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Active noise cancellation, more commonly known as ANC, is a major selling point found in many of the best wireless earbuds. The feature can recognize noises around you — passing trains, construction work, or noisy chatter — and block them out. ANC is thus ideal for those who live in busy areas, enjoy working in quieter settings, or simply love being immersed in their favorite music. But while there's a fair selection of cheap noise cancelling headphones that are worth buying, it can be tricky to find low-cost earbuds that block background noise well.

If you search for earbuds under $50, you'll find several options that don't offer ANC or any form of noise cancelling at all. Among those that do offer a sound-blocking feature, some may not sound great or be the most durable. However, you can find a number of affordable ANC earbuds on the market that deliver on quality in many respects, if you know where to look. Here, you'll find seven pairs of noise-cancelling earbuds manufactured by trusted brands that cost less than $50. All selections have received positive average reviews — four stars out of five or greater — from both buyers and experienced online reviewers.

A respected name in affordable audio, JLab has not one, but two products on this list. The first is the JLab Go Pop ANC. These buds sell for $29.88 at Walmart and come in a wide range of colors, including teal, pink, black, and some transparent neon options. With these buds, you get a small, stemless form factor at a price that isn't much higher than their predecessor, the JLab Go Air Pop — except now, ANC is included in the package. If you go for these, you'll be picking up a pair of buds with 10mm drivers, a 20Hz-20kHz frequency range, and support for the SBC and AAC codecs. Just make sure you buy the right pair with "ANC" in the name instead of opting for the Go Air Pops by mistake.

A tester for TechRadar stated that "bass was surprisingly impactful and treble was sharp enough to add some flair" on these buds. Moreover, the JLab companion app's equalizer gives you complete control over your listening experience, so audiophiles can fine-tune the default EQ profiles to their liking. Customer feedback is consistently positive, too — many buyers love the buds' built-in charging cable, easy touch controls, and small form factor that makes them surprisingly comfortable to wear. So, if you're looking for an affordable pair of stemless ANC earbuds with great customization features, this is likely the pick for you.

While Tozo itself may not have placed too high in our ranked list of the best cheap headphone brands, it does offer some of the cheapest pair of noise cancelling earbuds that are worth buying: the Tozo Crystal Pods. These buds, which have 10mm drivers, a 20Hz-20kHz frequency range, and AAC codec support, can be purchased for $29.99 on Amazon (and sometimes even cheaper if you shop at the right time). Just don't confuse them with the Crystal Buds, since those don't have ANC.

The verdict on the Crystal Pods is positive among professional reviewers and shoppers alike. Testers at Scarbir praised the buds' "full, thumping bass," as well as the ability to reduce said bass using app presets, if desired. Many buyers agree with this sentiment, with users complimenting the Tozo buds on their V-shaped sound profile that offers detailed, booming bass. Some users even refer to the Crystal Pods as Tozo's best-sounding earbuds.

A reviewer at The Gadgeteer claimed these buds "never sounded 'cheap'" thanks to their strong volume output and an audio signature that dials back higher frequencies, which can also be adjusted with a 10-band equalizer in the Tozo app. They also enjoyed the Tozo Crystal Pods' range of added features, including AI-assisted meeting recording and built-in ambient sounds to fall asleep to.

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The second pair of JLab earbuds on this list are the JLab Go Pods ANC. At $36.99 from Amazon, they cost just a little more than the Go Pop ANCs do. They match its specs with a 10mm driver, 20Hz-20kHz range, and support for both AAC and SBC, but they also offer a more subdued range of color options: lilac, sage, and "cloud white." The main difference between these and the Pops, however, is that they're earbuds with stems, which does impact the earbuds' weight and general feel while they're in your ear (as well as the overall aesthetic). If you prefer slightly heavier, more pronounced buds, these ones are likely better for you.

