Budget Wireless Headphone Comparison

Prices are US MSRP / typical street unless noted.

Colour key: ANC No ANC Kids Gaming headset

The last two rows (Logitech G PRO X 2, ASTRO A50 X) are wireless gaming headsets, not budget consumer headphones. At $230-$360 they are 3-7x the price of everything above them and neither has ANC. They are included for reference, not as competitors to the budget picks.

Comparison table

Model	Fit	Released	Price (US)	ANC	Sound quality (/10)	Battery on/off	Weight	Codecs	Connectivity	Wired	Key features	Pros	Cons
Edifier W830NB	Over-ear	Jun 2024	~$80	-45dB (claimed)	8.8 † SG MDAQS	54h / 94h	267g	SBC, AAC, LDAC	BT 5.4USB-C audioMultipoint	USB-C	40mm drivers4-preset parametric EQTransparency + gaming modesFoldable	LDAC54h ANC-on, longest hereDeep EQ toolingFoldable	267gNo case, no IP ratingPlastic scuffs easily
Edifier WH700NB Pro	Over-ear	Nov 2024	~$50	-43dB (claimed)	— no score	35h / 56h	270g	SBC	BT 5.4USB-C audio (Hi-Res)Multipoint	USB-C	40mm drivers15min = 10h fast charge	Cheapest with real ANC15min = 10hMultipoint	SBC onlyHeaviest at 270g35h ANC-onUnreviewed by any major outlet
Sony WH-CH720N	Over-ear	Mar 2023	~$98 (MSRP $179.99)	~20dB measured	6.6 † SG MDAQS	40h / —	192g	SBC, AAC, LDAC	BT 5.23.5mm, ANC works wiredMultipoint	3.5mm	30mm driversHeadphones Connect appDSEE upscaling	192gLDACOnly measured ANC hereMature app	Weakest sound of the ANC threeRuns warm on long wears
JBL Tune 780NC	Over-ear	Nov 2025 (EU) · Jun 2026 (US)	$149.95	Adaptive	8.0 ‡ TrustedRev	50h / 76h	—	not published	BT 6.0USB-C wired modeMultipoint	USB-C to 3.5mm	40mm driversAdaptive ANCSpatial sound5min = 5h	Adaptive ANC40mm drivers50h ANC-onBT 6.0Hi-Res over USB-C	~2x the W830NBWeight not publishedCodecs not published
JBL Tune 670NC	On-ear	Mar 2024	$109.95	Adaptive	7.0 ‡ TechRadar	44h / 70h	174g	not published	BT 5.33.5mm detachableMultipoint	Detachable	32mm driversAdaptive ANC30h with AUX + ANC5min = 3h	Adaptive ANC174gDetachable cable	On-ear leaks more32mm driversPricey for an on-ear
JBL Tune 730BT	Over-ear	Oct 2025 (EU) · Jun 2026 (US)	$89.95	None	8.0 ‡ TrustedRev	— / 76h	218g	not published	BT 6.0 + LE AudioBluetooth onlyMultipoint	—	40mm driversLE Audio, Auracast-ready5min = 5h	76h battery40mm driversBT 6.0 + LE Audio	No ANC at $89.95No wired inputNo cable in the box
JBL Tune 520BT	On-ear	Mar 2024	$59.95	None	9.6 † SG MDAQS	— / 57h	157g	not published	BT 5.3Bluetooth onlyMultipoint	—	33mm drivers5min = 3hJBL Headphones app EQ	157g57h batteryStrong measured sound for an on-ear	No ANCOn-ear fit33mm driversNo wired input
Sony WH-CH520	On-ear	Mar 2023	$59	None	6.6 ‡ SG overall	— / 50h	145g	SBC, AAC	BT 5.2Bluetooth onlyMultipoint	No	30mm driversDSEE upscalingHeadphones Connect app	Lightest at 145gBest-reviewed no-ANC soundMultipoint	No ANCNo wired jackMic "tinny and echoey"
JBL Junior 470NC	Over-ear (kids)	Oct 2024	<$50	Yes	— no score	28h / 50h	—	—	Bluetooth3.5mm wired listening mode	3.5mm	32mm driversHard 85dB capParental controlsPlaytime limits	85dB volume capParental controlsApp monitoring	Not comparable for adult useMost specs unpublished
Logitech G PRO X 2	Over-ear (gaming)	May 2023	$229.99 list (~$190-215 street)	None	7.5 ‡ SG overall	— / 50h rated (88h measured)	345g	SBC, AAC	2.4GHz Lightspeed dongleBT 5.33.5mm analogueNo multipoint	3.5mm	50mm PRO-G grapheneDetachable cardioid boom micBlue VO!CEG HUB EQDTS Headphone:X 2.0Swappable leatherette + velour pads	50mm graphene drivers88h measured batteryDetachable micThree transports	No ANC345gCannot run dongle + BT at once~3x the W830NB
ASTRO A50 X	Over-ear (gaming)	Feb 2024 (announced Dec 2023)	$359.99 (list $399.99)	None	8.0 † RTINGS sound	— / 24h @ 78dB	363g (+320g base)	not published	2.4GHz LightspeedBT 5.0, via the baseBase: 2x HDMI 2.1 in, 1x outBase: 3x USB-C in	None (USB-C charges only)	PLAYSYNC: Xbox + PS5 + PC connected at onceOne-button switching4K120 / VRR / ALLM passthrough40mm PRO-G grapheneFlip-to-mute micDolby Atmos + PS5 3D Audio	Three consoles plus Bluetooth at onceHDMI 2.1 passthroughBase-station charging	$359.99No ANCNo wired audio at all363gOnly 24h battery

