Best Over-Ear Headphones Under 100 Dollars – Review

Looking for the best over-ear headphones under 100 bucks? There are many headphones in this price range, but there are not many that will fall into the “exceptional” bucket and, it takes an experienced mind with keen ears, who lives and breathes sounds to fish out such great options which you can get for under $100 but that is what we have done.

There are a lot of things we all look out for when trying to get a great pair of headphones, for instance, you have to consider what type of headphone you looking for; the wired or wireless with Bluetooth connectivity.

Once this is done, you will want to dive straight to the audio reproduction, but that will be after you are able to check out the fit and comfort, the aesthetics, the durability and also very importantly, the general functionality and versatility.

For someone looking for a professional studio or DJ headphone, at this price range, you will be able to get a good one off this list, just as if you are looking for an over-ear headphone for normal music listening.

Without wasting much time, let’s look at the best over the ear headphones under $100 that are on the market right now.

Best Over-ear Headphones Under 100

Preview
Editor's Choice
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphone, Black
Best Value
Sennheiser HD-201 Lightweight Over Ear Headphones (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
Title
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphone, Black
Sennheiser HD-201 Lightweight Over Ear Headphones (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
Type
Closed Back
Closed Back
Connectivity
Wired
Wired
In-built Microphone
No
No
Control
None
No
Noise Cancelling
Passive
Passive
Best For
Studio, Dj, and General use
General use
Frequency Response
25 kHz Max
18 kHz Max
Prime Status
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
Rating
-
-
Editor's Choice
Preview
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphone, Black
Title
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphone, Black
Type
Closed Back
Connectivity
Wired
In-built Microphone
No
Control
None
Noise Cancelling
Passive
Best For
Studio, Dj, and General use
Frequency Response
25 kHz Max
Prime Status
Amazon Prime
Rating
-
Check on Amazon
Best Value
Preview
Sennheiser HD-201 Lightweight Over Ear Headphones (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
Title
Sennheiser HD-201 Lightweight Over Ear Headphones (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
Type
Closed Back
Connectivity
Wired
In-built Microphone
No
Control
No
Noise Cancelling
Passive
Best For
General use
Frequency Response
18 kHz Max
Prime Status
Amazon Prime
Rating
-
Check on Amazon

Sennheiser HD280PRO Over-Ear Headphone

Sennheiser HD280PRO

The one that has the looks and performance of a bully is the Sennheiser HD280PRO headphone. Beyond the headphones is the reputation that Sennheiser has been able to build over the years. The company is one of the best when it comes to studio headphones and it designed this in that line.

The design of the headphones comes with business-mindedness and strength. Still, it delivers good comfort with ergonomics. A rugged one, the set has replaceable headbands and earpads, but the cable cannot be removed.

Considering the design and the beefiness even though it is rather on the lightweight side, it is best if you are using it at home or in the studio and not on the go.

With the audio reproduction, this is a very strong performing pair of cans that give both balance and engaging bass. It is very warm and as much as possible, it tries to maintain output at the without distortion while the volume is high.

This headphone offers more than many others in its price range and that is why it still remains among the favorite choices for many people.

Pros

  • Very strong bass.
  • Rugged and durable.
  • Good audio reproduction.
  • Passive noise cancellation still does well.

Cons

  • The cable cannot be detached.
  • Not the most portable.

For someone trying to get a pair of headphones for studio use, this may just be the best over-ear headphone for under $100 you can get. Not only is it strong and all going, it outputs great bass that you need for proper monitoring, and the balance is equally great.

Creative Aurvana Live! Over-Ear Headphones

over-ear headphones less than 100
Creative Aurvana Live!

These headphones have been around for quite some time, and they have not lost the thrill they came with even as time has seen the introduction of many others into the market.

Closed back headphones, these have good points when it comes to aesthetics even as they still perform very good in the quality of build. Where it gets it even better is the comfort that it assures as well as its lightweight.

With the audio performance, the bass reproduction may not be the strongest but it still gives it generously. At the midrange and treble, there is an excellent performance for a set at this level.  Overall, you get genuine and good audio.

Because the Creative Aurvana Live! is a pair of closed back headphones, it doesn’t leak out your music as such so you can listen almost everywhere without fear of disturbing people.

The only thing is that considering that it is an over the ear set that comes with closed back, it can sometimes get your ears a little sweaty. This, however, hardly makes it uncomfortable.

Creative has been very thoughtful with the extras you get with the set most especially the 48-inch extension that gives added reach to the headphones.

Pros

  • Comfort even for long periods of use.
  • Gives very good audio reproduction.
  • Features useful extras.
  • Valuable choice.

Cons

  • Not the best if you are looking for the strongest bass.

This is a very good one to go with unless if you are looking to crack up the drums of your ears with bass. The general audio reproduction is great just as the comfort, and general features. It is also for someone wanting to listen to music without disturbing anyone.

