The best wireless headphones under $100
You don't have to shell out the big bucks to cut the cords - these 'phones all cost less than a ton
CUTTING THE CORD
A basic rule of headphones: pack in less tech and you’ll probably get better sound per pound. But now that phones are starting to leave out headphone jacks as if they’re last season’s fad, wireless is becoming more important than ever. Blame/praise Apple on this front: following the headphone-socket-less iPhone there came an avalanche of wireless headphones – so many, in fact, that it’s hard to tell the good from the bad. Or rather it is if you don’t have someone to guide you. Fortunately, you do: we’ve amassed a small mountain of the things to find out which budget pairs are really worth the cash. And you may be a little surprised by the brands that come out top for sound quality….
URBANISTA SEATTLE – PRICE $99
The Urbanista Seattles sound unexpectedly good. These headphones have a far more expansive and involving soundstage than most budget wireless pairs – they’re full and rich-sounding, with the sort of tasteful bass drive that will please the masses without instantly turning off the chin-stroking crowd. Their delivery of vocals is particularly great despite not having a very forward mid-range, with very natural tonality, although they could be a hint less smooth and soft, to add hi-fi-like separation to the wide soundstage.
SOUNDMAGIC E10BT – PRICE: $54.99
How well you get on with the E10BTs depends entirely on your reaction to this battery, because everything else about the pair is great. The price? Spot on. The Bluetooth reliability? Near-perfect. The sound quality? Just like the normal SoundMagic E10Cs, it’s great. And thanks to the separate battery, the E10BTs also last 12 hours between charges rather than the usual 6-8. You’ll struggle to get better sound from a wireless pair of in-ears at the price. There’s the classic E10 slight bass boost, paired with clean treble and slightly recessed but detailed mids. Like the normals E10s, there’s some extra mid-bass padding they could do without, but it doesn’t spoil the sound.
SKULLCANDY GRIND WIRELESS – PRICE: $60.00
Think Skullcandy and three obvious things pop up: skulls, bass and more colour finishes than a Homebase paint mixing station. The Skullcandy Grind Wireless headphones don’t get rid of the skull insignia, but do seem like an altogether more grown-up offering. They stick close to your head and the design is so clean it wouldn’t look out of place in the V&A. Rather than using flexi-cups, the Skullcandy Grind Wireless ‘phones simply tilt a few degrees. But don’t let that put you off, because you also get nice, soft Bowers & Wilkins-style pillow pads and relatively light headband tension. They’ll be dead comfy unless the pad angle disagrees with your ears, in which case they may be a nightmare – so try before you buy.
SONY MDR-XB650BT – PRICE: $74.99
The Sony’s battery life is a feature worth highlighting. At up to 30 hours, the XB650BTs are among the longest-lasting affordable wireless headphones. There’s no way to plug in a cable when the battery does run out, though, so keep them charged. The sound is a real mix of B+ and C- fodder, and it’s all about the “Xtra Bass” family these headphones are part of. Mids and treble are clean and clear, but the bass is out-of-control and emphasised beyond the capabilities of the drivers, making it distort in an ugly fashion during bass-heavy parts of a mix. Even Beats headphones don’t do this anymore. Maybe you like the sort of bass you’d hear if you put your ear to the wall of a club, but it gets old pretty quick.
URBANEARS PLATTAN ADV – PRICE: $99.99
The Urbanears’ wireless performance is solid, and they’ll last up to 14 hours off a charge – or you can plug in the cable, which also has a one-button remote. Sound quality is a step above real bottom-rung stuff, with bass that’s pronounced but not a boom-fest and decent treble clarity for the price. However, the mids are low on detail and are buoyed by mid-bass ballast that makes the Plattan ADVs sound pretty messy and confused when dealing with any remotely busy arrangements. If you can afford an extra £20, you can do better.
JBL E55BT – PRICE: $99.99
Despite being full size headphones, the JBL’s aren’t ridiculously huge, and they do fold up. Primed for the high street, you might see them next to pairs that look similar but cost 2-3 times the price, while a 20-hour battery life blows the stamina of little wireless in-ears away. Start listening and you’ll hear why the JBL E55BTs are cheaper than most, though. On first audition, they seem to get a lot right, with decent treble detail and bass that’s not anaemic or so energetic it slobbers over the rest of the sound like an excitable puppy. However, the JBL E55BTs have a vacant, hollow-sounding mid-range that makes parts of the mix seem oddly disconnected from each other.
