4 cheap headphones and earbuds we've tested to avoid 'headphone dodger' fines — they're all cheaper than the £100 you'll pay if you're caught

UK government cracks down on people who annoy others with phone music Fines of up to £100 for those people It's cheaper to just buy these headphones People who play music, TikTok videos or out-loud video calls on public transport probably aren't self-aware enough to know how annoying it is, but appa

<![CDATA[ <article> <ul><li><strong>UK government cracks down on people who annoy others with phone music</strong></li><li><strong>Fines of up to £100 for those people</strong></li><li><strong>It's cheaper to just buy these headphones</strong></li></ul><p>People who play music, TikTok videos or out-loud video calls on public transport probably aren't self-aware enough to know how annoying it is, but apparently the UK government does, because it's finally cracking down on so-called "headphone dodgers".</p><p>From next Monday, transport authorities will be allowed to fine rule-breakers by up to £100 if they're causing a nuisance. Prime Minister <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/19/andy-burnham-launches-campaign-against-headphone-dodgers-on-public-transport" target="_blank">Andy Burnham is fronting the campaign</a>, after previous governments toyed with the idea.</p><p>It's a good idea, but the success is dependent on enforcement, as transport safety officers and not drivers are expected to hand out the fines. Given how minimally-staffed most public transport services are, some (me) are dubious that the rules will make a difference.</p><p>However if you've been a 'headphone dodger' and you want to turn a new leaf (good on you), it'd make sense to buy a pair of headphones that cost much less than the £100 penalty fare. </p><p>And naturally, we've tested a few that we can recommend…</p><h2 id="sennheiser-cx-80u">Sennheiser CX 80U</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="YHoe7QCLPKoXu4VppdF5LZ" name="Sennheiser_CX_80U.JPG" alt="Sennheiser CX 80U earbuds on block" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YHoe7QCLPKoXu4VppdF5LZ-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Starting with something nice and cheap, we've got some wired earbuds, which you can easily plug into the USB-C port on a phone and keep bundled up in your pocket the rest of the time. No Bluetooth dropouts, no losing a bud as you board the bus, no apps, none of that. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/sennheiser-cx-80u-review">Sennheiser CX 80U</a> sound great, block surrounding noise quite well, and offer a nice simple design. We gave them 4.5 stars out of 5 in our review, only knocking them for some missing features of pricier buds.</p><p>Best of all, though, they're <em>really</em> cheap. They launched for $39.95 / £34.99 in January this year, but you can find them even a little cheaper than that on Amazon.</p><div data-widget-type="review" data-model-name="Sennheiser CX 80U"></div><h2 id="sony-wh-ch530-or-even-the-sony-wh-ch730n">Sony WH-CH530 (or even the Sony WH-CH730N) </h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.56%;"><img id="s75fTEe2ARL8iG9xWdVPhQ" name="WH-CH530_All_color_In-situation_Color-Large" alt="Sony WH-CH530N headphones in different colors, arranged in a circle to form a flower shape, on a gray floor" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s75fTEe2ARL8iG9xWdVPhQ-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2560" height="1704" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Sony)</span></figcaption></figure><p>If you want great-value headphones, you can't go wrong with a pair from Sony, and its recently-released Sony WH-CH530N are really affordable at $69 / £50.</p><p>We haven't yet finished testing these on-ears, they're that new, but their predecessors the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/sony-wh-ch520">WH-CH520</a> got 4.5 stars in our review. We praised the balanced sound and long-lasting battery, and the newer pair will likely bring improvements.</p><p>As you can see in the picture, they come in a wide range of colors, and also have noise cancellation, which isn't something you can say about all options at this price point.</p><p>Prefer over-ears? Go for the just-reviewed, all-new <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/wireless-headphones/sony-wh-ch730n-review">Sony WH-CH730N</a>: a solid four stars and they're just under that £99 (or equivalent, in your country of residence) fine line, if you'll pardon the pun… </p><div data-widget-type="review" data-model-name="Sony WH-CH530"></div><div data-widget-type="review" data-model-name="Sony WH-CH730N"></div><h2 id="jlab-jbuds-mini-anc">JLab JBuds Mini ANC</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2982px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="RZDLJkUNayPsn5WtVnbKSe" name="IMG_2549.JPG" alt="JLab JBuds Mini ANC earbud outside the case" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RZDLJkUNayPsn5WtVnbKSe-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2982" height="1677" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Last, but not least, let's look at some standard wireless noise-cancelling earbuds, which <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/i-tried-the-worlds-smallest-noise-cancelling-earbuds-and-the-size-isnt-even-the-most-mind-blowing-thing-about-them">we got to try earlier this year</a>. </p><p>The JLab JBuds Mini ANC are tiny — you can even clip the case onto your keyring — so you've got no excuse for not having buds on the bus. At $49.99 / £49.99 they won't break the bank either.</p><p>We enjoyed the non-ANC <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/jlab-jbuds-mini-review">JLab JBuds Mini </a>too, when they came out three years ago, and they're ideal for people who want lightweight buds.</p><p>Have further thoughts? Drop us a comment — or better yet, fill out the poll below this text and <em>then</em> add your comment!</p><div data-widget-type="review" data-model-name="JLab JBuds Mini ANC"></div><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-Wn8qlX"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/Wn8qlX.js" async></script> </article> ]]>