by What are the best Headphones under $300 in 2021? With so many brands, models and designs to choose from, finding the best Headphones under $300 may be a torture – but we’re here to help you.
Our list below shows all the best headphones under $300 you can buy today, from a real wireless headset that completely cuts off the cable to a super immersive noise reduction headset that can block all ambient sound, allowing you to focus on work, music or podcasting.
The best headphones under $300 may look different, but the best headphones on the list have something in common: comfortable design, first-class audio performance, and a series of wonderful additional features, such as built-in voice assistant and wireless connection.
When you are looking for the best Headphones under 300, there are many different factors to consider. The design of the best Headphones under 300 is one of the most important considerations.
Would you like a pair of independent in-ear headphones that can stay comfortable all day? Do you want a real wireless headset to give you maximum flexibility? Or how about buying a pair of big earmuff headphones? It can eliminate noise and make people feel more comfortable? Next, we introduce many different types of best Headphones under 300. Soon you will have more choices about the best Headphones under 300. Rumors about airpods Pro 2 and airpods 3 have been circulating for several months. We are waiting for more information about the first SONOS headset in the rumors.
Therefore, if you are busy and want to find the best Headphones under 300, your money can be bought now. Take a look at the top choices below each audio technology category. Due to the almost endless selection of headphones in various shapes and sizes, it may be difficult to find a suitable pair for different functions. We have reviewed and ranked various options to bring you the best headphones you can buy.
Table of Contents
7 Best Headphones Under $300
| Weight: | Driver Diameter: | Battery life: | Price: | |
| ATH-M50x | 285 g | 45 mm | 40 hours | $149 |
| Bose SoundLink | 660 g | 40 mm | 12 hours | $279.95 |
| Beyerdynamic DT 990 | 250 g | 45 mm | 16 hours | $159 |
| SonyWH-1000XM4 | 254 g | 40 mm | 30 hours | $248 |
| Beyerdynamic PRO open Studio | 249 g | 41-16 mm | 16 hours | $159 |
| Beats Solo Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling | 255 g | 40 mm | 40 hours | $269.95 |
| V-MODA Crossfade M-100 | 725 g | 50 mm | 12 hours | $249 |
1. ATH-M50x
Price: $149
Pros:
- Many color options
- Excellent sound clarity
- Sound isolation
- 90° swiveling ear cups
- Foldable
- Removable cables
- Carrying case
- Worthwhile improvements over the original M-series phones, especially the detachable cable on the M40x and M50x.
- The range as a whole offers excellent value for money, particularly the M20x and M40x.
Cons:
- Padding makes you sweat
- As long as the Audio-Technica ‘family sound’ suits your needs, none.
Use:
Visually, there is little difference between m50x and m50s, but it is gratifying that audio technica has solved one of the few weaknesses in the original design: the fixed cable of these best Headphones under $300 has been replaced by a detachable cable connected to a mini jack connector, which rotates a quarter turn to lock it in place. A-T also said that they had “improved” their earplug design and did feel a little different. If there is any difference, I find that these best Headphones under $300 is slightly more comfortable than their predecessors, although the difference is not between day and night.
The change in sound is also so subtle that it is difficult to determine whether the difference is due to the new headset head design and the way the phone is positioned on the head. It is worth mentioning that my impression is that the newer design has a slightly more open and bright top. At the other extreme of the spectrum, it seems to emphasize a deeper bass frequency range than the original M50. However, if you need to replace an existing pair of M50 that died for some reason, the M50 will still make you familiar immediately.
The treble boost of these best Headphones under $300 is limited enough to prevent the sound from becoming tired, and there is not much “splash” that often bothers bright headphones – in this regard, the sound of these best Headphones under $300 is much better than Sennheiser hd25 IIS. At the same time, the bass is more prominent than many studio phones, but it is still very clear. The isolation level provided by these best Headphones under $300 is completely acceptable in most cases, but I will still choose hd25 IIS for positioning and other isolation cases. In a word, although these best Headphones under $300 is certainly not as enlightening and accurate as a pair of good open headphones, these best Headphones under $300 has all the qualities of a pair of Universal Studio earphones.
