Best LDAC earbuds under $100
Updated 2026-11-08
Short answer. The best LDAC earbuds under $100 are the EarFun Air Pro 4 ($79.99; buy: https://dealectric.com/go/earfun-air-pro-4): LDAC plus aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive, 11 hours per charge with noise cancelling off and 7.5 hours with it on, 52 hours with the case, IPX5, wireless charging and in-ear detection. The question most buyers ask is whether they can keep two-device multipoint while using LDAC. No. LDAC switches off two-device multipoint on every set here, and the Air Pro 4 is the only one that keeps multipoint on a hi-res codec, because aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless stay on with two devices connected. Expect about 6 hours per charge with LDAC and adaptive ANC both on.
If noise cancelling matters more than codec choice, the soundcore Liberty 4 NC measured stronger in SoundGuys' lab (8.4 out of 10 against 7.5 for the Air Pro 4) and ran 9.85 hours with ANC on, but it lists at $99.99 on soundcore's store and has no aptX. The Air Pro 4 is the better buy for Android phones with Snapdragon Sound, and for anyone who wants LDAC, multipoint, IPX5 and wireless charging in one set under $80.
- EarFun Air Pro 4, $79.99. Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/earfun-air-pro-4
- EarFun Air Pro 4+, $99.99. Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/earfun-air-pro-4-plus
Published 2026-11-06 · prices checked 2026-11-06.
| Model | Price | Hi-res codecs | Battery, ANC on / with case | ANC (SoundGuys lab, out of 10) | Multipoint, water rating, charging | Price | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EarFun Air Pro 4 Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/earfun-air-pro-4 | {price:earfun-air-pro-4} | LDAC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, LC3 | 7.5 h / 52 h claimed; 8 h 44 min measured | 7.5 | 2 devices (not with LDAC), IPX5, wireless case | $79.99 | No discount code applies. |
| Soundcore Liberty 4 NC | $99.99 list on soundcore.com (2026-11-06), often discounted | LDAC | 9.85 h / 50 h | 8.4 | 2 devices, IPX4, wireless case | $99.99 list on soundcore.com (2026-11-06), often discounted | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| Soundcore Space A40 | $99.99 list on soundcore.com (2026-11-06), often discounted | LDAC | 8 h / 50 h | 8.5 | 2 devices, IPX4, wireless case; weak mic | $99.99 list on soundcore.com (2026-11-06), often discounted | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| Nothing Ear (a) | $79 on nothing.tech (2026-11-06) | LDAC | 5.5 h claimed / 42.5 h | 5.7 | 2 devices, IP54, no wireless charging | $79 on nothing.tech (2026-11-06) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| CMF by Nothing Buds 2 Plus | $59 on nothing.tech (sold out there 2026-11-06) | LDAC | 14 h ANC off / 61.5 h claimed | not lab-tested; 50 dB claimed | IP55, no wireless charging | $59 on nothing.tech (sold out there 2026-11-06) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| EarFun Air Pro 4+ Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/earfun-air-pro-4-plus | {price:earfun-air-pro-4-plus} | LDAC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, LC3 | 8 h / 54 h claimed; about 4.75 h measured by RTINGS | not tested; RTINGS rates it good but below SoundPeats H3 | 2 devices (not with LDAC), IP55, wireless case | $99.99 | No discount code applies. |
Rows marked with a code and buy link are products Dealectric lists: the price was verified on the brand's own US store on 2026-11-07 and the code is tested daily in that brand's cart; the date shown is its last pass (last check 2026-11-13). The other rows (CMF by Nothing, Nothing, Soundcore) are included so the comparison is complete; their figures and prices were read from the makers' own US pages on 2026-11-06 and are not re-checked daily. The buy links are affiliate links: they open the brand's official US store at no cost to the shopper, and the commission pays for the testing; see the disclosure.
What owners complain about
- LDAC or multipoint, not both. Four sources we read say it outright (Digital Trends and GamingTrend on the Air Pro 4, EarFun's own notes on the Air Pro 4i and Wave Pro). It is a Bluetooth bandwidth limit, not a defect. On the Air Pro 4, switch to aptX Adaptive if you need two devices.
- LDAC stutter at 990 kbps. Five forum threads (a Pixel 9 Pro XL owner, two Head-Fi users, Sony and FiiO support threads) describe drops at the top bitrate, often with the phone screen on. SoundGuys saw the Nothing Ear (a) stutter in busy streets. Set LDAC to 660 kbps or adaptive in developer options and it usually stops.
- One bud goes silent. EarFun's support forum has eight Air Pro 4 threads about a dead or unpaired left bud. Forgetting the pairing on the phone and re-pairing fixed most; the rest went to the 18-month warranty.
- Touch mis-taps. SoundGuys hit single-tap volume while seating the buds; TechRadar noted a lag before taps register. Remap or disable single tap in the app.
- iPhone gets AAC only. Three reviews point out that LDAC and aptX never engage on iOS. One pre-launch unit also had iOS dropouts and short range; later firmware addressed it.
- Mics in noise. SoundGuys, Digital Trends and RTINGS all rate the EarFun mics average on a loud street.
Which one by need
- Snapdragon Sound phone, or multipoint plus hi-res: EarFun Air Pro 4 ($79.99; buy: https://dealectric.com/go/earfun-air-pro-4). aptX Lossless on a supported phone, aptX Adaptive with two devices, LDAC when you want it.
- Strongest ANC and longest ANC-on battery with LDAC: soundcore Liberty 4 NC (8.4 out of 10, 9.85 hours) or Space A40 (8.5, 8 hours). Both are LDAC-only and IPX4; the A40's mic is weaker and its fit less secure. Check soundcore's store and Amazon on the day, since both are usually well under list.
- Smallest budget: CMF Buds 2 Plus at $59 on Nothing's US store, 14 hours per charge with ANC off and IP55, but no wireless charging and sold out there on 2026-11-06.
- Design first: Nothing Ear (a) at $79, IP54, but 5.5 hours claimed with ANC on and the weakest measured ANC in this group.
- Air Pro 4+ ($99.99; buy: https://dealectric.com/go/earfun-air-pro-4-plus) adds a balanced-armature tweeter, Bluetooth 6.0 and IP55, but RTINGS measured about 4.75 hours with ANC on. Buy it for the sound, not the battery.
Not recommended for this query
- Sony WF-C710N and WF-C510: SBC and AAC only, no LDAC, despite the Sony name.
- Sub-$50 LDAC earbuds: two reviewers note the audible gain from LDAC is minimal at that price; spend the money on ANC and fit instead.
- Any LDAC set for an iPhone: the codec never engages, so judge on ANC, fit and mic quality.
Sources
- EarFun Air Pro 4 product page — www.myearfun.com
- EarFun Air Pro 4+ product page — www.myearfun.com
- EarFun warranty and refund policy — www.myearfun.com
- SoundGuys: EarFun Air Pro 4 review — www.soundguys.com
- Digital Trends: EarFun Air Pro 4 review — www.digitaltrends.com
- Headphonecheck: EarFun Air Pro 4 test — www.headphonecheck.com
- RTINGS: EarFun Air Pro 4+ review — www.rtings.com
- SoundGuys: Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC — www.soundguys.com
- SoundGuys: Anker Soundcore Space A40 — www.soundguys.com
- SoundGuys: Nothing Ear (a) review — www.soundguys.com
Published 2026-11-06; figures for other brands read on 2026-11-06; our prices verified 2026-11-07. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.