Super cheap vs Expensive Earbuds - Main Differences?

Tempest

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Before I start, I was actually looking for some general Earbud type thread but didn't really fine one hence me posting this separately.

I'm genuinely curious about something and I'd really be interested to hear (no pun intended) if anyone has done such a comparison.

Simply out of curiosity a couple of months ago I purchased a set of stupidly cheap earbuds from Amazon.
So cheap that I felt that even if they actually work at all I'd be shocked! ;)

Amazon product ASIN B0983Q7CRJ
They were on a one day sale at £9.98
So in reality simply bought to see what I'd get.

I'll have to admit, since buying them I'm totally shocked at how good they are sound wise.
You need to be sure they are nicely seated in your ear for the bass, which I'm guessing if the case with all earbuds (have to fit nicely)

They pair easy, battery seems to last ages, sound quality seems shockingly good.

So here is my main question I guess.
Let's put to one side all the "extras niceties" when it comes to these type of devices such as: Pass thru mode, Water resistance, Noise cancellation, and similar bits which models 10 or 20 time more expensice offer.

I'm curious just how much better in simple audio quality terms a high end set of ear buds actually will be.
I'd love to buy some £150+ buds and see how they compare (don't want to spend that much) but right now I'm struggling to see how they would sound THAT much better for simple sound quality.

Has anyone done such a comparison?

By the way I did buy another cheap set which looked like Apple copies but they have little bass due to how they sit in your ear.
 
Buy a set of Final ZE3000 and find out yourself - no fancy noise cancellation or pass through, but they're designed with audio quality at the forefront.

More expensive sets tend to have better chipsets that can handle higher bitrate bluetooth connection, which is paramount to getting better sound quality.

Then you have driver tech, whilst the actual production cost is low, it usually takes many revisions to get a driver to act how the designer intends it to - and to get the sound right.

R&D costs money, the cheaper options tend to be off the shelf OE products that have a logo slapped on them.

With wireless, they have DSP at their arsenal, which does help a lot when tuning the sound, but you still have to have good hardware first and foremost.
 
About 5 years back I treated myself to a set of wired Shure SE535 in-ears for travel use with an Astell & Kern hidef player. I was aware of what my wife's apple iphone buds sounded like for comparison. The 535s are unquestionably serious kit. There is the caveat that you have to ensure the fit is snug in your ear and to that end the 535 comes with a good selection of replaceable tips to fit different sized ear canals. Once you get the right fit the sound from them is a bit of a revelation comparing them with basic apple buds. The bass response and clarity from the 535 defies belief. The sound is huge and detailed with real bottom end welly that seems to defy the physical size of the units. When I first put them on I had the wrong tips fitted and the sound was terrible. I thought i'd been conned. When I got the fit right however it was one of the OMG hifi moments. I'm still using them and I know there are even higher end ones available now but I do not feel the need to upgrade. One thing for buds that would be cool would be if they could be made with an inflating earpiece that adapts to the size of your ears. A one size fits all approach that gives you a personalised seal and fit.
 
Thanks to you both for your thoughts.
I will admit I'm tempted to go onto Amazon and buy perhaps £150 type ones.
Love to see just how much difference there is.

I did read something interesting which confirms what I found and you both mention and that's the careful use of some Sugru to make shaped plugs custom fit to your ear.

Would I be correct in thinking that Earbuds give you a better experience (for the price) over headphones, or have I got that all wrong?
 
Battery life
Connection stability
App, giving you extra features
Call quality
ANC/Transparency quality
Sound quality
Case quality
Comfort/fit


Edit: don’t confuse sound quality with tonality.
 
Thanks to you both for your thoughts.
I will admit I'm tempted to go onto Amazon and buy perhaps £150 type ones.
Love to see just how much difference there is.

I did read something interesting which confirms what I found and you both mention and that's the careful use of some Sugru to make shaped plugs custom fit to your ear.

Would I be correct in thinking that Earbuds give you a better experience (for the price) over headphones, or have I got that all wrong?
There are stunning headphones and stunning in-ears. In-ears are undoubtedly more portable but you can make a good argument for travelling with regular headphones too. Personal comfort is a big factor.
 
