Music can take you to a different realm altogether. Listening to music while walking down the subway or eating your morning toast, can make fast paced urban living more bearable and pleasant. And a good headset can naturally give you the privacy you want when you listen to music on your personal playlist.
Currently, there is whole variety of earphones available in the market, which can make choosing one extremely difficult. But a good quality headphone at a cost-effective price is definitely music to one’s ears.
If you love music and looking for some good headphones under 100 dollars to buy in 2016, then you should really consider the options listed here based on their performance and customer satisfaction.
The Top 10 Headphone Brands that are a Must for Music Aficionados
#15. JBL E40BT - $79.95
If you are looking for stylish and funky headphones, then JBL’s E40BT high-performance wireless Bluetooth stereo headphones are the best choice for you. With JBL’s signature sound and Purebass performance, you can expect exceptional sound quality with uninhibited clarity and outstanding bass.
Pros:
- Excellent battery life: Its USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery gives you a whopping 16 hours of uninterrupted listening experience, with passive listening feature with its aux cable when the battery runs out.
- Ultra-comfortable fit: With its ergonomic headband and leather ear cushions, you can have a comfortable listening experience for a long duration.
- Share on the go: With its unique built-in Share-me technology, the headphone allows the listener to share the content with another set of headphones, simultaneously.
Cons:
- Not loud: If you like your music loud then this headphone might disappoint you. The sound is not too high as compared to other headphones in its category.
- Uneasy controls: The controls may take some time to get used to. Since there are no raised control buttons for the fingers to detect easily, it might become irritating to control while listening.
#14. Lighter and Slimmer Sennheiser RS120 - $78.12
Sennheiser RS120 On-Ear headphones are available for $78.12 on Amazon.com and include wireless transmitters that act as a headphone charging dock with two AAA NiMH batteries. The RS 120 wireless headphone allows you to enjoy music effortlessly with its lightweight on-ear headphone. This headphone allows the reception of stereo sound without any interference through ceilings and walls upto 300 feet.
Pros:
- Exceptional Sound Quality: With its Open-air design, it delivers warm sound with a great bass response which is ideal for TV and Hi-Fi audio system.
- Extended Battery life: With its AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries it provides more than 20 hours of life.
- Warranty: Sennheiser RS120 comes with a 2-year international warranty.
- Weight: The headphones are one of the lightest in their class, and you won’t feel like you are carrying anything on your head.
- Volume control: With built-in volume control, it is very easy to control the sound system without reaching the music device itself.
- Charging dock: It comes with a transmitter which acts as a headphone charging dock.
Cons:
- Volume controls are placed too close: Since the controls are situated too closely, it can cause a little irritation while using them.
- Not comfortable for long hours: The padding quality is great but it can be quite uncomfortable when used for long hours.
#13. Fashionable SOLRepublic 1211-02 Headphones – $41.15
This is one of the best headphones under 100 dollars. Sol Republic has created this model by putting in a lot of care in its modern design that has helped to assure high quality that lasts for a long time. These are one of the coolest headphones you can buy. This headphone features V8 sound engine speakers along with 3-Button Mic and music control. It also has the capability of remixing tracks with the help of its switchable cables and headbands. The headphone offers Sonicsoftspeaker’s pads with extra wide cushions which will let you enjoy the music comfortably for longer hours.
Pros:
- Awesome Sound Quality: With its V8 sound engine speakers, the 1211-02 headphones offer high quality and powerful sound effects. It also helps to make the sound quality precise and very clear.
- 3-Button Mic and music control: Its 3-Button Mic and music control help you enjoy your music with theclick of a button located on your headphones, and also help you to answer phone calls. It lets you enjoy a true hands-free music experience.
- Affordable: At this price, it is a great buy with its amazing features and top sound quality.
- Replaceable cable and headbands: This feature allows you to change the cables and headbands after they wear off, but it won’t happen soon as they are meant to last long.
- Good looking design: The headphone besides being strong on the music side is also very fashionable with its super cool design.
Cons:
- Earphone cables: Its replaceable cables can become irritating for everyday use.
