Top 5 wired earbuds: review
Wired earbud technology keeps moving forward. They're getting cheaper and better. We've tested earbuds from well-known and lesser-known brands. This article gives you the results to make your choice a lot easier.
In this article
Why choose wired earbuds?
Wireless earbuds have become much more popular in recent years. But there are still plenty of reasons to choose wired earbuds.
More affordable
At the same price, wired earbuds offer better sound and microphone quality. To get the same quality from wireless earbuds, you'll need to spend a little more.
Money a manufacturer spends on a fast Bluetooth connection can't go toward sound and microphone quality. That's why wired earbuds often have better sound and microphones than wireless earbuds in the same price range.
A connection that never lets you down
One of the most common complaints we hear from customers is that their wireless earbuds work with their phone but not with their laptop, for example. That's down to the laptop's Bluetooth connection. Laptops, even more expensive models, often lack a truly good Bluetooth connection that can communicate with earbuds fast enough.
Wired earbuds, on the other hand, always work with a laptop. Why? They don't rely on Bluetooth.
The best wired earbuds right now
We've tested more than 100 wired earbuds. See which ones earned our top ratings. Notably, the big-name brands haven't managed to secure a spot on this list. Why? Because lesser-known brands offer a much better listening experience for less money. We really recommend looking beyond the usual big names.
Number 1: high-end quality at a good price
1. OneMelon Waterfall wired earbuds
These are real powerhouses among wired earbuds. The OneMelon Waterfall perform very well in every test. Even better than earbuds from well-known brands costing over €100. With 2 dynamic drivers and 2 balanced armatures, these earbuds offer the best sound on the market for the money. A real treat for your ears.
- Price: ~100
The cable on these earbuds runs up and behind your ear. It's a clever design. Why don't all earbud manufacturers do this? It supports the earbud behind your ear instead of letting the full weight of the cable pull on it. That makes these OneMelon earbuds more comfortable to wear. All in all, the best choice for wired earbuds.
✔️ Best wired earbuds in our tests (detachable cable)
✔️ With microphone
✔️ Cable runs behind your ear for extra comfort
✔️ Braided cable (fewer tangles)
✔️ Beautiful sound
| Rating | |
| Sound | 9 |
| Microphone | 8 |
| Fit | 9 |
| Controls | 7 |
Number 2:
2. Kz ZSX
- Price: 50
Beautiful, full sound | Very good fit | Sturdy steel build
The Kz ZSX Terminator are true wired powerhouses. Any audiophile will agree that they deliver a lot of quality for every euro you spend. The sound is excellent. The microphone is very good, and the fit exceeds expectations. The steel faceplate on each earbud didn't affect comfort.
Number 3:
3. Sony MDR-EX650AP
- Price: 54.95
Bass-heavy sound | Good fit | Small size
A major strength of the Sony MDR-EX650AP is their good fit. They're small and compact, so they sit nicely in your ears. The housing is partly steel, which helps them stand up to knocks.
The bass is a little too prominent, but if you like a heavy sound, these earbuds are a good choice. One small drawback is their very effective passive noise isolation. That means you can't hear your surroundings. If you want to make lots of calls or use them in traffic, you're better off looking elsewhere. Want to block out your surroundings while you work? Then these earbuds are a very good choice.
Number 4:
Kz DQ6
- Price: 33
Another pair that absolutely belongs on this list is the Kz DQ6. It's surprising to hear this kind of sound at this price. Wireless earbuds with this sound quality would cost you around €70.
The DQ6 deliver very good bass and treble, but the mids may be the biggest surprise. That's where earbuds in this price range most often fall short. The DQ6 hold their own here. Not quite as good as the ZSX and ASX, but we're 100% sure they offer the best sound of any wired earbuds under €40.
Number 5:
JBL Endurance Run
- Price: 24.95
JBL belongs on this list! They do a great job with both wireless and wired sound. These JBL Endurance Run earbuds are the only ones from a Western brand that come close to similarly priced Kz-audio earbuds. Good sound, a good mic, and a comfortable fit. They're reasonably sturdy, too.
How we test
We test all earbuds on the following points:
- Sound quality
We check whether the earbuds sound good across the frequency range. The biggest problem with cheaper earbuds is weak bass and mids. That's because the better speakers inside earbuds are a relatively expensive component. The cheaper that component, the more likely your earbuds are to lack a full sound.
- Microphone
Nothing is more frustrating than earbuds with a poor microphone. The person on the other end of a call keeps struggling to hear you. You basically have to take your earbuds out every time you want to make a call. For us, earbuds with a poor microphone are a no-go! That's why we set very high standards for our earbuds' microphones. We test them in 2 ways. First, our editors make phone calls to each other. Second, we record voice notes so we can listen back and hear how we sound. All earbuds in this roundup have very good microphones. Around 70% of the earbuds we test don't make this list because their microphone isn't good enough.
- Fit
How do the earbuds feel in your ears? It's hard for manufacturers to get good sound out of small earbuds. That's why earbuds, especially cheaper ones, are often a little larger. But those tend to be less comfortable. Fortunately, more and more affordable earbuds offer both a good fit and good sound.
- Battery
Battery life is also very important for wireless earbuds. For earbuds under €50, we require at least 4 hours of music playback. Some earbuds last twice as long, such as the Eardopes B6 pro, but those cost more than €50. Don't worry: this list of affordable earbuds includes plenty with long battery life.
- Controls
You need intuitive controls for music and calls without constantly reaching for your phone. Take adjusting your music volume, for example. It's the action you use most often, so having to pull your phone out of your pocket every time would be inconvenient. There are 2 types of controls: touch controls and buttons. We don't prefer one over the other. Both can work well or poorly. A common complaint about touch controls is that the earbuds don't respond to a tap. With buttons, a common complaint is that you have to press too hard, pushing the earbud into your ear canal. We see it as a big advantage when you can choose which function each button controls. That's possible when earbuds have their own app.
- Connection stability
The final important aspect is connection stability. Some earbuds with a weaker chipset have a less stable connection. If you walk between buildings with lots of wireless signals, your audio may start cutting out.
Independent?
That's right. Eardopes is 100% independent. We have no ties to manufacturers, and we bought all the earbuds tested in this review ourselves.
In that respect, we're actually more independent than any review site or blogger. Eardopes is an earbud webshop. "But surely that means you're not independent at all?" I hear you thinking. Yet we're 100% independent. Let me explain:
Before we decide to sell a pair of earbuds, we test them thoroughly. We only sell earbuds we genuinely like ourselves. Our articles, including this one, essentially document that research. And if we don't like a pair? We give them a poor rating and decide not to sell them.
Others also viewed:
- Explore all our wireless earbud blog posts
- Explore our blog post on AirPods alternatives
- Also explore our blog post on the Eardopes B6 pro
