“The crinkle of that flimsy plastic earbud cord, the hiss before the track kicked in, and the way one side always died first.”
You remember that, right? Those stock earbuds that came free in the phone box felt like a bonus, even when they sounded like music playing inside a soda can. Back then, you would untangle that thin white wire on the bus, plug it into your Nokia or early iPod, and just hope it survived the week.
Fast forward to right now. You are looking at true wireless earbuds under 50 dollars and wondering if you are just buying a nicer version of those “free-with-the-phone” relics. No wire, tiny case, Bluetooth stamped on the box. But are they better, or are we just repeating the same story with a different connector? Maybe it is nostalgia talking, but those cheap wired buds felt honest. No battery anxiety. No pairing rituals. They sounded bad, but they were predictable.
Today the fear is different. Now you are thinking: “If I buy these 40 dollar earbuds from a brand I have never heard of, are they going to sound terrible, lag with video, and die in six months?” That is the real question behind “Are they garbage?” You are not just asking about price. You are asking whether budget true wireless tech has finally grown up enough to be trusted in your daily life: commute, gym sessions, Netflix, Zoom calls, maybe even some light gaming.
The jump from wired buds to true wireless under $50
Those early wired earbuds had one job. Carry analog sound from a 3.5 mm jack to your ears. No firmware. No battery. No Bluetooth codec. No companion app. If they broke, you bought another pair for 10 dollars at a gas station and moved on.
True wireless earbuds under 50 dollars are juggling a lot more:
– Bluetooth radio and chipset
– Battery in each earbud plus a case battery
– Charging logic
– Microphones for calls
– Touch or button controls
– Tiny drivers in each shell
– Sometimes ANC or ambient mode crammed in for marketing
That is a lot to ask from a product that costs less than a Friday night dinner.
The first ultra-cheap true wireless sets around 2016 to 2018 felt like prototypes that escaped a factory too early. One earbud would lose sync, audio would cut out when you turned your head, and latency turned YouTube videos into dubbed anime. Battery life was laughable. You might get 2 hours if you were lucky, and then the case died on day two.
Today, sub-50 dollar earbuds sit in a different place. Bluetooth 5.x is normal. Chipsets from companies like Realtek, Qualcomm’s entry tiers, Airoha, and others have pushed core reliability up, even for no-name manufacturers. That does not magically make every pair good, but the floor is higher than it used to be.
The short version: price no longer predicts garbage with the same accuracy that it did in the early AirPods era. Some of these things are surprisingly usable. Some are still awful. The trick is knowing what corners were cut.
The retro context: cheap audio then vs cheap audio now
To see if sub-50 dollar earbuds are “garbage,” it helps to remember what “cheap audio” looked like before Bluetooth took over.
“Retro Specs: 2004 no-name wired earbuds – 10 mm drivers, about 16 ohms impedance, sensitivity around 90 dB, 1.2 m rubber cable, 3.5 mm TRS plug, zero isolation, zero mic, cost: 5 to 15 dollars.”
They were light, almost weightless. The cable felt slightly sticky, the kind that stuck to your pocket lint. The plastic shell pressed hard into your ear concha and never quite sat right. You did not expect bass. You were happy if vocals were clear enough and the right channel did not crackle.
Now look at what a 30 to 50 dollar true wireless set packs in:
– 6 to 10 mm dynamic drivers
– Bluetooth 5.1, 5.2, or newer
– 20 to 40 mAh battery per bud
– 250 to 400 mAh in the case
– At least 4 to 6 hours single charge playback
– USB-C charging, sometimes wireless charging
– IPX4 or better water resistance (for many models)
– Dual microphones, ENC algorithms for calls
The cheap wired buds never had to manage any of that. They only had to be “not painful” and “not silent.”
So the question is not “Are true wireless under 50 dollars garbage?” The better question is “For this price, what do you actually get right now compared with what you used to get at this price?”