2. Bose SoundLink
Price:$279.95
Pros:
- Great battery life
- Lightweight
- Impact-resistant materials
- Built-in controls
- Carrying case
- Comfortable
- Bose Connect app
- Light and comfortable, good for extended use
- Very pleasant to listen to
- No unsightly dongle required for Bluetooth, unlike previous model
Cons:
- Poor call quality
- Relatively expensive
- High sound leakage for over-ear headphones
- Can start to feel a little warm over time
- ActiveEQ doesn’t make for the most neutral sound
Use:
Bose claims to have an impressive 15 hour playback time, which we found to be correct in our tests. These best headphones under $300 the charging time is specified as three hours, but it depends on the charger you use, because no charger is included – only USB cable is included. Bose said that the 15 minute fast charging time can provide up to two hours of battery, which is very convenient.
If you find that your battery is low, make sure you carry the included audio cable with you. Unlike many Bluetooth headsets, these headsets will operate in passive mode, plug-in. Of course, the volume will be lower and the sound of the headset will be different, which is why Bose calls it a “spare” audio cable
Bose hyped two names in its marketing: TriPort and active EQ, but the company didn’t say much about them. TriPort has been used in the company’s marketing since the beginning of this century, and active EQ is essentially a way of expression, indicating that from Bose to voice, these voices are what you expect: a loud and somewhat “processed” voice.
Bass
These best Headphones under $300 is stable enough, but if you live for bass and die for bass, these may not help you. On the contrary, it’s a pleasant medium: the bass is certainly more representative than many consumer centric headphones, but these best headphones under $300 won’t exceed the top. That is to say, the bass of the Jeff brotherhood’s “cosmic illusion” sounds like it came from a subwoofer in the room behind me.
Central section
As mentioned earlier, the EQ curve of these best Headphones under $300 is far from flat, but unlike many headphones released in the past few years, these best Headphones under $300 has not been kicked into the ditch.
High point
These best Headphones under $300 treble will never speak too loud to become too harsh, and there will certainly be some active EQ, but these best Headphones under $300 won’t sound too artificially low. Listen to these best headphones under $300. It’s obvious that the DAC plays more sound than other Bluetooth headsets. Fortunately, Bose has been doing this for a long time, and the company has learned one or two things. Although I usually prefer to deal with the source audio in a non-interference way, I find the sound pleasant.
You can’t find any active noise cancellation here – you need to buy a $400 qc25 from Bose – but passive isolation is very effective. When playing music, even if the volume is low, you can hardly hear anything happening around you. However, this is not the case for others who hear what you are listening to: these best Headphones under $300 does leak quite a lot of sound.
3. Beyerdynamic DT 990
Price: $159
Pros:
- 2-year warranty
- Open-back design
- Sturdy
- Comfortable
- Carrying case
- Neutral sound
- Priced really good
- Lightweight
- Built to last
- Most of the parts are replaceable
Cons:
- Padding makes you sweat
- Not the loudest
- U-curve sound signature
- The cable cannot be replaced
Use:
The actual impedance of these best Headphones under $300 is never less than 600 Ω. More importantly, these best Headphones under $300 is almost pure resistance. As long as you have enough voltage from any real headphone amplifier, these are easy to drive.
Beware of many expensive but fragile headphone amplifiers. The output of these best headphones under $300 does not exceed 2V RMS, which is not much larger than the 1V RMS output of the iPod. These weak amplifiers are usually battery powered and sold at a high price with exotic DACs for iPods, but please read the instructions carefully to ensure that these best Headphones under $300 have enough output. If you need help, please consult an electronic engineer.
A suitable headphone amplifier should be able to drive these to about 7 V RMS or 20 DBM or 100 MW to 600 Ω, which is more than deafening.
