Which Affordable Earbuds Are Best For Noise Cancellation?

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Finding a great pair of wireless earbuds for a reasonable price can be a challenge. Sure, plenty of no-name brands release low-cost buds on Amazon, but we wouldn't trust most of them as far as we can throw them. With those options off the table, it's tough to find something reputable for under $100; that's what we thought at any rate before discovering the $60 Soundcore P31i Wireless Earbuds. Available in Black, White, Pink, and Light Blue, the P31i deliver exceptional sound quality for the price. 

At the time of writing, they were actually marked down to $35 and have dropped as low as $32. Out of the box, you can expect rich, full-bodied audio that shines across multiple music genres. You'll also get some of the best active noise-canceling (ANC) a cheap pair of buds has ever produced, plus in-app customization to dial in your preferred level of isolation. The Soundcore app also offers a range of audio presets, plus a graphic EQ and other bud optimizations.

The P31i are also some of the best cheap ANC buds for phone calls; the onboard mics do a solid job of honing in on your voice while reducing environmental sounds like chatty coworkers or passing traffic. It's not perfect attenuation, but it's far better than what you'll get with other earbuds and headphones, many of which cost much more than the P31i.

Amazon user reviews can be a mixed bag, but the Soundcore P31i won over most folks who tried them. The buds didn't get a "frequently returned" badge, which is always a good sign, and most reviews are five stars. People love the sound quality and noise-canceling; there's also a ton of praise for their comfort and top-shelf battery life — up to 35-40 hours, depending on your volume and ANC settings.

We did read a couple of reviews where users complained about their buds being defective after only a short time; luckily, there wasn't much of this feedback, and Soundcore does provide an 18-month limited warranty on all headphone products. Still scoping out an alternative? We also dig the $63 CMF Buds 2 Plus Wireless Earbuds. CMF is a Nothing sub-label, and both industry pros and average consumers have historically had great experiences with Nothing audio.

Similar to the Soundcore P31i, the CMF Buds 2 Plus use an adaptive ANC system, and it does a solid job of attenuating the world around you. Surprisingly, these cheap buds also support Sony's hi-res LDAC Bluetooth codec, though you'll need a compatible Android device to take advantage of it (the Soundcore P31i supports LDAC, too).