There are some great low-cost over-ear Bluetooth headphones available to audiophiles on a budget, but which best suits your needs? Which is the most portable, most fashionable or offers the highest audio quality for its price point? A good pair of over-ear headphones should last you a very long time so making the right choice is vital. For that reason, we have the updated list for best quality over-ear headphones for under $200.
For $200 you want the over-ear headphones to first and foremost have high-quality sound, but that's not the only thing that makes a pair of headphones great. They have to offer a high level of portability so that they don't become cumbersome during your daily commute. A sleek design and selection of colors also go a long way as over-ear headphones are as much a fashion item as any other accessory you wear on a daily basis. So, for less than $200, what can you get?
Sony WH-XB900N - $149.99
Our first headphones are the Sony WH-XB900N. These foldable headphones come equipped with 40mm drivers and have a sampling rate of 20Hz - 20Khz meaning that the audio quality is great but not as good as other headphones on this list. In terms of battery life, these headphones boast an excellent thirty hours of uninterrupted audio from a full charge. Additional features include digital assistant connectivity and active noise cancellation. The headphones come in blue and black, so at least there's an option if you don't like one or the other.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50XBT - $163
Most audiophiles will recommend the brand Audio-Technica and it is easy to see why. The ATH-M50XBT Bluetooth model comes in five different colors beating out Sony's offering in the same price range. The headphones are also easily foldable, offering a great amount of portability. Audio quality will also be excellent with these headphones as they boast 45mm drivers and an extended 15Hz - 28kHz frequency range, so they can hit highs and lows without muddling the audio quality. These headphones also last an admirable 30 hours on a single charge.
Bose Soundlink 2 - $142
The Bose Soundlink 2 is an impressive product for its price point, and its memory foam cups are hailed as some of the coziest on the market. That may be their biggest strength, however, as audio quality pops up as a complaint in many of its reviews. SoundGuys stated that audio EQ "doesn't make for the most neutral sound," something the aforementioned headphones don't have trouble with. One thing to note is that battery life is far lower than other headphones on this list clocking in at 15 hours. It is available in black or white and also boasts waterproofing, making them somewhat more versatile than other offerings on this list. The headphones do lack foldable hinges, making them less portable than others, however.
JBL Live 660NC $199.99
Finally, the JBL Live 660NC are some of the finest headphones on the market, with 40mm drivers, a dynamic frequency of 16 Hz – 20 kHz giving listeners a very impressive audio experience. Also offering foldable hinges and a variety of colors, these versatile headphones also boast adaptive noise canceling, giving the user a great deal of freedom with regards to how much of the outside world they let in. These are also the longest-lasting headphones with a maximum battery life of 50 hours.
Which should you buy?
In terms of audio quality, the best headphones for under $200 are the Audio Technica ATH-M50XBT as they offer the largest audio drivers with the strongest sound quality for a fraction of the price of some of the higher-end models. Although in terms of looks, and it is purely subjective to your own tastes, the Audio Technica's come in the widest variety of colors as well as being the most portable with the most hinges. However, if it is the battery life you are after without sacrificing much portability and sound quality then the clear answer is the JBL Live 660NC.