I listened to these sounds with different loudspeakers. The sound of these best headphones under $300 did not change – just the maximum output, which of course changed the perceived bass response.
The sound of the DT 990 is clean, out of the box and without any interruption. However, compared with the DT 880, the bass of the DT 990 increases by several dB at about 60 Hz, and the bass below 60 Hz will be less. Most people may prefer this enhanced bass, but these best Headphones under $300 will annoy the careful audience. Let’s find a 60 Hz slider to reduce it by a few decibels. The bass bulge of the DT 990 masks the deeper bass, which is not hidden in the DT 880. I don’t know if a few months of running in will change the DT 990 in 2012.
The “boom” bass of the DT 990 is boom only when compared with other very sophisticated headphones such as the DT 880. These best headphones under $300 is completely different from the “boom” sound emitted by the neighbor’s children’s car stereo; Prosperity is only a few decibels of about 60 Hz, not 15 decibels.
The 2012 DT 990 is solid at 30 Hz and can still hear bass at 16 Hz. Of course, the “audible” sound below 20 Hz is more to adjust its own indoor noise through intermodulation with the subsonic input of the headset, but this is also the way these best headphones under $300 works in the live sound. Even with a real headphone amplifier driving to a deafening level, I can’t hum, rattle or distort the sine wave with the 2012 DT 990（ If you drive too hard in the bass, my 1988 DT 990 always makes a little buzzing.)
There is no doubt that the DT 990 Pro needs an amplifier. These best Headphones under $300 has an impedance of 250 ohms and a sensitivity of 99dB. This is the first headset that requires me to set the amplifier (JDS labs Element II) to high gain. The Sennheiser HD 6xx is actually easier to drive than these, as is the DT 1990 pro. I think if you are interested in these, you certainly need a fairly powerful amplifier if you want to drive these well.
Although the shape and comfort of these best Headphones under $300 are out of the box, I’m afraid I can’t say the same to the sound of these best Headphones under $300. I would describe these as “aggressive”. Now, this is not the most descriptive way to let you know these sounds, so by convention, I will divide them into bass, midrange and treble. In the process, I will also discuss how these voices relate to EQ, as they actually respond to adjustment with dignity.
The bass of these best Headphones under $300 has a considerable attenuation from about 50Hz. Nevertheless, the bass is quite forward for me, probably because the elevation of these best Headphones under $300 is about 150Hz. To my taste, these best Headphones under $300 makes the bass sound a little bloated. I think these best Headphones under $300 destroys the DT 990 pro’s ability to reproduce the bass. Nevertheless, I still want to say that the bass expansion and details of these best Headphones under $300 are better than those in HD 6xx and HD 58x – it is also worth mentioning that these best Headphones under $300 far exceeds them in bass dynamics, because these best Headphones under $300 has considerable impact.
When I use EQ on the DT 990, I like to add a 2dB low bay at 50Hz. I also fixed the elevation at 150Hz by adding a rather narrow – 4dB inclination. These fairly small adjustments significantly clear the bass and reduce some ups and downs. After EQ, the bass of these best headphones under $300 is actually very good, especially higher than other headphones priced below $200.
4. SonyWH-1000XM4
Price: $248
Pros:
- Powerful custom ANC
- Dynamic sound with loads of detail
- Intuitive app-based controls
- Sensational sense of timing
- Support for two simultaneous Bluetooth connections
- Immersive sound with punchy bass
- 30 hours of battery life
Cons:
- Still high price
- No IP rating
- No aptX or aptX HD support
- Multipoint support is buggy for now
- USB-C port cannot be used for audio
- 360 Reality Audio is still limited
- Samey design might put people off upgrading
Use:
These headphones are famous for their proprietary digital HD noise reduction technology and extended battery life. The battery can be used for 30 hours on a single charge. These best headphones under $300 also comes with a built-in microphone for hands-free calls and easy touch control to change music tracks or adjust volume. Alexa enabled technology allows you to have voice access to the device while covering the right ear cup, and automatically turn off music to accommodate fast conversations. These headphones have many personalized features to meet the customized user experience and best suit your lifestyle.
