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[Mandelbo]

So my trusty Sennheiser CX275's have just stopped working, right on cue. I've been using more or less the same model for two years now and around every six months they stop working for one reason or another, no matter how careful I am with them. With that in mind, does anyone have any recommendations for some fairly cheap in-ear headphones that don't compromise too much on sound quality and frequency response? While any recommendation will do, it'd be best if:

• they were easily obtainable in the UK via amazon or similar site. I don't want to have to scour far for these or import them.
• they cost £20 or less. I'm willing to go a little over, but I don't want to spend an inordinate amount of money on them.
• they have no bass-boosting, or anything else that adversely affects the sound quality.
• they have no inline controls - the CX275's had these and they often got in the way more than they helped.

To pre-empt questions, the reason I don't want cans or on-ear headphones is because while they both offer superior quality, neither are portable enough to fit in my pocket and I'm usually walking or travelling when listening to music, which is why I prefer in-ear headphones.

 

[Alucrid]

JVC HAFX101A

 

[TapeDispenser1000]

klipsch s4

 

[mokeyjoe]

Zero Audio Carbo Tenore - you can get them for just over £20 on Amazon and you're not going to find better in that price range.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0093VVP0Q/

http://www.head-fi.org/t/665111/zer...dx210-carbo-basso-carbon-aluminium-iem-thread

 

[teruterubozu]

I like Panasonic's line of cheap earbuds.

Also visit:

The Official Headphone Thread

Lots of good recs in there.

 

[jon bones]

i like the Senn CX-300s or

klipsch s4

 

[Rivitur]

JVC gumy They are amazing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSTBMPC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[iwasbannedlol]

didnt read op...

 

[Mandelbo]

Thanks for the recommendations so far!

I like Panasonic's line of cheap earbuds.

Also visit:

The Official Headphone Thread

Lots of good recs in there.

Ah, thanks for showing me this - I never even knew this thread existed!

 

[Alucrid]

i also always use this source

http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/mul...s-compared-brainwavz-s0-added-05-30-15-p-1060

 

[Gattsu25]

klipsch s4

Maybe my currency conversion is out of whack but that's more than double the OPs budget, no?

Edit: Turns out I was looking at the most expensive variant:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008VGQ4VO/

£35.00 and the reviews mirror my experiences with Klipsch earbuds: they sound great but the cables are prone to breaking quickly.

 

[Moozo]

SoundMagic E10. Probably cost you £30 but they're really good value for it.

 

[xaosslug]

SoundMagic E10. Probably cost you £30 but they're really good value for it.

YUP! They cost upwards of $30, but they've been the longest lasting ear buds I've ever owned. Going on 2-years, rn.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HP3OB0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[World SkiFree]

JVC gumy They are amazing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSTBMPC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

And you can find gumys at every store in the U.S., it seems. I like them, too.

 

[Trigger_happy]

SoundMagic E10. Probably cost you £30 but they're really good value for it.

This. I heard that Klipsch s4 are okay, too.

 

[TrounceX]

Does it have to be IEM? No earbuds? Because Yuin PK3's are cheap but have truly unfreakinbelievable sound quality. Like I would pay $100 for them and think it was a fair price.

 

[Tonza]

I just bought SoundMagic E30 (use them as a workout earphone) and I quite like them for the price. Went for the E30 for more over-ear friendly design compared to E10.

 

[D23]

Zero Audio Carbo Tenore - you can get them for just over £20 on Amazon and you're not going to find better in that price range.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0093VVP0Q/

http://www.head-fi.org/t/665111/zer...dx210-carbo-basso-carbon-aluminium-iem-thread

THIS!!

i got this a week ago and ive been enjoying it immensely. the sound that they produce rivals $100+ iems

 

[Mandelbo]

SoundMagic E10. Probably cost you £30 but they're really good value for it.

YUP! They cost upwards of $30, but they've been the longest lasting ear buds I've ever owned. Going on 2-years, rn.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HP3OB0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

These look pretty good - I can get them for £29.95 on amazon, too. The ES18's are £10 cheaper, are they any good too?

Does it have to be IEM? No earbuds? Because Yuin PK3's are cheap but have truly unfreakinbelievable sound quality. Like I would pay $100 for them and think it was a fair price.

Earbuds never feel very comfortable in my ear and always tend to fall out too easily. Is this different with the PK3's?

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

JVC gumy They are amazing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSTBMPC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

These the kind you can find at Best Buy and the like? I've only had bad experiences with them. Sound quality is muddy, and they break pretty quickly.

 

[Steiner84]

recently bought those and im satisfied
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00MA8V4N2/

got them primarily because of the tangle free cord but i like the whole thing. im using it to listen to podcasts on my phone and to chat on ps4

comes with additional ear-things to change for bigger or smaller earcanals.

 

[ThankYouDaletech]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B8QCMHY/

 

[BodiesWithoutOrgans]

JVC gumy They are amazing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSTBMPC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

i have like 4 pairs they are great

 

[DietRob]

The ones Dez put me onto are very nice.

Ostry KC06a - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KW40LW6/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[moojito]

+1 vote for soundmagic e10. Very comfy, don't feel like they're going to fall out. Excellent sound and bass, etc.

 

[Huw_Dawson]

Monoprice:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007VEQ2UU/

All you need.