Then vs now: from bricks and beeps to buds and codecs
Let us zoom out for a second and anchor our expectations with a classic old phone.
| Feature | Nokia 3310 Era (circa 2000) | iPhone 17 Era (circa mid-2020s) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary audio accessory | Wired mono headset or cheap stereo earbuds | True wireless earbuds, sometimes bundled or heavily marketed |
| Connection | 3.5 mm jack or proprietary pin connector | Bluetooth 5.x, USB-C or MagSafe for charging, no headphone jack |
| Typical price for “OK” audio | 20-40 dollars for decent wired headphones | 30-50 dollars for usable true wireless earbuds |
| Battery concerns | Phone only, earbuds were passive | Phone, both earbuds, and charging case all need power |
| Latency | None, analog wired signal | Manageable for video with decent codecs, noticeable for gaming on budget sets |
| Durability | Cable frays, one side dies, but no electronics inside | Batteries age, cases crack, water ingress, more failure points |
When you held a Nokia 3310, you felt a reassuring brick in your hand. Hard plastic, maybe a little scuffed, with buttons that clicked like they planned to outlive you. Your earbuds were an afterthought.
Today your iPhone or Android slab feels like glass pretending it is fragile art, and your earbuds are closer to a tiny gadget than a mere accessory. Charging indicators, pairing memory, firmware quirks. You are buying a small computer for each ear.
Where cheap true wireless earbuds improved a lot
Connectivity and stability
Early cheap earbuds cut out if you put your phone in your back pocket and turned your head. Audio would briefly drop in one ear. Pairing felt like a small ritual with LEDs blinking in confusing patterns.
Modern under-50 dollar sets often use Bluetooth 5.1 or newer. That means:
– Better range in real use
– Lower basic energy use compared with older Bluetooth versions
– More stable connection between left and right earbuds
You can usually walk across a room, put your phone in a bag, or sit in a cafe without constant dropouts. Are there exceptions? Yes. Some really low-cost models still use older chips or sloppy antennas.
But the average 40 dollar set today will outperform a cheap 100 dollar set from the early true wireless days. Maybe that is progress, or maybe we just finally reached “this should have been the starting point.”
Battery life and charging
You remember when 2 hours of music was normal for the earliest wireless buds. That would not fly now. Even budget sets chase these rough numbers:
– 4 to 6 hours from the buds on a single charge at medium volume
– 20 to 30 hours total with the case included
The case itself used to feel like a toy. Cheap hinge, loose lid, micro USB. Many current budget cases use USB-C, and some do not feel completely terrible in hand. Do they feel like Apple or Sony quality? Not really. The hinge can still wobble. The plastic can still creak if you squeeze it.
Still, for under 50 dollars, getting through a full day of on-and-off listening without panic is pretty standard now. That was not true a few years back.
Sound quality: are they actually listenable?
Here is where nostalgia gets interesting. Old cheap buds had no bass. If they tried to push low end, they got muddy fast. Treble could be piercing. You tolerated it because your MP3s were probably 128 kbps anyway.
Many budget true wireless buds now lean heavy on “fun” tuning:
– Boosted bass (sometimes too much)
– Recessed mids
– Slightly bright upper treble for fake detail
You might get bloomy low end on some models, but many sub-50 dollar earbuds actually sound “fine” for casual streaming. Not amazing. Not critical listening. Just fine.
The main limitations in this price range:
– Soundstage is usually narrow and “inside your head”
– Detail retrieval is limited; busy tracks smear together
– Vocals can sound a bit boxed in
Yet if you grabbed something like a 35 dollar wired IEM from the Chi-Fi wave and compared it to a 35 dollar true wireless set, the wired one will still win on pure sound in many cases. The difference is you are paying extra for wireless, battery, and convenience. At this price, every extra feature eats into the budget that could have gone to driver quality.
Controls and features
Touch controls on cheap earbuds used to be a joke. You would try to pause a track and trigger voice assistant instead. These days, many budget sets still have quirky touch zones, but physical button-based designs exist too.
Standard in this tier:
– Play/pause control on either earbud
– Skip forward, sometimes skip back
– Call answer/end
– Volume control on some models
More ambitious ones:
– Mono mode (use either earbud alone)
– Simple EQ options in a companion app (for brands that bother building one)
– Low-latency “gaming” modes
ANC and transparency do appear under 50 dollars now, but expectations must be kept realistic. Budget ANC might reduce steady low-frequency noise a bit, but it will not match premium models. It can also add a faint hiss.
Where cheap true wireless still feels rough
Microphone quality and calls
Back in 2005, that wired headset mic for your Nokia made you sound like a call center broadcast over AM radio. Some modern cheap earbuds still channel that energy.
