Are budget ANC headphones worth it compared to flagships?

For many shoppers, yes. The Soundcore Q20i draws strong praise from a high-trust testing source and specialist subreddits for effective ANC and very long battery life at a fraction of flagship pricing. The trade-offs reviewers note are stiffer earpads, less refined sound, and ANC that does not fully match Sony or Bose, but the value consensus is overwhelmingly positive.