Our pick
This pair offers excellent sound and build quality, plus a ton of accessories. The cable is sturdy and detachable, but it lacks a remote and microphone.
The FiiO FD3 Pro is ideal for anyone who wants a great-sounding pair of in-ear headphones that is comfortable, well built, and capable of drawing power from any smartphone, laptop, or digital audio player. The earbuds have a semi-open design that allows for a more spacious sound than you often get at this price, and it also relieves pressure in the ear canal.
The FD3 Pro’s slightly warm tonal balance makes bright recordings more listenable while maintaining a generally balanced audio presentation, though bass lovers may want for more. The cable is detachable, which improves its longevity and lets you swap in a cable with a remote and microphone if you need them. The generous selection of ear tips and accessories ensures compatibility with a wide range of ear shapes and audio devices.
Runner-up
Though these earbuds have a more utilitarian design and come with fewer accessories than our top pick, they sound great and are well built, and the cable is detachable.
The Linsoul Tin HiFi T4 won’t win any industrial-design awards, but these wired earbuds offer good sound, impressive build quality, and a strong cable that’s likely to survive the rigors of daily usage. Compared with the FD3 Pro, the Tin HiFi T4 sounded more neutral and less warm overall in our tests, with mildly brighter high frequencies and more noticeable rolloff in the bass.
These earbuds have a closed design, so they do not sound as open and spacious as the FD3 Pro set, but they still deliver an excellent stereo image, with proper instrument placement. People with sensitive ears should find these smaller earbuds to be comfortable during long listening sessions, but the package doesn’t include as many ear tips and headphone plugs. As with our top pick, this pair’s cable lacks a remote and microphone, but because it’s detachable, you can swap in a different cable as needed.
Budget pick
These earbuds sound rich, with more bass than our other picks. The fit is secure and comfortable, and the cable has a remote and microphone—but it’s not detachable.
The Marshall Mode earbuds have a smooth sound profile that can handle any style of music, but they especially suit rock and pop. In our tests, the bass frequencies were slightly boosted, but we heard neither thudding nor blurriness in the bass notes, and high frequencies were clear without the harshness that affects many earbuds priced under $100.
The earbuds themselves are comfortable and low-profile, so they don’t stick out or dangle annoyingly from the ear canal. The single-button remote on the cable handles playback and digital-assistant activation, and the separate microphone sits higher up on the cable so you don’t have to hold it up to your mouth when you talk. But the cable is not detachable, and Marshall doesn’t include a carrying case, so these earbuds require handling with a bit more care.
Upgrade pick
These earbuds offer a more refined, balanced, and adjustable sound than our other picks, along with higher-quality components. But the larger earbud size may not appeal to people with sensitive ears.
If you’re willing to pay a lot more money to get a clear step up in sound and build quality, we recommend the FiiO FH5s set. This wired pair has the same semi-open earbud design as the FD3 Pro set and creates a similarly spacious sound, but it utilizes better-quality drivers to deliver a more balanced sonic presentation, with more detail, clarity, and refinement in the highs and mids—although, again, bass lovers might find that these earbuds don’t offer the last word in bass impact and definition.
Also included are physical sound-tuning switches that let you make subtle changes to the overall tonal balance. The earbuds’ build feels more substantial, and the detachable cable is very strong. But the cable lacks a remote and mic, and the earbuds’ larger, heavier form may be off-putting for people with sensitive ears.
