The best TWS true wireless earphones from 50–100 dollar
Sabbat E12, Mifo O5, Tranya T3, 1more E1026BT Stylish… the best wireless earphones under $100 compared
As TWS true wireless earphones are becoming more and more popular, there’s more and more brands and models to choose from. The 50–100 dollar category may be the most interesting of all, with way better sound quality than Apple’s AirPods and more functionality than the best cheap wireless earphones.
This article was last updated February 7, 2020: added new links to reviews of new recommendations
In the previous months, I’ve tested over a dozen TWS truly wireless earphones under 50 dollar with impressive sound quality for little to no money. Discovering how good even the cheapest models can sound, I’ve decided to take it up a notch and started buying the best user reviewed, more expensive TWS myself. To review them and compare them against each other in a versus.
Before advancing to the versus of the Tranya T3, Sabbat 12, 1more Stylish TWS E1026BT and Mifo O5 (with more to come), I’d first like to describe some general findings I did of these Apple AirPod killers, the best true wireless earphones from 50 to 100 dollar.
Chinese TWS from 50–100 dollar: what you need to know
- If you want to test if truly wireless earphones are suited for you, you can also start with trying the brilliant sounding QCY QS1 or QS2 for 25 dollar.
- In comparison with the QCY, the best 50–100 dollar wireless Bluetooth earphones offer more bass presence and more functionality, like for example changing the volume level with the buttons on the earpieces. They also look and feel much more premium, better built than cheaper offerings.
- The reviewed true wireless earphones in this article sound WAY better than the Apple AirPods at 150 dollar, which delivers an unbalanced sound with weird frequency peaks in bass, vocals and instruments. They also sound way better than the wireless Samsung Galaxy Buds.
- All of the tested earphones pair automatically and have minimal sound delay on Android. They do not keep up with specifically the YouTube app on the iPhone though, which is a challenge for almost all true wireless earphones. So far, only the Anomoibuds Capsule and Xiaomi Redmi Airdots seem to deliver perfect YouTube iPhone video sync.
- Call quality on true wireless earphones is mostly decent, but dependent on weather circumstances — calling will be challenging when facing the wind.
- Unlike the cheaper category, it’s hard for me to pick out one single winner. All of these have great qualities and sound great in their own way. That’s why I’m not pointing out one winner, but review them with some more nuance instead.
Check out my new reviews, with even better wireless earbuds under $100!
Check out my separate reviews on new, amazing true wireless earphones under 100 dollars:
- Fiil T1X: Incredible sound, with an app and sport ear-wings, at just $65 — my new personal favorite
- Whizzer B6/ Mezone B6: The thickest, most engaging bass you can buy under $100
- Shanling MTW100: Fantastic sound and comfort
- Creative Outlier Air/ Gold: Good sound, amazing battery life
- Sabbat E12 Ultra: A better version of the Sabbat E12
Without further ado: these are the (previous) best TWS truly wireless earphones under 100 dollar, from 50 to 100 dollar:
Tranya T3 review: big earpieces, incredible sound
50 dollar
The bad news first: the Tranya T3 may not have the best fit for you. The big earpieces can completely fill up your ear or may even not fit at all when you put them standing up. DO give the Tranya T3 a try though — they’re incredible.
Upon writing this, the T3 is the only truly wireless earphone at the 50 dollar mark that has volume controls on the earpieces itself. You control them with the big, metallic-look buttons in the centre. Pressing the right button twice increases the volume, pressing the left one decreases it. A single press is enough to play/ pause the music or take a call, holding a button for two seconds forwards or returns a song. You need some force to push the buttons, which isn’t the best feeling for your ears… but it’s great that all important music controls are within reach on the buttons.
The charging case of the Tranya T3 is cleverly designed too. It’s definitely sturdy and it has four indicator lights that show the amount of battery the case has. It has a massive amount too: it’s 800mAh is capable of charging the earpieces full six times, and every charge will give the earphones around 5 hours of listening time.
The star of the show however, is the sound quality. The Tranya T3 is the most detailed sounding wireless earphone under 100 dollar. Instruments do not just sound separate from each other; they have their own place. In higher quality recordings, it's easy to position them. Drums? On the left. Piano? Right ahead. Music sounds layered and oozes with detail. Upper mid and higher tones are emphasised, providing presence and plenty of nuances in vocals and instruments such as violins. Underneath it all lays an enormous, powerful bass. It slams hard, rumbles deep and is impressively textured. It can sometimes be a little too overwhelming in specific modern rap tracks already designed to really push out the bass, but most of the times, it works fantastic. It’s bass AND detail on the Tranya T3.
