ie8 fix

Best earbuds for less than $100

Justin Yu 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 $66.80 $66.96 to $79.99 Check Prices $33.19 to $62.27 $119.00 $89.95 to $99.95
CNET editors' rating
Average user rating 0 stars
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.
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Features
Response Bandwidth20 - 21000 Hz
10 - 19000 Hz
20 - 20000 Hz
20 - 20000 Hz
5 - 17000 Hz
Info unavailable
Headphones Form FactorIn-ear ear-bud
In-ear ear-bud
In-ear ear-bud
In-ear ear-bud
Ear-bud
In-ear ear-bud
Sound Output ModeStereo
Stereo
Stereo
Stereo
Stereo
Stereo
Connectivity TechnologyWired
Wired
Wired
Wired
Wired
Wired
Headphones TypeHeadphones - Binaural
Headphone - Binaural
Headphones - Binaural
Headphones - Binaural
Headphones - Binaural
Headphones - Binaural
Product Type- Wired
Headphones - Wired
Headphones - Wired
- Wired
Headset - Wired
- Wired
Product DescriptionJAYS a-JAYS Four
Headphones
Klipsch Image S4
Thinksound Thunder - Headphones
TDK EB 900
Audéo PFE 022 with Microphone - Headset
Bose IE2 audio headphones
Recommended UsePortable audio system
Portable audio system
Digital player
Portable audio system
Game console
Info unavailableCellular phone
Portable audio system
Digital player
Portable audio system
Notebook
Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications
Buying choices

34 comments

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Lol, the front page article is titled "Top earbuds under $1,000". You might want to change the 1,000 to 100.
Posted by nmwheele (897 comments )
Reply Link Flag
yeah i saw that, i had to do a double take
Posted by ljheat10 (1143 comments )
Link Flag
Really doesn't matter, earbuds $1,000 or $100, both prices are way out of line. I would think good ones can be had for $20, I know I can get a good pair for $13.00
Posted by LincNeb (146 comments )
Link Flag
I have the klipsch Image S4 buds, and they are beyond fantastic. great isolation and music quality. I can't hear my phone ring at my desk right in front of my face.
Posted by msmith96 (14 comments )
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You may want to change this article as seen on the main page. "Best headphones for under $1,000" Most HP's are under that, just FYI... :D
Posted by KRiedley (569 comments )
Reply Link Flag
I have the s4's and the bose ie2's....i prefer the s4's hands down...they isolate very well, perfect for airplanes...they are worth every penny...at first you won't see a dramatic difference, but just listen to your stock earbuds after....you will see.....there is no other way to listen to music on the go
Posted by coolnoge (1 comment )
Reply Link Flag
i also have bose ie2.how would u compare ie2 and s4,adn is s4 better,if so on what grounds,pls do tell,i'm planning to buy one with better bass enhancement
Posted by siddharth0101 (1 comment )
Link Flag
I can't even read the article/review, they have Bose on the list of "good" headphones. Bose has been getting laughed at in the audio industry since....the very beginning. I have heard their ear-buds and they are terrible. I found a pair of $150 Denon ear-buds that sounded 10x better and were only $50 more retail but were being sold after they went closeout for under $99. Best purchase I could have made for in-ear style headphones. DON'T buy Bose, seriously, if you value your listening experience and you are looking for good ear-buds don't get anything that has that name on it. BOSE = Buy Other Sound Equipment... The Denon headphones I am referring to are the Denon AH-C710s.
Posted by cnetreviewer09 (20 comments )
Reply Link Flag
cnet needs to review the shure se215.

