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Best wired earbuds
Wired earbuds and IEMs are easy to use, and are much more affordable than their wireless counterparts. Whether you’re looking for the best cheap buds to fit in your pocket or the best sound possible, we’ve got you covered. Here are our choices for best wired earbuds.
Editor’s note: this list was updated on July 4, 2023, to include the Sennheiser IE 200, Shure SE 215, expand information on our other Top picks, update the Notable mentions, and ensure all information is current.
Why are the Sennheiser IE 200 the best wired earbuds for most people?
The Sennheiser IE 200 are our top pick for most people, because they offer great sound quality at a reasonable price. The fit is a bit more comfortable and familiar than Etymotics designs, and the ear hook shape keeps the buds in place all day long.
The IE 200 frequency response falls between “neutral” in-ear monitors (IEMs) and consumer-friendly buds. We think this is a solid compromise for most people and a good way to ease into studio earbuds and headphones.
Sennheiser provides silicone and memory foam ear tips, and you can get excellent passive isolation with the latter. High-frequency sounds like keyboard clacking and banging dishware will be nearly inaudible with the foam tips installed. You’ll still hear sounds like engine rumbles with either set of ear tips, but these noises will be about half as loud as they’d be without the buds.
We appreciate the replaceable MMCX cable, which extends the product’s life. Cables are usually the first components to break on wired earbuds and headphones, but Sennheiser’s should last longer than usual because it’s made of Kevlar. The over-the-ear fit keeps the earbuds in place and doesn’t cause irritation. Senneheiser’s headphones and earbuds are some of the best in the business and for $149, wired earbuds don’t get much better than this.
Best sound: Etymotic ER4SR
If you’re going to monitor, mix, or do any kind of professional audio work, in-ears with a studio-focused frequency response are a worthy investment. The Etymotic ER4SR have a good frequency response and a fit that many people swear by.
Each earbud has a thin, smooth aluminum housing and triple flange ear tips, so you can be confident they won’t fall out. The minimalist design doesn’t allow any room for playback controls. Still, this is specifically for professionals that work with audio or anyone who doesn’t like to have undue emphasis on certain aspects of the frequency range.
The cable is braided for extra durability. Like the IE 200 from Sennheiser, the ER4SR use MMCX connectors. You can replace he cable once it breaks instead of buying a new set of buds.
Best isolation: Etymotic ER2SE
The Etymotic Research ER2SE also go have multi-flanged ear tips that go deep inside your ear canals for excellent passive isolation. Not everyone finds this design to be very comfortable, and I fall into this camp, so you’ve been warned. If you don’t mind the fit, you’ll find that the ER2SE handily blocks background noise, akin to the Shure AONIC Free.
The frequency response more closely mirrors studio headphones than consumer earbuds. The bass and midrange outputs are nearly the same. Bassheads may find this underwhelming, but it’s quite good for studio use and audiophile tastes.
These buds also use an MMCX cable, meaning that if you can find a USB-C to MMXC DAC cable, you can listen to it through a device that lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. For the price, you’ll have a hard time finding a pair of buds that better block out background noise.
Best durability: Shure SE215
Shure makes plenty of audio equipment, but the Shure SE215 buds are a classic. Don’t let the plastic earbud housings fool you: these things are durable. I had a pair for years that endured undergrad without any signs of wear and tear.
The sound quality is identical to the Shure AONIC 215, and it is very good. You get a bit more bass than the ER2SE provide, making these a bit more versatile and appealing to a wider audience. The gently boosted bass response bodes well for popular genres of music. Attuned listeners may hear the under-emphasized treble that begins at 6kHz.
Like the other picks on this list, the Shure SE215 handily block out high frequencies. You’ll get the best isolation when you use Shure’s memory foam ear tips. Ambient noise will be effectively inaudible when you get a proper fit with these buds. The removable MMCX cable is a nice touch, too. We think these are some standout earbuds for around $100.
Best budget: KZ ZSN Pro X
The KZ ZSN Pro X are excellent wired earbuds for the $30 price. We like these buds because most people can afford them, and their sound quality punches way above their price point. With a frequency response that gently boosts bass and treble notes, the ZSN Pro X are sure to make just about any genre of music sound good.
