The wireless earbuds market has gotten ridiculous. There are literally thousands of options, half of them look identical, and the spec sheets read like they were written by the same marketing team. So I spent three weeks testing eight pairs of budget wireless earbuds — all under $100 AUD — to figure out which ones are actually worth your money.

Spoiler: you can get genuinely good earbuds for $60-80 now. The gap between budget and premium has narrowed dramatically since 2024.

What I Tested and How

I wore each pair for at least three full days — commuting, working out, taking calls, and just sitting at my desk. I tested them with music (various genres), podcasts, phone calls, and video content. I paid attention to comfort over extended wear, connection reliability, and how well the controls actually work in practice.

The eight models I tested were:

1. Samsung Galaxy Buds FE2
2. Nothing Ear (3a)
3. Google Pixel Buds A3
4. Anker Soundcore Space A50
5. JBL Tune Beam 2
6. Sony WF-C710N
7. QCY HT07 ARC
8. Xiaomi Redmi Buds 6 Pro

All purchased at Australian retail prices between $49 and $99 AUD.

The Top Pick: Nothing Ear (3a) — $79 AUD

I’ll get straight to it. The Nothing Ear (3a) won me over for the combination of sound quality, active noise cancellation, and that distinctive transparent design. At $79, they punch well above their weight.

Sound quality is warm and detailed, with surprisingly decent bass that doesn’t overpower mids. Vocals come through clearly on podcasts. The soundstage isn’t going to rival $300 earbuds, but it’s noticeably wider than most in this bracket.

ANC is effective for a budget pair. It won’t eliminate airplane engine noise, but it handles office chatter, train sounds, and street traffic well. The transparency mode is natural-sounding — some cheap earbuds make everything sound like you’re in a tin can, but these don’t.

Battery life is about 6.5 hours with ANC on, which matched Nothing’s claims in my testing. The case gives you another 24 hours of charge, and 10 minutes of fast charging gets you about 1.5 hours of listening.

Comfort is good for most ear shapes, though the stems are slightly longer than I’d prefer. They stayed in during running and gym sessions without issue.

The app is well-designed with useful EQ presets. Multipoint connection (two devices at once) works smoothly. My only real complaint is that the touch controls are slightly too sensitive — I accidentally paused music a few times when adjusting the fit.

Runner-Up: Google Pixel Buds A3 — $89 AUD

If you’re in the Google/Android ecosystem, these are hard to beat. The integration with Google Assistant is the best you’ll find at any price, and the auto-switch between Google devices is genuinely smooth.

Sound quality is clean and balanced — Google has tuned these for accuracy rather than bass-heavy fun. Call quality is excellent thanks to good microphone placement and software processing. People on the other end of my calls consistently said I sounded clearer than with other earbuds.

They don’t have ANC, which is a notable omission at $89. Google’s opted for passive noise isolation and an adaptive sound feature that adjusts volume based on your environment. It works, but it’s not the same as active cancellation.

Battery life is solid at 7 hours, with the case providing another 24 hours. The fit is comfortable — the stabiliser arc inside each earbud holds them securely without pressure.

According to RTINGS.com, the Pixel Buds A-series consistently ranks among the best value earbuds for call quality, and the A3 continues that trend.

Best for Workouts: Samsung Galaxy Buds FE2 — $89 AUD

The IP57 water and dust resistance rating sets these apart for gym use. I wore them through several intense sessions, including outdoor runs in light rain, and they didn’t skip a beat.

Samsung’s ANC is decent, the wing tips keep them locked in during movement, and the sound profile has punchy bass that works well for workout playlists. The SmartThings integration is a nice bonus if you’ve got Samsung devices, but they work perfectly fine with other Android phones and iPhones.

Battery life with ANC is about 6 hours — acceptable but not class-leading. The case feels a bit plasticky for the price.

Best Value: QCY HT07 ARC — $49 AUD

At $49, these Chinese-brand earbuds have no business sounding this good. The hybrid ANC is surprisingly capable, battery life is 8 hours with ANC (the best in this roundup), and the open-ear arc design is comfortable for extended wear.

The trade-offs are where you’d expect: the app is basic, the build quality feels cheaper, and the microphone performance is noticeably worse than the Nothing or Google options. But if you primarily want decent sound and noise cancellation for the lowest possible price, the QCY HT07 ARC is remarkable value.

The Others

JBL Tune Beam 2 ($79): Good JBL bass, average ANC, bulky case. Fine but nothing stands out. If you already like JBL’s sound signature, you’ll enjoy these.

Sony WF-C710N ($99): Sony’s budget entry has their signature warm sound and surprisingly good ANC for the price. The LDAC codec support is a nice touch for Android users with high-quality audio files. But at $99, they’re competing with options that offer better overall packages.

Anker Soundcore Space A50 ($69): Solid all-rounders with good ANC and a comfortable fit. The app is excellent with detailed EQ customisation. But the sound quality is a step behind the Nothing and Sony options.

Xiaomi Redmi Buds 6 Pro ($59): Impressive specs on paper (dual drivers, ANC, LDAC), but the fit was inconsistent in my testing. Some people will find them perfect; I had to constantly readjust. Sound quality is good when they’re seated properly.

What Actually Matters When Choosing

After testing all eight, here’s what I think matters most:

Fit is king. The best-sounding earbuds in the world are useless if they don’t fit your ears. If possible, buy from retailers with good return policies so you can try before committing.

ANC quality varies wildly. Budget ANC ranges from “barely noticeable” to “genuinely useful.” The Nothing, Sony, and Samsung options all deliver meaningful noise reduction. Others… less so.

Don’t ignore call quality. If you take lots of calls, microphone performance matters. The Google Pixel Buds A3 and Nothing Ear (3a) stood out here. The cheaper Chinese options generally struggle with call quality. What Hi-Fi has noted this trend across budget earbuds — sound output improves faster than microphone quality at lower price points.

Codec support matters for Android. LDAC and aptX support means noticeably better audio quality if your phone supports these codecs. Most budget earbuds now support at least AAC, but LDAC remains a differentiator.

The Bottom Line

You don’t need to spend $300-400 on AirPods Pro or Sony WF-1000XM6 to get great wireless earbuds in 2026. The Nothing Ear (3a) at $79 delivers a package that would have been unthinkable at this price two years ago. The Google Pixel Buds A3 is the best choice for call-heavy users. And the QCY HT07 ARC proves that even $49 can get you a legitimately good listening experience.

The budget tier has never been better. Your wallet can relax.