There is no doubt – wireless headphones today have learned to play music very well, and if you wish, you can find very good-sounding options among the T WS models. But here’s the problem – completely wireless headphones with high-quality sound cost at least $150 and often even more expensive. But wired models continue to get cheaper, and today, for ridiculous money, brands from the Middle Kingdom offer in-ear headphones with original technical solutions and a revolutionary price-quality ratio.
Our selection includes the most interesting models of this year priced from $12 to $20.
9. KZ EDXS
Price – $12
Pros – composite diaphragm, original ear pads
Cons – Too cheap?
Verdict – excellent dynamic headphones for the price of a good lunch
The dynamic driver installed in these headphones has a 10 mm composite diaphragm with a copper voice coil. The housings feature a polished cast metal alloy outer shell, and the headphone output is tuned to match the equal loudness curve of human hearing. The headphones are equipped with a detachable cable with a 0.75 mm connector and silver-plated copper conductors; a 3.5 mm mini-jack is used to connect to the signal source. The kit includes three pairs of new profile silicone ear pads that provide reliable isolation of the ear canal. The sensitivity of the model is 106 dB, the impedance is 19 Ohms.
8. TinHiFi C0
Price – from $13.99
Pros – open design, composite diaphragm with titanium
Cons – not the most powerful bass
Verdict – Well-tuned headphones with airy sound
The headphones have a dynamic driver with a 10 mm composite diaphragm made of polyurethane and titanium; the housings are made of aluminum alloy. The open acoustic design promises spacious and airy sound with a good stage. The sensitivity is 105 dB, the nominal impedance is 32 Ohms. The model is available in several versions, differing in the connector for connecting to the signal source – 3.5 mm or USB-C, the presence of a microphone or plastic earhooks, as well as the color of the case.
7. Tangzu Princess Chang Le
Price – $15
Pros – very interesting design, semi-open design
Cons – low sensitivity
Verdict – Chinese history in the form of beautiful headphones
These budget in-ear headphones are named after Princess Tran Le of the Tang Dynasty. They are distinguished by bodies machined from aluminum billets and decorated with traditional Chinese patterns. Each of them houses a dynamic driver with a 6 mm diaphragm, which has a semi-open acoustic design. The model is equipped with a permanent cable with conductors made of silver-plated oxygen-free copper, a microphone and a 3.5 mm mini-jack. The package includes six pairs of silicone ear pads of different sizes. The sensitivity of the headphones is 95.5 dB, the impedance is 16 Ohms.
6. KZ Krila
Price – $16.90
Pros – switchable curves, combination of dynamic and armature drivers
Cons – almost nothing
Verdict – the most flexible headphones in customization
Each earphone is equipped with a proprietary XUN dynamic driver with a 10 mm diaphragm and a proprietary 30095 armature driver, which has been modified. In particular, its sensitivity in the region of 10 kHz has been increased, and the resonance in the high-frequency region has been shifted beyond the audible range. The housings are made using 3D printing from synthetic resin, and there are four switches on the side, with which the user can adjust the sound to their taste. The model is equipped with ear pads made of memory foam. The sensitivity of the headphones is 106 dB, and the nominal impedance varies from 28 Ohms to 36 Ohms.
5. TRN MT4
Price – $17
Pros – two-way design with dynamic drivers, low resistance, beryllium-coated diaphragm
Cons – design?
Verdict – a speaker with a beryllium diaphragm is almost free
The headphones are built on two dynamic emitters, each of which reproduces its own frequency band. A 10mm driver with a dual magnetic system and a beryllium-coated diaphragm is responsible for the bass; mids and high frequencies are assigned to a separate 6mm driver with a light and thin polymer diaphragm. The housings are made of translucent synthetic resin, the outer panel is made of zinc alloy. The model is equipped with a removable cable with a bipolar 0.78 mm connector and a 3.5 mm mini-jack for connecting to signal sources. The model has a high sensitivity of 115 dB and a low impedance of 22 Ohms.
4. TRN ST1 PRO
Price: $17.99
Pros – Hybrid design, switchable curves, magnesium alloy exterior
Cons – not everyone likes transparent cases
Verdict – the center of the right audio technologies at a reasonable price
This model has a hybrid design – each headphone has a dynamic driver with a 10 mm composite diaphragm and a double N52 neodymium magnetic system, as well as a 30095 reinforcement driver. The headphones have a semi-open acoustic design, the housings are made of magnesium alloy and synthetic resin. The crossover features three two-position switches that provide four different response curves – balanced, high-treble-focused, low-bass-focused, and low-frequency-focused. The model is available in three colors, sensitivity is 110 dB, nominal impedance is 28 Ohms. The kit includes a detachable cable with silver-plated copper conductors and a 3.5 mm mini-jack.
3. Moondrop Chu II
Price: $18.99
Pros – aluminum and magnesium alloy diaphragm, cast housing, light load
Cons – only black color
Verdict – premium driver and housing very inexpensive
Just recently, similar headphones would have cost five times more. The model is equipped with a dynamic driver with an innovative 10 mm diaphragm made of an alloy of magnesium and aluminum. The driver also uses the lightest coil made of copper-plated aluminum wire and a magnetic system made of N52 neodymium. The headphone body is made of a stainless metal alloy by casting, and the brass nozzle with a replaceable acoustic filter is machined on a CNC machine. The model is equipped with a detachable cable with a 0.78 mm bipolar connector and a 3.5 mm minijack. The sensitivity of the model is 119 dB, the nominal impedance is 18 Ohms. When adjusting the sound, the developers adhered to the proprietary VDSF curve.
2.CVJ Konoka
Price – $19
Pros – hybrid design with vibration emitter, switchable sound modes
Cons – little emphasis on special effects
Verdict – an interesting solution for gamers and movie fans
The model is equipped with three different types of emitters, including an innovative vibration driver. Also installed here is a dynamic driver with a 10 mm diaphragm and an armature driver that sounds the high-frequency range. The vibration driver is designed to enhance low-frequency effects in games and films, adding tactile sensations to soundtracks. The design provides two switches that allow you to combine the emitters in different ways to create four modes designed for playing music, movies, games and using headphones as stage monitors. The sensitivity of the model is 112 dB, the nominal resistance is 28 Ohms.
1. Simgot EW100P
Price: $19.99
Pros: Liquid crystal polymer diaphragm, balanced sound
Cons – not the most expressive middle
Verdict – one of the best budget dynamic headphones
The headphone housings are made of a combination of synthetic resin and aluminum alloy; the cable construction uses high-purity copper cores in a metal braid. To connect the cable to the headphones, 0.78 mm connectors are used; a 3.5 mm mini-jack is installed on the signal source side. The dynamic driver has a 10mm liquid crystal polymer diaphragm and a dual load chamber. The sensitivity of the model is 122 dB, the impedance is 32 Ohms at a frequency of 1 kHz. The package includes three pairs of silicone ear pads of different sizes.