Best earbuds under $100?
Looking for the best set of in-ear headphones I can get under $100. Any recommendations? Btw, these aren’t for DJing; just plain ole listening to mah music.
Anyone?
SkullCandys are good I used to hate that brand but I bought a pair and Ive had them more than a month so far. Get the model with the flat wire for about $20.
Ended up getting a pair of the Panasonic RP-HJE120-K. Been reading tons of reviews and these kept popping up. $7. Boom!
For IEMs, the dual driver versions are a noticeable step up from the others. They are also in the $200-$500 price range.
For working out, running, anything where hearing outside noises might be needed, I like the earbud style where there is NOT a seal between the speaker and my ear. Sony has some that wrap around your ear. These are good for working out, running, treadmills, etc. If you can find a pair that fit you and they will really hang on.
For when I want to listen to music without the background noise, the “earplug” style work well for me. Most have several sizes of foam plugs for the end…that’s handy for getting a good fit. I have used JBL, Sony, and others. My current set have a mic and can be used with my phone on calls. That’s handy given how I use the earplugs.
For DJing, I want a formal IEM or over the ear headphones.
They’re for my Christmas gift. I was going to ask for the Beats by Dre in-ear ones (I know, I know), but I read terrible reviews on em. So I saved my significant other the hassle/money and bought those Panasonics.
SkullCandy Chops with Foam Tips are always in my bag.
I used to have a pair of $70 etymotics that I REALLY liked. Unfortunately, they don’t make them anymore, and the replacements kind of suck.
I’m firmly in the “no midrange crap” camp when it comes to sound…I either buy cheap or buy nice. With that in mind, I’ve been using cheap skull candy things. They’re not as good as the etymotics, but they’re a couple years old and cost like $9.
If I bought better ones, I’d probably be looking at se315s first and head over to head-fi for reviews.
Hardware question, hardware forum…
I’m really surprised at the Skull Candy love in here…
Sounds like they are actually good value for money after all…?
Well…it’s a matter of priorities.
Do my $8 (whatever) skullcandy earbuds actually sound good? No, they don’t. They’re muddy and low-mid-y and severely lacking on highs and separation and detail and all of the other good things that good speakers or headphones do. But they were $8. I’ve definitely gotten worse earbuds for $60 before. I’ve also gotten only marginally better for $40 and felt bad about destroying them.
Those $70 etymotics were a great value, and etymotic marketed them with their own calculated accuracy score of like 89%. Their $300 IEMs at the time got like a 93%. The current $60 ones get an 85% iirc. And based on their descriptions of how it was measured, that number actually seems to mean something.
Unfortunately, they were replaced by ones “made for iDevices” that had over-pronounced low-mids, slightly lacking highs, and a huge bump at 2k…better than my cheap SC, but not 8 times as good…and they only lasted like 6 months of normal use and relatively careful care.
Like I said…if I cared, I’d be looking at $200-300 IEMs (se315, um pro 20, etc.). But, I just use my hd-25s or mdr-7506s when I actually want things to sound right as opposed to just being there. And I can DJ with the skullcandies in a pinch. It’s not pleasant, but it works better than broken monitors.
There are a lot of places where I just don’t think mid-range gear is worth what it costs: CDJs, earbuds, dj practice speakers, bags (I have a bag obsession, go ahead and make fun of me), clothes, jewelry, shoes…fortunately there actually are cheap earbuds that don’t totally and completely suck.
I’m only going to be using them for work. I listen to music all day. I think anything will be better than my iPhone earbuds. For home use, I use the same headphones you do, mostapha.
Yeah…iPhone earbuds just plain don’t fit my ears.
Mine are weird in that my ear canals are 2 different sizes. That’s actually why I picked the SCs. Even the super-cheap ones come with 3 pairs of rubber thingies (what are those called) in different sizes. So, large on the left, medium on the right…and they at least fit.
I lose my earbuds a lot so I don’t buy expensive. The Marley ones are ok, although I got a good deal on mine. The Tweaked Audio ones being hawked on damn near every podcast im listening to are actually quite nice too, although make sure you use a discount code when ordering them. Both are better than Apple earbuds but no substitute for IEMs.
Entry level IEMs start at something like the Shure SE215
I work at a desk..and I wear headphones. Mostly to block the outside noise while making it “obvious” that I have headphones on.
With earbuds people would have 2 minute conversations with me, and I’m all nodding my head…and not hearing a word. It happened often enough that I switched to headphones. 
We’re not really allowed to wear earbuds/headphones but I get away with it somehow.
Especially the newer model. I cant take more than 2 steps without one falling out!!