Comparing 3 of the most popular inexpensive in-ear headphones
List of the 3 Inexpensive In-ear Headphones
Panasonic RPHJE120K in-ear headphones
Panasonic RPHJE120K in ear headphones are one of the most inexpensive in-ear headphones models available in the market today.
The design of these earphones is attractive and colorful. The ear plugs are in white, and made of molded plastic that fit well into ears while the ear cups come in a range of attractive colors such as orange, purple, blue, yellow, pink and green. On first look, these earphones look cheap with a little bit of flash. However, looks are indeed deceiving because they fit so well, and the bright colors even make it look cool. Originally designed for Apple iPod, these ear phones resemble Apple ear buds in some ways. Overall, the fit was comfortable and did not hurt the ears. One downside with the design is that the wire is too thin and flimsy. Moreover, the cord does not end with the L-Shaped plug, so it may be difficult for some users to fit it into their smartphones.
As for performance, these ear phones come with surprising clarity and detail. Bass also sounds good, and the good fit of these ear phones keeps the external sound at bay. The downside is that the clarity and detail is not amazing on quieter tracks in genres such as jazz, however, they are ideal for bass-intense sound tracks.
Apple in-ear headphones with remote microphone
Another good earphones that does not break the bank is Apple earpods with remote and mic. These headphones were launched when Apple released its iPhone 5, iPod Touch and iPod Nano, and Apple claims that it spent three years in making these headphones perfect.
These Earpods come as a part of all Apple products, and it is also sold separately as an accessory that users can buy in online and retail stores. It also comes in a protected case.
These earphones are a sure improvement over its initial versions that sounded terrible. Worst of the lot was the model released in 2004 while the one that came out in 2008 was better, but neither was good enough to compete with other earphones available in the market for the same price. To set this right, Apple created these ear pods over three years, and this effort reflects in its improved performance.
The bass in these earphones is clean and clear, and does not have the shaky vibrations that were present in the earlier versions. Other notes including high, lows and mid range tones also sound nice in these earphones. However, they do not fit securely within the ear, so they do not isolate noise as well as it should. Noise leaks into these earphones, and this interferes in the listening experience. As for the design, it is fairly standard. The mic and remote are nice additions that make it convenient to take calls.
In a nutshell, these Apple earpods are not as great as other products from Apple. Hence, if users get it free with their Apple device, it could be a good additions.
Amazon Basics In-Ear Headphones with Microphone
They are a premium headphones that come with a comfortable in-ear design. Its black colour looks stylish with Matt finish, and like its looks, it is a good performer too. The ear pods come in three sizes, namely, small, medium and large to fit well for different ears. These ear tips provide high noise-isolation, so it can be worn in any crowded place.
Another advantage with these inexpensive in-ear headphones is that they are lightweight and easily portable. It comes with a 3.5 mm jack that is a 90-degree angle and almost four foot cord that is flat, so it is tangle-free. These cords can be a major plus point for users who have had experience untangling cords in the past. Its 3.5 mm port ensures that it works well with all smartphones, tablets, MP3 players and other devices.
Their performance is clean and clear. Since it operates at a frequency range of 12 Hz to 22,000 Hz, it as one of the highest quality of sound reproduction amongst its competitors. Though the bass is not as deep, it nevertheless gives a nice sound. These earphones also work well with high, low and mid range notes. In short, these headphones are a good choice for anyone who wants to listen to music clearly. Since it also comes with a mic, it can be used to take calls.
Comparison the 3 Inexpensive In-ear Headphones
A comparison of all the three models above brings out some commonalities. Firstly, all the three earphones are priced cheap, and their music quality is not as great as that of some of the inexpensive in-ear headphones. Out of the three, Apple earpods are the worst in terms of noise isolation, and Panasonic is the best. In terms of fit too, Apple earpods fare poorly because they tends to fall off, while the Panasonic earphones offer the most comfortable fit. AmazonBasics comes somewhere in the middle, both for fit and noise isolation.
As for audio performance, all three sound more or less the same because each model has its pros and cons. AmazonBasics has a higher clarity than the other two while Panasonic is a good choice for bass lovers. The high, low and mid range notes are fairly the same, though AmazonBasics has higher detail while Panasonic’s clarity is not that great for jazz. Apple earpods do not have the greatest clarity and would fall behind the other two.