Like their stem-less siblings, the Go Pods ANC have been touted as some of the easiest-to-recommend, low-cost, noise-canceling earbuds for audiophiles. A PC Mag review commended the Go Pods ANC on their "deep bass and crisp highs." A great deal of online writing echoes this sentiment, and some forum users make a point of sharing their favorite EQ settings for optimal Go Pods performance. Some professional reviewers and online commenters have criticized the buds' in-ear fit, but some feedback simply suggests experimenting with the various bud tips included in the box. You could also try other tips if the in-box ones don't work for you, such as the JLab Cloud Foam Earbud Tips, which are sold separately for $11.99 on Amazon.

More super-cheap ANC buds come from Baseus, which is slowly making a name for itself in the audio space. The Baseus Bass BP1 Pro cost $39.99 at Amazon, though they're often discounted by up to 40%, so they could be among the cheapest pairs available to you depending on when you shop. That makes them a far more affordable alternative to the likes of the Baseus Inspire XP1, which came out recently.

Professional testers for GizmoChina praised the Baseus Bass BP1 Pros for their natural and delicate sound, as well as their support for the high-res LDAC codec on top of SBC and AAC. The buds use 10mm drivers, but they boast a wider frequency response than the previous earbuds on this list, stretching from 20Hz-40kHz. That means they can reproduce sounds beyond the typical human hearing range, which can be popular with some consumers who feel they may be able to detect harmonics and overtones at those higher pitches.

Certain online commenters recount finding the Bass BP1 Pro's default sound unimpressive, but successfully achieved better sound quality by tweaking the equalizer. In line with the name of the buds, buyers have discussed loving the sheer bass output they offer. If you want the absolute cheapest noise-cancelling earbuds available from this brand, there's also the Baseus Bass BP1s, which cost a mere $16.99. Not many expert reviewers have tested them, though, so the jury's out on their real audio chops — especially for audiophiles.

Usually, when you're buying cheap earbuds, you have to settle on the features front. But the Soundpeats C30 have some perks you wouldn't expect. At $39.99 on Amazon, these buds give you Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity, a 12mm driver, a 20Hz-40kHz frequency range, battery life of up to 52 hours, LDAC codec support, and (of course) noise cancelling. The buds' larger driver helps deliver a more refined bass response, too.

People who've tested the Soundpeats C30s consistently seem surprised by their quality. Testers at Tech Jio spoke highly of their prominent lower end, stating the "boosted lower mids and mid-bass give music a full, weighty presentation." Online commenters who've bought the buds have also praised the sound stage offered between voices and instruments, an important factor for audiophiles who prioritize detailed, wide-sounding audio. The buds' ANC performance is generally regarded as solid for the price, especially when using the Adaptive mode to select which level of noise cancelling you're using.

Like some other low-cost earbuds we've featured on this list, the Soundpeats C30 come in a range of vibrant colors, including bright orange, beige, and soft pinkish-purple. So, if you like funky colors, then the Soundpeats C30s can tick that particular box.

British tech company Nothing releases budget products under its sub-brand, CMF — in the realm of industrial design, this stands for "color, material, finish" — and among them are low-cost wireless earbuds. The CMF Buds 2 sell for $49 on Amazon, which makes them the priciest option on this list, but they're some of our favorite cheap wireless earbuds that prove price isn't always a limiting factor on performance.

Budget-conscious audiophiles have paid attention to the CMF Buds 2 thanks to their tuning from audio optimization brand Dirac, which lends the buds a rich, bass-heavy sound. This goes hand-in-hand with their custom-made 11mm drivers. The buds only support the AAC or SBC codecs, but if you want to enjoy LDAC audio (plus a smart dial that can adjust volume), you can opt for the CMF Buds Pro 2, which also cost $49. Reviewers at ExpertReviews specifically noted the Buds 2 earbuds' impressive detail in the trebles and mids, stating the Dirac audio tuning provides a "refined, coherent presentation."

To save even more money, you could also opt for the $39 CMF Buds 2a (known to go on sale for $29). The ANC on these buds isn't as advanced as the functionality on the regular CMF Buds 2, but they do have a larger driver and share many of the same features.

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