There are stunning headphones and stunning in-ears. In-ears are undoubtedly more portable but you can make a good argument for travelling with regular headphones too. Personal comfort is a big factor.

Custom IEMs ;)

Personally I have:

64 Audio A6t
Custom Art FIBAE 3
Inearz P350

Along with

Final ZE3000
Lypertek Z3

Full size wise, only the German Maestro GMP400, Grado SR60 and Final UX3000

Yes, I absolutely love the A6t's paired with my iBasso DX200 - the sound quality is stunning and they're super comfortable being custom moulded.

However I can still enjoy the ZE3000 a lot just for short trips and for a fraction of the price they are impressive.

For out and about use, I find IEMs so much more practical than full size headphones, and once you find the right eartips they're just as comfortable (if not more, shallow cups on many portable full size headphones make them uncomfortable for me)
 
The Final ZE3000 is a complete steal. An excellent TWS. At last Audio Show in Warsaw I heard prototype ZE8000 from Final, and they are at least two levels better. Highly recommended to check them out when they arrive on the market.
 
I am looking for some super cheap wired earphones. I can't use the type with silicone buds to seal out external noise because 1) I hear constant rustling of the cables with present Huawei buds that came with my P30 and 2) I'm deaf in one ear and need to hear the external noises. Idon't know why everyone doesn't hear the constant rustling noise of the cables either. Perhaps it's me - I also have tinnitus and so my one good ear is perhaps over sensitive. I just watched a YT review of Venture Electronics Monk Plus earbuds which cost a fiver a few years ago. They seem to get rave reviews for the price. But the price has gone up to £19 on Amazon... Can anyone suggest anything similar that's available either on Amazon or Ebay? Thanks.
 
I am looking for some super cheap wired earphones. I can't use the type with silicone buds to seal out external noise because 1) I hear constant rustling of the cables with present Huawei buds that came with my P30 and 2) I'm deaf in one ear and need to hear the external noises. Idon't know why everyone doesn't hear the constant rustling noise of the cables either. Perhaps it's me - I also have tinnitus and so my one good ear is perhaps over sensitive. I just watched a YT review of Venture Electronics Monk Plus earbuds which cost a fiver a few years ago. They seem to get rave reviews for the price. But the price has gone up to £19 on Amazon... Can anyone suggest anything similar that's available either on Amazon or Ebay? Thanks.
The cable rustling you have described is called cable microphonics and is happening only with poor-quality cables.
 
Custom IEMs ;)

Personally I have:

64 Audio A6t
Custom Art FIBAE 3
Inearz P350

Along with

Final ZE3000
Lypertek Z3

Full size wise, only the German Maestro GMP400, Grado SR60 and Final UX3000

Yes, I absolutely love the A6t's paired with my iBasso DX200 - the sound quality is stunning and they're super comfortable being custom moulded.

However I can still enjoy the ZE3000 a lot just for short trips and for a fraction of the price they are impressive.

For out and about use, I find IEMs so much more practical than full size headphones, and once you find the right eartips they're just as comfortable (if not more, shallow cups on many portable full size headphones make them uncomfortable for me)
I did enjoy in ears ,and they follow my mantra of low power for personal consumption .. Unfortunately, they encourage ear wax and in my case tinnitus..so while I do occasionally use them, I currently wear massive Over ears.
 
I did enjoy in ears ,and they follow my mantra of low power for personal consumption .. Unfortunately, they encourage ear wax and in my case tinnitus..so while I do occasionally use them, I currently wear massive Over ears.
Have you maybe seen an audiologist about the excess wax? I believe using proper eardrops and taking care of the IEMs should do the trick. I'm sad to hear about your tinnitus though. I hope it doesn't stop you from enjoying music!
 
