The best wired earbuds that just work
Wired earbuds and IEMs are easy to use and much more affordable than their wireless counterparts. Looking for the best budget-friendly earbuds or the ultimate sound experience? We’ve got you covered. Check out our top picks for wired earbuds.
How has this article been updated?
- March 19, 2026: Changed picks and format to match the new format.
The Quick Answer
For a quick guide to the best wired earbuds that suit your needs, check out our top picks below. Each has a link to our full review.
Best Overall: Truthear Pure
Best for Gaming: Oriveti Dynabird
Best Wired Earbuds with a Microphone: Apple Earpods (USB-C)
Best Wired Noise-Canceling Earbuds: Shure SE215
Best Cheap Wired Earbuds: Moondrop Chu II
The In-depth Answer
Below you’ll find our in-depth coverage of each of the best wired earbuds. Each model has been tested, ensuring you can trust our recommendations.
Best Wired Earbuds for Most People: Truthear Pure
These days, you will need a DAC, but only because you don’t have one.
The Truthear Pure is a great-sounding IEM that leans dark. It’s great for listening to hard-thumping music and explosions in action games, and for bass heads, it’s among the best value IEMs you can get at $89.99. Passive isolation is solid, blocking around 80% of ambient noise, and the variety of included ear tips means most people can get a proper fit.
- Read our full Truthear Pure review
The dark tuning cuts both ways, where the rolled-off treble shelf can make metallic sounds like cymbals feel unnatural. So if you prefer a more balanced or bright sound signature, the Pure isn’t for you. The stock cable’s ear hooks can also be a pain point and may not fit all ear shapes.
Truthear Pure price history
Best Wired Earbuds for Gaming: Oriveti Dynabird
It’s not Batman, but it’s definitely edgy-looking.
The Oriveti Bleqk Dynabird delivers sound for the discerning competitive gamer. The ability to hear and locate sound with little effort makes it great for competitive shooters without compromising its ability to deliver high-quality audio for movies or music. The durable metal chassis holds up well over time, and the supple, tangle-resistant cable is a nice touch for daily use. In competitive shooters, gunfire, enemy movement, ability cues, and team communication are easy to separate.
- Read our full Oriveti Dynabird review
Where it falls short is immersion. If skull-rattling bass and the feeling of being right in the middle of the action are what you’re after, the Dynabird doesn’t fully deliver.
Oriveti Dynabird price history
Best Wired Earbuds with Microphone: Apple Earpods (USB-C)
The Apple EarPods look identical to every other generation; they just have USB-C this time.
While I wouldn’t expect a cheap product from Apple at $19, you get plug-and-play simplicity, a basic in-line remote, and a microphone that punches well above its price. Below is a voice sample so you can judge it for yourself:
Apple EarPods mic sample recording:
- Read our full Apple Earpods (USB-C) review
The cheap Apple EarPods are the best wired earbuds for iPhone and the budget MacBook Neo. These are not the earbuds to get if you care about fit, comfort, or sound quality. No ear tip seal means weak bass and poor isolation, and they don’t play nice with every phone. Working out in them is also a non-starter, as the poor fit gives them plenty of opportunity to rocket out of your ears.
Apple Earpods (USB-C) price history
Best “Noise Cancelling” Wired Earbuds: Shure SE215
You can disconnect the cable and use another MMCX cable if it breaks.
Honestly, there’s only one noise canceling earbud: the Belkin Sound Form. We haven’t tested that, so we can’t outright recommend it. However, we recommend one of the best noise-isolating earbuds that rivals noise canceling in how much noise it blocks.
Read our full Shure SE215 review
The Shure SE215 sounds pretty good, looks the part, and isolates like a champ. At $99, you get a replaceable MMCX cable, six ear tip options (including memory foam), and a zippered carrying case. This is a complete package that doesn’t ask anything more from you. The isolation in particular is impressive, making these a go-to for musicians, commuters, and anyone who needs to block out the world. Musicians looking for in-ear monitors can appreciate the excellent frequency response and isolation, and anyone wanting solid wired earbuds will have very few complaints with the price-to-durability ratio.
Shure SE215 price history
Best Cheap Wired Earbuds: Moondrop Chu II
You get three basic ear tip sizes.
The Moondrop Chu II, for under $20, offers a zinc alloy build with a brass-machined nozzle. In terms of sound, raindrops and bird calls sound true to life, multi-layered vocals sound great, and all the instruments and textures are easy to make out. Virtually anyone who needs wired earbuds should consider the Chu II for its value-to-performance ratio.