Related: Gaming Headset Under $100: Cheap Wired, Wireless, Bluetooth Headsets

Golzer BANC-50 Bluetooth 4.1 Over-ear Headphones

Golzer BANC-50 Bluetooth 4.1

A great choice if you have your mind on getting the best over ear headphones under 100 Dollars that features Bluetooth and is well designed to give comfort.

It features a Bluetooth 4.1 which functions very well and is able to give you a good range of connectivity. It also comes with a cable to give you an option if you will prefer to use that instead of the wireless option.

The audio performance is good but the bass is not as robust as expected.

Interestingly enough, where it beats many others including very expensive ones is when you begin to look at the noise canceling technology as you do not get any unnecessary interference when you listen to music.

See Also: Top Audiophile Headphones Reviewed

To have a fully charged battery takes around 3 hours which we deem a bit long, however, you get up to 15hours of play time which is a good compensation for the time the battery takes to charge.

Pros

  • Very versatile headphones.
  • It does very well in canceling noise.
  • Top notch features.
  • Very affordable and durable.

Cons

  • It doesn’t have the strongest pass.

This headphone doesn’t only give you one of the best noise cancellations, it also performs very well in the audio reproduction and it is very convenient for us to include this as one of the best over ear headphones under 100 bucks.

Skullcandy Crusher Over Ear Headphone

Skullcandy Crusher

The Skullcandy Crusher is a very faithful one when you are looking for something that is unique in many ways, but most especially with bass delivery.

With the design and quality, it is on the bulky side, most especially because of the subwoofer it is integrated with. It still manages to be quite nice with the looks. The subwoofer comes with a battery to a improve the bass performance, though it still works without batteries in which case the bass is reduced.

You will not be wrong if you take your time before vouching for the quality of this because it is made of plastic. Even though the plastic is solid, we would have loved to see something more. The general compensation is that it is very comfortable even over prolonged usage.

Related: Skullcandy Hesh 2 Wireless Review

A wireless piece that also makes use of cable if you want, the headset comes with heavy performing subwoofers that serve to get things going stronger than many others in this price range.

With the audio production, we have stressed a lot about the bass, which is rightly so. Apart from that, you also get good general performance most especially when you consider the price. Other things to love about this are the features it comes with including the remote control and in-line microphone.

Pros

  • Very strong bass reproduction
  • Comfortable for long use.
  • Generally good audio output.
  • It is very easy to control.
  • Good features.

Cons

  • You need batteries for the subwoofer.
  • The bass may get too much for some people though you can remove the batteries to reduce it.

If you really want to have your drum shaking with strong bass, this is the one to go for. The best thing about it is that while rocking your drums you still get very generous comfort.

Don’t Miss: Great Wireless Headphones Under 100 Dollars

Sennheiser HD 201 Over-ear Headphones

Sennheiser HD 201

Sennheiser HD 201 Over-ear Headphones has not shown any sign of slowing down with respect to the level of followership it has garnered.

A very lightweight and comfortable set of headphones, this comes with very easy and effective design for anyone that wants it classy and simple. The overall design is smooth and the earcups come with leatherette ear pads.

With the audio reproduction, the overall sound quality is great and warm. It is in fact, better than a good number of higher priced over the ear headphones as it is well balanced, detailed, and warm, just like a good summer.

Related: Top 8 Gaming PC Speaker Reviews

If you are in the class of people that just need a little more than what the everyday bass gives, we think this will be a good ride.

Pros

  • Light and comfortable
  • Good audio reproduction
  • Generous pricing.
  • It is a strong and durable set.

Cons

  • Not many color options.
  • You need to get the protective case separately.

With the price range that this comes with, there is a miracle that you don’t expect to get. While you don’t get that miracle, you get something close enough. The audio reproduction is hardly any question and the comfort keeps to promise.

Read: Treblab XR500 Bluetooth Headphone Review

Conclusion

Based on the performance of over 35 top recommended and high performance sets collected, we have been able to narrow down to these as the best over-ear headphones when running on $100 budget, but the truth though, is that they may not be able to beat many that are on the significantly more expensive side, but they will give their fair share of good performance and comfort.

Sources:

  1. At Work, Do Headphones Really Help?
  2. Who Makes the Best Noise-Canceling Headphones?
  3. Acoustic Research AR-H1 Open Planar Magnetic Headphones
  4. A Partial History of Headphones
Tim Flaherty
Tim Flaherty
Tim is our talented senior tech writer and editor, the one who plays music on replay, drinks more coffee than beer, plays video games, and reads poetry. In between, Tim reviews products, write about computers, games, hardware, software, guides, reviews and talk tech and arts. If there is a WWIII, he thinks it could be caused by bad writing.

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