Budget wired earphones comparison

10 October 2021
We test some of the most popular entry-level wired earbuds under $30.

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  • S
  • Saladien
  • nKc
  • 10 Oct 2021

KZ DQ6 ($25) are also really good, I bought them 6 months ago and they replaced my gaming headset.
It's also possible to turn those earbuds into bluetooth earbuds thanks to a few devices like the KZ AZ09 ($20)

So basically a way to get great bluetooth earbuds for only $45

    KZ earphones are pretty good. I had one but my cat chewed the wire. 2 times. It still worked since it was on 1 side. But still it was annoying. Lol. The good thing thou you get to keep the earpiece and only change the wire so yea.

      Anonymous, 10 Oct 2021Sennheiser CX 300S. You're welcome.Sennheiser cx are at best above average, but the difference is that these Chinese in ear monitors are a level above of sennheiser cx series, you should have a try and listen at the difference, while sennheiser are still ruling full size headphones with hd660, portable earphones market has changed significantly over the years

        Bigmeme, 10 Oct 2021And all LG V and G series phones Actually while LG phones sound ok, not as good as Asus rog 5 or onkyo dp-cmx1 as the dac is not has high grade, nevertheless still decent

          • m
          • minasaher
          • rk%
          • 10 Oct 2021

          the Realme classic buds are the best. so cheap yet the quality of the wire and the music are exceptional

            • D
            • AnonD-731363
            • SH3
            • 10 Oct 2021

            7 years ago bought wired earphones Kraken World of Tanks edition made by Razor company for 50 euros discount from 160 they were last on sale and even after 7 years of use they deliver amazing sound experience.
            Yes they are big maybe a bit heavy no small earbuds but comes with microphone and very comfortable cushioning.
            I really would and could offer razer company prducts to anyone for having the best possible experience with anything they need.
            Also proud owner of Naga Hex league of legends mouse bought on 60% discout back in early 2015 and since then works like a brand new. Same goes for goliatus mouse mat.

              • D
              • AnonD-731363
              • SH3
              • 10 Oct 2021

              AnonD-909757, 10 Oct 2021GSMArena.exe - System Error. This application failed to st... moreMan you werent funny at all.

                • H
                • Head dude
                • pf0
                • 10 Oct 2021

                Don't forget the old and excellent SONY MH1/MH1C, we could find on web for 30 bucks. One of the best.

                Super tinies, a wide sound response, a 4 buttons remote, 2 colors choice and a flat cable.

                  • N
                  • No jack no Buy
                  • TKj
                  • 10 Oct 2021

                  So it has been 5 years already and still people are still upset over phones with no headphone jacks. So when 10 years is up, let's see if there are people who still wants headphone jack or not.

                    • B
                    • BudgetAudiophile
                    • u1E
                    • 10 Oct 2021

                    Great to see Chi-fi earphones being mentioned on this site. I bought Oppo Enco M31 after reading their review here for sound quality (and a few other places) and while they sound decent, they still pale in comparison against my similarly priced Chi-fi earphones that I bought 3-4 years ago!

                    Also Moondrop has recently released quarks. And they are cheaper and sound great. Fantastic for $13 (Rs 1000 in India).

                      • L
                      • Lccy
                      • n1c
                      • 10 Oct 2021

                      imparanoic, 10 Oct 2021To be honest, it's not as simple as that, virtually al... moreMost phones with 3.5mm jacks have decent DACs that can also decode high res audio up to 24/192, the amps can be a bit weak for over ears.
                      Noise is not a problem, the components are well shield and the phone runs off battery power.

                      The removal of the headphone jack was purely a money grab, no Bluetooth codec can match the sound quality of even a budget phone that can do 24/192.

                      No wonder the music industry is dead, convenience has always trumped sound quality, instead of hi red audio we get second generation lossy codes applied to flawed Cd quality audio

                        • V
                        • VT
                        • D09
                        • 10 Oct 2021

                        Been using KZ ZSN pro X for a few months. Safe to say they are one of the if not the best in twice or thrice their price range. Simply awesome

                          • R
                          • Ray
                          • pqB
                          • 10 Oct 2021

                          KZ DQ6 is probably better than all of the IEMs from the review. It has 3 drivers and costs about 25 $.
                          I have a pair of KZ ZSX, which you can buy for 30-45 $ and have 6 drivers, incredible detail, separation and good soundstage.

                            Anders, 10 Oct 2021"Smartphones have pretty much taken over as the primar... moreAnd yet there are "gEniUsEs" here who said that the headphone jack is prehistoric and outdated and we should move on with times*. Yeah, right. My secondhand $20 Pioneer headphones can still make minced meat out of all wireless Bluetooth headphones that I have ever owned. 🤣😂

                            *
                            - https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_gt_neo2-reviews-11074p6.php
                            - https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_gt_neo2-reviews-11074p5.php
                            - https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_gt_neo2-reviews-11074p4.php

                              Hello Life, 10 Oct 2021Wireless earphones are only good for convenience and noise ... moreCouldn't agree more. That is why I'm no longer using wireless Bluetooth headphones and earbuds. Wired headphones and earphones still provide the best audio quality by far.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • TL%
                                • 10 Oct 2021

                                I own the Blon BL03s and they are exceptionally sturdy. I bought it with an aftermarket tangle-free cable and it's one of my favourite headphones.

                                  imparanoic, 10 Oct 2021To be honest, it's not as simple as that, virtually al... moreAnd all LG V and G series phones

                                    Ossvar, 10 Oct 2021Price of usd 30 for indian market is still high.. that'... moreYeah and with terrible sound quality. Quality and cheap don't go hand in hand.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • rAf
                                      • 10 Oct 2021

                                      Advantage of wired headphones, you dont have to charge it (you are indirectly saving environment)


                                      If apple really care about environment they should manufacture wired headphones

                                        Wireless earphones are only good for convenience and noise cancelation. For everything else wkred earphones. I have three and all of them sounds better than my 16K TWS. I have Mee audi M6 pro. 3k. Shure SE 215, 6.5K. AKG samsung bundle in ears. Then comes the big daddy, all of these sound i ferior to my audio technica m50x with fiio amp. I dont know why but m50x is love. Everything I hear sounds inferior to m50xes.

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