- Read our full Moondrop Chu II review
Where they come up short is that the isolation performance is only average, so those who need to block out significant ambient noise will need to look at the pick above. The metal build also adds a bit of weight, and extended wear beyond a couple of hours can cause discomfort, depending on your ear shape. Minor gripes for the price, but its performance more than makes up for it.
Moondrop Chu II price history
Best wired earbuds: Notable mentions
You have to gently rotate the IE 100 bud into your ear to keep it in place.
- JBL Endurance Run 2: The successor to the original JBL Endurance Run, these wired earbuds feature a flexible FlipHook design that lets you wear them either in-ear or behind the ear. They have the same IPX5 rating and a built-in microphone for calls.
- FiiO FH5s: Building on our previously reviewed FiiO FH5, the FH5s have a semi-open design. Physical tuning switches allow you to adjust the sound, and the detachable cable ensures these buds will last a long time.
- KZ ATE copper in-ear: If you’re not looking to spend too much but prioritize sound quality over all else, this might be the solution for you.
- KZ ZSN Pro X (): The KZ ZSN PRO X offers superb sound for very little money, like under $30. Folks who prize sound quality the most will like this headset’s frequency response.
- Moondrop Chu (): These buds offer excellent sound quality at an entry-level price. Isolation and fit are great, but we wish the cable were replaceable.
- Moondrop Aria (): These are surprisingly good budget in-ears with a simple, yet elegant design. They sound great and do an okay job isolating you from your surroundings.
- Moondrop Aria SE (): These are a great pair of earbuds, so long as you know what you’re getting. They’re comfortable, focus on sound quality, and are repairable.
- Panasonic Ergo Fit (): Affordable, reliable, what’s not to love? This classic pair of earbuds comes with or without a mic and in many colors.
- Sennheiser IE 100 PRO Wireless (): These wireless earbuds use an MMCX connector, so you can also enjoy wired playback with a compatible 3.5mm cable. The module supports SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX Low Latency over Bluetooth 5.0.
- Sennheiser IE 200 (): This was our former top pick, unseated by the Truthear Hexa. It’s still an amazing set of in-ears, but it’s quite a bit more expensive than the rest of the top picks.
- Sennheiser IE 300 (): These have a headphone jack and excellent passive isolation, so if you want a portable lossless music experience, get them.
- Shure BT2 (): If you are deeply invested in Shure’s products, these high-end wired earbuds let you take your favorite Shure earphones out and about without sacrificing much regarding audio quality.
- Shure SE112: With great sound and a comfortable fit, the Shure SE112 is a simple pair of wired earbuds that will cover the basics for anyone.
- Sony MDRXB55AP: The 12mm dynamic drivers and bass duct yield loud bass, while the ergonomic fit and four sizes of ear tips make the buds comfortable. There’s also an inline mic and remote for hands-free calls.
- 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear (): These earbuds have three drivers inside each tiny housing — two of which are tiny balanced armature drivers that act as tweeters. You get an inline mic and control module here, along with nine sets of ear tips that vary in size and material.
What you should know about the best wired earbuds
Whether you’re looking to buy $200 earbuds or $20 earbuds, you want to know that your money will be a good product. When shopping around, you may encounter features or technical jargon you’re unfamiliar with. We recommend that complete newbies read our headphone buying guide, but those who may be a bit more experienced can skate by with the highlights below.
How should earbuds fit?
Sony provides plenty of ear tips with its WF-1000XM3 noise canceling true wireless earbuds, something you won’t find even with cheaper earbuds.
One of the most important factors when it comes to earbuds is seal and fit. A cogent seal will vastly improve sound quality because it isolates you from ambient noise. Bass reproduction is the first to go when there is no seal to the ear. Allowing external noise in degrades the overall sound quality of your earbuds through auditory masking. Investing in third-party ear tips will vastly improve sound quality.
Can you use wired earbuds if your phone doesn’t have a headphone jack?
If your phone doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone input, you may have to invest in a USB-C dongle adapter.
If your phone manufacturer nixed the headphone jack, you can always pick up a USB-C adapter. It’s a bit cumbersome, but it does the trick. Otherwise, you can always look for cheap wireless earbuds or USB-C headphones. Regarding the latter, though, the technology has yet to impress us. It seems like a dead market at this point.
