Budget in-ear Earbud (under $20 preferrably) advice?

My current pair have developed the dreaded “short at the jack” disease and I can either spend a lot of time trying to repair them or just replace them.

I prefer the models with the foam or rubber (silicone?) tips that fit snugly in the ear as they cancel sound pretty well and more importantly don’t irritate the outside or inside of my ears (the pre-packaged buds that came with my clip do both). I’d prefer isolation type buds to ones that let lots of sound in, but I realize you can only take that concept so far on a budget.

But I’m kind of at a loss as to whether I can get what I want for the twelve to fifteen bucks I’m willing to spend.

Not an audiophile by any means mostly becaue I listen to music not suited to it (garage rock and such) but I still would like to get a pair that can give me a full sound.  Thoughts?

A good source:  check the reviews at cnet.com.

Creative EP-630. These bad boys rock and are the best earphones I’ve ever owned. The bass is tremendous. Cheap from Amazon.

I just got a set of Skull Candy Ink’d buds for $10 from Staples.  They sound darn good for budget buds.

Your local Target often has deals on earbuds.  My wife saw a colorful display of Sony IEMs for under $20.  I think they might have actually been $10.

Bob  :stuck_out_tongue:

I can second the recommendation of Skull Candy Ink’d as decent low-priced in-ear buds.  Used them for a while but they died a bit young and I switched to Phillips SHE5910 buds.  The Philips buds deliver the highest sound volume of any I’ve tried.  I need them because of hearing problems which disqualify me from commenting on sound quality.  They are behind-the-ear models (asymmetrical cord length) which I find is a very annoying feature  with no apparent advantages.  If noise-canceling is a high priority for you, these may be worth a listen.  They are currently $21 at Target.  First pair died after about 2 years, current pair is at least a year old and going strong.  Some reviewers found them a bit large for comfort, though they work fine for me.

Good luck with your search.

Woot.com today - 2 sets of Koss earbuds for $9.99.  I’ve been happy with my Koss earbuds but I’m no audiophile.  They didn’t die in 3 months like the Sonys did.

My favorite cheap earbuds are the JVC Marshmallow, usually avaliable at local stores for $20, or online for less (see http://www.amazon.com/JVC-SQDHAFX34B-HAFX34B-Marshmallow-Headphones/dp/B0012UKOV2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1263965671&sr=8-1)

They fit better than the standard earbud and give good bass. They are almost too good since they seal your ears and you will find people having to tap you on thr dhoulder to get your attention…

  • Robert

Are those the 39.99 or 12.99 Creative EP-630 that u like? What is the difference between the “noise isolating version” which is more expensive and the regular? Thanks! I may have to try these. I have some Woodeez earbuds that i got as a gift that really arent bad, and other assorted phones like the JVC marshmallow and their FLAT $20 phones from Walmart - which are really good!

@veni wrote:
Creative EP-630. These bad boys rock and are the best earphones I’ve ever owned. The bass is tremendous. Cheap from Amazon.

Just bought the creative EP-630 earbuds from amazon (15 Euro). However, I cant share your opinion. The sound is awful: no bass and screechy trebble. The original clip earbuds are much better.

Could it be that there are actually two different versions of theses earbuds on the marked? Another poster told about prices much differing.

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