- Uncomfortable padding: At times, the headphones may squish the edges of your ears which may make it difficult to carry on with listening.
#12. Modernistic Sony MDR-V55 - $50.60
Sony’s MDR-V55 is one of the great headphones for 100 and below. MDR-V55 is a great looking device which resembles few commercially popular headphones with its trendy and stylish look. This is one of the few headphones which allow high bass without any interference from the environmental noises. It also has a clear and powerful sound quality. If you are looking for a headphone which not only gives you great music but also wows with a funky look, then Sony’s MDR-V55 is the obvious choice for you.
Pros:
- Great Design: It resembles popular commercial headphones which are quite expensive, and hence gives a premium look to the observers.
- Ample choice of colors: The headphone is available in multiple colors which allow the user to select the color of his choice.
- Superb sound quality: The headphones offer very crisp and clear sound quality along with really powerful bass.
Cons:
- Short Cables: Sony has refrained from providing long cables which would have helped the users with a much better experience. As of now, the cables are really short which sometimes can cause a lot of discomfort.
- Less Padding: The padding may not be enough for your ears and may lead to pain and irritation even during shorter periods of use.
#11. Sentey LS-4570 - $59.99
Sentey LS-4570 is your go-to headphones with booming sound quality and ease of Bluetooth features along with stylish looks. The headset produces clean bass and treble sounds. With its leather-like material used for the ear pads, the listening experience is truly comfortable.
Pros:
- Stylish and Powerful: The headphones offer exceptional power-packed performance along with stylish and attention-grabbing looks.
- Superior battery life: With its 420mAh battery, it provides longer usability for up to 15 hours.
- Comfortable: With its lightweight, adjustable headband and protein leather cushion, the headphone is extremely comfortable to use.
Cons:
- Not for longer hours: Sometimes it may hurt your ears if you go on listening for longer hours.
- Difficult to navigate: The buttons on the sides of the headphones are difficult to distinguish, and at times can be very annoying for the users.
#10. Designer Grado Prestige Series SR80e - $99.00
If you are looking for a headphone which is high on performance and affordable too, then SR80e is the best option available for you. With its large ear cushions, the listening experience is very comfortable and convenient. It comes with a mini stereo plug for better audio performance.
Pros:
- Good Sound Quality: It offers the best sound quality among the headphones in its price range.
- Superior comfort: With large ear cushions, it offers great comfort for longer listening hours. It also has adjustable and soft vinyl headband which also helps in the cosy music experience.
- Worth the money: With all the features offered by the headphone, it is totally worth the price you pay.
#9. Revolutionary Bluedio R+ Legend Headphones - $99.00
You might not have heard of Bluedio very frequently, but it is one of the most innovative and quality centric companies in the field of electronic devices. This company specializes in audio and sound devices, and their R+ legend headphones are one the attention seeking products. The headphone offers a lot of features which includes Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Noise cancellation, aptX etc.
Pros:
- Superior sound quality: At this price, Bluedio Legend R+ provides the best sound quality. It has a number of drive units, and out of eight drive units, two units are used as main drivers while the remaining six work as audio stabilizers. This helps in providing three-dimensional high-quality sound.
- Supports large formats: It supports a large number of audio formats like FLAC, MP3, WAV and AAC.
- Better battery life: With 3-4 hours of continuous charging, it gives 26-28 hours of powerful listening hours. When compared to other headphones, R+ legend has a much better battery backup and lasts much longer.
- Supports Micro SD: It allows its users to connect using different modes apart from Bluetooth. It has an inbuilt micro SD card slot where you can insert your micro SD card, which helps you to connect without using Bluetooth.
- Designer looks and fit: The Bluedio R+ Legend is made of plastic and chrome which gives it a nice and cool design while maintaining a premium look. The padding is highly comfortable and Bluedio has managed to provide headphones with good looks along with premium quality.
- Color Options: The headphones come in a variety of color options to choose from, giving buyers the opportunity to select the one they prefer.
Cons:
- Blinking LED lights: At times the LED lights placed on either side of the headphones can seem very uncomfortable and annoying.
