If you're looking for the best headphones you're probably seeing a lot of very expensive sets, even after discounts from Black Friday deals. But if you're on a fairly tight budget, you can get a really impressive set of ANC over-ear headphones for well below $100/£100. I know that because I've just bought a pair.
At £79.99, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 headphones are great value – and right now on Amazon I'm looking at a deal that brings them down to £55.99. That's an absolute steal.
Why I bought the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 headphones
One of the downsides of having lots of tech kicking around is that your kids become very selective about what they want – so when my son wanted headphones for his iPhone SE, iPad and laptop he had a list of non-negotiable demands. Good sound quality for starters, decent bass, ANC with transparency mode and over-ear cups for comfort. Oh, and USB-C, long battery life and easy switching between devices.
That wish list takes you straight to the best wireless headphones, but over-ears that meet those requirements are not cheap. But the Ankers deliver all of the required features for a lot less cash.
I'm not going to pretend that the Soundcore Q30s deliver the same first class noise cancelling as my Bose Quietcomforts or my AirPods Max. But it's still pretty good, and as my son only wears his headphones at home and in the car he doesn't need the more hardcore tech of more expensive 'phones. The sound quality is really impressive, with nicely judged bass that kicks but doesn't overwhelm and a nice airy treble, and while the build is a little plastic they're perfectly comfortable. They charge via USB-C, you can use them as wired headphones (without ANC), they fold and you can get up to 60 hours of play time with ANC off. And when my son forgets to charge them, which he will, five minutes quick charging delivers four hours of listening.
If you're looking for good quality wireless headphones but can't stretch to a set of Sony WH-1000XM4s or WH-1000XM5s, give these a go. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Seiko’s new Presage Japanese Garden watch has a playful cutout that’s truly hypnotising
Seiko expands its Presage Japanese Garden series with two new watches
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Amazon finally unveils its most dystopian show yet with a real trailer
Beast Games looks fairly horrifying
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Apple just unveiled a load of new AirPods features – here's everything you need to know
This is a new era for your ears
By Sam Cross Published
-
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro leak with Airpods-inspired design
The new wireless earbuds look set to take on a much more familiar appearance
By Sam Cross Published
-
Apple AirPods Pro 2 sound even better at this price
The best earbuds for your iPhone at a better price
By Andy Sansom Published
-
Is Apple releasing new AirPods in 2024? New AirPods models and features we want
Apple's June 'Dub Dub' event might bring new AirPods at last
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Cyber Monday 2023 is the year of record Airpod deals
You heard us right
By Andy Sansom Published
-
I tried the new AirPods Pro 2 feature on a plane – it saved my hearing and sanity
Flying with the Apple AirPods Pro 2 made me realise how powerful the new Adaptive Audio feature is
By Matt Kollat Published
-
Apple Magic Mouse, Trackpad and Keyboard refresh reportedly coming soon... for one good reason
Upgraded Apple Magic accessories will launch alongside new iMac, it is said
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Here's everything you need to know about the iPhone 15 USB-C port
What you can connect, how much power it puts out and why Pro and Pro Max users need to buy a cable already
By Carrie Marshall Published