Isolation is surprisingly good here too, and KZ provides four sets of silicone ear tips that range from 10-14mm in width. It’s important that you take a minute to find which ear tips fit your ears best because this will block out the most background noise, therefore optimizing the buds’ bass response.
While this headset is not feature-rich, you still get an integrated in-line mic and remote to take phone calls and control music playback. Interestingly, our headset’s “return to previous track” function does not work, but all others do. The buds come with a removable 2-pin cable that extends the product’s life. The KZ ZSN Pro X are likely not a good option for those with tiny outer ears since the housings are fairly large. Still, most people will find these buds comfortable. For the price, it’s hard to beat the Pro X.
Yes, you can purchase a KZ AZ09 Bluetooth module. This will add Bluetooth functionality to the earbuds but will double the cost of the affair. Even still, bundling all this together will be cheaper than most of our best wireless earbuds under $100.
You get a microphone integrated into the 2-pin detachable cable, and it sounds all right. Some background noise comes through the headset, but it’s still generally better than embedded mic systems in cheap true wireless earbuds.
KZ ZSN Pro X microphone demo (Ideal conditions):
KZ ZSN Pro X microphone demo (Street conditions):
KZ ZSN Pro X microphone demo (Windy conditions):
Check out the Linsoul TIN HiFi T2 for the basics done well
Sometimes you don’t need anything crazy, you just need some solid sound that you can fit in your back pocket. For that, grab the TIN HiFi T2 earbuds. These make the rounds on forums everywhere because of their good sound and build for the price. The TIN Audio T2 do a pretty good job of following our studio curve, with some under-emphasis on the sub-bass and treble.
While you shouldn’t expect this to blow you away, you can rely on the HiFi T2 to get the job done, whether working from home or commuting to the office. These earphones use a detachable MMCX cable, so you can just swap out the wire when it frays. You can even turn these into wireless earbuds with the correct adapter.
Best wired earbuds: Notable mentions
- JBL Endurance RUN: These IPX5-certified buds are great for exercise enthusiasts on a budget.
- FiiO FH5s: Building off of our previously reviewed FiiO FH5, the FH5s have a semi-open design. There are physical tuning switches that allow you to affect the sound and the detachable cable ensures these buds will last a long time.
- KZ ATE copper in-ears: If you’re not looking to spend too much but prioritize sound quality over all else, then this might do it for you.
- Moondrop Chu ($21 at Amazon): These buds offer excellent sound quality at an entry-level price. Isolation and fit are great, but we wish the cable was replaceable.
- Moondrop Aria ($79 at Amazon): These are surprisingly good budget in-ears with a simple, yet elegant design. They sound great, and do an okay job of isolating you from your surroundings.
- Panasonic Ergo Fit ($13.56 at Amazon): Affordable, reliable, what’s not to love? This classic pair of earbuds comes in a lot of colors too.
- Sennheiser IE 100 PRO Wireless ($149 at Amazon): These wireless earbuds use an MMCX connector, so you can use a compatible 3.5mm cable to enjoy wired playback too. The module supports SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX Low Latency over Bluetooth 5.0.
- Shure SE112: With great sound and a comfortable fit, the Shure SE112 is a simple pair of wired earbuds that will cover the basics for anyone.
- Sony MDRXB55AP: The 12mm dynamic drivers and bass duct yield loud bass, while the eargonomic fit and four sizes of ear tips make the buds comfortable. There’s an in-line mic and remote for hands free calls too.
- 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear ($68 at Amazon): These earbuds have three drivers inside each tiny housing — two of which are tiny balanced armature drivers that act as tweeters. You get an in-line mic and control module here and nine sets of ear tips that vary in size and material.
What you should know about the best wired earbuds
Whether you’re looking to buy $200 earbuds or $20 earbuds, you want to know that your money is going to a good product. When shopping around, you may encounter features or technical jargon you’re unfamiliar with. We recommend that complete newbies read our headphone buying guide, but those who may be a bit more experienced can skate by with the highlights below.
How should earbuds fit?