Strong points for under-50 dollar mics:
– Relatively clear indoors in quiet rooms
– Okay for quick calls or voice notes
Weak spots:
– Struggle with wind noise outside
– Background noise reduction can mangle your voice
– Volume can be inconsistent, especially on unknown brands
If calls are your main use, budget true wireless can frustrate you more than higher tier models. You might sound distant or compressed. This is where the skipped R&D and cheaper microphone components show up first.
Build quality and durability
Pick up a premium charging case: smooth hinge curve, tight lid, satisfying click. Now pick up a random 25 dollar case: the lid can feel light, the hinge can wobble, the plastic feels hollow.
Cheap materials create issues over time:
– Case lids loosen and stop closing tightly
– Earbud shells show scratches fast
– Connectors for charging pins oxidize or collect debris
– Buttons lose clickiness
Then there is waterproofing. Many boxes say “IPX4” or similar, yet quality control can vary. A little sweat or light drizzle is fine for most. A heavy run in the rain or a sink drop might end their life.
Batteries aging
The weak underbelly of all true wireless earbuds is battery aging. Each bud uses a tiny lithium cell. In cheaper models, those cells might not be top grade, and the charging circuitry might not treat them gently.
What many users report:
– After 12 to 18 months, playtime drops off
– One bud starts dying faster than the other
– Case battery holds fewer full charges
With premium brands, you sometimes get better cells and more careful power management. With ultra-budget sets, you often roll the dice. If you are treating them as “year-long consumables,” that can be fine. If you want something to last many years, you may be disappointed.
Latency and gaming
For music and most video apps, Bluetooth latency on budget earbuds is now mostly acceptable. Many phones and earbuds compensate so lipsync looks okay.
Gaming is a different story. Competitive players notice delays sharply. Budget sets may advertise “low latency” modes, but you still feel the delay between visual events and sound, especially on mobile shooters or rhythm games.
If you care about gaming responsiveness, wired IEMs or better-grade wireless with specific low-latency support do a better job.
What the old user reviews tell us
The funniest part of reading through archived forum posts from 2005 to 2010 is seeing what people complained about with cheap audio then. It sounds very familiar.
“User review from 2005: ‘Got these 12 dollar earbuds from the mall. Bass is total mud, treble hurts my ears, but they are loud and I do not care if they break.'”
That mindset has not vanished. Many buyers still look at earbuds as almost disposable. Lose them at the gym? Shrug. Leave them on a plane? Not the end of the world.
Now listen to a more recent budget earbud review from about 2020:
“User review from early true wireless days: ‘Paid 30 bucks, case feels cheap, but they connect fast and I can watch Netflix with only a tiny lag. Sound is okay. If they last a year I am happy.'”
Same core idea: trade expectations for price. The difference today is that your 30 or 40 dollars actually buys more tech. The minimum viable product has improved.
Where the money goes under $50
Let us break down what your cash is “paying for” at this tier. It helps frame your expectations:
– Bluetooth chipset: If a model uses a reasonably current chip (for example, a mid-level Realtek or entry Qualcomm), that is a good sign for stability and power use.
– Drivers: Single dynamic driver per ear in almost all models at this price. Multi-driver hybrids rarely show up and, when they do, tuning often suffers.
– Case and plastics: Corners are cut heavily here. Hinge design, finish quality, internal mounting. Everything is done as cheaply as possible while keeping failure rates acceptable.
– Battery cells: Small, lower-cost cells with simplified charging management.
– Features: Cheap ANC, simple touch controls, limited or no companion app.
That split explains why some sub-50 dollar earbuds sound decent yet feel fragile, while others feel sturdy but sound dull. Different brands choose where to cut.
Are they garbage for music lovers?
If you are a serious audio hobbyist, you probably own a DAC, some wired IEMs, or over-ear headphones that cost more than 50 dollars alone. In that context, most budget true wireless sets will sound compressed and lifeless by comparison.
But if you are honest with yourself about daily use, the question shifts:
– For commuting, walking, quick errands: is “good enough” quality acceptable?
– For workouts: would you rather sweat over cheap earbuds than ruin your best headphones?
For casual music listening, podcasts, audiobooks, and YouTube, many under-50 dollar true wireless models are “good enough,” especially once road noise or gym machines mask fine details anyway.
If you crave detail, imaging, and clear separation, you will still feel the gap. A 30 to 50 dollar wired IEM can beat a 50 dollar true wireless set on audio quality in many cases. But convenience wins for many people. Throw the case in your pocket, no wire, auto connect, walk away.
