The 5 Best Headphones Under $50 - Black Friday 2020 Reviews

The best headphones under $50 that we've tested are the Plantronics BackBeat Go 810. These wireless over-ears have a comfortable fit and a decently versatile performance that can please many different listeners. Thanks to their over 24-hour continuous battery life, they're ideal for long days on-the-go.

Overall, they have a neutral, well-balanced sound profile that's suitable for listening to lots of different audio content. The BackBeat companion app even offers a few EQ presets to help you customize their sound to your liking. They don't leak a lot of noise, either, so you crank up the volume on your favorite tunes without bothering people around you.

Unfortunately, while these headphones come with an active noise cancellation (ANC) feature, they still struggle to block out bass-heavy background noises like bus and plane engines, so they may not be ideal for your commute. Their ear cups are also small and shallow, so they may not be comfortable for all listeners. However, if you're on a budget, these over-ears are a solid choice.

The best truly wireless headphones under $50 that we've tested are the FIIL T1X. These well-built wireless in-ears come with different sizes of ear tips and stability fins to help you get a comfortable, stable fit. Their continuous battery life is over six hours, and their portable charging case offers around three extra charges for when you're on the go.

Overall, they have a bass-heavy sound profile that packs a little extra thump and punch, but can still suit a lot of different music genres. If you prefer a different sound, you can customize the sound profile using the 15 different EQ presets in their companion app. They don't leak a lot of noise, either, so you can turn up the volume on your favorite tunes without bothering the people around you.

Unfortunately, they don't have the most intuitive control scheme, so it may take a bit of time to figure out their touch-sensitive controls. Their integrated microphone isn't the best, either, as it tends to make your voice sound unnatural and distorted. That said, these in-ears have a decently versatile performance and a solid amount of sound customization options for their price point.

The best headphones under $50 with an earbud design that we've tested are the Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019. These wireless in-ears have an intuitive in-line remote and feel reasonably well-built, with dense plastic earbuds and an IPX7 rating for water resistance, although we don’t test for the latter. With an included selection of five differently-sized ear tips and three differently-sized stability fins, finding a comfortable, consistent, and secure fit shouldn’t be a challenge.

Their sound profile is quite bass-heavy, with enough thump and rumble to please all but the most demanding of bass fanatics.  However, they seldom sound muddy or boomy thanks to their well-reproduced mids and treble. Meanwhile, their 18.4-hour battery life is among the longest we’ve tested for a pair of Bluetooth in-ears and should have no trouble getting you through a couple of long days at the office. They only take a little over one hour to charge, which is really handy if you’re in a rush.

Unfortunately, while the earbuds are made of dense plastic, their cable is quite thin and feels a little more fragile. They also lack any dedicated app support, although that might be expected at this price. Overall, they're an excellent value and are among the best headphones we've tested.