What frequency response is good for wired earbuds?
Frequency response denotes how well a pair of earbuds can reproduce the audible range of sound frequencies. It refers to the ability of each component in your playback chain to reproduce the signal being fed to it accurately.
In our reviews, to help you interpret the product’s measured frequency response, we also display a reference curve (colored pink) on the same chart that represents what we consider the ideal frequency response shape for the kind of product you’re looking at. You might see this referred to as the SoundGuys “House Curve,” “Preference Curve,” or “Target Curve.” You can learn more about it here. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect, and it’s further confounded by the fact that our ears aren’t perfect. This is why some manufacturers allow you to modify the frequency response of their products to help compensate for variations in our hearing or specific listener preferences for bass and treble.
How we choose the best wired earbuds
The AKG earbuds included with Samsung Galaxy S10 phones feature angled nozzles for a comfortable fit.
We’ve been covering the audio industry for some time, so it’s not a huge mystery which companies are great at this sort of thing and which aren’t as much. However, we give everyone their fair shot because there are always some surprises. That said, we’ve culled countless wired earbuds to find the best possible options for you.
Why you should trust SoundGuys
We station ourselves at this site daily and recognize the constant evolution of consumer and professional needs. Inundated with audio products, we expertly sift through the noise to separate the good from the disappointing. We have multiple years of experience keeping tabs on the audio industry and rely on that to guide our review process.
Not all wired earbuds will include a control module.
We rely on objective measurements of products where we can. None of our writers may profit or benefit from steering readers to or from a certain audio device. While the site uses referral links, none of our writers will know whether or not a link was clicked. If you so choose, our ethics policy is publicly available.
Frequently asked questions about the best wired earbuds
How do I choose wired earbuds?
When choosing wired earbuds, prioritize a snug fit for optimal sound quality and noise isolation. Make sure the earbuds are compatible with your phone—consider a USB-C adapter if needed. Lastly, review frequency response to align with your audio preferences.
Does a dongle sacrifice audio quality?
There are a few different types of dongles, and USB-C audio has both benefits and drawbacks. Let me direct you to this explainer article, which will hopefully answer your questions about USB audio.
I have small ears. Which earbuds will fit me best?
Your best bet for a good pair of earbuds for small ears is one that comes with a lot of ear tip sizes. Of our top picks, the Etymotic ER2SE and ER4SR have plenty of ear tips.
What’s the difference between noise isolation and noise canceling?
Noise isolation refers to the amount of ambient noise that is physically blocked by your earbuds or headphones. The degree to which noise is blocked depends on the design of a product, such as how well a pair of earbuds create a good seal. This form of noise attenuation is passive since there’s no electronic circuitry involved. On the other hand, noise canceling is the process of using active circuitry to cancel out ambient noise, which works in addition to noise isolation. Because of the processing needed, you’ll find that noise canceling headphones and earbuds can be expensive.
What’s the downside to buying cheap earbuds?
The good news is we know audio quality doesn’t correlate to price, so cheaper products don’t necessarily sound bad. Build quality is one of the first things to go when hunting, even for the cheap wired earbuds. Materials are predominantly plastic. You certainly won’t find any sort of Kevlar-reinforced braided cable like you will with pricier products. Additionally, companies allocate fewer research and development resources to cheaper products. Things are passable and could be good for the price. However, they won’t outperform professional IEMs.
Are there any good wireless/true wireless earbuds for less than $20?
Other than the Sony WI-C310 and the JLab GO Air POP, there aren’t many options out there. At such a low price point, there are bound to be compromises. Sure, other wireless earbuds are available for less than $20, but they tend to sacrifice audio quality for wireless connectivity. You’re better off spending your cash on a pair of good-sounding wired earbuds.
Do you need a DAC or amp for the best wired earbuds?
The simple answer is no, you don’t need an external amp or a DAC.
Consumers often worry that their phones aren’t enough to power their earbuds or headphones. While that might be the case if you’re spending hundreds of dollars on specialized in-ears and plan on plugging them into a computer from 1997, it isn’t necessary for anyone listening to music on a modern smartphone or computer. Especially with these earbuds under $100 that we chose. They were designed to be powered by typical electronics, assuming, of course, that your phone still has a headphone jack. You still shouldn’t have any issues with power if you’re using a dongle, but it’s definitely annoying.
