AirPods Pro Alternatives: 4 Great Options That Cost Less

I’ll just say it: AirPods Pro is the gold standard in true wireless earbuds. They work great, sound great, and offer really amazing noise cancellation capabilities. But, gosh, that $ 249 price tag. Are you sure there are more affordable options?

Exist. I’ve rounded up some of the best options below, including one priced as low as $ 50. Of course, not all headphones are the same. Before diving into these AirPods alternatives, let me explain a few important distinctions.

Read more: I bought refurbished AirPods Pro. You should do the same?

AirPods Pro vs. the competition

The original AirPods weren’t the first true wireless earphones, those with fully independent left and right earbuds, but they were certainly the most popular. Since they launched in late 2016, AirPods (listed at $ 159, but most often available between $ 129 and $ 144) have spawned dozens, if not hundreds, of competitors, including many perfectly good available between $ 50 and $ 100.

The AirPods ProIntroduced in 2019 for $ 249, it added a new wrinkle: Active Noise Canceling (ANC) capabilities. Again, while they weren’t the first to incorporate that feature (which counteracts external noise like a drone from aircraft engines), they were the highest-profile launch in the category to date. In 2020, we’ve seen a lot more ANC-equipped headphones on the market.

Read more: Best True Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones of 2020

With that said, all of the products listed below provide, at a minimum, noise isolation, which can be almost as effective. Any headset that uses silicone ear pads, and that’s most of them these days, can greatly reduce outside noise, as long as you can get a good seal. If that sounds like enough for your needs, be sure to read Lexy Savvides’ summary of awesome true wireless headphones for under $ 50.

To be fair, the AirPods Pro offer more than just ANC: they have a transparency mode that allows external sounds to pass through and are sweat and water resistant; Standard AirPods are not. They also automatically pause when you remove one from your ear (and automatically resume when you put it back on), a feature I wish more headphone makers would copy.

As for battery life, all of the wireless earbuds on our list come with a charging case and they all promise to recharge the earbuds at least a few times, which means you may be able to get up to 24 hours of (non-consecutive ) listening time. Some of those cases can, by themselves, be wirelessly recharged on a Qi pad, much like the AirPods Pro case. Others require an old cable (gasp!), Usually Micro-USB or USB-C.

Here’s the thing. As sophisticated as they are, $ 249 is way too expensive for a couple of featherweight plastic pieces. What follows, then, is a selection of AirPods Pro alternatives, some with ANC, some without, all with lower prices. (In some cases, a lot bottom.) We will update this periodically to reflect new products and sales.

Sarah Tew / CNET

With a normal price of about $ 20 less than the AirPods Pro, Sony’s true wireless earbuds offer the same kind of ANC technology, as well as a transparency mode. (In fact, they are the only headphones in this overview that include both features.) Plus, they have a sensor that automatically pauses music when you remove one from your ear.

Now for the bad news: the WF-1000XM3 is not specifically classified as sweat or water resistant. So if you’re planning intense workouts, these ‘breakouts are not for you.

Tip: don’t pay $ 228. These usually go on sale for $ 178, so if you’re not in a rush, wait for the next sale. That’s a solid savings over AirPods Pro. Read our Sony WF-1000XM3 review.

Amazon’s first attempt at headphones is notable for the exact reason you’d expect: Alexa is always on, meaning you can ask the assistant questions hands-free, just like you can with your Echo devices at home. Beyond that, the Echo Buds offer active noise driven by Bose reduction, which is effectively the same as ANC, and a transparency mode similar to AirPods Pro.

Amazon promises up to 20 total hours of listening through the charging case. Unfortunately, that case relies on outdated Micro-USB instead of USB-C or wireless charging. Still, the Echo Buds are pretty close to the AirPods Pro in the features department, and for just over half the price. (A couple of times, they’ve been on sale for $ 90, which would make them an especially good deal.) Read our Amazon Echo Buds review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

If you’re looking for ANC but don’t have the budget for Apple or Sony headphones, don’t worry – Mpow’s AirPods Pro offer that great feature for just $ 60. (And right now there’s a coupon on the page that saves you $ 10).

Here’s what CNET’s David Carnoy had to say about it: “The Mpow X3 headphones play loud and sound surprisingly good for their low $ 60 price, with good clarity, powerful bass, and active noise cancellation that’s pretty effective.”

EarFun

Successor to the popular EarFun Free, the EarFun Air is closer to the tubing design of the AirPods (something I prefer, to be honest, to the smaller, more robust buds). These noise-isolating headphones don’t offer ANC, but they do mimic the AirPods Pro’s in-ear sensing feature.

They also offer Bluetooth 5.0, IPX7 waterproofing, and USB-C support. and wireless charging. They also sound surprisingly good. As of this writing, you can get 10% off the regular price of $ 50 by clipping a coupon on the page.

What you think? Will any of these do the trick for you, or will you keep saving for AirPods Pro?

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