the Go Pods ANC pack a serious punch. I tested them with every genre from acoustic folk to disgusting DnB, and I was pleasantly surprised the entire time.
The Go Pods ANC aren't just excellent for sound, although that's really important. They have three ANC modes (that actually block sound really well), great call quality, and premium features like custom EQ adjustment.
The only negative? They're a little big for my tiny ears and there's no wear detection, but considering the JLab Go Pods ANC are just $36, can you really ask for much more? I think not.
Here's a little Tom's Guide Reviews team insider info for you: I actually keep the Go Pods ANC in my desk at work, and every time I review new budget earbuds, I directly compare the sound quality. And if a pair of $99 earbuds sound worse than this $36 pair? It's a no from me.
My favorite budget earbuds under $70
Next, I've got the utterly fantastic CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2. Yes, they came out in 2024, but they're new for me, and they're so darn good I couldn't not include them here.
Don't get me wrong, these are bassy buds. If you're more of a detail listener, then I'll need to direct you to the earbuds in the sub-$100 section below.
The CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 are very, very bassy. While some people love that, others don't, so don't say I didn't warn you. Personally, I love it. I love feeling the bass in my jaw, and I'm honestly not being sarcastic.
The Buds Pro 2 have dual drivers, like the EarFun Air Pro 4+ I'll discuss below, which helps balance tones across the frequency range. It's not always the case, but it's true for these particular buds, but the dual drivers ensures that the sound is accurately represented and dynamic.
On top of that, these earbuds are also tuned by Dirac, with a custom EQ in the app. I love this feature — it makes songs sound like they're being performed in a private room.
The Buds Pro 2 also have fake "Spatial Audio" in the companion app, which means you can trick your brain into thinking your music sounds more expansive. I'm not science-y enough to tell you how this works, but it's basically a series of nifty DSPs that expand the soundscape both horizontally and vertically. The result is premium sound for very little money.
The Buds Pro 2 have way too many features for me to discuss here, which is why I linked my full review above. The long and short of it is this: The CMF Buds Pro 2 have a permanent place in my desk drawer now, for long-term comparisons. Sub-$70 earbuds have a lot to beat now.
My favorite budget earbuds under $100
I was so excited to try out the EarFun Air Pro 4+ when they came out a couple of weeks ago, and oh boy, did they live up to expectations. The bar for budget earbuds has never been higher.
When I was testing the EarFun Air Pro 4+, I had to keep putting in my AirPods Pro 3 just to compare. I couldn't believe the minimal difference in the sound quality.
Obviously, the $249 AirPods Pro 3 are going to sound better, and I'm in no way claiming that $99 are as good as $249 buds. I am, however, claiming that the difference in sound quality is no way worth $150. If you're an audiophile on a low budget, I can't recommend the EarFun Air Pro 4+ enough — this is the same conclusion my colleague Nikita came to when she reviewed the 4+'s predecessors, the EarFun Air Pro 4.
They also have aptX and LDAC, so if you've got a compatible phone and a hi-res streaming service like Qobuz, you are in for a treat. Thanks to the dual balanced armature and dynamic drivers, the Air Pro 4+ handle sounds across the frequency range deftly. The sound is gorgeously layered, nuanced, and detail-forward as opposed to the bass-heavy signature of the CMF Buds Pro 2 and JLab Go Pods ANC, but that doesn't make them worse.
It actually makes them better. Most audiophile reference headphones are detail-forward, so it makes sense that EarFun has taken a leaf out of hi-res brands' books. I'd say these earbuds are like the baby audiophile version AirPods Pro 3, so if you really want a pair of Apple's latest flagships but $250 is a little too pricey, I'd 100% grab the EarFun offering.
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