Here at WIRED, it's part of our job to listen to music all day, often on exceedingly fancy and bonkers-expensive headphones. We have playlists for testing bass, for assessing detail, for dance parties—we get way into it. You might think reviewing cheaper headphones would be a chore, but it's actually really exciting. We find real joy searching for good headphones and earbuds with price tags between $5 and $100. It's where the competition is stiffest!

Our work isn't done, either. Etailers are overflowing with cheap, awful headphones, so we'll keep listening and updating this list as we try the ever-expanding options. Now fire up your favorite playlist, count your pennies, and take a peak below. We've sifted through dozens of terrible cheap headphones to find the true gold.

Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best Wireless Headphones and Best Wireless Workout Headphones.

Updated for July 2020: We've added the JLab Go Air, Sony MDR-7506, and noted some alternative picks that we also like.