A good pair of earphones is very important to get a nice audio experience, be it a song, movie, or binge-watching your favourite shows online. With smartphone manufacturers getting rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack and also not providing earphones in the box, as a user your next purchase will be a good poor of earphones. Since you’d have already spent a lot on a smartphone, sometimes it’s hard to spend a premium on a pair of headphones. There are a lot of good options under Rs 2,000 in India but, often too many options makes it hard to come to a decision. This is also a very popular segment with tons of options. In this post, we will be listing out the best headphones under Rs 2,000 in India. The list consists of wired earphones for those who have 3.5mm headphone jack, wireless earphones, headphones and even a TWS. Most products in this range typically offer punchy bass which is preferred by the masses. However, if you’re an audiophile with very specific tastes, you might have to look beyond this range. It’s also worth noting that the best headphones under Rs 2,000 available in India also come with some trade-offs because of that aggressive price tag. See also Design : In-Ear | Weight: 28 grams | Battery life: Up to 20 hours | Drivers: Dynamic 9.2mm | Wireless range: 10 m | Connection: Bluetooth The newly launched OnePlus Wireless Z is the third-gen OnePlus wireless. The Bullet Wireless Z is significantly cheaper than its predecessors and offers very similar specs, at least on paper. They come in four colour options - black, blue, oat, and mint. You get up to 20 hours of playback with a single charge and a quick 10 minutes will last up to 10 minutes, thanks to the Warp charge. They come with a 9.2mm dynamic driver and they’re also IP55 rated for dust and water resistance. Priced at Rs 1,999, the Bullet Wireless Z is available on Amazon and OnePlus.in Design: In-Ear | Weight: 30 grams | Cable length: n/a | Connection: bluetooth | Frequency response: 20-20,000Hz | Drivers: Dynamic (11.2 mm neodymium magnet) | Sensitivity: 100 dB | Impedance: 32 Ω | Battery life: 12 hours | Wireless range: 10 m As with smartphones, Realme's Buds are significantly cheaper than the rest of the wireless competition. It brings a bunch of features that are rare at this price, such as seamless connectivity in seconds, magnetic locks that double as the power buttons and long battery life. Tuned by DJ Alan Walker, these excel in playing back Electro or EDM music with a strong bass. The battery life is rated for 12 hours which is also on the higher side. All of that in a package that weighs only 30g makes the Realme Buds Wireless a no-brainer. Design: In-Ear | Weight: 27.2 grams | Connection: Bluetooth | Wireles Range: 10 The successor to one of the most popular budget Bluetooth headset, Boat Rockerz 255 Pro offers everything that Boat Rockerz 255 offered with a couple for additional features. They are available in 4 colour options - yellow, blue, red, and green. The Boat Rockerz 255 Pro features Bluetooth 5.0 QCC3003 chipset to produce HD sound and deep bass. It comes with 10mm dynamic drivers and is also IPX5 rated for water and sweat resistance. A quick 20 minutes charge can last up to 4 hours of playback. The Boat Rockerz 255 Pro is priced at Rs 1,599 and is available on Amazon and Flipkart. Design: On-Ear | Weight: 165 grams | Cable length: 1.2 metres | Connection: 3.5mm jack | Frequency response: 5-22,000Hz | Drivers: Dynamic (30 mm neodymium magnet) | Sensitivity: 102 dB | Impedance: 24 Ω | Battery life: N/A | Wireless range: N/A If you are a bass lover, the Sony MDR-XB450 on-ear headphones could be the perfect option for you under Rs 2,000. Powered by the huge 30 mm drivers, the Sony MDR-XB450 can produce bass levels that are unmatched in this price range. Although the MDR-XB450 focus primarily on bass, they deliver great output in the mids and the highs too. The MDR-XB450 has well-cushioned ear pads and the metal casing adds to the looks, but the build quality may not be up there if you’re thinking long term. Still, it is a great on-ear option, especially if you’re a basshead. Design: Over-Ear | Weight: 272 grams | Cable length: 1.2 metres | Connection: 3.5mm jack | Frequency response: 15-22,000Hz | Drivers: Dynamic (36 mm neodymium magnet) | Sensitivity: 100 dB | Impedance: 40 Ω | Battery life: N/A | Wireless range: N/A Audio-Technica is another reputed name when it comes to audio products. The ATH-AX1iS offers a well-balanced audio output, but it is conservative when it comes to bass. Although the ATH-AX1iS are durable, the build quality leaves something to be desired. They also fit really well on the ears with well-cushioned ear pads. You also get an in-line mic along with volume controls that makes it easy to manage your music on the go. Design: In-Ear | Weight: 14.0 grams | Cable length: 1.25 metres | Connection: 3.5mm jack | Frequency response: 20-20,000Hz | Drivers: Dynamic (9 mm neodymium magnet) | Sensitivity: 100 dB | Impedance: 32 Ω | Battery life: N/A | Wireless range: N/A Although 1More is not a very popular audio company in India yet, it does make some high-quality headphones that offer a