How to read the Sound quality column

The scores come from different metrics and are not directly comparable:

• † = SoundGuys MDAQS sound-specific score (a /5 predicted-preference measurement, doubled to /10) or RTINGS' sound-specific score. These are measurement-derived and run generous — MDAQS is why the $59.95 Tune 520BT shows 9.6, which does not mean it out-sings everything above it.
• ‡ = an editorial overall verdict score normalised to /10. It reflects the whole product — build, ANC, value — not sound alone.
• — no score = no published review from SoundGuys, RTINGS, What Hi-Fi, TechRadar, Tom's Guide or Trusted Reviews. Not a low score; no score.

Only compare † against † and ‡ against ‡. Also worth knowing: SoundGuys' overall numbers are 7.6 (W830NB), 7.1 (WH-CH720N), 6.6 (WH-CH520), 7.6 (Tune 520BT) and 7.5 (PRO X 2) — on that consistent basis the W830NB and Tune 520BT tie at the top.

Notes

On the ANC figures

Edifier's "-45dB" and "-43dB" are lab-peak marketing figures. SoundGuys measured the Sony WH-CH720N at roughly 20dB across most low frequencies, peaking at 28dB at 80Hz. These are not the same kind of number — do not read the Edifiers as twice as good. In practice all of these sit in a similar budget-ANC band, and JBL's adaptive implementations are the most likely to pull ahead in variable environments.

On the two gaming headsets

Neither has ANC — both rely on passive isolation only, which puts them behind every ANC model above on a noisy commute. What they buy instead is a low-latency 2.4GHz link, a real boom mic, and (on the A50 X) console switching no consumer headphone attempts. The A50 X also has no wired audio path at all: its USB-C port charges only, so a dead base station means a dead headset. A cheaper ASTRO A50 Gen 5 ($299.99, Oct 2024) drops the HDMI passthrough but keeps PLAYSYNC Audio.

Extra spec details

• Fast charge: W830NB ~1.5h full; WH700NB Pro 15min = 10h; Tune 780NC / 730BT 5min = 5h; Tune 670NC / 520BT 5min = 3h; Junior 470NC 5min quick charge; A50 X ~3h full via base or USB-C.
• Multipoint: supported on W830NB, WH700NB Pro, WH-CH720N, WH-CH520, and all listed JBL Tune models. Not on the PRO X 2 — it cannot run the dongle and Bluetooth simultaneously.
• Drivers: 50mm on PRO X 2; 40mm on W830NB, WH700NB Pro, Tune 780NC, Tune 730BT, A50 X; 33mm on Tune 520BT; 32mm on Tune 670NC and Junior 470NC; 30mm on WH-CH720N and WH-CH520.
• Edifier W830NB: extensive parametric EQ with four presets, transparency and gaming modes, foldable. No carrying case, no IP rating, plastic scuffs easily. SoundGuys notes a treble-leaning tuning with a spike from ~6.5kHz to 9kHz.
• Edifier WH700NB Pro: wired audio is USB-C, not 3.5mm — there is no analogue jack. Launched in Japan Nov 2024 at ¥7,980. No major outlet has reviewed it.
• Sony WH-CH720N: SoundGuys rates sound 3.3/5 MDAQS (7.1/10 overall) — bass-heavy, congested mids, fatiguing treble; runs warm on long wears. Street price has drifted to roughly half MSRP.
• JBL Junior 470NC: hard 85dB volume cap, parental controls, playtime limits, app monitoring. Kids' product — not comparable for adult use. Ships with a 3.5mm cable and a wired listening mode.
• Sony WH-CH520: best-reviewed sound of the no-ANC group (What Hi-Fi 5/5), but no wired jack and a weak mic ("tinny and echoey").
• JBL Tune 780NC / 730BT: European launches in late 2025; US availability only arrived June 2026, which is why review coverage is thin.