 

[kharma45]

I liked the RHA MA350 when I had them. Soundmagic PL11 aren't too bad for £20.

 

[dluu13]

SoundMagic E10. Probably cost you £30 but they're really good value for it.

I can vouch for soundmagic. I had a pair of their PL-30's ($30 CAD or so) way back in the day and they were pretty awesome. The cable failed after 3 years, but that's probably because I just jammed them in my pockets however they fit after wrapping the cable as tightly as possible. Besides the huge number of tips they come with, the headphones also came with a robust case, which I am now using for another pair of earphones I have.

 

[TrounceX]

These look pretty good - I can get them for £29.95 on amazon, too. The ES18's are £10 cheaper, are they any good too?



Earbuds never feel very comfortable in my ear and always tend to fall out too easily. Is this different with the PK3's?

I guess it really depends on the person. I use my PK3's to workout and run and never have any issues. They have a cloth covering on the outside of the earbuds that give it some texture so they don't slip around and fall out.

 

[Loki]

JVC gumy They are amazing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSTBMPC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Yup. Went looking for them in stores with no luck. Still available online, but are apparently discontinued. No clue why. The cheap headphones I bought recently have a very short cord - I can't keep my phone in my pocket without the earbuds falling out periodically, and I'm not exceptionally tall (6'1").

 

[Visualante2]

I got the JVC marshmallows HA-FX series. They were recommended around the $15 price point. I see JVC pops up a lot in this thread so I can believe it. I don't have a good deal to compare it to but it really made me appreciate my ATH-M50s a lot more when I compared the two side by side.

 

[Pops Maellard]

These: http://www.wired.com/2015/06/mrice-e300/

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0I39GU/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I got tired of dropping stupid amounts of money on IEM's only to have them stop functioning nine months later, so I bought two pairs of these and it's been great. They sound properly good, not even for what they are.

 

[Ben Morales]

I really like the sound quality of my SoundMAGIC ES18 earphones. Only $13! they are a steal!

 

[Tablo]

ZERO AUDIO CARBO TENORES

 

[Shrike Alvaron]

I got these Panasonics to use at work and for around $7 here they're pretty damn good. I also see these on amazon.co.uk and maybe they're a bit better?

 

[PlayALLtheGames]

The ones that come with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4 have done me well. Cheap as hell to buy. Also, they actually stay in my ear when I'm active. I had a pair of expensive in ear buds I got as a gift before these that couldn't do that.

 

[tbhysgb]

http://www.monoprice.com/mobile/Pro...categoryId=10823&subCategoryId=1082709&cpnCd=



I love these. They really are good. Durable and comfortable.

 

[Oozer3993]

These: http://www.wired.com/2015/06/mrice-e300/

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0I39GU/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I got tired of dropping stupid amounts of money on IEM's only to have them stop functioning nine months later, so I bought two pairs of these and it's been great. They sound properly good, not even for what they are.

I came in here to mention these. I just got my pair yesterday, so I can't add much. I do love their bass and clarity, and the build quality seems quite good, especially for the price.

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

Zero Audio Carbo Tenore - you can get them for just over £20 on Amazon and you're not going to find better in that price range.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0093VVP0Q/

http://www.head-fi.org/t/665111/zer...dx210-carbo-basso-carbon-aluminium-iem-thread

I second this, but I prefer the Carbo Basso. My wife prefers the Tenore so ::shrug::.

 

[DonMigs85]

The Panasonic HJE-120 sounds really great, on par with phones that cost $50 up. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXTHFJA/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Xelios092]

Probably a little late, but if you can find someone that's selling a pair of Xiaomi Pistons, go for it. Incredible little earbuds for their price, and they perform well above their price range. They also look and feel really nice.

 

[Rushersauce]

Xiaomi Piston, they are AMAZING! They rival high end earphones.

 

[Polari]

Xiaomi Piston, they are AMAZING! They rival high end earphones.

Seconded. I got mine from here, seem legit: http://www.gearbest.com/earphones/pp_169225.html

 

[Piecake]

The Panasonic HJE-120 sounds really great, on par with phones that cost $50 up. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXTHFJA/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Yup, I have these and I love them. By far the most comfortable earbud/in-ear headphones that I have ever owned as well

 

[SenatorBot]

We're in a time where you can get a cheap japanese or chinese brand earphones at around that price and have it rival expensive earbuds that cost over hundreds.

Grab a XIaomi piston, they're great and durable is my suggestion. Try to get the brands you've never heard of because audio technology is being pioneered by them right now at obscenely cheap prices.

 

[Tesseract]

Panasonic RPHJE120S In-Ear Headphone, Silver

 

[Heel]

Xiaomi Piston, they are AMAZING! They rival high end earphones.

Seconded. I got mine from here, seem legit: http://www.gearbest.com/earphones/pp_169225.html

Yep, I'm using Piston 3's and happy with them. Gotta be careful for fakes, though.

 

[RobotsAnger]

+1 for those who recommended xiaomi piston v3

 

[linkboy]

Sennheiser CX-200

When I'm not using my LG Tone + Bluetooth headphones (basically, when I'm using my iPod Classic), these are my go to headphones. They're cheap and I love them.

 

[Scoot2005]

JVC gumy They are amazing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSTBMPC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I use these at work and they are great. Only about $7 a pair also. They come in many colors and you can find them anywhere.