- Bit heavier: Delivering great sound and design, the Bluedio, however, didn’t manage the weight of the headphones properly and they feel heavy.
- Sound leaks: It is one of the most crucial factors in selecting headphones. However, Bluedio lacks this sound proofing and it allows others to hear what you are listening to, which is not desirable.
#8. Sennheiser HD 558 - $97.74
Sennheiser HD 558 headphones provide a great listening experience by generating a spatial sound field that immerses the person wearing the headphones into the music or movies. It comes with headband cushions and luxurious velour ear pads which provide outstanding comfort for long listening hours. With its special diaphragm geometry, it reduces total harmonic distortion.
Pros:
- Clear sound : With its distortion free sound quality, you can rest assured that you will be able to listen to all the distinct sounds in your music and movies without any issues.
- Seamless blending: With other headphones you might have come across instances where you can feel sound coming from left and right headphones simultaneously, but with this headphone, the experience is quite different as it seamlessly blends the sounds from both the lobes.
- Long cables: Long cables help users while they are roaming around their homes and listening to the music at the same time.
Cons:
- Less bass: Many of the users have noticed and complained about the headphones having less bass.
#7 Sennheiser HD 280 Pro - $99.95
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro was originally created for professionals in the music industry. If you are going for long studio sessions or playing games for longer hours, you require headphones that keep the comfort going, and Sennheiser HD 280 Pro does exactly that. The headphones do not produce the loudest sound but certainly they compensate by providing a high level of clarity and accuracy. This headphone is a perfect solution for gamers and for people who keep their headphones on, all or most of the day.
Pros:
- Clear and accurate: The sound is not loud but certainly very clear and accurate.
- Comfortable for long hours: The headphone is certainly very comfortable and is a great product for ardent gamers and music lovers. Even after using for longer hours, the comfort is still the same and does not cause any irritation or any discomfort.
- Less ambient noise: With its high-quality engineering, the ambient noise is reduced to a high extent, giving clean and clear sound quality.
Cons:
- No detachable cable: One of the biggest issues with this headphone is that there are no detachable cables.
- Far too professional: As mentioned above, this headphone was initially designed for the professionals in the music industry and hence it might seem far too professional for casual use.
#6 Audio-Technica ATH-M40x - $79.00
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x is an incredible headphone which is worthy of its price. It is not a fancy looking headphone, but certainly has all the power packed features required and is comfortable to use. The headphones have been designed using cutting edge engineering with robust construction.
Pros:
- Crystal clear sound: The sound quality is really great and extremely clear.
- Highly comfortable: This headphone provides professional grade ear pads and premium quality headbands, which deliver comfort and durability.
- Appealing look: The headphones provide a very elegant look and certainly grab the attention of the eyes.
- Easy to carry: With its swiveling and folding abilities, it is well suited for vacationing and also helps to avoid tangling.
- Lighter: The headphones are much lighter as compared to its other competitors, which make it very comfortable to use for longer hours.
Cons:
- No integrated mic: Since the headphones do not have an integrated mic, few people might have issues while receiving phone calls.
- Ear cups are not fully rotational: The earcups can rotate to a maximum of 90 degrees. But it does not really cause any issue while using the headphones.
#5 Photive BTH 3 - $39.95
If you are looking for a low budget yet powerful headphone, then Photive BTH 3 is the answer. With a price point below $40, the headphone is gaining a lot of popularity in the global market. It comes along with a travel hard case. The headphones are balanced, lighter and adjustable.
Pros:
- Light and portable: The headphones are very light and portable. Its compact form makes it easy to tote around comfortably.
- Balanced sound: The headphones deliver quite an impressive balanced sound quality with lasting comfort.
- Affordable: Its price makes it a must buy if you are looking for budget headphones.
- Fast Charging: The headphones charge quickly and last for more than 12 hours, thanks to their powerful lithium ion battery.
Cons:
- Sound leaks: If you like your music loud then you are likely to disturb others with its sound leakages.
- Tight fitting: The fitting of the headphones is slightly tight, which can cause sweating when used for long hours.