Recommendations

The three serious ANC picks:

• Edifier W830NB (~$80) — best value. LDAC, longest ANC-on runtime by a wide margin (54h), best EQ tooling, and the best sound-specific score in the table (8.8 MDAQS). Costs you 267g and scuff-prone plastic.
• Sony WH-CH720N (~$98) — the comfort pick. 75g lighter, LDAC, mature Sony app. A downgrade in sound (6.6 vs 8.8 on the same metric) to buy an upgrade in comfort.
• JBL Tune 780NC ($149.95) — most capable on paper: adaptive ANC, 40mm drivers, 50h ANC-on, BT 6.0, Hi-Res over USB-C. Nearly double the W830NB; worth it only if adaptive ANC is the specific thing you want.

Value pick: Edifier WH700NB Pro (~$50) — nearly the same claimed ANC depth and weight as the W830NB for about $30 less, giving up LDAC and about a third of the ANC-on battery. Note that nobody credible has reviewed it, so the claimed ANC depth is untested.

No-ANC group: Sony WH-CH520 ($59) is the safe pick, but the Tune 520BT scores markedly better on SoundGuys' sound measurement and adds 7h of battery. The Tune 730BT is hard to justify at $89.95 when $50 buys the WH700NB Pro with ANC.

On-ear vs over-ear: the Tune 670NC, Tune 520BT, and WH-CH520 clamp on the ears rather than around them, which is why they are 90-110g lighter. Most people find that less comfortable over long sessions, and on-ear passive isolation is weaker — the 670NC's adaptive ANC is partly compensating for a form factor that leaks more to begin with.

Gaming: the PRO X 2 is the one to want unless you need multi-console switching — 50mm graphene drivers, a detachable mic, 88h measured battery, and three transports for $230. The A50 X only earns its $360 if you genuinely switch between an Xbox, a PS5 and a PC; otherwise you are paying for an HDMI matrix you will not use, and giving up any wired fallback.

W830NB unless you will wear them 4+ hours at a stretch, in which case the 75g saving on the WH-CH720N is worth more than the sound difference. Neither gaming headset belongs on a commute.

JBL usually carries a bigger local premium than Edifier, which can shift this ranking.

Sources

• Edifier W830NB · launch PR, Jun 2024
• SoundGuys — Edifier W830NB review (7.6/10 overall, 4.4/5 MDAQS sound)
• Edifier WH700NB Pro · Japan launch PR, Nov 2024
• SoundGuys — Sony WH-CH720N review (7.1/10 overall, 3.3/5 MDAQS sound)
• SoundGuys — Sony WH-CH520 review (6.6/10 overall)
• What Hi-Fi — Sony WH-CH520 review (5/5)
• Sony WH-CH720N / WH-CH520 launch PR, Feb 2023
• JBL Tune 780NC · Trusted Reviews (4/5)
• JBL Tune 670NC · TechRadar review (3.5/5)
• JBL Tune 730BT · Trusted Reviews (4/5)
• JBL Tune 520BT · SoundGuys review (7.6/10 overall, 4.8/5 MDAQS sound)
• JBL CES 2024 launch PR — Tune 670NC / 520BT
• JBL Junior 470NC · launch PR, Oct 2024
• Logitech G PRO X 2 LIGHTSPEED · launch PR, May 2023 · SoundGuys review (7.5/10)
• ASTRO A50 X · launch PR, Dec 2023 · full spec sheet · RTINGS review (8.2/10 overall)
• ASTRO A50 Gen 5 launch PR, Sep 2024