The 7 Best Over-Ear Headphones Under $100 - Fall 2019
Reviews

If you’re looking for well-rounded over-ear headphones for casual use but prefer something that feels a little better-built, then get the Anker SoundCore Life 2. They don’t isolate noise as well as the Mpow H10 Wireless, but they leak much less sound and have a better build quality. They have an exciting, bass-rich sound profile that’s well-suited to most popular genres of music, and they have a great 28-hour battery life.

Although they have plush, comfortable ear cup padding, their headband is quite large. Even when set at the smallest setting, the headphones are still too large for those with smaller heads. These headphones, like the Mpow, also aren’t compatible with a companion app which would let you customize the way they sound. That said, if you aren’t concerned about them fitting too loosely and don’t need any customization options, these are decent mixed-usage headphones. You can also consider the Anker SoundCore Space NC, which isolate a lot more noise but have a more dark, veiled sound.

If you prefer being able to customize the way your headphones sound but are trying to stay under $100, then get the Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT Wireless. They’re not as comfortable as the Mpow H10 and their control scheme is a bit more difficult to use, but you can customize the way they sound with the Sennheiser Captune app, which features a great parametric EQ. They also have a great 29-hour battery life and don’t leak as much noise as the Mpow.

Although you can technically use the Captune app with any pair of headphones, or even Bluetooth speakers, the EQ settings will only remain active while the app is in use. The advantage of these headphones is that once you EQ them with the app, you can benefit from your personal sound signature no matter what device you’re listening to. They may not be the most comfortable over-ears we’ve tested, but their customizability at this price point makes them worth considering.

If you prefer closed-back headphones for your critical listening needs, consider the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. They’re comfortable studio headphones that sound very good with deep, yet well-balanced bass, an excellent flat mid-range, and very good treble. They’re well-suited for mixing audio, DJ monitoring, or just listening to your favorite tracks at home. They’re fairly well-built and come with a regular and a coiled audio cable for added versatility.

Like most critical listening headphones, these have poor noise isolation. Their closed-back design isolates better than most open-back models, but they’re still not designed to be used in noisy environments. They also don’t have a microphone or any control options, so if you’re using them with your smartphone, you’ll have to take calls and control your audio on your phone directly.

If you don’t like having to worry about battery life and prefer wired gaming headphones, consider the SteelSeries Arctis 5 2019 Edition. They’re well-rounded gaming headphones that sound very good, have a great boom microphone, and are highly customizable when paired with the SteelSeries Engine on PC. They come with a USB adapter that has a channel mixing dial for PC and PS4 gaming and a 1/8” audio jack for the Xbox One or use with your mobile devices.

While they feel fairly well-made for the price, they don’t have the same build quality as other models in the Arctis lineup, like the SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless. If you’re looking for better-built wired gaming headphones, the HyperX Cloud II are worth checking out – they feel much more durable and are among the most comfortable gaming headphones we’ve tested so far. The Arctis have a more balanced sound, though, and perform slightly better overall.