With volume controls on the earpieces itself, its clever big charging case and its impressively detailed sound, the Tranya T3 currently is the best true wireless earphones under 100 dollar.
1more E1026BT Stylish review: most balanced sounding true wireless under $100, with AptX
90–100 dollar
The 1more Stylish TWS E1026BT is not just another great sounding true wireless earphone under 100 dollar. It has the most balanced sound signature — with less boosted bass and vocals, and a more natural sound.
1more is one of the more renown Chinese audio brands for earphones and headphones — and their debut in the true wireless market is impressive. The E1026BT doesn’t look as premium as its competitors, with shiny plastic shells as earpieces their rubber rings around them for a better fit — but they definitely sound premium.
The 1more Stylish TWS E1026BT supports the AptX codec, and delivers a more balanced sound signature than the competition. Rather than offering an immersive bass (like the Tranya) or emphasised lower mids (like the Mifo below), the 1more sounds just more natural. No harsh notes, no overly pumping basses, no vocals pushing away guitars or other mids. Its sound is full and pleasantly warm, yet gives instruments and electronic layers plenty of room to breathe. In high quality recordings, it’s easy to place guitars, drums, pianos and so on. The soundstage may be a bit smaller than on the Tranya T3 — and because of its less forwarded higher notes, it’s a little shorter on detail… but the tonality of the E1026BT is spot on. Vocals and instruments sound accurate.
When it comes to button placement, the 1more sets an example for comfortable use. The button is not placed in the middle of the earbud; it rests on top of the upper part. Therefore, you don’t push the earpiece further into your ear if you want to play/ pause/ take a call (press once) or forward or return a song (press twice). Activating the voice assistant is done by pressing twice if the music doesn’t play — smart. Sadly though, there’s no way to change the volume on the earpieces.
The fit of the 1more is very flexible, with different eartips and also three different sized rubber earrings included, designed to hold the earpieces steady in your ear. It makes the 1more E1026BT an excellent choice for sporting. For marathons even — the battery of the earpieces lasts about 6 hours before they need a recharge!
Whether it’s for sporting, critical listening or long relaxed listening sessions: the 1more E1026BT is a great choice for all. A great package with excellent balanced sound quality.
Mifo O5 review: most premium true wireless earphones under $100
60–80 dollar
Along with the 300 dollar Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, the +- 70 dollar Mifo O5 may be the classiest looking set of true wireless earphones on the entire market. It offers way more than looks though — such as great sound and an amazing battery life.
Just as the beautiful packaging of the product, the charging case of the Mifo O5 feels incredibly premium. It’s made from brushed steel with a silver lining to accentuate the lid. It’s big, it’s heavy and… it’s a beast of a charger. The ridiculous 2600mAh battery can charge the earpieces fully up to 15 times. And get this: the earpieces on their own let you listen for 6 hours straight. The Mifo O5 will last an entire vacation trip without charging, it’s that strong.
The eartips themselves look expensive as well, with a metallic look outside and colored rings to accentuate the right (red) from the left piece (blue). The insides are made of plastic however, and are smaller and more round than the outside, making them one of the most comfortable wireless earphones out there. There are two tiny buttons on each piece — one to play/ pause/ take a call, the other the increase or lower the volume or forward/ return a song. Even though they’re tiny, they control very well.
Last but not least, the O5 provides a fairly detailed, enjoyable and relaxing sound. The sound tuning of the Mifo O5 is best described as laidback — there’s plenty of bass, but it’s never overwhelming, it’s never pushing it. The lower tones play the main part here. Drums, cello’s and bass guitars shine and come with detail on the Mifo O5 — in favour of the vocals and mids which are a bit more recessed. The sound is more detailed than almost all of the sub 50-class earphones, it offers plenty of nuances and a sweet spaciousness. It’s not as detailed as the Tranya or 1more however.
Instead, the Mifo O5 sounds relaxed by choice. It seems made for listening to and enjoying for hours. And you can — with its amazing battery.
Sabbat E12 review: really the best TWS under $100?
50–70 dollar
The Sabbat E12 is one of the most praised true wireless earphones for its sound quality under 100 dollar. There are some notes to be made though.