Xm4 is a set of conventional Bluetooth 5.0 headphones, which is compatible with most Bluetooth sports phones, tablets, computers and other devices. These best Headphones under $300 supports the common SBC and aac audio formats used by most devices. However, these best Headphones under $300 also supports Sony’s high-resolution LDAC Bluetooth audio format, which is compatible with many Android devices and can provide some of the highest quality wireless audio.
This is Sony’s first 1000x device that supports the popular multipoint connection function, which means you can connect two devices at the same time, such as a phone and a music notebook. It works reliably with various equipment. However, when multipoint is enabled, high-resolution LDAC audio cannot be used, limiting connectivity to more standard SBC and AAC.
There are four ways to pair these best Headphones under $300: Google’s quick pairing, or instant pairing with Android phones by touching the NFC tag at one time, pairing with Android phones or iPhones and iPads using the Sony Headphones connect app, and manually pairing these best Headphones under $300 in an old-fashioned way by pressing a button.
The headphones are equipped with a standard 3.5mm headphone cable, which can be used when the headphones are turned on or off. However, the microphone cannot be used through a 3.5mm cable.
The left ear cup has a power button and a custom operation button that can be set to control Google assistant, Amazon Alexa or noise cancellation. The right ear cup has a touch pad for other controls that can be touched with bare fingers, but not with gloves. Double click to pause / play, slide forward or backward to skip tracks, and slide up and down to increase the volume. Tap and hold Siri or Google assistant on your phone. You can put your palm on the touch pad, and then you can quickly switch to the environment listening mode with these best Headphones under $300, which is very convenient for announcements and quick conversations.
The headset connection app for Android and IOS handles various settings and updates, including switching connected devices, noise cancellation mode and sound options.
5. Beyerdynamic PRO open Studio Headphone
Price:$159
Pros:
- Stability. The DT 770 headphones are adequately tight on the head. They would not fall during your listening sessions, unless its cable that is non-detachable gets hooked on something.
- Great–sounding Headphones. The Beyerdynamic DT 770 is notable headphones that deliver great sounds. They come with an extended Bass, an excellent distortion, and imaging performance.
Good Noise Isolation Performance. These headphones can block enough noise, making them a perfect use in moderately noisy settings and to commute via public transit.
Versatile. They can handle different genres. - Sturdy and durable built quality. The DT 770 can take quite a bit of abuse.
Well Padded. - Comes with a carrying case.
- The wire of DT770 is durable and long.
Cons:
- Poor Soundstage. Because DT 770 Pro are closed-back design headphones, they can sometimes sound a bit isolating and would not let the exterior ambiance mixed with the music.
- Leaky at Higher Volumes. While they have a good average performance when it comes to noise isolation, they would not isolate well for louder environments. This is especially true if you do not have any audio playing.
- Below–Average headphones for Sports. Although DT 700 is tight on the head and would not easily fall, a detachable cable, bulky build and the lack of controls sometimes mean that they would not really be suitable to take to the gym or use when running.
- High–end can become sibilant and hard, which can lead to fatigue.
- Sub–bass is lacking.
- The ear–cups are prone to getting really warm.
Use:
These best headphones under $300 is designed for maximum comfort and excellent sound quality. With powerful bass and treble capabilities, these open in ear headphones are ideal for professional mixing, mastering and editing. Soft ring velvet ear pads provide a comfortable fit, and you may even forget to wear headphones. These headphones provide an extraordinary sense of space and detailed sound depth, and are very durable because these best headphones under $300 uses a strong spring steel headband design.
