Listen up: Our senior tech writer, Rick Broida, has spent the past two decades testing (and testing, and re-testing) hundreds of earbuds. So, when he's surprised by just how good a $40 pair performs, you need to check them out ASAP. When he tested some of the best earbuds on the market, he named the Baseus Bowie MA10 Wireless Earbuds the best budget option, praising their sound quality and noise-canceling abilities. And this budget option just got even more budget friendly, currently down to $20 — the lowest price we've ever seen them.
Even at their usual $40 price, these Baseus buds are a steal. But, right now during Amazon's Labor Day sale, they're 50% off — bringing them down to the lowest price we've ever seen them.
Sure, Apple would have you think you need to spend $129 minimum for a top-of-the-line pair of earbuds, or $249 if you want active noise cancellation (ANC). Those are the prices for second-generation AirPods and AirPods Pro, respectively. But here's Baseus with its new Bowie MA10 wireless earbuds, which include ANC, for just $20.
When Broida tested the buds, he just kept asking himself: "How can $40 earbuds possibly be this good? The Baseus Bowie MA10 ... surprised me with their nicely balanced sound, robust ANC and amazing battery life (up to eight hours on a charge and up to 140 hours of total playtime thanks to the extra-large charging case)."
When reviewing these headphones, Broida flagged that the Baseus "case can recharge the earbuds more than 16 times before needing to be recharged itself. And the earbuds last up to eight hours, meaning you're looking at upwards of 140 total hours of playtime." AirPods Pro, in comparison, last up to six hours on a charge and 30 total with the case. Winner: Bowie MA10 by a mile.
"I'm no audiophile, but I've tested a lot of these things — cheap and premium alike," Broida wrote. "Color me impressed: The Bowie MA10s produce rich and well-balanced sound, maybe not quite as full-bodied as AirPods, but extremely good overall. Indeed, I think you'd need a sensitive and well-trained ear to find any fault with these earbuds; for 'civilians' like me, they're great."
"Despite the presence of four ENC (Environmental Noise Canceling) microphones, I didn't have the best luck with phone calls," Broida noted. "Although I could hear the other person just fine, I had a hard time hearing my own voice, even with transparency mode engaged. (Also, I had to engage it manually; ideally it would kick in automatically for phone calls.) AirPods are definitely better in this department."
"The only feature I'm really missing here is in-ear detection, which would automatically pause playback when you remove an earbud and resume it when you replace it. It's hardly crucial, but I'm spoiled by it now, so I miss it when it's not available."
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
