We’ve examined a variety of headphone and earbud models over the years, including the finest noise-canceling headphones and earbuds, sleeping earphones, affordable headphones, Bluetooth headsets, and more.
What is evident is that everyone has their own personal style preferences, as well as quite varying perspectives on what is most important in terms of performance, convenience, and cost.
While over-ear headphones have higher sound quality than earbuds, earbuds are significantly more compact, convenient to travel with, and ideal for exercising. Wireless earbuds are very convenient, but they must be charged on a frequent basis, and the sound quality suffers as a result.
Many individuals prefer wired earbuds because they provide a good blend of portability and convenience with acceptable audio quality. Today, we’re revealing our favourite wired earbuds, including the finest wired earphones for working out, noise-canceling earbuds, and the best budget option.
1. Best Wired Earbuds: Shure AONIC 215
Simply said, the Shure AONIC 215 wired earbuds provide superb sound quality and noise isolation at a reasonable price. These earbuds are useful for blocking out background noise in a variety of situations. To filter out the sounds around you in reasonably peaceful settings, you don’t even need to listen to music; the earbuds are sufficient.
Listening to music at a modest volume in a noisy area is more than enough to drown out the worst of the noise. With deep, controlled bass and rich tones, the sound quality is outstanding. Although the treble might be crisper and the soundstage could be wider, these earbuds provide good sound quality for the price, regardless of what you’re listening to.
They include sturdy, durable cables, a tiny carrying pouch, and three sizes of foam earphones. These wired earphones are one of our top travel favourites (we’ve been using them for years) since they’re pleasant to use, well-made, good at minimising background noise, and affordable.
Voice commands, phone calls, media playing, and volume are all controlled through the inbuilt remote and mic on the AONIC 215s. The call quality is worse to over-ear headphones like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, but if wired earbuds are required, they are among the best wired earbuds for phone conversations.
If these earphones were twice the price, we’d suggest them, but because they’re usually under $100, the AONIC 215s are our top option for wired earbuds.
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Good noise isolation
- Inline mic and remote
- Durable plugs and cables
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Cable loops over the top of the ear, which takes a bit of getting used to
2. Runner Up, Best Wired Earbuds: 1MORE Quad Driver
The 1MORE Quad Driver In-Ear Earphones are difficult to beat in terms of value. While they are slightly more expensive than our top option, they provide sound quality comparable to earbuds costing two or three times as much. The Quad Driver earbuds include four drivers in each ear (thus the name) to provide clear highs, sharp mids, and powerful bass, so they’ll sound great no matter what you’re listening to.
They have a well-balanced sound that will please everyone but the most discerning audiophiles, especially considering the price. The 1MORE Quad Drivers offer an inbuilt remote and mic for handling calls, voice help, playback, and volume, much like our top selection. If you’re looking for corded earbuds with mic controls, the remote works wonderfully, making these some of the best.
These earphones are constructed to last, and the unwrapping experience is fantastic: there’s a lot more here than simply a pair of headphones. You also get an aircraft adaptor, a 14” adapter for amplifiers, and a shirt clip to keep the wire from flying around, in addition to nine different ear tips to ensure the optimum fit.
The 1MORE Triple Driver, as the name suggests, only has three drivers in each earpiece if you’re willing to sacrifice a little sound quality. The audio quality isn’t as good, but they have many of the same functions and are far less expensive. They’re definitely worth a look if you’re on a budget.
Pros
- Inline mic and remote
- Good, balanced sound
- Handy extras, inducing a carrying case and adapters
- Impressive unboxing experience
Cons
- Price tag may be too high for some
3. Best Wired Noise-Canceling Earbuds: Bose QuietComfort 20
The Bose QuietComfort 20 is by far the best on the market when it comes to keeping unwanted sound out of your ear canals if you’re seeking for active noise cancellation (ANC) and have the money to spend on a pair of high-end earbuds.
The QuietComfort 20 buds can reduce the level of some lower frequency sounds by up to 45 decibels, including as airline engines, snoring, and traffic noise. Even when compared to other premium versions, that’s an amazing result for any set of earphones.
