Best Budget ANC Earbuds Under $100 (2026)

Updated 5 November 2026. Prices and specs checked the same day on Nothing's US and India stores, EarFun's US product page, Soundcore.com, Sony Electronics / Sony India coverage, plus Flipkart and Gadgets 360 for India street prices. This is a spec-and-price shortlist — I haven't done lab ANC or listening tests for this piece, so you won't see made-up "quiet cabin" scores.

If you're shopping for noise-cancelling earbuds under $100 (about ₹8,000), four models keep clearing the bar on paper: the CMF Buds 2 Plus, the EarFun Air Pro 4, the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, and the Sony WF-C710N when it's on sale.

Short answer: buy the CMF Buds 2 Plus if you want LDAC and hybrid ANC for the least money — Nothing lists it at $59 in the US and ₹3,299 in India. Stretch to the EarFun Air Pro 4 or Liberty 4 NC when you want Snapdragon Sound / Adaptive ANC 2.0 and a fuller app. Grab the Sony WF-C710N only when the US street price is actually at or under $100 (MSRP is $129.99).

Jump to:

• The earbuds side by side
• CMF Buds 2 Plus
• EarFun Air Pro 4
• Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
• Sony WF-C710N
• Which pair should you buy?
• FAQ

The earbuds side by side

All four claim useful ANC for commuting and office noise. Treat the dB numbers as each brand's own marketing claim, not a lab ranking — brands measure differently. Prices below are what official or major storefronts showed on 5 November 2026.

If your Windows PC keeps dropping the Bluetooth link after you buy any of these, walk through Bluetooth not working on Windows 11 before you RMA the buds.

CMF Buds 2 Plus

This is the value pick I'd open with.

Nothing's US and India product pages list a 12 mm LCP driver, 50 dB hybrid ANC, Hi-Res Audio with LDAC, Bluetooth 5.4 with Dual Connection, and an IP55 rating. Battery copy on the same pages puts peak listening around 14 hours in the buds and 61.5 hours with the case on AAC with ANC off; turn ANC or LDAC on and those numbers drop (Nothing also publishes lower ANC-on figures in the spec block).

Price is the headline: $59 on Nothing's US store and ₹3,299 on Nothing India when I checked on 5 November 2026. The US SKU showed sold out during that check, so confirm stock or a retailer before you plan around $59.

Why it wins for most budgets: you get hybrid ANC and LDAC without crossing $60 / ₹3,500. The trade-off is a thinner brand ecosystem than Sony or Soundcore, and you should treat the 50 dB figure as Nothing's claim — not a guarantee your commute will go silent.

EarFun Air Pro 4

EarFun's Air Pro 4 is the "feature checklist" option under the $100 ceiling.

The official US product page lists a Qualcomm QCC3091, Bluetooth 5.4, Snapdragon Sound, aptX Adaptive / Lossless, LDAC, QuietSmart 3.0 adaptive ANC up to 50 dB, a 6-mic call stack with cVc 8.0, multipoint, Google Fast Pair, IPX5, wireless charging, and battery life of 11 hours / 52 hours with ANC off or 7.5 hours / 35 hours with ANC on (LDAC shortens that further per EarFun's FAQ).

Pricing on 5 November 2026 was messy on EarFun's own site: the product JSON-LD showed $79.99 while the storefront hero showed $99.99. India listings the same day sat roughly ₹5,499–₹7,599. Refresh the buy page before you commit — this one moves.

I'd pick Air Pro 4 over CMF when you care about Snapdragon Sound / aptX Lossless on a compatible Android phone, or you want adaptive ANC modes and an EQ app with more knobs. I'd stay on CMF when the only goal is "ANC + LDAC for under $60."

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

Soundcore's Liberty 4 NC is the Adaptive ANC 2.0 pick that still fits under $100 at list.

Soundcore lists Adaptive ANC 2.0, Hi-Res Wireless / LDAC, Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint (with the usual caveat that enabling LDAC turns multipoint off), roughly 10 / 50 hours in the default profile and lower figures once ANC or LDAC is on, plus IPX4. The US store showed $99.99 on 5 November 2026. India street prices the same day sat around ₹3,599–₹5,499 depending on the retailer — well under the ₹8,000 cap.

Buy these when you already like the Soundcore app, want Adaptive ANC 2.0 in writing, and can live without aptX Lossless. Skip them if you need LDAC and multipoint at the same time — Soundcore's own help pages say you can't have both.

Sony WF-C710N

Sony's WF-C710N is the brand-name option — but only when the price is honest.

Sony's materials put it on Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC / SBC (no LDAC), dual-mic ANC plus Ambient Sound, multipoint, and about 12 hours with ANC off or 8.5 hours with ANC on in the buds, with the case bringing total ANC-on listening near 30 hours. Splash resistance is IPX4 on the buds.

US MSRP is $129.99, which fails the under-$100 rule. Sony's US store was showing a $99.99 sale price during this check; India listings sat around ₹6,490–₹7,949. If you only find it at full MSRP, leave it off the shortlist and spend the money on EarFun or Liberty instead.

I'd still consider WF-C710N on a real sub-$100 sale if you want Sony Headphones Connect, Ambient Sound, and a stemless fit. I would not pay $130 for it in this roundup.

Which pair should you buy?

• Best under $60 / ₹3,500: CMF Buds 2 Plus at $59 / ₹3,299 while stock lasts.
• Best codec stack under ~$100: EarFun Air Pro 4 (confirm the live $79.99 vs $99.99 price).
• Best Adaptive ANC app pick at $99.99: Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.
• Best Sony sale grab: WF-C710N only at or under $100 / ~₹7,000 — skip at $129.99 MSRP.

Two practical notes after you buy: pair them on a clean Bluetooth stack (the Windows fix guide above helps when the PC is the weak link), and if you're also upgrading the phone these buds sit on, the best budget phones under $500 shortlist is the matching under-budget companion piece.

Already own buds that keep dropping mid-track? Start with Bluetooth headphones keep disconnecting before you replace them.

Related guides: next stop is my guide to fixing a phone that charges slowly. After that, see Pixel 10a vs Pixel 9a and a smartwatch that won't sync if either matches what you're seeing.

FAQ

Is $100 still enough for usable ANC in 2026?

Yes, on paper. All four models here advertise hybrid or adaptive ANC under that ceiling when you catch normal US list or sale prices. How "usable" feels on your commute still depends on fit and tip seal — which I didn't lab-test for this post.

Do I need LDAC?

Only if you have an Android phone that supports it and you care about high-bitrate wireless. iPhones stay on AAC anyway. CMF, EarFun, and Liberty 4 NC all list LDAC; the Sony WF-C710N does not.

Why did you leave Galaxy Buds and AirPods out?

Current official pricing for recent Galaxy Buds Pro-class and AirPods models sits above this $100 / ₹8,000 cut on the stores I check for these roundups. Deals posts sometimes catch them on discount — that's a different article.

Are these prices with tax and shipping?

No. I quoted the product prices official or major storefronts exposed on 5 November 2026. Checkout tax, shipping, and bank offers change the final number.

Can I trust the "50 dB ANC" marketing?

Treat it as a brand claim measured in their lab conditions. Fit, tip size, and the noise spectrum of your train or office matter more than the brochure number. Prefer models with an adjustable or adaptive ANC mode if you bounce between quiet desks and loud streets.