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Best headphones for under $25 (pictures)

Looking for a pair of dirt-cheap headphones that sounds decent for the money? Here are CNET's current top bargain picks.

David Carnoy

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.

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David Carnoy

June 24, 2013 3:27 p.m. PT

1 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

Panasonic ErgoFit RP-HJE120

Panasonic's ErgoFit RP-HJE120s are the quintessential cheap but good earphones.

$13 at eBay

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2 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

JVC Gumy Plus

The JVC Gumy Plus comes in multiple colors and is another nice value at $7.

$7 at B&H Photo-Video

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3 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

JVC Flats

Cosmetically, the JVC Flats may look like $15 headphones, but they sound more expensive.

$13 at eBay

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4 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

Panasonic RP-HJE355

If you want something a little better than Panasonic's ErgoFit RP-HJE120, have a look at the RP-HJE355.

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5 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

House of Marley Smile Jamaica

The Smile Jamaica may not be the greatest name for a headphone, but it's a solid value.

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6 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

iLuv City Lights

I'm not a fan of really bass-heavy headphones, but if you are, the City Lights has lots of low-end for the cost of a fancy Starbucks coffee.

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7 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

MEElectronics HT-21 Travel

The HT-21 is one of MEElectronics' stalwart budget models.

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8 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

Panasonic RP-HX40

I don't particularly love the white version of this headphone, but it does come in other colors and sounds good for the money.

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9 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

Panasonic RP-HT21

The RP-HT21 is about as dull and basic as you get, but it's really cheap and sounds good for its ultralow price.

$8 at B&H Photo-Video

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10 of 12 Sarah Tew/CNET

MEElectronics M9

MEElectronics' M9 in-ear headphone has been around for a while and remains a decent value.

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11 of 12 Josh Miller/CNET

MEElectronics M6

The M6 comes in a few different colors and a few different versions. I'm not a total fan of the fit but some people love it for the price.

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12 of 12

Philips CitiScape Metro

The funny thing about headphones is that sometimes you can get one color for a lot less money than another. That's the case for the white version of the Philips CitiScape Metro, which sells for around $20 online -- at least at the time of this writing.

$50 at Amazon

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