Are they garbage for calls and meetings?
This is where expectations should stay modest.
Some budget earbuds deliver passable call quality indoors. If your day is filled with Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, you might manage, but you may get comments like “You sound a bit muffled” or “Are you on Bluetooth?”
Outdoors, cheap microphones and basic noise reduction often struggle. Wind, traffic, and chatter bleed through. Your voice can break up when the ENC algorithm tries too hard.
If calls are business critical for you, mid-range or higher buds with better mics are safer. For casual “call mom on the way home” scenarios, sub-50 dollar earbuds can be fine, just not impressive.
Are they garbage for workouts?
This is one area where cheaper buds sometimes punch above their price.
For gym use, running, or biking:
– You want a secure fit.
– You care less about ultra-refined sound.
– You expect sweat and maybe some abuse.
If a budget pair offers ear hooks or good silicone tip options and at least an IPX4 rating, it can be an excellent “beater” option. If they fall out of your pocket on a trail, you will be annoyed but not heartbroken.
The trade-off: cheaper plastics and hinges might not handle years of heavy sweat and impact. But many people replace workout earbuds more often anyway.
What nostalgia hides about “cheap vs cheap”
Looking back, some people talk about older wired earbuds as if they were somehow more honest. No battery tricks. No weird pairing steps. Just plug in and go.
There is some truth there. The simplicity of an analog connection has real charm. Fewer failure points. No firmware bugs. Many phones had decent headphone output stages, so even cheap IEMs sounded okay.
But we also forget:
– Those cables broke constantly.
– Jacks wore out.
– We accepted harsh treble and weak bass without complaint.
Modern sub-50 dollar true wireless earbuds have new problems, but they also solve old ones:
– No cable to snag or fray
– Easy pocket carry in a charging case
– Quick pairing with remembered devices
Maybe it is nostalgia talking, but if you gave your younger self the choice between tangled 2004 earbuds and a decent set of 45 dollar true wireless buds from today, that younger you would probably not hesitate.
Signs your under-$50 earbuds will not be garbage
Some quick “historian’s gut check” rules from watching this space evolve:
Brand track record
A brand that has been visible for several product cycles, with lots of user reviews that mention longevity, is safer than a random name that popped up yesterday. Even if they are not famous globally, repeat releases show they are iterating.
Realistic feature set
If a pair under 50 dollars promises:
– Top-tier ANC
– Studio-grade sound
– 12 hours per charge
– Triple drivers
– Wireless charging
All at once, something is off. At this price, the best products pick a small number of things and do them okay instead of promising everything.
Honest battery specs vs user reports
Box might say “8 hours playback,” but user comments saying “I get 4 to 5 hours at 70 percent volume” is still reasonable. When real-world reports match each other, you can trust that estimate more than marketing.
Bluetooth version and codec basics
You do not need every fancy codec out there, but:
– Bluetooth 5.0 or newer is a safe line. Anything claiming 4.2 now feels dated.
– SBC and AAC are standard. If your phone is iOS, AAC support matters. For Android, SBC can still be okay at this tier, but AAC or a stable basic codec helps.
So, are true wireless earbuds under $50 garbage?
If you transported those early cheap Bluetooth earbuds from about 2016 into this year and sold them for 40 dollars, they would feel like garbage today. Unstable, short battery life, high latency, weak sound. Standards shifted.
Modern sub-50 dollar earbuds live in a more demanding world:
– People expect automatic pairing.
– People expect stable connection in a city street.
– People expect 4 to 6 hours of playback minimum.
– People expect “not terrible” sound for Spotify and YouTube.
A lot of current models hit that bar. Not all, but many.
They still cut corners in build, mic quality, and long-term battery health. They still lag behind mid-range and premium options in soundstage, clarity, and ANC. They still feel disposable in many cases.
But “garbage”? That word fit better ten years ago than it does now.
The tech matured to the point where sub-50 dollar true wireless earbuds can be:
– Reliable enough for daily casual use
– Comfortable enough for commutes and gym
– Acceptable for calls in quiet places
– Sonically “fine” for streaming, podcasts, and pop tracks
You just need the right expectations and a bit of that archivist mindset: understand what this price tier can realistically offer, remember where it came from, and pick the set that cuts the corners you care least about.