Beyerdynamic chose to use their Tesla driver in dt-1990 pro, which is a good thing. The instantaneous speed and resolution of these best Headphones under $300 immediately showed. Although not as fast as high-end focal dynamics or hifiman planar magnets, the speed of the dt-1990 Pro may be the highest achievement of this headset. The resolution is appropriate at this price – so these best Headphones under $300 is very good, but the tonality chosen makes the dt-1990 professional seem more practical than these best Headphones under $300. Thank God, the timbre and sound field here are very good. Dt-1990 Pro doesn’t sound like listening to headphones rather than music at any time, which is a very good thing – especially for studio work. Another major achievement of this headset is how open and ventilated the sound of these best Headphones under $300 is. Although these best Headphones under $300 is not the widest headset at this price, they have never felt claustrophobia or artificial. The same applies to imaging with position accuracy, but instrument separation does not provide as many differences as possible, just as in the case of some high-end headphones. Please note that this is not necessarily a bad thing when Sennheiser hd800s at the other end of the spectrum is occasionally criticized for being too different. In general, the best way I can describe a speech without considering the tone is “reality”.
The construction quality of this earphone is outstanding here, but because higher quality components are used instead of cheaper plastic, the earphone weight of these best headphones under $300 is slightly heavier than that of the previous generation, about 370g. It is also worth noting that the clamping force of these best Headphones under $300 may be greater than Sennheiser hd660s. Nevertheless, the dt-1990 Pro is very comfortable, the analysis pad feels softer and the clamping force is slightly reduced. This headset has almost an all-round movement. The cup tilts and tilts a little when rotating (although it doesn’t rotate completely). Most wearers have no problem with comfort.
However, when considering the tone and frequency response of these best Headphones under $300, the dt-1990 Pro loses some realism. These best headphones under $300 traditionally have some high peaks and trebles that sound harsh or hoarse in many recordings. This may not be surprising because their focus is on the use of studio and pro, where identifying problems in composition is crucial. But it also means that for simple listening to music, for most recordings, this sharp treble may be difficult. These best Headphones under $300 also provides two sets of pads with different colors, so the following analysis will be divided into a description of the frequency response range of each pad. Generally speaking, I prefer these best Headphones under $300.
6. Beats Solo Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Price: $269.95
Pros:
- Sleek and sturdy design
- Seamless integration with Apple’s devices
- Hands-free Siri experience
- Impressive active noise canceling performance
- Balanced audio
- Acceptable microphone quality
- Stable connectivity, thanks to Apple’s H1 chip
- Many smart features: Audio Sharing, Transparency Mode
Cons
- Not a budget option
- No 3.5mm input port
- The headband is still too firm in extended periods of use.
Use:
These best headphones under $300, produced by the famous beats brand, has active noise reduction and transparency functions to help you understand your surroundings at any time. These headphones can provide 22 hours of listening time per charge. Through apple H1 headphone chip and class 1 Bluetooth, these best headphones under $300 can connect to your smart device in a wider range and reduce loss. Compatible with IOS and Android, these headphones control voice activation through “Hey Siri” on IOS devices, and have voice functions on a variety of other compatible systems.
These best headphones under $300 noise reduction headphones show a compelling and mature appearance. The hidden hinge maintains a streamlined design, and the headband extension mechanism can hardly be detected. A limited degree of rotation is allowed in each direction. This design is to increase comfort and let the earmuffs rest with the ears at a natural angle. However, this does not offset the great pressure on the head. After listening for an hour, I felt like I was removing an expensive clip, not a pair of headphones. If you wear glasses, the comfortable listening time will be halved.
Like Thanksgiving turkey, these best Headphones under $300 is stuffed. The voice detection accelerometer and beamforming microphone work together to detect when you speak. Ideally, these best Headphones under $300 only transmits your voice and reduces background noise by eliminating the sound generated by head movement. Unfortunately, the performance of the microphone does not meet our expectations.
If you want to perform these best Headphones under $300 playback or call control, you must press the right ear cup. You can use this large, tactile these best Headphones under $300 button, which is easy to operate with hands or gloves. Press the beats logo as a multifunction command, and press the edge above or below the logo to adjust the volume. If you have an iPhone, you can achieve hands-free virtual assistant access by saying “Hey, Siri”. Google or Alexa users need to press and hold the “B” sign for a few seconds.
