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Best earbuds for less than $100
Justin Yu
Associate Editor May 18, 2011
You can spend up to $500 for top-shelf, audiophile-quality in-ear canal headphones, but what if you're on a budget and don't want to settle for the generic Apple earbuds?
A surge in the popularity of portable music players has widened your third-party headphone options, and here we've rounded up a list of our favorite earbud-style headphones for under $100.
Earbuds won't give you quite as deep a sound as canal-style models, but the following buds can still rival the sonic capability of full-size headphones. They all benefit from an ultracompact and lightweight design that fits an active lifestyle, while also providing moderate to excellent isolation from external noise--ideal for blocking out the world on your commute.
| Product name | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $54.99 to $69.99 | $49.89 | Check Prices | $41.97 to $42.79 | $113.99 | $89.00 to $99.95 |
| CNET editors' rating | ||||||
| Average user rating |  | |||||
| Release date | November 15, 2009 | December 01, 2011 | ||||
| The Bottom Line | The Jays A-Jays Four earphones provide a well-balanced sound and a polished, utilitarian design that make them excellent replacement earphones for your iOS device. | The Klipsch Image S4 earphones offer up sound quality on par with and better than sets that cost many times as much; they are a spectacular choice for anyone looking for new earbuds. | The Thinksound TS01 10mm headphones are a good value at their street price and should be a top consideration for those who like plenty of bass and natural sound. | Despite some small shortcomings, TDK's EB900 in-ear headphones sound as good--or better--than a lot of more expensive competitors. | The Audeo Perfect Fit Earphones PFE 022 + Mic are a solid choice for iPhone owners who desire balanced audio and a light, compact design. | While we've heard earphones that sound better for the money, Bose has improved its in-ear headphones so they fit--and sound better--than its previous in-ear model. |
| Features | ||||||
| Packaged Quantity | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sound Output Mode | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired | Wired | Wired | Wired | Wired | Wired |
| Audio Specifications | - Impedance 16 Ohm Frequency Response 20 - 21000 Hz - Sensitivity 96 dB | - Sensitivity 110 dB/mW - Impedance 18 Ohm Frequency Response 10 - 19000 Hz | Frequency Response 20 - 20000 Hz | Frequency Response 20 - 20000 Hz - Sensitivity 101.5 dB - Impedance 16 Ohm | - Sensitivity 107 dB - Impedance 32 Ohm Frequency Response 5 - 17000 Hz | Info unavailable |
| Recommended Use | Portable audio system | Portable audio system | Digital player Portable audio system Game console | Info unavailable | Cellular phone Portable audio system | Portable audio system |
| Headphones Type | Headphones - Binaural | Binaural Headphones | Binaural | Headphones - Binaural | Headset - Binaural | Headphones - Binaural |
| Headphones Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear | Info unavailable | In-ear | In-ear | In-ear |
| Product Type | Headphones - Wired | - Wired Headphones | - Wired | Headphones - Wired | Headset - Wired | Headphones - Wired |
| Product Description | JAYS a-JAYS Four - Headphones | Klipsch Image S4 - Headphones | Thinksound Thunder | TDK EB 900 - Headphones | Audéo PFE 022 with Microphone - Headset | Bose IE2 audio headphones - Headphones |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
| Buying choices | | | | | | |
hands down the best < $100 iem ive ever had.
My second pick, and my current set of earbuds: the NE-700x from Nurforce, excellent sound, very cool design.