The best last-minute earbud stocking fillers under $60
The holiday season is upon us, and consumers have already been treated to some of the best earbuds deals we’ve ever seen this year. Don’t fret if you haven’t managed to do all of your shopping yet — there are still plenty of last-minute offers available. Here are three of the best earbuds under $60 to choose as stocking fillers this season.
The best for athletes: JLab JBuds Mini
Do you have an athletic friend? If so, the JLab JBuds Mini are just $39.99 on Amazon and offer exceptional value. IP55-rated and small enough to attach to a keyring, the earbuds support mono phone calls, last nearly six hours per charge, and feature a frequency response optimized for workouts. The microphone quality is decent, and the buds can be found with Find My in the JLab app. There’s also a volume limiter, a 10-band EQ, control customizations, and handy passthrough toggles. The capacitive touch controls can enable music and movie modes, and the built-in voice assistant handles daily queries. The only snag is that the JBuds Mini do not support active noise cancellation.
Read our full JLab JBuds Mini review.
The best for features: Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
One of our favorite earbuds at the office, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are currently discounted to just $56.99 on Amazon (43% off). Unlike the JLab JBuds Mini, the Liberty 4 NC have excellent noise cancellation capabilities. This makes low-frequency noises, like train and plane engines, sound roughly 87% quieter. They also last nearly 10 hours per charge, support wireless charging, and provide four hours of listening time from a 10-minute top-up. The earbuds connect via Bluetooth 5.3 and support the LDAC codec for high-quality wireless streaming. The Liberty 4 NC should sound excellent to most listeners, thanks to their U-shaped frequency response. The Soundcore app also unlocks a Fit Test, 22 EQ presets, an 8-band equalizer, ANC toggles, and a Safe Volume monitor.
Read our full Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC review.
The best for gadgets: CMF Buds Pro 2
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are proof that affordable buds can outpace expensive flagship rivals. Discounted to just $59 on Amazon (14% off), the Buds Pro 2 deliver a revolutionary Smart Dial for controlling the earbuds. This eliminates the need to pull out your phone or risk loosening your seal by touching the buds. Their IP54 rating protects against dust and water droplets, and the buds have in-ear detection. You can connect wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.3 with the SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs. Similarly, the Dual Connection feature allows simultaneous pairing with two devices. The earbuds last six hours and 15 minutes, and active noise cancellation quells low-frequency noises by approximately 81%. The CMF Buds Pro 2 are ideal for bass heads, although the Nothing X app provides a circular tri-band equalizer for taming the lows. There’s even ChatGPT integration with Nothing devices, if that’s your thing.
Read our full CMF Buds Pro 2 review.
Best earbuds under $60: Notable mentions
The Moondrop Space Travel is one of the best bang-for-buck earbuds on the market.
- Sony WF-C510 (): The Sony WF-C150 offer decent sound quality, over 10 hours of battery life, and the company’s 360 Reality Audio feature for a fraction of the competition.
- TOZO T12 (): The TOZO T12 sound extraordinarily good for the price and offer some of the best passive isolation we have seen. Battery life lasts 11 hours per charge, and the buds support wireless charging.
- Skullcandy Dime 3 (): The Skullcandy Dime 3 sound excellent, with a frequency response that closely follows our target preference curve. They also last nearly seven hours per charge, support Bluetooth Multipoint, and are IPX4-rated. However, their isolation is poor.
- Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 (): Rare in this category, the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 have active noise cancellation, a companion app, and an IP54 rating. There’s also a low-latency gaming mode, although battery life is pedestrian.
- Moondrop Space Travel (): The Moondrop Space Travel are a no-frills option with superior sound quality and noise cancellation. There’s also a companion app for tinkering, but the buds do not have a robust IP rating or long battery life.
What you should know about the best wireless earbuds under $60
The buds of the Sony WF-C510 are quite small, though they stick into your ear a little far.
It’s important to note that budget buds often forego flagship features to keep costs low. For example, most earbuds under $60 do not have active noise cancellation, lack wireless charging, and do not support Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity. You may also have to live without a companion app and advanced features, such as spatial audio, a built-in voice assistant, or a comprehensive custom EQ. Battery life is also likely to last between four and five hours, although some newer models enjoy above-average charging capacities.
How we test wireless earbuds
The Nothing Ear (a) on our Bruel & Kjaer 5128 test head.
We test frequency response, isolation, and battery life using our in-house Bruel & Kjaer 5128 dummy head. To test frequency responses, we play sine sweeps through the earbuds and log the results. To test isolation, we play a sample of shaped noise at 90dB(SPL) (measured at the eardrum), once with the headphones off and another with the headphones on. We then subtract one measurement from the other. To test the battery, we use shaped noise and a real-time analyzer to find the setting needed to output consistent audio peaking at 75dB(SPL). We then play our music test track on an infinite loop until the battery depletes entirely and log the result.
Why you should trust SoundGuys
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are comfortable for long listening sessions.
SoundGuys takes integrity very seriously, and we pride ourselves on our ability to demonstrate our work and justify our top picks. Everything that we recommend has been subjected to our objective measurements and hands-on experiences.