7. V-MODA Crossfade M-100 Headphones
Price: $249
Pros:
- Sound quality
- Build quality
- Compact for over-ears
- Can daisy-chain headsets
- Excellent carrying case
Cons:
- Discomfort with glasses
Use:
Part of the attraction of these best headphones under $300 is that they can customize headphones, which helps beautify the dull pair of cans. As mentioned earlier, the base color and design of these best headphones under $300 outer shield can be changed according to consumers’ preferences. These best headphones under $300 can even laser carve your own work on the headphone case. The company also considered durability when inventing these best headphones under $300, because the headband and ear frame are made of steel finish. The device has even been tested to survive harsh environmental conditions, including low and high temperature, ultraviolet radiation, humidity and salt spray.
The initial clamping force of these best Headphones under $300 was quite strong, but the clamping force did weaken over time. Although the headband is better than master & amp; The dynamic mh40 is much more comfortable, but the overall headset is not very comfortable, so it can not be worn for a long time. Perhaps this is an area where V-MODA can focus on providing more ergonomic design. However, you can also choose to buy an oversized memory pad, which can greatly help solve comfort problems when going out and walking.
These best Headphones under $300 is lighter than mh40 and mw60. In terms of isolation, these headphones play a higher than average role in preventing sound leakage, but their role in isolating ambient noise is very general. Therefore, in a particularly strong background noise environment, the volume needs to be relatively high to isolate yourself from the outside world.
The bass of these best Headphones under $300 extends to influential and authoritative subregions, very low. An example of this is the silent shouting “knife”, in which the basic bass provides a warm tone blow. Although the bass is certainly not lacking and close to the bass head level, I find that in some tracks, the bass may become a little depressed or even tired. Decay time ratio Master & amp; Dynamic’s mh40 and mw60 are slightly longer, which exacerbates this situation. Compared with hifiman he-400, the bass of the former is more tense and clean than the rumble of the M-100. However, the performance of the M-100 is better than 400 seconds in both low frequency band and mid bass band.
Compared with bass and treble, the midrange frequency of these best Headphones under $300 is slightly slower in the overall mix, forming a V-shaped sound feature. Compared with mh40 headphones, the V-shape of V-MODA is more prominent, with obvious inclination in the 0.2-0.5 kHz region, while mh40 has slight inclination in the 0.3-0.5 kHz region. As a result, the sound emitted by mh40 is relatively more forward leaning and balanced. As far as the logo of M100 is concerned, the mid-range of these best Headphones under $300 is delivered in a fresh and dynamic way. This does not mean that these best Headphones under $300 is rough, because these best Headphones under $300 is definitely not. Instead, due to the strong bass part, some warmth is added to this part of the spectrum. Although these best headphones under $300 does lag behind the he-400s and mh40 headphones in this regard, the details have been fully described.
Similar to the mid-range signature, the treble presents the characteristics of crisp and shiny, with appropriate extension. This is a pleasant part because there is no obvious harsh or harsh, otherwise it will affect the display of the M-100. Compared with mw60, the M-100 has similar peaks in the 10 kHz region, although the high pitch of mw60 is more obvious, providing better expansion and air quality. However, the advantage of the M-100 is that these best Headphones under $300 are more tolerant,
V-MODA crossfade M-100 has the same function as master & amp; The dynamic mh40 and mw60 headphones have the same 32 ohm impedance rating. This means that in addition to the sensitivity of 103dB, these best Headphones under $300 is relatively easy to drive and can be driven from ordinary smart phones or laptop devices.
Testing the portable settings of the M100, the M-100 does not have the most detailed introduction, but the sound is definitely musical and charming. The if becomes smoother and more comfortable, but the instrument separation does not match the FiiO X7 or x5ii DAP. Compared with the standard laptop experience, these best Headphones under $300 has greater headroom and more spacious sound. As the level of detail increases, the attenuation response of these best Headphones under $300 becomes more compact and pleasant. This is a good combination.