One of the most important factors when it comes to earbuds is seal and fit. A cogent seal will vastly improve sound quality because it isolates you from ambient noise. Bass reproduction is the first to go when a seal isn’t formed to the ear. By allowing external noise in, you’re degrading the overall sound quality of your earbuds, because of auditory masking. Investing in third-party ear tips will vastly improve sound quality.
Can you use wired earbuds if your phone doesn’t have a headphone jack?
If your phone manufacturer nixed the headphone jack, you can always pick up a USB-C adapter. It’s a bit cumbersome but does the trick. Otherwise, you can always look into cheap true wireless earbuds or USB-C headphones. Regarding the latter, though, the technology has yet to impress us. In fact, it seems like a dead market at this point.
What frequency response is good for wired earbuds?
Frequency response denotes how well a pair of earbuds can reproduce the audible range of sound frequencies. Basically, it refers to the ability of each component in your playback chain to accurately reproduce the signal that’s being fed to it.
In our reviews, to help you interpret the product’s measured frequency response, we also display a reference curve (colored pink) on the same chart, that represents what we consider to be the ideal frequency response shape for the kind of product you’re looking at. You might see this referred to as the SoundGuys “House Curve,” “Preference Curve,” or “Target Curve.” You can learn more about it here. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect, and it’s further confounded by the fact that our ears aren’t perfect. This is why some manufacturers allow you to modify the frequency response of their products to help compensate for variations in our hearing, or for specific listener preferences for bass and treble.
How we choose the best wired earbuds
We’ve been covering the audio industry for some time, so it’s not a huge mystery which companies are great at this sort of thing, and which ones aren’t as much. However, we give everyone their fair shot because there are always some surprises out there. That said, we’ve culled countless wired earbuds to find the best possible options for you.
Why you should trust SoundGuys
We’re stationed at this site daily and understand that consumer and professional needs constantly evolve. As we’re inundated with audio products, we can easily sift through the noise to pick out the good from the disappointing. We have multiple years of experience keeping tabs on the audio industry and rely on that to guide our review process.
We rely on objective measurements of products where we can. None of our writers may profit or benefit from steering readers to or from a certain audio device. While the site uses referral links, none of our writers will know whether or not a link was clicked. If you so choose, our ethics policy is publicly available.
Frequently asked questions about the best wired earbuds
There are a few different types of dongles, and USB-C audio has both benefits and drawbacks. Let me direct you to this explainer article which will hopefully answer your questions about USB audio.
Your best bet for a good pair of earbuds for small ears is one that comes with a lot of ear tip sizes. Of our top picks, the Etymotic ER2SE and ER4SR both have plenty of ear tips to choose from.
Noise isolation refers to the amount of ambient noise that is physically blocked by your earbuds or headphones. The degree to which noise is blocked depends on the design of a product, such as how well a pair of earbuds create a good seal. This form of noise attenuation is passive, since there’s no electronic circuitry involved. On the other hand, noise canceling is the process of using active circuitry to cancel out ambient noise, which works on top of noise isolation. Because of the processing needed, you’ll find that noise canceling headphones and earbuds can be expensive.
The good news is we know audio quality doesn’t correlate to price, so cheaper products don’t necessarily sound bad. One of the first things to go when hunting even for the cheap wired earbuds is build quality. Materials are predominantly plastic. You certainly won’t find any sort of Kevlar-reinforced braided cable like you will with pricier products. Additionally, few research and development resources are allocated to cheaper products. Things are passable and could be good for the price. However, they won’t outperform professional IEMs.
Other than the Sony WI-C310 and the JLab GO Air POP, there aren’t many options out there. At such a low price point, there are bound to be compromises. Sure, there are other wireless earbuds available for less than $20, but they tend to sacrifice audio quality for the sake of wireless connectivity. You’re better off spending your cash on a pair of good-sounding wired earbuds.
Consumers often worry that their phones aren’t enough to power their earbuds or headphones. While that might be the case if you’re spending hundreds of dollars on specialized in-ears and plan on plugging them into a computer from 1997, it isn’t necessary for anyone listening to music on a modern smartphone or somewhat recent computer. Especially with these earbuds under $100 that we chose. They were designed to be powered by typical electronics, assuming of course, that your phone still has a headphone jack. You still shouldn’t have any issues with power if you’re using a dongle, but it’s definitely annoying.