great bang for your buck. If you are looking for a very affordable yet high-quality headphone, the 1More Piston Fit could the right fit for your needs. Depending on the shape of the insides of your ears, you can choose between different sized tips on the 1More Piston Fit. The 45-degree angled design also helps in getting that feeling of a snug fit. The 1More Piston Fit are slightly biased in favour of details over bass, so keep this in mind while making your decision. Design: In-Ear | Weight: 15 grams | Cable length: 1.2 meters | Connection: 3.5mm jack | Frequency response: 17-23,000Hz | Drivers: Dynamic | Sensitivity: 121 dB | Impedance: 16 Ω | Battery life: N/A | Wireless range: N/A Sennheiser is a well-known brand when it comes to premium audio accessories. However, keeping the budget consumers in mind, Sennheiser launched the CX 275S in-ear headphones. These headphones offer decent sound output which is a bit more inclined towards the treble. The Sennheiser CX 275 S fits quite well in the ears and features a composed yet premium build quality. Design: In-Ear | Weight: 18 grams | Cable length: 1.2 metres | Connection: 3.5mm jack | Frequency response: 5-25,000Hz | Drivers: Dynamic (9 mm neodymium magnet) | Sensitivity: 106 dB | Impedance: 16 Ω | Battery life: N/A | Wireless range: N/A Sony is another well-known name when it comes to audio products. The MDR-EX255AP in-ear headphones try to strike a good balance between bass, treble and other acoustics. You can also improve the overall quality to suit your needs by fiddling with the equalizer settings. The semi-braided wires along with the metal casing give the headphones a premium look. With real-silicon earbuds, the Sony MDR-EX255AP fits quite well in the ears. Design: In-Ear | Weight: 15.8 grams | Cable length: 1.2 meters | Connection: 3.5mm jack | Frequency response: 20-22,000Hz | Drivers: Dynamic (9 mm neodymium magnet) | Sensitivity: 100 dB | Impedance: 12 Ω | Battery life: N/A | Wireless range: N/A SoundMagic is yet another reputed audio accessory maker. The SoundMagic PL30+ C is well-known for its perfectly balanced audio output. You don’t have to worry about playing with the equalizer settings to get the best out of the PL30+ C. However if you are inclined towards a certain acoustic, you can always customize it the way you like it. In terms of looks and build quality, the SoundMagic PL30+ C is right up there with the best in this price range. They come in an attractive packaging which consists of a hard case, 5 sets of earbuds and a couple of hooks. No jack, no problem Design: In-ear | Weight: 14g | Cable length: 1.15m | Connection: USB Type-C | Frequency response: 20-20,000Hz | Sensitivity: 107dB | Impedance: 24 Ω The OnePlus Type-C Bullets came alongside the 6T when the company abandoned the headphone jack. Over time, this has become the de facto pair for those not wanting to opt for wireless solutions, in favour of better latency and quality. The tangle-free cables and inbuilt DAC are great additions. Some older phones will need turning on OTG functionality in order to use them. Design: In-Ear | Weight: 28.2 gram | Connection: Bluetooth 5 | Frequency response: 20Hz-20000Hz | Drivers: 10mm Dynamic Bass Boost | Battery life: 20hours with case | Wireless range: 10 m Ending our list with a bouns. The only TWS in the list, Realme TWS is one of th best truly wireless earbuds available in India right now in this segment. It has an in-ear design without a stem. It features a 10mm bass boost drivers, with support for 119ms low latency. It functions over Bluetooth 5.0 with R1Q chipset and also brings instant pairing feature onboard. The battery life is rated for 4 hours on a single charge, with the case it can last up to 20 hours. The buds also offer capacitive touch controls. You also get realme link app support for more customizations. Colour options include black, white and yellow. It is targeted at people who are looking for their first pair of TWS. Buy Realme Buds Q on Amazon.
Best noise-cancelling headphones available in India
1. OnePlus Bullet Wireless Z
2. Realme Buds Wireless
3. Boat Rockerz 255 Pro
4. Sony MDR-XB450 on-ear EXTRA BASS headphones
5. Audio-Technica ATH-AX1iS
6. 1More Piston Fit
7. Sennheiser CX 275S
8. Sony MDR-EX255AP in-ear headphones with mic
9. SoundMagic PL30+ C in-ear headphones with mic
10. OnePlus Type-C Bullets
11. Realme Buds Q
source https://www.techradar.com/news/best-headphones-under-rs-2000-in-india
USB Type-C
Fast charging
Sound quality
12-hour battery life
Strong bass
IPX4
Micro USB port
Fast charging
Bluetooth 5
Average mic quality
Exceptional bass
Wide frequency response
Somewhat heavy
Crystal clear sound output
Decent fitting
Substandard finishing
Quality build
Sound clarity
Value for money
More attention to details over bass
Not the most comfortable fit
Compact design
Two years’ warranty
Insufficient bass
Perfect fit
Wide frequency response
Microphone features inferior noise cancellation
Comfortable in the ears
Well-balanced sound output
Inferior noise insulation
USB Type-C
High-quality cables
inbuilt mic
DAC
Not the most comfortable
Price and performance
Lightweight
Battery life
No LED indicator on case
Not for calls