When you want or need to hear what’s going on around you (like when crossing the street or listening to an announcement), you can activate “Aware mode” by pressing a button on the inline remote. This lowers the noise cancellation level while still allowing you to listen to music or listen to a podcast.
With ANC enabled, the battery life is outstanding, lasting 16 hours. You can still use the earphones without the battery, but you won’t be able to activate the noise cancelling feature until you charge them again. The good news is that it won’t take long: a two-hour charge will get you back to full power.
There are many advantages, but one main disadvantage is that the sound quality is inferior to similarly priced earbuds without noise cancellation. Consider how much you’ll use the ANC before making a purchase. Due to the battery and power settings being housed in a box, it also means carrying a bigger set of earbuds.
You can get the QC20 earbuds for both Samsung and Apple devices, so make sure you get the proper one when you buy.
Pros
- The best noise-cancelation of any earbuds
- Good battery life
- Comfortable for sleeping and extended use
Cons
- Audio quality could be better
- Expensive
4. Best Budget Wired Earbuds: Panasonic ErgoFit
Panasonic’s ErgoFit headphones are the best affordable wired earbuds if budget is your top priority. These earphones are less expensive than going to see whichever Marvel film is currently in theatres, plus they will last far longer than a couple of hours.
The sound quality is good for the price, and it’s better than a lot of earbuds that cost three times as much. When listening to gentle genres like as folk music with a lot of acoustic guitar, it misses some detail, but if you’re looking for something cheap to take to the gym or on a plane, they are undoubtedly the best option for the money.
To securely fit most ear sizes, the Ergofits come with three pairs of silicone ear tips in small, medium, and large sizes. The silicone tips also help to decrease background noise when the earbuds are properly fitted. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.
The Panasonic ErgoFit Headphones come in 15 different colours and tones, including basic black and white, if you like a little colour in your life. A lengthy, albeit thin 3.6ft cable is included, and while it is readily tangled, the length allows you to weave it through your bag or clothing to keep it from being twisted.
Pros
- Decent sound quality
- Several color options
- Very low price
Cons
- Cord is prone to tangling
- Minimal noise isolation
5. Best Wired Sport Earbuds: JBL Endurance RUN
If you want to listen to music while working out, you’ll need sweatproof audio equipment. The JBL Endurance RUN wired earbuds are the best wired earphones for running, sports, and other workouts for the money. These IPX5-rated wired earphones are well-made, but you can replace them without breaking the bank if you lose, break, or otherwise need to.
Considering how cheap they are, the earphones provide surprisingly good sound quality. Although they aren’t designed for audiophiles, the deep bass response and clarity are impressive for such a low-cost sport headphone, and they function well with high-intensity workout music.
Depending on your own taste and what you’re doing at the moment, the earbuds can be worn in-ear or behind-the-ear. The earphones magnetically attach to each other for easy storage and to keep the cord from tangling.
The inbuilt microphone can be activated with a control button for hands-free calling or voice help, but although it’s handy for quick conversations on the run, it lacks the quality you need for critical meetings. The controls can also be used to pause and play music as well as skip tracks, but they cannot be used to modify volume.
Pros
- Good sound quality for the price
- Earbuds magnetically clip together to help avoid tangle
- Hands-free calling and voice assistance
- Sweatproof
- Low price
Cons
- No volume function on the control button
- Mic quality isn’t great
Final Thoughts
Wired earphones have greater sound quality than wireless choices if you don’t mind dealing with connections. Most individuals should go for the Shure AONIC 215 earphones, which provide outstanding sound quality and noise isolation at a reasonable price.
If you’re willing to spend a little extra, Bose’s QuietComfort 20 noise-cancelling headphones are the best you’ll find. The Shure 215s or Bose QuietComfort 20s should provide adequate speech quality, but there isn’t a pair of wired earphones we’d suggest for making regular calls. Instead, look through our selection of headphones and wireless earbuds for calls if you’re looking for something specific for meetings.
It’s also a good idea to consider how, when, and where you’ll use them. If audio quality isn’t important to you or you constantly lose or break your earphones, a less expensive choice like the Panasonic ErgoFit may suffice and save you money.