More so than the 1more, Mifo O5 and Tranya T3, the Sabbat E12 is geared towards mids and higher tones. They are warm in tone and take the upper hand in the sound. Male and female vocals and instruments like guitars, violins or piano strokes, come trough with great clarity and detail. They give the music an airy feeling, an above average soundstage and good instrument separation. On the same hand though, the highs can also be a bit overblown on higher volumes, sounding too bright and even harsh in some songs.
Underneath the clear mids and highs, lies a bass that is not afraid of a thump when the music asks for it, and one that goes fairly deep — yet never reaches the detail and texture of that on the Tranya T3. All in all, the Sabbat has a clear sounding, balanced presentation — if sometimes a little too bright.
What's noteworthy though, is that the sound is heavily dependent on the different tips. The Sabbat E12 comes delivered with 7 (!) pair of ear tips, which you can either slide halfway or all the way over the tiny nozzle, creating many variables for the sound. The black ones seem to deliver a bit more presence in lower mids and bass, the transparant ones put trough more airiness and less bass. Do absolutely try the different tips to see which you like best.
The Sabbat E12 earpieces provide around 5 hour of playing time and can be charged around 4 times in their charging case, which unfortunately doesn’t look as fancy as the nice, metallic-look yet plastic earpieces — but does support wireless charging. The earpieces control great via their single button, and let you change volume too, by pressing three times on the right (increase) or left (decrease) piece. Perfect.
The call quality of the Sabbat E12 is exceptional in their class, with clear calls on both end of the lines. Sound quality too can be great — but do try the many possibilities with the ear tips.
Tranya T1-Pro: different shape, more highs
50 dollar
Apart from the excellent T3, Tranya has another wireless earphone priced 50 dollar. The Tranya T1-Pro looks about the same and controls the same too, however it is different on two aspects.
The first being the shape of the earpieces. Whereas the T3 earpieces are big, as mentioned before, the T1-Pro have more 'traditional' bean shaped earpieces found on many true wireless models under 50 dollar. They're smaller, oval shaped and will fit in more ears.
That should be an advantage over the T3, however, the button in the middle of the piece requires the same force as on the T3 — and this time, due to the shape, you always press the earpiece of the T1-Pro directly in your ear. It isn't a pleasant feeling, and especially when changing a track by pressing three times, it can feel like you're pressing it too deep in your ear, even painfully so. The other models in the list distribute the weight of the earbud after a press better.
The second thing that's different on the Tranya T1-Pro, is the sound. It's easy to hear the two Tranya models are closely related, however the T1-Pro has a less bass pronounced sound and opts for a more balanced alternative, with more room for the mids and highs. Highs are further extended and sound brighter. Vocals and upper mids sound more forward. The bass is toned down and has less body especially in the mid bass, although here too, it sure knows how to pump and rumble. It's still heavier than on the 1more, Mifo and Sabbat — it's just less present than on the T3. With the huge amount of detail coming from the bass on the T3, that one has a better soundstage— with even more detail coming in from left, right and everywhere around you.
Everything else between the two Tranya models is the same. The battery life is around 5 hours on both models, and both can be recharged fully three times with the same looking charging case. Choose the T3 if you love a huge bass, choose the T1-Pro is you're looking for a more balanced, vocal centric sound.
- Buy Tranya T1-Pro on Tranya.com (worldwide, select T1-Pro first)
- Buy Tranya T1-Pro on Amazon US
- Buy Tranya T1-Pro on Amazon Europe (Germany)
- Buy Tranya T1-Pro on Amazon UK
This search will continue!
I will continue doing research on the best Apple AirPod alternatives, the best TWS true wireless earphones 50–100 dollar. I’ll keep following, buying and testing new offerings in this brand new market. If you have suggestions or questions, please leave a comment.
I’d love to hear from you what wireless earphone you’ve chosen! You can also get in touch with me via mail: bart @ tekstmeister .nl.
Disclaimer: affiliate links
Planning to buy one of the headphones or earphones listed? I’d be grateful if you did it via one of the links in this article. These are affiliate links from AliExpress or Amazon, from which I’ll gain a little percentage of the price. I only put links on products I truly recommend. Buying a product via such a link won’t cost you extra, yet it will support me a bit in my research on affordable audio. ❤
Also read my other tests and articles:
- The best TWS true wireless earbuds under $50
- Best cheap Active Noise Cancelling headphones under 100 dollar
- Best wireless Bluetooth headphones under 50 dollar
- The best cheap earphones on AliExpress
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