Over ear headphones are ideal headphones for people who prefer to completely be immersed in their listening and don’t like in-ear headphones; for example, they give a little bit of discomfort while in use. In addition, over-ear headphones include bigger drivers when compared to earbuds, and the bigger the driver, the better the audio quality in general!
This article offers a brief overview of the top picks for the best over-ear headphones under $100, and it is important to mention that most of the headphones in this article are wired ones, which include many features within! But, of course, it doesn’t mean that wireless ones aren’t good enough; you will find two picks of wireless headphones, which are primarily for personal listening, and however, they are listed as the first picks.
Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at our best picks!
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best For Gaming  | 10 | Check Latest Price | |
Best For Mixing  | 9 | Check Latest Price | |
Best For Professionals  | 8.6 | Check Latest Price | |
Best Noise Canceling  | 8.5 | Check Latest Price | |
Best Overall  | 8.6 | Check Latest Price |
The Top 5 Best Over-Ear Headphones Under $100
5. Razer BlackShark V2 – best for gaming
Here goes the name Razer! Some of you may already have heard of this name because when it comes to gaming products, they are the perfect ones that you should look at! In this case, I’ve chosen the Razer BlackShark V2 over-ear headphones/headset because they are immersive for all gamers around the world. Therefore, they truly deserve a place in this article!
Razer says that these headphones are made for all-day comfort, and that is more than true. Even though the weight of 1.32 pounds may sound a bit heavy, the headphones bring amazing comfortability. The comfort of these headphones is also related to their build of them. They include amazing soft materials that cover the headband and the earcups, and they don’t squeeze your head or ears in any way. The ear cups include cooling gel-infused cushions, which prevent overheating and the pressure that may be caused. They are really built to stay in comfort even if you choose to use them for the longest gaming experience.
The drivers that these Razer headphones include are 50mm titanium drivers, which bring a high-end quality of sound, and the drivers are divided into three parts that work to separate the lows, mids, and highs. For the amazing sound quality is also responsible Razer’s THX 7.1 Spatial Surround Sound. While gaming, the surround sound adds one or even more channels to create the sensation of sound coming from any horizontal direction. Imagine your gaming experience with this surround sound type! On the other hand, the frequency response works from 12Hz for the low frequencies and goes higher at 28kHz for the highest qualities that it can achieve. The headphones also include a detachable microphone which can be used while gaming.
These headphones work fully as wired; they use a combo cable with a 3.5mm plug at the end. This type of cable makes these headphones compatible with many different gaming consoles, such as PS4, PS5, different Xbox Series, and many other devices.
Pros
- Very Comfortable
- THX 7.1 Spatial Surround Sound
- Compatibility
Cons
- Average Microphone
4. Sennheiser HD 280 Pro – best for mixing
Sennheiser is a brand that has been around the world for more than 70 years! They own great headphones that include professional ones, just as the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro that I will review for you right now. They are great for those professional people that work with the mixing of any music!
These headphones come with plushy ear cups and a very comfortable headband. The headband and ear cups are replaceable so that the headphones assure you that they are long-lasting, and once the pieces are replaced, you can use them just as if they are new. The headphones are also lightweight, making them portable too, ad they can accompany you wherever you go. They are fully fatigue-free, meaning that they don’t bring you exhaustion while in use, even during the most prolonged sessions.
Being professional headphones, they already tell that they work in the most professional way possible, moving on to the sound quality. The audio comes super clean, and you can hear every tiny detail of the mixing you are doing. The frequency response of the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones works from 8Hz and goes up to 25kHz. The sound from these frequencies comes warm and very natural.
Since I already mentioned mixing above, these headphones are used amazingly by DJs worldwide. They are great ones when you blend individual things in a recording to come up with a good new version of a song (definition of mixing). The headphones aren’t quite known for great bass; still, considering that the lowest frequency is 8Hz, these headphones bring a very well-balanced and accurate bass and bring crispy highs.
The headphones can get connected to many different devices; gaming consoles, the devices found in your studios, computers, and many others. The connectivity of these headphones with the devices mentioned is able with the coiled wire, which is 9.8 feet long.
Pros:
- Super Comfortable
- Great for Mixing
- Bass is Very Accurate
Cons:
- Not Too Good for Personal Listening
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M40x – best for professionals
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones are also very famous headphones used mainly by professionals, just as the Sennheiser ones mentioned above! With the features that Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones own, they are one of the best choices for people that create music in general. That still doesn’t mean that the headphones cannot be used for personal listening, though!
The ATH-M40x headphones have a very professional look as well! They come fully covered on a black finish and covered in leather mostly. The headband is adjustable in many ways possible. The earcups can swivel on up to 90°; both are called Pro-Grade because of the ability to be rotated and because of the comfortability and the great fitting that they deliver. They are very well constructed, and Audio Technica on these headphones added cutting-edge engineering, meaning that the headphones have a very accurate and detailed 3D build!
The drivers on these headphones measure 40mm, including earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils. The drivers work with a frequency range from 15Hz up to 24kHz. The sound quality, in general, makes the headphones super accurate for studio usage. They bring great quality of all, lows, mids, and highs.