I had a flu-type thing a few weeks ago and the first symptom was loss of hearing especially in my left ear.
About 1 week later all my symptoms disappeared but my hearing didn’t return so I put an appointment on at my local health centre where I was seen by an advanced Practitioner Nurse.
He examined my ears, they were both blocked with ear wax. He gave me Olive Oil drops to soak into my ears twice a day for 1 week and an appointment to return and get my ears syringed.
On the day I returned to get them syringed it still could not be done as the wax was not sufficiently softened so this 2nd nurse gave me a prescription for Bicarbonate of Soda drops to apply 3 times a day and another appointment for removal.
I ran out of this midway through the week but a friend who was always bothered by ear wax suggested using warm Almond oil so I bought some and used it 3 times a day in the final 3 days leading up to my appointment…success…this did the trick, the nurse used a micro suction machine and now I'm hearing greater detail from my IEM's.
 
I had a flu-type thing a few weeks ago and the first symptom was loss of hearing especially in my left ear.
About 1 week later all my symptoms disappeared but my hearing didn’t return so I put an appointment on at my local health centre where I was seen by an advanced Practitioner Nurse.
He examined my ears, they were both blocked with ear wax. He gave me Olive Oil drops to soak into my ears twice a day for 1 week and an appointment to return and get my ears syringed.
On the day I returned to get them syringed it still could not be done as the wax was not sufficiently softened so this 2nd nurse gave me a prescription for Bicarbonate of Soda drops to apply 3 times a day and another appointment for removal.
I ran out of this midway through the week but a friend who was always bothered by ear wax suggested using warm Almond oil so I bought some and used it 3 times a day in the final 3 days leading up to my appointment…success…this did the trick, the nurse used a micro suction machine and now I'm hearing greater detail from my IEM's.
That's very interesting, I wonder how the almond oil fares against the bicarbonate in the long run. Might have to test this tip myself! Maybe an improvement in sound presentation is underway...
 
Have you maybe seen an audiologist about the excess wax? I believe using proper eardrops and taking care of the IEMs should do the trick. I'm sad to hear about your tinnitus though. I hope it doesn't stop you from enjoying music!
Thanks. The solution to the wax problem is these hydrogen peroxide eardrop washes available from Boots ..and yes they do work, but might take up to 5 days .. . Audiology was not a help. The tinnitus is relieved by using music ,which is why I typically have the headphones on while out walking.. And no ,I was only ever rarely in places with loud sounds.. when I did have an ear test ..it was part of a process after a syringing, the Audiologist was surprised at the acuity and frequency response range of my hearing ..not at all typical of a then 68 year old . Never in the Military,or field sports and never a fan of Discos.
 
Thanks. The solution to the wax problem is these hydrogen peroxide eardrop washes available from Boots ..and yes they do work, but might take up to 5 days .. . Audiology was not a help. The tinnitus is relieved by using music ,which is why I typically have the headphones on while out walking.. And no ,I was only ever rarely in places with loud sounds.. when I did have an ear test ..it was part of a process after a syringing, the Audiologist was surprised at the acuity and frequency response range of my hearing ..not at all typical of a then 68 year old . Never in the Military,or field sports and never a fan of Discos.
I've never been subjected to high-noise areas for a prolonged amount of time either, and I also hear this ringing in my ears often. Sometimes a one-time accident can alter your hearing, happened to me as well. I surely hope those ear drops work for you in the end.
 
I stopped using IEM’s when my Ears completely blocked-up with Wax. After Ear Drops failed to remedy the problem, forced warm water irrigation solved the problem.
 
I stopped using IEM’s when my Ears completely blocked-up with Wax. After Ear Drops failed to remedy the problem, forced warm water irrigation solved the problem.
That's an amazing suggestion. I'll be sure to try it should my hearing take a hit. Is yours intact now?
 
Yes, it is. The problem affected me a couple of years ago, with my Ears being completely blocked for 2 weeks before I successfully tried Water irrigation. I haven’t used my IEM’s since then.
 
Who knows, maybe the issue won't persist once you go back to your favorite IEMs... I think it's worth a try, there's plenty of good gear in the In-Ear market. :)
 
In ear monitors might promote ear wax, so can other things. Have to think about body maintenance

Rather than IEM could try (light) full size headphones, ear buds (flat design, shallow fit, falls out with any head movement) or abandon for speakers. Like glasses versus contact lenses, you are you and no one right answer 😎
 

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