BARGAIN IN-EAR HEADPHONES

BUYER’S CHECKLIST

WHAT YOU NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON WHEN SHOPPING FOR BARGAIN IN-EAR HEADPHONES.

SEAL AND FIT

With headphones that create a seal with your ear canal (aka canalphones), this seal is the most significant factor affecting sound quality. Much of the audio profile can be lost if the silicon or foam tips don’t sit snugly — the bass and sense of space suffer the most, so be sure to test out the different ear tip sizes to get the right fit.

FREQUENCY

Everyone has a different idea of what frequency profile sounds good and each ear creates a different soundstage so, naturally, you may disagree with these reviews. With that in mind, we’ve recommended each set for bass-heads or treble-lovers, for instance, rather than flat-out good or bad.

BELLS AND WHISTLES

While we focused on the performance of the ‘phones rather than the included extras, items like carry pouches can be a life-saver if you’re often on the move, and shirt clips can be great for keeping your buds in place. Most importantly is going to be the amount of fitting options — as we’ve mentioned, the seal is everything when it comes to sound.

WIRED OR WIRELESS

As phones continue to forego headphone jacks and as Bluetooth improves, wireless headphones are gaining traction fast. Unfortunately, they generally don’t perform as well in this price range, so if you’re set on sticking to this budget, it may be worth reassessing your desire to cut the cables.