Even though these headphones don’t own noise-canceling as a built-in technology, the earcups offer sound isolation. Therefore, when using these headphones in very loud environments, you will notice that you cannot hear any noise that surrounds you. The sound quality that these professional headphones deliver is considered a sound for those people who like detailed audio on anything that you are listening to, or in this case, as a professional, the music you are creating.
Professional headphones overall come mostly with wired connectivity, just as the ones already mentioned above. These headphones from Audio-Technica own two detachable cables, one is coiled, and the second one is straight. These two cables make these headphones compatible with different devices that you may own for personal listening or the devices that you have in your recording studio.
Pros:
- 3D Build
- Pro-Grade Ear Cups and Headband
- Sound Isolation
Cons:
- No Microphone
2. Sony WHCH710N – best noise canceling
Sony is a name that cannot be left unmentioned in any article! That only happens because Sony is not only known about the cameras. It is a very well-known name in the world of headphones too! The Sony WHCH710N Bluetooth headphones are amazing over-ear headphones from this company, fully deserving the title that has been given to them.
The build of these Bluetooth headphones includes mostly plastic as a material, which makes them lightweight and portable based on that. The headphones are considered very comfortable because they include a headband with metal sliders, and they can be adjusted and fits any type of head. The ear cups are quite big and bring comfortability, and they are made of very soft material. The earcups can be swivel flat so that you can take them with you wherever you go. The only thing they miss based on portability is the carrying case; they don’t come with one.
The sound quality of these wireless headphones, in general, is quite accurate. The headphones use 30mm drivers that bring you a very normal balance of the lows, the mids, and the highs. The frequency response that these Sony headphones work with is from 7Hz – as the lowest, up to 20kHz – the highest. Just as titled, these wireless headphones have an amazing noise-canceling technology built-in.
This technology on these wireless headphones works with a dual noise sensor, which uses two microphones added in both ear cups, and it captures ambient noise and stops the noises by up to 95%. The technology is customizable so that when choosing the Ambient Mode, you allow some of the most important sounds that may surround you. The headphones allow hands-free calling because they include microphones (as mentioned), and with those, you can have amazing clarity while in use for simple calls or any meeting you may have online.
The Sony WHCH710N headphones use a Bluetooth connection, and it is very steady and strong even if you move away from the device that the headphones are connected with, and the connection is amazing with any type of device. Furthermore, NFC is also present in these wireless headphones for Android users, it works with only one touch, and the headphones are immediately connected.
The battery life of these Sony headphones allows usage for up to 35 hours, and the recharging time is also very quick. So, for example, if you charge these wireless headphones for only 10 minutes, you can enjoy an hour of playtime.
Pros
- Ultra-Portable
- Amazing Noise Canceling Technology
- Battery life
Cons
- No Carrying Case Included
1. Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 – best overall
Soundcore is the first brand that comes to mind when you choose headphones with a reasonable price tag, or your price range is limited to $100. In combination with Anker, we can find many fabulous headphones that include many features, and Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 headphones are no other than the best overall in this category!
Design-wise, these cheap headphones are the greatest-looking ones you could ever find in this price range. They come with three color choices; black, blue, and pink, so that you can choose based on your preferences. On the build, they include a very soft plastic material related to the comfortability that these headphones deliver. The headband is slightly attached to the earcups made of memory foam, and they bring perfect comfort. The ear cups are adjustable, allowing adjustments up to 15°. The headphones, in general, are very flexible, and they also come with a carrying case that you can use while traveling.
The Life Q30 headphones work with 40mm drivers that bring sound frequency responses from 16Hz to 40kHz. The sound is brought with excellent clarity in general; they deliver Hi-Res sound, meaning that the sound that comes out of these headphones is wonderful in many ways and of the highest quality. With the noise-canceling technology built in, you can listen only to your music, with no other noise coming from the outside. However, you can also choose between three modes of noise-canceling: Transport Mode (cancels engine noise), Outdoor Mode (cancels the noise of nature, cars driving), and Indoor Mode (cancels the noise that may surround you while in a room). The headphones also include internal and external microphones to be used for calls. Your voice is picked up clearly because the microphones combine with noise-canceling technology.
Via the Bluetooth connection of version 5, the Life Q30 headphones can be connected with many different devices; plus, you can connect even two devices simultaneously with them. Besides Bluetooth, they also use NFC pairing, which is a technology that helps Android users connect faster by just tapping the device on the right earcup of these headphones.
The battery life promised by these headphones is 40 hours when used with noise-canceling technology and complete 60 hours when normally used.
Pros:
- Comfortable
- Great audio quality and Noise-Canceling
- Connectivity and Battery Life
Cons:
- Plastic Build for Some
Check Latest Price
Final Thoughts
So, this is my article regarding the Best Over Ear Headphones under $100 that you can find in the market nowadays. As you can see, the picks include different types of headphones, and all of them are listed for what they are best known for.
I hope this article will help you choose the best over-ear headphones under $100 because each and every type of headphone that I mentioned above do a great job, plus they are all under $100.
Further Reading
Since this article is related to a budget and a specific price tag, I would like to mention something for the professionals as well. You guys can find studio headphones for under $100 and under $200 if you need a pair. However, moving on to something else, you can check out the greatest planar magnetic headphones and the ones with 50mm drivers!
Composer & Audio Engineer
I’m a composer and audio engineer crafting sonic magic. Combining my skills in rhythm, harmony, and sound synthesis to create the ultimate auditory experience.