#4 SkullcandyHesh 2 - $65.99
Skullcandy is one of the most innovative headphones makers. SkullcandyHesh 2 headphones are budget friendly with refined sound quality. With deep bass on high volumes, Hesh 2 promises peerless sound quality without any distortion.
Pros:
- Distortion free: The sound quality is very refined and clean, allowing distortion-free listening experience.
- Removable cables: The headphones come with detachable cables which are a clear value addition to your purchase.
- Mobile support: SkullcandyHesh 2 headphones come with inline remote and microphone that help you to use mobile phones while using headphones.
Cons:
- Uncomfortable fit: The fitting of the headphones is not as good as its competitors. The headset at times feels too heavy on ears and can be very uneasy.
#3 Sony MDR X10 - $89.99
Sony MDR X10 is powerful, flashy and a bass lover’s delight. You might feel that the headphones are slightly overpriced, but once you have used this pair of headphones for few days, then you certainly won’t regret it. With its stylish design, X10 is a fashion statement with powerful true performance.
Pros:
- Stylish: Look wise, it is one of the most stylish headphones in its class and certainly catches the attention of the eye.
- Sound Isolation: With its tightly sealed acoustic design, the headphones allow a higher level of sound isolation which helps in powerful bass sound.
- Dual-fold design: With its compact portability and flexible body, the reversible ear pads allow the enjoyment of music in many ways.
- Detachable cord: The headphones have detachable flat cords with serrated finishes that help to reduce tangles, so that you are not “caught up” in your music.
- Inline remote: The headphones come with an inline remote which makes it a perfect match for IPad, IPod, and IPhone helping you to control volume and track.
Cons:
- Overpriced: Sony MDR X10 may seem slightly overpriced than many of its competitors which provide the same features and sound quality at a much lesser price.
- Uncomfortable: The ear pads may at times irritate the ears when you are listening to your music for long hours.
#2 Sony MDRV6 - $78.54
If you are looking for headphones that will help you in enjoying your music without causing any discomfort, then going for Sony MDRV6 is a no brainer. It is an extremely sensitive and isolating headphone, ideal for a rich and superior music experience. The headphones have a solid build with all-metal plugs, coiled cords and anodized aluminum outer cases. The sound is really very loud and perfect for watching movies and playing games. It has a smooth and superb deep bass which makes it a great headphone for symphonic and classical music too.
Pros:
- Superb Isolation: With its closed back headphones, the background noise is totally blocked out, which gives you a disturbance free listening experience.
- High bass: The headphone provides a punchy bass quality which is not muddy or distorted.
- Great details: If you are looking for details, the headphone shines with its precise quality with high, mids and lows.
Cons:
- Uncomfortable at times: If you are looking to use it for longer hours, it may cause irritation on your ears.
- Overpriced: The price may seem to be on the higher side considering other headphones in its class which are a lot cheaper than this.
#1 Audio-Technica Professional ATH-M30x - $62.95
Audio-Technica is known for its designer based headphones and ATH-M30x is no different. The headphones have already received lots of good and positive reviews globally. It is worth every single penny that you invest in it. The sound quality is top notch.
Pros:
- Top quality sound: The headphones provide enhanced audio clarity along with sound isolation.
- Comfortable: With the help of modern engineering and high premium quality materials, the headphones deliver a high level of comfortable listening experience.
- Longer cords: Unlike other headphones, ATH-M30x offers longer cords for ease of the users.
Cons:
- Non-detachable cord: At this price point, detachable cord is expected from Audio-Technica.
- Absence of integrated microphone: Designed essentially for music lovers, it does not provide any integrated microphone for phone calls.
More Budget? 10 Unbeatable Headphones under $200 that you must buy!
Even More Budget? 15 Best Headphones under $300 that You Simply Cannot Ignore
Conclusion
This is our list of top headphones under $100 which you can buy. The above-mentioned headphones are the latest and popular ones trending worldwide. Our list is based on real customer feedbacks and gives an idea about the pros and cons of each type of headphone you can consider.
If you think we missed out on any headphone which you consider to be a great buy, then do share your thoughts in the comment section below.