hands down the best < $100 iem ive ever had.
Posted by petp (26 comments )
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$1000 for earbuds? If you made them out of solid gold, they wouldn't cost $1000. Don't you mean $100?
Posted by pjcamp (277 comments )
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Please change the title at the website from "under a $1,000", to "under $100".
Posted by ariesteban (28 comments )
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I prefer the product produced by TDK...
Posted by ZjFocus (33 comments )
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Ultimate Ears SuperFi 3, 4, 5, 7, or 10 are FAR better than any on this list.
Posted by jlynn33 (65 comments )
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As a musician, I prefer in ear monitors. The Westone UM-1 model is great and it comes in around $100. The build quality is great, made in Colorado Springs, CO.
Posted by z1221 (62 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Why are the RE0 headphones not mentioned here? They sound many times better than the Klipsch Image S4s.
Posted by Texasso (1 comment )
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lol. I saw the title and was like, "dang, they make them over 1000.. wth" =P
Posted by justflash (37 comments )
Reply Link Flag
I have the Bose IE2, in fact am using them while typing this! They're good!
Posted by deen_ali (24 comments )
Reply Link Flag
I had the iBeats by Dre earbuds and then I lost them...smh. I replaced them with a pair of Noisehush HiFi stereo earbuds with microphone from Amazon.com. They were 8.00 with free shipping (Amazon Prime). They were comparable to the beats that were 10x's more expensive. The Beats were slightly higher sound quality but not 10x's the difference. I was very rough on them and began to see an exposed wire at the connector after 6 weeks of hard rugged usage. They never stopped working despite the exposed wire. I ordered another set for 8 bucks and this time I won't be quite as rough on them. At this rate I can buy 3 or 4 pairs of these a year and still spend less than some of these buds cost. Just another option if you are concerned about beating them up or possibly losing them in regular usage. I keep a spare now unopened in my bag just waiting.
Posted by iceman721 (233 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Are these REALLY the BEST that you tested under $100?? Seems like they are the ONLY ones you tested under $100.How many different models were tested? How about a better overview.
Posted by kurt_van (8 comments )
Reply Link Flag
I own both a pair of the Klipsch and the Thinksound (both with mics for the iPhone.) The sound between them is comparable with an edge going to the Thinksound. The main problem I have with the Klipsch is the wire noise you get. Jiggle the cable in any way and the noise transmits to the speakers. The Klipsch though, does have the better remote and mic.
Posted by Smegz (57 comments )
Reply Link Flag
This list should include the ifrogz timbre's. Fantastic deep base with great overall sound quality for less than $50.
Posted by jamesbarrette (1 comment )
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I would like to see earbuds under $50. Some of the companies that make more than one model of earbuds like Sennheiser seem to change models like new cars. Then to compare the models you have to see what ones are backward compatible. For instance are the CX-500's equal to the CX 300 II Precision's? And of course you have a real problem 'cuz there is really no place to put 'em and compare side by side.
Posted by eric_akerson (1 comment )
Reply Link Flag
Why spend big bucks for earphones/earbuds and then listen to MP3 music that has had 90% of it's quality squashed by the MP3 encoding? I can see(or hear)spending bucks for earphones/earbuds if using WAVS or FLACS with less than 10% quality loss but not to listen to mp3s. The difference in sound quality is quite noticable between MP3 and WAV/FLAC encodings, but then as the vehicle audio equipment demonstrates stereo seperation plus quality of sound is rapidly losing out to the 5 cityblock loud thumpa-thumpa of quantity.
Posted by ffloydbob (1 comment )
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The Ultimate Ears 500 can definitely fit there...
Posted by do_gooder (119 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Monster Turbine $75. Does everything well. Good all-around ear bud. I prefer them to my higher end Shure, UE, because fitment is so good with the wide range of ear tips they include.
Posted by mishmosh (51 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Please avoid the Klipsch Image... they are really not great at all. I don't know what's the fuzz about them but their highs are really artificial and inaccurate. I didn't find them confortable either. I've tried many sub 100$ pair of headphones, and if I can recommand any I would something from Audio-Technica. I use everyday the CMK-50.. you can find them for 50-60$..
Posted by SonyFanBoy (75 comments )
Reply Link Flag
How about J Labs?
Posted by michalee (1 comment )
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Yes, JLabs JBuds. They have a great sound for the price, and they are the only ones I can find that make my ears actually feel cushioned. I can wear them for hours.
Posted by FlyRed77 (1 comment )
Link Flag
The best sound under $100: Head-Direct RE0, can be bought at amazon for a very affordable price.
My second pick, and my current set of earbuds: the NE-700x from Nurforce, excellent sound, very cool design.
Posted by aioria7 (3 comments )
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